Re: JINSEI WA GEIJUTSU DE ARU (was: Getting started with a newborn lang)

In a message dated 2002.03.08 03.16.39 AM, MES (suomenkieli@YAHOO.COM) writes:

>Hope you didn't think I was laughing at you, Chang!
    Oh no. I know that ya were amused more at the situation (or at least _at_
my situation ;) [Good rule of thumb {or whatever digit/appendage ya count
rules on (*) }: Humour is always situational - so never take it personally
even when it is personal :)

    (*) ah!, ConCulture/ConLang idea right here, peeps!!!... How do you count
or indicate _rules of thumb_, points of (un)conventional wisdom or
nodes/modes of thinking/thought?

>Anyhow, I checked with my Japanese partner about this
>phrase as well as the explanation I offered on the
>difference between =geijyutsu= vs =gijyutsu=.
>In regard to the latter, my explanation of the
>difference between these words is correct.
>=Geijyutsu= refers to "art(form)" and its kanji for
>_gei_ is the same used for =geinojin, celebrity= (in
>my previous emails, I kept writing =geijin= but that
>should be =geiNOjin=... caught that after I sent
>them!).  =Gijyutsu= refers to "technique, skill" and
>its kanji for _gi_ is the same used for =gijyutsusha,
>technician=.
    Intriguin' difference and neat morphic means of creating the lexical
difference. It's one the "strategies" I am tryin' to incorporating into Lego
(my ConLang). (BTW is there a specific linguistic term or terms for this? I
vaguely recall there is...)

>Regarding the =Jinsei wa geijyutsu de aru=, Nobu
>confirmed (and I knew this myself, although I probably
>did not convey it in the earlier emails) that it is
>grammatically correct.  He agreed with me that =de
>aru= copula gives a rigid impression, but he also
>explained to me that there was a regionally-famous
>artist who years ago said this!  Therefore, it is ok
>grammar-wise and usage-wise.  In reality, though,
>neither he nor I understand what it means exactly.
    _Jinsei wa geijyutsu de aru_ is also the motto of PL Kyodan (Perfect
Liberty Kyodan), one of the new "religions" of Japan.

>Both in Japanese and English -- life is art.  Is this
>to be taken literally or as a "colorful" expression or
>what?
    I was hoping both. But evidentally AFAIK/IMHO the PL Kyodan
interpretation is the less colourful literal one.

>Now you have it!  Your original can be accepted
>- sorry for the inconvenience.  Nobu also commented
>that my version =Jinsei to iu mono wa, kinchou na
>geijyutsu to ieru deshou= is also grammatically ok,
>but the meaning is toned-down and better-defined (ie,
>hence, not a 1:1 translation from "life is art" if
>that makes sense).
    As ya can see below I like yours better! I think yours is closer in tone
to the Liezi quote, too. I would exactly say your version is "toned down and
better-defined"; I would say it is more "open-ended" and open to personal
interpretations. Both quotes have a "questioning" or "probability" in their
tone. Thanx, again MES...


~§~

"...So what is life for? Life is for beauty and substance and sound and
colour; and even those are often forbidden by law [socio-cultural
conventions]. . . . Why not be free and live your own life? Why follow other
people's rules and live to please others?..." ~Lieh-Tzu/Liezi, Taoist Sage
(c. 450- c. 375 BCE) ~~~

<<..."Per cosa è la vita? La vita è per la bellezza, e sostanza, e suono, e
colore; e anche quelli sono spesso proibiti da legge [convenzioni
socioculturali]. ...Perchè non siete liberi, e vivete le vostre proprie vite?
Perchè seguite le regole altrui vivendo per piacere ad altri?...>> ~~~
Liezi, Saggio Taoista  (c. 450- c. 375 BCE)

~§~ jinsei to iu mono wa, kinchou na geijyutsu to ieru deshou ~§~
<from Japanese> = lit. "one can probably say that 'life' is a precious
artform")