I have read that 者 can be used as "... one who ...", for example
I met a X, one who is a Y.
Is that right? If yes, what would be the translation of "I met a X, one who is a Y"?
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Sign up to join this communityI have read that 者 can be used as "... one who ...", for example
I met a X, one who is a Y.
Is that right? If yes, what would be the translation of "I met a X, one who is a Y"?
英文翻譯: that which; he who; those who
《禮記·檀弓上》
遂命子貢為之主,曰:「為爾哭也來者,拜之。」Accordingly he ordered Zi-gong to act as presiding mourner on the occasion, saying to him, 'Bow to those who come because you have a wailing in your house.'
之 in 拜之 is a pronoun which represents 來者.
I think it is usually used in the classical Chinese (文言文).
者:
the person/people who; he who; those who; that which
者 is the literary counterpart of the colloquial "的人" or "的" (pronoun)
The usage of "者" compare to English "he who" , "those who"
English: [pronoun] + [who (used to introduce a clause giving further information about a person or people previously mentioned.)] + [descriptive clause]
Chinese: [descriptive clause] + [者 pronoun] (used to indicate the clause before it is a description of the pronoun '者')
Example:
English: [those] + [who] + [borrowed money from Mr.K (descriptive clause)]
Literary Chinese: [向 Mr.K借钱 (descriptive clause)] + [者]
Colloquial Chinese: [向 Mr.K借钱 (descriptive clause)] + [的人]
者 is also a common component that turn nouns or verbs into compound word nouns
Examples:
作 = create; 作者 = author
記 = to record; 記者 = reporter
死 = dead; 死者 = the deceased
學 = to learn; 學者 = scholar
弱 = weak; 弱者 = weakling
侍 = to serve; 侍者 = waiter
讀 = read; 讀者 = reader
That is classical Chinese.
Some examples:
师者, 传道授业解惑也---韩愈. This is a famous quote, frequently used when people talk about teachers and students.
Translation:
A teacher, [is a person] who passes down the Dao, imparts professional knowledge and resolves doubt.
I found that translation in this doc:
Similar usage:
窃谓夫为将者:能去能就,能柔能刚;能进能退,能弱能强。 -- 诸葛亮
为将者不通天文、不懂地理、不晓阴阳、不知奇门遁甲及阵图兵势,乃庸才也 -- 诸葛亮
凡为将者,知过于人,则能制人。--锺繇
Sometimes people want to use it intentionally to make the sentence sounds special.
楼主者, 发贴首也.
OP is the person who post the first message in a threads.
为球员者, 当以团队第一.
The one who as football player should treat the team first.