New Theory of Numerology
| Simplified Chinese (Mandarin: China) | ||
| 数字占卜学新原理 Shùzǐ zhānbǔ-xué xīn-yuánlǐ |
数字
shùzǐ
= 'number'. |
New Principles of Numeral-Divining Study |
| Traditional Chinese (Mandarin: Taiwan) | ||
| 命理學新論 Mìnglǐ-xué xīnlùn |
命理
mìnglǐ = 'principle of fate'. 學 xué = 'study, -ology'. 新 xīn = 'new'. 論 lùn = 'theory'. |
New Theory of the Study of the Principles of Fate |
| Japanese | ||
| 新数霊術理論 Shin sūrei-jutsu riron |
新 shin =
'new'. 数霊 sūrei = '(literally) number spirit' = use of numbers to predict person's personality/future. 術 jutsu = 'art, technique'. 理論 riron = 'theory'. |
New Theory of the Technique of Fortune-telling by Numbers |
| Vietnamese (Chinese characters show etymology) | ||
| Tân Lý Thuyết Số Học | tân
(新) = 'new'. |
New Theory of Arithmetic |
The main stumbling block in this title is the translation of 'Numerology'. Numerology is the study of the occult influence of numbers on human affairs. Numerology is based on the premise that numbers can reveal the future or hidden information. A common example is when each letter in a person's name is given a number, the numbers are added up and the resulting numbers are also added up until a single number is left — the special or lucky number.
Numerology
- In Numerology and Grammatica,
the Mainland translator used 数字学 shùzì-xué,
or the study of numbers — quite literally, 'numerology' — at one place, and 数字占卜 shùzì-zhànbǔ 'numeral divination' at another. Here the translator obviously
felt that the second was more appropriate, using the term 数字占卜学 shùzǐ
zhānbǔ
xué,
or the 'study of divination by numbers'.
The Taiwanese translator stays with the earlier translation, 命理學 mìnglǐ-xué, 'study of the principles of fate'.
The Japanese translator uses 数霊術 sūrei-jutsu, a fortune-telling technique based on numbers such as birthdays, the number of strokes in characters, etc. This is an advance on Numerology and Grammatica, where 'numerology' was translated as 数密学 sūmitsu-gaku, the study of the secrets of numbers.
The Vietnamese translator used thuật số (術數 in Chinese characters), the 'study of numbers' i.e., 'divination', and later lượng số học (量數學) 'study of quantities' in the title of Numerology and Grammatica. In this book she uses số học (數學), meaning 'arithmetic'. The earliest translation is more accurate.
New Theory
- The Taiwanese translation into Chinese uses 新論
xīnlùn 'new theory', made up of 新 xīn 'new' and
論 lùn, a character with a wide range of meanings ('discussion, assessment, consideration, discourse') but here have the meaning of 'theory'.
The Japanese translation uses 新...理論 shin ... riron 'new .... theory', where 理論 riron literally 'principle, reason, logic, truth' + 'discussion, assessment, consideration, discourse' is the standard word for 'theory' in both Chinese and Japanese.
Vietnamese uses tân lý thuyết, consisting of tân 'new' and lý thuyết 'theory'. This is a Chinese-style compound rather than a native word, suitable for abstruse or scientific concepts. Tân is equivalent to the character 新 'new'. The Vietnamese word for 'theory' is lý thuyết 'theory', equivalent to 理說 in Chinese characters. The meaning is roughly 'principle, reason, logic, truth' + 'say, discuss, explanation, theory'. This term is no longer used in modern Chinese.
The Mainland translation into Chinese uses 新原理 xīn-yuánlǐ 'new principles'. 原理 yuánlǐ means roughly 'source, origin, basic, primary' + 'principle, reason, logic, truth'.
Category: Divination
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