Contradiction

People often say that studying a foreign language is also studying a whole other culture. And when it comes to Chinese, this is true much more than with any other language I have ever studied. One reason is the Chinese characters that come from the original pictograms. When you realise where they have come from and the kind of associations they have behind, it gives you a little peak to the life and minds of the ancient Chinese...

But another, even more visible thing is how the everyday Chinese frequently uses words and experessions derived directly from ancient stories recorded over various dynasties. At first, you only learn words as words, but getting to know the 'whys' behind them takes you an a whole other trip :)

Here's an example: The word in Chinese, which translates as 'contradiction', literally reads 'spear-shield'. The story behind it , recorded around 250 B.C., goes like this:

In the kingdom of Chu there was a man, who sold spears and shields. He would stand in the market place and cry out loud, praising the products he was selling: "Come by my spears! They are so sharp that they will pierce through absolutely anything, there is no material so strong that it could defeat my spears!" He then went on: "Come by my shields! They are so strong that nothing will get through them, there is no weapon so strong that it could cut through my shields!"

As one of the passers-by heard the man's cry, he stopped and asked: "If I take your spear that will cut through anything and with it attack your shield that will defeat any weapon, what will happen?" The man could not find anything to say in reply.

And that's why even today, 'spear-shield' stands for 'contradiction'. :)