Looking for a translation please!

[Anon100]

Hi everyone, I hope you’re all happy and healthy!

 

Would anyone be able to translate this for me: 瞄准月球

 

Thank you!

[Demonic_Duck]

Aim at the moon

[kk123]

Aim at the moon

[Anon100]

@kk123 how would I say “aim for the moon”

[TaxiAsh]

I saw a youtube yesterday that said pointing at the moon, is unlucky.

 

Not same as aiming for it, but I'm not sure of the context is for 'aiming at the moon'

[Anon100]

@TaxiAsh My meaning is more about going for your dreams, dream big etc 

[TaxiAsh]

17 minutes ago, Anon100 said:

@TaxiAsh My meaning is more about going for your dreams, dream big etc 

Ah!!

 

There is probably an idiom for this, but my Chinese isn't good enough. 

The best I can do is look in my notebook for idioms

 

Is it for a tattoo?

 

If so, add more details to what you mean... I know aim for the moon, for dreams, means aim to be the best... 

 

if you can add more context the better. Because Chinese idioms are often thousands of years old stories compacted into 4 Chinese characters.

 

For a tattoo, you want a decent meaning, and story that matches what you want to write.

 

[TaxiAsh]

6 minutes ago, TaxiAsh said:

Is it for a tattoo?

Ah, I looked and remembered the other thread.

 

Yes, is tattoo!

 

Get it right, and it could be great. Better than superstars that got shit ones! haha

 

There are literally thousands of Chinese idioms that relate to specific things, just like in English. 

 

This is a famous one. 4 characters tell a whole story. In English we roughly translate this as 'every cloud has a silver lining', blessing in disguise, you never know, etc.

 

https://youtu.be/csC9mEZWMmU

[Demonic_Duck]

I don't get why people assume that translating an idiom literally will have the same figurative meaning. I mean occasionally it works if the idiom is a calque or by sheer coincidence, but it's not that common with most language pairs.

 

There are plenty of ways to translate having high ambitions (志向远大、志在四方、雄心壮志 etc.) but none I can think of that would make a good tattoo. They're more like phrases you'd use to describe someone rather than exhortations to "dream big" or whatever.

 

The closest I can think of is 不忘初心 - "don't forget your original aspiration". Most recently popularized by Xi Jinping, make of that what you will.

[TaxiAsh]

48 minutes ago, Demonic_Duck said:

I don't get why people assume that translating an idiom literally will have the same figurative meaning

For someone not learning Chinese and simply looking for a tattoo, I just want to make sure they don't make a mistake and get something crap.

 

Personally, I wouldn't have any writing in any language tattood on me. 

[Anon100]

@Demonic_Duck yes I think you’re right. I’m sure that people wouldn’t take the meaning literally - of course I’m not “pointing at the moon”. 
 

In this case, 瞄准月球 would still fit my original meaning of going for your dreams?

[Lu]

1 hour ago, Anon100 said:

In this case, 瞄准月球 would still fit my original meaning of going for your dreams?

No. It would sound like you have a gun and are pointing it at the moon.

 

Why not get a tattoo in a nice font in English, or another language that you can read? That way, you can make sure yourself that there are no mistakes in the text and that the tattooist is doing a good job, and you can actually read the inspiring words that you want to remember.

[NanJingDongLu]

 

It's so inspirational.

 

I, for one, support this anti-moon movement. Fuck the moon! He's been smugly looking down on us while we sleep for too long! You think you're better than me, Moon?! You're just a big, stupid floating rock!

[Anon100]

@Lu you suggested this on my other post and it’s not what I’m asking

[NanJingDongLu]

10 hours ago, Demonic_Duck said:

雄心壮志

I asked a native and they suggested this one. They said it is suitable for a tattoo.

 

@Anon100 not a translation, but the meaning is set high goals and ambitions.

[Anon100]

Another translator suggested this 九天揽月

Any idea on its meaning? 

[Demonic_Duck]

Not heard that before, nice suggestion from them. Quite literary. According to 百度百科, it's a reference to a Tang dynasty poem.

 

揽：to pluck

九天：the highest point in the sky (literally "ninth heaven")

九天揽月：pluck the moon from the highest heavens

 

A lot of people consider traditional characters to be more aesthetically pleasing and/or "authentic", the traditional character version would be 九天攬月

[Anon100]

Hi everyone!

I just need some help to see which phrase makes more sense. They are very similar however the difference may have an impact on the meaning. 
 

1- 瞄准月亮 

2- 瞄准月球

[Demonic_Duck]

You already asked whether this phrase has a similar figurative meaning to "aim for the moon" in English.

 

The answer is still no. Changing 月球 to 月亮 makes no difference to that answer. The only difference is that 月球 is a more scientific term referring to the physical celestial body of the moon, whereas 月亮 is a more everyday term.

 

The suggestion from your friend that you posted in that earlier thread, 九天攬月, remains by far the best option for the meaning you're trying to convey.

[Anon100]

@Demonic_Duck there is absolutely no need for you to be rude. If I decided to ask the question again, I am more than obliged to. 
 

I was given the suggestion by someone fluent in the language and that’s what they suggested and in fact said that ‘瞄准月球’ has no relation to “the moon” and “shooting the moon” as you have told me yourself. 

I’m not looking for the ‘Celestial scientific term’ because I’m not ‘shooting the moon’ and therefore I don’t see the harm in asking for a comparison. 

When it comes to “九天攬月”, I don’t see how ‘Nine days of the moon’ is a great comparison to what I’m trying to achieve?? Maybe I’m wrong. 
 

if you’re so bothered by the fact that I have asked for a DIFFERENT comparison, trying to educate myself when I could just be ignorant and believe what I want, don’t reply to the thread. It’s really that simple.