小人の交わりは甘きこと醴の如し

05:47 Oct 13, 2011
Japanese to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Japanese term or phrase: 小人の交わりは甘きこと醴の如し
Hello. I am translating something that contains both 君子の交わりは淡きこと水の如し, and 小人の交わりは甘きこと醴の如し.
I found 君子の交わりは淡きこと水の如し as "friends agree best at a distance".
What would be a good translation for 小人の交わりは甘きこと醴の如し, that would make sense alongside "friends agree best at a distance"?

Thanks in advance.
conejo
United States
Local time: 02:56


Summary of answers provided
4Friendship between small people is sweet like wine
Notoyakushas
4The friendship between men of virtue is light like water, yet affectionate;
Evelyn Xian
4Relationships among common people are like sweet rice wine - sugary and murky
Pierrick Jaouen, CFA
Summary of reference entries provided
定訳?
Benshin
FYI
cinefil
君子之交淡若水,小人之交甘若醴
mstkwasa

Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


1 day 7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Friendship between small people is sweet like wine


Explanation:
Literally I believe this translates as Friendship (or relationships) between small people is sweet like wine (sweet sake). This is originally a Chinese proverb. Little or small people refers to the emotionally shallow or immature. 小人 those with small hearts versus 大人 used to mean adults, mature people, those with large hearts. Sweet as wine refers to the ease in which they can become friends and while it tastes sweet, it will end quickly just as wine will spoil if left out.

Notoyakushas
Local time: 16:56
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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The asker has declined this answer

1 day 11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
The friendship between men of virtue is light like water, yet affectionate;


Explanation:
2.君子之交淡如水,小人之交甘如醴。君子淡以亲,小人甘以绝。
The friendship between men of virtue is light like water, yet affectionate; the friendship between men without virtue is sweet like wine, yet easily broken.
http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/34058991.html

Evelyn Xian
Japan
Local time: 16:56
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
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The asker has declined this answer

30 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Relationships among common people are like sweet rice wine - sugary and murky


Explanation:
We hereby emphasize the contrast in the type of relationships:

- sugary and murky (i.e. untrustworthy) among common people
- a bit distant but pure and transparent among noble-hearted people

A very nice image and a very interesting insight on the (traditional) Japanese "bushido" psyche !


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Note added at 35 gün (2011-11-17 10:29:27 GMT)
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or we could say "amazake sweet rice wine" to give it a more local color

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Note added at 356 days (2012-10-03 06:26:54 GMT)
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.

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Note added at 469 days (2013-01-24 10:40:57 GMT)
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OK ?

Pierrick Jaouen, CFA
France
Local time: 08:56
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
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Reference comments


1 hr
Reference: 定訳?

Reference information:
The friendship between men of virtue is light like water, yet affectionate; the friendship between men without virtue is sweet like wine, yet easily broken.

検索すると結構ヒットするので、定訳かもしれません。

Benshin
Japan
Native speaker of: Japanese
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1 day 11 hrs peer agreement (net): +2
Reference: 君子之交淡若水,小人之交甘若醴

Reference information:
荘子『山木篇』の「且君子之交淡若水,小人之交甘若醴」が原文で、http://ctext.org/zhuangzi/tree-on-the-mountain/zh?en=on にて下記のように訳されています。

Moreover, the intercourse of superior men is tasteless as water, while that of mean men is sweet as new wine.

Superior men / mean men 以外にも、Benshin さんの men of virtue という訳や、例えば gentlemen と lesser / mean men という対比でも場合によっては良いかもしれません。Intercourse 以外にも、interaction, relationship や friendship などの訳があると思います。

また、この場合、君子と小人の交わりの違いは物理的距離にあるわけではないので、distance / close と訳す場合は注意が必要かもしれません。

mstkwasa
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  humbird: Agree, this is not about distance (whether physical or mental). This is about transparency in relationship. In olden days wines were murky, unlike most of alcohol beverages of today. Such background must be taken into consideration.
1 day 1 hr
agree  Pierrick Jaouen, CFA: Yes, sweet and murky like sweet rice wine (amazake)
29 days
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