http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2006/11/13/does-on-a-raison-de-se-revolter-mean/ A working notebook Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:56:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2006/11/13/does-on-a-raison-de-se-revolter-mean/#comment-1069 Fri, 17 Nov 2006 15:04:36 +0000 http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2006/11/13/does-on-a-raison-de-se-revolter-mean/#comment-1069 Thanks very much Lucas. Thanks very much Lucas.

]]> http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2006/11/13/does-on-a-raison-de-se-revolter-mean/#comment-1068 Fri, 17 Nov 2006 05:56:42 +0000 http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2006/11/13/does-on-a-raison-de-se-revolter-mean/#comment-1068 The Chinese expression is 造反有理, pronounced zào făn yŏu lĭ. I’m surprised to say it, but I actually prefer the English translation to the Spanish. Best, though, is the French: “on a raison” comes closest to 有理 yŏu lĭ: it’s neither “right” as in “correct,” nor as in “privilege.” And while the French saying isn’t very good for chanting (can any language match Spanish for chanting power?), it does have the philosophical air, very much present in Mao’s Chinese. The Chinese expression is 造反有理, pronounced zào făn yŏu lĭ. I’m surprised to say it, but I actually prefer the English translation to the Spanish. Best, though, is the French: “on a raison” comes closest to 有理 yŏu lĭ: it’s neither “right” as in “correct,” nor as in “privilege.” And while the French saying isn’t very good for chanting (can any language match Spanish for chanting power?), it does have the philosophical air, very much present in Mao’s Chinese.

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