APAD: quod me nutrit me destruit

7
7grizzly
楼主 (文学城)

Meaning:

    The Latin phrase quod me nutrit me destruit translates to "that which

    nourishes me destroys me". It suggests that the forces of nourishment and

    destruction are essentially the same, and that one can be sustained and

    diminished by the same force.

- google

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I saw the phrase in Harry Mount's "Carpe Diem: Put A Little Latin in Your Life,"

a petite volume in the library's foreign language section. The author pointed

out, among other examples, that these words, tatooed on Anglelina Jolie's arm(or

her back, I can't remember), attested to Latin's cachet. Prestige aside, "what

nourishes me destroys me," carries a dash of taoist duality.

 

In a recent college questionaire, my highschooler answered Journey to the West

to "what's your favorite childhood book?", and "what's your favorite quote?"

with Kanye West's "Everything I am not made me everything I am." The latter

spoke to him, he said, something he could relate.

 

The clever wording failed to impress dad as much, however. "Another hash of 

the yin-yang," I said. "Remember, in the Tao, you have a much richer heritage."

(I felt natural that people everywhere should discover the same truth, over and over again.)

 

See, for example, in Chapter 11 of the Tao Te Ching

    埏埴(shān zhí)以为器,当其无,有器之用。

    Working clay into a container, you make the inside hollow.

    Because it is hollow, it is useful as a container.

    凿户牖(yǒu)以为室,当其无,有室之用

    Cutting the wall when building a house, you've got doors and windows.

    Their emptiness makes it useful as a room.

 

 



更多我的博客文章>>> APAD: quod me nutrit me destruit Reading the AHD (280 pages left) Jiu-jitsu Month 39 (宝刀不老) Remarkable Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt Jiu-jitsu Month 38
J
JoyAnna.
What nourishes me destroys me. 成也萧何 败也萧何

周末好 :)

7
7grizzly
I thought about 萧何, too, but forgot his story:-) 周末好!
最西边的岛上
Kudos 2 哲学家7G! & “my head is spinning”;-)) I thinkItRealted
最西边的岛上
2 yestersday's APAD. + every why has a wherefore. Thus why
最西边的岛上
hollowness is useful somewhere & sometimes
移花接木
Water that floats the boat also sink it
暖冬cool夏
水可载舟亦可覆舟. Our ancestors are very philosophical!
最西边的岛上
haha, I could bWrong, butWeMayHave "beaten it toDeath", 除韩信外
天边一片白云
跟着你学习一点Tao Te Ching。
J
JoyAnna.
哈哈,成也萧何,败也萧何的出处,我也是查了,才想起来和韩信有关。见内:
J
JoyAnna.
新问题:怎么把“成也萧何,败也萧何”翻译成英文?最地道的表达是什么?:D
最西边的岛上
抛砖引玉:What nourished 韩信 destroyed 韩信 ;-)))
J
JoyAnna.
haha, you made my day. Thank you.:))
7
7grizzly
It was for the kid, to show the Chinese have sth to offer:-)
7
7grizzly
Water shows no favoritism.
7
7grizzly
Yes and it's rarely the same 舟. :-))
7
7grizzly
We only need a little bit; the rest is for showing off :-)))
7
7grizzly
Thanks. Now it's clear!
7
7grizzly
Can't beat this! :-))