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1. Do not fear the task: Cooperation will lead to success
3. Commitment
4. Excellence
5. Even an iron bar can be ground to a needle
6. Put out a burning wood cart with a cup of water
7. Overcome: Regardless of the Rain and Wind
9. Dogen
10. Regardless of the Weather, We Overcome Troubles Together
11. Walking 100 Miles: Stopping at 90 miles, is the same as stopping half-way
Do not fear strong winds waves; just be sure to row in unison
不怕风浪大就怕桨不齐 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: Do not fear strong winds [and] high waves; what [one should] worry about whether or not you're rowing in unison.
Figuratively, this means: However difficult the task, the key to success lies in making collective efforts.
I like to translate this as “Don't sweat the details, just get together and get it done.”
承諾 embodies the idea of commitment but also means to make a big effort or to undertake a great task.
Commitment is caring deeply about something or someone. It is deciding carefully what you want to do and then giving it 100%, holding nothing back. You give your all to a friendship, a task, or something you believe in. You finish what you start. You keep your promises.
In Chinese, this word directly means to undertake something or to make a promise to do something.
Outside of the commitment idea, this particular word can also mean approval, acceptance, consent, assent, acquiescence, or agreement, depending on context (especially in Japanese and Korean). Therefore, this word is probably best if your audience is Chinese.
See Also: Partnership | Hard Work | Dedication
An utterly inadequate measure
杯水車薪 is a warning against a futile effort.
This proverb literally refers to one who is “trying to put out a burning cart of wood with a cup of water,” or “throw a cup of water on a cartload of wood.” The lesson to be learned is about using the right measure or tool for the job and not wasting your effort if you are inadequately equipped for the task at hand - in other words the postscript should be “go get a bucket or a fire hose.”
風雨無阻 is a proverb that is often translated as “Go ahead as planned regardless of the weather” or, “[Overcome] despite the rain and wind.”
This is a Chinese proverb that suggests that you are willing (or should be willing) to overcome any adversity, and accomplish your task at hand.
There is a second/optional part to this phrase that suggests that you should do this together with someone (see our other 8-character version if you want the full phrase).
勝 is a single character that means to win or be victorious.
This can also be translated: To overcome; success; to beat; to defeat; to surpass; superior to; to get the better of; better than; surpassing; superb.
In another context, this can mean beautiful (scenery); scenic spot; or scenic beauty.
In Taiwanese Mandarin, this can be pronounced with the first tone (sheng1) and mean: Able to bear; equal to (a task).
In Japan, this can also be the name Masaru.
In Korea, this has the same meaning but can also be the surname Sŭng.
Usually, when people are looking for 道元 or “Dogen,” they are referring to the Japanese Zen monk by this name.
He lived from 1200-1253. This Dogen name or title literally means “The Way Origin” or “Beginning of the Path.” It is understood to mean “beginning of right doctrine or faith” in the context of his name and work to establish the Sōtō school of Zen in Japan.
To accomplish that task, this humble monk traveled from Japan and across China to find the more original or pure forms of Buddhism.
The first four characters are often translated as “Go ahead as planned regardless of the weather” or, “[Overcome] despite the rain and wind.” The last four characters can mean “Stick together” but literally means “Take the same boat [together].”
風雨無阻同舟共濟 is a Chinese proverb that suggests that you are willing (or should be willing) to overcome any adversity, and accomplish your task at hand. The second part (last four characters) is sometimes left off but this second part strongly suggests that you should overcome that adversity together.
行百里者半九十 is an old Chinese proverb that speaks to the act of giving up. This phrase suggests that no matter how close you are to finishing your task or journey, giving up just before you finish is just as bad as giving up halfway.
50% finished or 90% finished, the result is the same: “You are not finished.”
You can take what you want from this proverb, but I think it suggests that you should finish what you start, and especially finish that last 10% of your journey or project so that you can honestly say “it's finished.”
Some notes: The character, 里, that I am translating as “mile” is an ancient “Chinese mile” which is actually about half a kilometer - it just doesn't sound right to say “When walking 100 half-kilometers...”
These search terms might be related to Task:
Active Duty
Active Duty Military
Brief and to the Point
Call of Duty
Duty / Responsibility / Obligation
Duty to Defend and Protect Country
Loyalty to Duty or Master
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Do not fear the task: Cooperation will lead to success | 不怕風浪大就怕槳不齊 不怕风浪大就怕桨不齐 | bù pà fēng làng dà jiù pà jiǎng bù qí bu4 pa4 feng1 lang4 da4 jiu4 pa4 jiang3 bu4 qi2 bu pa feng lang da jiu pa jiang bu qi | pu p`a feng lang ta chiu p`a chiang pu ch`i pu pa feng lang ta chiu pa chiang pu chi |
|
Great Responsibility | 重擔 重担 | juu tan / juutan / ju tan | zhòng dàn zhong4 dan4 zhong dan zhongdan | chung tan chungtan |
Commitment | 承諾 承诺 | shoudaku / shodaku | chéng nuò cheng2 nuo4 cheng nuo chengnuo | ch`eng no chengno cheng no |
Excellence | 卓越 | taku etsu / takuetsu | zhuó yuè / zhuo2 yue4 / zhuo yue / zhuoyue | cho yüeh / choyüeh |
Even an iron bar can be ground to a needle | 磨杵成針 磨杵成针 | mó chǔ chéng zhēn mo2 chu3 cheng2 zhen1 mo chu cheng zhen mochuchengzhen | mo ch`u ch`eng chen mochuchengchen mo chu cheng chen |
|
Put out a burning wood cart with a cup of water | 杯水車薪 杯水车薪 | bēi shuǐ chē xīn bei1 shui3 che1 xin1 bei shui che xin beishuichexin | pei shui ch`e hsin peishuichehsin pei shui che hsin |
|
Overcome: Regardless of the Rain and Wind | 風雨無阻 风雨无阻 | fēng yǔ wú zǔ feng1 yu3 wu2 zu3 feng yu wu zu fengyuwuzu | feng yü wu tsu fengyüwutsu |
|
Win Victory | 勝 胜 | shou / sho | shèng / sheng4 / sheng | |
Dogen | 道元 | dou gen / dougen / do gen | dào yuán / dao4 yuan2 / dao yuan / daoyuan | tao yüan / taoyüan |
Regardless of the Weather, We Overcome Troubles Together | 風雨無阻同舟共濟 风雨无阻同舟共济 | fēng yǔ wú zǔ tóng zhōu gòng jì feng1 yu3 wu2 zu3 tong2 zhou1 gong4 ji4 feng yu wu zu tong zhou gong ji fengyuwuzutongzhougongji | feng yü wu tsu t`ung chou kung chi feng yü wu tsu tung chou kung chi |
|
Walking 100 Miles: Stopping at 90 miles, is the same as stopping half-way | 行百里者半九十 | xíng bǎi lǐ zhě bàn jiǔ shí xing2 bai3 li3 zhe3 ban4 jiu3 shi2 xing bai li zhe ban jiu shi xingbailizhebanjiushi | hsing pai li che pan chiu shih hsingpailichepanchiushih |
|
In some entries above you will see that characters have different versions above and below a line. In these cases, the characters above the line are Traditional Chinese, while the ones below are Simplified Chinese. |
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All of our calligraphy wall scrolls are handmade.
When the calligrapher finishes creating your artwork, it is taken to my art mounting workshop in Beijing where a wall scroll is made by hand from a combination of silk, rice paper, and wood.
After we create your wall scroll, it takes at least two weeks for air mail delivery from Beijing to you.
Allow a few weeks for delivery. Rush service speeds it up by a week or two for $10!
When you select your calligraphy, you'll be taken to another page where you can choose various custom options.
The wall scroll that Sandy is holding in this picture is a "large size"
single-character wall scroll.
We also offer custom wall scrolls in small, medium, and an even-larger jumbo size.
Professional calligraphers are getting to be hard to find these days.
Instead of drawing characters by hand, the new generation in China merely type roman letters into their computer keyboards and pick the character that they want from a list that pops up.
There is some fear that true Chinese calligraphy may become a lost art in the coming years. Many art institutes in China are now promoting calligraphy programs in hopes of keeping this unique form
of art alive.
Even with the teachings of a top-ranked calligrapher in China, my calligraphy will never be good enough to sell. I will leave that to the experts.
The same calligrapher who gave me those lessons also attracted a crowd of thousands and a TV crew as he created characters over 6-feet high. He happens to be ranked as one of the top 100 calligraphers in all of China. He is also one of very few that would actually attempt such a feat.
Check out my lists of Japanese Kanji Calligraphy Wall Scrolls and Old Korean Hanja Calligraphy Wall Scrolls.
Some people may refer to this entry as Task Kanji, Task Characters, Task in Mandarin Chinese, Task Characters, Task in Chinese Writing, Task in Japanese Writing, Task in Asian Writing, Task Ideograms, Chinese Task symbols, Task Hieroglyphics, Task Glyphs, Task in Chinese Letters, Task Hanzi, Task in Japanese Kanji, Task Pictograms, Task in the Chinese Written-Language, or Task in the Japanese Written-Language.