Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
I wash my hands of your demolition.
Chinese translation:
你的毁灭与我无干
Added to glossary by
Wenjer Leuschel (X)
Nov 18, 2008 10:32
15 yrs ago
English term
I wash my hands of your demolition.
English to Chinese
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
Usage of Prepositions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwdr_st81qc
The Trial before Pilate contains the following passages.
PILATE: You're a fool Jesus Christ. How can I help you?
MOB: Pilate, Crucify him! Remember Caesar. You have a duty to keep the peace, so crucify him! Remember Caesar. You'll be demoted. You'll be deported. Crucify him! (Repeated several times)
PILATE: Don't let me stop your great self-destruction. Die if you want to, you misguided martyr. I wash my hands of your demolition. Die if you want to you innocent puppet!
Question: Although this story is well known, I am wondering why Pilate says "I wash my hands of your demolition" and not "I wash my hands on your demolition"? How to translate this sentence with the meaning of "of" in contrast to "on" into Chinese?
TIA!
The Trial before Pilate contains the following passages.
PILATE: You're a fool Jesus Christ. How can I help you?
MOB: Pilate, Crucify him! Remember Caesar. You have a duty to keep the peace, so crucify him! Remember Caesar. You'll be demoted. You'll be deported. Crucify him! (Repeated several times)
PILATE: Don't let me stop your great self-destruction. Die if you want to, you misguided martyr. I wash my hands of your demolition. Die if you want to you innocent puppet!
Question: Although this story is well known, I am wondering why Pilate says "I wash my hands of your demolition" and not "I wash my hands on your demolition"? How to translate this sentence with the meaning of "of" in contrast to "on" into Chinese?
TIA!
Proposed translations
(Chinese)
| 4 +2 | 你的毁灭与我无干/你自取灭亡王与我无干 |
ShelleyX
|
| 4 | 我的手沒有沾染毀滅他的罪行 |
Gertrude Tsau
|
Proposed translations
+2
1 hr
Selected
你的毁灭与我无干/你自取灭亡王与我无干
wash one's hands of something: refuse to accept responsibility for something
"your demolition" is a different expression for "your great self-destruction" as in:
Don't let me stop your great self-destruction.
FYI
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Note added at 2 hrs (2008-11-18 13:28:18 GMT)
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In "wash my hands of your demolition", demolition is a metaphor for Jesus Christ's self-destructive behavior, rather than indication of a place. It means "I don't want to accept the responsiblity for your foolish action of destroying yourself".
However, if changed to "I wash my hands on your demolition" , it will express a totally different meaning, something like: I wash my hands on (the rubble of) your demolition. 我在你毁灭之瓦砾上洗手
I'm afraid in my limited experience I've never seen "wash one's hands on something" being used as an idiomatic expression, so I could only identify "on" as a regular preposition of place.
I'm not sure... Sorry if I've missed your point.
"your demolition" is a different expression for "your great self-destruction" as in:
Don't let me stop your great self-destruction.
FYI
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2008-11-18 13:28:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
In "wash my hands of your demolition", demolition is a metaphor for Jesus Christ's self-destructive behavior, rather than indication of a place. It means "I don't want to accept the responsiblity for your foolish action of destroying yourself".
However, if changed to "I wash my hands on your demolition" , it will express a totally different meaning, something like: I wash my hands on (the rubble of) your demolition. 我在你毁灭之瓦砾上洗手
I'm afraid in my limited experience I've never seen "wash one's hands on something" being used as an idiomatic expression, so I could only identify "on" as a regular preposition of place.
I'm not sure... Sorry if I've missed your point.
Note from asker:
| Thank you very much! Would you please do me a great favor by explaining the difference between "wash one's hands on something" and "wash one's hands of something"? |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Eric Xu
: "wash one's hands on something" doesn't have any special meaning. For example: wash one's hands on specific occasions, including after rising from bed each morning.
2 hrs
|
| agree |
Shouguang Cao
: http://www.idiomsite.com/iwashmy.htm
5 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "谢谢所有的讨论者和讨论内容！
这样就清楚了使用系词of和on会造成的不同解读。"
2 hrs
Gertrude Tsau
United States
United States
Native in Chinese
Specializes in field
United States
Related KudoZ points
:
8
我的手沒有沾染毀滅他的罪行
瑪竇福音 ch27:25~26
• 比拉多當著民眾洗手說：「對這義人的血，我是無罪的，你們自己負責吧!」
• 全體百姓回答說：「他的血歸在我們和我們的子孫身上!」
我猜的,也不知對不對(《淨書》pg34-#9)
on your demolition : I am only doing my job. ( 我沒有參與你們的demolition, ) 但是他罪有應得.
of your demolition : demolition 的是你們, 明知借刀殺人卻不得不做,所以洗手, 表示推卸責任.
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Note added at 4 hrs (2008-11-18 14:50:59 GMT)
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補充:....."的血腥."
• 比拉多當著民眾洗手說：「對這義人的血，我是無罪的，你們自己負責吧!」
• 全體百姓回答說：「他的血歸在我們和我們的子孫身上!」
我猜的,也不知對不對(《淨書》pg34-#9)
on your demolition : I am only doing my job. ( 我沒有參與你們的demolition, ) 但是他罪有應得.
of your demolition : demolition 的是你們, 明知借刀殺人卻不得不做,所以洗手, 表示推卸責任.
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Note added at 4 hrs (2008-11-18 14:50:59 GMT)
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補充:....."的血腥."
Discussion
而如果用"on your demolition”，也就是"upon your demolition"，那意思就成了：“一干掉你，我就洗手”。至于为什么要洗手，那就不知道了，也就无法表达出Pilate想让自己脱掉干系的意思了。