Tuesday, March 30, 2010

"No Regrets"... or "I don't regret it?"

Mike sent in this Chinese tattoo confirmation with the following message:

"It is on my arm. In college I looked up No Regrets online (English to Chinese) translator.  I have been told at my tai chi class that "Unless you are trying to impress a Chinese linguistics professor" you're fine.  I have no idea though, I thought I had done my homework, but who knows.  You help is greatly appreciated.  I do know the first character appears to be Bu', for no or not.

Thanks so much for the help!!"


Hi Mike,

It could be loosely translated as "no regrets", but the word "regret" (jiu in pinyin) here should really be translated as "remorse". Regret carries no explicit admission that one is responsible for an incident, while remorse implies a sense of guilty responsibility and a greater feeling of personal pain and anguish. So in a way, you're really saying you feel no remorse for something that you directly, depending on different parties' perspectives, may or may not have responsibility in the specific consequence (i.e. you do not regret doing something you have already done).

So it may not be the perfect translation (depending on your intention), but is definitely not an incorrect tattoo.

I have attached in the file the correct translation for "No Regrets" if it had been the sense that prevailed in the English language.

Hope that makes sense!