Monday 20 July 2009

J-S-J-T

I think this is an appropriate time for me to teach you another Chinese saying. Apart from the 2 that I have mentioned thus far, this is quite a mouthful. And the saying of the day is…

“Jek Sau Jeh Tin”
[Direct translation: One hand shelter sky / satu tangan lindung (dari) langit]

Ancient Chinese (and perhaps some modern Chinese) believe that the sky (i.e. Tin) represents the ultimate power / judgement. So if you only need one hand to shelter yourself from this “ultimate power / judgement”… you must be an incredibly extra-ordinary individual.

Reasoning and history aside, “Jek Sau Jeh Tin” predominantly represents invincibility. If you are said to be able to “Jek Sau Jeh Tin”, it means you are able to do whatever you want because no one, not even “the sky”, can touch you. It is a “very nice” position to be in.

For example, if you own a company, you can safely say that you can “Jek Sau Jeh Tin” in the company. You can come in late, you can go for 3 hour lunch, you can watch porn in the office or even disappear from the office and no one can do anything to you… because you have ultimate control of the company.

Similarly...

If you live in a land where you are in control of everything, then you can also “Jek Sau Jeh Tin”. You can cheat and you can lie, and no one will be able to do anything. Not just that, you can also steal… rape or even… kill, and no one will be able to do anything about it.

And just to link to the 2 Chinese saying I have mentioned in the past…

All those things that you conjure up to challenge those who can Jek Sau Jeh Tin are all…
“Doh Yu”. You seriously think you get something out of it?... Sam Jiu lah…


1 year ago…
Tahap yang mana?

2 years ago… A locker tale

10 comments:

TG said...

Did you write this post just to insert Bruce Lee? Haha.. Kidding.

I love Chinese sayings, because there's so many and they make you think, they can have complex meanings.

As for 'Chinese', is this saying in Hokkien? Or Canto? It doesn't look Mandarin :)

day-dreamer said...

*thumbs up*

Jerine said...

What if I don't own the company, but I still go for 3 hour lunch, watch porn in office and go Oh Sii for 2 hours... is it still call jek sau jeh tin?

Swee Ping said...

WOW, the three Chinese sentences are indeed nicely inserted :D

Yvonne Foong said...

We are coming to the point where many of us will hear alarm bells setting off the moment we meet someone who looks like he or she can jek sau jeh tin, right?

Jules said...

Zewt, the situation sounds hopeless.... But then there's something which overrides everything! Praying for God's will!

Yes I'm praying.... BUT I'm also trying to get outta here... Oh well you know what they say about eggs and baskets...

myop101 said...

sigh... sigh... sigh...

zewt said...

MKL - just thought that's a cool picture to put up haha. it's canto by the way.

day-dreamer - thanks :)

Jerine - that's call... seh wong (snake king)!

Swee Ping - hahaha... nice leh...

Yvonne Foong - it has reached a stage where our very own safety is at risk.

Jules - praying is one thing, acting on it is another.

myop101 - what's new right?

Huei said...

eh!! jek sao jeh tin! on the road got alot wan! ppl stick out their hand n expect u to give way despite how fast u're going! really jek sao jeh tin wan!

zewt said...

huei - hahaha... ties in to what i just blogged about...