6
   

What does "the millet back" mean? Misspelling or what?

 
 
Reply Fri 7 Sep, 2012 10:35 am
Context:

Implements for the Ritual Offering of Black Millet Wine, Herb-Scented:
Jade tablet and libation cup, one bowl of millet and wine each (the tablet and
cup matching, the millet back); seasoned wine to sprinkle to the ground on
attract gods below; tablet and libation cup, ritual instruments of the ancestral
temple for sacrificing to the former kings.Yesterday 3:34 pmFull Member416Joined 5th October 2007High mind turns the grace of the universe as the glory of your life.
 
View best answer, chosen by oristarA
MontereyJack
 
  1  
Reply Fri 7 Sep, 2012 10:44 am
It sounds like it might be the caption to an illustration, meaning the bowl of millet is in the background, behind the tablet and cup. That's about the only way I could think of of making sense of it.
oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Fri 7 Sep, 2012 10:50 am
@MontereyJack,
MontereyJack wrote:

It sounds like it might be the caption to an illustration, meaning the bowl of millet is in the background, behind the tablet and cup. That's about the only way I could think of of making sense of it.


Cool.

It's from Three Kingdoms translated by Moss Roberts. The context cannot be searched out from Google.
0 Replies
 
contrex
  Selected Answer
 
  3  
Reply Fri 7 Sep, 2012 11:25 am
I think 'back' is a typo for 'black' - it occurs in a parenthetical section which specifies that the colours of the tablet and cup are to match, and if the word is 'black' it makes sense. Millet comes in different colours, one of which is black. The name Black Millet Wine seems to corroborate this.

Implements for the Ritual Offering of Black Millet Wine, Herb-Scented:
Jade tablet and libation cup, one bowl of millet and wine each (the tablet and cup matching, the millet [to be] black).

oristarA
 
  2  
Reply Fri 7 Sep, 2012 04:36 pm
@contrex,
contrex wrote:

I think 'back' is a typo for 'black' - it occurs in a parenthetical section which specifies that the colours of the tablet and cup are to match, and if the word is 'black' it makes sense. Millet comes in different colours, one of which is black. The name Black Millet Wine seems to corroborate this.

Implements for the Ritual Offering of Black Millet Wine, Herb-Scented:
Jade tablet and libation cup, one bowl of millet and wine each (the tablet and cup matching, the millet [to be] black).



Excellent Contrex.

But you said "the colours of the tablet and cup are to match." The tablet is made of jade, while the cup is (usually) made of metal. Can their colours match? Or should other factors match?
contrex
 
  1  
Reply Sat 8 Sep, 2012 01:44 am
@oristarA,
oristarA wrote:

contrex wrote:

I think 'back' is a typo for 'black' - it occurs in a parenthetical section which specifies that the colours of the tablet and cup are to match, and if the word is 'black' it makes sense. Millet comes in different colours, one of which is black. The name Black Millet Wine seems to corroborate this.

Implements for the Ritual Offering of Black Millet Wine, Herb-Scented:
Jade tablet and libation cup, one bowl of millet and wine each (the tablet and cup matching, the millet [to be] black).



Excellent Contrex.

But you said "the colours of the tablet and cup are to match." The tablet is made of jade, while the cup is (usually) made of metal. Can their colours match? Or should other factors match?


Well, it wasn't me that wrote this: "the tablet and cup matching". In general we use the word "matching" to indicate that multiple items have a common visual appearance, usually colour.

Are you sure the libation cup is to made of metal? Jade ones are very common.

http://arts.cultural-china.com/chinaWH/images/arbigimages/67ec44f715c590f6ef578015c833e348.jpg

http://www.sothebys.com/content/dam/stb/lots/N08/N08872/890N08872_6BNRZ.jpg.thumb.385.385.png


OmSigDAVID
 
  1  
Reply Sat 8 Sep, 2012 01:54 am

If it is BLACK wine, then u shud throw it ALL on the ground.
Sacrifice it to the last drop.





David
0 Replies
 
contrex
 
  1  
Reply Sat 8 Sep, 2012 02:38 am
I wrote:

Quote:
Are you sure the libation cup is to made of metal?


This should be either:

Are you sure the libation cup is made of metal?

OR

Are you sure the libation cup is to be made of metal?

Blame over-hasty editing.

0 Replies
 
oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Tue 11 Sep, 2012 07:54 am
@contrex,
contrex wrote:

oristarA wrote:

contrex wrote:

I think 'back' is a typo for 'black' - it occurs in a parenthetical section which specifies that the colours of the tablet and cup are to match, and if the word is 'black' it makes sense. Millet comes in different colours, one of which is black. The name Black Millet Wine seems to corroborate this.

Implements for the Ritual Offering of Black Millet Wine, Herb-Scented:
Jade tablet and libation cup, one bowl of millet and wine each (the tablet and cup matching, the millet [to be] black).



Excellent Contrex.

But you said "the colours of the tablet and cup are to match." The tablet is made of jade, while the cup is (usually) made of metal. Can their colours match? Or should other factors match?


Well, it wasn't me that wrote this: "the tablet and cup matching". In general we use the word "matching" to indicate that multiple items have a common visual appearance, usually colour.

Are you sure the libation cup is to made of metal? Jade ones are very common.

http://arts.cultural-china.com/chinaWH/images/arbigimages/67ec44f715c590f6ef578015c833e348.jpg

http://www.sothebys.com/content/dam/stb/lots/N08/N08872/890N08872_6BNRZ.jpg.thumb.385.385.png





That's possible. But it is far expensive than that made of metal.
ehBeth
 
  1  
Reply Tue 11 Sep, 2012 08:38 am
@oristarA,
oristarA wrote:
That's possible. But it is far expensive than that made of metal.


you're reading about ritual offerings to kings. It shouldn't be a surprise that the offerings are being made in/on expensive materials.
0 Replies
 
contrex
 
  1  
Reply Tue 11 Sep, 2012 12:13 pm
The instructions say that the jade tablet and the libation cup are to be "matching".
oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Tue 11 Sep, 2012 08:03 pm
@contrex,
contrex wrote:

The instructions say that the jade tablet and the libation cup are to be "matching".



Jade-to-jade, a perfect match.
contrex
 
  1  
Reply Wed 12 Sep, 2012 12:09 pm
@oristarA,
oristarA wrote:

contrex wrote:

The instructions say that the jade tablet and the libation cup are to be "matching".



Jade-to-jade, a perfect match.


"Matching" usually means visually alike, the same colour or colours or pattern.
oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Wed 12 Sep, 2012 06:48 pm
@contrex,
contrex wrote:

oristarA wrote:

contrex wrote:

The instructions say that the jade tablet and the libation cup are to be "matching".



Jade-to-jade, a perfect match.


"Matching" usually means visually alike, the same colour or colours or pattern.



A fine usage of word.
0 Replies
 
oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Mon 22 Oct, 2012 08:44 am
@contrex,
contrex wrote:


Implements for the Ritual Offering of Black Millet Wine, Herb-Scented:
Jade tablet and libation cup, one bowl of millet and wine each (the tablet and cup matching, the millet [to be] black).



Failed to understand "each." What does it mean here?

Each jade tablet has one bowl of millet and wine?
Each libationcup has one bowl of millet nad wine?
contrex
 
  1  
Reply Mon 22 Oct, 2012 10:47 am
@oristarA,
oristarA wrote:
Failed to understand "each." What does it mean here?


One bowl of each of these things: millet; wine.


ehBeth
 
  1  
Reply Mon 22 Oct, 2012 10:48 am
@oristarA,
oristarA wrote:
Failed to understand "each."


Where is the rest of that ^ sentence?
0 Replies
 
oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Mon 22 Oct, 2012 09:48 pm
@contrex,
contrex wrote:

oristarA wrote:
Failed to understand "each." What does it mean here?


One bowl of each of these things: millet; wine.



Eh? Wasn't the wine poured into the jade cup?
contrex
 
  1  
Reply Tue 23 Oct, 2012 10:25 am
Context required. Please provide a link to the complete original translation.
0 Replies
 
JTT
 
  1  
Reply Wed 24 Oct, 2012 09:38 pm
@oristarA,
Quote:
Wasn't the wine poured into the jade cup?


Yes.

She poured some of the wine from the bottle into the jade cup
And raised it to her lips
And just before she drank it, she said

Take the wine dig that girl
Spill the wine, dig that girl
Spill the wine, dig that girl
Spill the wine, dig that girl
Take that girl, yeah!
 

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