活人

活人

1. living person

   • 統統相符合的事，在戰爭或戰鬥中是極其少有的，這是因為戰爭或戰鬥的雙方是成群的武裝著的活人，而又互相保持秘密的緣故。 [MSC, trad.]
     统统相符合的事，在战争或战斗中是极其少有的，这是因为战争或战斗的双方是成群的武装着的活人，而又互相保持秘密的缘故。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 1936, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《中國革命戰爭的戰略問題》 (Problems of Strategy in China's Revolutionary War), 《毛澤東選集》. English translation based on the Foreign Languages Press edition

     Tǒngtǒng xiāng fúhé de shì, zài zhànzhēng huò zhàndòu zhōng shì jíqí shǎoyǒu de, zhè shì yīnwèi zhànzhēng huò zhàndòu de shuāngfāng shì chéngqún de wǔzhuāng zhe de huórén, ér yòu hùxiāng bǎochí mìmì de yuángù. [Pinyin]

     Such complete correspondence is extremely rare in a war or a battle, in which the belligerents are groups of live human beings bearing arms and keeping their secrets from each other; this is quite unlike handling inanimate objects or routine matters.

• (Xiang) 活人子

活人

1. (literary) to revive a person; to bring someone else alive

   • 若以為善矣，不足活身；以為不善矣，足以活人。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     若以为善矣，不足活身；以为不善矣，足以活人。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Ruò yǐwéi shàn yǐ, bùzú huóshēn; yǐwéi bùshàn yǐ, zúyǐ huórén. [Pinyin]

     If indeed it be considered good, it is not sufficient to preserve their persons alive; if it be deemed not good, it is sufficient to preserve other people alive.