Translate this line of possibly-Japanese writing?
April 30, 2008 6:43 AM Subscribe
Can anyone translate the Asian characters (I think they are Japanese) on this image?
Chinese and Japanese use the same characters, what are called Kanji in Japanese and Hanzi in Chinese. The Japanese also use Hiragana and Katakana, which are not present in the picture. So I think it's probably Chinese, rather then Japanese writing.
(It also looks like simplified Chinese, although I'm not sure.)
posted by delmoi at 7:21 AM on April 30, 2008
(It also looks like simplified Chinese, although I'm not sure.)
posted by delmoi at 7:21 AM on April 30, 2008
Best answer: Chinese.
Translated literally, it means: "Houyi shoots at the sun, raise your cup and celebrate together". It references a Chinese folklore in which there were ten suns in the sky, scorching the earth and rendering life impossible. The emperor invited Houji the archer to shoot down nine of them, doing a great service to the country, thus the celebration. Read more about this legend and how it relates to the Mid-Autumn Festival at the Wikipedia page.
posted by Phire at 7:26 AM on April 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
Translated literally, it means: "Houyi shoots at the sun, raise your cup and celebrate together". It references a Chinese folklore in which there were ten suns in the sky, scorching the earth and rendering life impossible. The emperor invited Houji the archer to shoot down nine of them, doing a great service to the country, thus the celebration. Read more about this legend and how it relates to the Mid-Autumn Festival at the Wikipedia page.
posted by Phire at 7:26 AM on April 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
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posted by adamdschneider at 7:18 AM on April 30, 2008