http://garbolino.blogspot.com/2005/06/midsummer-in-dalsland.html
Reader Johan emails:
"I recently met a girl with the tattoo 亳 on her arm. She claimed it meant something like 'Carpe Diem'. I've never seen it before and I can't find anything in dictionaries that would support this.
Any idea about it? A picture can be found in this entry in my blog: http://garbolino.blogspot.com
Thanks for a very entertaining site."
"Carpe Diem" is a Latin phrase that means "seize the day". The character shown in the photo is no where near that meaning. The only two definitions I have found are:
1. name of district in Anhui
2. capital of Yin
As mentioned on Johan's site, "carpe diem" is translated with "及时行乐":
及时 [jíshí] in time; promptly
行乐 [xínglè] seek amusement; make merry
Personally, I don't agree with that definition completely.
Interestly enough, I have seen artwork pieces and shirts designed by Paul Nicholson at Terra Tag that has captured the "carpe diem" theme:
http://www.terratag.com/
The phrase 照等為愚 is loosely translated as "to [rely on] wait[ing] is foolish", which is very similar to what "carpe diem" is trying to express. In my personal opinion, 照等為愚 is the best translation so far for "carpe diem".
