This is the original “Chinese proverb” from the streetcar advertisement.

The quotation has wrongly been translated as: A Picture Is Worth One Thousand Words.

In fact, the literal translation is: A Picture’s Meaning Can Express Ten Thousand Words.

Somehow the phony Chinese proverb over the years has been given the literal meaning that a picture is equivalent to a thousand words setting up a clash between words and pictures in the minds of users of the two. With digital hegemony, visual messages have reasserted their position as an important communication medium, but at the cost of not recognizing the combination of words and pictures as vital in communication. With the correct interpretation of the proverb, words and pictures live in harmony as they are both used equally in order to understand the meaning of any work that uses them both.

While I’m not much for living my life by Chinese proverbs, I find this one to be interesting enough to put into action. I plan to write periodically about a picture. Whether it be one taken from my own life, one taken by me of something in life, or even taken by another that I wish to expound upon. As I have already started two categories of which I write “Poetry” and “Blogs”, I will now be adding the third: “Picture Comments”. This simplified title means literally that I will comment on the photo, uniting the work done by the photograph with my words, to hopefully attain some balance between their purpose in this life.

P.S.- This is meant to be fun! Although sometimes what starts as fun could turn into a profound observation, my intention is merely to expand my view and translate what I see. And feel FREE to add your additional translation, or even criticisms of my own!!!

Love & Grace,

Ashley