[quote=“Skyfae”]
“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly”([/quote]
Hello, I’d say “毛毛蟲之死,正是蝴蝶美麗蛻變的開始”
Similar phrase in Chinese referred to your fav. quote could be 不經一番寒徹骨,焉得梅花撲鼻香(but then there is no caterpillar or butterfly then)
Always do your research before getting a tattoo.
[quote=“I am a City Girl”][quote=“Skyfae”]
“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly”([/quote]
Hello, I’d say “毛毛蟲之死,正是蝴蝶美麗蛻變的開始”
Similar phrase in Chinese referred to your fav. quote could be 不經一番寒徹骨,焉得梅花撲鼻香(but then there is no caterpillar or butterfly then)[/quote]
Chinese tattoos look better when written in older-style Chinese:
毛蟲之終乃蝶光之始 (The caterpillar’s end is the beginning of the butterfly’s glory)
I’m not a native speaker of Chinese, BTW, so this is a shot in the dark, and I’m sure Chinese people would be able to shoot my suggestion down and posit better ones.
Rule No. 79…never get a tattoo in a language you can’t read…
That’s rule No. 2, right after “Never mix beer and liquor.”
QFT. If it would be silly to write on body in native language, why do it in one you can’t proofread. And if you do want to do this why not pay a translator to do it before hand?
/facepalm
What part of this was an emergency, that needed to be answered ASAP?
I’m sure you’ll be fine with the tattoo. Maybe you can show people at the next happy hour. 
[quote=“scomargo”]What part of this was an emergency, that needed to be answered ASAP?
I’m sure you’ll be fine with the tattoo. Maybe you can show people at the next happy hour. [/quote]
I am so not the type to get tattoos so I’m seriously regretting my decision.
I wanted the translation so I could decide if I should look into laser surgery. And yes, I’m aware of the painful process, the scarring, etc.
Not sure what to do. It was supposed to be a commemorative moment, esp since my brother and I had tattoos done together. But now I just feel terrible.
How long ago did you have this done? And where?
The way the thread reads, it looks to me like you asked us in a hurry to translate something so you could go get a tattoo done properly; then before the discussion was done, you had rushed out and gotten the tattoo.
BTW, your original quote said:
在毛毛蟲的世界，盡頭是什麼 能 主宰自已人生的人說是蝴蝶
At first I was somewhat confused by the lack of punctuation and by the odd spacing (especially the space after 能. The following is clearer:
在毛毛蟲的世界，盡頭是什麼? 能主宰自已人生的人說是蝴蝶.
“In the world of the caterpillar, what is the end? Those able to govern their lives say it is a butterfly.”
I’m not a native speaker of Chinese, but in my non-native opinion it’s quite readable (given the correct punctuation and spacing) and certainly not horrendous. It may not be idiomatic (I can’t tell you if it is or not), but I would say no to the laser surgery.
But it would be best if a photo could be provided. Chinese tattoos are sometimes written in horrible calligraphy.
I showed it to my coworker and his translation was word for word what Chris wrote. Then he asked me why I wanted to know this, then jaw dropped.
[quote=“Chris”]BTW, your original quote said:
在毛毛蟲的世界，盡頭是什麼 能 主宰自已人生的人說是蝴蝶
At first I was somewhat confused by the lack of punctuation and by the odd spacing (especially the space after 能. The following is clearer:
在毛毛蟲的世界，盡頭是什麼? 能主宰自已人生的人說是蝴蝶.
“In the world of the caterpillar, what is the end? Those able to govern their lives say it is a butterfly.”
I’m not a native speaker of Chinese, but in my non-native opinion it’s quite readable (given the correct punctuation and spacing) and certainly not horrendous. It may not be idiomatic (I can’t tell you if it is or not), but I would say no to the laser surgery.
But it would be best if a photo could be provided. Chinese tattoos are sometimes written in horrible calligraphy.[/quote]
So does anyone have suggestions of laser removal places in Taipei? 
My opinion: leave it be. It’s nice!
cute butt 
yeah leave it alone, its not bad. NObody in gringoland can read it anyway
[quote=“Skyfae”]
So does anyone have suggestions of laser removal places in Taipei? 
[/quote]
Hiya,
If you are considering to remove your tattoo, get yourself a dermatologist(皮膚科醫生pi fu ke yi sheng ). Most major hospitals in Taipei can do it, but I have no idea how much or how long it’d cost you 
It’d cost a shitload and would leave a nasty burn-like scar. As it is, you got the wee flutterbye on there. Who gives a shit what it actually says? Its not like you’ve got “I am a stupid dork” tattooed in the ol’ Chinee on your neck or anything.
Think yourself lucky – I have “King Billy 1690 Fuck the Pope” tattooed on my chest with a great big red hand of Ulster flag. That’s REALLY not cool!
hey, leave it. It carries the right information right? What is the end can also be the beginning of something much better…so why are you regretting it? To me, getting ink it more about the experience than the final product. I always get mine in this dodgy alley in Hsimen and I love them. When I watch LA Ink I wish mine were as beautiful, but they cost 10 times more…so yeah, I’m happy!
[quote=“sandman”]It’d cost a shitload and would leave a nasty burn-like scar. As it is, you got the wee flutterbye on there. Who gives a shit what it actually says? Its not like you’ve got “I am a stupid dork” tattooed in the ol’ Chinee on your neck or anything.
Think yourself lucky – I have “King Billy 1690 Fuck the Pope” tattooed on my chest with a great big red hand of Ulster flag. That’s REALLY not cool![/quote]
Photo?
To make a better judgement call I’d need to see more of the butt the tat is on…
Just kidding!!!
Ok, seriously, I agree with other posters that it looks and reads fine. I wouldn’t remove it unless you were really really unhappy with it, because as Sandy says it can leave a burn like scar. And as others have pointed out, it doesn’t say anything rude, outrageous or nonsensical. I knew a South African girl with and ugly (the style was even terrible) tattoo of 多 on the back of her neck…
Your tattoo looks fine and the butterfly seems to suit you (as far as I can tell from avatars and posts on the forum).
Edit: I should add, not taking anything away from Chris’ translation, that I would translate it as “In the caterpillar’s world what is the end? People who master their own lives say it is the butterfly.”
Which is basically what everyone else is saying anyway. I’ll ask my wife tomorrow what she thinks about the sentence construction etc.
Personally, if I had to be critical, I would say I like the first part, but the second part could have been phrased better or more poetically. But you were talking about your transformation and how Taiwan is part of it. With all that in mind I think it’s actually pretty cool.
i say heck with it…go the whole hog and get a caterpillar added to it…