老板/闆 (lǎobǎn) – ‘boss; shopkeeper’
The title for “shopkeeper” is lǎobǎn. This is used to refer to the owner or proprietor of a shop. Lǎobǎn can be used when referring to or addressing the shopkeeper.
Lǎobǎn has two characters: 老板/闆:
1. The first one, lǎo, means “old,” and is a term of respect. It is the same character used in lǎoshī (teacher). Even though it doesn’t mean “old” in this context, it can be a useful memory aid to think of it like that.
2. The second character 闆, bǎn, means “boss,” so the literal translation of lǎobǎn “old boss.” Note that these are different in simplified and traditional Chinese (simplified: 板, traditional 闆, but the simplified version is used in traditional too). The most common meaning of 板 is “plank”.
The Laoban in the Shaolin Temple Europe isnt old. She is a young woman. She take care of everything in the monastery. Whether kitchen, garden, meadow or forest. She masters all the devices that you need to work. Rarely do you see more wonderful and modest human than her. She is my role model for discipline, focus and morality.
Thank you Laoban for everything you do for the sangha and the guests. Thanks to all helpers, too.
