<p>Without knowing the full context, my best guess is that 灵术 means <strong>spirit magic</strong>.</p>

<p>When translating, especially between unrelated languages like English and Chinese, there is often a lack of one-to-one correspondence between words. This is why when you look in a dictionary for the <a href="http://www.zdic.net/z/1b/js/672F.htm" rel="nofollow">English definition of 术</a>, you get multiple options like technique/surgery. However, when this character is paired with others, it can also take on the meaning of <strong>magic</strong>. This works the other way around too; when you try to translate <em>magic</em> to Chinese, you get multiple options as well, like 魔术 (magic as in magicians) or 魔法 (magic as in Harry Potter).</p>

<p>You probably won't find "灵术" in a dictionary. Since your context is video games, it's most likely that this is a constructed word for a specific type of magic, which usually have the "X术" form. To demonstrate, here are some other "X术" words that are specific types of magic:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%A6%96%E8%A1%93" rel="nofollow">妖术</a>, lit. "supernatural magic", often translated as "sorcery"</li>
<li><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B7%AB%E8%A1%93" rel="nofollow">巫术</a>, lit. "witch magic", translated as "witchcraft" or "black magic"</li>
<li><a href="http://baike.baidu.com/subview/25566/16389719.htm" rel="nofollow">通灵术</a>, lit. "communicate with spirits magic", sometimes translated as "necromancy". Note that "ouija board" in Chinese is 通灵板.</li>
<li><a href="http://dict.cn/%E4%BB%99%E6%9C%AF" rel="nofollow">仙术</a>, lit. "divine magic", translated as "theurgy"</li>
</ul>

<p>Interestingly, there are many "X术" words that have nothing to do with magic, such as 医术 (medicine) and 武术 (martial arts). This goes back to traditional Chinese culture, especially Taoism where there is no clear distinction between the natural and supernatural, and that many physical phenomena also have supernatural links, like the concept of <em>qi</em>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-09T01:12:21.000Z
2015-02-09T01:12:21.000Z
congusbongus
<p>Interesting question. can OP give more specific details.</p>

<p>I will answer this question from another angle, I think the OP is talking about HP and MP. </p>

<p>Here are examples of what other games would use.<br>
火影忍者 Naruto: chakra 查克拉<br>
英雄聯盟 LoL/ DOTA/ most RPG games: mana 瑪那</p>

<p>On the other hand, if OP is talking about spirit technique, then yes, that would be an appropriate translation</p>

<p>Example:
Naruto Ninjutsu would be translated as 忍術<br>
仙法・磁遁螺旋丸 -> Sage Art: Magnet Release Spiralling Sphere<br>
風遁・螺旋手裏剣 -> Wind Style: Rasen Shuriken<br>
You can see how the translation slightly differs from the original, but it sounds much smoother and is localized. </p>

<p>The phrase 法 and 術 literally can both mean technique and can be used in many ways</p>

<p>Another way to translate it would be to use "stance"
Ex: 吸星大法 Essence Absorbing Stance</p>

<p>I think OP just wants to make it sound cool, my advice is this, any type of localization would sound awkward, but if the medium (video game) makes it look cool, then everyone will like it either way. The pokemon move for pikachu's thunderbolt is actually a poor translation of the japanese version's 10 thousand bolt.<br>
But if we use it in context, and categorize the attack based on weak to strong: thunder shock -> thunderbolt -> thunder. Then the translation would feel good. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-02T12:01:08.600Z
2016-09-02T12:19:09.063Z
2016-09-02T12:19:09.063Z
辛祐賦 hsinyofu
<p>I think 术 here means manoeuvre or skills. 
And 灵 could either mean spiritual or infernal (because, you know, after something dies, its spirit wanders to infernal world).</p>

<p>So basically it's a skill or manoeuvre that consumes, rely on, operate on, or related to spiritual power/entity or nether world.</p>

<p>I'm not a native English speaker, so you'd have to find the appropriate English word for that yourself.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-06T03:43:42.660Z
2015-02-09T00:00:13.310Z
2015-02-09T00:00:13.310Z
user1228520
<p>just a magic associated with spirit,you can consider it as AP/magic</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-06T01:26:16.120Z
2015-02-06T01:26:16.120Z
Xuhui Shen
<p>I found this online, and I'm not really sure how it can be translated to english.</p>

<p>灵 = spirit</p>

<p>术 = technique/surgery</p>

<p>So I think it would either be spirit technique, or spirit surgery, but neither makes sense in terms of games.</p>

<p>I doubt it is AP/Magic power, because that's 魔术 and not 灵术.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-05T21:53:40.817Z
It's correct that they means "spirit" and "technique", which basically means a technique associated with spirit, but...of what kind?  Spiritism? Mediumship?
Alex
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-05T22:34:17.583Z
What game are you playing?
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-06T03:55:55.970Z
Is it more spirit related or ghost related?
Henry HO
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-06T08:39:24.720Z
Are you having difficulty understanding the meaning of the Chinese word, or finding proper English translation, or both?
NS.X.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-06T12:10:03.393Z
Magic in such place should translate as 魔法(mófǎ), 魔术 means tricks that performed by magician FYI.
ChaoYang
<translation>
What would a good gaming translation for 灵术 be?
# What would a good gaming translation for 灵术 be?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-02-05)

I found this online, and I'm not really sure how it can be translated to english.

灵 = spirit

术 = technique/surgery

So I think it would either be spirit technique, or spirit surgery, but neither makes sense in terms of games.

I doubt it is AP/Magic power, because that's 魔术 and not 灵术.

**Tags:** translation
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It's correct that they means "spirit" and "technique", which basically means a technique associated with spirit, but...of what kind?  Spiritism? Mediumship?  
> **username_2**: What game are you playing?  
> **username_3**: Is it more spirit related or ghost related?  
> **username_4**: Are you having difficulty understanding the meaning of the Chinese word, or finding proper English translation, or both?  
> **username_5**: Magic in such place should translate as 魔法(mófǎ), 魔术 means tricks that performed by magician FYI.  

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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2015-02-09. Score: 2

Without knowing the full context, my best guess is that 灵术 means **spirit magic**.

When translating, especially between unrelated languages like English and Chinese, there is often a lack of one-to-one correspondence between words. This is why when you look in a dictionary for the [English definition of 术](http://www.zdic.net/z/1b/js/672F.htm), you get multiple options like technique/surgery. However, when this character is paired with others, it can also take on the meaning of **magic**. This works the other way around too; when you try to translate *magic* to Chinese, you get multiple options as well, like 魔术 (magic as in magicians) or 魔法 (magic as in Harry Potter).

You probably won't find "灵术" in a dictionary. Since your context is video games, it's most likely that this is a constructed word for a specific type of magic, which usually have the "X术" form. To demonstrate, here are some other "X术" words that are specific types of magic:

* [妖术](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%A6%96%E8%A1%93), lit. "supernatural magic", often translated as "sorcery"
* [巫术](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B7%AB%E8%A1%93), lit. "witch magic", translated as "witchcraft" or "black magic"
* [通灵术](http://baike.baidu.com/subview/25566/16389719.htm), lit. "communicate with spirits magic", sometimes translated as "necromancy". Note that "ouija board" in Chinese is 通灵板.
* [仙术](http://dict.cn/%E4%BB%99%E6%9C%AF), lit. "divine magic", translated as "theurgy"

Interestingly, there are many "X术" words that have nothing to do with magic, such as 医术 (medicine) and 武术 (martial arts). This goes back to traditional Chinese culture, especially Taoism where there is no clear distinction between the natural and supernatural, and that many physical phenomena also have supernatural links, like the concept of *qi*.


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### Answer by username_7 on 2016-09-02. Score: 0

Interesting question. can OP give more specific details.

I will answer this question from another angle, I think the OP is talking about HP and MP.

Here are examples of what other games would use.  
火影忍者 Naruto: chakra 查克拉  
英雄聯盟 LoL/ DOTA/ most RPG games: mana 瑪那

On the other hand, if OP is talking about spirit technique, then yes, that would be an appropriate translation

Example:
Naruto Ninjutsu would be translated as 忍術  
仙法・磁遁螺旋丸 -> Sage Art: Magnet Release Spiralling Sphere  
風遁・螺旋手裏剣 -> Wind Style: Rasen Shuriken  
You can see how the translation slightly differs from the original, but it sounds much smoother and is localized.

The phrase 法 and 術 literally can both mean technique and can be used in many ways

Another way to translate it would be to use "stance"
Ex: 吸星大法 Essence Absorbing Stance

I think OP just wants to make it sound cool, my advice is this, any type of localization would sound awkward, but if the medium (video game) makes it look cool, then everyone will like it either way. The pokemon move for pikachu's thunderbolt is actually a poor translation of the japanese version's 10 thousand bolt.  
But if we use it in context, and categorize the attack based on weak to strong: thunder shock -> thunderbolt -> thunder. Then the translation would feel good.


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### Answer by username_8 on 2015-02-06. Score: 0

I think 术 here means manoeuvre or skills.
And 灵 could either mean spiritual or infernal (because, you know, after something dies, its spirit wanders to infernal world).

So basically it's a skill or manoeuvre that consumes, rely on, operate on, or related to spiritual power/entity or nether world.

I'm not a native English speaker, so you'd have to find the appropriate English word for that yourself.


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### Answer by username_9 on 2015-02-06. Score: -1

just a magic associated with spirit,you can consider it as AP/magic


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