<p>佐 means 'assist' ; 佑 means 'protect'. &quot;佐佑&quot;(to assist and protect) is different from &quot;左右&quot; (to make someone go left or right = &quot;to influence&quot;)</p>
<blockquote>
<p>左右 <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/332/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/332/</a></p>
<p>[v] influence; master; control</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In your sentence, 左右着他们 would mean: &quot;influence them&quot; or &quot;control them&quot;</p>
<p>More example:</p>
<p>左右朝政 (exert influence/control over the government's policy; influence the government)</p>
<p>大企業以財力左右政局 (Large enterprises use financial resources to influence/ control politics)</p>
<p>左右局勢 (exert influence/control over the situation; influence/control the situation)</p>
<p>憑他一人之力是無法左右大局的 (With his power alone, he can’t influence/ control the big picture)</p>
<p><em>左右(to influence) might or might not had been evolved from 佐佑(to assist and protect). In any case, its meaning in modern Chinese is completely different from 佐佑</em></p>
<p><strong>左右</strong> = to make go <strong>right</strong> or <strong>left</strong> = to influence; to control</p>
<p><strong>佐佑</strong>= <strong>佐</strong>助 (to assist) 庇<strong>佑</strong>(protect)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-18T04:40:19.240Z
2019-05-18T05:05:46.067Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>How would you translate 左右着他们 here? What other phrase could I substitute for 左右着他们 here?</p>

<p>在古代的时候，科学水平还没那么高，人们对自然的认识也是有限的。因此，碰见灾难的时候，就会认为后神灵在左右着他们，所以人们祈求于神灵。</p>

<p>就会认为后神灵在左右着他们，
then they might believe the Gods/spirits are ??? </p>

<p>左右着他们<br>
stopping them<br>
punishing them<br>
near them<br>
ruling them<br>
guiding them<br>
around them  </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-18T05:52:09.550Z
answer at user's fingertips, submit to online dictionaries, e.g. bkrs:左右：(8) [control; dominate; influence; sway]∶支配; 控制
他的行动为她所左右 more examples at iciba:为人所左右 (E at iciba),Linguee:他们将被动 地 为 文 化 所左右,LINE dict.她为形势所左右
user6065
<meaning-in-context>
What is the meaning of 左右着 here?
# What is the meaning of 左右着 here?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-05-18)

How would you translate 左右着他们 here? What other phrase could I substitute for 左右着他们 here?

在古代的时候，科学水平还没那么高，人们对自然的认识也是有限的。因此，碰见灾难的时候，就会认为后神灵在左右着他们，所以人们祈求于神灵。

就会认为后神灵在左右着他们，
then they might believe the Gods/spirits are ???

左右着他们  
stopping them  
punishing them  
near them  
ruling them  
guiding them  
around them

**Tags:** meaning-in-context
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: answer at user's fingertips, submit to online dictionaries, e.g. bkrs:左右：(8) [control; dominate; influence; sway]∶支配; 控制 他的行动为她所左右 more examples at iciba:为人所左右 (E at iciba),Linguee:他们将被动 地 为 文 化 所左右,LINE dict.她为形势所左右  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-05-18. Score: 3

佐 means 'assist' ; 佑 means 'protect'. "佐佑"(to assist and protect) is different from "左右" (to make someone go left or right = "to influence")

> 左右 <http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/332/>
>
> [v] influence; master; control

In your sentence, 左右着他们 would mean: "influence them" or "control them"

More example:

左右朝政 (exert influence/control over the government's policy; influence the government)

大企業以財力左右政局 (Large enterprises use financial resources to influence/ control politics)

左右局勢 (exert influence/control over the situation; influence/control the situation)

憑他一人之力是無法左右大局的 (With his power alone, he can’t influence/ control the big picture)

*左右(to influence) might or might not had been evolved from 佐佑(to assist and protect). In any case, its meaning in modern Chinese is completely different from 佐佑*

**左右** = to make go **right** or **left** = to influence; to control

**佐佑**= **佐**助 (to assist) 庇**佑**(protect)


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