Speak Chinese - makes sense in chinese, but not when translated to english?? -

> Learning Chinese > Reading and Writing
makes sense in chinese, but not when translated to english??
Home New Posts

Login: Pass: Log in or register for standard view and full access.








viet_la_amour -

as i try to improve my chinese, i realize that it's going to be really hard. the main reason is
that once you get past the "ni hao" and "wo jiao..." and basics like that, the sentences get
complicated... for example: (i took this from one of the drama series that i was watching with
english subtitles.)

閃亮亮超級美少女

the way i broke it down was...:

閃亮【shǎnliàng】 brilliant; shiny; flare; glisten; twinkle.
亮【liàng】 bright; light.
超級【chāojí】 super.
美【měi】 beautiful; pretty
少女【shàonǚ】 maiden; girl.

and the english subtitles magically translated to something like:

閃亮亮超級美少女 = an extremely pretty teenager.

well, that sentence wasn't that hard. but you get what i mean right? they have all these
characters that mean the same thing and they put it together and it makes sense, but when i
translate it, it confuses me.

does anyone else have this problem? how do i learn stuff like this?



Pleco Software Learn Chinese with our Dictionaries for Palm and Pocket PC.
Learn Chinese in China Learn to speak Chinese 1MonthChinese.com -Mandarin School in China.
Chinese Textbooks Wide range, cheap, varied languages. Also Chinese cartoons, toys, gifts.
Study Chinese in Beijing Affordable Mandarin language courses at BLCU with ChinaUnipath.com.
HNHSoft Dictionary Learn Chinese on Smartphone and PDA with real person's voice.
XueXueXue IQChinese Get beyond the plateau.Take your Mandarin to a new level.
Chinese in Lijiang Short term Chinese study in a beautiful town with a focus on daily life.
MandarinTube Chinese Access to current everyday Chinese language and culture, 24/7.
Learn Chinese Homestay Chinese course, cultural activities & volunteer events in China.
Learn Chinese Online 1-on-1 instant tutoring, diverse courses, native teachers. FREE trial now!
Nihao Chinese Progam Free one-on-one Chinese lesson. Win 5-years of free lessons now!


About Ads (and how to hide them) -- Your message here









Quest -

闪亮亮 sparkling [metaphor]
超级 super [meaningless catchy adjective]
美少女 pretty girl










zhuzhu -

i think u dont have to translate it word by word
just translate the meaning










viet_la_amour -

huh?? how do I "just translate the meaning"?? what goes into that?










zhuzhu -

oh, i mean
they put 閃亮&亮together for emphasis
閃亮=shining
閃亮+亮=extreme shining

so i think"extreme pretty girl"is a good translation, u got what the sentence mean, and translate
it in ur own words










studentyoung -



Quote:

閃亮亮超級美少女 = an extremely pretty teenager.

How about “an extremely dazzling pretty girl

闪亮亮here means the girl has a dazzling face.



Quote:

well, that sentence wasn't that hard. but you get what i mean right? they have all these
characters that mean the same thing and they put it together and it makes sense, but when i
translate it, it confuses me.

does anyone else have this problem?

It is a very common phenomenon in translation, and how well you can handle with it is one of
important criterions for others to judge your translation skills. For example, there is a phrase
in Chinese called “精神文明”, which Chinese people know its meaning very well. It might
confuses other, it is translated as “spiritual civilization”, because the meaning of
“spiritual” in English quite vague with some religious connotation. If it is translated as
“cultural civilization”, it might make more sense to foreigners, and the meaning is even
closer to its Chinese original. Here is one more example for you. One western translator once had
trouble with one Deng Xiao Ping 邓小平’s famous word, “发展才是硬道理”. As an old
China hand himself, he did understand the meaning, but he had no idea how to translate
“硬道理”, because “hard reason” makes no sense. Then one of his Chinese friends told
him, “Hey, how about ‘no innovation, no survival’?”



Quote:

how do i learn stuff like this?

First, you must understand both languages very well, so that you can read between lines.
Second, pay attention to the meaning deep in contexts, not just the literal meaning, during
translation.
Third, read more materials in both languages, and practice more in translation.

Thanks!










gougou -

It works the other way too:

What is Chinese for "Pussyfoot"?










HashiriKata -



Quote:


Originally Posted by viet_la_amour

makes sense in chinese, but not when translated to english??


If the Chinese we see makes sense in Chinese, then this is good enough; and whether it makes sense
or not when translated into English depends heavily on our competence as a translater.










viet_la_amour -

studentyoung, that was very helpful!! thanks lots.

does anyone else have any other tips? =D










DrZero -

Hardly anything in Chinese makes sense when translated word-for-word in English. Even 你好 is
weird if translated directly as "you good." Best just to accept it.

I'm sure this is true for any two languages to an extent, but I think you get more correspondence
with something like Spanish and English, where the languages are substantially closer on the
family tree. With two utterly unrelated languages like English and Chinese, why would there be any
similarities at all?

And yet, on my last trip to China, by which time I was understanding Chinese better than on
previous trips and could actually participate in a little conversation, I noticed a funny thing.
People were saying pretty much the same things that folks said back home! I guess people are
people. Mandarin had always sounded so mysterious and baffling, I guess a part of me had
subconsciously believed they must actually be saying something mysterious and baffling. Nope!












All times are GMT +8. The time now is 07:09 PM.














Learn Chinese, Chinese language, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet