This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. Chinese to English
  3. Education / Pedagogy

母件事

English translation: everything

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Chinese term or phrase:母件事
English translation:everything
Entered by: Roddy Stegemann

13:52 Aug 8, 2006
Chinese to English translations [Non-PRO]
Social Sciences - Education / Pedagogy / Grammatikalische Analyse (Grammatical Analysis)
Chinese term or phrase: 母件事
Sentence: 母件事都會有好處有壞處，這跟人有長處有短處一様。

1st Attempt: Everything that occurs is likely to have both advantages and disadvantages. With people it is the same; everyone has his good and bad points.

Question One: I have translated 這跟人．．一樣 as "it is the same with people". Does the character 這 stand alone here as a sole pronoun, whose vague reference is only what comes before?

Question Two: How would you translate 母件事 here? I have translated it as "everything that occurs".

Reference: http://homepage.mac.com/moogoonghwa/tsongkit/contents.html#p...

Warning: In order to provide ProZ.com users with the best glossary entries possible, more than one question for the same entry will be asked from time to time. Please keep in mind when responding that you will be graded on your responses to ALL questions asked.
Roddy Stegemann
United States
Local time: 12:36
everything
Explanation:
Just as in everything, there is good and bad in everyone.
(from a good song, "Ebony and Ivory"!)
Selected response from:

smittenkitten
Grading comment
Final Rendering: Just as in everything; there is good and bad in everyone.

Acknowledgement: You have all convinced me that "everything" is the proper translation of 每件事 in this context. My thanks go out to smittenkitten, weiwei, and Wenjer. Certainly yuzouren's entry was one of the most humorous entries we have seen -- perhaps even funnier than some of my bloopers. I apologize for my typographical error (typo).

I have chosen smittenkitten's entry, because it says the same as everyone else's -- well, with the exception of yuzouren's -- but with the popular passage from a song. And why not? The author's semantic intent would likely fall flat on English ears in translation.

Discussion: Please see http://homepage.mac.com/moogoonghwa/tsongkit/part3/III-1-g.html#s13 for further discussion regarding the context of this question.

My very best from the land of no mountains surrounded by sea on many sides.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +1everything
smittenkitten
4Everything
Denyce Seow
3everything
Wenjer Leuschel (X)
5 -2mom's affair
yuzouren


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Everything


Explanation:
母件事都會有好處有壞處
How about:
There is a good side and a bad side to everything.

Denyce Seow
Singapore
Local time: 03:36
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
每件事
everything


Explanation:
In German, we say, "Alles hat seine Nach- und Vorteile. Alles hat ein Ende, nur die Wurst zwei." So, don't see only one end of the sausage. The other end could be delicious.

To your question 1:
"It is just same with people. They are good and bad at the same time. Each one of them has some strengths and some weaknesses."
Some translators understand a language better while the others express the same content in another language better.
"This" refers to the afore mentioned.

Wenjer Leuschel (X)
Taiwan
Local time: 03:36
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in category: 8
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
everything


Explanation:
Just as in everything, there is good and bad in everyone.
(from a good song, "Ebony and Ivory"!)

smittenkitten
Grading comment
Final Rendering: Just as in everything; there is good and bad in everyone.

Acknowledgement: You have all convinced me that "everything" is the proper translation of 每件事 in this context. My thanks go out to smittenkitten, weiwei, and Wenjer. Certainly yuzouren's entry was one of the most humorous entries we have seen -- perhaps even funnier than some of my bloopers. I apologize for my typographical error (typo).

I have chosen smittenkitten's entry, because it says the same as everyone else's -- well, with the exception of yuzouren's -- but with the popular passage from a song. And why not? The author's semantic intent would likely fall flat on English ears in translation.

Discussion: Please see http://homepage.mac.com/moogoonghwa/tsongkit/part3/III-1-g.html#s13 for further discussion regarding the context of this question.

My very best from the land of no mountains surrounded by sea on many sides.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Wenjer Leuschel (X): Black and white are both beautiful in their right places.
1 day 22 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

23 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): -2
mom's affair


Explanation:
or mother's event

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 hrs (2006-08-09 13:28:31 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Mom's affair may be good or bad just as there are long people and short people.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day14 hrs (2006-08-10 04:36:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

这么多人没有一个同意我的。
还好，只有一个不赞同的。
这是因为："月有阴晴园缺，人有悲欢离合。"
我觉得 你下次要问这个问题了。


yuzouren
Japan
Local time: 04:36
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in category: 7

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  redred: 他打错字了，你怎么也跟着。想说明这点，Long people:长处?Short people:短处?
34 mins
disagree  smittenkitten: 他打错字了but "long people"????? "short people"????
2 hrs
neutral  David Shen: This is very creative and amusing!
3 hrs
disagree  anastasia t (X): lol
15 hrs
neutral  Wenjer Leuschel (X): How about mom's foreign affairs?
1 day 3 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search