01:16 Aug 25, 2002 |
Chinese to English translations [Non-PRO] | |||||
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| Selected response from: David Rockell (X) | ||||
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Summary of answers provided | ||||
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4 +1 | He is well worth the title "Yankee." |
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4 +1 | Several choices here |
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3 | "That's a Yank for you!" |
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3 | "That's a Yank for you!" |
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He is well worth the title "Yankee." Explanation: He is well worth the title "Yankee." -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2002-08-25 01:27:40 (GMT) -------------------------------------------------- Or, perhaps, He deserves being called \"Yankee\". :) PS. Certainly, \"Only a Yankee could do it.\" is a perfect version, esp. when you use it to eulogize someone. I am just adding sth. here. HTH -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2002-08-25 18:17:13 (GMT) -------------------------------------------------- Thanks to Libin\'s research. However, it should be noted that \"真不愧\" is used absolutely in a complimentary sense,i.e.,it is a commendatory term. In Chinese, \"真不愧\" is defined in the most authoritative dictionary as \"真当之无愧,真当得起,(多跟“为”或 “是”连用).\". Actually, in most cases, when it is used in a whole sentence, an exclamation mark is desired in the end to stress the speaker\'s emotion. For instance, when we say \"他真不愧是美国佬!\", we speak highly of him. Moreover, as most reliable dictionaries suggest,\"真不愧\" here means \"be really worthy of\", \"really deserve to be called\", \"prove himself to be\". Preferably, let\'s translate \"他真不愧是美国佬!\" into: (1)He is genuinely(truly, really, surely,etc.) worthy of the title \"Yankee\"! (2)He genuinely(truly, really, surely, etc.) deserves to be called a \"Yankee\"! (3)He proves himself to be a genuine(real, true, etc.) \"Yankee\"! Following the above remarks, we may conclusively say somthing like \" We are proud of him!\" -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2002-08-25 18:19:43 (GMT) -------------------------------------------------- Sorry for the typo: something. -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2002-08-25 18:25:41 (GMT) -------------------------------------------------- PS. Here, the implied meaning of \"他真不愧是美国佬!\" IS \"ONLY A YANKEE COULD DO IT!\". e.g.---- Who can speak accent-free American English? ---- Only a Yankee could do it! -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2002-08-25 21:42:37 (GMT) -------------------------------------------------- If, however, the original sentence contains a satire in it, then your proposed version \"Only a Yankee could do it.\" would be the best one. In that case, we usually say \"真愧美国佬干得出来!\"(I bet we seldom use \"真不愧\" to say sth. negative about someone in normal circumstances.\") -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2002-08-25 21:51:24 (GMT) -------------------------------------------------- 若原小说采用的是讽刺文体,则我们这里所列的含褒义的译句均不适用。请使用您原来的译文, 因为我目前还没想出比“Only a Yankee could do it.” 更好的译法! -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2002-08-25 23:38:01 (GMT) -------------------------------------------------- 此处, “Only a Yankee could do it.\" 意思是\"真亏美国佬干得出来\".以上例句中含打印错误,是\"真亏\",不是\"真愧\", 请包涵! -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2002-08-27 23:13:59 (GMT) -------------------------------------------------- Hi, Bruce. Please refer to my answer to your other question(s). Undoubtedly, here \"the third person\" should be used. |
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Several choices here Explanation: Several choices here assuming this is he, not they: He is not called a Yankee for nothing. He sure has proved himself to be a Yankee. He sure lives up to the name of a Yankee. He deserves to be called a Yankee. (Personally, I do not like this one although it may seem to be a more direct and close translation.) -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2002-08-25 10:09:13 (GMT) -------------------------------------------------- \"Only a Yankee could do it\"可有两种意思: 只有美国佬才能做到这一点。(Somewhat Commendatory, 褒义) 只有美国佬才会做出这种事。(clearly derogatory, 贬义) 虽然两者的引申意义里多少都有一点“真不愧是美国佬”的意思(前者为正面,后者为反语),但毕竟不是原句的翻译。 |
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"That's a Yank for you!" Explanation: Hi Bruce, firstly I agree with much of what said above. However, does the word "美国佬" necessarily have to be Yankee. It would seem that Yank is much more commonly used. I feel this sentence could be either laudatory or derogatory and I have heard 不愧为 used in an ironic sense before. If the sentence is ironic then I might translate it as above. If it is said in approbation then another possibility is "There's an American for you!" Just another idea. Regards, Dave |
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"That's a Yank for you!" Explanation: Hi Bruce, firstly I agree with much of what said above. However, does the word "美国佬" necessarily have to be Yankee. It would seem that Yank is much more commonly used. I feel this sentence could be either laudatory or derogatory and I have heard 不愧为 used in an ironic sense before. If the sentence is ironic then I might translate it as above. If it is said in approbation then another possibility is "There's an American for you!" Just another idea. Regards, Dave |
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