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English to Chinese translations [Non-PRO] Social Sciences - Journalism
English term or phrase:define
How to translate the verb "define" in the following sentence? I think it means "distinguish, characterize".
How the Chinese handle their human-rights failings, the ghastly pollution in their capital city and the thousands of Western journalists clanging around looking for stories in a state known for rigid control will more likely define the Olympic days in Beijing.
Explanation: Define 这个词也有outline, reflect, exactly describe, characterize, plot, come out to be, mark, identify, label, portray, etc. 的意思。因此，翻译为“勾画出...的特色”并不为错。
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2 hrs (2008-08-03 07:56:57 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Explanation: Define 这个词也有outline, reflect, exactly describe, characterize, plot, come out to be, mark, identify, label, portray, etc. 的意思。因此，翻译为“勾画出...的特色”并不为错。
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2 hrs (2008-08-03 07:56:57 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
这样好了。
"中国处理这些问题的做法，将更为可能勾画出北京奥运会的(特殊)面貌。"
Wenjer Leuschel Taiwan Local time: 05:26 Works in field Native speaker of: Chinese PRO pts in category: 27
Grading comment
Thank you very much for your attention and suggestion!
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2小时 (2008-08-03 08:07:02 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
谢谢，原来是这样。
servien Local time: 16:26 Specializes in field Native speaker of: Chinese
Notes to answerer
Asker: “相得益彰”应该是褒义词，但这篇文章出自Newsweek，作者对于中国的态度并不太友好，他认为人们关注北京奥运主要是其政治化的问题，体育比赛本身的重要性则退居其次。因而我觉得这里翻成“相得益彰”可能不太合适，不过还是感谢您的意见。
以下是文章上面那句话的前两句话：
While evocative sports stories will certainly emerge from the 2008 Summer Games, these Olympics seem destined to be remembered less for what happens in the competitions than for the surrounding atmospherics and, above all, for the simple fact that they are being staged in China. Whether Dara Torres can turn back the clock and win swimming gold at the age of 41 is a stirring question, but it's been overshadowed by political issues.
The translation workplace 
