convenient for you

Chinese translation: another version

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:convenient for you
Chinese translation:another version
Entered by: Smartrans He

23:39 Dec 28, 2001
English to Chinese translations [Non-PRO]
/ TV subtitles
English term or phrase: convenient for you
This was a line in last season's ER. The subtitles on TV were 你可能覺得沒什麼. Are there better translations? The context is: Carter doesn't want to wish bad things for Luka and Abby, and
he doesn't want to "sit on the sidelines waiting for them to break up."
He finishes, with a thin smile, "And I don't want to be your friend. It
might be convenient for you, but it's not doing much for me." (Abby & Luka are lovers. Carter then finds that he has a crush on Abby.)
acheungll
Local time: 08:38
another version
Explanation:
我们不知道这个三角关系详情如何,不知道这些人物的性格,也不知道前面Carter对Abby说了些什么。单译这一句话,总有隔靴搔痒之感。只能提出几个版本供你参考。

“而且,我不想作你的朋友。你也许觉得多个朋友挺方便的,可对我却满不是那么一回事。”

小标题:“不是那么一回事”


“而且,我不想作你的朋友。你说起来倒也轻巧,可我却不知道自己在做什么。”

小标题:“你说得倒也轻巧”


“而且,我不想作你的朋友。你可能觉得这样挺惬意,可谁知道我有多么难堪。”

小标题:“你可能觉得挺惬意”

Selected response from:

Xiaoping Fu
Canada
Local time: 17:38
Grading comment
Thanks for the suggestions. I think the translation “而且,我不想作你的朋友。你可能觉得这样挺惬意,可谁知道我有多么难堪。”can express the complex feeling of Dr. Carter, but a bit too explicitly. Perhaps the last sentence can be replaced by that of the first suggestion: 可对我却满不是那么一回事。” Thank you very much.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5正中下懷;不在乎;鬆了一口氣
Raymond Chu
5礚┮孔; タ種
Raymond Chu
4挺得劲儿的 / 挺便当的
Xiaoping Fu
4我的友情只是你的方便
Xiaoping Fu
4another version
Xiaoping Fu


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
挺得劲儿的 / 挺便当的


Explanation:

你可能觉得挺得劲儿[便当]的,可对我却没什么好处。

“得劲儿”是北方俗语,意思是方便、舒适、顺手,等等。
“便当”和“得劲儿”意思是一样的,差别在风格不同。我个人更倾向用“得劲儿”,因为它更口语化,也更有性格。

Xiaoping Fu
Canada
Local time: 17:38
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in pair: 2566
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
正中下懷;不在乎;鬆了一口氣


Explanation:
These are some of the possible translations.

Raymond Chu
Taiwan
Local time: 08:38
PRO pts in pair: 107
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1 day 7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
礚┮孔; タ種


Explanation:
If you prefer a more idiomatic expression for your Cantonese audience, above are my alternative suggestions. Hope you find one them helpful.

Raymond Chu
Taiwan
Local time: 08:38
PRO pts in pair: 107
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 day 16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
我的友情只是你的方便


Explanation:
这句话意思含蓄,不容易译得好。

"it might be convenient for you" 表达了很复杂的感情,既有被利用的抱怨,又有不被重视的委屈,而这一切又八成是他自己造成的,难堪又无地埋怨。对方可能并非有意利用他,只是他自己心中委屈而已。原来的译文“你可能觉得没什么”,表达了单恋者的期艾之情,只是过于含蓄,抱怨被利用的委屈没有表达出来。
我前面译为“你可能觉得挺得劲儿”,适合性格比较爽快的角色。“得劲儿”暗含抱怨对方“利用”甚至“玩弄”自己感情的意味,也有暗讽对方其实并不真正重视自己这个朋友的意思。但是期艾的意味则冲淡了,略嫌直露了一点。

可否考虑这样译:
“你可能觉得有这么个朋友挺方便,而这对我却一点好处都没有。”加上“有这么个”这一修饰语,暗含的意思是,有了不多,没了不少。直接用方便一词,暗示自己对被利用不满,态度却没有“得劲儿”那么强烈。

作为标题,可否译为:
我的友情只是你的方便

不知您的香港观众能接受否?


Xiaoping Fu
Canada
Local time: 17:38
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in pair: 2566
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 days 10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
another version


Explanation:
我们不知道这个三角关系详情如何,不知道这些人物的性格,也不知道前面Carter对Abby说了些什么。单译这一句话,总有隔靴搔痒之感。只能提出几个版本供你参考。

“而且,我不想作你的朋友。你也许觉得多个朋友挺方便的,可对我却满不是那么一回事。”

小标题:“不是那么一回事”


“而且,我不想作你的朋友。你说起来倒也轻巧,可我却不知道自己在做什么。”

小标题:“你说得倒也轻巧”


“而且,我不想作你的朋友。你可能觉得这样挺惬意,可谁知道我有多么难堪。”

小标题:“你可能觉得挺惬意”



Xiaoping Fu
Canada
Local time: 17:38
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in pair: 2566
Grading comment
Thanks for the suggestions. I think the translation “而且,我不想作你的朋友。你可能觉得这样挺惬意,可谁知道我有多么难堪。”can express the complex feeling of Dr. Carter, but a bit too explicitly. Perhaps the last sentence can be replaced by that of the first suggestion: 可对我却满不是那么一回事。” Thank you very much.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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