(put someone) on hold (over the phone)

Chinese translation: 请某人别挂电话/在线等候

14:55 Apr 5, 2008

English to Chinese translations [PRO]
Telecom(munications) / just everyday language

English term or phrase: (put someone) on hold (over the phone)

I'm an over-the-phone interpreter, and I am always on a 3-way call with an English-speaking person and a Chinese-speaking person. When the English person says "I will need to put you on hold for 2 minutes," I can't find a very accurate term in Chinese to say to the Chinese person. I always say 请稍等两分钟 but the Chinese always keep on talking instead of knowing that they are already on hold and the English person will not be back in 2 minutes. How can I interpret the term accurately so the Chinese person know I'm not only asking them to wait for 2 minutes, but they are actually also on hold?

zoe.ziyan.lu KudoZ activity Questions: 2 (none open) Answers: 4 United States
Local time: 09:35

Chinese translation:请某人别挂电话/在线等候

Explanation:
如果是口译,我觉得可以说:请您别挂断电话,在线等候两分钟,直至对方回到线上.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 hrs (2008-04-06 04:59:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Hi, husky, yes, I also speak Cantonese. I think the Catonese translation provided by carol below is good.

Selected response from:

Helen Li
Singapore
Local time: 00:35

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +9

请某人别挂电话/在线等候

Helen Li

4 +1

（让XXX）持机等候

Jason Young

请（某人）不要挂机

Wendy Zeng

請您不要掛斷電話﹐兩分鐘之後他會回來繼續跟您說話

jyuan_us

Answers

21 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

（让XXX）持机等候

Explanation:
供参考

Jason Young
China
Local time: 00:35
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Chinese

7 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +9

请某人别挂电话/在线等候

Helen Li
Singapore
Local time: 00:35
Native speaker of: Chinese
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Notes to answerer

Asker: By the way, do you speak Cantonese and know what I should say in Cantonese?

Asker: By the way, do you speak Cantonese and know what I should say in Cantonese?

14 hrs confidence:

请（某人）不要挂机

Explanation:
这里是对通话方说：请不要挂机，稍等片刻。

Wendy Zeng
China
Local time: 00:35
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Chinese

1 day 4 hrs confidence:

請您不要掛斷電話﹐兩分鐘之後他會回來繼續跟您說話

Explanation:
I think your own 请稍等两分钟 is still the best so far. No matter how you interpret it, some people would still keep talking. It is not because they ddin't understand you, instead, they are just trying to confirm you and the talker are still there ( to make sure the line is not disconnected).

jyuan_us
United States
Local time: 12:35
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Chinese
PRO pts in category: 20

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