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呕心沥血

English translation: blood vomiting

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Chinese term or phrase:呕心沥血
English translation:blood vomiting
Entered by: Wilman

03:33 Feb 26, 2006
Chinese to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Chinese term or phrase: 呕心沥血
他还老说自己生病那段期间啊，叫做呕心沥血，什么叫呕心，他是真正地呕心沥血。化疗的第二天子尤的反应便极其强烈，呕吐不止、甚至吐血、不能进食，同时还伴随强烈的咳嗽。
I would appreciate any suggestion as to how I can translate this pun. Thanks.
Wilman
United States
Local time: 00:03
blood vomiting
Explanation:
blood vomiting is also a pun. Blood vomiting can be interpreted literally as to vomit blood. On the other hand, it can also mean agonising.

See the web reference for an example from BBC news on how blood vomiting is used as a pun.

I do not know about other countries, but in Singapore, "vomit blood" is often used to describe excruciatingly agonising situations be it in English, Chinese, or Chinese dialects.
Selected response from:

anastasia t (X)
Local time: 12:03
Grading comment
Thanks.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4work one's heart out, exert one's utmost effort
Shang
4 +3blood vomiting
anastasia t (X)
3feelings and emotions
Alexandra Lim-Richter


  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
work one's heart out, exert one's utmost effort


Explanation:
...

Shang
China
Local time: 12:03
Native speaker of: Chinese
PRO pts in category: 14

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Shilpi Jain
5 hrs
  -> thanks!
agree  licullen: it is normally used to exert one's utmost effort. but it is also a real medical condition in this context. I would tanslate it as the exert , then just go along with the later context which described his real medical situation "blood vomiting"
10 hrs
  -> thanks!
agree  IC --
15 hrs
  -> thanks!
agree  Alexandra Lim-Richter: well said!
4 days
  -> thanks!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
blood vomiting


Explanation:
blood vomiting is also a pun. Blood vomiting can be interpreted literally as to vomit blood. On the other hand, it can also mean agonising.

See the web reference for an example from BBC news on how blood vomiting is used as a pun.

I do not know about other countries, but in Singapore, "vomit blood" is often used to describe excruciatingly agonising situations be it in English, Chinese, or Chinese dialects.


    Reference: http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:a8V4ha-xTmMJ:www.findart...
anastasia t (X)
Local time: 12:03
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Thanks.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Naikei Wong: appropriate in this context...
2 hrs
agree  IC --
15 hrs
agree  Alexandra Lim-Richter: haha... truly a singaporean explanation (as well as a Malaysian one)! =)
4 days
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

4 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
feelings and emotions


Explanation:
This in your context, the first part: 他还老说自己生病那段期间啊，叫做呕心沥血 would mean in an agonizing situation.
什么叫呕心，他是真正地呕心沥血。This second one should be taken literaly, with all the bloody details...

but in other cases, I would say it means to do something with one's best effort or to pour out the deepest feelings and emotions of our hearts.

Alexandra Lim-Richter
Local time: 06:03
Native speaker of: Native in MalayMalay, Native in ChineseChinese
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