Non-ProZ.com Apr 13, 2004:

Reply to Albon People translate at different levels. If you would like to examine my ability, it is available for public viewing at <http://homepage.mac.com/moogoonghwa/tsongkit/contents.html&g... By the way, did I say that I was laughing, or that others would? Please do not put words into my mouth.

Non-ProZ.com Apr 13, 2004:

Reply to Albon

Non-ProZ.com Apr 13, 2004:

Reply to Albon Oh, really? Please explain where the logic breaks down. The statement "They like travelling" describes a state of mind. That state of mind is not bounded by time. The statement "but not this time" places a boundary on that limitless state. It is of the general form A, but B. I find nothing illogical or nonstandard about it. The word usually in your second sentence is used for contrastive emphasis. It adds no additional meaning.

Rob Albon Apr 13, 2004:

Any one who laughs about Babelfish is already laughing about a translator who lists Chinese>English as a working language but still asks questions so simple as the meaning of 平時. Are you really a Chinese>English translator?

Rob Albon Apr 13, 2004:

"They like travelling, but not this time..." is not logical. It might work in colloquial English but it certainly does not clearly communicate the same meaning as "They usually like travelling, but not this time..."

Non-ProZ.com Apr 11, 2004:

Reply to Albon Yes, the sentence "They usually like travelling, but not this time, because they had everything stolen except their toothbrushes" appears correct. Certainly it does not offend my ear. Please note, however, that the word "usually" is used in combination with the phrase "but not this time". In short, the word is used to emphasize that an exception to past behavior is soon to follow. Now consider the following sentence:

They like travelling, but not this time, because everything was stolen except their toothbrushes.

This sentence conveys the same meaning less the somewhat cynical nuance that "they had everything stolen". One usually has something done, because one wants to have it done.

Please do not use Babelfish as your source, however. It will make many people laugh.

Non-ProZ.com Apr 11, 2004:

Reply to Xian Jun In general no, because something you usually do is something that you either like to do or must do. Thus, the combination of usual and like is redundant. For example, one says either, "He usually drinks tea with his friends in the morning" or "He likes to drink tea with his friends in the morning."

Consider the following: "Though he likes drinking tea with his friends in the morning, he usually does not, because he is busy with work." In other words one expects that if you like drinking tea with your friends, then it is an activity in which you probably engage often.

Edward LIU Apr 11, 2004:

Do you often use 'usually like travelling' or 'usually likes to travel' as a native speaker of English?