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! G% t$ g7 I% fChinese expressions that are hard to translate to English: 很难翻译到英文的中文说法 4 f7 ^3 X6 n5 F( f9 n; _ . m. @$ n: y, B0 gThey're simple and common expressions, but with rich cultural context: 这些说法很简单,但是包含了很深的文化概念: C! T5 E9 ^6 B+ T1 l0 K# u+ @
What are those? Let me take a stab at it: 多有哪些词?我来试试看% [5 z* t7 Z5 X6 @3 g( B% h& d b2 ?* @/ }
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There might be an English equivalent, but there's no exact match: 可能有对应的说法,但没有完全符合的1 E0 T" w1 a- `) B5 R4 L8 v
It can't perfectly convey the mood and meaning: 不能百分百把情绪和意思传递出去
It's a form of acknowledgement and gratitude: 这是用来表达认可和感谢的 9 p6 P) C7 W2 n5 [& Y8 _
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“辛苦了”英语可以这么说↓↓
Thank you, you did a good job/job well done! 谢谢,你做的很棒, 比较多用于上级对下属 4 G& e" [! F5 C4 j, @
Thanks for your hard work: 谢谢你辛勤的工作
When you say this, you acknowledge that it might not have been very easy: 你这样说,代表你觉得那个工作比较辛苦、不容易4 _. E' a) _- S" B$ D
But sometimes I feel saying "辛苦了" is a bit of an exaggeration: 但是我有时候觉得说“辛苦了”有点夸张,因为并没有很辛苦 ' S9 R) Z, o5 B H; h( Q7 K 2 k; X3 j) I9 j, @2 SBut it's a way of showing appreciation and respect in Chinese culture: 但是这是中国文化里表达感谢和尊重的方式6 @0 ^4 I9 q E0 T- E
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人情 6 H u$ m# A9 i# @( |8 r1 C' c
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How would you translate that? 这个怎么翻译啊?! A' A4 |; ~7 q& a
When you check the dictonary, you might find "human feelings": 查字典,字典会告诉你“human feelings" ) }$ n/ N4 C! X- M pSome foreigners might call it 关系, which has entered the English vocabulary: 有些外国人会用“关系”,这个词现在已经进入英语了 . X/ b/ b" X+ `: y% S. ~. ~5 S $ J' I1 X0 D: T J- V* L& {I don't think there's a one word equivalent of "人情” in English: 我觉得英语里没有“人情”' V+ D {& w, g
“人情” is such an important aspect of Chinese society: 人情在中国社会是很重要的组成部分2 ^! R- G; W" u$ ]( [
It's untranslatable: 这个词翻译不了 6 g, [8 B( Z) H V0 |$ t & m3 g6 W3 _2 u; v/ n0 ~7 i+ l* ]$ |+ `+ O
得瑟
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Spencer, I noticed you like to use "得瑟“ a lot: Spencer, 我发现你最近很爱说“得瑟”8 h! ?& V( p4 n E& A P8 [! O1 v
How would you translate that in English? 这个英语怎么翻译? ' ?0 u* Z9 f( B; V, e/ f. MThese are words that you won't be able to find in a dictionary, never mind textbooks: 4 d$ O. d1 J% e3 ?- N2 P , V' `8 `$ S7 l6 w8 _- B# I3 D6 yArrogant: 傲慢( h5 g, N4 i$ U4 K5 P5 ]" ?
Pretentious: 装 0 \7 ]9 a) G% uFull of themselves/himself/herself: 得瑟、自我感觉良好: E/ _( \) D6 S6 V |
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混
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"混" is also very hard to translate: “混”也很难翻译 2 P. @6 c1 |* k- XIt has both negative and positive connotations: 它既可以是褒义,又可以是贬义, A" D' |: r b$ |$ I1 G! Y
To waste time, muddle through, mucking around: 混日子 9 [& f ]; X1 a; n. `5 EYou're doing well: 你混得不错! u4 u& @ m% s
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I've got a bunch of related ones that are hard to translate: 我有一串相关的难翻译的词 / j {$ z, }) P, R) _# k/ J( HBeing cutesy, girly: 撒娇 , B* Y/ X! B1 G0 [The dictionary defines it as "coquettish", but we don't really use that word: 字典会告诉你“嗲”是“coquettish”,但这个词日常不会用 * Y3 h, p! r" I! G3 r8 dA lot of things are represented by one character in Chinese, but need a few English words to translate completely: 中文很多时候只需要一个字,但英文要好几词才能翻译、解释7 _' C5 V3 d. k% {, G- K6 J9 w
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Even though they look similar, cutesy means 撒娇 and cute is more like 可爱: 虽然它们看上去很相像,“cutesy”更加撒娇,“cute”可能更可爱 + @4 V4 E7 d/ S0 j3 f# zCutesy: 嗲. G, |3 m/ w" l9 u; X$ c# x, t
Feminine: 女性化 C) Z9 o8 f7 ~You got me: 我被问住了 4 Y" B% w! l* j" |) e, D$ Q ~& \( y
High maintenance: 作,需要高度保养 ' [5 A$ d" r4 H. M ) y' Q) p% N; @9 E# l5 `+ L ; v* K- L0 v( _( t. G
What about?
素质
讨厌
素质 is class. - B; l7 B& V+ \6 QYou can say someone has no class to mean 素质差:你可以说一个人“have no class", 就是素质差的意思' f( T- ~7 ]9 y8 y3 l, w/ s5 Y6 Z
讨厌 is annoying " @" S7 [; k/ Q: GBut when we say "讨厌", we often don't mean it. It's a way of 撒娇:但是很多时候说讨厌,不是真的觉得你annoying, 其实是在撒娇" U: R! q; |8 l7 |1 C, M
I think in English, we'd express a lot of things with the tone of voice: 我觉得英语里,会更多用语气来传递意思上的差别 & V V) b6 W& |1 t) Y& [9 h) n( _8 R: b4 \
& [" |6 |2 T8 K2 @) F9 Q: z: e h你心里的“难翻译中文”Top 3是什么?( S. G* q/ O8 M5 h$ A4 V3 f9 k
快留言告诉我们吧! m9 U) F* a. U- ?. r: {& f! w9 b+ g% g. Q$ s
下周口语群开始啦,期待和大家见面! : L# y! X' w4 v; O) M" B1 P6月这期名额已满,但是没关系,* l! R9 |% k& ^ U s' c% q: P6 ?: |' @
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