How to say 'happen' in Chinese?
xiaophil
February 25, 2011, 07:55 AM posted in I Have a QuestionOkay, usually the first word that most of us learn that means 'happen' is 发生, but then when I tried to use it way back when, people often looked at me funny. I asked my teacher, and she said it was mostly used for negative things. Fair enough. I just found ways around using 发生. But recently I have been having trouble translating move chat. I want to say something like:
"what happens in this scene?"
I'm not sure how to say it. Should I use 发现? Something else?
Thanks!
xiaophil
Zhen
They all seem reasonable to me. I'm wondering if whatever the best solution(s) is, it can apply to most situations. Hopefully someone who knows his or her stuff will look in. I'm afraid, though, that I think this is one of those cases that one would think should be a piece of cake, but in fact isn't.
bodawei
'Someone who knows his or her stuff' didn't come along and this is interesting so I thought I'd throw something in for what it is worth.
场 is a possible measure word, and 戏 can be a scene (I don't disagree with your suggestions of 镜头, it's in the dictionary, but the sentence examples in my dictionary don't use it, they use 戏) Also, apart from 发生 I think that 会怎么样 can convey the sense of 'what happens?'. So maybe 这场戏里会怎么样？works as well?
zhenlijiang
Ah yes, was wondering how I could do that with 怎样 or 怎么样, as that seems the most natural. And it would also seem to apply well in other situations, which was what Xiaophil originally wanted to ask.
I have a feeling different terms are used for "scene" in theater and film; was thinking film with 镜头, which I don't think I could use to talk about a scene in a play. One example sentence my dictionary gives for 戏 is 好戏还在后头呢 but that still makes me think theater.
bodawei
sometime this coming week I'll ask my mate who works in TV about 'scene'. In the 'business' they use just 片 for a program, which I think is pretty cute.
zhenlijiang
Another thing--I've been playing on a 影迷网站 recently, and for what it's worth haven't come across 戏 yet. I haven't like explored the whole site of course (it's quite overwhelming, just how much everybody wants to say! unlike here, where we're informed people can be intimidated or put off from commenting ...). But that would be great, if you could ask your mate in "the biz".
I've hijacked Xiaophil's question now though.
xiaophil
Thanks guys. Is there anyone else out there willing to throw in some input?
bababardwan
因为它恰巧，我不愿意
zhenlijiang
OK 戏 for "scene" in a movie I've just come across, in this context. This is a quiz, about the 台湾片 "Monga":
电影《艋舺》中的浪漫爱情戏，回忆一下他们二人在一起经常做什么事情呢？
And like Xiaophil has told us below, 片断 I also saw.
watyamacallit
March 01, 2011, 07:45 AMThis one wouldn't work for your example, but perhaps for 'happen to'.
你碰到了什么事？ What happened to you?
Does this make any sense?
bodawei
March 06, 2011, 11:51 AM一场 yī chǎng (a scene)
这场演了什么？ zhè chǎng yǎn le shén me?
(what happens in this scene?)
xiaophil
March 09, 2011, 03:38 AMI talked with a Chinese colleague. She gave this translation:
这个场景发生了什么？
or
这个电影片断发生了什么？
I had another person verify these two. Interesting, 发生 is right after all. I hate finding out something I thought was right is wrong only to find out after a long time passed that it is actually right!
bodawei
Hi xiaophil
Thanks for those solutions. I thought I'd explain that I got my offering from someone who makes (directs) four tv shows a week so he is using this expression all the time. So some interesting differences - I expect your versions are more 'textbook' eg. use of the verb 发生, not wrong of course but in the business I'm told they use 演 in this context, and also the 这个场景 .. 场 is the measure word so you can just say 这场. Thanks for the challenge!
zhenlijiang
I'm always interested in show biz/film production language, so thanks very much for that Bodawei. I'm tempted to hit you up with more questions, when I think of them. Could we apply 这场演了什么 to 纪录片 (though I guess you wouldn't ask as often about what happens in some "scene" in a documentary)?
bodawei
Nice question zhen. :) It was sort of in the back of my mind, how about when there are no people, but I didn't voice it, I will try to find out.
zhenlijiang
Thanks Xiaophil. Going back to your original question, I guess I'm still not clear, in what instances it would be funny to say 发生. But at least we know how to say "what happens in this scene?" for movie chat!
xiaophil
Thanks for the translation. I forgot to mention it before. Sorry.
I just asked a colleague about your translation. She said that the 演 in your sentence would indicate just the activities of the actors, i.e. it would exclude cars blowing up and such activities not performed by humans. I wonder if she is cut out of 'director jargon' that your friend is exposed to on a regular basis.
bodawei
Hi xiaophil
I checked tonight with my mate who works as a 编导 bian1dao3 (a director in TV, the person responsible for both script and direction - it is a bit different in film where the title is 导演) - the verb 演 is used regardless of whether there are people in the scene. Kind of strange, I know, but the title for director in film is a bit of a clue. Mainly with zhen in mind I asked how he says 'Action!' (三二一走！) and 'Cut' ('咔' 或者 '停!'). Damn, I forgot 'that's a wrap'. Hope this helps.
zhenlijiang
Hey thanks Bodawei! Those are going in my little red notebook. 咔！ I remember from one of the zombie lessons.
Is your friend with the drama production department?
zhenlijiang
February 25, 2011, 04:16 PMGood question! I'd love to know this too. I wondered if 有, for instance, might work instead of 发生 for "happen" but couldn't really put together a sentence that felt right.
这个镜头里发生什么？
这个镜头里有什么？
这个是什么镜头？
？？？
Also--is "scene" 镜头 and not 场面? With 镜头, well the context is supposed to tell you I guess, it also seems to be the word for "take", "shot (in still photography as well)" and "lens". So how would an assistant director on a film set say, "Scene 2, Take 3" then?