Help with conversational translations
aimeili
May 11, 2007, 01:14 PM posted in General DiscussionHello everyone! I just started up a language exchange through MyLanguageExchange, and as I was writing an e-mail a few things came up that I'm not sure how to/if they translate to Chinese. Anyone care to help?
I always know when someone is talking about me.
As you can see, my Chinese isn't very good...
A little about myself,
On the other hand,
If you want me to help you with your English,
Talk to you soon! (or a similar closing of an email).
mingjai
June 14, 2007, 02:26 PM"I always know when someone is talking about me. 别人关于我说话的时候,我总是能看出来." This feels a little awkward to me. Conversationally, I would just say: 別人在說我的時候，我總能感覺到。 bie2ren2 zai4 shuo1 wo3 de shi2hou4, wo3 zhong3 neng2 gan3jue2 dao4. (lit., When others are talking about me, I can always sense it.) "Please apologize, my Chinese isn't very good. 不好意思，我的汉语水平比较低" This one works for me. I probably wouldn't say it this way, but it's conversational and the use of comparative 比較 bi3jiao4, though not literally what was trying to be said, works in context. Anyway, I'd probably say something like: 你大概發現了，我的中文還不太好呢. ni3 da4gai4 fa1xian4 le, wo3 de zhong1wen2 hai2 bu4 tai4 hao3 ne. (lit., You've probably noticed, my Chinese still isn't very good.) "A little about myself..." 我先自我介紹一下... wo3 xian1 zi4wo3 jie4shao4 yi1xia4 (lit. I'll introduce myself a little bit first...) "On the other hand..." If I weren't using the "On one hand... on the other hand..." pattern, I'd probably say: 不過另外呢... bu4guo4 ling4wai4 ne... (lit. But another aspect... -- This isn't exacty "on the other hand" because it could also mean "additionally," but I think the context of what was being said would make the contrast clear.) "If you want me to help you with your English..." 你要是想要我幫你的英文... ni3 yao4shi4 xiang3yao4 wo3 bang1 ni3 de ying1wen2 (lit., If you want me to help your English...)
henning
May 11, 2007, 03:15 PMOK:
A try for two of them (others may correct me):
不好意思，我的汉语水平比较低
bùhǎoyìsi， wǒde hànyǔ shuǐpíng bǐjiào dī。
Please apologize, my Chinese isn't very good...
话说回来
huà shuō huílai
On the other hand
For these kind of questions you should also try the Forum (General Discussion --> Translation Requests)
aimeili
May 12, 2007, 04:02 AMThanks for your help! I'll head over that direction. I think I did figure two of them out: 如果你要我帮你的英语的话，告诉我啊！ ru2guo3 ni3 yao1 wo3 ban1 ni3 de ying1yu3 de hua4, gao4su wo3 a1! If you want me to help you with your English, tell me! My Chinese friend closed her e-mail like this: 祝好! Zhu4hao3! Good wishes (?)
kug73
May 12, 2007, 10:36 AMhi, im just wondering how can i write chinese words on computer? coz my keyboard is chinese... i want to learn writing chinese in computer...and sometimes, when i surf internet, if there is chinese words, little boxes appear...pls. help...tnx
tian594
May 14, 2007, 09:18 AM祝好 means "good wishes".
henning
May 11, 2007, 03:13 PMHow do you enter paragraph breaks?
HTML?shirleytian
June 14, 2007, 09:46 AMhi , my major is english when i was in the college. And i already got the certification of speaking mandarin (top level) .I 'd like to give you some help in Chinese learning.
shirleytian
June 14, 2007, 10:04 AMsupplement： da4 jia1 hao3, wo3 zai4 da4 xue2 de zhuan1 ye4 shi4 ying1 yu3. bing4 qie3 yi3 jing1 huo4 de2 pu3 tong1 hua4 jia3 deng3 zheng4 shu1. wo3 hen3 yuan4 yi4 bang1 zhu4 da4 jia1 xue2 xi2 ying1 yu3. 大家好，我在大学的专业是英语并且已经获已经得普通话甲等证书。我很愿意帮助大家学习英语。 my email:shirley_eye@hotmail.com phone :87106645
Kyle
June 14, 2007, 11:42 AMI always know when someone is talking about me. 别人关于我说话的时候,我总是能看出来. (If you’re physically around the people that you think are talking about you, this works the best.) As you can see, my Chinese isn't very good... 你肯定都发现过了,我说汉语说的不太好 A little about myself, 首先,关于我自己我想给你介绍 On the other hand, 一方面…一方面 (on one hand… on the other… though this is more like “in one aspect you have… and another….” 再说 (this is similar to “besides” or “to say more”) 要不然 (this is “otherwise”) If you want me to help you with your English 如果你想让我帮你学英语… Talk to you soon! 咱们一会儿说吧
Kyle
June 14, 2007, 11:47 AM"不好意思，我的汉语水平比较低 bùhǎoyìsi， wǒde hànyǔ shuǐpíng bǐjiào dī。 Please apologize, my Chinese isn't very good..." This actually translates to "Excuse me, I feel a bit embarassed, but my Chinese level is comparatively lower." The "comparatively" being used in the context where, for example, you're friend speaking better Chinese than you is speaking, then stops to introduce you, you would then use 比较 in this way. I feel this is a bit awkward and not what one might say in a real situation. I could be wrong, but I haven't heard it used yet...
vin0901
May 16, 2007, 05:44 AMhi, this is vincent,im a college student now,and this is my e-mail ID:x-vin@hotmail.com hope we can help each other!
henning
May 11, 2007, 03:13 PMA try for two of them (others may correct me): 不好意思，我的汉语水平比较低 bùhǎoyìsi， wǒde hànyǔ shuǐpíng bǐjiào dī。 Please apologize, my Chinese isn't very good... 话说回来 huà shuō huílai On the other hand For these kind of questions you should also try the Forum (General Discussion --> Translation Requests)