从上环走到中环

kimiik
 July 08, 2009, 10:40 AM posted in General Discussion

As 从上到下 means "from the higher level to the lower level", is "下" implied at the end of 从上环走到中环 (下) and insinuates that here the position of the periphery is higher than the position of the center ? (movie from Hong-Kong.)

Or does 环 just collocate with 上 ? "从上环走到中环" meaning "from the ring/periphery to the center (of the ring)" ?

Btw, 圆周 (yuánzhōu) circumference of a circle

and 周缘 (zhōuyuán) outer edge of a wheel

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kimiik
 July 07, 2009, 10:49 AM

Btw, 环周 doesn't describe the circumference of a ring.

See 环周 here

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kimiik
 July 07, 2009, 06:16 PM

Wow I think there's a subtlety here.

上环 (上環 Sheung Wan) is the chinese name of an area in Hong Kong located in the north-west of Hong Kong Island. I've been there many times but never made the link between the simplified and the traditional form of 环/環.

Also 下环 is the nickname of 湾仔 (灣仔 Wanchai)

"Wan Chai originally began as Ha Wan (下環), literally meaning "a bottom ring" or "lower circuit". As one of the earliest developed areas in Hong Kong. Central, Sheung Wan, Sai Wan and Wan Chai are collectively known as the four rings (四環) by the locals."

In the video, 中环 means Mainland China but that's also 中環 (Central).

Btw, when you're in Sheung Wan and want to live the Hong-Kong Island by car, you don't have to cross Central and take the tunnel at Causeway Bay. You just use the Kowloon bridge. ;o)

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matt_c
 July 08, 2009, 09:26 AM

That's pretty interesting, I stayed in 上环 when I was last in HK. What movie was that from?

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kimiik
 July 08, 2009, 10:16 AM

文雀 (sparrow) by Johnnie To (2008)

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matt_c
 July 08, 2009, 02:23 PM

Oh, I loved that Movie. The musical score was sooo cool- a neo-70's feel.

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kimiik
 July 08, 2009, 02:57 PM

Yes and Johnnie To added deliberately different levels of interpretation in this elaborate movie.

Simon Yam who plays the main pickpocket (sparrow in HK) have to carry the passport of the chinese girl from 上环 (Sheung Wan) to 中环 (Central) under the rain (famous scene/remake) to release her from her husband (从上环走到中环). There is of course a symbolic meaning.

In this movie the sparrow (pickpocket) is successively free, trapped and free again when the chinese girl (sparrow) is successively trapped, free and trapped again (back in China).