Expression 对 sb 来说

paulinurus

August 10, 2009, 02:37 AM posted in General Discussion

I'm finally on the tenth and final chapter of Yong Ho's Intermediate Chinese text book. Coincidentally, the title of the last chapter is China and America - perhaps not as provocative as last week's Cpod Is China Scary lesson, but nevertheless many interesting sentences in Yong Ho's chapter.  I spotted one sentence for mention here:

English translation:  This was the second time for me and my wife to visit China, but it was the first time for the children.

Chinese sentence: 这是我和我太太第二次去中国，但是对孩子们来说，这是第一次。 Zhe4 shi4 wo3 he2 wo3 tai4tai di4er4 ci4 qu1 Zhong1guo, dan4shi4 dui4 hai2zimen lai2shuo1, zhe4shi4 di4yi1ci4. Lit: This is me and my wife second time go China, but with-respect-to children come say, this is first time.

WB would simply say "with-respect-to" the kids, this is their first time. However, EB uses 来说. Strange eh?