User Comments - JasonSch

Posted on: Jason and Sarah

Thanks, Cassie! I'm really not all that awesome, but I'll keep doing my best. :) See you around the site.

Posted on: Electronic Dogs and Radar Detectors

'Explosive' is both a noun and an adjective. That's why it comes out sounding funny. (the dog is explosive!) I think 'bomb dog' or 'explosives dog' are more accurate.

Posted on: 游孔庙

@bababardwan

Yeah, the 祭孔 part means that the Emperor came to venerate, hold a ceremony for, memorialize (etc) Confucius. I think what was going through my head at the time was that the pillars they're talking about are in the Great Hall, so I went that way. But a more specific sentence level translation should include 曲阜 and 祭孔 to be clear.

On a related note, I thought that fact there was pretty funny. You'd think someone with so much power wouldn't get jealous so easily! Or maybe the pillars are just that awesome. 

Posted on: Time Period Patterns with 末, 底, 初

@huan9

You bring up a really interesting topic. I find conceptual metaphors fascinating, especially learning new ones in Chinese. I actually wrote a paper on conceptual metaphors about time in university. :)

They say that most basic metaphors are in fact derived from some physical truth. (I forgot the term for that, though it may be 'existential basis'.) This makes me wonder if the 上 and 下 come from the top-to-bottom writing system in the past. But, who knows.

Interestingly, however, I've asked some Chinese friends if they imagine themselves moving downwards through time and most replied that they didn't. So, maybe the metaphor has lost some it's conceptual potency over time. 

Anyway, good stuff!

Posted on: Audit

@dubyruby,

You're right. In the translation, I misread 这两天 as 这两个 or 这俩.

The 这两天, however, as  @christine30550 said above, means 'these last few days', and not necessarily two days specifically. Sorry about the confusion. We'll make the change!

Posted on: What have you done in 2009?

@chrismaschrisbutler

Sorry about the confusion. Change made.

他不是有女朋友了吗？

Is in fact, "Doesn't he have a girlfriend (now)?"

The 了 here can indicate that he 'got' a girlfriend. 

Posted on: Audit

@chris

Thanks for catching that. :)

Posted on: Time Period Patterns with 末, 底, 初

@hyperhorean, dahouxiaohou

Yeah, it seems like a weird way of saying it, but 发工资 is typical when referring to getting one's salary. I had always said 拿到工资 myself until I started hearing other people say 发工资. I'm quite sure 拿到 is okay as well though.

Maybe we can get a Chinese teacher to clarify as to why that is.

Posted on: Time Period Patterns with 末, 底, 初

Hi sandy9699,

还 means to 'repay' or 'return', but we don't use this expression when talking about paying a credit card bill in English. We just say, 'pay' rather than 'repay'. 

For a loan, however, you can say, 'repay a loan'. 

Posted on: Hot Pot Chitchat

Try it! There's a milk I've had here (in those little bags) that's some sort of nut flavor. I'm pretty sure it's 核桃 (hétao -- walnut). It's really tasty. In fact, it may beat out chocolate milk. Yeah that's right...I said it!