User Comments - bodawei

Posted on: Houyi and The Ten Suns

RJ

一路玩到掛.. I have a vision of Jack Nicholson hanging out of a plane at 12,000 feet when the planned skydive went wrong (that 'feet' was for you RJ so you'd understand) .. :)

Hmm .. no, I don't think 'kick the bucket' is an appropriate translation. Yes, 'kick the bucket' may have had its origins in hanging, but it is now used in English to refer to dying of natural causes, at least that is my experience. It is not an appropriate English translation of 刽子手杀人的 or 杀头的 or whatever the expression might be in reference to an execution (I forget what the dialogue said). You agree with that?

The other part of what I was saying is that the term 'kick the bucket' (or its literal translation into Chinese) is probably not part of Chinese culture. I was responding to pretzllogic's surprise that the Chinese use the term 'kick the bucket'. I still don't think they do, based on what I have read. Jason does, and Chinese people speaking English. :)

Posted on: Houyi and The Ten Suns

Further to the above, I think 'kick the bucket' is a bad translation because in English this is used in case of dying of natural causes - I don't think I have ever heard the term used in connection with an execution, it does not ring true.

Posted on: Houyi and The Ten Suns

I'm probably going to get shot down, like 后羿射日..

From the first hit on Baidu it says 清代男人也梳辫子,刽子手杀人时要把辫子提起,翘辫子也就成为杀头的同义词 .. (this explains the origin of the word 翘辫子 - when about to be executed men had to 'lift their pigtails'.)

So I looked up a Chinese-English slang dictionary and the Chinese for 'kick the bucket' is not 翘辫子.. so,

I think the term 翘辫子 is attached to this story from the Qing Dynasty - lifting your pigtail became synonymous with death.

The term 'kick the bucket' has no particular connection; it is used because Chinese people (or at least dictionary writers) assume that English speakers often use the euphemism 'kick the bucket' for death.

In other words (a bit round about) I don't think the Chinese do use the term 'kick the bucket', unless they are speaking English.

Posted on: Checking out at a Hotel

Yes - I have had a private twin room with TV that worked and all bed linen for 15 RMB. (I'm proud of that one.) But I'm pretty sure that I paid more than the Chinese staying there. :)

Posted on: Checking out at a Hotel

Hi cinnamonfern

Don't know what happened here (did you not see Jason's response even though it is older than your response?) He gave you a better way of expressing this that does not use 坏 huai.

Posted on: Cabbie Culture and Driving in China

I reckon we (learners) are all pretty much elementary (the old levels discussion). Even so called advanced learners (and I am not one of those) put in certain situations are like newbies. I just love the ChinesePod facility of playback so you can listen to native speakers and replay if you don't understand, as many times as you like. But I think we should throw ourselves at the mercy of native speakers more - even if you get it wrong (and I do) your listening will improve faster than if you worry too much about translations.

Posted on: Cold Cucumbers in Sauce

Yeah, I've missed a few services already, and had some unexpected repairs, so I doubt that 120 is achievable for me. I've got a few squeaks that are not going away. The final sentence in the book exhorts us 我们都能健康１００岁，　１２０岁，健康享受每一天!

Posted on: Cold Cucumbers in Sauce

Well, 175 anyway. I have a Chinese guide to health; it says .. 因此人的寿命最短１００岁，最长１７５岁，公认的正常寿命应该是１２０岁。　It goes on to say that if people do not reach 120 on average it is because they get sick and die. And then about 100 pages of illustrated instructions on how to avoid dying. This book comes free if you buy a comb from 重庆谭木匠工艺品有限公司, famous brand in China, you no doubt have seen the shops.

Posted on: Cabbie Culture and Driving in China

I'd like to hear the interviews all in Chinese - your Chinese is easier to understand than a native speaker (more standard) so that would help it flow for learners. You could throw in the occasional translated word rather than the 'overview' in English, but of course this depends on the listeners' level. Last week Catherine talked about 'newby' versus 'more advanced' level BST - I think the translation style where you give an overview is more suitable for newbies. I found I didn't need the 'overview' because I already knew roughly what was being said, but quite a few expressions I didn't understand. But with ChinesePod you can re-play them - much easier than real life.

Transcripts are a lot of work but there are poddies who enjoy doing it.

John's recent (Sinosplice) discussion with the women in a restaurant was really good - I could understand him but only a little of what the women said, so I appreciated the transcript. :)

Posted on: Checking out at a Hotel

Had almost exactly the same experience in Paris! The lobby was so dark we had to feel our way to the desk. We couldn't see each other it was so dark. Found a grate at the front desk and shook it in panic. There, right in front of us, a big black guy, fast asleep sitting up, woke (also in shock).. 'and all we could see were the whites of his eyes'.