User Comments - changye

Posted on: Farewell, Son 游子吟

Hi pete,

Please just look at the second couplet (对句). Apparently, the poet employed those two consecutive same characters, i.e. "密密" and "迟迟", in the poem for visual (and acoustical?) effects.

And ironically enough, modern sounds of 密 and 迟 happen to have the same vowel "i" and rhyme, but ancient ones don't. Furthermore, the ancient consonants of 行, 缝, and 迟 are all voiced sounds, but they changed into voiceless ones in putonghua.

And therefore, personally, I think that the modern sound version sounds more melodious and beautiful than its original version. Of course, it probably varies from person to person. It's up to your "ear".

临行密密缝，
lin2 xing2 mi4 mi4 feng2 (modern)
liem1 hang1 miet miet biong1 (middle)

意恐迟迟归
yi4 kong3 chi2 chi2 gui1 (modern)
yi4 kiong3 di1 di1 kiuei1 (middle)

P/S. Exactly speaking, the vowel "i" of 密 (mi) is a little different from that of 迟 (chi) in putonghua.

Posted on: Farewell, Son 游子吟

Hi bettine,

Here is a reconstructed-sound version of this poem. Be noted that these 中古音 (middle Chinese sounds) are very rough approximations, but al least you can see that there are three characters that perfectly rhyme, namely 衣，归，and 晖. More importantly, these three characters all have the same tail vowel (韵尾) "i" even in medern Mandarin, which makes them rhyme passably well.  

慈母手中线，
dzi1 mu3 shou3 tiung1 sien4
游子身上衣。
yiou1 tsie3 shien1 dgiang3 iei1
临行密密缝，
liem1 hang1 miet miet biong1
意恐迟迟归。
yi4 kiong3 di1 di1 kiuei1
谁言寸草心，
dgiui1 ngian1 tsun4 tsau3 sim1
报得三春晖。
bau4 tok sam1 chiun1 hiuei1

Posted on: Will you Marry Me?

Hi chirs and jazz,

You can also say 他比我想像的好, without using 中. Incidentally, 现代汉语词典 say both 想象 and 想像 are acceptable, but interestingly enough, the 2005 edition says "想象，也做想像", but the 1996 edition "想像，也做想象". A well known Chinese dictionary published in Japan in 1991, in collaboration with a prestigious Chinese publisher "商务印书馆", only shows "想像", but not "想象".

One of my dictionaries explains as follows,

At first, "像" was classified as "繁体字" (traditional characters) in 1964, which means it was not used anymore in putonghua, but was later reclassified as "non-traditional characters". Anyway, "象" is the original character of "像", so they have almost the same meaning. For the record, 现代汉语词典 lists "好像", but still not "好象".

Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 7: A Firing Afoot?

Hi matt_c,

I've found "遣散超额员工计划" on the net. 超额 = redundancy.

Posted on: Guided Plan Gets Better! Plus: Poetry is Pending

Hi matthiask,

You can "counterattack" with tons of Shakespeare, Goethe, and Bible quotes. But it's highly likely that your future wife would also make a counterattack by quoting from Analects of Confucius, such as "子曰，巧言令色，鲜矣仁"！

Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 7: A Firing Afoot?

This forum is full of ominous words and phrases. Guys, be careful not to get fired, haha. Incidentally, I've heard before that 炒鱿鱼 indicates a (curled up) shape of a grilled squid, which implies a blanket and a mat rolled up into a bundle. In China, migrant workers usually carry around with their own "bedding". And you have to roll up them and leave a camp if you get fired.

Posted on: Lucky Duckies

Hi inland,

The original meaning of 运, i.e. "movement", later generated a secondary meaning "encounter", and in a way, "幸运" (or "好运") could be regarded as "good encounter".

Posted on: Guided Plan Gets Better! Plus: Poetry is Pending

Hi pete,

I remember the episode of TNG, and I believe that henning does, too, haha. Even the computer of USS Enterprise couldn't decipher the unique language.

Incidentally, I've already abandoned effort to learn chengyu voluntarily. Just memorizing ones other guys use in their comments would be enough for me.

Thanks for 刻舟求剑！

Posted on: Guided Plan Gets Better! Plus: Poetry is Pending

Hi pete,

I'm afraid the 成语's days are numbered.

That's the best news I've heard this year!

Posted on: “混在中国”最字榜

Hi lujiaojie,

Is it OK to use 押金 instead of 保证金 in above examples?