User Comments - changye

Posted on: F1 in China

Hi auntie68,

It seems that F1 is a more depthful world than I thought, and you are a far more ardent fan of F1 than I expected. My only contact with “a car race” is “Speed Racer”, which is not this year’s American movie, but is a Japanese classic anime I saw about forty years ago. I hear that a lot of children in US also saw this work.

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=uyMaZ-CWrI4

Posted on: F1 in China

Hi auntie68,

You have a very good memory. You've digged out a comment that even its poster has alreadly forgotten. Judging from its content, at least there is a consistency in my way of thinking, which makes me feel happy. In other words, an old guy says the same thing again and again, just like broken CD player....hehe.

All joking aside, may I have your opinion on the translation "一级方程式赛车"? Actually, I suspect that some Chinese guys "intentionally" selected the word "方程式" as a translation of "Formula" since it sounds more sophisticated (?) than 规格. By the way, a linear equation is translated as "一次方程式" in Chinese and Japanese.

Posted on: F1 in China

Grand Prix 国际汽车大奖赛
Hehe, I don't know the difference between F1 and Grand Prix racing.

Posted on: Getting Internet at your Apartment

Hi baomaijin,

Let me just put a little supplement to auntie68's beautiful explanation. In short, 论 and 按 are 介词 (preposion, = by), and 包， 包月，and 包年 are all verbs, which is the very reason why you can say 包月的话 but can't say 论月的话 or 按月的话.

As auntie68 said, you have to insert a verb, like 论月算的话，按月付款的话. As you already know, 包月 means "fixed monthly payment", but 按月/论月 only indicate "monthly payment". It seems that 按月 is much more frequently used than 论月 in China.

Posted on: F1 in China

Hi guys,

I think that the Chinese translation "一级方程式赛车" is some kind of bad joke. I'm a guy who hates math! Formula One should be translated as "一级规格赛车" or something like that.

Posted on: Come on up!

Elevator 电梯
Escalator 电梯，自动扶梯(zi4 dong4 fu2 ti1)，滚梯 (gun3 ti1)

Interestingly, in China, both elevators and escalators are referred to as "电梯". My apartment, six stories, has neither. Apartment buildings that have elevators are "respectfully" called "电梯楼" (dian4 ti1 lou2).

Posted on: Getting Internet at your Apartment

> 包月 "Monthly-covered for a fixed rate"
> 包年 "Yearly-covered for a fixed rate"

I agree with auntie68 on these explanations. Interestingly, 现代汉语词典 just defines 包月 as "按月计价付款", but I don't think it exactly explains the meaning actually used in China at present.

Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 3: A Call for Innovation

邓小平曾说: "发展才是硬道理。"

Posted on: 减肥药

Hi hhheee,

I've just found the legend about 龙女. Thanks!

http://chenjincai.blog.zhyww.cn/archives/2008/2008871711.html

Posted on: 减肥药

Hi utyutyu,

What Jenny said is that 女大十八变, which is a well-known saying in Chinese. It means that a girl’s appearance changes very much as she grows up (or when she becomes 18 years old), which usually implies a positive change.

女人长大的过程中有十八次的变化。
女人长(大)到十八岁就有变化。