User Comments - sebire
sebire
Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 11: Wang in the Doghouse
May 25, 2009 at 9:23 AMRJ, Raygo, I reckon the equivalent of "all hat and no cattle" is "all mouth and no trousers".
Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 11: Wang in the Doghouse
May 24, 2009 at 10:46 PMHehe, RJ, you're talking 鸟语 - all fur coat and no knickers - who uses phrases like that any more?! You guys don't say bollocks, right? What about "rubbish"? I always say everything is rubbish. "I'm not coming to the pub quiz." "Rubbish!!!"
It's just something I've noticed - that the dialogues are translated in a manner that is just so strikingly American, but when e.g. you or many other Americans post on the board, your posts aren't usually written in a way that makes them sound very American. It is just an observation really - is it that American speech is much more casual than how you write? I feel as if I write on here in much the same way as I speak.
I met an American once that spoke in such a "folksy" way that I couldn't quite believe he wasn't actually trying to do some kind of parody. And then I realised he actually just talked like that.
As for the Aussies...
Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 11: Wang in the Doghouse
May 24, 2009 at 4:21 PMI agree with the colloquialisms, there are a lot that are specific to America. I get the feeling that American English just uses a lot more colloquialisms than British English.
Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 11: Wang in the Doghouse
May 23, 2009 at 10:30 PMHmm, I also required internet searching to work out what a cathouse was. Definitely regional slang there, Henning, beware!
Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 11: Wang in the Doghouse
May 23, 2009 at 8:58 PMI think there's a place for both literal and more natural translations. If a word or phrase lends itself to being broken down, that's great, but sometimes it's just easier to learn the the phrase. Though sometimes I have to translate the English translations into my kind of English :)
Posted on: Podcast Language 1
May 23, 2009 at 6:26 PMwaitingroom, 我同意, I picked up a lot of that vocab through context and repetition alone. But really, I should look in a dictionary more - I have always wondered why dialogue and telephone were the same...
Posted on: Podcast Language 1
May 23, 2009 at 8:52 AMbobt, it's probably the use of the word "defect" - a bit harsh really.
I've never realised that it was 对话, I've miss-heard it as 电话 for ages!
Posted on: Zombies: Deader than Ever
May 5, 2009 at 9:11 PM我今天听这个课，真有趣！
我觉得“我没拉你“的意思是"I'm not pulling you" - 应该是"我不拉你"还是"我不在拉你"? 是不是这里"在"不必要的?
Posted on: Luke is Back! And So Are the Zombies!
April 28, 2009 at 8:19 AMlight, those tea things are amazing!!! I had one and I brought it all the way round the world with me until I lost it on my last dayin San Francisco before flying home . I was distraught!
Posted on: Funny Rice
May 25, 2009 at 9:40 AMWhat's dada wordplay? Randomness?