User Comments - RJ
RJ
Posted on: Famous Characters in Chinese Literature
August 21, 2011 at 6:46 PMGreat show David and "Handsome Greg". Some helpful tidbits:
潘安 (pān ān)
美男子 （měi nán zǐ)
掷果盈车 (Zhì Guǒ yíng chē)
红楼梦 (hóng lóu mèng)
软女子 ruǎn nǔzǐ
林黛玉 (lín dàiyù)
弱不经风 （ruò bù jīng fēng)
武大郎 （wǔ dà láng) also kown as 三寸丁谷樹皮 and elder brother of 武松 in the great book, 水浒传 (shuǐ hǔ zhuàn). Wu Song, who also kills a tiger with his bare hands, has his revenge.
潘金蓮 (Pān Jīnlián)
金瓶梅 (jīn píng méi)
Posted on: Translation Tools
August 21, 2011 at 12:42 PMBodawei mate,
There you go again. Everything is different in Kunming. hehe.
I too have seen references to wikipedia being blocked on the mainland many times (on this site) over the years. So is it, or isnt it? Could it be region specific or is this just a common belief that happens to be wrong? Perhaps it was blocked at one time but no longer?
Posted on: Translation Tools
August 21, 2011 at 12:22 PMBaba,
Understood. If I come across one I will let you know. I do read "Chinasmack" and the glossary mentioned by ZhouRui is close to what you are looking for but concentrates on internet and twitter type slang. Most of the new slang does originate on the many bulletin boards used by the Chinese however and much of it spills over into general use. The book I mentioned can also be used as a reference. I recommend it highly and it is also rather inexpensive at around $10 US. (btw-this one does have the "look inside" feature you so love at Amazon) Chinasmack will keep you up to date and the book covers all the old classics in addition to much internet slang. I think the salty language universe is well represented by these two resources, at least until the "Urban dictionary" adds a Mandarin section. As a lover of colorful language, I feel adequately schooled. Somehow these words are easier to remember. Is that what they call "pornographic memory"? :-)
Posted on: Translation Tools
August 20, 2011 at 1:26 PMHi baba,
there are a few if you do a search for Mandarin slang etc. Here is one I saved, the rest I remember digesting but I didnt save the links.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarin_slang
The best book I have read on the subject is
"NIUBI" by Eveline Chao. This is available at amazon and is the best reference I have read to date. It includes a great chapter on internet slang.
Posted on: Too Young to be Dating
August 16, 2011 at 2:52 AMGood question Dilu. I guess it does vary, but certainly parents everywhere are watchful of their daughter's interactions with boys. I think the daughter's response would have typically been very different in the US. Qianqian was very evasive but polite. I love the way she used the word "Oh" to her advantage. Its almost as if she is saying Oh, I didnt realize that mom, thank you for telling me this, but really she's not buying any of it.
Posted on: Detective Li 6: The Bloody Love Triangle (Part 2)
August 11, 2011 at 2:14 AMHmm. Wasnt it Sherlock Holmes that always said "elementary my dear Watson"? I thought it quite fitting here since the key had been removed from the elementary canal by nefarious means. Well, maybe. And maybe its just a language lesson whose author really never gave what "really happened" as much thought, as you have. Or is it? Im keeping what I know, under my hat.
Posted on: Detective Li 6: The Bloody Love Triangle (Part 2)
August 10, 2011 at 10:20 AMIts elementary my dear baba.
Posted on: Punctuation Marks
August 8, 2011 at 2:04 AMno, you're right. But I still think its a bean.
Posted on: Punctuation Marks
August 7, 2011 at 2:35 PMbaba,
ah the things that keep you up at night. The only comment I could find regarding the Chinese ellipsis that may hint at why 6, is as follows:
the ellipsis is six dots (in two groups of three dots, occupying the same horizontal space as two characters)
Oh , and tadpole, LOL. I think this is just a case of you over-using your "bean" You have been reading too many detective stories lately mate.
Posted on: Translation Tools
August 21, 2011 at 9:08 PM10 million?
The number of words in the English language is : 1,010,649.7. This is the estimate by the Global Language Monitor on May 24, 2011.
The English Language passed the Million Word threshold on June 10, 2009 at 10:22 a.m. (GMT). The Millionth Word was the controversial ‘Web 2.0′. Currently there is a new word created every 98 minutes or about 14.7 words per day.
thought you might find that interesting.