User Comments - henning
henning
Posted on: What is a Chengyu?
April 17, 2008 at 5:08 AMAnd I am convinced that you do indeed need Chengyus - not so much for dropping them yourself but for understanding. Which is in some rare situations also part of communication. ;) Not only in formal texts. On about every second Harry Potter page I stumble across one or two of those. They are often easy to recognize because of the involved animals. This one I found in 混血王子 on my way to the office this morning: 九牛二虎之力 ( jiǔ niú èr hǔ zhī lì --> tremendous effort) I don't know if it counts as a real Chengyu, but it at least involves a cow and a tiger.
Posted on: What is a Chengyu?
April 17, 2008 at 4:59 AMJohn, I like the Latin/French analogy a lot. But rather applied to central Europe, going back several decades in time, when maybe the society was a lot more pretentious (and also more isolated). For an extreme example look out for the French in one of those brilliant Thomas Mann novels. Granted: That was even longer ago. As for Latin: After the death of the almighty Goushiny the last traces of that dead language slowly vanished from everyday vernacular. (This would also support my increasing suspicion that large parts of the Chinese society are currently a lot in a state that western countries have been towards the end of the 60th, on the verge of all those fundamental changes which reshaped society).
Posted on: What is a Chengyu?
April 16, 2008 at 1:13 PMguolanusa , fortunately goulnik just made a harmless pun based on identical abbreviations without any hidden implication, so there is no need for me to become seriously angry. Hi changye, welcome in my life!
Posted on: What is a Chengyu?
April 16, 2008 at 10:03 AMLP = 唱片
Posted on: What is a Chengyu?
April 16, 2008 at 9:59 AM哎哟， 当然咯。 我以为了他指的是一种化学的概念， 大错特错。 语境太简单我就懂不了。
Posted on: What is a Chengyu?
April 16, 2008 at 9:45 AMgoulniky, 不好意思， 我不明白 "黑胶塑料的录音"是什么意思。 反正LP是个常常可见的缩写， 特别是在网上。
Posted on: What is a Chengyu?
April 16, 2008 at 8:59 AMSorry, just found yet another typo, please excuse me and let me repost: 成语真是个黑魔术: http://chinesepod.co.....cal+spells 我的LP的确算一位成语通， 成天都用， 给我一个非常不到位的感觉。 她在中学时参加了一节由她的学校举办的成语比赛， 排了第一名，赢得了。。。另一本成语书。
Posted on: What is a Chengyu?
April 16, 2008 at 5:55 AM又打错了 of course it was a "成语比赛"
Posted on: What is a Chengyu?
April 16, 2008 at 5:37 AMChangye, 我也看过。。。一本甚至包括两册, 每一册想一大辞典一样大。很怕人。
Posted on: What is a Chengyu?
April 17, 2008 at 5:15 AMAnd I wait for the day when Chinese Chengyus are used in the west to show off education - as a replacement for Latin. Because then I will have at least a head start.... ;)