User Comments - pearltowerpete
pearltowerpete
Posted on: Language Power Struggle
April 16, 2009 at 8:28 AMHi thinkbuddha
This just proves that the poddie community is 积极主动.
Thanks for sharing your anecdote about Bulgarian. What were you doing trying to learn that language?
Posted on: Language Power Struggle
April 16, 2009 at 8:19 AMHi brandonw1981
To type in Chinese characters, you have to install the correct software. I recommend Google Pinyin, but people say great things about Sogou Pinyin. Stay away from the default MS pinyin as it is garbage.
Generally, once it is installed, you just press Alt + Shift and you're in business.
Posted on: Zombies!
April 16, 2009 at 7:39 AMHi kimiik,
Thanks for the find.
Multiple names for TV shows, movies and books make buying them in China a bit of an adventure.
One of the classic examples is Gone With the Wind,which was translated twice. The version published before the Establishment of New China was called 飘. It is supposed to be more delicate and artistic. The version published in the People's Democratic Dictatorship of post-1949 is full of rhetoric about the suffering of the proletariat. It is called 乱世佳人 -- beautiful people in a crazy world.
But these are really two different works, so I suppose it's natural that they have different names.
Posted on: Rise and Shine!
April 16, 2009 at 7:13 AMHi snozzle
In this situation, 上 means "in or on." A clumsy but literal translation would be "China is the country in the world with the largest population."
As a side note (because we often learn the most from interesting digressions!) Chinese describes 人口 population in terms of 多 or 少 （many or few）， and not ”big / small" as in English.
Posted on: Rise and Shine!
April 16, 2009 at 6:42 AMHi snozzle
上 does indeed have a variety of uses. In this case, it means "to go to." It is also used this way in phrases like 上班 -- to go to work.
Posted on: GPS Fail
April 16, 2009 at 6:34 AMHi weibwo
The words 大转 dàzhuǎn and 小转 xiǎozhuǎn literally mean "big turn" and "small turn," and refer to left and right turns respectively.
If you make a left turn, you drive across a bigger arc, hence the name.
Based on my own experience, this is pretty much just a Shanghai thing.
Posted on: Guilin Mifen
April 16, 2009 at 5:04 AMHi kencjps2065
Welcome! We look forward to your questions and comments on the message boards!
Posted on: Rise and Shine!
April 16, 2009 at 3:00 AMHi changye and dalek_invasion_of_china_2168
He's a little young to be hitting the 烟斗 yāndǒu but his posture is just about right.
Posted on: Guilin Mifen
April 16, 2009 at 2:12 AMHi nestorp,
巴西碳烧肋条肉 could be loosely translated as "Brazilian-style Grilled Ribs." But you generally see 排骨 for "ribs."
The next line, 送红酒一杯 is a classic example of the need for context in translating. 送 can mean "to send or deliver" but here it means "to give," i.e. the glass of wine is free of charge.
Shoppers' favorite phrase is 买一送一: Buy One, Get One Free. This is also sometimes called BOGO in the States.
Posted on: Language Power Struggle
April 16, 2009 at 8:42 AMHi thinkbuddha
Well, that's a good reason! Good luck.