User Comments - zhenlijiang
zhenlijiang
Posted on: Even If...
October 26, 2009 at 9:48 AMMy problem with these seem to be that in English I don't say "Even if ..." very much. I don't hypothesize very much I guess. Do most of you?
But I thought a bit "out of character" and did manage to come up with a few things I could conceivably say:
Even if you don't write back, I wouldn't think you were snubbing me.
哪怕你不给我回信，我总不会认为你不理我。
Even if we never meet, I consider you a friend.
哪怕我们永远不会见面，对我来说你还是我朋友。
Even if she really did go to Venus she probably shouldn't talk about it too much.
即便她去过金星是真话，宣扬那样的事还是不行吧。
(Even if my every attempt to write a sound Chinese sentence is exceptionally feeble, I still hope our teachers will eventually find time to respond and help point out my errors ...)
In any case, I'm finding it unhelpful to approach these from the English "Even if ...".
Consulting my Japanese-Chinese dictionaries hasn't been better; if anything those explanations confuse me more.
Best just to get comfortable with the Chinese here. Apologies for all the thinking aloud.
_________________________
Miantiao, Baba, thanks for explaining the "even though/although". Though I'm not clear enough to explain it myself (I accept that it's about being more emphatic with "even though") I don't ever have to think about which one to use whenever.
They do do different things too, when they're starting a sentence and when they're in the middle, conjoining the two ideas.
Changye, 小学館中日辞典 says under the 即使 entry:
The 书面 expressions 即便, 即或, 即令, 即若, 即使 are basically the same in meaning and use, 即使 being the most frequently-seen.
口语 equivalents are 就是，哪怕.
Posted on: Even If...
October 24, 2009 at 9:54 AMChangye that's a difficult question for me.
I do know that in this case I would not use "even though":
Although (Though) I am a so-called "near-native" English speaker,
I can't say what the difference is.
我虽然算个所谓英语‘near native’，也说不上区别是什么。
I'll give this a little more thought, but there are real experts in English loitering hanging out around here, hope they come to help!
Even if the problem is with the English, advice would still be appreciated.
即使要指摘的问题是对于英语用法的，也欢迎大家的建议。
——这样行不行？
Posted on: Even If...
October 24, 2009 at 8:33 AMThis is one of the many times thinking in English hinders our understanding of Chinese isn't it. As is the case with the recently-featured "only", we shouldn't forget that the English word we're thinking of has multiple senses and shades, "even", "even if" being no exception.
(Of course we should try in the first place not to be thinking in English then translating into Chinese.)
I still get confused as to when to express myself using today's featured three and when better to use:
宁愿 nìngyuàn （宁可nìngkě）～也 I see nciku says "rather than".
尽管 jǐnguǎn～也 I guess this is more like "although". nciku says "even though".
我宁愿饿着，也不想做饭。
Even though I'm hungry I still don't want to cook.
我宁愿不睡觉，也要看完这个电影。
I want to finish watching this movie even if it means not sleeping.
宁可少睡点儿觉，也要把这篇文章写完。
I have to finish writing this piece even if it means getting less sleep.
I may get a little less sleep but I still have to finish writing this piece.
我宁愿走也不乘公交车。
I'd rather walk than take the bus (in the sense that the bus is crowded and stressful to ride and you're determined to avoid that, even if it means walking for nearly an hour?).
尽管下雨我也去。
Although it's raining, I'm going.
尽管在下大雨，他还是要出去。
Even though it was pouring with rain, he still wanted to go out.
即使便宜我也不买。
Even if it's cheap I'm still not buying (it).
The blue English translations are nciku's. The rest are mine. Not sure how accurate or appropriate they are (how well I'm grasping the Chinese), and would appreciate any corrections, pointers, clarification. Even if the problem is with the English, advice would still be appreciated.
Thank you in advance!
I guess I just need to look at tons more examples and come across these in reading material, to get comfortable with them.
Posted on: Even If...
October 24, 2009 at 4:27 AM啊不好意思 Baba，yet again I failed to make myself clear. That link was just a reference to the recent QW on 敢.
The original exchange 是在 Activity Stream 展开的。
And I have to confess I omitted the "也" by mistake there.
Posted on: Even If...
October 24, 2009 at 2:33 AMIn a recent exchange which ensued from my remark that there's no 敢不敢 w/regard to skinny dipping if you find yourself in the right company, the right place and right moment (there was this beautiful beach in Hawaii ...), I tried using 就算～也:
Female Native Speaker in reply to Me:
真的有人裸泳吗？？我有点好奇，看来我是老古董了！呵呵！
Male Native Speaker in reply to Female Native Speaker:
"裸泳"在国内是不可想象的，不过在欧美，日本这样开放的国家应该根本不算什么吧
Me in reply to Male Native Speaker:
哎呀，不是不是！别误会，日本没有那么开放。裸泳在日本也是不可想象的，至少我没听说过日本有地方能这样做 blah blah blah ... 所以"裸泳其实算不了什么！" 我是说 blah blah blah ...
还要说，就算美国那家‘开放’的社会也制定法律，indecent exposure（有伤风化的暴露？）是犯罪，会被逮捕。一定要注意、不要给人感到
不愉快。 （＾ｖ＾）
This usage actually isn't "even if～" though. It's just "even～". Having heard this usage from native speakers I thought I'd give it a try. Does it work? No?
Apologies for my Chinese, which I'm sure is full of errors anyway.
Posted on: Kaixin Wang Farm Thieves
October 23, 2009 at 8:43 AMBut I'm innocent. 是株连无辜的！
before your delt with--my goodness Miantiao 说法怎么这么凶恶，
我在颤抖啊～
btw is that what happens in the farming game? Players caught stealing are rounded up and tried by fellow villagers?
How does one win at it?
* Sorry to shatter your reverie Tal.
(Apologies for the youtube, the URL is below if anyone is interested but blocked. I've always found this song irresistible)
Posted on: Kaixin Wang Farm Thieves
October 23, 2009 at 5:17 AMI've been accused of having a cow.
Posted on: 把 Humbug
October 23, 2009 at 12:56 AMpauley this QingWen features 吧, the other "ba" you want to know about:
http://chinesepod.com/lessons/ending-your-sentence-with-%E5%90%A7-ba
Posted on: Adventures of an Andy Lau Fan on Taobao
October 21, 2009 at 8:33 AMYeah (cheers for the link Baba), too bad David sounded like he was sitting far away, on my end anyway. I mean I could hear him, but he sounded a lot fainter than John.
Anybody want to transcribe this lesson?
Posted on: Adventures of an Andy Lau Fan on Taobao
October 26, 2009 at 10:08 PM早上好 Bababardwan--good ears, as always! Were you just being shy when I asked if anyone wanted to transcribe this lesson?
fyi, I'm hearing this patch like this (my suggestions in blue):
徐洲： 所以那呢，这个卖买家就是要对这个卖家投诉到底
John:那么"投诉" 这就是 "make a complaint"
徐洲： 嗯
John:那么"投诉到底"是怎么样呢？
徐洲："到底"这就是．．．
John： to the end
徐洲： to the end,但是那呢，这就是我们不知道这个结果到底是怎么样，可能是哦，这个卖买家她想要【？对到底的？得到个？】结果，这就她会一直投诉一直投诉【？知道她对他 ？得到这个】结果
John:她希望这个卖家【倒闭？yes I think this is correct, hoping the business fails】还是什么？
徐洲：这个我们不知道
I'm not at all certain either however, on these bits.
I think you're right about the 倒闭.
David, 一直友好的那位‘同学’dldshanghai 原来是你！
我也是个粉丝。So in future yes I would like to consistently hear you as loud and clear as John and Jenny!