Chinglish story
This column focuses on Chinglish mistakes in our daily life. If you have any experiences to share, send them to LI Zhixin at lizhixin@ynet.com.
By Yao Weijie
My classmate Zhang Xiaotao is a clever and hardworking man. Although born to a farming family, he got a Master’s degree in the US and settled there. He asked his mother and father to visit him in the US last year.
Zhang Ming, the father, was a diligent and simple farmer, who knew little about foreign culture and language. At first, all he and his wife would do was watch TV. But he put in an effort to learn the language and was eventually able to communicate with the neighbors using simple words.
Once, while strolling near his house, he met his neighbor Linda, who looked drowsy. Zhang said hi and asked, “Why are you looking so tired?”
“Oh, am I looking tired?” Linda said. “It must be because of my husband. He drove his pigs to the market last night.”
Uncle Zhang got very excited. He thought: American people are really hardworking. Not only do they have a daytime job, but some also sell pigs in the market.
“Oh, I understand your husband has been busy,” he said.
“Yes, he is very busy these days and has to work over time.”
Then Zhang thought, I’ve known my neighbors for three months, but I’ve never seen any pigs. Where are they?
So he asked Linda.
“In my house,” she answered.
Zhang’s heart fluttered. He thought: American people not only know how to seize the moment, but they also know how to put their houses to use by raising pigs. What a great nation! He made a mental note to ask his son about this.
After some more small talk, Zhang went home.
At dinner, Zhang said to his son, “I now know why the US GDP is so high. American people are so industrious. If our Chinese people could be like them, our country will have a bright future. They not only work in the daytime, but at night they raise pigs in their bedroom. You should learn from them.”
Zhang Xiaotao was confused and asked for the story. Uncle Zhang told him what happened. Afterwards, Xiaotao burst into laughter.
“‘Drive one’s pigs to the market’ is just an idiom that means the husband snores all night long,” he said.
The father could only shake his head. “I must learn English harder,” he said.
Chinglish story
This column focuses on Chinglish mistakes in our daily life. If you have any experiences to share, send them to LI Zhixin at lizhixin@ynet.com.
By Yao Weijie
My classmate Zhang Xiaotao is a clever and hardworking man. Although born to a farming family, he got a Master’s degree in the US and settled there. He asked his mother and father to visit him in the US last year.
Zhang Ming, the father, was a diligent and simple farmer, who knew little about foreign culture and language. At first, all he and his wife would do was watch TV. But he put in an effort to learn the language and was eventually able to communicate with the neighbors using simple words.
Once, while strolling near his house, he met his neighbor Linda, who looked drowsy. Zhang said hi and asked, “Why are you looking so tired?”
“Oh, am I looking tired?” Linda said. “It must be because of my husband. He drove his pigs to the market last night.”
Uncle Zhang got very excited. He thought: American people are really hardworking. Not only do they have a daytime job, but some also sell pigs in the market.
“Oh, I understand your husband has been busy,” he said.
“Yes, he is very busy these days and has to work over time.”
Then Zhang thought, I’ve known my neighbors for three months, but I’ve never seen any pigs. Where are they?
So he asked Linda.
“In my house,” she answered.
Zhang’s heart fluttered. He thought: American people not only know how to seize the moment, but they also know how to put their houses to use by raising pigs. What a great nation! He made a mental note to ask his son about this.
After some more small talk, Zhang went home.
At dinner, Zhang said to his son, “I now know why the US GDP is so high. American people are so industrious. If our Chinese people could be like them, our country will have a bright future. They not only work in the daytime, but at night they raise pigs in their bedroom. You should learn from them.”
Zhang Xiaotao was confused and asked for the story. Uncle Zhang told him what happened. Afterwards, Xiaotao burst into laughter.
“‘Drive one’s pigs to the market’ is just an idiom that means the husband snores all night long,” he said.
The father could only shake his head. “I must learn English harder,” he said.
Chinglish on the way
This column aims to identify Chinglish in public areas. If you see any Chinglish signs, please send a picture of it to lizhixin@ynet.com together with your name and address.
By Terry Boyd-Zhang
In truth, the only thing really wrong with the English version of this sign, in my opinion, is the placement of the comma. It should read: Because the important activity is gone on a sightseeing tour by you, bring about forgiving inconveniently, please. I guess it is still a bit Chinglishy. I will explain.
You know how it is, whenever there is something important, such as giving directions to some hopelessly lost tourist, the person you need to solve the problem (i.e. the Chinese guy who actually knows the directions) has wandered off somewhere, often to do something which you bloody asked him to do in the first place.
It is usually something incredibly unimportant, like buy iced tea or whatever else you could have managed on your own but just didn’t have the gumption to bother. Some days in China are like that.
So it turns out that you have to forgive: the tourist (for not having a Lonely Planet), the guy (for being too wonderful) and yourself (because Bad China Days are totally normal). Believe me, forgiving is extremely inconvenient because you would rather just stay mad.
My editor is screaming behind me, “Talk about the sign!” Well, okay. The sign in Chinese is perfectly clear: Because (yin) there is an important (zhongyao) activity (huodong) – Gary Locke is visiting the Palace – this has given (gei) your (polite form, (nin) (de)) visit (canguan), your sightseeing (youlan) has been given (dailai) some inconvenience (bubian) – dear common, everyday tourist – please (very polite, (jingqing) forgive (yuanliang) us.
At this point, I would suggest a break, such as a calming bowl of zhajiangmian (noodles with fried bean sauce) at a restaurant outside the Drum Tower. Send your guy out for iced tea, pull out your Insider’s Guide and forgive Gary for being a more important tourist than you are. It’s inconvenient but, hey, some days are just like that.
Chinglish on the way
This column aims to identify Chinglish in public areas. If you see any Chinglish signs, please send a picture of it to lizhixin@ynet.com together with your name and address.
By Terry Boyd-Zhang
In truth, the only thing really wrong with the English version of this sign, in my opinion, is the placement of the comma. It should read: Because the important activity is gone on a sightseeing tour by you, bring about forgiving inconveniently, please. I guess it is still a bit Chinglishy. I will explain.
You know how it is, whenever there is something important, such as giving directions to some hopelessly lost tourist, the person you need to solve the problem (i.e. the Chinese guy who actually knows the directions) has wandered off somewhere, often to do something which you bloody asked him to do in the first place.
It is usually something incredibly unimportant, like buy iced tea or whatever else you could have managed on your own but just didn’t have the gumption to bother. Some days in China are like that.
So it turns out that you have to forgive: the tourist (for not having a Lonely Planet), the guy (for being too wonderful) and yourself (because Bad China Days are totally normal). Believe me, forgiving is extremely inconvenient because you would rather just stay mad.
My editor is screaming behind me, “Talk about the sign!” Well, okay. The sign in Chinese is perfectly clear: Because (yin) there is an important (zhongyao) activity (huodong) – Gary Locke is visiting the Palace – this has given (gei) your (polite form, (nin) (de)) visit (canguan), your sightseeing (youlan) has been given (dailai) some inconvenience (bubian) – dear common, everyday tourist – please (very polite, (jingqing) forgive (yuanliang) us.
At this point, I would suggest a break, such as a calming bowl of zhajiangmian (noodles with fried bean sauce) at a restaurant outside the Drum Tower. Send your guy out for iced tea, pull out your Insider’s Guide and forgive Gary for being a more important tourist than you are. It’s inconvenient but, hey, some days are just like that.
Blacklist
This is a column of words or phrases commonly misused by Chinese speakers. If you’re planning to be an English teacher, reporter or employee of a multinational company, then watch out for this page each week
1. The store is packed 1980s-style furniture.
Professor Zhu Shida (ZSD): Here the writer fails to use the key preposition to make it perfect. As we know, there is the English phrase “to be packed with.” In this sense, the verb to pack is a transitive verb. For instance, The small theater is packed with a large audience. The garden beer party is packed with celebrities. So, the sample sentence should be: The store is packed with 1980s-style furniture. There is an English verb “to overflow” that means more or less the same in this sense. However, the usage is different. For example, the small theater is overflowing with audience. The store is over-packed with 1980s-style furniture.
Terry Boyd-Zhang (TBZ): We can use “to be packed with” in a more abstract sense, too, such as: An iPad is packed with new features, a baseball team is packed with prospects, and the winter season is packed with holidays. Also, drinks can be packed with punch and food packed with staying power.
2. She finds a job as cleaner and babysitter.
ZSD: As we know, the usage of the definite and indefinite article is one of the most difficult parts in English. Here, should we have an indefinite article before “cleaner and babysitter”? Should it be, “She finds a job as a cleaner and babysitter” or “She finds a job as a cleaner and a babysitter” or simply, “She finds a job as cleaner and babysitter”? There are three choices the way the articles are used. I think the first is the best choice: She finds a job as a cleaner and babysitter.
TBZ: I think that the sentence would be OK if it was longer. Like: She finds a job as a cleaner and babysitter for an American family and takes English classes on the weekend. But I don’t disagree with Professor Zhu’s changes, either. What I do want to say is that we should all appreciate ayi (housekeepers) more, and I think “ayi” should be adopted into the English language.
3. An historical lesson
ZSD: I recently found a student writing this way. I presume he must know French. Many French words that begin with “h” use a mute “h.” However, it is different in English. Except for “honor,” English words that begin with “h” have the “h” sound. So, it is wrong to use “an” before “historical lesson.” It should be: a historical lesson; on the other hand, it is “an honor.”
TBZ: It seems that a/an is an easy rule: a word that starts with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) takes “an,” while a word that starts with a consonant (all the rest, with y able to be a vowel if a-e-i-o-u are all missing) takes “a.” Then you get into all the letters that sound like a vowel but aren’t yet also take “an.” An honor is one — an hour, an LSAT exam, an MA, an MC, an NBC reporter. Remember, in an abbreviation, it’s not the actual letter that counts, but how that letter is spelled: “m” is actually “em,” so that’s why it would be “an MA” instead of “a MA.”
4. In the late 2000s.
ZSD: When I came across this expression, I hesitated a great deal. Is it right? Will it be misleading to mean the entire 21st century? It could be changed to ’00s. We can write “the generation of the ’00s” or “China’s economic success in the ‘00s.” This clearly indicates the years from 2000 to 2009 without any misleading effect. Of course, you may also say: China’s economic success in the first decade of the 21st century.
TBZ: It seems to me that the time period of 2000-2009 isn’t long enough to have a “late” part. You could also specify – since 2008, after 2007 or even, “In the latter half of the decade.”
This is a column of words or phrases commonly misused by Chinese speakers. If you’re planning to be an English teacher, reporter or employee of a multinational company, then watch out for this page each week
1. The store is packed 1980s-style furniture.
Professor Zhu Shida (ZSD): Here the writer fails to use the key preposition to make it perfect. As we know, there is the English phrase “to be packed with.” In this sense, the verb to pack is a transitive verb. For instance, The small theater is packed with a large audience. The garden beer party is packed with celebrities. So, the sample sentence should be: The store is packed with 1980s-style furniture. There is an English verb “to overflow” that means more or less the same in this sense. However, the usage is different. For example, the small theater is overflowing with audience. The store is over-packed with 1980s-style furniture.
Terry Boyd-Zhang (TBZ): We can use “to be packed with” in a more abstract sense, too, such as: An iPad is packed with new features, a baseball team is packed with prospects, and the winter season is packed with holidays. Also, drinks can be packed with punch and food packed with staying power.
2. She finds a job as cleaner and babysitter.
ZSD: As we know, the usage of the definite and indefinite article is one of the most difficult parts in English. Here, should we have an indefinite article before “cleaner and babysitter”? Should it be, “She finds a job as a cleaner and babysitter” or “She finds a job as a cleaner and a babysitter” or simply, “She finds a job as cleaner and babysitter”? There are three choices the way the articles are used. I think the first is the best choice: She finds a job as a cleaner and babysitter.
TBZ: I think that the sentence would be OK if it was longer. Like: She finds a job as a cleaner and babysitter for an American family and takes English classes on the weekend. But I don’t disagree with Professor Zhu’s changes, either. What I do want to say is that we should all appreciate ayi (housekeepers) more, and I think “ayi” should be adopted into the English language.
Chinglish story
This column focuses on Chinglish mistakes in our daily life. If you have any experiences to share, send them to Li Zhixin at lizhixin@ynet.com.
By Yao Weijie
In the Chinese zodiac, the rabbit symbolizes endurance, beauty, peace and hope – and is the animal of 2011. That’s why people like buying things with rabbit patterns or insignias on them.
Gao Han, a friend, is a designer at a foreign advertisement company. He has been working at the company for about four years and has produced nothing but excellent designs. Recently, however, his boss wanted to downsize, so Gao began to worry that he might be laid off. He worked even harder.
Last month, his boss Sam asked him to design a logo with a rabbit.
“You know our company’s condition. If you can’t design a cute rabbit, you can leave,” Sam said.
Gao was very nervous.
A month later, he completed the rabbit. He took the image to Sam and waited for his boss’ response.
Sam stared at it a long time before laughing and saying, “This rabbit is out to lunch, you can go.”
Gao was confused, but since his boss has a bad temper, he didn’t dare say anything. After a while, Sam’s wife, Lily, swung by. Gao couldn’t help asking her about this. “Why did he say my rabbit was out to lunch?”
“Sam is the one out to lunch,” Lily said. “I like this design.”
Gao was even more puzzled.
Eventually, he worked up the nerve to approach his boss. “Are you out to lunch now?”
“Why? It’s just 10 o’clock, why would I have a lunch?” Sam said.
“I asked Lily why you said my rabbit is out to lunch just now. She said you are out to lunch, so now I’m confused.”
Sam laughed. “You misunderstood. Actually, ‘out to lunch’ means not completely there, so, crazy or mad. Lily said I was out to lunch because she really likes your design.
“But she probably misunderstood me. I was saying this rabbit of yours is crazy good.”
“So … you won’t fire me?” Gao asked.
“Not at the moment.”
Chinglish story
This column focuses on Chinglish mistakes in our daily life. If you have any experiences to share, send them to Li Zhixin at lizhixin@ynet.com.
By Yao Weijie
In the Chinese zodiac, the rabbit symbolizes endurance, beauty, peace and hope – and is the animal of 2011. That’s why people like buying things with rabbit patterns or insignias on them.
Gao Han, a friend, is a designer at a foreign advertisement company. He has been working at the company for about four years and has produced nothing but excellent designs. Recently, however, his boss wanted to downsize, so Gao began to worry that he might be laid off. He worked even harder.
Last month, his boss Sam asked him to design a logo with a rabbit.
“You know our company’s condition. If you can’t design a cute rabbit, you can leave,” Sam said.
Gao was very nervous.
A month later, he completed the rabbit. He took the image to Sam and waited for his boss’ response.
Sam stared at it a long time before laughing and saying, “This rabbit is out to lunch, you can go.”
Gao was confused, but since his boss has a bad temper, he didn’t dare say anything. After a while, Sam’s wife, Lily, swung by. Gao couldn’t help asking her about this. “Why did he say my rabbit was out to lunch?”
“Sam is the one out to lunch,” Lily said. “I like this design.”
Gao was even more puzzled.
Eventually, he worked up the nerve to approach his boss. “Are you out to lunch now?”
“Why? It’s just 10 o’clock, why would I have a lunch?” Sam said.
“I asked Lily why you said my rabbit is out to lunch just now. She said you are out to lunch, so now I’m confused.”
Sam laughed. “You misunderstood. Actually, ‘out to lunch’ means not completely there, so, crazy or mad. Lily said I was out to lunch because she really likes your design.
“But she probably misunderstood me. I was saying this rabbit of yours is crazy good.”
“So … you won’t fire me?” Gao asked.
“Not at the moment.”
Chinglish on the way
This column aims to identify Chinglish in public areas. If you see any Chinglish signs, please send a picture of it to lizhixin@ynet.com together with your name and address.
By Terry-Boyd Zhang
In my hometown, we find the police at the doughnut shop – this isn’t the beginning of an old joke you’ve heard before. There used to be two police vehicles. We would breeze through town, count cars – one at the stoplight, one at Tim Horton’s – then cruise off into the darkness, anticipating all sorts of wild and crazy things that teenagers with cars do. Surprisingly, most of us lived to tell about it.
In China, it is not very difficult to find the police. Beijing, for one, is a safe city, with police busily monitoring traffic and public safety on almost every corner. Sure, bad stuff still happens – a car accident here, a fire or a murder there – but it is promptly and efficiently dealt with. You would hardly know the thing even happened.
If you do have (you, the first character in the problematic line) trouble or difficulty (kunnan, the second and third characters) finding (zhao, the first character after the space) the police (jingcha, the last two characters) in Beijing, you could always try another city, such as Chengdu, Dalian, Guangzhou, Shanghai or Wenzhou. You could also try a more remote place, such as Guizhou, Tibet or Xinjiang. If you still have difficulty finding the police, I would think you are not trying hard enough. However, you should be able to find some soldiers, a special task force, a security guard or, at least, a grandma with a red arm band.
If, after all of your adventures around this great country, you truly still find it troublesome to find the police, I would suggest you fly to London. I hear they may have some police there but, unless your difficulty is extremely urgent, I believe they are currently busy with other matters.
Chinglish on the way
This column aims to identify Chinglish in public areas. If you see any Chinglish signs, please send a picture of it to lizhixin@ynet.com together with your name and address.
By Terry-Boyd Zhang
In my hometown, we find the police at the doughnut shop – this isn’t the beginning of an old joke you’ve heard before. There used to be two police vehicles. We would breeze through town, count cars – one at the stoplight, one at Tim Horton’s – then cruise off into the darkness, anticipating all sorts of wild and crazy things that teenagers with cars do. Surprisingly, most of us lived to tell about it.
In China, it is not very difficult to find the police. Beijing, for one, is a safe city, with police busily monitoring traffic and public safety on almost every corner. Sure, bad stuff still happens – a car accident here, a fire or a murder there – but it is promptly and efficiently dealt with. You would hardly know the thing even happened.
If you do have (you, the first character in the problematic line) trouble or difficulty (kunnan, the second and third characters) finding (zhao, the first character after the space) the police (jingcha, the last two characters) in Beijing, you could always try another city, such as Chengdu, Dalian, Guangzhou, Shanghai or Wenzhou. You could also try a more remote place, such as Guizhou, Tibet or Xinjiang. If you still have difficulty finding the police, I would think you are not trying hard enough. However, you should be able to find some soldiers, a special task force, a security guard or, at least, a grandma with a red arm band.
If, after all of your adventures around this great country, you truly still find it troublesome to find the police, I would suggest you fly to London. I hear they may have some police there but, unless your difficulty is extremely urgent, I believe they are currently busy with other matters.
Blacklist
This is a column of words or phrases commonly misused by Chinese speakers. If you’re planning to be an English teacher, reporter or employee of a multinational company, then watch out for this page each week
1. What prints are made tend to end up in the hands of careless collectors.
Professor Zhu Shida (ZSD): We have a noun clause here “What prints are made.” I recently had a heated discussion with one of my friends about the nature of such noun clauses. I argued that the noun clause with “what” invariably assumes a singular form. It cannot and should not be regarded as a plural. My friend disagrees. After a further study of the question, I was convinced that he was right. Such noun clauses may be regarded as a singular or plural. Both are right. For example, Who will be chosen to go remains (or remain) unknown yet. So, the sample is right in its own way: What prints are made tend (or tends) to end up in the hands of careless collectors.
Terry-Boyd Zhang (TBZ): However, I agree with Professor Zhu’s original idea. For example: Who will be chosen – as Miss World International – remains singular because there can only be one lovely lady crowned. Whereas if you want to put it in the plural, you need to make the agreement: Those who will be chosen as the 10 finalists of China’s Got Talent remain a mystery. (Those … remain a mystery – is the basic sentence.) It seems a bit awkward to me, so I would use the singular form in most cases.
2. They chose to tighten their belts and stay thrift.
ZSD: There is something wrong with the phrase “stay thrift.” We used to have the combination of “stay + adjective,” for instance, The defendants stayed silent when they were being accused of the crimes they had committed. The shipwreck stayed broken on the rock in the sea for months. Now, let us check the function of the word “thrift.” It is a noun. It is never an adjective. It should be “stay thrifty.” So, the combination of “stay + thrift” does not stand. It should be: They chose to tighten their belts and stay thrifty.
TBZ: In this case, in fact, there is a better word altogether. How about: They chose to tighten their belts and live frugally? In my mind, “thrift” has the idea of being “clever and resourceful in tough times” but “frugal” has more of a feeling of becoming a lifestyle (“staying”). However, “thrifty,” used as an adjective, is fine too.
3. Iaido has gained known in Beijing.
ZSD: This example has a similar grammatical nature with the previous one. We talked about the combination of “verb + adjective.” Such verbs are limited. They may include stay, remain, become, return, etc. It is not that all verbs can assume an adjective in a combination. Unfortunately, the verb “to gain” is one of these. I never see such a combination. I don’t think it is right to say so. We used to say: Streaking right behind the pacesetter’s neck, he was gradually gaining ground in the home stretch of the race. The car gained speed while it raced down the hill. So, we may say, Iaido has gained popularity in Beijing. But it is never “gained known.”
TBZ: We could also say: Beijingers gained knowledge about Iaido at the seminar given at the SportAccord Combat Games. We can say this a bit differently too: Iaido gained an international following.
This is a column of words or phrases commonly misused by Chinese speakers. If you’re planning to be an English teacher, reporter or employee of a multinational company, then watch out for this page each week
1. What prints are made tend to end up in the hands of careless collectors.
Professor Zhu Shida (ZSD): We have a noun clause here “What prints are made.” I recently had a heated discussion with one of my friends about the nature of such noun clauses. I argued that the noun clause with “what” invariably assumes a singular form. It cannot and should not be regarded as a plural. My friend disagrees. After a further study of the question, I was convinced that he was right. Such noun clauses may be regarded as a singular or plural. Both are right. For example, Who will be chosen to go remains (or remain) unknown yet. So, the sample is right in its own way: What prints are made tend (or tends) to end up in the hands of careless collectors.
Terry-Boyd Zhang (TBZ): However, I agree with Professor Zhu’s original idea. For example: Who will be chosen – as Miss World International – remains singular because there can only be one lovely lady crowned. Whereas if you want to put it in the plural, you need to make the agreement: Those who will be chosen as the 10 finalists of China’s Got Talent remain a mystery. (Those … remain a mystery – is the basic sentence.) It seems a bit awkward to me, so I would use the singular form in most cases.
2. They chose to tighten their belts and stay thrift.
ZSD: There is something wrong with the phrase “stay thrift.” We used to have the combination of “stay + adjective,” for instance, The defendants stayed silent when they were being accused of the crimes they had committed. The shipwreck stayed broken on the rock in the sea for months. Now, let us check the function of the word “thrift.” It is a noun. It is never an adjective. It should be “stay thrifty.” So, the combination of “stay + thrift” does not stand. It should be: They chose to tighten their belts and stay thrifty.
TBZ: In this case, in fact, there is a better word altogether. How about: They chose to tighten their belts and live frugally? In my mind, “thrift” has the idea of being “clever and resourceful in tough times” but “frugal” has more of a feeling of becoming a lifestyle (“staying”). However, “thrifty,” used as an adjective, is fine too.
3. Iaido has gained known in Beijing.
ZSD: This example has a similar grammatical nature with the previous one. We talked about the combination of “verb + adjective.” Such verbs are limited. They may include stay, remain, become, return, etc. It is not that all verbs can assume an adjective in a combination. Unfortunately, the verb “to gain” is one of these. I never see such a combination. I don’t think it is right to say so. We used to say: Streaking right behind the pacesetter’s neck, he was gradually gaining ground in the home stretch of the race. The car gained speed while it raced down the hill. So, we may say, Iaido has gained popularity in Beijing. But it is never “gained known.”
TBZ: We could also say: Beijingers gained knowledge about Iaido at the seminar given at the SportAccord Combat Games. We can say this a bit differently too: Iaido gained an international following.
Chinglish story
This column focuses on Chinglish mistakes in our daily life. If you have any experiences to share, send them to Li Zhixin at lizhixin@ynet.com.
By Wei Xi
Last Saturday, on Chinese Valentine’s Day – or Qixi – 35-year-old engineer Yang took his Australian girlfriend, Jessie, to a romantic hutong restaurant near Houhai with the intent of proposing to her.
Several days before, however, they had a fight.
The topic was relocation. Yang and Jessie met three years ago and eventually decided they would move to Australia together, but Yang has never been able to pick up English, no matter how hard Jessie tries to teach him.
Jessie has been pushing him harder recently as she prepares his documents to apply for an Australian visa.
The pressure from his girlfriend and from his work has caused Yang to freak out. One day after work, amid Jessie’s nagging to practice English, he blew up. “I’m not going to Australia!” he shouted.
Yang, valuing face, had yet to apologize.
It wasn’t until Friday, when a colleague reminded him that Qixi was the next day, that Yang decided to quit being so stubborn. He was going to do something special.
At the restaurant on Saturday, he looked at Jessie’s expressionless face and said, “I’m sorry, honey. I apologize for what I said the other day. I know you’ve pushed me for my own good and I realize what I said hurt you a lot.”
Jessie kept quiet and did not immediately respond.
But Yang knew how to please her.
“These days I have worked so hard on my English that I even prepared an English poem especially for you.”
Clearing his throat and taking out a draft, Yang began to read.
“O my love’s like a red, red rose, that’s newly sprung in June,” he said, taking out a batch of red roses and handing them to Jessie.
“O my love’s like the melody, that’s sweetly played in tune,” he continued, taking out a toy violin and pretending to play.
Then, Yang got up on his chair and intoned, “We met in early May, and that must be set by the old man under the moon.
“I do not want to be the bull man who has to wait to see the weaver girl only once a year. So Jessie, please marry with me and let’s go to Australia together!”
Jessie looked embarrassed. She whispered, realizing everyone was looking at them, “Hey, what are you doing? Get down from there.”
“No, I will not get down until you agree to marry me.”
“Yes. I said yes,” Jessie said shyly, letting Yang put a diamond ring on her finger.
When Jessie told me this story on Monday, I laughed. “He’s a romantic guy and worth getting married to,” I said.
“But who is the old man under the moon?” she asked.
“Well, the old man under the moon is a Chinese god who is in charge of the romance of men and women,” I said. “Every time the old man thinks a couple is suitable to be together, he ties the two with a red string. So, if we say a couple’s meeting was set by this old man, we mean they are destined to be together.”
“Got it. But who are the bull man and weaving girl?”
“Bull man?” I was confused at first. Then I realized the problem. “I think he means the cowherd and the weaver. In a Chinese fable, they were a couple separated by the goddess of heaven. They could only meet once a year, on the seventh evening of the seventh month on the Chinese lunar calendar – called Qixi.”
“That’s sad,” Jessie sad.
“Yes,” I agreed. “And that’s what he meant: he couldn’t bear to only see you once a year.”
Chinglish story
This column focuses on Chinglish mistakes in our daily life. If you have any experiences to share, send them to Li Zhixin at lizhixin@ynet.com.
By Wei Xi
Last Saturday, on Chinese Valentine’s Day – or Qixi – 35-year-old engineer Yang took his Australian girlfriend, Jessie, to a romantic hutong restaurant near Houhai with the intent of proposing to her.
Several days before, however, they had a fight.
The topic was relocation. Yang and Jessie met three years ago and eventually decided they would move to Australia together, but Yang has never been able to pick up English, no matter how hard Jessie tries to teach him.
Jessie has been pushing him harder recently as she prepares his documents to apply for an Australian visa.
The pressure from his girlfriend and from his work has caused Yang to freak out. One day after work, amid Jessie’s nagging to practice English, he blew up. “I’m not going to Australia!” he shouted.
Yang, valuing face, had yet to apologize.
It wasn’t until Friday, when a colleague reminded him that Qixi was the next day, that Yang decided to quit being so stubborn. He was going to do something special.
At the restaurant on Saturday, he looked at Jessie’s expressionless face and said, “I’m sorry, honey. I apologize for what I said the other day. I know you’ve pushed me for my own good and I realize what I said hurt you a lot.”
Jessie kept quiet and did not immediately respond.
But Yang knew how to please her.
“These days I have worked so hard on my English that I even prepared an English poem especially for you.”
Clearing his throat and taking out a draft, Yang began to read.
“O my love’s like a red, red rose, that’s newly sprung in June,” he said, taking out a batch of red roses and handing them to Jessie.
“O my love’s like the melody, that’s sweetly played in tune,” he continued, taking out a toy violin and pretending to play.
Then, Yang got up on his chair and intoned, “We met in early May, and that must be set by the old man under the moon.
“I do not want to be the bull man who has to wait to see the weaver girl only once a year. So Jessie, please marry with me and let’s go to Australia together!”
Jessie looked embarrassed. She whispered, realizing everyone was looking at them, “Hey, what are you doing? Get down from there.”
“No, I will not get down until you agree to marry me.”
“Yes. I said yes,” Jessie said shyly, letting Yang put a diamond ring on her finger.
When Jessie told me this story on Monday, I laughed. “He’s a romantic guy and worth getting married to,” I said.
“But who is the old man under the moon?” she asked.
“Well, the old man under the moon is a Chinese god who is in charge of the romance of men and women,” I said. “Every time the old man thinks a couple is suitable to be together, he ties the two with a red string. So, if we say a couple’s meeting was set by this old man, we mean they are destined to be together.”
“Got it. But who are the bull man and weaving girl?”
“Bull man?” I was confused at first. Then I realized the problem. “I think he means the cowherd and the weaver. In a Chinese fable, they were a couple separated by the goddess of heaven. They could only meet once a year, on the seventh evening of the seventh month on the Chinese lunar calendar – called Qixi.”
“That’s sad,” Jessie sad.
“Yes,” I agreed. “And that’s what he meant: he couldn’t bear to only see you once a year.”
Chinglish on the way
This column aims to identify Chinglish in public areas. If you see any Chinglish signs, please send a picture of it to lizhixin@ynet.com together with your name and address.
By Terry-Boyd Zhang
This translation seems to have been an amateur one that does not really say what it needs to say. I thought it was Google Translate, but it isn’t. If it was, it would be: “Please take care of you clothes get lipstick.” Huh?
Luckily for us, the characters are all fairly basic. The first character is qing (please), which we have seen before. Just a reminder that most Chinese characters are made up of two parts; the part on the right of “please” lends the character its pronunciation, but in itself actually means green or blue, like clear water in a Canadian mountain lake.
The second character is xiao (small) and the third is xin (heart). These together, xiaoxin, mean “careful.” You can say this before (or after) the friend you are walking with trips and falls into an uncovered manhole. The next two characters are yifu and mean “clothes.” So far not bad.
Here’s where it gets tricky. The next character is nong and means many things, such as “to use improperly.” However, I think in this case, it should simply be “make, get.” Flowers is the next character, hua. See the “grass” radical at the top, which is often found in characters relating to plants. Except hua can also mean “pattern” or, in this case, a “print, spot” – we will see why in a minute.
The fourth from last character is the polite form of “you” (nin, “you” at the top and “heart” at the bottom), and added with the next character (de), turns into a possessive – “your.” Finally, the last two characters are kou (“mouth”) and hong (“red”), which together mean “lipstick.”
In other words, ladies (and gents), when you try on clothes, be careful not to smear your lipstick on them.
Chinglish on the way
This column aims to identify Chinglish in public areas. If you see any Chinglish signs, please send a picture of it to lizhixin@ynet.com together with your name and address.
By Terry-Boyd Zhang
This translation seems to have been an amateur one that does not really say what it needs to say. I thought it was Google Translate, but it isn’t. If it was, it would be: “Please take care of you clothes get lipstick.” Huh?
Luckily for us, the characters are all fairly basic. The first character is qing (please), which we have seen before. Just a reminder that most Chinese characters are made up of two parts; the part on the right of “please” lends the character its pronunciation, but in itself actually means green or blue, like clear water in a Canadian mountain lake.
The second character is xiao (small) and the third is xin (heart). These together, xiaoxin, mean “careful.” You can say this before (or after) the friend you are walking with trips and falls into an uncovered manhole. The next two characters are yifu and mean “clothes.” So far not bad.
Here’s where it gets tricky. The next character is nong and means many things, such as “to use improperly.” However, I think in this case, it should simply be “make, get.” Flowers is the next character, hua. See the “grass” radical at the top, which is often found in characters relating to plants. Except hua can also mean “pattern” or, in this case, a “print, spot” – we will see why in a minute.
The fourth from last character is the polite form of “you” (nin, “you” at the top and “heart” at the bottom), and added with the next character (de), turns into a possessive – “your.” Finally, the last two characters are kou (“mouth”) and hong (“red”), which together mean “lipstick.”
In other words, ladies (and gents), when you try on clothes, be careful not to smear your lipstick on them.
Blacklist
This is a column of words or phrases commonly misused by Chinese speakers. If you’re planning to be an English teacher, reporter or employee of a multinational company, then watch out for this page each week
1. Get closer a hutong dream house.
Professor Zhu Shida (ZSD): When “to get” means to arrive at a place, it is an intransitive verb. You cannot say: He got Beijing yesterday. You have to say: He got to Beijing yesterday. In the case of “being close,” you cannot say: It is close a hutong dream house. You have to say: It is close to a hutong dream house. So, in both cases, you need to have the “to” to make it a perfect sentence. That is: Get closer to a hutong dream house.
Terry-Boyd Zhang (TBZ): In English, these little words, such as at, to, in, can only be learned through hours and hours of memorization. At least for most people, you need to put some effort into this. However, if you are reading, listening and speaking English, you will find that you will start to “feel” these words automatically, and it will take the pressure off strict memorization. Try watching movies and reading the subtitles. English doesn’t have to be all hard work!
2. A recent study finds that China ranked last with fewest paid vacation days.
ZSD: There is a problem with the consistency of tense. Since you say “a recent study” and you use the present tense for the main verb, why should you use the past tense in the clause? No reason. What’s more, China’s ranking is necessarily something studied recently. So, there is every reason to use the present tense too in the subordinate clause and it is wrong to use the past tense. So, the right way to say it is: A recent study finds that China ranks last with fewest paid vacation days.
TBZ: I agree, and I think that the Professor has explained it quite well. Because it is a recent study, probably the conditions studied (number of vacation days) is still continuing, so you should use the present. This is true in other cases, such as discussing a person’s philosophy (though the philosopher may or may not already be dead).
3. That’s why when 1.3 billion people go on holiday at the same time, most chose to stay with the family.
ZSD: This is another example of tense consistency: The verb “go on” is not consistent with the verb “chose.” As you are talking about a general rule, you use the present tense. So, the right way to say it should be: That’s why when 1.3 billion people go on holiday at the same time, most choose to stay with the family. When we are writing, we have to be very clear-headed about the matter of time and its sequence. So small a matter may spoil your essay.
TBZ: Definitely! You need to proofread carefully and make sure your verb tenses are in agreement. Note, though, that “in agreement” does not necessarily mean “the same.” Do some review on verbs and clauses to ensure accuracy!
4. The mud football world championship
ZSD: The other day I had an interesting discussion with one of my friends. I think it is wrong to say “world championship.” It should be “world championships.” He argued that both are right. As we know, “championship” means the position of the champion, first place. Championships is the games of a sport, for instance, the World Tennis Championships; you would never say, the World Tennis Championship. We say, He won the championship at the World Tennis Championships. Don’t get confused.
TBZ: Sorry! On this one I agree with the Professor’s friend. Perhaps it depends on the official name on the game (or games)? But I’m not sports-minded either – for instance, the winner of figure skating is often prearranged in advanced. (Just kidding.)
This is a column of words or phrases commonly misused by Chinese speakers. If you’re planning to be an English teacher, reporter or employee of a multinational company, then watch out for this page each week
1. Get closer a hutong dream house.
Professor Zhu Shida (ZSD): When “to get” means to arrive at a place, it is an intransitive verb. You cannot say: He got Beijing yesterday. You have to say: He got to Beijing yesterday. In the case of “being close,” you cannot say: It is close a hutong dream house. You have to say: It is close to a hutong dream house. So, in both cases, you need to have the “to” to make it a perfect sentence. That is: Get closer to a hutong dream house.
Terry-Boyd Zhang (TBZ): In English, these little words, such as at, to, in, can only be learned through hours and hours of memorization. At least for most people, you need to put some effort into this. However, if you are reading, listening and speaking English, you will find that you will start to “feel” these words automatically, and it will take the pressure off strict memorization. Try watching movies and reading the subtitles. English doesn’t have to be all hard work!
2. A recent study finds that China ranked last with fewest paid vacation days.
ZSD: There is a problem with the consistency of tense. Since you say “a recent study” and you use the present tense for the main verb, why should you use the past tense in the clause? No reason. What’s more, China’s ranking is necessarily something studied recently. So, there is every reason to use the present tense too in the subordinate clause and it is wrong to use the past tense. So, the right way to say it is: A recent study finds that China ranks last with fewest paid vacation days.
TBZ: I agree, and I think that the Professor has explained it quite well. Because it is a recent study, probably the conditions studied (number of vacation days) is still continuing, so you should use the present. This is true in other cases, such as discussing a person’s philosophy (though the philosopher may or may not already be dead).
3. That’s why when 1.3 billion people go on holiday at the same time, most chose to stay with the family.
ZSD: This is another example of tense consistency: The verb “go on” is not consistent with the verb “chose.” As you are talking about a general rule, you use the present tense. So, the right way to say it should be: That’s why when 1.3 billion people go on holiday at the same time, most choose to stay with the family. When we are writing, we have to be very clear-headed about the matter of time and its sequence. So small a matter may spoil your essay.
TBZ: Definitely! You need to proofread carefully and make sure your verb tenses are in agreement. Note, though, that “in agreement” does not necessarily mean “the same.” Do some review on verbs and clauses to ensure accuracy!
4. The mud football world championship
ZSD: The other day I had an interesting discussion with one of my friends. I think it is wrong to say “world championship.” It should be “world championships.” He argued that both are right. As we know, “championship” means the position of the champion, first place. Championships is the games of a sport, for instance, the World Tennis Championships; you would never say, the World Tennis Championship. We say, He won the championship at the World Tennis Championships. Don’t get confused.
TBZ: Sorry! On this one I agree with the Professor’s friend. Perhaps it depends on the official name on the game (or games)? But I’m not sports-minded either – for instance, the winner of figure skating is often prearranged in advanced. (Just kidding.)
Chinglish story
This column focuses on Chinglish mistakes in our daily life. If you have any experiences to share, send them to LI Zhixin at lizhixin@ynet.com.
By Han Manman
Chinese student Wu Zheng has studied journalism in an American college for nearly one year. Although he’s abroad, reading news on Chinese websites has become a daily routine for him.
On the morning of July 24, Wu was searching for news when a headline on Sina, one of the biggest portals in China, shocked him greatly – two high-speed trains crashed and led to dozens of people dead or injured.
Wu could not believe his eyes. In his mind, Chinese high-speed trains are safer and more reliable than airlines. “How did this happen?” he wondered.
As he Googled the details, his British roommate Richard was coming back from a basketball game.
“Hey, what’s happening? Why do you look so upset?” Richard asked.
“You know what? A very serious accident happened on my country’s new high speed railway. Many people died!” Wu said.
“So horrible! How many people died?” Richard asked.
Wu found it hard explain due to his poor English.
“The latest report said two bullet trains catch trail with each other in Wenzhou last night. But till now, no official has come out to clarify the reason behind the accident,” Wu said.
“What? Two trains catch trail with each other? What does that mean?”
A good idea suddenly came to Wu. He asked Richard to put his mobile phone on the table and said, “Your phone is one bullet train, my phone is another. Suddenly, your phone stops and my phone bangs into your phone,” Wu made a vivid metaphor, hoping Richard could understand him.
“I see! You mean a rear-end collision? A bullet train rear-ended the other train, right?” Richard said.
“Oh, rear-ended, I learned a new word. Can it be used in a car accident?” Wu asked.
“Of course. You can say, ‘My car was rear-ended by a truck,’” Richard said.
Richard told Wu that a word linked to rear-ended is “pileup,” but he said the word is always used to describe massive rear-ended accidents.
“For example, more than 100 cars and trucks are involved in a massive pileup on a highway as patches of dense fog obscured visibility on the heavily traveled roadway,” Richard said.
Chinglish story
This column focuses on Chinglish mistakes in our daily life. If you have any experiences to share, send them to LI Zhixin at lizhixin@ynet.com.
By Han Manman
Chinese student Wu Zheng has studied journalism in an American college for nearly one year. Although he’s abroad, reading news on Chinese websites has become a daily routine for him.
On the morning of July 24, Wu was searching for news when a headline on Sina, one of the biggest portals in China, shocked him greatly – two high-speed trains crashed and led to dozens of people dead or injured.
Wu could not believe his eyes. In his mind, Chinese high-speed trains are safer and more reliable than airlines. “How did this happen?” he wondered.
As he Googled the details, his British roommate Richard was coming back from a basketball game.
“Hey, what’s happening? Why do you look so upset?” Richard asked.
“You know what? A very serious accident happened on my country’s new high speed railway. Many people died!” Wu said.
“So horrible! How many people died?” Richard asked.
Wu found it hard explain due to his poor English.
“The latest report said two bullet trains catch trail with each other in Wenzhou last night. But till now, no official has come out to clarify the reason behind the accident,” Wu said.
“What? Two trains catch trail with each other? What does that mean?”
A good idea suddenly came to Wu. He asked Richard to put his mobile phone on the table and said, “Your phone is one bullet train, my phone is another. Suddenly, your phone stops and my phone bangs into your phone,” Wu made a vivid metaphor, hoping Richard could understand him.
“I see! You mean a rear-end collision? A bullet train rear-ended the other train, right?” Richard said.
“Oh, rear-ended, I learned a new word. Can it be used in a car accident?” Wu asked.
“Of course. You can say, ‘My car was rear-ended by a truck,’” Richard said.
Richard told Wu that a word linked to rear-ended is “pileup,” but he said the word is always used to describe massive rear-ended accidents.
“For example, more than 100 cars and trucks are involved in a massive pileup on a highway as patches of dense fog obscured visibility on the heavily traveled roadway,” Richard said.
