Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
是Ａ，還Ｂ？
Chinese translation:
Two contradictory facts that lead one to wonder.
Added to glossary by
Roddy Stegemann
Apr 17, 2006 09:22
18 yrs ago
English term
United States
Search HKLNA!
Native in: English 
Works in: German to English, Japanese to English, French to English, and 3 more.
現在是Ａ，你還Ｂ？
Non-PRO
English to Chinese
Other
Education / Pedagogy
Grammatical Analysis
Sentence: 現在是日間，你還開電燈？怪不得每個月的電費那麼多。
Attempt One: There is still daylight and you have the light on? No wonder your monthly electricity bill is so high.
Attempt Two: It is now day, and you still have the light on?
Problem: Although this may not pose a problem for the native Chinese speaker, it definitely poses a problem for me the non-native speaker.
The grammar of the sentence, probably not the intended meaning of the author -- unless, of course, the listener rarely sleeps at night -- suggests that the listener has stayed up all night.
Which of the above two attempts best captures the probable meaning of the author and why?
http://homepage.mac.com/moogoonghwa/tsongkit/contents.html#p...
Attempt One: There is still daylight and you have the light on? No wonder your monthly electricity bill is so high.
Attempt Two: It is now day, and you still have the light on?
Problem: Although this may not pose a problem for the native Chinese speaker, it definitely poses a problem for me the non-native speaker.
The grammar of the sentence, probably not the intended meaning of the author -- unless, of course, the listener rarely sleeps at night -- suggests that the listener has stayed up all night.
Which of the above two attempts best captures the probable meaning of the author and why?
http://homepage.mac.com/moogoonghwa/tsongkit/contents.html#p...
Proposed translations
10 hrs
Selected
It's daytime and you have the light(s) on? No wonder your monthly electricity bill is so high.
It's daytime and you have the light(s) on? No wonder your monthly electricity bill is so high.
I'm not an expert in grammar in either language but grew up speaking both and this is how I'd say it.
This question simply states that at the time the question is asked it is daytime and the light is on. Whether the light has been on for a while or has just been turned on is irrelevant.
Hope this helps.
I'm not an expert in grammar in either language but grew up speaking both and this is how I'd say it.
This question simply states that at the time the question is asked it is daytime and the light is on. Whether the light has been on for a while or has just been turned on is irrelevant.
Hope this helps.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Revised sentence: It is daylight, and you are turning the lights on? No wonder your monthly electricity bill is so high.
Discussion:
That I may refer you to:
http://homepage.mac.com/moogoonghwa/tsongkit/part2/II-6b-g.html#s16
Acknowledgement: Thank you, Daniel Xie once again, but this time for your kind remark. As Alexander made no further reply, I can only thank him for his effort. I hope my own analysis has been useful to him.
Based upon the paucity of input from others and my own further thoughts on the matter, I must strongly support LizWong's interpretation of the Chinese, as well as her English rendering.
Thanks to everyone."
+1
23 mins
alexander choong
Malaysia
Malaysia
Native in English
&
Chinese
Malaysia
Trusted technical traslation Provider
Native in: Chinese , English
Works in: English to Chinese
English term (edited):
現在是日間，你還開電燈？怪不得每個月的電費那麼多。
It is now day, and you still have the light on?No wonder your monthly electricity bill is so high.
Absolutely attempt two because the sentence definitely is referring to what is the time now? daytime. and questioning so why are you still having the lights on or even better why are you still swithing on the lights.
Note from asker:
| You see, you are having the same trouble as I. You have rendered 運 as "still" exactly where 運 appears in the Chinese sentence. You cannot and have it mean what you would like it to say. The word still implies the continuance of a past action or state, which suggests that the lights were turned on before it became daylight. Consider, for example, the following sentence: "It is now past 6:30 PM, and you still have not eaten your dinner?" Here the word "still" implies that you should have eaten already before 6:30. If the sentence is to convey the meaning that you suggest, then it must be transplanted to the first part of the sentence to make it work in English. This suggests that either you or the author is wrong. Unfortunately, I do not know enough Chinese to know who is correct. |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Daniel Xie
: Hamo has done a great job here introducing Chinese to foreign friends.
1 hr
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