Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Chinese term or phrase:
這種說法
English translation:
this sort of expression (or statement)
Added to glossary by
Roddy Stegemann
May 21, 2006 08:16
18 yrs ago
Chinese term
United States
Search HKLNA!
Native in: English 
Works in: German to English, Japanese to English, French to English, and 3 more.
這種說法
Non-PRO
Chinese to English
Science
Education / Pedagogy
Grammatical Analysis
Sentence: 「民主國家的國民，都是國家的主人。」這種說法對不對？」
First Attempt: Is the expression, "In a democracy the people rule", a correct statement?
Question One: I have take enormous liberty in my translation of this sentence, and would like your opinion on the entire rendering.
Question Two: Despite what I believe to be good understanding of the author's intended meaning, I am disturbed about how to render the phrase 這種說法. Certainly this is an example of where 說法 can mean expression, but 這種? The question "Does this sort of expression ... ?" hardly seems appropriate here. What is going on?
http://homepage.mac.com/moogoonghwa/tsongkit/contents.html#p...
First Attempt: Is the expression, "In a democracy the people rule", a correct statement?
Question One: I have take enormous liberty in my translation of this sentence, and would like your opinion on the entire rendering.
Question Two: Despite what I believe to be good understanding of the author's intended meaning, I am disturbed about how to render the phrase 這種說法. Certainly this is an example of where 說法 can mean expression, but 這種? The question "Does this sort of expression ... ?" hardly seems appropriate here. What is going on?
http://homepage.mac.com/moogoonghwa/tsongkit/contents.html#p...
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +2 | expression / statement |
Wenjer Leuschel (X)
|
Proposed translations
+2
3 hrs
Selected
expression / statement
As I answered your question concerning 說法 some weeks ago, I explained that it is anything "said", "expressed" or "stated."
Literally, 說法 means "the way be said." It can be an opinion or simply a statement or just an utterance. To be exact, 胡說 is also a 說法.
So, it does'nt have to mean anything serious and it wasn't originated from Chinese translation of Buddhist Sutras. It has been just a simple "expression" all the time.
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Note added at 1 day4 hrs (2006-05-22 12:43:56 GMT)
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Are the expressions, "The is not the concern of my two questions" and "Please reexamine them and try again", to mean anything serious?
No, I don't think so.
Is the saying, "In a democracy the people rule", a correct statement?
Well, I would say, yes!
To your question 1: No problem. You are not taking too much liberty in rendering the Chinese sentence. Every native speaker would understand correctly.
To your question 2: It doesn't disturb any native speaker, if you translate "這種說法" differently in different contexts to make the right sense.
Literally, 說法 means "the way be said." It can be an opinion or simply a statement or just an utterance. To be exact, 胡說 is also a 說法.
So, it does'nt have to mean anything serious and it wasn't originated from Chinese translation of Buddhist Sutras. It has been just a simple "expression" all the time.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day4 hrs (2006-05-22 12:43:56 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Are the expressions, "The is not the concern of my two questions" and "Please reexamine them and try again", to mean anything serious?
No, I don't think so.
Is the saying, "In a democracy the people rule", a correct statement?
Well, I would say, yes!
To your question 1: No problem. You are not taking too much liberty in rendering the Chinese sentence. Every native speaker would understand correctly.
To your question 2: It doesn't disturb any native speaker, if you translate "這種說法" differently in different contexts to make the right sense.
Note from asker:
| Wenjer, please look at my translation, for there I have already acknowledge your interpretation of 這法. This is not the concern of my two questions. Please reexamine them and try again! |
2 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Final rendering: Is the expression, "In a democracy the people rule", a correct statement?
Discussion: Please see: http://homepage.mac.com/moogoonghwa/tsongkit/part2/II-8-g.html#s5
Acknowledgement: Thank you Wenjer for your additional comments, but I fear that you still have not grasped the nature of my question. Perhaps I could have been more clear. In any case, please see the aforementioned discussion, and let me know in email, if you disapprove, and I will change it.
Also, thanks go to WY876 for his confirmation. It appears in the end that I was able to grasp the author's meaning -- an awkward, but perhaps very real question coming from a Hong Konger."
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