Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Chinese term or phrase:
這些東西
English translation:
these few (items, articles, things)
Added to glossary by
Roddy Stegemann
May 27, 2006 11:57
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.
這些東西 (2/3)
Non-PRO
Chinese to English
Science
Education / Pedagogy
Grammatical Analysis
Sentence: 請你把這些東西包起來，送到黃先生的家裏去，可以嗎？
First Attempt: Excuse me, please! Could you wrap these few things and send them to Mr. Wong's home?
Question One: As it is awkward to ask someone, if they are both able and willing to do something in the same breath, I am concerned about the phrasing 請你Ａ，可以嗎？Have I captured the sense adequately?
Question Two: Does the phrasing 這些東西 mean "these few things"?
Question Three: Does 家裏 mean home?
As always you are welcome to comment on other parts of the sentence.
http://homepage.mac.com/moogoonghwa/tsongkit/contents.html#p...
Warning: In order to provide ProZ.com users with the best glossary entries possible, more than one question for the same entry will be asked from time to time. Please keep in mind when responding that you will be graded on your responses to ALL questions asked.
First Attempt: Excuse me, please! Could you wrap these few things and send them to Mr. Wong's home?
Question One: As it is awkward to ask someone, if they are both able and willing to do something in the same breath, I am concerned about the phrasing 請你Ａ，可以嗎？Have I captured the sense adequately?
Question Two: Does the phrasing 這些東西 mean "these few things"?
Question Three: Does 家裏 mean home?
As always you are welcome to comment on other parts of the sentence.
http://homepage.mac.com/moogoonghwa/tsongkit/contents.html#p...
Warning: In order to provide ProZ.com users with the best glossary entries possible, more than one question for the same entry will be asked from time to time. Please keep in mind when responding that you will be graded on your responses to ALL questions asked.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +2 | these items |
wherestip
|
Proposed translations
+2
1 hr
Selected
these items
Yes, you're correct.
It means these few things, these several articles
It means these few things, these several articles
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Final rendering: Excuse me, please. Could you wrap these few things and send them to Mr. Wong's home?
Discussion: Please see http://homepage.mac.com/moogoonghwa/tsongkit/part2/II-8b-g.html#s12 for further discussion.
The words few and several pretty much mean the same in English, perhaps several sometimes meaning more than few. What would have been a more interesting comment is whether the character 些 can be used for both countable and uncountable nouns.
Acknowledgement: My thanks to wherestip, Joyce Curran, and chinesetrans for their useful agreement.
Best wishes from the land of no mountains."
Discussion