Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Chinese term or phrase:
念完中學
English translation:
complete secondary school
Added to glossary by
Roddy Stegemann
Dec 16, 2006 11:01
17 yrs ago
Chinese term
United States
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Native in: English 
Works in: German to English, Japanese to English, French to English, and 3 more.
念完中學
Non-PRO
Chinese to English
Social Sciences
Linguistics
Grammatical Analysis
Sentence: 小李念完中學後，在旅行社做事，他的社交很忙，所以認識了不少各樣的人。
First Attempt: After completing secondary school Siu Li worked for a travel agency where she came to know many different people through lively social interaction.
Although I have probably and correctly understood the meaning of the phrase, 小李念完中學後, I am troubled by its grammar. Assuming that the characters 念完 hang together as a single verb phrase meaning to complete studies, and further assuming that the character 後 serves as an adverbial conjunction of time between the actions 念完 and 做事 （Ａ後，Ｂ）, then what is 中學?
In English one could say "complete one's secondary school studies", "complete one's studies at secondary school", or even "complete secondary school", but one would never say "complete one's studies secondary school".
Question One: Is 中學 treated as an accusative object here? If so, how do you explain the fact that one does not study secondary school; rather, one studies at a place called secondary school during a period of time for which secondary school is the name.
Question Two: If it is not the object of the verb phrase 念完, then what is it? (You may skip this question, if you have answered Yes to the first.)
Question Three: Please provide other, but different examples that might contrast a phrase like 念完中學 with other phrases such as 食完飯 and 看完書. These latter are grammatically sound and easy for me to understand in all the language that I known including Japanese that reverses the order.
Please see http://homepage.mac.com/moogoonghwa/tsongkit/contents.html#p... for further reference.
As always you are welcome to comment on other parts of the sentence, if you find them in error or would like to suggest an improvement.
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: After completing secondary school Siu Li worked for a travel agency where she came to know many different people through lively social interaction.
Although I have probably and correctly understood the meaning of the phrase, 小李念完中學後, I am troubled by its grammar. Assuming that the characters 念完 hang together as a single verb phrase meaning to complete studies, and further assuming that the character 後 serves as an adverbial conjunction of time between the actions 念完 and 做事 （Ａ後，Ｂ）, then what is 中學?
In English one could say "complete one's secondary school studies", "complete one's studies at secondary school", or even "complete secondary school", but one would never say "complete one's studies secondary school".
Question One: Is 中學 treated as an accusative object here? If so, how do you explain the fact that one does not study secondary school; rather, one studies at a place called secondary school during a period of time for which secondary school is the name.
Question Two: If it is not the object of the verb phrase 念完, then what is it? (You may skip this question, if you have answered Yes to the first.)
Question Three: Please provide other, but different examples that might contrast a phrase like 念完中學 with other phrases such as 食完飯 and 看完書. These latter are grammatically sound and easy for me to understand in all the language that I known including Japanese that reverses the order.
Please see http://homepage.mac.com/moogoonghwa/tsongkit/contents.html#p... for further reference.
As always you are welcome to comment on other parts of the sentence, if you find them in error or would like to suggest an improvement.
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 | 念完中學,compare with 读完大学 |
chica nueva
|
Proposed translations
18 hrs
chica nueva
Native in English
Works in field
http://youtube/iraVWQu3Zf8
Native in: English (Variants: British, New Zealand)
Works in: Chinese to English
Related KudoZ points
:
16
Selected
念完中學,compare with 读完大学
念 = attend school eg 他念过中学. He has been to middle school.
念书 = 1 read 2 study
(外研社:汉英词典)
[念 = 读 (现代汉语词典)
读 = attend school eg 读完大学 finish college
读书 = attend school
(外研社:汉英词典)]
1 I suspect there might be a historical connection between learning by rote and reading the Classics aloud with the old tutors, and today's 念书(= study) and '念'中学, (= a metonymy or transference).
2 There is a parallel perhaps between 读大学 and the British English 'reading the classics', 'reading history' at university (I suspect it is also in Britain and China a 'metonymic' usage with historical links to past academic traditions.)
念书 = 1 read 2 study
(外研社:汉英词典)
[念 = 读 (现代汉语词典)
读 = attend school eg 读完大学 finish college
读书 = attend school
(外研社:汉英词典)]
1 I suspect there might be a historical connection between learning by rote and reading the Classics aloud with the old tutors, and today's 念书(= study) and '念'中学, (= a metonymy or transference).
2 There is a parallel perhaps between 读大学 and the British English 'reading the classics', 'reading history' at university (I suspect it is also in Britain and China a 'metonymic' usage with historical links to past academic traditions.)
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Sentence: 香港的春天，常常下雨，雖然下得不大，但也要穿雨衣，雨鞋，很不方便。
First Attempt: Spring rains in Hong Kong are both frequent and light and necessitate the wearing of rain clothes and shoes. It is a nuisance.
Contrary to my usual grammatical precision I have take some liberty in order to preserve flow.
Question One: Is the phrase 雖然Ａ，但也Ｂa recognizable pattern that often repeats itself in Chinese? If so, please provide other examples.
Question Two: If you answered Yes to Question One is the character 也 necessary to complete the logic, or is it optional? In effect, could one not simply write 雖然Ａ，但Ｂand deliver essentially the same meaning? I am not sure that I agree with his notion of transference in this context, but lacking in knowledge sufficient to grade on this point I will award full credit.
Please see http://homepage.mac.com/moogoonghwa/tsongkit/contents.html#part3 for further reference.
As always you are welcome to comment on other parts of the sentence, if you find them in error or would like to suggest an improvement.
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."
Discussion
Acknowledgment: My thanks to Lesley for his quality entry. I well appreciated his explanation with regard to the use of a metonym and parallel examples.
The absence of confirmation did not deter me from responding sooner, and I apologize for the delay for reasons that would be inappropriate in this forum. Maybe people are travelling, because of the holiday season.
Discussion: Please see http://homepage.mac.com/moogoonghwa/tsongkit/part3/III-4-g.h... for further discussion regarding the context of this question.
My very best from the land of no mountains surrounded by sea on many sides.