Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Chinese term or phrase:
你說奇怪不奇怪？
English translation:
Don't you find it odd?
Added to glossary by
Roddy Stegemann
Jun 6, 2006 09:38
18 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.
你說奇怪不奇怪？ (2/2)
Non-PRO
Chinese to English
Science
Education / Pedagogy
Grammatical Analysis
Sentence: 這個地方有幾千個學者，可是只有一個學校，你說奇怪不奇怪？
First Attempt: This place has several thousand faculty members, but only one school. Don't you find this unusual?
Question One: What is the meaning of 學者 in this context? Is it only the faculty or does it include both students and faculty?
Question Two:
i) Have I captured the meaning of the sentence part 「你說奇怪不奇怪？」correctly?
ii) Is it common to use this type of question format in the absence of a post-sentence particle？ For example, why not write 「你說奇怪不奇怪嗎？」or even 「你說奇怪不奇怪呀？」
As always you are invited to comment on other aspects of the translation where you find something to be in error.
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: This place has several thousand faculty members, but only one school. Don't you find this unusual?
Question One: What is the meaning of 學者 in this context? Is it only the faculty or does it include both students and faculty?
Question Two:
i) Have I captured the meaning of the sentence part 「你說奇怪不奇怪？」correctly?
ii) Is it common to use this type of question format in the absence of a post-sentence particle？ For example, why not write 「你說奇怪不奇怪嗎？」or even 「你說奇怪不奇怪呀？」
As always you are invited to comment on other aspects of the translation where you find something to be in error.
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)
| 5 | Don't you think that's odd? |
kawillia
|
Proposed translations
4 hrs
Selected
Don't you think that's odd?
In Chinese, it's common to ask a question by affirming and then immediately negating a verb or sometimes an adjective. It would litterally translate in English to "Do you or don't you _this_?" When the affirming/negating structure is used, 嗎 is almost NEVER used along with it.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Final rendering: This place has thousands of scholars, but only one school. Don't you find it odd?
Discussion: Please see http://homepage.mac.com/moogoonghwa/tsongkit/part2/II-8b-g.html#s19 for further discussion.
Acknowledgement: I am not sure why you chose the phrasing that you did, but I found your explanation to be very helpful and your rendering of 奇怪 most appropriate. It also corresponded well with yjuan_us's response. Thanks!
Best wishes from the land of no mountains surrounded by sea."
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