English Chinese translation: A Crossword Puzzle (Ⅰ)

As we know, successful transition between two languages calls for proficiency of both languages, while English Chinese translation is of no exception. To translate English to Chinese, it is quite necessary to grasp some native language elements of both English and Chinese, like idioms, phrases and proverbs etc. Here we will present a CROSSWORD puzzle for you to enjoy your English Chinese translation!




English Chinese translation Services: A Crossword Puzzle

 

Across
1. ___ before you leap (4 characters)
3. ___ speak louder than words (7)
8. Cutting ___ (7)
10. Water ___ the bridge (5)
11. ___ the knot (3)
12. United ___ (7)
14. ___ fracture (6)
15. Old ___ die hard (6)
19. ___ makes the heart grow fonder (7)
21. Apres- ___ (3)
22. Song and ___ (5)
24. The other man's grass is always ___ (7)
25. Safety- ___ box (7)
26. Hide and ___ (4)

Down
2. Finders ___ (7)
3. ___ without leave (6)
4. A breach of ___ (5)
5. As ___ as the hills (3)
6. It takes all ___ (5)
7. Behind the ___ (6)
9. Many happy ___ of the day (7)
13. A difference of ___ (7)
16. Questions and ___ (7)
17. Fair and ___ (6)
18. ___ - lifter (6)
19. ___ and abetted (5)
20. ___ must (5)
23. ___ it in the bud (3)

Please come to englishchinesetranslations.com for solution, enjoy translation from our interesting analysis!

Translate English to Chinese - International Famous Brand Name

For the international famous brands from different fields, Chinese citizens are familiar with the Chinese names, rather than their original English name. Generally speaking, in China, the brands that enjoy large market share tend to own its appropriate and successful Chinese names. For this reason, when translate English to Chinese, international corporations should be fully aware of the culture, language as well as consumers’ behaviors of their target market – China. English Chinese translation on international famous brands not only should respect for linguistic principles, but make utmost use of the Chinese consumption culture.

Take the example of the famous mobile phone maker “Nokia”, in fact, the brand was named after the town where the factory located in, and apparently, the name implies nothing special. But its Chinese name “诺基亚” seems to take the sense of high – tech, besides, literally we can get the meaning of “make promise to the Asia” .






Translate English to Chinese - International Famous Brand Name - BMW

     

Then let’s talk about Bayerische Motoren Werke, isn’t it strange at first glance? Well, read the capital of each words, yes, it is “BMW”. Due to length and complexity of its original German name, it is necessary to shorten and simplify the name for the purpose of marketing. Now in China, “BMW” is widely popular and becomes a symbol of success and status.

As we know, brand names for cosmetics are especially important, since consumption from women occupy a large portion of the whole consumption, besides, women are emotional and intuitional. For instance, a famous lipstick brand – KissMe, it is inappropriate to directly translate it into “吻我”, because Chinese people are implicit. Instead they feel comfortable with the name of “奇士美”, which implies the story between the hero and the beauty, for “奇士” sounds the same as “骑士”, the knights.




English Chinese translation -  Clean & Clear



 Another typical case is about the Japanese skin care brand – “Clean & Clear”, which means “干净清爽”. Apparently, it is not proper to take it as a Chinese brand name. However, “可伶可俐” fully deserves the perfect Chinese name of this brand, for not only it preserves the rhythm of original English, but it sounds clear and vital, echoing with its target consumers – modern young girls.

In any case, brand name is an indispensable factor that corporations should fully consider if they are eager to enter the market of China. As for English Chinese translators, a successful translation of brand name can largely promote the popularity of its products in China.

English Chinese translation on Politeness (Ⅱ)



Being Polite in a Chinese Way - English Chinese translation



As we all know, in English Chinese translation or vice versa, cultural elements are playing a rather important role. Without a complete understanding of the culture, some may feel really frustrated or even annoyed. For instance, the first time I go to work with a foreign friend, and on the way to the company, we encountered several “上班去啦 (shàng bān qù lā) – Go to work?”. Well, each time, my friend asked me what was just said, coz she was just learning Chinese and want to know everything others said in Chinese. So I need to translate English to Chinese repeatedly. Same thing happened on our way back home. “上班去啦” is replaced by “下班啦(xià bān lā) – Off work?” and “回来啦(huí lái lā) – Coming back?”. These conversations are repeated every day. Finally, my friend could not help to ask why all these useless talks. Well, she did not mean the bad side. She meant like it was so funny to say the obvious things again and again.

So, have you ever been confused or bothered by such social conventions in another country? I was very impressed by the English greeting of “How do you do”, coz our English teacher emphasized for several times that it was not a real question, just a way of greeting. But it still feels awkward to say it every time we meet others, especially when we have passed the initial phase of relationship. How should I explain the feeling? Maybe it feels not so intimate. It is too polite and makes me feel there is some gap/distance between people. As some may know the Chinese word “客气(kè qi) – polite, politeness, stand on ceremony”, it is good to be polite at a socializing occasion or the initial stage of acquaintance, but kind of insincere when the two parties are very familiar with each other. It will widen the distance between the two. A Chinese is highly possible to think this way when they are in this situation: Oh, I’m wrong. He is still using the socializing remarks to greet me. That means he does not regard me as a good friend.



English Chinese translation on politeness



That being said, “你好(nǐ hǎo)”, the Chinese equivalent of “How do you do” is not a good choice if you want to be solicitous or friendly. Instead, “起床啦(qǐ chuáng lā) – got up, 出门啦(chū mén lā) – going out, 上班啦(shàng bān lā) – go to work, 吃饭啦(chī fàn lā) – having your meal, 回来啦(huí lái lā) – coming back” are used as basic greetings or sometimes as conversation starters. With all these cultural background being explained in English Chinese translation or vice versa, the understanding of certain phenomena will be much easier to get.

Furthermore, with a full understanding of the cultural factors, people can avoid bad collision raised by misunderstanding. For example, one friend once complained about the Chinese ways of showing care. Say, when others slip or cause some other sort of accidents, Chinese will say “小心(xiǎo xīn) – be careful” to them. Even though we are showing care with good intention, but some may not take this. To them, it sounds like some sarcasm, saying that you should have been more careful. In such cases, it is very important to make clear the cultural elements when you translate English to Chinese or Chinese to English. Or people will take it wrong.

Cultural conflicts are always there. But as great translators, we should try our best to avoid it and make the cross-cultural communication goes smoothly. To translate English to Chinese in a natural way, translators need to clear off the cultural blocks in the way.

English Chinese translation on Politeness (Ⅰ)

In the process of English Chinese translation, inevitably, we will be confronted with collision of different politeness expressions between China and the English – spoken countries. It is well known that politeness is advocated by most of the counties, and it is quite essential to be aware that what you said is appropriate in the specific occasion. While to some extent, language is the reflection of “politeness” in human beings’ culture stream.




English Chinese translation - Politeness

 

China is a state of ceremonies (礼仪之邦lǐ yí zhī bāng), where politeness and formality are highly promoted. Since ancient times, China has produced a good many politeness words or expressions.

Take the example of salutation, in English capital “I” generally refer to the first person, while in Chinese, from ancient Chinese emperors’ “朕(zhèn)” “寡人(guǎ rén)” to ordinary people’s “臣(chén)” “下官(xià guān)” “小民(xiǎo mín)” “奴才(nú cái)”, from females’ “小女子(xiǎo nǚ zǐ)” “妾(qiè)” to males’ “小生(xiǎo shēng)” “晚生(wǎn shēng)” “敝人(bì rén)” etc. For the second person, “you” stands for all the Chinese expression of second person, such as “您(nín)”, ordinary people call the Emperor “陛下(bì xià)” “圣主(shèng zhǔ)”, actually in English the corresponding address is “You Majesty”.

In written form, we are familiar with the English letter starting from “Dear …”, it is not an indication of “love” if we try to translate it to Chinese as “亲爱的(qīn ài de)…”, rather it is an essential part of English letter format. While another English expression is related to “love”, that is “Dear John Letter” which means in Chinese “绝情信(jué qíng xìn)”, the letter written by girl to break up with her boyfriend. In this kind of letter, “Dear” is far from Chinese “亲爱的(qīn ài de)”.

Besides, at the ending part of letters, it will occurs with expression like “Your Sincerely…”, which is very similar with Chinese letter format with an ending “此致敬礼(cǐ zhì jìng lǐ)”.




Translate English to Chinese -  Dear John Letter

 

“Politeness” is an indispensable principle of language exchange. People who try to translate English to Chinese should bear in mind of this principle and make native and natural English Chinese translations to people.

Whether you are a language learner or the one who try to translate English to Chinese, it is quite important to stick to the principle of “Practice makes Perfect.” How about trying to practice more English Chinese translation or just learning from good translation cases?

Translate English to Chinese: Movie titles

Frankly speaking, I am a big fan of watching movies, from love films to detective ones, from comedy to sad ones, I am crazy about almost every genre of movies. Well, when I watch movies produced in English-spoken countries, I find at the first glimpse, what really appeals to me is the movie titles, not just the original titles, but their Chinese versions.

To my mind, it is of great importance to choose appropriate Chinese titles for English films with the purpose of successful promotion in China. As an English Chinese translator, he or she should well realize the importance of English movie titles translation, since a successful translation can be converted automatically to more commercial values.

In English Chinese translation, the principles of “faithfulness, expressiveness and elegance” are widely accepted by English Chinese translators in China. By observing the principles, they contribute to the successful spread of English movies in China.   Anyway, let’s enjoy the classical Chinese translation of English movie titles.





Translate English to Chinese - City of Angels

  

Literal translation - 直译(zhí yì):

Roman Holiday   - 《罗马假日》 - (luó mǎ jià rì)

The Lion King  - 《狮子王》 –(shīzi wáng)

City of Angles  -  《天使之城》- (tiān shǐ zhī chéng)

Brave Heart -     《勇敢的心》- (yǒng gǎn de xīn)

Brokeback Mountain - 《断背山》- (duàn bèi shān)

Transliteration –音译(yīn yì)

 

English Chinese translation - King Kong

Jane Eyre - 《简爱》- (jiǎn ài)

Romeo and Juliet 《罗密欧与朱丽叶》(luó mì ōu yǔ zhū lì yè)

King Kong  -  《金刚》- (jīn gāng)

Troy - 《特洛伊》- (tè luò yī)

Free Translation / Paraphrasing –意译(yì yì)



English Chinese translation Services - Home Alone



Seven - 《七宗罪》- (qī zōng zuì)

Gone with the Wind - 《乱世佳人》 - (luàn shì jiā rén)

Home Alone - 《小鬼当家》 - (xiǎo guǐ dāng jiā)

Pretty Woman - 《风月俏佳人》- (fēng yuè qiào jiā rén)

Waterloo Bridge  - 《魂断蓝桥》- (hún duàn lán qiáo)

Ghost - 《人鬼情未了》- (rén guǐ qíng wèi liǎo)

Safe House - 《藏身之所》- (cáng shēn zhī suǒ)

It Happened One Night - 《一夜风流》- (yī yè fēng liú)

Sister Act  - 《修女也疯狂》- (xiū nǚ yě fēng kuáng)

Mission Impossible - 《碟中谍》- (dié zhōng dié)

As we can see above, all the movies gained popularity over China. We can’t deny the wonderful plots and excellent directing techniques of the movies themselves, but what also can’t ignore are the catchy Chinese titles. In order to do this, it needs English Chinese translator to be familiar with the movie contents.

English Chinese translation of 'getting fired'

I came across the phrase “being fired” when I was translating some conversation this morning. And without any hesitation, I wrote the Chinese phrase “被炒了(bèi chǎo le)”. It just came to my mind very naturally. But when I offered that English Chinese translation to one of my foreign friends, her first question was “what did you mean by 被炒了(bèi chǎo le)”. According to the Chinese she learned, she cannot understand why a person can be stir-fried. That was when I awarded that I used a typical Chinese-style word.

 

English Chinese translation services sample - Getting Fired



So I explained the English Chinese translation to her. The Chinese equivalent for the verb “fire” is “解雇(jiě gù)”. “being fired” literally means “被解雇了(bèi jiě gù le)”, using the passive voice. As most non-native speakers would ask, what is exactly the link between “being fired” and “being stir-fried”? Well, the Chinese phrase “被炒了(bèi chǎo le)” is an abbreviation of “被炒鱿鱼了(bèi chǎo yóu yú le)”. 鱿鱼(yóu yú) is squid. As we know, when we fry the squid, the sliced fish will get rolled up into tubes while it is originally flat like a board. Of course, frying a squid did not have any implication of getting sacked.

In earlier times, most Chinese employees left their hometown to earn money. And when they got fired, they could do nothing but get packed and leave. They did not have much to pack at that time, just their bedrolls (bed sheets and quilts). With time passing by, Chinese people began to imply “getting fired” by using the phrase “卷铺盖(juǎn pū gài) - rolling up the bed sheets and quilts”. It was a metaphor.

Maybe Chinese people are always good at observing. So one day, some guy was frying the squid for his meal and found that the rolled-up squid looked very much like a rolled-up quilt. You know, he might have been sacked. Then he was thinking: “ha, we’re like fellow suffers, right, poor squid.” Now you see, “炒鱿鱼(chǎo yóu yú)” is like “卷铺盖”(juǎn pū gài). Therefore, if “卷铺盖”(juǎn pū gài) can be used as a metaphor for getting fired/sacked, then “炒鱿鱼(chǎo yóu yú)” can be another similar metaphor.



Getting Fired - translate English to Chinese



Anyway, English Chinese translators should always take the cultural elements into consideration when they translate English to Chinese. I did not think a lot when I translated the conversation. Since I’m a native Chinese speaker, I know the targeted Chinese readers will definitely know what I’m saying by using this phrase. Besides, this phrase is more native like. However, if a foreign translator is doing this, he may then choose the official phrase “被解雇了(bèi jiě gù le)”. Readers will still understand him. But in that conversational context, this seemed to be too serious and official. It feels kind of absurd.

I always feel that to translate English to Chinese is somehow easier than translating Chinese to English. Even though I completely understand the original text, I still cannot express that with native-like English, especially when English slangs are involved. I think there is no shortcut for solving this. Maybe the only way is to read more and talk more with native English speakers.

Sample English Chinese Translation Services - Anyway




English Chinese translation services and resources

 

I was recently focusing on English Chinese translation services, so I visited quite some of such forums with the intent of learning more about translation. Discussing translation with English Chinese translators from all over the world is helping me a lot. 

Anyway, when I communicated with guys at the forums, I found that they use the word “anyway” a lot. (See, I was also using it.) I was thus thinking of finding a Chinese equivalent for it. However, when I was summarizing the sample sentences, I found it was very difficult to find a similarly versatile word to translate it from English to Chinese. Given that, I think I have to translate it with different Chinese words in different contexts.

Let’s deal with it with some examples:

E.g. 1  I want to thank you for helping me, anyway.

        不管怎样(bù guǎn zěn yàng)，我还是想要谢谢你帮了我(wǒ hái shì xiǎng yào xiè xiè nǐ bāng le wǒ)。

The English Chinese translation literally means “Regardless of what happens, I still want to thank you for helping me.”

E.g. 2  I don’t believe him anyway.

         反正我是不相信他的(fǎn zhèng wǒ shì bù xiāng xìn tā de)。/我反正是不相信他的(wǒ fǎn zhèng shì bù xiāng xìn tā de)。

In this context, “反正” is the exact equivalent of “anyway”.

E.g. 3  Why are you doing this, anyway?

        你到底/究竟为什么要这么做(nǐ dào dǐ/ jiū jìng wèi shén me yào zhè me zuò)？

“到底”/”究竟” literally means “after all” in English.

E.g. 4  It may rain, but we shall go anyway.

        虽然可能会下雨(suī rán kě néng huì xià yǔ)，但是我们不论如何都要去的(dàn shì wǒ men bú lùn rú hé dōu yào qù de)。

“不论如何” or “无论如何” equals “no matter what happens”, “anyhow”, “in any case”.

E.g. 5  The “To:” field is empty. Send message anyway?

        收件人字段为空(shōu jiàn rén zì duàn wéi kōng)。仍然要发送信息吗(réng rán yào fā sòng xìn xī ma)？

E.g. 6  She threw the books in the box just anyway.

        她就把书随便往箱子里一扔了(tā jiù bǎ shū suí biàn wǎng xiāng zǐ lǐ yī rēng le)。

E.g. 7  It was you who broke it, so you should repair it anyway you can.

        是你弄坏的(shì nǐ nòng huài de)，所以你应该想尽一切办法修好它(suǒ yǐ nǐ yīng gāi xiǎng jìn yí qiè bàn fǎ xiū hǎo tā)。

In other cases, we may use “anyway” to indicate changing the topic (sometimes for ending the current topic, or just for returning to the previous topic). 

E.g. 8  Anyway, I finally reached there in time.

        总之，我及时赶到了那里(zǒng zhī, wǒ jí shí gǎn dào le nà li)。

“总之”, which means “in short”, is a high-frequency word of summarizing in Chinese. 

E.g. 9  I actually thought I have missed it. Anyway, I had a great time there.

        我以为我肯定错过了(wǒ yǐ wéi wǒ kěn dìng cuò guò le)。话说回来(huà shuō huí lái)，我在那里真的玩得很开心(wǒ zài nà li zhēn de wán dé hěn kāi xīn)。

“话说回来” literally means “bring the topic back”, “back to the previous topic”.

So as we can see, we have different Chinese phrases for the versatile English word “anyway”. However, when we translate English to Chinese, we are always intended to find an equivalent. But most of the time, both English and Chinese words have multiple meanings. This is when the context matters a lot. 

As an English Chinese translator, I always think that translation is kind of an activity involving lots of subjective factors. We get so many multiple-meaning words in our languages, so it depends when translating something, especially in transliteration.