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10Translation - Kineski pojednostavljeni-Engleski - 思念是一种病,入骨则死

Current statusTranslation
This text is available in the following languages: Kineski pojednostavljeniEngleski

Category Free writing

Title
思念是一种病,入骨则死
Text
Submitted by iove
Source language: Kineski pojednostavljeni

思念是一种病,入骨则死
Remarks about the translation
英国英语

Title
Nostalgia is a kind of illness: if it gets into your bones, you die
Translation
Engleski

Translated by IanMegill2
Target language: Engleski

Nostalgia is a kind of illness: if it gets into your bones, you die
Validated by kafetzou - 27 October 2007 03:01





Last messages

Author
Message

23 October 2007 09:18

pluiepoco
Number of messages: 1263
It is probably wrong, because the original text tells that:

Thinking (of some thing), not thinking as an action.
In Ian's translation, I as a Chinese will understand this way: 思考(而非思念)是种病...

I think there would be no suitable translation for this word, it is quite like a Portugese word in same meaning! What is it, Thatha?

but if so, can we choose memory, remember, missing, or even thinking of?

And otherwise, can we translate conversely,

Only forgetting/oblivion is a cure, or you will die. But I have to admit that it becomes worse. So we can add something in Ian's translation, like, Thinking of something...

23 October 2007 09:48

IanMegill2
Number of messages: 1671
Nostalgia is a kind of sickness...?

Are you thinking of "Saudades" as in this translation, pluiepoco?
I guess I misunderstood the 思念...

CC: pluiepoco

23 October 2007 09:47

pluiepoco
Number of messages: 1263
Yes, many people tried to translate the same Portugese word, and nostalgia is not the equivalent but as well.

23 October 2007 09:49

IanMegill2
Number of messages: 1671
Thanks, pluiepoco! I'll fix it!

CC: pluiepoco

25 October 2007 02:44

kafetzou
Number of messages: 7963
Assuming you fixed it, Ian, I've re-set the voting.

25 October 2007 02:56

IanMegill2
Number of messages: 1671
Thank you! Yes, I indeed fixed it, but I think Polar Bear voted against it, even in its new "Nostalgia..." form...
Didn't say why though...
This one got me good...

25 October 2007 13:46

IanMegill2
Number of messages: 1671
And now yinlei too...Hmm...
I wish they'd give me/us some feedback as to how they would have said it; anything is better than nothing...

The problem with this translation seems to be the meaning of the first two characters
思念
which tripped me up first, because in Japanese they just mean
thought/reflection/contemplation
whereas in Chinese there is a clear nuance of
nostagically thinking of something/someone
which is not there in the Japanese at all.
This difference was immediately pointed out to me by pluiepoco, and then I checked it in two major Chinese-Japanese dictionaries, which both underlined that difference in nuance.
(Wish I'd checked them first: I wouldn't have been kicked in the head by these "false friends" (like our English "agenda" and the French "agenda," which means "daytimer," etc.)
Anyway, so I wonder if other people are also being confused by this kind of ambiguity...Would be nice to know just what they were objecting to...

26 October 2007 00:20

kafetzou
Number of messages: 7963
Do you want to write to yinlei and ask him why he thinks the translation is wrong?

26 October 2007 02:40

IanMegill2
Number of messages: 1671
Message put in yinlei's Inbox, to ask him how he would have translated it!

26 October 2007 04:32

kafetzou
Number of messages: 7963
Now you've got Michel Lao to write to, too.

26 October 2007 06:45

IanMegill2
Number of messages: 1671
Well, I CC'd him the same thing I sent to yinlei, so I hope we'll get some kind of answer from them, sooner or later!
I'm in no hurry to get it validated anyway (except that it's probably a pain in the butt for you to keep having to come back to it...), so I'd like to hear what to hear what they have to say, if nothing else to make my comprehension of Chinese better!
A mediocre translator's work is never done...

26 October 2007 09:32

Michel Lao
Number of messages: 18
"if it gets into your bones, you will die"

is better I think

26 October 2007 23:52

IanMegill2
Number of messages: 1671
I see! Thanks, Michel!
If you reject a translation, could you always give an explanation why you rejected it, if you have the time? It would be very helpful for making each translation better!

CC: Michel Lao

27 October 2007 00:09

kafetzou
Number of messages: 7963
So, do you agree, Ian? Are you going to change it according to Michel Lao's suggestion?

27 October 2007 03:21

IanMegill2
Number of messages: 1671
No, I guess I'm half answering you and half Michel here I don't feel it's necessary here to limit the generality of the statement to a future-tense (or predictive-indicator) will here.
Chinese verbs don't have tenses when used by themselves, and this one is used by itself, so I wanted to keep the general feeling of the statement as an assertion of "What always happens when nostalgia gets into your bones." Perhaps Michel might see
you die
as un-tensed (or even grammatically wrong), but I think we native speakers would understand it as expressing a general principle that is universally true, and so more native speakers would choose the
you die
in this case, over the "clearer"
you will die
, I should think...
Sorry to give you more stuff to read!

27 October 2007 03:02

kafetzou
Number of messages: 7963
OK; I'm convinced.