From time to time, I’ll get a scanned pdf/image of a document to translate, in order to translate quickly, I will often try to convert all the text contents to editable text or .doc, .docx formats. This helps a lot in researching the term, especially for Chinese to English, as […]
Monthly Archives: June 2017
Not sure if it is visible here but if you look at point 4, it said “gas permeable 透气”. Wonder what that means. This is a paint product so does that mean that whenever someone in my house farts, the paint will adsorb the smell, or “let it through” somehow? […]
PuHua Eco- Gas Permeable
I was reviewing classical chinese text and this phrase is very common. Again, it is challenging to keep the original rhythm but nonetheless here is my proposed English translation with the word “order”. Source: 修身、齐家、治国、平天下。 Translate: Discipline yourself to conduct your life orderly, so that you may then put your house in […]
Order and discipline – 修身、齐家、治国、平天下
More emerging terms that were popular among the Chinese Internet digerati in 2014. I added my comments and proposed translations. 且行且珍惜 As you journey through life, cherish what you have The above phrase was probably first quoted by Lin Yutang, a famous Chinese writer and later used in a Taiwanese […]
Emerging Terms 2
Some Chinese terms that emerged in 2014, still trending and my proposed translations. Note that many of these may have alternative meanings as the language evolves. 顶层设计 High-level design/Top tier design In its usual engineering concept, 《顶层设计》refers to a “top-tier design” but when transplanted to politics and economics in China, it […]
Emerging Terms
A lot of my work involves translating Chinese documents from China to English and many official documents refer to standards, rules, procedures or governance published by the different state agencies. I have compiled a list of these agencies and their English equivalents. Information is dated 23rd August 2015 and is […]
Chinese Government Organizations
If you are lost, like me, among the many levels the Chinese describe one’s educational level or “cultural level”, this list may be useful. Classification is based on this document, GB/T4658－1984《文化程度代码》, literally “Code for Different Cultural Levels”. Note: Some of these are my own proposed translations, they may not be correct […]
Education (Cultural) Levels in China
Did you know that the word “supersede” is the ONLY word in the entire English language that ends in -sede? There is truly no other word that supersedes “supersede” in its unique ending:)
supersede
天才与蠢才， 只差一个字。 How would you translate the above? 1. The genius and the fool, a word of difference. The first phrase is probably closer to 天才与傻瓜. 2. Brain vs brawn, a letter makes the difference. 3. The brainy and brainless, only the end differ. The third one is my favourite […]
A word of difference
This is yet another challenging Chinese phrase, often used in the Internet to describe a person’s style or persona. This is how Baidu Zhidao interpret this phrase(http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/222462624.html), that it is actually of two parts. The first half is “邪魅(xié mèi)”, which can be used to 1. describe someone who is […]