| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | What are your views on this quotation? Thread poster: Rosina Peixoto
|
|---|
Wenjer Leuschel wrote: They tell also pretty often a Chinese tale! "Cuento chino" as they call it in Spanish. Anne Koth wrote: The game is called 'Chinese whispers' 
I find a bit intriguing that in both expressions the Chinese are involved...
It would be interesting (from a linguistic point of view) to find out why both these expressions include the adjective Chinese.
Enjoy the weekend,
Ivette
| | | | Rosina Peixoto 
Uruguay
Local time: 16:38
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Chinese tales/Chinese whispers | May 31, 2008 |
The game that you call "Chinese whispers" is called "Teléfono descompuesto" in Spanish (a kind of faulty/broken telephone), at least in this area.
We use the expression: "cuento chino" when we don´t believe what the other person is saying, something like a "blatant lie": tremenda mentira/falsedad absoluta.
Many thanks for your feedback.
Cheers!
Rosina
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 21:38
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
| Or, German whispers | May 31, 2008 |
Anne Koth wrote: The game is called 'Chinese whispers'
In China they call it "German whispers". (joke, sorry)
Here's what Wikipedia says:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Whisper
Chinese whispers, Russian Scandal or Telephone ... has many other names, including the telephone game, Broken Telephone, operator, grapevine, whisper down the lane and Pass It Down. In the United States, "Telephone" is the most common name for the game. The name "Chinese whispers" ... is little-used in the United States and may be considered offensive. However, it remains the common British name for the game.
| | | | Anne Brackenborough (X)
Germany
Local time: 21:38
German to English
| Chinese is all Greek to us | May 31, 2008 |
ICL wrote: It would be interesting (from a linguistic point of view) to find out why both these expressions include the adjective Chinese.
Simply as Chinese is seen as hard to understand, like the whispers. In French it's 'téléphone arabe', presumably for the same reason - don't know if that is now also considered un-PC, though. (I wasn't sure about using 'Chinese whispers' in my post above Ivette's on an international forum, but don't know any other name for the game in BE.)
English has several expressions connected to things being hard to understand, involving various languages: double Dutch, it's all Greek to me - and that despite the fact that we are known for being so good at languages ... But Chinese seems a popular choice in phrases about incomprehensible languages: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_to_me
| | |
|
|
|
| Un-PC expressions | May 31, 2008 |
Anne Koth wrote:
Simply as Chinese is seen as hard to understand, like the whispers. In French it's 'téléphone arabe', presumably for the same reason - don't know if that is now also considered un-PC, though.
All languages probably have a number of expressions in which other countries (or their languages) are mentioned that are un-PC as well, as Samuel joked.
But it seems the game I described is definitely universal, no matter what the name we use for it.
Sorry Rosina for diverging a bit from your initial question.
Hope your weekend is going well
(heavy rain here where I am writing from...)
| | | | Rosina Peixoto
Uruguay
Local time: 16:38
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | The climate here, down south... | May 31, 2008 |
has changed. We used to have very cold winters (not as cold as in the northern hemispehere) and very hot summers. Now the climate is more temperate, we have mild weather even though it is very cold today (4ºC in the morning, 12ºC in the afternoon).
Have a nice week-end too!
Hope your weekend is going well
(heavy rain here where I am writing from...)
| | | | Wenjer Leuschel (X)
Taiwan
Local time: 03:38
English to Chinese
+ ...
| Yeah, Rosina, it is the usage I learned. | Jun 16, 2008 |
Rosina Peixoto wrote:
We use the expression: "cuento chino" when we don´t believe what the other person is saying, something like a "blatant lie": tremenda mentira/falsedad absoluta.
However, I have also noticed that the one who tells a "cuento chino" to another doesn't fear being exposed at all. He who dares to tell a cuento chino is usually in a better power position than the other(s) and doesn't care at all whether the other(s) believe it or not.
Usually, the ones who suppress minorities tell others that the latter did something wrong and they are not suppress but punished. They are even capable of making the minorities to admit alleged wrongdoings which they didn't do. Such lies are typical "cuentos chinos," I would say.
Have a nice week!
- Wenjer
| | | |
According to this quotation, can I comprehend in this way: not only the language but also the other communications like eye contact are translation. So there is no differences between conmmunication and translation?!
| | |
|
|
|
Rosina Peixoto
Uruguay
Local time: 16:38
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | The eyes are the windows to the soul. | Jun 21, 2008 |
Benji145 wrote:
According to this quotation, can I comprehend in this way: not only the language but also the other communications like eye contact are translation. So there is no differences between conmmunication and translation?!
Hi Benji,
The quotation starts with "In a sense". We know that the noun" translation" has many meanings:
1. translation - a written communication in a second language having the same meaning as the written communication in a first language
2. translation - a uniform movement without rotation
3. translation - the act of changing in form or shape or appearance; "a photograph is a translation of a scene onto a two-dimensional surface"
4. translation - (mathematics) a transformation in which the origin of the coordinate system is moved to another position but the direction of each axis remains the same
5. translation - (genetics) the process whereby genetic information coded in messenger RNA directs the formation of a specific protein at a ribosome in the cytoplasm
6. translation - rewording something in less technical terminology
7. translation - the act of uniform movement
interpretation, version, rendering, gloss, rendition, decoding, transcription, paraphrase, transliteration
conversion, change, transformation, alteration, metamorphosis, transfiguration, transmutation
Our emotions, our feelings are revealed through the light in our eyes, that is what the proverb:"The eyes are the windows to the soul" means.
But today in the 21st century, scientists are carrying out research on the fact that our eyes can blink out much more than subtle, visual nuances related to matters of the heart.
The eyes can reveal whole reams of telling medical data: data that's essential both in public health at home and for soldiers in the war zone.
The eyes also play an important part during R.E.M. sleep. "In a sense they "translate" what the neurons want to do/say and develop or consolidate three kinds of memory (procedural, spatial and declarative).
To cut a long story short, eye contact is a form of non-verbal communication which "translates" social and emotional information. That is the way I see it.
Cheers,
Rosina
| | | | | Pages in topic: < [1 2] | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » What are your views on this quotation? | Anycount & Translation Office 3000 | Translation Office 3000
Translation Office 3000 is an advanced accounting tool for freelance translators and small agencies. TO3000 easily and seamlessly integrates with the business life of professional freelance translators.
More info » |
| | Trados Studio 2022 Freelance | The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.
Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop
and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
