difference between mainland and US Cantonese and Manadrin

Chinese translation: FYI

10:31 Apr 27, 2012

English to Chinese translations [PRO]
Marketing - Medical (general) / website on telemedicine

English term or phrase: difference between mainland and US Cantonese and Manadrin

We got an assignment to translate webpages about telemedicine for the US based Chinese community.
Does anybody know if mainland Cantonese and Mandarin translations will need to be localised/adapted to the special usage of the Chinese living in the US?

Suzanna Ellmann KudoZ activity Questions: 3 (1 open) (1 without valid answers) Answers: 0
Local time: 21:36

Chinese translation:FYI

Explanation:
You might need to find out whether they need Simplified or Traditional Chinese. Because mainland China uses Simplified writings, Hong Kong and Taiwan use Traditional writings. Mandarin Chinese is the national language. Cantonese is a dialect mostly used in the southern parts of China, especially Hong Kong, Macau, and Guangzhou, but it is one of the most popular dialects among oversea Chinese.

Selected response from:

wenkost
United States

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Thank you for your answer.

4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +2

FYI

wenkost

4 +1

No such thing as U.S. Chinese/Cantonese in the sense of wiss German

Francis Fine

Discussion entries: 2

Answers

25 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

difference between mainland and us cantonese and manadrin

FYI

wenkost
United States
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Chinese
PRO pts in category: 16

Grading comment

Thank you for your answer.

2 days 15 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

difference between mainland and us cantonese and manadrin No such thing as U.S. Chinese/Cantonese in the sense of wiss German

Explanation:
There is no U.S. Cantonese and Mandarin in the sense of Swiss German, American English or Pidgin English. Even "Cantonese and/or Mandarin Chinese used in the U.S." is not an established term. I can only say that when translating from a foreign language into Chinese -- (actually in writing, there is not much difference between Cantonese and Mandarin, but in spoken Chinese, a great deal, between the southern Chinese dialect of Cantonese and Mandarin which is used in a much larger area by probably a majority of the Han Chinese) -- for use in the United States, it might be more important to find out who the audience, or readership will be. For instance, (1) young and new students /academics or new immigrants from China north of Canton -- simplified Chinese and mandarin; (2) old immigrants from southern China, middle aged or older workers in academic fields -- traditional Chinese and mandarin. etc.

Francis Fine
United States
Local time: 12:36
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Chinese,

English
PRO pts in category: 4

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Chinese translation: FYI

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