18:49 Apr 26, 2011 |
Chinese to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - History | |||||||
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| Selected response from: jarv95888 Local time: 16:43 | ||||||
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问渠那得清如许 if you wonder how it could be so clear Explanation: The referenced page translates it into modern Chinese as: 若要問這水為何能這樣清澈? The two problematic words were probably 渠 - third person singular pronoun (cf. Cantonese 佢) 哪 - typo for 那 Reference: http://ftp.nssh.tpc.edu.tw/china/chinese/06/%E8%A7%80%E6%9B%... |
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How can it be so clear and cool? Explanation: 这是诗歌翻译大师许渊冲先生对全诗的译文: There lies a glassy oblong pool, Where light and shade pursue their course. How can it be so clear and cool? For water fresh comes from its source. 《中国古诗精品三百首》,北京大学出版社 2004年出版 原诗: 半亩方塘一鉴开, 天光云影共徘徊。 问渠哪得清如许, 为有源头活水来。 Reference: http://wenku.baidu.com/view/3e23ed63caaedd3383c4d3a2.html |
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Asking how the water acquires its purity? The answer lies in the lively source of the springhead Explanation: Literal translation -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 9 hrs (2011-04-27 04:37:06 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- 渠 -1. third-person pronoun 2. 【說文】水所居也。即水流之体。 哪 - a question word in Simplified Chinese (not a typo, in spite of its being a borrowed character from an ancient character which has different meaning );哪得 means "how" or "how come." The allusion to these two lines serves to explain the cultural origin of the University in Shandong, the origin of ancient 齐鲁文化. So the metaphor is: 山东大学,学统纯正,源远流长,来自古老的齐鲁文化荟萃之地。 |
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I asked the water: How can you be so clear? It said: For running water comes from the fountainhead Explanation: All colleagues have correct answers. I only tried to mimic what seems to be the format of the stanza: - dialog. The "target term" line is not long enough for too many letters. Another attempt at mimicking the poem: "How can it be so crystal clear? Because there's running water from the very fountainhead. -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 day12 hrs (2011-04-28 07:04:05 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- Expert poetry translator Xu Wenyuan's translation is very good. |
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