English Communication

janalbeckham

Originally posted by 小叮当 at 2007-1-23 12:26 AM:


As far as I know, there's just 圆明园 and 颐和园。 In English, one is called the Summer Palace (颐和园), and one is called the Old Summer Palace (圆明园). Most people like the former, but I li ...

Really?But what's the Winter palace?
As I know Winter palace =圆明园!
adam.....Have you even been 圆明园?
(Winter Palace or Old Summer Palace  )...whatever
How to get there?

小叮当

Originally posted by janalbeckham at 2007-1-23 01:41 AM:



Really?But what's the Winter palace?
As I know Winter palace =圆明园!
adam.....Have you even been 圆明园?
(Winter Palace or Old Summer Palace  )...whatever
How to get there?

Yes, I've been to 圆明园. If you take the bus, it isn't too far from 上地站, and I seem to remember there being a bus stop very close to the park gate. Next time you are at a bus stop, just ask one of the drivers. There is also a bus line called 颐和园, but I haven't been in Beijing for a few months now, so I've forgotten the numbers.

maggiexs

Quote:
Originally posted by 畅游梦想 at 2007-1-22 05:06 PM:
Don't you all feel like certain meanings can't be expressed in English?  

No, not really, but that is probably because I am used to speaking the language. Certain references to Chinese history, mythology or slang would be misunderstood in English, but the opposite is also true. I cannot say in Chinese "I'm caught between Scylla and Charybdis" because nobody will understand.
Anyway, what does 上火 mean? Are you trying to warn the person that the water is very hot? If so, just tell them to take care. If you are trying to tell them to boil the water before drinking it, then most Westerners would think that you are a little strange, so you probably shouldn't tell them anything.

haha ~~~adam, u misunderstood it totally~~ 上火 means someone feels a little sick.  Dry atmosphere, hard pressure of work etc. are all the reasons which can lead someone to feel uncomfortable. s/he may get a sore throat, feels drowsy and dizzy, has some pains and itching around eyes...u got it???

Could u tell me what does "I'm caught between Scylla and Charybdis"  mean??  i'm really full of curiosity.

maggiexs

Originally posted by 小叮当 at 2007-1-23 01:53 AM:
Yes, I've been to 圆明园. If you take the bus, it isn't too far from 上地站, and I seem to remember there being a bus stop very close to the park gate. Next time you are at a bus stop, just  ...

I've ever been to the summer palace. But it was many years ago when i was a child. I traveled to bj with my schoolmates and teachers. the summer palace is beautiful in my mind. i seated myself by the side of the lake and put my foot into the cool water. i felt so good. it was interesting that some carps were swimming around and kept kissing my foot...haha....
but i've never been to the old summer palace. maybe sometime in the near future i should visit there~~~~

畅游梦想

Originally posted by maggiexs at 2007-1-23 10:53 AM:

I've ever been to the summer palace. But it was many years ago when i was a child. I traveled to bj with my schoolmates and teachers. the summer palace is beautiful in my m ...

那鱼胆子真大！

maggiexs

Originally posted by 畅游梦想 at 2007-1-23 10:57 AM:

那鱼胆子真大！

many carps. haha... they liked me~~~maybe they got poor eyes and looked on my foot as some foods

畅游梦想

Originally posted by maggiexs at 2007-1-23 11:02 AM:


many carps. haha... they liked me~~~maybe they got poor eyes and looked on my foot as some foods

From the Face to the foot are lovable

小叮当

Originally posted by maggiexs at 2007-1-23 10:28 AM:
上火 means someone feels a little sick.  Dry atmosphere, hard pressure of work etc. are all the reasons which can lead someone to feel uncomfortable. s/he may get a sore throat, feels drowsy and dizzy, has some pains and itching around eyes...u got it???

Ohhh, I see, thanks. If you feel like saying something like that in English, just say "I feel a tad bit under the weather."

Could u tell me what does "I'm caught between Scylla and Charybdis"  mean??  i'm really full of curiosity.

It is from Homer (荷马史诗). In the ancient story, Odysseus must choose to sail his boat past either Scylla, who is a terrible monster that eats people, or Charybdis, who is a giant that swallows the ocean. Today, it means that your options are all bad, and therefore you can only choose the lesser evil.   

Many words like "Sisyphaen" and "Herculean" are derived from older names and tales. Unless you know the general story, they won't make much sense.

[ Last edited by 小叮当 on 2007-1-23 at 12:49 ]

zidon

呵呵，大家可以拿小叮当开练。

钚要徕伤硪

呀呀，你们怎么说讲上故事了￣！有点看不懂了￣