This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
electronic hijinks
拍案称奇！
Dec 3, 2004 13:44
19 yrs ago
1 viewer *
English term

若等闲？

English to Chinese Marketing Advertising / Public Relations Advertisement
在某家公司简体中文网页上看到这样的广告词语：
走向全球可谓难，ＸＸ助你若等闲。
在该公司繁体中文网页上同样广告词语的表达是：
全球有何困难？除非您找的不是ＸＸ！
该公司英文网页上同样广告词语的表达是：
Going global is tough. We make it easier.
该公司繁体中文网页上介绍自己的文字：ＸＸ，何方神圣？

我的问题是：这样的中文广告词语恰当吗？
敬请各位同人多多参加意见。
Proposed translations (Chinese)
4 FYI
4 ...help you gain your ends easily
4 TRY
4 走向全球艱難棘手，我們使來易如反掌。

Discussion

Non-ProZ.com Dec 3, 2004:
��Ǹ��, �ǂ���Ц�w��Ц, ��һ��Ҫ�� "����f", �ij� "����ȫ������ѣ��أ��������С�" Ҳ�S߀���׽��xЩ��
jyuan_us Dec 3, 2004:
˵��������ȫ�������������С�
Non-ProZ.com Dec 3, 2004:
�������_����ԓͨ���׶�, ���^�ǂ����ӵĆ��}��ֻ�@һ�c, �vʹ "����f" ������“�뵽 "���f֮݅", �����e����~��ԓ�ǣأع�˾, �@��˾Ҫ�������ȫ��, �������@���� "����f", ���ǿ͑� "����f"�����@�����Z�����Z����nͻ, Ҳ�ǽ����X����Y, θ���gʹ�ĵط�. �� "����f" ����~�ǿ͑�, �Ǿ͸�����Ԓ��, ����Ǿͷ�“�뵽 "���f֮݅" ����.
jyuan_us Dec 3, 2004:
Good point��Shang��
Shang Dec 3, 2004:
������f������һ����������뵽������֮���������������Ǻܶ��˲���ʶ���ʣ�ƽʱ���������š��������Ӧ��ͨ���׶���
Non-ProZ.com Dec 3, 2004:
I mean, we are not just doing translation - we are doing proper phrasing in Chinese, especially when it comes to advertisements.
Non-ProZ.com Dec 3, 2004:
To jyuan_us: I don't have problem with the English original. I do have a lot of problems to understand the Chinese "translation." It is not a correct Chinese sentence. If I didn't read the English original, I would get stuck at that ����f. The reasons have been discussed above. Remember, we are not just doing "translation" - we are doing proper phrasing in Chinese.
jyuan_us Dec 3, 2004:
Sorry Shang. �����ͥ�Ų���Ӧ��ûʲô�����
Non-ProZ.com Dec 3, 2004:
Sorry, I mean, the Chinese expression ����f would arouse some contractions in the potential customers' stomachs.
To Shang: Think of the expression ���f֮݅ and you see the implication (negative connotation) of ����. Besides, though we omit subjects in Chinese sentences, there is always a subject in a sentence. �أ��������� seems to have two subjects who do not stand on the same ground.
jyuan_us Dec 3, 2004:
Asker�� ���е㲻�⣬���������㿪�в��� making things easy for you ��ֱ��������������̫���ӣ� �ǵ������������֮��Ĵʲ����� �ǵ������������֮��Ĵʲ�����
�����ʦע�⣬�����ƽ���棬��֧��̫ٵ�׵�����ɡ�
Non-ProZ.com Dec 3, 2004:
To jyuan_us: Are you sure that ����f in the Chinese sentence means "making it a piece of cake for you," instead of "making you a piece of cake"?
Shang Dec 3, 2004:
������˼�����ôû�п���������������Ϊ�⹫˾���Լ�������е㲻�ű߼�ˡ�
Non-ProZ.com Dec 3, 2004:
To Mark: Thank you very much for the poem. In that case, the subject suits the predicate. There isn't any problem of bad taste. The person regards himself as nothing. That is why he can take the horrible death as something common and ordinary. But in the advertisement of the company mentioned, the Chinese expression ����f would arouse some contractions in the potential customers' stomach, IMO.
Non-ProZ.com Dec 3, 2004:
Shang's Chinese understanding is 100% correct.
To be exact, my question is: If the advertiser wants to say "we make it a piece of cake for you," why does the Chiense translation sound like "we make you feel kind of a stupid guy" or "we make you feel like a small potatoe"?
I am wondering how the potential Chinese customers would feel themselves like when reading such expressions as �أ��������� and �أأ��η���ʥ��
Shang Dec 3, 2004:
����f is an archaic word, meaning ordinary/common.
Non-ProZ.com Dec 3, 2004:
To Shang: It is indeed very awkward! Some one who does ��ͥ�Ų� doesn't necessarily �����. I would say, it's not just awkward - it is wrong - becaue ���� has a bad connotation, something like making the customers stupid.
Non-ProZ.com Dec 3, 2004:
To jyuan_us: Are you sure that ����� is the right expression for "making things easier for you"?
Non-ProZ.com Dec 3, 2004:
To Shang: Thank you for your prompt answer. But my question is something else. I was asking how could this Chinese phrase be proper to meet the ends? I know you are not ���f֮݅, but do you expect others to help you to become ����f?

Proposed translations

1 hr
English term (edited): �����
Selected

FYI

若等闲：好像很平常。

这种说法是存在的, 只是"ＸＸ助你若等闲"连用听起来怪怪的. 如果说"走向全球若等闲"就通顺了.

石灰吟

于谦

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



千锤万凿出深山，

烈火焚烧若等闲。

粉身碎骨浑不怕，

要留清白在人间。

　　[注释]

　　若等闲：好像很平常。

　 [简析]

　　这是一首托物言志诗。作者以石灰作比喻，表达自己为国尽忠，不怕牺牲的意愿和坚守高洁情操的决心。

　　作为咏物诗，若只是事物的机械实录而不寄寓作者的深意，那就没有多大价值。这首诗的价值就在于处处以石灰自喻，咏石灰即是咏自己磊落的襟怀和崇高的人格。

　　首句“千锤万凿出深山”是形容开采石灰石很不容易。次句“烈火焚烧若等闲”。“烈火焚烧”，当然是指烧炼石灰石。加“若等闲”三字，又使人感到不仅是在写烧炼石灰石，它似乎还象征着志士仁人无论面临着怎样严峻的考验，都从容不迫，视若等闲。第三句“粉身碎骨全不怕”。“粉身碎骨”极形象地写出将石灰石烧成石灰粉，而“全不怕”三字又使我们联想到其中可能寓有不怕牺牲的精神。至于最后一句“要留清白在人间”更是作者在直抒情怀，立志要做纯洁清白的人。
http://www.ywb.com.cn/gb/pupil/2002-08/15/content_5715.htm

Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "謝謝大家熱烈的討論。 這一題把分數給 Mark, 主要是由於他引用詩詞典故, 把 "若等閒" 的意思釐清。問題的那句話使用 "若等閒" 確實有相當嚴重的問題。如果非用 "等閒" 這樣的字詞不可的話, 我開個玩笑說： 走向全球可谓难，等闲ＸＸ來相助。"
15 mins
English term (edited): �����

...help you gain your ends easily

......

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 47 mins (2004-12-03 14:32:22 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

ＸＸ助你若等闲 sounds awkward. I think 若等闲 was created by the writer, and he/she want to express 犹如闲庭信步(stroll idly in the courtyard).
Something went wrong...
34 mins
English term (edited): �����

TRY

makes things easy for you

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 5 mins (2004-12-03 14:50:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I am quite sure 若等闲 =算不上什么= 小菜一碟 = A piece of cake。
来自毛诗 七律 长征。
毛诗 又参考过谁，那就别问我了。



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 7 mins (2004-12-03 14:51:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

若等闲 是与 可谓难对仗的。意思不久是正相反么？

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 9 mins (2004-12-03 14:54:21 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

you may want to Google \" 万水千山只等闲\". You will see the poem by our great leader Chairman Mao.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 25 mins (2004-12-03 15:10:15 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

若= 如 ，像，
等 means =
闲= 平常
像平常，不是 make things easy for you 吗？

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 30 mins (2004-12-03 15:14:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

等闲之辈 = 一般人= 淹到人群里就看不见的人= 一抓一大把的人= 。。。。。
但这个词组只有否定态，用否定句式表正面意思， 目的是赞誉，如\"并非等闲之辈\" = 不一般。

题外话了。


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 40 mins (2004-12-03 15:24:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Thanks to Mark, 老毛好像就是学于谦的。

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 45 mins (2004-12-03 15:29:30 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

红军不怕远征难，

万水千山只等闲。

五岭逶迤腾细浪，

乌蒙磅礴走泥丸。

金沙水拍云崖暖，

大渡桥横铁索寒。

更喜岷山千里雪，

三军过后尽开颜。



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 45 mins (2004-12-03 15:29:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://news.xinhuanet.com/ziliao/2003-09/02/content_1058368....

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 45 mins (2004-12-03 15:29:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://news.xinhuanet.com/ziliao/2003-09/02/content_1058368....

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 57 mins (2004-12-03 15:41:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

全球有何困难？除非您找的不是ＸＸ！这句话很绕。

让潜在的读者绕来绕去不明白。

须知，那年头闹夏时制， 很多同胞不知道那表向前还是向后拨一句锺。有话直说，非得绕，这就是广告创意得准则么？

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 59 mins (2004-12-03 15:43:38 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

ＸＸ，何方神圣，纯粹是抽疯。

我看这文案做得问题太大了，你给重做一套得了。

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 2 mins (2004-12-03 15:47:22 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

走向全球可谓难，ＸＸ助你若等闲。

也就这句有点匠心， 但是又太鸭子XX，一拽一拽的。那些私营企业家可能看不明白。想想看，像你这大师读起来都又障碍，你说那泥腿子农民企业家他能看懂？Jesus Christ！
Something went wrong...
3 hrs
English term (edited): �����

走向全球艱難棘手，我們使來易如反掌。

建議翻譯：走向全球艱難棘手，我們使來易如反掌。

我想我中文不太好，如果我看到一個「走向全球可谓难，ＸＸ助你若等闲」的廣告文案，我可能真的會杵在哪裡：「huh?」

因為不確定什麼是若等閑，所以很自然地就聯想到「等閒之輩」；我想這是百分之九十中文跟我一樣不好的 audience 會有的反應。如果想到等閒之輩，然後看到，什麼？你要「助我若等閑」？你要幫我變成泛泛之輩？

像這種容易引起誤會，太花俏艱深的詞，在廣告文案裡還是少用為妙。
Something went wrong...
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search