Answers in the Translation Examination in Shanghai

[Ian_Lee]

According to Korea's Central News, some participants gave very innovative answers to the Chenygu questions in the translation exam recently in Shanghai:

http://www.takungpao.com/news/06/11/24/ZM-655471.htm

(1) 富貴不能淫

Be rich，but not sexy

(2) 血肉長城

The long wall of blood and meat

(3) 人之初，性本善

Since the beginning of human beings，sex is always good

[Ner'zhul]

This is hilarious. The first one could also be "No need to masturbate while being rich".

[anonymoose]

Funny.

So what should the answers be?

[heifeng]

I think I must know the person who did #3, she translated every 性 she saw as sex....haha

人之初，性本善 is the first line of the 3 character classic, just search for the translation but memorize it (Chinese version, at least the first few lines) since it pops up often...

26.5 seconds of google searches found these for the other ones, which seem somewhat reasonable...

1) Neither riches nor honors can lead one astray/ uncorruptable. look here

2) According to my coworker (since yelling downstairs is quicker than searching the net these days) it is: 为了　抗战　或者　反抗　做出的大量的　牺牲就象用人组成的长城　不让别人　来侵犯 但是　一般说血肉长城　中国人首先会想到日本人！

...which makes sense why there is a movie called the fortress of flesh and blood 'bout the war...but i like the pure meat translation, seems even more graphic and raw...

[skylee]

This is hilarious. The first one could also be "No need to masturbate while being rich".

Just want to say that 淫 is not identical with 手淫. 淫 can mean excessive like in 淫雨, or corrupt, indecent, or a loose way of living.

[Quest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ner'zhul

This is hilarious. The first one could also be "No need to masturbate while being rich".

Just want to say that 淫 is not identical with 手淫. 淫 can mean excessive like in 淫雨, or corrupt, indecent, or a loose way of living.

And 不能 does not mean "no need".

[studentyoung]

So what should the answers be?

Here are the answers for your reference.

(1) 富貴不能淫

成语：富贵不能淫

拼音：fù guì bù néng yín

解释：

　　富贵：旧指有钱财、有地位；淫：迷惑。指意志不为金钱和地位所迷惑。

出处：

　　《孟子·滕文公下》：“富贵不能淫，贫贱不能移，威武不能屈，此之谓大丈夫。”

http://cache.baidu.com/c?word=%B8%BB%B9%F3%3B%B2%BB%C4%DC%3B%D2%F9&url=http%3A//www%2E5ilog%2Ecom/cgi%2Dbin/mz/chengyu/i%2Easpx/%B8%BB%B9%F3%B2%BB%C4%DC%D2%F9%2Ehtm&p=9133ce0f85cc42aa49bd9b780d5c81&user=baidu

富贵不能淫 means that you should not lose your sense while facing up to the temptation of fame and gain.

(2) 血肉長城

I would like to translate it as “the Great Wall of fresh and blood”. In fact, “血肉长城” means people’s fresh and blood make the strongest Great Wall to defend their own country.

(3) 人之初，性本善

Man's nature at birth is good.

http://dict.cn/search/?q=%C8%CB%D6%AE%B3%F5%2C%D0%D4%B1%BE%C9%C6&r=%C8%CB%D6%AE%B3%F5%D0%D4%B1%BE%C9%C6

Thanks!

[zhwj]

The original report is likely just retelling an urban legend - these jokes have been around for long time. See Sex is good, Chinglish distortions.

And the Korean report is at least a year old - here's the original translation in 环球时报 from late 2005. What possessed TKP to pick it up at such late date, and slap a 近日 on it, no less?