Obama's "Yes we can" in Chinese

[Entropy_Rising]

There's a nice sticky I think in the grammar section of this message board that explores pretty well the differences between the three ways to say "can" in Chinese, that is, 可以，能，and 会.

I think one practical application of this kind of knowledge is to discuss what we think is the best way to translate Obama's popular catch phrase, "Yes we can." It's a slogan, so it's it's spoken, by itself, without explicitly stating what exactly it is that we can do (but there are implications from the context). So it's interesting if you're a translator making the decision, which of these Chinese characters best captures the spirit of what Obama is saying.

And I think this is an interesting discussion point because I've seen three versions of it by translations made by Chinese on Chinese websites.

On a youku video with subtitles I saw 是的，我们可以。

On a message board where an individual translated it him/herself, I saw, 是的，我们能。

On a translation on Sohu I saw 是的，我们能做到。

So I honestly believe this isn't something where people studying Chinese have to think it through but where native speakers of Chinese can clearly envision in their language what's being conveyed by the English. Obviosuly some Chinese feel different translations are better - unless I'm looking too much in it and 我们可以，我们能, and 我们能做到 mean exactly the same thing - but I'm sure there are some subtle differences. For example in English one could argue "yes we can" and "yes we can do it" are the same thing but it also can be argued that they are not.

What do you guys think?

[roddy]

I think I'm going to confuse things even more by throwing in another translation I've seen - 是的，我们做得到。

[HashiriKata]

I think I'm going to confuse things even more by throwing in another translation I've seen - 是的，我们做得到。

This will take the confusion up another step: 是的，我们能做得到。

Seriously, since "Yes we can" is used in the abstract, any translation mentioned so far should qualify (except perhaps the one I just mentioned, which may sound too colloquial). It's equally pointless to argue whether "yes we can" and "yes we can do it" are different or the same without the support of some concrete contexts in which the phrases may occur.

[skylee]

I suggest 成，咱們行 or even 成，咱行.

[889]

Some websites translate it as 我們一定行 Women yiding xing!, which seems to have the right touch for a slogan with those two rhyming characters.

[Lu]

是的，我们可以 sounds like 'sure, we're allowed' to me, not strong enough for what Obama means. 是的，我们做得到 or 是的，我们能做得到 is the best translation imo. Skylees suggestions are fun but not really fit for official translations.

[vampire]

我们一定行 sounds good~ very confident

[Luobot]

I took Obama's "can" to mean that we are not only capable of doing it, but that we in fact will do it, so my first post-US-presidential vote goes to the simple 会, which conveys "can" and "will." But if Obama doesn't live up to this promise, then the new slogan will be： 不是，他不会。

btw - the French now say: "Oui, nous pouvons!"

[cui ruide]

Yeah I've seen all the different translations, too. I've been wondering why we haven't seen "我们能做"..it seems simple and from what I've heard, I thought it was already a fixed expression. The English phrase "can do" is supposedly from that bit of Chinese?