I need help with translation exercises.

[xerenius]

I found some supplementary translation exercises available online for the textbook (Integrated Chinese level 2) that I am using to teach myself. Could anyone check my work for me? Thanks a lot.

Lesson 1:

1) –My mother said: “When away from home you should depend on friends.”

–I think that what your mother said isn’t necessarily reasonable.

我妈妈 说，出门 的时候，你 应该靠 朋友。

我 想你妈妈 说的 不 见得有 道理。

2) I don’t want to live off campus, because going to school isn’t convenient. Besides, all of my friends live on campus!

我 不想住 再 学外，因为去 上 课 不方便。再说， 我朋友都住在 学内。

3) –I feel that riding in an airplane is safer than riding in a car.

–But it’s too expensive!

我 觉得坐 飞机去比 坐汽车 去 安全。

可是，太贵了。

4) I was born in China and grew up in America. Besides Chinese and English, I also know Japanese.

我是在中国出生的，在 美国长大的。除了中文和英文 以外，我也知道日文。

5) I was born and raised in America. Besides English, I don’t know any other languages.

我是在美国出生，长大的。除 了英文 以外，我 不 知道 别的语言。

6) –Reading the text every day is good for learning Chinese.

–What you say is sensible. Are you a new student?

–No, I’m a second-year student.

每天 念课文 对学汉语 友 好处。

你 说得很有道理。你是新生吗？

不是，我是二年 级的学生。

[Guest Yau]

if not talking about the style, the translation is really well done.

1. 我 不想住 再 学外，因为去 上 课 不方便。再说， 我朋友都住在 学内。

我不想住在學校外........... 我朋友都住在學校。

2. 我是在中国出生的，在 美国长大的。除了中文和英文 以外，我也知道日文。

我也懂日文.

chinese never say they know a language, they say "understand".

3. 每天 念课文 对学汉语 友 好处。

對學漢語有好處. (We call this mistake 錯別字. It means you incorrectly use the wrong character [友 vs 有 ] which sounds the same as the right one)

[xerenius]

多 谢，我 可以 说“我也 会 中文“吗？

[Claw]

多 谢，我 可以 说“我也 会 中文“吗？

You need a verb after 会, either:

我也会说中文。 (I know how to speak Chinese.)

or:

我也会写中文。 (I know how to write Chinese.)

...depending on what you're trying to say.

[skylee]

“When away from home you should depend on friends.”

= "出外靠朋友" (a set phrase)

The whole thing is "在家靠父母，出外靠朋友”

[xerenius]

Thank all of you so much.

Lesson 2:

1) —Is there anything under your desk?

—Yes, there are some old dictionaries under my desk.

—What is that next to the dictionaries?

—Next to the dictionaries are my pants!

- 你 桌子下有 什么？

- 有，我 的 桌子下 有一些 旧 词典。

- 词典 旁遍是 什么？

- 词典 旁遍 是 我 的裤子。

2) There are many books on your bookshelf, and many books under your bookshelf too! My bookshelf is empty.

你书架 上有 很多书，你书架下也有很多 书。我的书架没有什么 / 我的书架空洞。

3) My younger brother’s room has two wardrobes. In one there are many pants hanging and in one there are many shirts hanging.

我 弟弟的屋子有两个柜子。在 一个里 挂着很多 裤子，在一个 里 挂着很多 衬衫。

4) There are a few Canadian people standing beside our dormitory. There’s a large car parked behind them. I guess it’s their car.

有一些加拿大人 站在 我们的宿舍 旁边。在他们的后边停着一 辆 车。我猜 是他们的车。

5) My dorm is extremely convenient. It’s almost a 10-minute walk to get to school.

我的宿舍很方便 。 走 十分钟就到学校。(I can’t think of a more literal translation)

6) —I’ve heard that the dishes at the restaurant behind your house are very authentic.

—That’s not a restaurant, it’s the school cafeteria! I’m afraid the food isn’t good.

Yesterday, I ate there. Today I have no appetite.

我听说你房子后边的饭馆很地道。

那不是房管，是一个餐馆。恐怕菜不 太好。昨天，我在那儿吃饭。今天我没有胃口。

7) —In general, it rains every day in Seattle in the winter. But yesterday the weather was

rather nice.

—Right, yesterday the weather was extremely nice! I heard that tomorrow will be nice too. But I’m afraid it will rain next week.

一般来说，在 Seattle 的冬天中，每天都下雨。可是，昨天天气比较好。

对，昨天天气太好了。我听说明天 也很好。可是恐怕下个星期在下雨。(I added zai to this sentence, is it better?)

I’m afraid I can’t go to the store with you tomorrow to buy stationery. I’m extremely busy! Besides, that store’s stationery is rather expensive. I heard that 10 sheets of paper costs about a dollar!

我恐怕明天我不能跟你去买文具。我太忙了。再说，那个商店的文具比较贵。我听说十张 纸是 一美元。

9) —There’s a painting hanging on the wall behind that washing machine. I don’t like it.

—You don’t like the washing machine or you don’t like the painting?

—I don’t like either. The washing machine is extremely noisy, and the painting is rather

small.

有一幅画 儿挂着 在 洗衣机后边的墙上。我不喜欢它。

你不喜欢洗衣机还是不喜欢画儿？

我躲不喜欢。洗衣机很吵，画儿比较小。

10) —Is there a bathroom on this floor?

—No, the bathroom is downstairs. (But) the facilities in this building are rather old. Why

don’t you go to the new cafeteria to use the bathroom?

这 层楼 有浴室吗？

没有，浴室在楼下。这栋楼的 家具比较 旧了。你去到新餐馆用 浴室吧。

11) In general, older students are familiar with registration procedures. New students aren’t so familiar (with them).

Therefore, old students helping new students is good for everyone.

一般来说，老生对申静熟悉了。新生还没有。所以，老生帮助新生对大家有好处。

[skylee]

Consider these -

- 词典旁遍是 什么？ -> 旁邊

我的书架没有什么 / 我的书架空洞 。-> 卻甚麼都沒有/卻是空的

我弟弟的屋子有两个柜子。在一个里 挂着很多裤子，在一个里挂着很多衬衫。 -> 衣櫥。一個掛著很多褲子，另一個掛著很多襯衣。

停着一辆车。我猜是他们的车。 -> 大汽車。我猜那是

走十分钟就到学校。 -> 走約十分鐘

那不是房管，是一个餐馆。 -> 飯館，是一家學校飯堂

在 Seattle 的冬天中，每天都下雨 -> 西雅圖在冬天

可是，昨天天气比较好。 -> 相當

我听说明天也很好。 -> 也會很好

可是恐怕下个星期在下雨。 -> 會下雨

我听说十张纸是一美元。 -> 要

有一幅画儿挂着在洗衣机后边的墙上。 -> 洗衣機後面的牆上掛著一幅畫兒

我躲不喜欢。 -> 都

洗衣机很吵，画儿比较小。 -> 太

家具比较旧了。 -> 設施

你去到新餐馆用浴室吧。 -> 用新餐館的洗手間/衛生間/廁所 (I wonder why there would be a 浴室 in a cafeteria. Wouldn't bathroom mean lavatory/WC/toilet?)

老生对申静熟悉了 -> 舊生熟悉申請手續

[xerenius]

谢谢，我到底 考通了。 I don't know how to say I passed the test :-( SOS!

And how to say，" The streets look like wearing red clothes", 大家？

街 看 如 穿红 衣服。 行 不行？

[xuechengfeng]

I don't know how to say I passed the test :-( SOS!

我考上了﹗

[lulu]

我考过了

[roddy]

you can use 考上了 for getting into a school or university through examinatino - ie , 考上北京大学.

Roddy

[skylee]

"我通過測驗了。" OR "我測驗合格了。" OR "我合格了。"

For " The streets look like wearing red clothes", consider "街道看起來像穿上了紅色的衣服一樣。"

[xuechengfeng]

Yeah, that's the context I learned that phrase in, Roddy.. which is why I took a stab in the dark

[vanie]

人 不 好

Sorry, I had to try this! I downloaded a programme, and now, I can write chinese characters! Was that sentence good? It couldn't be good, because I have never learnt chinese grammar, only some words

[skylee]

You can say, "他這人不好", meaning "he/this guy is mean".

[Azumanga]

The first sentence was asking

Is there anything under your desk?

, not what is under your desk? So I think it is better to be "你的桌子下面有东西吗？" instead of "你桌子下有什么？ "

[Lu]

Could you also say 我桌子下有什么吗？ ?

[Claw]

Could you also say 我桌子下有什么吗？ ?

I'm assuming you meant 你桌子下…

EDIT: Correcting myself... I originally said no, but on second thought, I think you can say it this way. You can also say 你桌子下有没有什么？ which sounds a bit better to me.

You can also use 任何东西 to mean "anything": 你桌子下有任何东西吗？

[bhchao]

What's the difference between 江and 川? Do most people in China use the former when referring to 'river'?

[skylee]

I think essentially 江, 川, 河, 水 all mean "river". You cannot tell with certainty which is larger if they appear in the names of rivers. (I guess if a river is called 水, then it might be smaller).

However, a river is "河" or "河流". A smaller river is "小河". A stream is "溪" or "小溪".