外行看热闹，内行看门道 in English

[Kenny同志]

I've made an attempt, but it's way too long. Any suggestions?

While the layperson is only interested in being entertained, the expert concerns himself with the trick behind what seems to be entertaining.

Thank you in advance!

[ma3zi1]

I'll give it a shot:

"While the simpleton can be entertained by simple things, the wise man seeks the truth behind the tricks."

or (more simply):

"What impresses the amateur does not impress the expert."

Although admittedly it sounds much better in Chinese.

Here's a Chinese definition to reference for anyone else who wants to give it a shot:

外行看热闹，内行看门道: 同樣一件事物，內行的人探索其內涵，外行的人則看其表面。(臺灣MOE)

[Kenny同志]

多谢阁下赐教。

"While the simpleton can be entertained by simple things, the wise man seeks the truth behind the tricks."

But I am afraid something was not fully understood. A外行 is not necessarily a “simpleton”; he’s simply not trained in a particular subject or type of work. A 内行 is the other way around.

"What impresses the amateur does not impress the expert."

In this translation, important information is lost about 热闹 and 门道. Therefore, it fails to express the full meaning of the original.

Anyway, thank you very much for sharing your thoughts.

[doraemon]

Whilst the amateur seeks only entertainment, the expert delves into the secrets that lay beyond the exterior.

Just my stab at it. Seems quite similar to yours, Kenny.

[Kenny同志]

谢谢机器猫。太难翻译了！ :rolleyes:

Thank you. It's too hard to translate.

[doraemon]

别客气，我也是想了老半天才勉强地翻译了出来，不过我觉得翻得不是特别好。 <_<

[Kenny同志]

We'd better switch to English, or Roddy will be unhappy.

Translation is translation; we have to compromise sometimes.

[doraemon]

We'd better switch to English, or Roddy will be unhappy.

Yeah, I agree. LOL.

Kenny, you seem to post threads about translations of certain Chinese expressions/phrases every now and then. Just out curiosity, are you doing this for your own interest or are they for some other committments?

[Kenny同志]

You could say I am doing this for interest. In fact, the Chinese expressions I post here for help can be broken into two groups. Idioms/phrases in the first group are those whose available translation(s) I suspect or consider not good enough; the second group are those I find too hard to translate.

[doraemon]

Oh, cool. Well, keep them coming because I think they're quite beneficial for everybody, especially for beginners in the Chinese language who want to learn some idioms/set phrases. It's also an opportunity to exercise translating skills.

[Kenny同志]

Thanks, I will.

[ma3zi1]

“while the connoisseur recognizes the artistry, the layman simply enjoys the show”

from my friend Richard Warmington

[Kenny同志]

That's nice, ma3zi1. thank you very much.