华威先生

[Immovable Bodhi]

你们好！

我是在这里非常新的，学习汉语也还没有长时间。我在看了一个短篇小说，这个是叫 “华威先生”，写人是张天意。我没懂一个句子：

“转湾抹角起来-----他算是我的一个亲戚。”

这个句子的意思是不是 "Complicated thoughts arise----he (I don't know who the 他 is) regarded me as a relative."

那我作的翻译是对吗？

谢谢！

As I've said above, I'm very new here. Should I post the English, too?

Thanks!

[imron]

Yes. We generally ask that people use English as the primary language for posts, unless posting in Chinese corner.

[Immovable Bodhi]

OK, thank you for the clarification. Now here, I'm currently reading a short story by Zhang Tianyi titled "Mr. Huawei". Here's a sentence I don't understand--and it's incidentally the opening sentence:

“转湾抹角起来-----他算是我的一个亲戚。”

"Complicated thoughts arise----he (I don't know who the 他 is) regarded me as a relative."

Is my translation above correct?

Thanks!

[fanglu]

I think a better translation is: You could say he's a relative of mine, in a roundabout way.

[Immovable Bodhi]

Ah, thank you!

[danny1997]

“转弯抹角起来-----他算是我的一个亲戚。”

This phrase makes me think of 远房亲戚 yuǎn fáng qīn qì (distant family).

[Glenn]

I suspect 转湾 is a typo for 转弯. Or are they both used in Chinese?

[danny1997]

In fact, I use 拐弯抹角 instead 转弯抹角 or 转湾抹角。

But I've heard or seen often 转弯抹角 or 转湾抹角。They mean the same thing for me.

[skylee]

I agree with #7.

[yeut]

转弯抹角

zhuǎn​wān​mò​jiǎo​

lit. (of road) winding and turning (idiom); to speak in a roundabout way / to equivocate / to beat about the bush