insighter Posted December 15, 2012 at 10:28 AM Report Share Posted December 15, 2012 at 10:28 AM Looking for a translation to describe people who live "alternative" lifestyles. Maybe this is someone who doesn't work, similar to a hobo/hippy/traveler, etc. In English we may often say a free spirit, a rebel, or a vagrant. However, the corresponding words that I find in dictionaries for often seem to mean a someone similar to a beggar, which is a little different, or similarly negative in connotation. For example, I wouldn't say this type of rebel is a 反叛. I came up with 无拘无束的人 for a free spirit but it seems a little literary. If someone could throw down a couple roughly equivalent words for these types of people/personalities I'd appreciate it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
魑魅魍魉Lol Posted December 15, 2012 at 12:19 PM Report Share Posted December 15, 2012 at 12:19 PM 浪子?but only for male i guess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkduck Posted December 15, 2012 at 01:11 PM Report Share Posted December 15, 2012 at 01:11 PM how about 自由人？ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooironic Posted December 15, 2012 at 09:20 PM Report Share Posted December 15, 2012 at 09:20 PM Consider 潇洒生活的人 or even 非主流. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Horhe Posted December 16, 2012 at 07:54 AM Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 at 07:54 AM I'd go for 非主流 as well. Use 潇洒 with caution, however, as in certain contexts it can also mean visiting a brothel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thechamp Posted December 17, 2012 at 07:40 AM Report Share Posted December 17, 2012 at 07:40 AM I read a description of 犀利哥 describing him as 放荡不羁. I think that's about as close as you get to 'hippy' or 'bohemian' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liuzhou Posted December 17, 2012 at 02:02 PM Report Share Posted December 17, 2012 at 02:02 PM I don't think that hobo, hippy, traveller, free spirit, rebel or vagrant are synonymous in English, so I'm a little confused as to why you seem to think they might be in Chinese. They vary in positive/negative connotation just as much in English. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddy Posted December 17, 2012 at 02:18 PM Report Share Posted December 17, 2012 at 02:18 PM 特立独行? Bonus points to forums historians who can name the farmyard animal I'm thinking of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insighter Posted December 17, 2012 at 05:02 PM Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2012 at 05:02 PM I don't think that hobo, hippy, traveller, free spirit, rebel or vagrant are synonymous in English, so I'm a little confused as to why you seem to think they might be in Chinese. They vary in positive/negative connotation just as much in English. If I had just said, "what is 'rebel' in chinese guys?", I would have got a militarily related answer which I wasn't what I was looking for, so I included words cluster fodder like free spirit and traveler. If someone came up to you and said, "I am a traveler" what exactly would you think their profession is? I would consider them a hobo, although I would have nothing personally against them. I guess you could argue to replace vagrants with vagabonds, as that has more to do with living a nomadic, carefree life and a slightly less negative connotation. But anyways, offer up any five words and of course they're not going to all be completely synonymous....that's why we have synonyms. If none of the words varied in connotation then we arguably wouldn't need the other words. Anyways, everyone else seemed to understand my meaning through all the syntactic confusion. And finally, as I am learning a language with many words in it, I am interested in learning a variety of words, not just the one word I'm looking for at the moment. I'd maybe even be into learning words with somewhat similar meanings, but different connotations and (gasp!) usages. But mainly I'm looking for help, not snappy forum answers. Thanks to the above posters for their help. I needed two for my paper so so far I think I'm going with 潇洒生活的人and 放荡不羁. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liuzhou Posted December 17, 2012 at 05:14 PM Report Share Posted December 17, 2012 at 05:14 PM I would have got a militarily related answer I doubt it very much. Don't prejudge answers to questions. Unless you are only looking for data to fit your assumptions. If someone came up to you and said, "I am a traveler" what exactly would you think their profession is? I wouldn't jump to conclusions. It could mean many things. Journalist, tourism operator, travel photographer etc. I would consider them a hobo, although I would have nothing personally against them. Not judgemental at all. But mainly I'm looking for help, not snappy forum answers. You might have thought not to ask on a forum then. they're not going to all be completely synonymous....that's why we have synonyms Titter. I needed two for my paper Does your supervisor know you do your homework on "forums"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooironic Posted December 17, 2012 at 10:42 PM Report Share Posted December 17, 2012 at 10:42 PM Woah, calm down there liuzhou. Insighter was just explaining why he framed his question like that, there's no need for that tone. This is the one thing I don't like about this forum - it offers a space for newbies to come and ask questions and get answers, which is great, but if they don't ask in a certain way they soon become the victim of snarkiness and sarcasm. Also, I don't see what's wrong with using a forum to do research about a homework task. That seems like a perfectly normal thing to do, provided you aren't asking people to write it for you. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted December 18, 2012 at 12:58 AM Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 at 12:58 AM IMO, 瀟灑生活的人 is not a good term, as it does not sound right. It is not something I would use and if you must use it I suggest adding 地 to make it 瀟灑地生活的人. I wound use 瀟脫的人 but it does not necessarily mean the same thing. Please note that 放蕩不羈 is an adjective. 放蕩 is negative, 不羈 can be neutral. Of the suggestions above I would think 自由人 is best. It is neutral. A freelance writer can be called a 自由撰稿人, so I guess if someone works freelance s/he can be described as 從事自由職業. 非主流 is also ok imo depending on how you use it. If someone has an alternative lifestyle I guess you can also describe it as 另類. That farm animal roddy mentioned at #8 is pig, right? Please give me the bonus points. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooironic Posted December 18, 2012 at 01:15 AM Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 at 01:15 AM IMO 瀟灑地生活的人 is weird. There are only 4 hits for it on Google, compared to 139,000 for 瀟灑生活的人. I also think 自由人 and 另类 are good choices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted December 18, 2012 at 01:16 AM Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 at 01:16 AM I did not do a google search. But my view remains the same. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted December 18, 2012 at 01:29 AM Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 at 01:29 AM I have just re-read #1, and Tao Qian's poem came up in my mind. Where appropriate you might also consider using the terms in the poem to describe a free-spirit or people of an alternative life style. Like 不適俗韻 etc. http://teacher.whsh.tc.edu.tw/huanyin/anfa_toa8.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insighter Posted December 18, 2012 at 03:59 AM Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 at 03:59 AM Thanks for the support guys, I feel like I know a lot more about these types of words now. Skylee: Good points, but I'll have to take your word for it on 不适俗韵 because your example source is much too 高级 for me. Tooironic: Good stuff, I might have to include 自由人 or 另类 based on your recommendations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thechamp Posted December 18, 2012 at 06:19 AM Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 at 06:19 AM Liuzhou?! wtf?! Congratulations on pointing out that synonyms aren't all identical Incidentally, what's the Chinese for 'snarky internet troll'? Also, I love that if someone came up to you and said 'I'm a traveller' your first reaction would be 'Ah, yes....a journalist! Someone who makes their money writing, yet can't even correctly identify their own profession! Good man! Well met!' 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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