"confusing"

[in_lab]

How do I describe something as "confusing"? The dictionary gives 令人困惑, but this doesn't seem like a very colloquial way of saying it. By "confusing," I mean that something that doesn't make sense, or is hard to understand, even though I understand it. Is 不好懂 what I'm looking for?

[studentyoung]

Is 不好懂 what I'm looking for?

I think maybe 把人搞/弄糊涂了 is closer.

For example:

The word is confusing me. 这话可把我搞/弄糊涂了。

I wonder if you could give some sentences, so that I can try to translate them into a more colloquial tone.

By the way, please have a look at the stuff below,

當秋天即將來臨時,樹葉呈現多采多姿的顏色.

在吳教授的幫助下,我的論文計劃慢慢地展現出來了

我將我的筆記本翻開起來,就顯現一大堆的寫得亂七八糟的筆記出來了.

第一句还没什么，第二、三句简直就把我弄糊涂了。(看得我一个头比两个头还大。)

The first sentence is OK, but the second and the third are confusing me.

呈现：

http://cb.kingsoft.com/search?s=%E5%91%88%E7%8E%B0&t=sentence〈=utf-8由此可见，“呈现”一般与“情景、面貌”这些名词搭配。

展现：

http://cb.kingsoft.com/search?s=%E5%B1%95%E7%8E%B0〈=utf-8&t=sentence

由此可见，“展现”一般与“情景、魅力、激情和姿态”这些名词搭配。

显现：

http://cb.kingsoft.com/search?s=%E6%98%BE%E7%8E%B0&t=sentence〈=utf-8由此可见，“显现”常与“症状”这个词搭配。

这些词的词义虽然相近，但要看具体看搭配去运用，否则句子的语法虽然不错，但也让看的人觉得怪怪的。

[in_lab]

Yeah, I should have given an example sentence. Here are three examples.

1 That book is good, except for the chapter on statistics. That chapter is confusing.

2a: We decided to organize the new books according to the author's first name. Old books are still organized by last name.

b: I think that's a bad idea. It's too confusing.

3: This rule begins by describing the exceptions to the rule, and then describes the rule. Can you rewrite it so that it's not so confusing?

[studentyoung]

Let me try! And I try to translate them into a more colloquial tone according to the different conditions. So please don't take it as letter by letter, but try to focus on the meanings I try to describe.

1 That book is good, except for the chapter on statistics. That chapter is confusing.

那本书还不错，除了统计学的那一章以外。那章书可把人看糊涂了。

那本書還不錯，除了統計學的那一章以外。那章書可把人看糊塗了。

2a: We decided to organize the new books according to the author's first name. Old books are still organized by last name.

我们决定在编新书的时候按照作者名字的字母顺序去排。旧书则还是按照作者姓氏的字母顺序去排。

我們決定在編新書的時候按照作者名字的字母順序去排。舊書則還是按照作者姓氏的字母順序去排。

b: I think that's a bad idea. It's too confusing.

我看这主意不怎么好。听着就头疼！

我看這主意不怎麽好。聽著就頭疼！

3: This rule begins by describing the exceptions to the rule, and then describes the rule. Can you rewrite it so that it's not so confusing?

这个规则是先从它的反证例子开始描述，然后才描述规则的内容。你能不重新写一下，免得它看起来这么疙疙瘩瘩的？

這個規則是先從它的反證例子開始描述，然後才描述規則的內容。你能不重新寫一下，免得它看起來這麽疙疙瘩瘩的？

Is that all clear? (对了，下次你要我打繁体字还是简体字啊？)

[skylee]

The dictionary gives 令人困惑, but this doesn't seem like a very colloquial way of saying it.

Indeed it does not seem so. But I have used it many times recently. I had sort of promised to transfer a secretary out to another department but somehow it did not work out. So I had to tell her, "對唔住 (times N)... 呢件事令你咁困惑，真係對唔住 (times N)... " (in Cantonese)

[anonymoose]

很有意思的句子。

这个规则是先从它的反证例子开始描述，然后才描述规则的内容。你能不重新写一下，免得它看起来这么疙疙瘩瘩的？

这个句子中的‘不’字起什么作用?

[rockytriton]

这个句子中的‘不’字起什么作用?

I hope you don't mind me going off the topic here, but I'm trying to learn by figuring out the translations of some sentences. Can you tell me if my translation of this sentence is correct?

"This sentence's middle "bu" character is used for what?"

Thanks!

[Guest nafusica]

"不"字改成"否"比較好。

"能否"就是"能不能"的意思。

[studentyoung]

"不"字改成"否"比較好。

"能否"就是"能不能"的意思。

Indeed! Sorry for my mistake, I wanted to type “能不能”.

Sorry for the confusing! 对不起，把诸位搞糊涂了。

[ced1zh]

in modern speaking chinese as a mannerism: 我郁闷！！

呵呵

[in_lab]

Thanks a lot for all the suggestions.

Studentyoung, I've got a couple questions about the translation.

那本书还不错，除了统计学的那一章以外。那章书可把人看糊涂了。

For a "chapter," are there any differences between (一)章 and (章)书 ?

So, in spoken Chinese, it's ok to put the 除了...以外 part of the sentence after the first part ( 那本书还不错)? Thanks. 簡體,繁體字都可以.

[gato]

1 That book is good, except for the chapter on statistics. That chapter is confusing.

那章书可把人看糊涂了。

那章书很不清楚 ("not very clear") is another way of saying roughly the same thing.