Translation Insight for a Lovebird

[fy12]

Hi, I'm Lee.

 

I've just begun to learn Chinese, currently on day 2, and have been mostly using Google translate as a reference.  I've met a love interest interest online whom knows Chinese and little English.  I've mostly been able to make out most of her messages online, but there were a few that seemed out of context.  I'll list a few below:

 

举个简单点的例子，你会说普通话吗？你愿意为了我而来到上海看我吗？

 

I think it means something relative if I'm willing to go to Shanghai to meet her?

 

我叫林薇。你会多少普通话？

 

She then introduced herself.  I think she is providing her english name or is it her chinese name?  One one translator site, it was Wei Ling.  But then another it was LAM Ms Audrey EU.  Which one is correct?  Also I don't understand the second part of her sentence completely.  I think she was saying if I would be learning Mandarin?

 

我有三个月的时间完成大学学业。
大学毕业后，我会还将访问中国。

 

是这样啊

 

Lastly, I wrote the above two lines to her and her reponse was the below.  I couldn't make clear of what she meant.  It translated to, "This is ah" or This is the case"

 

Thank you for reading and please provide feedback.  Greatly appreciated!

[skylee]

Her name is 林薇 = Lin Wei. Lin is the family name, Wei the given name. Audrey Eu is the name of someone famous in HK and her Chinese name has the word 薇.

[fy12]

Thank you very much on the name clarification

[fy12]

I crafted the below message for her birthday.  Does it make sense?  Just wanted to make sure the translator didn't lose too much context on the translation from english.

 

嘿魏我们比你想象的更相似。 9月18日，我们参观了这个地方，并会见了同一天。我们有相同的中国十二生肖和出生在蛇年。你的信仰是一样的我。我们是一个爱好和平的人民。我们只有已经27天的年龄差异。

生日快乐伟凌，命运给你一个美妙的礼物。

这是你的灵魂伴侣谁将会站在你的身边。

 

当我看到你的照片，我第一眼就爱上。我从未感到如此强烈的生理和情感上的联系，直到我遇见了你。

你好吗？我喜欢你的名字。什么是你的一些目标和梦想中的生活吗？

[liuzhou]

If you want to learn Chinese, keep well away from Google (Mis)Translate. It is useless.

[Shelley]

I agree with liuzhou. If you need an online translator try pereapera for Firefox or Zhongwen for Chrome.

 

Have you met her in the last 2 days or is this the reason for learning Chinese, I only ask because you need to be aware that things are not always what they seem.

 

As you are having difficulties communicating i would be very careful what you share and how quickly things progress. It sounds like you have met in the last 2 days and are already planning to go to visit her. I may have got this wrong but this is what I get from your post.

 

Having said all that I hope it goes well and all works out for you.

[Melanie1989]

Yeah, she's basically asking about your Chinese level, how much do you speak. She also asked if you would go to Shanghai to meet her and giving you her Chinese name. My own Chinese is not too great to give an exact translation for everything though, sorry. But that is the gist. 

[Shelley]

举个简单点的例子，你会说普通话吗？你愿意为了我而来到上海看我吗？

 

is more like:  Can you speak Chinese ? Would you be willing to come to shanghai to look after me. Changed after being corrected should be see

 

I will leave the rest of the Chinese for others to translate

[fy12]

Thank you everyone for your inputs.  I've downloaded the mozilla ext perapera and will be using it frequently.

 

I went overboard early in the relationship, but at the very least wanted to make sure we understood each other's intents from the beginning despite the lack of communication.

[陳德聰]

The first line made me think she's trying to brush you off. I'd like to know what came before, since she says:

 

"Here are some easier examples. Can you speak Mandarin? Would you be willing to come to Shanghai to visit me?"

 

"My name is Wei Lin. How much Mandarin can you speak?"

 

And then when you "explained" that you ... have three months left til graduation and then afterward you intend to go back to China(?), she said:

 

"Oh."

[JayXZ]

是这样啊 can be translated as "Oh, I see". It's pretty neutral. 

 

For that long paragraph of Chinese you intended to send, it's standard Google Chinese. I think it will give her a hard time to understand.

[fy12]

Thank you for the input Jay.  I still have to learn sentence structuring and have to rely on google for the moment. 

 

But is the birthday message somewhat decipherable for a native?

[JayXZ]

It's tough, for example, her name was translated to unrelated words "魏" and "伟凌" in two different places, instead of "薇", "薇林" or "林薇". The first paragraph is especially difficult to understand, but I guess she can figure out most of the rest part. If you post the English version of the first paragraph I may help you straighten out the translation.

[Lu]

As I understand it, you and she are in different countries and don't speak the same language. You've known each other for only a few days. Call me cynical but perhaps it would be best if you both went looking for a different love interest. You haven't even seen or talked to each other yet and things are already ridiculously difficult. Communication is important, even more so in intercultural relationships. If you don't even know her name or how to wish her a happy birthday, how do you want to keep any kind of relationship going? I wish you all the happiness in the world, but perhaps it'll be easier to find with a different woman.

[Basil]

I saw this:

 

 

Hi, I'm Lee.

 

I've just begun to learn Chinese, currently on day 2

 

Then I read:

 

 

 

举个简单点的例子，你会说普通话吗？你愿意为了我而来到上海看我吗？

 

And I thought: wow this guy is good!

[fy12]

There is one language we all human beings have a sense of and that is love.

 

Yes, it's a two-edged sword.  It may cause acts of foolishness, such as this.  But, what if it was a potential significant other half that was disregarded just because of lack of communication or cultural differences.  If it's true love, then it's not a waste to learn the other's language and culture.  And if along the road, things seems to be not what it is, there would still be knowledge that was gained from the relationship.

[Basil]

Gawd, give it a rest will you?

 

2 days of crossed wires and you've just about worked out what you're both called.

 

This is not love, at best it's mutual loneliness recognition.

 

All chemicals firing in your head at the moment have very little relation to what this girl is saying. Or has she already shown you some pics?

 

Seriously. Get down the pub, find someone you can understand, anyone, anything is better than this kind of torturous communication.

 

If you are serious, get over to China, teach English, be prepared to fall in love, in lust, or in to deep dark disappointment.

 

Failing all that, get a dog or a hamster or something.

 

Long distance relationships are silly hard. What you are doing is just plain silly.

[fy12]

Yes, I've seen her.  It's the feeling of knowing the other is the right one just upon first contact.

[Basil]

Describe the feeling.

[fy12]

It's of a deep emotional connection that just presents itself unconsciously upon meeting someone, like you knew them from a past.