及时

[Pedroski]

This 及时 doesn't seem to fit with what my dictionaries are telling me it means. （及时 = in time, promptly, without delay, timely)

 

如果广告内容是宣布近期的销售活动，报纸、电视、广播媒体最及时；而如果广告信息中有大量的技术资料，那么登载在专业杂志或邮寄广告媒

体上比较合适。

 

如果广告内容是宣布近期的销售活动，报纸、电视、广播媒体最及时；

If the ad tells people about an upcoming sales promotion, newspapers, TV or radio are the most suitable media；

 

Here I would like to set: 及时 = 合适. Would that be wrong??

[imron]

Yes. I don't know where you got suitable from, it's incorrect.

及时 means what you said it means. It's talking about how these will be the fastest/most timely way to spread the message.

[Pedroski]

Thanks, but why would they say 'timely' (= done or happening at the appropriate or proper time) here, when they mean the best (最好的）or fastest （最快的） way (方法） of informing the people?

 

From 'best and fastest' I made 'most suitable'.

 

Maybe the Chinese is dodgy?

[OneEye]

No, but perhaps your understanding of the Chinese is dodgy.

 

They don't "mean the best (最好的）or fastest （最快的） way (方法）". They mean "及時." Chinese expresses things differently than English, and that's something you have to accept and get used to. It doesn't do much good to think the language ought to be different. You learn it on its own terms, not those of another language.

 

Then again, I believe you've been told that quite a few times here and it doesn't seem to have had any effect.

[Pedroski]

I get to read a lot of English written by Chinese students. They have the same problem as me in reverse. "But why do you say it like that???" I never have a good answer.

 

报纸、电视、广播媒体最及时

newspapers, TV, radio media (are) most timely (= done or happening at the appropriate or proper time) / prompt/ in time

 

Maybe in Chinese that is acceptable, but in English that really is 'dodgy'. TV is not 'done' or 'happening at the appropriate time'. They obviously mean the the placement of the ads in these media will have the most immediate effect, instead of waiting for a specialist magazine to be published.

 

Another case of what Chinese does not say, because the Chinese implies it.

[imron]

My dictionary has the following entry for 及时 as a 形容词:

 

赶上需要的时候; 适时.

 

. They obviously mean the the placement of the ads in these media will have the most immediate effect

And that's exactly what the Chinese says.  The only wrong thing going on is you trying to use English to understand the Chinese.

 

TV is not 'done' or 'happening at the appropriate time'.

You've simply failed to parse the sentence correctly if this is what you think the Chinese means.