ILikeBigWalls Posted June 21, 2015 at 01:36 AM Report Posted June 21, 2015 at 01:36 AM The complete sentence..."我们是好朋友，不用这么客气，再说我也没帮上你什么忙” from my textbook. With the help of a Chinese friend I worked out this translation: "We are good friends, no need to be polite, especially considering I could never help you out with anything." It is the part beginning 再说 that I am unsure about. Does anybody have a better translation and even explanation for this grammar structure? Quote
imron Posted June 21, 2015 at 01:48 AM Report Posted June 21, 2015 at 01:48 AM especially considering I could never help you out with anything." This is not really correct. A better translation would be something like: What's more, I didn't really help you much anyway. It is the part beginning 再说 that I am unsure about. Think of it like 'What's more' or 'besides' Quote
ILikeBigWalls Posted June 21, 2015 at 02:03 AM Author Report Posted June 21, 2015 at 02:03 AM So is the feeling of the last clause related to a particular event, something like, I wasn't able to help you with that problem, or is it more like, in the history of our friendship I have never been very helpful? Or is it left unsaid due to lack of context? Quote
imron Posted June 21, 2015 at 02:14 AM Report Posted June 21, 2015 at 02:14 AM It's related to a specific event that should be clear by whatever the previous context was. Person A would have said something along the lines of: "blah blah blah, thank you so much for doing X", and then Person B is basically responding with "Don't mention it, that's what friends are for, besides I didn't really do much anyway". I wasn't able to help you with that problem No, it was that what you did was just something small and simple. Note that this is not necessarily literally true and might just be politeness - e.g. you might be trivialising your effort, so that your friend doesn't think he's been a burden to you, or that he somehow owes you. in the history of our friendship I have never been very helpful? Definitely not. It's just an exchange of courtesies after helping a friend with some task. 2 Quote
Messidor Posted June 24, 2015 at 06:15 AM Report Posted June 24, 2015 at 06:15 AM ……，再说…… the word is used to initiate another sentence when someone wants to give more reason(s) (especially for persuasion or argument). eg. 这么贵重的礼物怎么好意思，再说我也没送你什么贵重的东西。 eg. 他成绩平平为什么当班长？再说了，他办事能力也不出众。 other more formal word/phrase with the same meaning and usage are 况且 / 更何况. Quote
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