Can someone help with these words?

[fenlan]

I have just finished reading an article in 南方周末 entitled 为什么美国国会如此反对中国？I wonder if someone can answer some questions on vocab and grammar that arose from the article.

1. There is a sentence 来自美国的贸易保护主义使得中美贸易的发展蒙上了阴影。I noticed that 蒙 can be meng1, meaning to cover, but 蒙上 is second tone, meng2shang4, meaning to cover up. Am I right that in this sentence it is meng1shang, just the plain verb meng1 with a resultative complement, and not meng2shang4?

2. I thought "account", zhang4hu4, as in "经常帐户", current account, was written with 帐, but in this document it is 账. I notice that in the dictionary both are possible. Do most Chinese use 账 or 帐?

3. I am a bit confused by this sentence: 指责中国的所为"货币操纵"远比调整美国国内政策更加轻松惬意。 轻松 means "light, relaxed", and 惬意 means "pleased, contented". But what is the exact translation of "轻松惬意"?

4. There is a sentence 巴格瓦蒂 (the economist, Jagdish Baghwati) 在《贸易保护主义》一书就就谈到，当初英国废除《谷物法》… Does anyone understand why 就 is reduplicated?

5. There is a sentence 在美国商务统计得五位码得１５０种产品中… This refers to customs classifications of goods imports. Does 位码 mean "code"? I think it might refer to the fifth category of imports under a classification system.

6. Finally does 企业主mean the same as企业家?

[studentyoung]

Let me try one by one, and hope I can help you.

1. There is a sentence 来自美国的贸易保护主义使得中美贸易的发展蒙上了阴影。I noticed that 蒙 can be meng1, meaning to cover, but 蒙上 is second tone, meng2shang4, meaning to cover up. Am I right that in this sentence it is meng1shang, just the plain verb meng1 with a resultative complement, and not meng2shang4?

The word 蒙上 here should be meng2 shang4 as a verb, means “shade”.

来自美国的贸易保护主义使得中美贸易的发展蒙上了阴影。

The Sino-America trade relationship is shaded by the protectionism from America.

2. I thought "account", zhang4hu4, as in "经常帐户", current account, was written with 帐, but in this document it is 账. I notice that in the dictionary both are possible. Do most Chinese use 账 or 帐?

“账”与“帐”互通。“帐户”又可写为“账户”。

3. I am a bit confused by this sentence: 指责中国的所为"货币操纵"远比调整美国国内政策更加轻松惬意。 轻松 means "light, relaxed", and 惬意 means "pleased, contented". But what is the exact translation of "轻松惬意"?

“轻松惬意” means “feel relaxing”, but the true meaning in the texts is “easy”

指责中国的所为"货币操纵"远比调整美国国内政策更加轻松惬意。

It should be: 指责中国的所谓"货币操纵"远比调整美国国内政策更加轻松惬意。

The whole original sentence is “巨额经常账户逆差的来源是美国国内的居民储蓄太低，政府赤字过高，但是指责中国的所谓“货币操纵”远比调整美国国内政策更加轻松惬意。”

The huge trade deficit on current accounts is from American citizens’ low saving level and government deficit, however, it is far easier to condemn China on the so-called “currency control” than to adapt the domestic policies in US.

4. There is a sentence 巴格瓦蒂 (the economist, Jagdish Baghwati) 在《贸易保护主义》一书就就谈到，当初英国废除《谷物法》… Does anyone understand why 就 is reduplicated?

Take it easy. Just a typo. So the correct one should be : “在《贸易保护主义》一书就谈到，当初英国废除《谷物法》…”

5. There is a sentence 在美国商务统计得五位码得１５０种产品中… This refers to customs classifications of goods imports. Does 位码 mean "code"? I think it might refer to the fifth category of imports under a classification system.

I hope this link can help you. www.fas.usda.gov/ustrade/USTLists/ImCmChanges.asp

6. Finally does 企业主mean the same as企业家?

I think 企业主 here means all kinds of company owners and juridical persons, not just enterprisers.

Thanks!

[gato]

Link to the article: http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/southnews/zmzg/200506300915.asp

死守住知识产权保护似乎是让跨国公司的大亨们晚上睡得更踏实的惟一出路

What's "大亨们"?

The article is interesting, but I'm not convinced. Are Chinese exports to the US really much more concentrated than US exports to China? The numbers presented by the author are ambiguous.

[fenlan]

Studentyoung - thank you for your reply. That was great in every respect!

[fenlan]

Gato, da4heng1men2 means "bigshots" according to the ABC dictionary. I think it is true that China's exports to the US are concentrated in a few customs categories, eg toys, textiles, electronics. They are not evenly distributed throughout the entire range of exports. However, the article did not address the non-market status of China, which may produce export "surges". The heng1 in da4heng1 is interesting, as it looks like the xiang3 in fen1xiang3 apart from one line. I think heng1 may be fairly rare?

[xiaocai]

I think 大亨 can be translated to millionaire.

[studentyoung]

What's "大亨们"?

According to the contexts, I think the word can be translated into “heads”, “big bosses”, “magnates”.

The numbers presented by the author are ambiguous.

同意！不过好像我们这边的文章都有这号毛病。还有，我常在这边的报刊上看到的那个所谓“XX翻几翻”，让我的头到现在还疼个没完——说的啥呀？哪个是定量？哪个是变量？倒——！

[gato]

"大亨们": Gato, da4heng1men2 means "bigshots" according to the ABC dictionary.

Thanks, all. Does anyone know what the origin of this word is? Is it a Beijing slang or is it widely used all across China?

Interestingly, my 金山词霸 defines 大亨 as "广有势力的官商或流氓" (a powerful official, businessman, or hooligan), as if the three were in the same category.

I think it is true that China's exports to the US are concentrated in a few customs categories, eg toys, textiles, electronics. They are not evenly distributed throughout the entire range of exports.

But aren't US exports to China concentrated in even fewer categories? Beside the Boeing planes, agriculture products, and raw materials mentioned in the article, I can't think of too many other things the Chinese are buying from the US. The author's point was that concentration generally equals lobbying power, which I agree with. He overlooks, however, "human rights," the big elephant in the room, which overshadows virtually everything else. It's a reason why India's economic growth hasn't similarly alarmed the Americans.