Fred0 Posted February 23, 2017 at 04:12 PM Report Posted February 23, 2017 at 04:12 PM Can someone help me understand the phrase 终归要拿. The sentence is from 城南旧事。 She says 「做唔得! 做唔得!」我知道, 我无论要求什么事, 爸终归要拿这句客家话来拒绝我。 The translator renders this "Can't do that! Can't do that!" I knew no matter what I asked, Papa would always use this Hakka expression to refuse me. What I can't see is how these four characters say "would always use." Google Translate renders 终归 as "after all" which I don't see. I can see that 要拿 can mean "will take." Thank you. Quote
Guest realmayo Posted February 23, 2017 at 05:13 PM Report Posted February 23, 2017 at 05:13 PM I don't think 终归要拿 is a phrase. 终归: adv. eventually; in the end; after all no matter what I asked, he would (always) end up using this Hakka expression to refuse me .... I think the 'always' is prompted by the earlier 无论..什么 . [拿+noun+来+verb] is a piece of grammar which I'll crudely parse as: 拿 noun 来 verb to 'use' a noun to do a verb to use 这句客家话 to 拒绝我 Quote
Publius Posted February 23, 2017 at 05:18 PM Report Posted February 23, 2017 at 05:18 PM 要 拿 这 句 客家 话 来 拒绝 我 will use this CNT Hakka word(s) to refuse me 拿 means "to take" alright. But in this serial verb construction 拿N来V, "拿……" is used adverbially to denote the instrument with which V is being carried out. E.g. 拿我的话来反驳我 = to take my words and use them to refute me -> to use my words against me. Serial verb is an important feature of Chinese. The sooner you get used to it the better. 终归 = eventually; after all; in the end Synonyms: 终究, 最后总是…… E.g. 人终归是要死的 = 人最后总是要死的 Translation is not a rigid word-to-word mapping business. "I knew no matter what I asked, in the end Papa would always say No" is about the same meaning. I think the confusion mainly comes from the failure to parse 拿……来做……. 2 Quote
imron Posted February 23, 2017 at 05:19 PM Report Posted February 23, 2017 at 05:19 PM 57 minutes ago, Fred0 said: Can someone help me understand the phrase 终归要拿 Sure. It's not a phrase! 59 minutes ago, Fred0 said: Google Translate renders 终归 as "after all" which I don't see The meaning is more that what follows is a foregone conclusion. 拿<noun>来<verb> means to use <noun> to do <verb>, in this case, use 'this Hakka expression' to 'refuse me'. Quote
Fred0 Posted February 24, 2017 at 02:00 AM Author Report Posted February 24, 2017 at 02:00 AM A great help. Thanks to all. Quote
goldy Posted February 24, 2017 at 05:14 AM Report Posted February 24, 2017 at 05:14 AM I read that book a while back. I thought it was pretty good. It was a tough read for me at the time though because of all the cultural elements in it. I didn't have the perspective to fully understand what was going on, but I started to get used to it about midway through. I'll probably read it again at some point if I have time. 1 Quote
TheBigZaboon Posted February 24, 2017 at 05:45 AM Report Posted February 24, 2017 at 05:45 AM Off topic, to be sure, but you have three excellent answers to your query... I want to say you have the best avatar I've ever seen. Someone in the background has a million dollar smile, and she's directing it at you... You're a pretty lucky guy, Fred... Quote
Demonic_Duck Posted February 24, 2017 at 10:48 AM Report Posted February 24, 2017 at 10:48 AM Also off topic, but that's a heck of a wasted opportunity in the translated version... you already have the second sentence to explain what the expression means, why translate it into English and then call it a "Hakka expression" when it clearly isn't any more? 1 Quote
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