Please help decipher this sentence

[imron]

1 hour ago, gena0411 said:

Like correct chunks in this case are:

还有他   上山的时候带的    刀也坏了

I don't think this is correct.  Chop out the bit in the middle and you are left with 还有他刀也坏了 which is an incorrect sentence.

 

The correct grouping would be:

 

还有他   上山的时候   带的刀也坏了

or

还有他   上山的时候带   的刀也坏了

 

Chop out the middle parts of either of those sentences and the sentences are still correct in meaning and grammar.

[roddy]

I'd be inclined to do it differently,

 

刀坏了 - (His) knife was broken

That's as simple as you can get it and still have it mean anything. You can imagine a super-simplified version of the story using this. Then you build it back in

他带的刀坏了 - The knife he'd brought was broken

他上山的时候带的刀坏了 - The knife he'd brought when he'd come up the mountain was broken

还有他上山的时候带的刀坏了 - And....blah blah blah

还有他上山的时候带的刀也坏了 And....blah blah blah... as well.

 

[gena0411]

Thanks Imron. Indeed, I have forgotten 的 before 刀. So, with this correction, I like the second grouping the best.

 

Roddy, next time, I'll try your incremental grouping approach to help understanding.

 

Thanks guys

    Genady

[gena0411]

Hello,

 

I do understand this sentence (I think), but I couldn't find anywhere that 会 can mean "could".

 

我也想知道为什么会这样

 

I understand this as "I also would like to know how this could happen" or "I wish to know how this could be".

 

It seems that 会 is part of conditional. Is it so?

 

Thanks,

     Genady

[Tomsima]

think of 会 as can, rather than the conditional that English prefers and you get 'i also want to know how it can be like this'. i think you can think of this as both as an implied conditional and a completed event. this is a common way to both speak and write, where grammar is context dependant. as a result, sometimes your translations may feel ever so slightly off, but here I think you got the meaning without any misunderstanding.

[gena0411]

Oh, great!

thanks a lot Tomsima.

this translation sets everything right in my head

 

[gena0411]

Hello,

 

Could somebody please help with the following sentence:

 

如果没有 Jane, 安末会觉得好很多.

 

I would guess it means: If not for Jane, An Mo would feel much better.

 

Is it correct? I have met "如果” only as "if/in case" before.

 

And another one: 

对安末来说爸爸是最重要的人.

I guess it means: For An Mo, father is the most important person.

 

Is it correct?

I don't understand though what "来说" is used for. Also, is  "对” interchangeable with "给” here?

 

Thanks

     Genady

[edelweis]

如果没有jane = without jane (if jane wasn't present)

对 ... 来说 is a set structure, usually translated "as far as ... is concerned"

[gena0411]

Many thanks Edelweis!

[dwq]

On 9/29/2017 at 4:16 PM, imron said:

The correct grouping would be:

 

还有他   上山的时候   带的刀也坏了

or

还有他   上山的时候带   的刀也坏了

@imron , this kept nagging at me and I think I know why.

 

You cannot take this

 

他带的刀

 

and take out 带 to transform it into

 

他的刀 .

 

True, they both happen to be grammatically correct, but 带 is not a modifier by itself, 他带的 is. 他的 is a modifier also, but it is a different one in meaning.

 

So the second grouping is incorrect, it is equivalent to the above.

 

With that and roddy's comment in mind , I think the correct grouping is:

 

还有 { [ 他 (上山的时候) 带的 ] 刀 (也) 坏了 } .

 

[roddy]

Genady, you're welcome to start a new topic for each sentence - it keeps things a little more organised and each topic can focus on a particular point.

[gena0411]

Thanks Roddy.

Will do. I was afraid to clutter the forum.

[roddy]

Feel free to clutter it with as many interesting questions as you want!