24 solar terms for quick interpreting

[Tomsima]

立春	start of Spring
雨水	2nd solar term
驚蟄	3rd solar term
春分	Spring equinox
清明	5th solar term
谷雨	6th solar term
立夏	start of Summer
小滿	8th solar term
芒種	9th solar term
夏至	Summer solstice
小暑	11th solar term
大暑	12th solar term
立秋	start of Autumn
處暑	14th solar term
白露	15th solar term
秋分	Autumn equinox
寒露	17th solar term
霜降	18th solar term
立冬	start of Winter
小雪	20th solar term
大雪	21st solar term
冬至	Winter solstice
小寒	23rd solar term
大寒	24th solar term

 

 

in my endeavor to watch 新聞聯播 every day, the announcement of today being 小寒, I realised although I knew what the anchor meant, I couldn't give a concise interpretation on the spot. Just wrote out this list, thought it might be useful reference for others. Please feel free to share if you think more literal translations are appropriate (eg. 清明 "tomb sweeping')

[edelweis]

1 minute ago, Tomsima said:

17th solar term

I'm not a fan of numbering the solar terms.

Someone who isn't familiar with Chinese culture will have no clue what this means.

Someone who is familiar with the 24 solar terms will need to do mental gymnastics in order to reverse translate to a period of the year.

How about "the fortnight following the Autumn equinox" ?

 

[Tomsima]

Very much agree on the awkwardness of numbering, I just couldn't think of anything which would make the listener feel they weren't getting a 'proper' interpretation as it were.

 

Interesting idea using fortnight, I still feel like this might make an English listener at a loss as to what the news anchor is talking about. Eg. todays opening:

 

今天是2019年01月05號星期六，農曆11月30。今天是二十四節期中的小寒。
Todays date is the 5th of January 2019, the 30th of November in the lunar calendar. Today marks the beginning of the 23rd solar term in the lunar calendar.

 

versus 

 

...今天是二十四節期中的小寒。

...Today is the fortnight following the Winter solstice (true, but why are you giving me this information? Is there a news item relating to this coming up?)

...Today it is "slight cold". (obviously no comment needed as to why this might be confusing)

 

 

[edelweis]

Well, if the context explicitly mentions the 24 solar terms, it's different from just "小寒" by itself.

 

How about: Today marks the beginning of the fortnight known as "slight cold" in the lunar calendar.

 

Edit: called => known as

[Tomsima]

Yes, sounds good, I should have been more specific of usage and context, thanks for the input!

[陳德聰]

Mm... 

45 minutes ago, Tomsima said:

今天是2019年01月05號星期六，農曆11月30。今天是二十四節期中的小寒。

Today is Saturday, January 5th 2019, the 30th day of the 11th month in the lunar calendar. Today is the second last of the 24 solar terms in a year.

 

It’s not “November 30th” in the lunar calendar. That doesn’t make any sense. Also if you’re worried about people who don’t know what 節期 are, you need to explain there are 24 in a year, just as they did in the source text.

[Tomsima]

@陳德聰

 

Thanks for the input. I know you're in this industry so good to know, was waiting here to get called out on "november 30th'. Just to be clear, the above is just a transcript of my simultaneous interpretation, so it was bound to be lacking. Missing out Saturday was an error, good catch. Using November for 11月 is technically incorrect, but I was trying to tailor to an audience that might feel it sounded a bit strange to say the 11th month. Maybe I'm underestimating my audience...

[roddy]

I’ll note the 24 solar terms fit nicely into early, mid and late Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. 

[abcdefg]

I see some of those terms, especially the springtime ones, used in discussions of tea, when to harvest this or that variety. 

[Michaelyus]

There are (now) "standard" English translations, as the 24 solar terms were inscribed into UNESCO's list of "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity".

 

Beginning of Spring,
Rain Water,
Insects Awakening,
Spring Equinox,
Fresh Green,
Grain Rain,
Beginning of Summer,
Lesser Fullness,
Grain in Ear,
Summer Solstice,
Lesser Heat,
Greater Heat,
Beginning of Autumn,
End of Heat,
White Dew,
Autumnal Equinox,
Cold Dew,
First Frost,
Beginning of Winter,
Light Snow,
Heavy Snow,
Winter Solstice,
Lesser Cold,
Greater Cold.
 

I can't exactly agree with all these translations into English though.

 

I disagree 清明 is "tomb sweeping" - that's a derivation (possibly a euphemism?) for the Cold Food Festival. Literally it would be, well, the "Clear and Bright".

[roddy]

I accidentally found a whole paper. Scroll down to read. And don't blame me if it's no good...