Can someone please check my translations?

[meilin]

Hi, I had to do this for my Chinese class, and although it's not too difficult, I was made to use sentence structures we'd just learned, like "potential complement" 因为。。。所以。。。“ etc...so could someone please check to see if I got any of them wrong?

thx:wink:

1． I am fond of Chinese food but I can’t cook it. (using potential complement)

我喜欢吃中国菜，但是我做不了。

2. I would like to buy a good Chinese dictionary but I can’t find one in this bookshop. (using potential complement)

我要买一个好的中文词典，但是这书店里我找不到一个。

3. I like to watch Chinese films but I don’t understand (懂) what the people in the films are saying. (using potential complement)

我喜欢看中国电影，但是我听不懂演员说的话。

4. Everyone who drives a car must follow traffic regulations, otherwise (要不然) all the cars on the road will be unable to move,

每个开汽车的人得遵守交通规则，要不然路上的汽车都会动不了。

5. Although Mark’s Chinese was not very good, he had to speak Chinese on the bus because nobody on it understood English.

虽然马克的中文说得不好，但是他在公共汽车只好说中文了，因为没有人明白英文。

6. The traffic regulations in this country say that cars must give way to bicycles.

这国家的交通规则说汽车得给其自行车的人让路。

7．Although I want to visit my friend this morning I don’t have the time.

虽然我今天早上想去见朋友，但是我没有时间去。

8. Everyone wants to get on the bus very quickly and is unwilling to give way to other people. As a result, nobody can get on the bus and the bus can’t move either.每个人要很快上公共汽车还有不肯让人。结果，没有人能上车还有车也开不动。

9． Mark apologised to (对。。。觉得很抱歉) Mary because he only wrote to her after he’d been in Shanghai for over two weeks.

马克对玛丽觉得很抱歉，因为他在上海已经两个多星期了才给她写信。

9. We must set out early because there is so much traffic (车很挤) on the road.

我们要早一点儿就出去，因为在路上车很挤。

thanks everyone!

[skylee]

I would suggest the following -

2. 我要买一本好的中文词典，但是这书店里我找不到。

4. 每个駕駛人士都得遵守交通规则，要不然路上的汽车都会动不了。

5. 虽然马克的中文说得不太好，但是他在公车上只好说中文了，因为車上没有人懂英文。

6. 这国家的交通规则说汽车得让路给自行车。

7．虽然我想今天早上去探望朋友，但是我没有时间。

8. 所有人都想趕快上公车，可是誰都不肯让人。结果，没有人能上车，车也开不动。

9．马克对玛丽道歉，因为他到上海已经两个多星期了才给她写信。

10. 我们要早一点儿出發，因为路上车很挤。

[semantic nuance]

4.

每个开汽车的人得遵守交通规则，要不然路上的汽车都会动不了。

每位駕駛都得遵守交通规则，要不然路上的汽车都会动彈不得。

8.

每个人要很快上公共汽车还有不肯让人。结果，没有人能上车还有车也开不动。

每个人都想趕快上公車, 但是誰也不肯讓誰。结果，没有人能上车, 車子也動不了.

9.

马克对玛丽觉得很抱歉，因为他在上海已经两个多星期了才给她写信。

馬克跟瑪麗道歉,因为他已經待在上海两个多星期了才给她写信。

10.

我们要早一点儿就出去，因为在路上车很挤。

我们要早一点儿出發，因为路上會塞車。

Hope it helps!

[amego]

1． I am fond of Chinese food but I can’t cook it. (using potential complement)

我喜欢吃中国菜，但是我做不了。

我喜欢吃中国菜，但是我不会做。 Sounds more natural

[HashiriKata]

我喜欢吃中国菜，但是我不会做。 Sounds more natural

You're right, amego, but meilin wants something with a "potential complement" construction:

做不了/做得了

看不见/看得见

坐不下/做得下

etc.

(It's homework! )

[bilicon]

Original from skylee

4. 每个駕駛人士都得遵守交通规则，要不然路上的汽车都会动不了。

I suspect that the word 驾驶人士 just common use in HongKong or Guangdong. I think it should use 司机 here if you are in mainland. BTW, 人士 are also common use in HongKong, I don't think mainland people often use it.

P.S. Corret me if i am wrong

[skylee]

Indeed 司機 is a better choice, concise and clear. Looks like my mind was not very clear when I wrote that (had too much to drink). But then my word choice has really been affected by my work. I am the type who would write 駕駛人士 and 道路使用者 (road users) ...

[harrymick]

interesting.

In mainland, we often call a man(or woman) 司机 when he (or she) is driving a car. 司机 is occupation aforetime。but now some boss drive car.

[Piers Carlson]

我喜欢吃中国饭，但是我做不了。 (i know it's the same, but it's what i'd hear 99% of the time here) also 做不了 is really not very appropriate here.

我想买一本好的中文词典，但是在这书店里我找不到。 (i don't know how necessary the 在 is here...)

开车要遵守交通规则，要不然路上的车都动不了。(that would just be how i'd say it, you can of course use 每个司机要遵守交通规则, ...)

虽然马克的中文说得不太好，但是他在公共汽车上只好说中文了，因为没有人会英文。 (but skylee's looks good)

skylee's 6&7 look good, (although i'd never heard of 探望), and i think you can also say 抽不了空 for the don't have time.

and i can't add anything to the rest of skylee's and semantic's corrections, except simplified chinese!!!

when will HK & Taiwan change to simplified characters?

[ivorzhong]

In mainland, we often call a man(or woman) 司机 when he (or she) is driving a car. 司机 is occupation aforetime。but now some boss drive car.

yes, now somebody are drive the car by teriself, the driver not 司机, they are 驾驶员, in Mainland, we use 驾驶员 instead of 驾驶人士

[skylee]

when will HK & Taiwan change to simplified characters?

Not in the near future. IMO there is no pressing need. And to avoid hijecking this thread I won't go into how traditional characters are preferred by many people.

[fxmgx]

这译的就不错了，有些家伙也太吹毛求疵，改得太狠了，好歹给人家长点信心嘛：）

楼主，就这样挺不错，再多读点诗书什么的，胸有文章才能下笔如有神啊，又说熟读唐诗三百首不会作诗也会吟，多读读，会有不少长进的。

[zngjie]

1虽然爱吃中国菜，但我不会做。

2我想买本好词典，但这个书店没有。

3虽然喜欢看中国电影，却听不懂他们说什么。

4开车的人都要遵守交通规则，否则(要不然)大家都走不了。

5虽然马克中文说的不太好，但由于公车上的乘客不懂英语，他只好说中文了。

6这个的国家的交通规则规定汽车让给自行车让道。

7虽然早上我想拜访朋友，但却没时间。

8大家都抢着上车，互不相让，结果谁也上去，车也没法走。

9马克觉得对不起玛丽，因为她到上海都两星期多了，他才给她写信。

10由于交通拥挤，我们必须早点走。