Comments on: Speaking Through an Interpreter: Try to Avoid Lawyers http://www.chinahearsay.com/speaking-through-an-interpreter-try-to-avoid-lawyers/ China law, business and economics commentary Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:55:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Tim http://www.chinahearsay.com/speaking-through-an-interpreter-try-to-avoid-lawyers/comment-page-1/#comment-75921 Tim Fri, 05 Feb 2010 03:16:46 +0000 http://www.chinahearsay.com/?p=4847#comment-75921 Thought the ‘have fun’ idea was a bit off but also the ‘don’t use affectionate words’ was odd as well. If someone whom you just met repeatedly announced that they loved you or that god loves you; I really don’t care what your cultural background is or what language you are speaking, I doubt anyone would feel comfortable. So really this raises the question: who is this guy’s clients?

Affected proselytizers?

]]> By: DL http://www.chinahearsay.com/speaking-through-an-interpreter-try-to-avoid-lawyers/comment-page-1/#comment-75909 DL Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:33:41 +0000 http://www.chinahearsay.com/?p=4847#comment-75909 “it’s that they don’t value fun as much as an English speaker might.” Huh????

The English phrase “have fun” has as many denotative and connotative meanings as its Chinese equivalent, but this also can be said of all other words.

That writer you quote must have had some weird, unique experience with the phrase “have fun” and is extrapolating it out to all Chinese. This is a common mistake foreigners make of other foreign cultures. This fellow at least seems to have lost his credibility for understanding China/Chinese on that quote, though.

]]> By: Stan http://www.chinahearsay.com/speaking-through-an-interpreter-try-to-avoid-lawyers/comment-page-1/#comment-75904 Stan Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:53:38 +0000 http://www.chinahearsay.com/?p=4847#comment-75904 Yeah, that was exactly my thinking. Weird. Oh well, I think I'll go out for some fun now. Yeah, that was exactly my thinking. Weird.

Oh well, I think I’ll go out for some fun now.

]]> By: Matthew http://www.chinahearsay.com/speaking-through-an-interpreter-try-to-avoid-lawyers/comment-page-1/#comment-75898 Matthew Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:53:19 +0000 http://www.chinahearsay.com/?p=4847#comment-75898 My Chinese is embarassingly inadequate but I also find the assertion that the Chinese language doesnt have an expression for fun extremely strange. To contrary, and in agreement with your comment, Chinese use the equivalent of fun or play - "wan" or "hen hao wan" ??? - far more than we would in English. For example, a Chinese person might say "Last night I went out for fun" ??????. By this they could mean anything such as going to KTV or going out to a bar. But literally it means I went out to play. We would never use such a term in english but rather would be more precise and use something like "I went out drinking". I am completely perplexed by the assertion. My Chinese is embarassingly inadequate but I also find the assertion that the Chinese language doesnt have an expression for fun extremely strange. To contrary, and in agreement with your comment, Chinese use the equivalent of fun or play – “wan” or “hen hao wan” ??? – far more than we would in English. For example, a Chinese person might say “Last night I went out for fun” ??????. By this they could mean anything such as going to KTV or going out to a bar. But literally it means I went out to play. We would never use such a term in english but rather would be more precise and use something like “I went out drinking”.

I am completely perplexed by the assertion.

]]> By: Tait http://www.chinahearsay.com/speaking-through-an-interpreter-try-to-avoid-lawyers/comment-page-1/#comment-75897 Tait Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:21:32 +0000 http://www.chinahearsay.com/?p=4847#comment-75897 I found that tip about not saying "have fun" to be odd too. I found that tip about not saying “have fun” to be odd too.

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