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文法b
| １１）每個人的手指都是有長有短的，這跟人有些好有些壞一樣。
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Some of our fingers are long and some are short. So too, is it with people; some are good and some are bad.
Note 1: The base pattern for this sentence is Ａ是Ｂ，這跟ＣＤ一樣. In this sentence the speaker seeks to establish a comparison between the likeness of Ａand Ｂ and that of Ｃand Ｄ.
Note 2: The base pattern for the first sentence part is of course a little more complicated than Ａ是Ｂ. This is because Ｂis composed of two parts: 有長的 and 有短的 of which Ａis both 都是.
In summary, the base pattern is Ａ都是ＥＦ的 where ＥＦ的 are two predicate nouns connected by the post particle 的. ＥＦ的 appears to mean the same as Ｅ的及Ｆ的.
The verb-like phrases 有長 and 有短 are employed as nominalized adjective of the form Ｇ的.
Note 3: The phrase 每個人的手指 is probably necessary as the word 手指 could refer to the body parts of other animals. Then too, by adding the phrase 每個人的 the parallel between people's fingers and their nature is reinforced. 每個人的 means "each person's"
Note 4: The second part of the sentence is more difficult. Not only is it philosophically extreme in substance, but its grammatical structure overlaps and fails to establish a solid grammatical parallel with the first part of the sentence -- this despite its probable conceptual clarity.
Consider first the phrase pattern 這跟人一樣. Could this not stand alone with the meaning "and so it is with people"? Then, consider the pattern 人有些好有些壞. In effect, 人 is both the object of the preposition 跟 and the subject of the sentence pattern 人有些Ａ有些Ｂ. Need it be said again that grammatical overlap is a hallmark of written Chinese.
Though conceptually easy, the comparison is grammatically poor, as nominalized adjectives and adjectives do not mix.
Note 5: Just in case it is not already clear, the phrase 有些 means "some". It is very similar to the pattern 有時 which means "sometimes". Whether 有些 is placed before the adjective 人有些好, or before the noun 有些人好 apparently makes no difference in meaning.
Source: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1304813
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| １２）雖然謝小姐是打字的能手，但是要她一分鐘打那麼多字是沒有可能的。
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As talented as she is, Miss Sze cannot type so many words in a minute.
Note 1: The base pattern for this sentence is 雖然Ａ，但是B where B is a condition or fact that contradicts Ａ in some manner.
Note 2: The base pattern of the sentence part 謝小姐是打字的能手 is that of a simple predicate nominative -- namely, Ｃ是Ｄwhere Ｃis Miss Sze 謝小姐 and Ｄis a qualified predicate noun of the form Ｆ的Ｅ. The relative clause 打字的 describes the skill that makes Miss Sze the talented individual 能手.
Note 3: The base pattern for the second part of this sentence is Ｇ是Ｈ的, where Ｇ is a noun clause and Ｈ的 is a nominalized verb phrase meaning "it is not possible".
Consider first the noun clause given by 要她一分鐘打那麼多字. This can be translated somewhat literally as "she requires one minute to type so many characters", where 一分鐘 is the time she requires 要她 to type so many characters 打那麼多字.
Now consider the phrase 沒有可能的 whose understood referent appears to be that which just preceded -- namely, Miss Sze's typing of so many characters in a minute.
In other words, the phrase 沒有可能的 must be understood as 沒有可能的（Ｇ）where Ｇ is 要她一分鐘打那麼多字.
Source: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1308505
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| １３）學生有進步，是因為先生教得好還是學生有天才呢？
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What is the reason for the student's progress? Is it that the teacher does a good job teaching, or is that the students are gifted?
Note 1: This sentence poses two alternative explanations Ｂand Ｃ to a phenomenon Ａobserved by the speaker. Its base pattern is Ａ，是因為Ｂ還是Ｃ呢？Apparently, the speaker wants the listener to choose either Ｂor Ｃas correct.
Note 2: The phenomenon which the speaker seeks to explain is that of student progress -- namely, 學生有進步. The phrase 有進步 apparently means to show, be making, or have made progress.
Note 3: The first explanation is given by the clause 先生教得好 which is of the form Ｄ教得Ｅ. The phrase 得好 serves as an adverbial modifer of the verb 教 and tells us that the teacher does a good job.
Note 4: The second explanation is given by the clause 學生有天才 and follows a pattern very similar to that of 學生有進步. What appears to be good parallel construction, may be bad grammar, though. This is because the phrse 有天才 is more likely to mean that geniuses are present, then describe a quality of the students. Perhaps the author meant to write 學生是天才, but got carried away?
Note 5: Apparently, the second 因為 is understood and does not need to be repeated. Despite the large amount of repetition found in both the Chinese and Japanese languages, as in all language there is a tendency toward parsimony and semantic efficiency.
Source: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1309200
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| １４）步行對身體很好的，請你不要老是坐車吧！
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Walking is good for your health, so you do not always have to ride.
Note 1: The base pattern for this sentence Ａ，請你不要Ｂ吧！where Ａis a reason given by the speaker for the listener not to engage in Ｂ. The use of this construction appears to be one of admonishment, suggestion, or moral suasion.
Note 2: The first part of this sentence is poorly written, as the nominalized phrase 很好的 is not preceded by the verb 是. Proper usage of 的 in this context would conform to the pattern Ｃ是Ｄ的 as shown below under Alternative 1.
Alternative 2 (also below) is another possibility but grammatically less clear, as the phrase 對身體 separates the subject from its predicate modifer.
Alternative 1: 步行對身體是很好的 whose base pattern is Ｃ對Ｅ是Ｄ的. In this case walking 步行 is a very good thing 很好的 vis-à-vis one's health 對身體. The phrase Ｄ的 is a nomialized phrase that refers back to the subject of the sentence 步行.
Alternative 2: 步行對身體很好 whose base pattern is Ｃ對ＥＤ where 很好 serves as a predicate adjective modifying the subject of the sentence 步行.
Note 3: The base pattern for the second part of this sentence has already been provided under Note 1 as 請你不要Ｂ吧 whereＢis the simple verb phrase 坐車.
Note 4: Although the character 請 is often translated as "Please", it is not appropriate here and can be bettered rendered as discussed in Note 1. Ostensibly, the phrase 請你不要Ｂ吧！ could be rendered as "Please refrain from doing Ｂ".
Note 5: The phrase 坐車 has a variety of meanings in Chinese. It can mean to take a train, a bus, a car, or any other motorized vehicle. It can have the meaning of both ride and drive. In this particular case, the most general of renderings appears appropriate.
Source 1: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1310089
Source 2: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1310833
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| １５）有人說「時間就是錢。」你相信這句話是真的嗎？
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Some people say, "Time is money". Do you hold this saying to be true?
Note 1: The entry apparently consists of two sentences: 有人說「時間就是錢。」and 你相信這句話是真的嗎？
Note 2: The base pattern for the first sentence is Ａ說「Ｂ。」where Ｂis some quoted remark uttered by Ａ.
One should notice that the period indicating the end of the sentence has been placed inside the quotation marks. This usage appears similar to that used in British English when the quoted passage is a sentence that appears at the end of the sentence that contains the passage.
Note 3: The second sentence is a question whose base pattern is given by Ｃ相信Ｄ嗎？where the speaker inquires whether Ｃbelieves Ｄ.
Note 4: The phrase 有人 can probably be translated as "people say", "some people say", "it is said" with no change in meaning.
Note 5: The quoted phrase 時間就是錢 appears to be that of "time is money". The use of the word 就 in this context is not clear. Perhaps it indicates that the relationship between 時間 and 錢 is that of an identity -- something akin to 'time IS money".
Note 6: The clause 這句話是真的 is of the form Ｅ是Ｆwhere Ｆserves as a nominalized adjective and predicate noun to Ｅ.
Note 7: The sentence tag 嗎 is apparently one that is used to elicit a "Yes" or "No" response.
Source: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1311021
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| １６）現在是日間，你還開電燈？怪不得每個月的電費那麼多。 |
It is daylight, and you are turning the lights on? No wonder your monthly electricity bill is so high.
Note 1: This entry is divided into two parts: one, an observation in the form of a rhetorical question and expression of wonder about two observed facts; and two, a result that follows logically from the observation.
Note 2: The base pattern of the question and expression of wonder is Ａ，你還Ｂ？where Ｂis something that the listener does, despite some condition or act observed by the speaker -- namely, Ａ.
Whereas the contradiction can be expressed in English by merely appending a question mark to the end of the sentence, the adverbial conjunction 還 appears necessary in Chinese. Perhaps it is only used for emphasis as we have witnessed before. In any case, it can be omitted in the English translation.
Note 3: The base pattern of the first fact is Ｃ是Ｄ and corresponds to the English "It is ＤＣ", where Ｃis an adverbial modifier of time that expresses when Ｄtakes place. In this case, Ｄis daylight 日間, and Ｃis now 現在. Adverbs commonly appear before the verbs they modify in Chinese.
Note 4: The base pattern of the second fact has already been given. The expression 開電燈 apparently means to "switch on the light" or "switch on the lights". 開 is frequently used to mean the start of something. It is used similarly in Japanese. We have seen 電燈 before; it means light or lamp.
Note 5: The base pattern of the second sentence is 怪不得ＥＦwhere Ｆis a predicate adjective describing Ｅ, and the adverbial conjunction 怪不得 is an expression of wonder meaning something close to "You cannot be estranged by what I am about to tell you" or "It should not surprize you that".
The noun phrase 每個月的電費 is of the form Ｈ的Ｇwhere 每個月的 is an adjective phrase describing 電費.
Note 6: Please note the occurrence of the counter 個 between 每 and 月. This is both common and apparently necessary.
Note 7: 電費 is one case of a fairly common use of the word 費 which means fee, cost, or payment. The character, or characters, that precede it tell us the nature of the fee. In this case it is the fee paid for the use of electrical power 電力 . The character 電 serves as an abbreviation.
Note 7: The phrase 那麼多 correspondends to the letter Ｆabove and means literally "so much". This too, is an example of a common base pattern given by 那麼Ｊ. (See Special Notes)
Source: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1311889
| | １７）香港晚上的燈色美極了，我情願不睡覺也要看看。 |
There is little more exquisite than Hong Kong at night. I would rather marvel at the lights than sleep.
Note 1: The base pattern of this sentence is Ａ，我情願不Ｂ也要Ｃ, where Ａis some condition that creates the speaker's preference for doing Ｃover Ｂ.
Note 2: The base pattern for the condition is the simple construction ＤＥ, where Ｅserves as a predicate adjective describing Ｄ. In this case, it is Hong Kong's nighttime glitter 香港晚上的燈色 that the speaker finds particularly attractive 美極了.
Note 3: 晚上 means "at night". The pattern Ｆ上 is common in both Chinese and Japanese and is used as or post-prepositional (postpositional) phrase whose meaning is given by the word that precedes it. For example, 舟上 means "on the boat".
Note 4: The phrase 燈色 translates literally as "color of the lights", but has more the meaning of the scene created by the lights. The character 色, though probably an abbreviation of the Chinese word for color 顏色, is sometimes used in a broader context. Eg. the word 眼色 does not mean eye-color, rather it means the expression of one's eyes.
Note 5: The phrase 美極了 is of the form Ｇ極了, and means extremely beautiful. The character 極 means "extreme" or "polar". When followed by the character 了 in post-adjectival position, it means "extremely". The pattern Ｇ極了 is common and means "extremely Ｇ".
Note 6: The phrase 情願不Ｂapparently means "would rather not do Ｂ" or "prefer not to do Ｂ". When used in combination with 也要 in the form 情願不Ｂ也要Ｃ it appears to mean "prefer to do Ｃ over Ｂ".
Here the speaker prefers "seeing" 看看 the lights over sleeping 睡覺.
Source: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1313403
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| １８）地圖上，黃色的地方是高山，藍色的地方是海，我指給你看吧。 |
The yellow regions on the map are high mountains, and the blue regions are sea and ocean. Let me show you!
Note 1: The base pattern for this sentence is Ａ上，Ｂ，我指給你看吧, where Ｂ is something located on Ａ that the speaker would like to show the listener.
Note 2: The base pattern for the sentence part 我指給你看吧 is 我Ｃ給你Ｄ吧, where 吧 indicates the speaker's voluntary intent to have the listener 給你 look 看 when the speaker 我 points 指. This particular combination of 指 and 看 translates easily into English as "show".
The phrase 給你 appears to play a dual role. On the one hand, the listener is the receiver (indirect object) of the action 指 ; and on the other, the speaker has the listener perform (causative) in a certain way -- namely, 看 .
Note 3: The phrase 地圖上 is of the pattern Ｅ上 that we just observed in the previous entry. Here the postpositional particle 上 refers to location, rather than time. 地圖 is a map, and 地圖上 refers to someplace "on the map".
Note 4: So what just what is it that the speaker wishes to show the listener?
The sentence parts 黃色的地方 and 藍色的地方 are of the same pattern Ｇ的Ｆand refer to differently colored (黃色的 and 藍色的) areas 地方 on the map 地圖上.
In particular, the areas represent high mountains 高山 and the sea or ocean 海. Depending on the size of the map and what is included on it, the character 海 could refer to sea water, ocean water, or both.
Note 5: The sentence parts 黃色的地方是高山 and 藍色的地方是海 are both of the pattern Ｈ是Ｊwhere Ｊserves as the predicate nominative of Ｈ.
Note 6: In contrast to the above entry (No. 18), the character 色 refers to specific colors, rather than a scene or an expression created by the presence of color.
Source: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1315341
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| １９）外國人目前對國畫越來越有興趣，有些還畫得不錯呢！
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People from other cultures are becoming increasingly interested in traditional Chinese paintings, some are even quite good at painting them!
Note 1: The base pattern for this sentence is Ａ，有些還Ｂwhere Ｂprovides evidence supporting the speaker's observation Ａ.
The phrase 有些 means "some" or "a few" and serves as a pronoun to the subject of the observation -- namely, 外國人.
The character 還 reinforces the speaker's observation by making the evidence appear as an escalation of what has been observed. It can be translated in this context as "even".
Note 2: The base pattern of the observation is Ａ對Ｂ有興趣 where Ｂis something in which Ａtakes an interest. The phrase 對Ｂserves as a prepositional phrase indicating that in which Ａ takes an interest.
The placement of the adverbial modifiers 目前 (recently) and 越來越 (gradually) is worth noting. Both phrases are placed before the verb, but the latter is placed adjacent to the verb 有. Time comes before manner, and the prepositional phrase assumes a privileged position that is probably due to the fixed nature of the pattern 對Ｂ有興趣.
Note 3: The phrase 得不錯 is an adverbial phrase that modifies the verb 畫. Please see Special Topics for further discussion of this point.
The phrase 不錯 means without error. I have rendered it here as "quite good", as it is difficult to think of art as being perfect to anyone but the beholder. After all, one is not referring to a specific work of art, rather to a form of art performed by non-natives in general. Moreover, many people have difficulty with the idea that non-natives can perform certain things as well as those from one's own country.
Note 4: The use of 呢 in this context is not clear. 呢 is a frequently used sentence suffix whose meaning and use is not clear even to native speakers. In this case, perhaps it is an expression of certitude or persuasion on the part of the speaker.
Note 5: Although 外國人often translates as foreigner, it is somewhat awkward when applied to a culture-specific form of art. Though called 國畫 it is difficult to think of an art technique as having a nationality!
Source: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1317403
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| ２０）在我年老的時候，我願意住在山上，屋前屋後都種了各種又香又美的花。
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When I am old, I want to live on a mountain with a variety of fragrant and beautiful flowers planted around my house.
Note 1: The base pattern for this sentence is Ａ，我願意Ｂ，都Ｃ, where Ｂand Ｃare two items (perhaps activities) which the speaker 我 would like 願意 to have (do) at a future time given by Ａ.
Important here is the likely use of 願意 to express a wish or hope with regard to what the future might bring.
Note 2: The base pattern for the first part of this sentence is not clear and may not be written in the best Chinese possible.
One alternative might be that of a prepostional phrase 在Ｄ的時候, where Ｄ的時候 is the object of the preposition 在. A similar expression might replace 在 with 當 and yield the same meaning.
An alternative grammatical interpretation might treat 在 as a prepositional marker to Ｄ and the phrase 在Ｄ的 as an adjectival modifier to 時候.
It has also been suggested that 年老時 would be a better way to express the seemingly wordy construction 在我年老的時候. This pattern would certainly be in line with the Japanese rendering 老年の時.
Note 3: The base pattern for the first wish is probably 住在Ｆ上 where 在Ｆ上 is an adverbial modifier of the verb 住. Though no such modifier exists in the English language, a prepositional phrase might easily be substituted.
Notice here that 上 refers location, rather than time as we observed above in entry No. 17 above.
The adverbial construction 在Ｆ上 appears to be typical in the written Han tradition.
Note 6: Unfortunately, the grammatical structure of the author's second wish does not match well the construction of his first wish. This lack of parallel construction makes it difficult to decipher the author's intended meaning.
Is it that the author wishes 願意 a variety 各種 of fragrant and beautiful 又香又美的 flowers 花 that have been planted 種了 around his house 屋前屋後, or ist it that he wishes to plant these flowers himself.
Whether the second wish should be read as （Ｇ了各種又Ｊ又Ｋ的）Ｈ or as Ｇ了（各種又Ｊ又Ｋ的Ｈ）is surely difficult to know. If the author had written 願意住Ｘ，都種Ｙ, certainly things would have been much clearer.
Note 4: The phrase 屋前屋後 literally means "the front and back of a house. Unless the house imagined by the speaker has no property located on either side, would it not be better to render the expression more simply as "surrounded by" or "around". Perhaps the expression "front and back" has a special meaning in Han culture that cannot be interpreted as "on all sides".
As is frequently the case in Chinese, adverbs of location appear before the verb and its immediate modifier.
Note 5: The phrase 又香又美 is surely not new and follows the simple pattern 又Ｍ又Ｎ. It means "M and N".
Note 6: 各種 literally mean "each variety", "each sort", "each type", or something similar. Notice how differently the character 種 is employed in the two phrases 種了 and 各種.
Source 1: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1319387
Source 2: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1320785
Source 3: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1321897
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