Poetry contest.
A friend of mine sent me this sign from Yunan's 云南 famous 石林 Stone forest.
Before anyone starts to wonder what is wrong here:
The English translation is correct, but lifeless, especially compared to the rhyming and the spirit of the Chinese original.
这个牌子的英文翻译的文法是准确的，不过跟原本比起来，并不如中文的诗意和精神。
Let us find a translation that captures the original poetry better!
让我们找一个更能捕捉原本诗句神韵的翻译！
I am looking forward to your creative postings.
Thanks for the "housekeeping", Shujun!
Update 24 hours later
Leading the poetry race insofar:
"We are tiny, we are shy.
Step on us and we will die."
Good job, Siak!
Update 72 hours later
The stuff is getting more and more elaborate... At the moment I prefer a slightly revised version of Siak's original poem, thanks go to an unfortunately anonymous English teacher from Shanghai Chris, who works as an English teacher in Zhejiang province!
"We are tiny, we are shy.
Without trampling you pass by."
posted by olr — 纪韶融 @ 9/17/2007
18 Comments
18Comments:
How about
Don't distub the smilling grass!
:)
A little glass is silently smiling; it don't want to be distrubed by all bypassing tourists.
We are tiny, we are shy.
Step on us and we will die.
Please don't disturb the grass from enjoy itself
Schöne Übersetzungen :)
The grass stays quiet with her tender smile
How about passing by without your footprints to share her delight as well?
how to translate "Good good study, day day up?
thx
Little grass little smile
Passing boys let me be!
Coyly, coyly smiles the grass.
"Gentle tourists, spare me and pass!"
[I tried unsuccessfully to mimic a Romantic style. Anyway this result is probably as far as I could get.]
-Silvano
I got to know you and your blog from SHANGHAI STAR July 5-11 2007, and referred my translation class students to this website immediately as we were just talking about the translation of SIGNS. It has been of great help in terms of providing many vivid examples for our class discussion. ^_^
And FYI, there is a comtest of correcting inappropriate translations of public signs in Zhejiang province, which I encourage my students to take part in. see http://www.fanyi110.com/view_jc.asp?id=1360
And as to this one, I do think siak's version is quite good. but the "we will die" sounds, humm, a little bit too much, and deviated from the orignal focus. How about changing the second line into "without disturbing/trampling, you pass by" , with clearer admonitory implication ?
the name is Chris, and I'm from Zhejiang Province instead of Shanghai, :P --- the unfortunately anonymous English teacher
I agree with Anonymous'verson of "We are tiny and we are shy, without disturbing/trampling you pass by"
BTW, Olr, I know your blog from "南方周未",good job and keep on!
thx, 好好学习，天天向上
U
let me give it a shot:
Tender grass shyly smiles,
Gentle tourists silently pass by.
Hi Ole, I used some material in this post with source indicated, pls refers to here at http://chinglish.blogbus.com/logs/10501961.html
Chinese is my main language in my blog, and yours is English, I think that's one of the differences between us.
Shy little worried grassy do coyly smile
Pray gentle footings O sojourning child.
- CK
We are timid blades of grass;
Prithee, trav'ler, gently pass.
Not bad article, but I really miss that you didn't express your opinion, but ok you just have different approach
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