Comments on: The Quest for “Anyway” http://laowaichinese.net/the-quest-for-anyway.htm Tips and Strategies for Learning to Speak Mandarin Chinese Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:29:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Ben http://laowaichinese.net/the-quest-for-anyway.htm#comment-4071 Ben Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:09:51 +0000 http://laowaichinese.net/?p=59#comment-4071 I would have translated 至少 as 'at least', which still makes sense in Helen's example: 'She works in a bank. At least, she did when I last saw her.' I don't think you can translate it to mean 'ignore other possibilities' as that wouldn't work in this example: 'Facebook现在价值至少100亿美元' Facebook's current value is at least $US10 billion. I would have translated 至少 as ‘at least’, which still makes sense in Helen’s example: ‘She works in a bank. At least, she did when I last saw her.’

I don’t think you can translate it to mean ‘ignore other possibilities’ as that wouldn’t work in this example:

‘Facebook现在价值至少100亿美元’
Facebook’s current value is at least $US10 billion.

]]> By: Helen http://laowaichinese.net/the-quest-for-anyway.htm#comment-4062 Helen Sun, 30 Mar 2008 10:27:33 +0000 http://laowaichinese.net/?p=59#comment-4062 The “anyway” in English is: To correct or slightly change what you have said. For example, “She works in a bank. She did when I last saw her, anyway.” Well, in Chinese, we might say : tā zài yínháng gōngzuò. zhìshǎo wǒ shàngcì jiàndào ta shí shìzhèyàng. 她在银行工作。至少我上次见到她时是这样。 zhìshǎo 至少 ＝ ignore other possibilities/conditions The “anyway” in English is:
To correct or slightly change what you have said. For example,
“She works in a bank. She did when I last saw her, anyway.”

Well, in Chinese, we might say :
tā zài yínháng gōngzuò. zhìshǎo wǒ shàngcì jiàndào ta shí shìzhèyàng.
她在银行工作。至少我上次见到她时是这样。

zhìshǎo 至少 ＝ ignore other possibilities/conditions

]]> By: 米 http://laowaichinese.net/the-quest-for-anyway.htm#comment-1017 米 Tue, 01 May 2007 12:33:36 +0000 http://laowaichinese.net/?p=59#comment-1017 I would like to write in Chinese. 我刚刚才拿到汉语老师的资格，不过，我是台湾人，不住中国．我忍不住要回答你的问题． (but it is really time consuming for me to type in 简体字，we use 正体字 and we can read 简体字，only 汉語老师 are required to learn to write and type 简体字 in Taiwan。) "anyway" may represent many different 语意，so when you try to translate the exactly meaning into Chinese, you cannot find one Chinese word to satisfy all situations and maybe it is not a good idea to do so. it is the same when you want to find a word in English to represent all the 语意 of the words "別"，"把"and"開" ;ect. I hope my English is clear enough. 我的英语不好，但是我看你对中文真的有兴趣，很希望能有点帮助． I would like to write in Chinese.
我刚刚才拿到汉语老师的资格，不过，我是台湾人，不住中国．我忍不住要回答你的问题．
(but it is really time consuming for me to type in 简体字，we use 正体字 and we can read 简体字，only 汉語老师 are required to learn to write and type 简体字 in Taiwan。)
“anyway” may represent many different 语意，so when you try to translate the exactly meaning into Chinese, you cannot find one Chinese word to satisfy all situations and maybe it is not a good idea to do so.
it is the same when you want to find a word in English to represent all the 语意 of the words “別”，”把”and”開” ;ect.
I hope my English is clear enough. 我的英语不好，但是我看你对中文真的有兴趣，很希望能有点帮助．

]]> By: Tom http://laowaichinese.net/the-quest-for-anyway.htm#comment-1016 Tom Tue, 03 Apr 2007 11:34:40 +0000 http://laowaichinese.net/?p=59#comment-1016 To end a topic and move on to a new one. For example, at the end of a story about the milk truck we might say, “…the milk truck finally rolled away. Anyway, do you teach tomorrow?” (This “anyway” is often accompanied by a sigh.) 嘿，我说啊， To return to a previous topic after a digression. For example, if I’m talking about the milk truck and suddenly my story wanders off to my new computer, to get back to the milk truck story I would say, “…my new computer. Anyway, the milk truck driver had this red hat…” (This is really along the same vein as number one in this list.) 哎呀， To mean, “regardless.” For example, if I’m not sure whether I’ll be free to play ping pong tonight, I could explain the different things in my schedule that might interfere. Then I would say, “Anyway, I’ll call you when I know more.” 不管怎么样， The key is that we use interjections to play the first and second functions and an adverb, the third. To end a topic and move on to a new one. For example, at the end of a story about the milk truck we might say, “…the milk truck finally rolled away. Anyway, do you teach tomorrow?” (This “anyway” is often accompanied by a sigh.)

嘿，我说啊，

To return to a previous topic after a digression. For example, if I’m talking about the milk truck and suddenly my story wanders off to my new computer, to get back to the milk truck story I would say, “…my new computer. Anyway, the milk truck driver had this red hat…” (This is really along the same vein as number one in this list.)

哎呀，

To mean, “regardless.” For example, if I’m not sure whether I’ll be free to play ping pong tonight, I could explain the different things in my schedule that might interfere. Then I would say, “Anyway, I’ll call you when I know more.”

不管怎么样，

The key is that we use interjections to play the first and second functions and an adverb, the third.

]]>