Search results for 'tag:Translation tag:Idioms' matching tags 'Translation' and 'Idioms'

What is 'live-firing'?

seroMack — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:45:15 GMT

In military use.. I can't find proper explanation on this term. Is it firing outdoor or real firing (not with blanks)?

this sentence needs

enkidu — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:05:49 GMT

i was swallowed by a stackable washing machine. Cold water wash, rinse, spin and not even dried.

1- i was swallowed: Means they cheated m
2-Cold water wash, rinse, spin and not even dried; I could not analysis this sentense, what is subject, which one is object

my thanks to those who spare time...

Re: "any"-defining

Fandorin — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:18:36 GMT

Kooyeen

You can do that too, but it is not common, it's only used sometimes for emphasis. It's easy to build odd sentences that way, so I personally prefer to avoid using it that way, as a learner. When talking about one thing, using the article "a" (or "an") is the common way to say it...
Do you have a sister? Is there a hospital near here? I don't have a sister, you must be mistaking me for someone else...

I didn't consider uncountable nouns because they are not usually used in the plural, so they weren't part of our problem. I didn't consider idioms or exceptions either... I can think of a couple of them right now:
Is there any reason why you are not allowed to do that?
There isn't any way to find out the truth, I'm afraid.

The singular seems to be the idiomatic choice in those cases.

Yes, it's odd way not to use "a". Indeed, "any=some" implies itself plural noun to be used. So the difference in translation some of constructions in English seems to be slightly smoothed between two meanings you mentioned above. At least it's so in my language.

Re: Broken Flower - Gramatically correct statement?

khoff — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 04:26:44 GMT

Well, I wouldn't call it a "statement" -- it's a phrase, as you say. And I agree, it's not grammatically incorrect. It's not very idiomatic if you're talking about real flowers, but in the appropriate context -- for instance, if you were previously talking about glass flowers -- it would be fine. I'm not familiar with the movie, but to me it sounds like a literal translation from another language in which "broken flower" would be the normal idiom.

brilliantly simple

changeling — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:50:59 GMT

Hi everybody!

In Russia, we have an idiom that literary goes It is simple as the work of a genius. I'm sure it doesn't make sense in English. It implies that good ideas are simple and self-evident. I failed to find translation in dictionaries, but I believe "brilliantly simple" has a very close meaning.

Thanks in advance

Re: language of threat

RayH — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:08:04 GMT

Here is the complete paragraph from the story from CCN.com

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Dialogue and negotiation are the only ways to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue, but first "we have to eliminate the language of threat," said former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami on Thursday, amid a two-week visit to the U.S.

Since the phrase in question is in quotes I assume it's a more-or-less direct translation from the original language (Farsi I guess). I certainly don't recognize it as an English idiom.

idiom: be out of sorts

JCDenton — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:17:27 GMT

Hi guys,

Can you please help me with how to use this idiom? I learned this phrase during the translation of one episode of Cold Case. It means feel slightly ill or slightly unhappy. But guys, if you look at these two definitions you should agree with me that they're absolutely different. To be frank, I don't know how to use it in the normal life....Just imagine the situation, that someone invited you for the party and you're excusing yourself from that party, for example via email, where you wrote: "Sorry, I can't come to your party. I feel a little out of sorts. ". How that other person will distinguish what your feelings are? I mean, how can he determine whether you feel really slightly ill or just not in the mood to celebrating something...????

many thanks in advance, that idiom seems to be used very widely, so I want to learn it.

Best Regards

JCD

Re: Using of word "sure-footed"

nona the brit — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 04:59:12 GMT

No. I'm guessing that this is a direct translation of an idiom from your own language, however, this idiom does not exist in English.

'I am sure that ....' is ok.

Re: deep chill ?

Anonymous — Tue, 06 May 2008 03:32:37 GMT

hmmm...it can be something literal or something that is meant to come out like an idiom..what are the other words in the sentence...usually in translation services and other language websites they would consider getting all the words in the sentence to get the full thought...some words sometimes cant just be literally translated to a better meaning...try to post the whole sentence and we'll se..:)

Re: Playing music to a cow

Tanit — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 14:29:49 GMT

Hi,

My understanding of the first one: John won't listen to your lesson.
Is that the meaning you wanted to convey? Or did you mean that he won't be able to understand?

As for the second one, I've never heard the idiom "to play music to a cow," so I had a look at some dictionaries, but to no avail.
A quick search on Google suggests it's a literal translation of a Chinese saying, is it?

Sorry if this wasn't helpful ... maybe you'd better wait for a native