I just recently had the pleasure of trying out the beta version of the new Pleco iPhone app. In case you’re not aware, Pleco is the software company behind what is regarded as the best electronic learner’s Chinese dictionary for any mobile device (and possibly the desktop as well). Given the dearth of really good Chinese dictionaries for the iPhone, Chinese learners have been eagerly awaiting the release of this iPhone app for quite some time. The wait has not …
20
Oct
2009
2009
Slumming it with nciku
I recently looked up the word 贫民窟 (meaning “slum”) in nciku. The definition included this example of usage:
She decided to slum it for a couple of months.
她决定去贫民窟待几个月。
The Chinese sentence, translated back into English, would be:
She decided to stay in a slum for a couple of months.
I think the translator missed something in this particular case, and the content of the sentences (as well as the order) strongly suggests that the Chinese is a (not …
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