Glossary entry

English英语 term or phrase:

convenient for you

Chinese汉语 translation:

another version

Added to glossary by Smartrans He
Dec 28, 2001 23:39
23 yrs ago
English英语 term

convenient for you

Non-PRO English英语译成Chinese汉语 其它 TV subtitles
This was a line in last season's ER. The subtitles on TV were 你可能覺得沒什麼. Are there better translations? The context is: Carter doesn't want to wish bad things for Luka and Abby, and
he doesn't want to "sit on the sidelines waiting for them to break up."
He finishes, with a thin smile, "And I don't want to be your friend. It
might be convenient for you, but it's not doing much for me." (Abby & Luka are lovers. Carter then finds that he has a crush on Abby.)

Discussion

Non-ProZ.com Dec 31, 2001:
Thanks again Thanks again for both of your input. I agree with Fu Xiaoping that the words express a delicate and subtle feeling which is very difficult to translate. How about if we start to translate from here: "And I don't want to be your friend. It might be convenient for you, but it's not doing much for me." Would it be easier to bring out the complex feelings ? Do you have any suggestions ? Thank you.
Thank you.
Non-ProZ.com Dec 31, 2001:
Thanks again Thanks again for both of your input. I agree with Fu Xiaoping that the words express a delicate and subtle feeling which is very difficult to translate. How about if we start to translate from here: "And I don't want to be your friend. It might be convenient for you, but it's not doing much for me." Would it be easier to bring out the complex feelings ? Do you have any suggestions ? Thank you.
Thank you.
Non-ProZ.com Dec 29, 2001:
Thanks for your input Thanks to Fu Xiaoping and Raymond Chu for your zealous and prompt input. It is quite interesting that one proposed answer is from PRC (Beijing?) and the other from Taiwan. I think answers from both are good and pro; however,from a Hong Kong TV viewers' perspective, the answers may seem a little 'exotic'. Anyway, I really appreciate your help. Please continue to answer my questions.
Non-ProZ.com Dec 29, 2001:
Thanks for your input Thanks to Fu Xiaoping and Raymond Chu for your zealous and prompt input. It is quite interesting that one proposed answer is from PRC (Beijing?) and the other from Taiwan. I think answers from both are good and pro; however,from a Hong Kong TV viewers' perspective, the answers may seem a little 'exotic'. Anyway, I really appreciate your help. Please continue to answer my questions.

Proposed translations

3天 10小时
Selected

another version

我们不知道这个三角关系详情如何,不知道这些人物的性格,也不知道前面Carter对Abby说了些什么。单译这一句话,总有隔靴搔痒之感。只能提出几个版本供你参考。

“而且,我不想作你的朋友。你也许觉得多个朋友挺方便的,可对我却满不是那么一回事。”

小标题:“不是那么一回事”


“而且,我不想作你的朋友。你说起来倒也轻巧,可我却不知道自己在做什么。”

小标题:“你说得倒也轻巧”


“而且,我不想作你的朋友。你可能觉得这样挺惬意,可谁知道我有多么难堪。”

小标题:“你可能觉得挺惬意”

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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks for the suggestions. I think the translation “而且,我不想作你的朋友。你可能觉得这样挺惬意,可谁知道我有多么难堪。”can express the complex feeling of Dr. Carter, but a bit too explicitly. Perhaps the last sentence can be replaced by that of the first suggestion: 可对我却满不是那么一回事。” Thank you very much."
4小时

挺得劲儿的 / 挺便当的


你可能觉得挺得劲儿[便当]的,可对我却没什么好处。

“得劲儿”是北方俗语,意思是方便、舒适、顺手,等等。
“便当”和“得劲儿”意思是一样的,差别在风格不同。我个人更倾向用“得劲儿”,因为它更口语化,也更有性格。
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7小时

正中下懷;不在乎;鬆了一口氣

These are some of the possible translations.
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1天 7小时

礚┮孔; タ種

If you prefer a more idiomatic expression for your Cantonese audience, above are my alternative suggestions. Hope you find one them helpful.
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1天 16小时

我的友情只是你的方便

这句话意思含蓄,不容易译得好。

"it might be convenient for you" 表达了很复杂的感情,既有被利用的抱怨,又有不被重视的委屈,而这一切又八成是他自己造成的,难堪又无地埋怨。对方可能并非有意利用他,只是他自己心中委屈而已。原来的译文“你可能觉得没什么”,表达了单恋者的期艾之情,只是过于含蓄,抱怨被利用的委屈没有表达出来。
我前面译为“你可能觉得挺得劲儿”,适合性格比较爽快的角色。“得劲儿”暗含抱怨对方“利用”甚至“玩弄”自己感情的意味,也有暗讽对方其实并不真正重视自己这个朋友的意思。但是期艾的意味则冲淡了,略嫌直露了一点。

可否考虑这样译:
“你可能觉得有这么个朋友挺方便,而这对我却一点好处都没有。”加上“有这么个”这一修饰语,暗含的意思是,有了不多,没了不少。直接用方便一词,暗示自己对被利用不满,态度却没有“得劲儿”那么强烈。

作为标题,可否译为:
我的友情只是你的方便

不知您的香港观众能接受否?
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