文法a

１）囚為顏先生的出入口生意很好，所以他的錢越來越多。	Mr Ngan is becoming wealthy, as his international trading business is doing quite well. Note 1: The base pattern for this sentence is 囚為Ａ，所以Ｂwhere Ａis the reason that the speaker gives for Ｂ. Note 2: The base pattern of part Ａis of the form ＣＤwhere Ｃis the modified subject 顏先生的出入口生意 and Ｄis the predicate adjective 很好. In translation, 出入口生意 refers to an export/import business. The word 出入口 is likely formed from the words 出口 (exit) and 入口 (entrance). The word 生意 is generally translated as business. Thus, the term 出入口生意 refers to some sort of import/export business. Note 3: The base pattern of part Ｂis given by Ｅ越來越Ｆ, where Ｅis the modified subject 他的錢 and Ｅis the descriptive modifier 多 that works with the phrase 越來越 to describe a state of increasing number or size. 他的錢 literally translates as "his money", which can easily be rendered as "wealth" with no distortion of meaning. Source: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1362121
２）香港是遠東很有名的港口，地方很小，可是人口有五百多萬。	Hong Kong is a famous Far East seaport. Although small, there are more than 5,000,000 residents. Note 1: The base pattern of this sentence is Ａ，Ｂ,可是Ｃ, where Ａ, Ｂ, and Ｃare three observations about the same thing. The third observation Ｃappears contrary to either or both of the previous two. Specifically, what is observed is Hong Kong's reputation as a Far East seaport 遠東很有名的港口, its geographical size 地方很小, and its population 人口有五百多萬. Note 2: The base pattern of part Ａ is that of a subject and its modified predicate nominative -- namely, Ｄ是Ｆ的Ｅwhere 是Ｆ的Ｅis the modified predicate nominative to the subject Ｄ. Note 3: The base pattern of part Ｂis that of a subject and its predicate adjective -- namely, ＧＨ. One must assume that the place 地方 described by the predicate adjective 很小 is indeed Hong Kong 香港. Note 4: The base pattern of part Ｃis of the form Ｊ有Ｋwhere 有Ｋprovides the amount of Ｊ. Specifically, the population of Hong Kong 人口 is over 5 million 有五百多萬. Note 5: The base pattern of the amount 五百多萬 is of the form Ｌ多Ｋ, where Ｌis the number of times by which Ｋis multiplied to obtain the actual amount, and where 多 tells us that this number of times will yield a number smaller than the actual number when multiplied Specifically, 五百萬 = 500 x 10,000 = 5,000,000. Source: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1364737
３）公海是公有的，所以在公海上，哪一國的船都有。	Since international waters are the domain of all nations, ships from any nation can be found in them. Note 1: The base pattern for this sentence is Ａ，所以Ｂ, where Ａis a statement of fact, and Ｂis the both the real and logical consequence of that fact. In this case, it is the common ownership 公有 of international waters 公海 that leads to the presence 有 of ships 船 from any nation 哪一國的. Note 2: The base pattern of Ａ, the statement of fact, is that of a subject and its predicate nominative -- namely, Ａ是Ｂ的（Ａ）where 的 serves as a nominalizer for the understood predicate noun 海 described by the phrase 公有的. Literally translated this sentence part becomes "international waters are public waters". The word 公有 is apparently a noun meaning publicly or commonly owned property, and has the same pattern as 公用. Note 3: The base pattern for the second part is of the form Ｃ，哪一Ｅ的Ｄ都有, where Ｃis an adverbial phrase that introduces the clause 哪一Ｅ的Ｄ都有. Note 4: The base pattern of the adverbial phrase 在公海上 is not new and takes the form 在Ｆ上. It means "in international waters". Note 5: The clause 哪一Ｅ的Ｄ都有 is more complicated, as the adverb 都 and the indefinite modifier 哪一 , although conceptually very close, are grammatically distant. In effect, the phrase 哪一 describes 國, not 船 which is the subject of the verb phrase 都有. To understand how these elements work together compare the following two sentences: i)「有船。」 meaning "there are ships", and ii)「哪一國的船都有。」 meaning "there are ships from any nation". Source: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1366307 Source: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1366309
４）三公尺比五英尺長，是不是？長多少？對不起，我不知道。	i) Three meters are longer than five English feet, aren't they? Excuse me for asking, but do you know how much longer? I simply don't know. ii) Speaker A: Three meters are longer than five English feet, aren't they? Do you know how much longer? Speaker B: Sorry, but I do not know. iii) Speaker A: Three meters are longer than five English feet, aren't they? Speaker B: Do you want to know how much longer? Sorry, I don't know. Note 1: There appear to be three ways in which these three sentences can be interpreted -- each corresponding to the number of speakers and the motivation for question and apology. The base patterns of the Chinese sentences are not influenced by these different interpretations, however. The base patterns are given by Ａ比ＢＣ，是不是？Ｃ多少？對不起，我不知道. Note 2: The first sentence is a question in which Ａand Ｂare compared against some standard Ｃ, and the speaker asks for confirmation with regard to the comparison. In this case, the standard for comparison is length 長, and the comparison is between two measurements of length: one of three meters 三公尺 and one of five English feet 五英尺. The speaker believes that the former is longer than the latter. Note 3: The second sentence is also a question whose base pattern is given by Ｃ多少？Depending on the number of speakers and the motivation for the question, this question can be translated differently. The characters 多少 followed by a question mark form a question word that asks "How much?" or "How many?" As the question is with regard to length, 多少 must be translated here as "How long?", or even "How much longer?" The author did not write 多少Ｃ？, rather he wrote Ｃ多少？Was this for emphasis with regard to the standard of measurement? Is this the standard format for asking a question using the question word 多少? How does it apply to other uses of 多少? In this context, the question Ｃ多少？could be referring to the length of three meters, or the difference in length between three meters and five feet. Though what is meant would surely change the translation of the question in English, the Chinese is the same for both. This is still another example where conceptual understanding must substitute for the absence of precise gammar. Note 4: The last sentence is an apology for ignorance with regard to the question Ｃ多少？How this sentence is rendered in English depends on the context of the preceding question and who is asking the question. In any case, 對不起 means "Sorry", and 我不知道 means "I don't know". Source: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1368427
５）「民主國家的國民，都是國家的主人。」這種說法對不對？	Is the expression, "In a democracy the people rule", a correct statement? Note 1: The base pattern for this sentence is 「Ａ」這種說法對不對？where Ａis an expression of which the speaker questions the validity and seeks confirmation from the listener. Note 2: The expression 這種說法 means, in effect, "this sort of expression" or "this sort of statement". Without more context, however, these English renderings of the Chinese make little sense. Note 3: The phrase 對不對 is an expression of doubt used by the speaker to obtain confirmation from the listener. Here it is used to pose the question "Is this correct, or not?" Note 4: The expression Ａ appears to be a citation, as it is enclosed in offsetting, left-right, angle brackets -- namely, 「」. The expression's base pattern is given by Ｂ，都是Ｃ and means as much as "Ｂis alsoＣ". The placement of the comma is difficult to explain, as Ｂappears to be little more than a simply modified subject with only the simple adverb 都 between the subject and the verb. Note 5: The phrase 民主國家 means "a nation ruled by the people" or more simply "a democracy". 民主 means "the people rule", and 國家 means nation or country. The word 國民 means the "people of a nation" or perhaps more simply "a nation's citizenry". A direct translation of the phrase 民主國家的國民 might be "the people of a democracy". Source: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1369555
６）雖然那個公司很大，但是，因為賣的東西都太貴，所以生意不好。	Although large, that company is not doing very well, because it charges so much for its merchandise. Note 1: The base pattern of this sentence is 雖然Ａ，但是，因為Ｂ，所以Ｃ. This pattern consists of two overlapping logical arguments that represent a fairly common pattern in Chinese and should be generally avoided in English. The two arguments are 雖然Ａ，但是Ｄand 因為Ｂ，所以Ｃwhere Ｄand the expression 因為Ｂ，所以Ｃare one and the same. Note 2: The pattern 雖然Ａ，但是Ｄexpresses the idea that Ｄis something which one would not expect given Ａ. Note 3: The pattern 因為Ｂ，所以Ｃwe have already seen many times. It means that Ｃis the consequence of Ｂ. Note 4: The base patterns of the sentence parts Ａ, Ｂ, and Ｃare the same. The pattern isＥＦ, where Ｆis a predicate adjective describing the subject Ｅ. 那個公司 is a company that is very large 很大; 賣的東西 is merchandise that is sold at too high a price 太貴; and 生意 is business that is not doing very well 不好. Certainly, this use of parallel grammatical construction relieves some of the awkwardness with the overlapping logic of the phrasing 雖然Ａ，但是，因為Ｂ，所以Ｃ. Whereas the use of 都 in partＢlikely provides syntactic fluidness for the native speaker, it does little to relieve the confusion that arises for the nonnative learner. Note 7: Notice that the counter of 公司 is 個. Source: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1370973
７）我不知道上海離舊金山有多少公里，你們知道嗎？	I don't know how many kilometers it is from Shanghai to San Francisco. Do you? Note 1: The base pattern for this sentence is 我不知道Ａ，你們知道？where Ａis something that the speaker asks his listeners, because he does not know it and wants to know. The phrase 你們 refers of course to the English second-person plural, and differs from spoken Cantonese. The absence of the sentence suffix 嗎 could suggest that the speaker is looking for something more than a simple Yes or No answer. Note 2: The base pattern of partＡis Ｂ離Ｃ有多少Ｄwhere Ｂand Ｃare two physical locations, and the phrase 有多少Ｄasks the question how many units of Ｄlie between the two locations. In this particular case, the two locations are 上海 (Shanghai) and 舊金山 (San Francisco) and the units of measurement are kilometers 公里. Source (中文): 舊金山 Source (English): Gold_Mountain Source: San Francisco's Chinatown in the early days.
８）東方國家的文化跟西方國家的文化有甚麼分別呀？	In what way do the cultures of nations of the East and West differ? Note 1: The base pattern of this question is Ａ跟Ｂ有甚麼分別呀？where Ａ and Ｂare two things contrasted by the speaker. The standard for contrast is culture 文化, and the two kinds of culture of interest to the speaker are those of oriental and occidental nations -- namely, 東方國家的 and 西方國家的. The question is posed by the phrase 有甚麼分別 which asks what 甚麼 differences 分別 are present 有? Note 2: The words 東方 and 西方 are apparently standard expressions for distinguishing between the East (Orient) and West (occident). Note 3: Apparently written Chinese makes little or no distinction between the English words nation, country, and state. Under the assumption that no special political inference was intended by the author, the word 國家 has been rendered as nation. Source: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1334713
９）這個學校只有三百個學生左右，沒有五百個學生那麼多。	This school only has about 300 students, not so many as 500. Note 1: The base pattern for this sentence is Ａ只有Ｂ，沒有Ｃ where Ａis something that, or someone who has only Ｂ, but not Ｃ. In this case, it is the number of students 學生 that a particular school 這個學校 (this school) has 有. The sentence is likely conversational in nature and not an example of well-written Chinese. There are two reasons for this: 1) Unnecessary redundancy of the idea expressed in parts Ｂand Ｃ: As both these parts draw a comparison in the number of students that the school does and does not have, it is unnecessary to repeat the word 學生 in the second part. One could simply write 五百個, and it would be clearly understood from the context that 五百個學生 were meant. In effect, the counter can play the role of a pronoun corresponding to the understood, but unwritten noun that would otherwise follow. Here, the counter happens to be 個 and the understood noun is 學生. 2) The phrasing 三百個學生左右 could probably be written more correctly as 三百個左右的學生. Although both phrases express the same idea, the second phrasing places the adverb approximately 左右 closer to the number that it modifies and is thus syntactically clearer. Nevertheless, placing 左右 after 學生 may have been intentional, as it results in the parallel construction Ｄ個學生Ｅ of 三百個學生左右 and 五百個學生那麼多. Note 2: The phrase 沒有Ｆ那麼多 has been translated as "not so many as Ｆ". More proper English might require the phrasing "not as many as Ｆ". Both ways express the idea of not reaching the stated limit of 500 students established by the speaker. Source: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1375217
１０）在世界上，對錢有興趣的人多，還是對錢沒有興趣的人多？	Who are more numerous in the world? People with an interest in money or with no interest in money? Note 1: This is a question whose base pattern is apparently given by Ａ，Ｂ多，還是Ｃ多？Here the speaker asks the listener which is more numerous, Ｂor Ｃ? The sentence is introduced by an adverbial phrase Ａ. What is being compared are people 人who have 有 and do not have 沒有 interest 興趣 in money 對錢. Note 2: Part Ａis given by the phrase 在世界上 which means "in the world" and is of the form 在Ｄ上. Note 3: Parts ＢandＣonly differ in the presence and absence of 沒 which is used in part Ｃto negate 有. One does not generally use 不 to negate 有. Note 4: The phrasing 對Ｅ有興趣 is not new and means "have an interest in Ｅ" or "be interested in Ｅ". Note 5: Although appearing redundant the rendering "with no interest in money" insures that the listener will not confuse "interest in money" with money itself. Source: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1377201

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