艾墨本 Posted December 20, 2016 at 02:32 PM Report Share Posted December 20, 2016 at 02:32 PM 家珍怀着有庆有六个月了,自然有些难看,走路时裤裆里像是夹了个馒头似的一撇一撇,两只脚不往前往横里跨,我嫌弃她,对她说:“你呀,风一吹肚子就要大上一圈。” A few questions: What does 有庆 mean? What is the 馒头? Why would it 一撇一撇? Why is this a lead-in to talking to his daughter, “你"? Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Publius Posted December 20, 2016 at 03:22 PM Report Share Posted December 20, 2016 at 03:22 PM I haven't read the book. But it seems 家珍 is a pregnant woman, 有庆 is the name of the baby 家珍 is carrying. 走路时裤裆里像是夹了个馒头似的一撇一撇 describes how that woman (她=家珍) walks. 饅頭就是普通的饅頭啦。。。 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realmayo Posted December 20, 2016 at 03:24 PM Report Share Posted December 20, 2016 at 03:24 PM 有庆 is a given name of if I remember right their future child, Jiazhen is six months pregnant with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realmayo Posted December 20, 2016 at 03:27 PM Report Share Posted December 20, 2016 at 03:27 PM Ah, beat me to it! (I remember this book introduced me to the fact that 裤裆 is used much more frequently in Chinese than its English equivalent is used in English.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wurstmann Posted December 20, 2016 at 03:46 PM Report Share Posted December 20, 2016 at 03:46 PM Might contain some mistakes, but something like this: When Jiazhen was six months pregnant with Youqing, she naturally was a little unseemly. When she walked it looked like she had a mantou tucked in her pants that was swinging around, her two legs wide apart. I avoided her and said: "As soon as the wind blows your belly gets big". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Publius Posted December 20, 2016 at 03:55 PM Report Share Posted December 20, 2016 at 03:55 PM “一撇一撇”指的是她的步態(像鴨子一樣,外八字),不是指的饅頭 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelina Posted December 20, 2016 at 03:56 PM Report Share Posted December 20, 2016 at 03:56 PM The wind or the Wurst? Speaking of food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wurstmann Posted December 20, 2016 at 04:39 PM Report Share Posted December 20, 2016 at 04:39 PM 哦,原来如此! Thanks for the correction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
艾墨本 Posted December 21, 2016 at 01:30 AM Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2016 at 01:30 AM Thanks all. This cleared it up. When I first read this I was confused then after trying to break it down, I was laughing. Glad I checked on this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baihua Posted December 26, 2016 at 09:50 AM Report Share Posted December 26, 2016 at 09:50 AM Would it be an idea to start a 活着 reading thread. I'm dipping in and out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
艾墨本 Posted December 26, 2016 at 10:07 AM Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2016 at 10:07 AM I like the idea, baihua. Care to get it started? I'm under the impression that a lot of people read it as a first or one of their first full Chinese novels, so it could benefit future readers as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anonymoose Posted December 26, 2016 at 12:24 PM Report Share Posted December 26, 2016 at 12:24 PM Why does wind blowing make the belly big? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realmayo Posted December 26, 2016 at 01:00 PM Report Share Posted December 26, 2016 at 01:00 PM I'd assumed it's simply to suggest that it's getting bigger all the time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelley Posted December 26, 2016 at 01:44 PM Report Share Posted December 26, 2016 at 01:44 PM "As soon as the wind blows your belly gets big" I have no knowledge of the book or any of the other things discussed in this topic but this sentence might mean that she gets pregnant very easily. There is a similar saying in English, she gets pregnant every time the wind changes direction. I may be way off track here but thought it was worth throwing into the mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imron Posted December 26, 2016 at 01:51 PM Report Share Posted December 26, 2016 at 01:51 PM Would it be an idea to start a 活着 reading thread There's one here if you're interested. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realmayo Posted December 26, 2016 at 01:53 PM Report Share Posted December 26, 2016 at 01:53 PM Shelley: I think the 'every time the wind changes direction' is basically the same implied meaning as in the Chinese. So yes it's 'every time the wind blows'. But I think as for the belly being big, it's just that her husband reckons she's getting visibly bigger every day. She is six months pregnant at this stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelina Posted December 26, 2016 at 03:43 PM Report Share Posted December 26, 2016 at 03:43 PM I am reading Cries in the Drizzle, this one is the masterpiece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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