taibeihong Posted February 24, 2005 at 07:43 AM Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 at 07:43 AM Can someone help me understand what this sentence means? 他迫切而又煞有 介事地说 I understand the individual words, but the grammar and word compunds escape my comprehension (especially ! This is the context (taken from Shanghai Baby, chapter 2): 那架老式的转盘电话机用刺耳的声音响起来，是天天打来的。几乎每天这个时候都 能收到他的一个电话，恰好是我们对各自所呆的地方感到厌倦的时候。他迫切而又煞有 介事地说：“老时间，老地点，我等你一起吃晚饭。” Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted February 24, 2005 at 11:05 AM Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 at 11:05 AM I think the confusion stems from 煞有介事. This is a set phrase with its own grammar going on, but you should read it as a single object in terms of interpreting the grammar of the whole. "He said, with a mix of urgency and fake sincerity..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taibeihong Posted February 24, 2005 at 11:51 AM Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 at 11:51 AM Thanks! I thought it could be a set phrase, but I couldn't find it in my dictionary (or, more probably, it was there and I missed it. ) My other question was about 而又, but now that I know how which characters go with which, it makes sense. BTW, has anybody read Shanghai Baby in Chinese? I'm reading it, VERY SLOWLY, as it has a lot of vocab I didn't know. Can someone tell me what kind of language the author is using? I mean, if I use the expressions I find in the book, will I sound funny, will people have a hard time understanding me, will it sound colloquial? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted February 24, 2005 at 12:20 PM Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 at 12:20 PM Here are some comments on this book -> http://www.chinese-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=2967 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
in_lab Posted February 25, 2005 at 04:40 AM Report Share Posted February 25, 2005 at 04:40 AM I happened to see 煞有介事 in the dictionary yesterday when I was searching for 煞有其事. But I'm still not sure what 煞有其事 means. Any help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted February 25, 2005 at 06:16 AM Report Share Posted February 25, 2005 at 06:16 AM 煞有介事 -> being unnecessarily serious/earnest for things or in situations which (normally) do not require that level of seriousness/earnestness; making a fuss over small things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ever00t Posted February 25, 2005 at 04:30 PM Report Share Posted February 25, 2005 at 04:30 PM 煞有介事 - pretend to be serious about sth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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