既不颓废，又不牛掰

[Fred0]

Yao Zihan is watching a video of her gu zheng performance and she decides it was terrible. She says: 既不颓废，又不牛掰.

 

I can't make sense of either phrase.  ?already not depressed, also not broken cow?

 

Then: 姚子涵感觉自己委琐了.    委琐 is cast aside, trifling?

 

Please help.

[陳德聰]

https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/颓废/362376

意志消沉，精神萎靡

 

https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/牛掰

棒，厉害，牛逼

 

Sounds more like she is upset that her performance is mediocre. ***wroooooong***

 

委琐 petty/wretched

 

Might help if you gave more background.

 

Edit:

“還有古箏。他們當初怎麼就選擇古箏了呢？從什麼時候開始的呢？姚子涵開始痴迷於「帥」，她不再喜愛在視覺上「不帥」的事物。姚子涵參加過學校裡的一場音樂會，拿過錄像，一比較，她的獨奏寒磣了。古箏演奏的效果甚至都不如一把長笛。更不用說薩克斯管和鋼琴了。既不頹廢，又不牛掰。姚子涵感覺自己委瑣了，上不了臺面。”

 

Hm.

[Publius]

Yes, context is important.

I believe 頹廢 refers to saxophone's melancholic feel, or 'emo' if you like.

牛掰 is another euphemistic way (started by Wang Shuo I believe) to write 牛逼, apparently refers to piano.

既不……又不…… neither ... nor ...

She's saying guzheng is neither as cool as saxophone nor as classy as piano.

委琐 has multiple layers of meanings, but the gist here is 上不了臺面 'unpresentable'.

[gwr71]

the pin yin is as follows:

既      不      颓     废    又     不      牛         掰。

Jì         bu    tuí  feì    yoù    bu    niú        baī.   

 

 

[gwr71]

ji=already, de facto; since; then

tui= ruined, decayed; disintegrated.    or  to crumble; to collapse; to decline; to decay; decadent; dejected; dispirited; balding.

fei=abrogate, terminate, discard.

you= and, also, in addition   or    (once) again; also; both....and.......; again.

niu= ox, cow, bull.

bai= (Cant.) to tear, to rip    or   to break with both hands.

 

 

[gwr71]

I hope that from the literal meanings of each character that the translation can be figured out.

[roddy]

Since it wasn't already ruined, she didn't tear the cow in half?

[imron]

It's a bit tricky to get "neither as cool as saxophone nor as classy as piano " going only from the literal meanings of each character.

[Fred0]

Very helpful indeed. Key to my understanding is your translation of 既不。。。又不。。。. I really appreciate your efforts. 

Could you say a bit more about the multiple layers of meaning of 自己委琐? I sense that it refers to her own sense of insignificance, irrelevance, and worthlessness. Thanks.

[Publius]

既 is part of a correlative conjunction. The second part can be 且, 又, or 也.

既A且B = 既A又B = 既A也B = both A and B

So 既不A又不B = neither A nor B

 

《漢語大詞典》 lists 6 senses for 委瑣:

①細碎，瑣屑。This is the original meaning and refers to things: petty, trifling.

②指細碎瑣屑之事物。

③謂拘泥於小節，注重瑣碎之事。This refers to people: fastidious, fussy.

④謂品格才智卑下。It goes more negative. People who only care about small things are considered crass, without class, even morally/intellectually inferior.

⑤謂容止鄙俗。This refers to people's look and bearing: of wretched appearance, vulgar, or just generally unpleasant. Sense 4 and 5 are the most commonly used and often written as 猥瑣.

⑥委頓，委靡不振。This sense is obsolete: dispirited.

[gwr71]

just to add:  颓 废 = decadent/dispirited/depressed/dejected.(compound word)

 牛= awesome (in a slang).

掰= (fig) to break off ( a relationship).

 

so following Publius post, It can mean as follows:

Neither disprited/depressed/dejected nor awesome break (off a relationship) .

that was a wild shot in the dark, following what has been said above.  I don't know.

 

[gwr71]

it could mean that she was so disappointed and it wasn't unexpected and that she broke off her admiration for that person.  Don't know just thinking outside the box.

[gwr71]

the other translation is:

 

 

姚         子           涵                   感-觉             自-己     委              琐               了

yao      zi           han                gan-jue         zi-ji         wei           suo       le/liao.

Edited December 9, 2017 at 03:33 AM by gwr71
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[Fred0]

The layers of meaning of 委琐 are very interesting. In the context of this story, the implication of "vulgar," "low class" is significant. It shows her lack of respect for the traditional Chinese, as compared to the western/modern.

[陳德聰]

It’s rather amusing the hierarchy of instruments she has in her mind: 古箏 < 長笛 < 薩克斯管 & 鋼琴.

 

Makes me wonder where she draws the line for 帥 and 不帥 things.