They are not just popular words and phrases, but cultural memes with rich contexts and implied attitudes. They testify to linguistic expressiveness of the grassroots and the vibrancy of the Chinese language in the hands of ordinary citizens. Some of them may ultimately find their way into the mainstream, but the ability to use them while they are still hot is tantamount to staking your position on the bandwagon.
1. Money's not a big deal. (or Money's not a problem. Money's nothing.)(不差錢)
The year 2009 is not about money? Many might not agree. But sometimes people say it, and wish it were true. A comedy skit on CCTV Spring Festival Gala spawned this famous line about the outwardly nonchalant attitude towards money. People embraced it to express generosity, friendliness or to justify their spendthrift way of life.
2. What I'm eating is not noodles, but solitude.(哥吃的不是面,是寂寞)
Other variations include: What I'm smoking is not a cigarette, but solitude. The person I love is not you, but solitude.
Solitude became a hot word on the Internet during 2009. A post in a forum with a photograph featuring a man eating noodles was accompanied by the caption: "What I'm eating is not noodles, but solitude."
Later, web users imitated the sentence structure to spin off other phrases with the same key word.
Solitude is also the punchline for the group of "Zhai" people (who always stay at home in their spare time) and for those who use the Internet every day.
3. Don't be infatuated with me. I'm only a legend. (不要迷戀哥,哥只是一個傳說)
An online post with a man saying the above sentence became a runaway hit. Unlike the one with "solitude", this one reflects more narcissism. It might be a slogan promoting self-esteem, or you might just use it as self-mockery.
Both this and the last phrase are uttered by men because the person addresses himself as "your brother". This form of avoiding the first person can be either endearing or pompous. Women are advised to change it to "your sister" for customizing.
4. Jia Junpeng, mom wants you back home for dinner.(賈君鵬,你媽媽喊你回家吃飯)
This time, a friendly spirit wins on the Internet. Jia Junpeng, a virtual character first appearing in a post in a forum for the online game World of Warcraft, became famous even though nobody knew anything about him. "Mom wants you back home for dinner" can be used to greet a childhood friend who had become lost, especially in the virtual world. Are you a Jia Junpeng, and did you miss dinner at home today?
5. Tableware is to the table what tragedy is to life.(人生就像茶幾,上面擺滿了杯具)
Chinese Internet users banter about life using humorous metaphors. They compare life to the table, and liken tragedies that occur to tableware on the table. The newly coined Chinese phrase "beiju" (杯具) is a homonym of the word "tragedy" (悲。. When pressures mount in daily life, people use jokes to laugh off setbacks at workplace or in romantic relationships. The popular saying can be attributed to Chinese writer Eileen Chang, who described life as a beautiful gown covered with lice.
6. I'll pay the debt of gratitude by selling myself. (人情債,我肉償了)
It's a line used by the heroine Guo Haizao in the popular TV drama "Dwelling Narrowness," which was later removed from BTV due to its controversial content and provocative lines. The character Guo Haizao is the younger of two sisters who pursue their dreams in the city after graduating from a university. In order to earn a place of her own for her family, especially with property prices surging all the time, the elder Guo used her younger sister as collateral. The younger Guo became a mistress of a middle-aged official who has the power and money to help them realize their dream. In a sarcastic but tragic way, the heroin speaks of the difficulties, internal conflicts and pain in all relationships. As the year of 2009 drew to an end, it seemed there would be no end to the overheated property market. The line and the drama itself reminded audiences about the tragedy of life.
7. Lazy the Sheep is what we want to be. Big Big Wolf is the perfect husband.(做人要做懶羊羊,嫁人就嫁灰太狼)
The TV series "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf" airs on 50 channels nationwide. The animated show was a success in the television market and has also led to new sayings in the youth market. The show features a herd of goats and several wolves living on "Qingqing Field" and their battle of wits. The character called Lazy the Sheep became a role model for many adult audiences. He's smart and efficient at working and learning, so he has more time to sleep than the others. In many instances, he saved the goats from being caught and eaten by the wolves. But actually, the main villain, Big Big Wolf, never get the chance to eat any one of the goats. He demonstrated his love for his wife, which won the audience's affection.
8. Believe in Bro Chun, you'll live a long life; believe in Big Zeng, you'll pass every exam.(信春哥,得永生;信曾哥,不掛科)
Li Yuchun and Zeng Yike are two famous "Happy Girl" singers in a talent show of Hunan Satellite TV. Bro Chun and Big Zeng are nicknames for the girls who look and act like boys. Zeng Yike became famous for her "sheep voice" and her self-composed songs in the talent contest. Her resemblance to ex-happy girl top prize winner Li Yuchun became the subject of spoofs on the Internet. Fans of the two used the saying to promote their popularity, while those who didn't like them used the saying to make fun of their tomboy looks. Love them or hate them, you cannot just avoid them.
9. When a verb acts passive aggressive (被就業(yè),被加薪,被自殺…)
When an ordinarily active verb is deliberately twisted into passive form, it often implies the helplessness of the person in controlling his own fate. So, the next time you hear a Chinese use the passive word "bei" (被) ostensibly incorrectly, look for the implication rather than the grammar book.
10. This cannot be told in details.(這事兒不能說太細)
This saying repeats the excuse used to reject inquiries on issues of public concern. Asked by a reporter on a TV program about the amount of loans the Tianjin municipality needs to pay back every year on the construction of roads, an official from the city's department of roads replied, "This cannot be told in details." Now the statement is synonymous...
他們不僅僅是流行的詞句,而且是有著豐富背景與深刻喻義的"文化基因"(或文化之大集成).這證明了中文語言在普通民眾中的語言表達根基和其活潑性。當中有些可能最終進入語言的主流,但是趁著這些語句還很火爆的時候使用它們絕對趕潮流/時髦/出風(fēng)頭/出彩。
聲明:下面的都不是我的翻譯。是我從網(wǎng)上轉(zhuǎn)貼過來的。估計是本文是根據(jù)下文翻譯過來的。我看到這篇文章,覺得很好,也大力推薦給大家。
這是一個充滿無限可能的時代,也是一個網(wǎng)絡(luò)推動的時代。歲末將至,盤點2009年中出現(xiàn)的每一句網(wǎng)絡(luò)流行語,無一不與我們的生活息息相關(guān);細讀每一個網(wǎng)絡(luò)流行語詼諧和無厘頭的背后,無一不是對現(xiàn)實問題的最理性的思考。
1. 不差錢
Money is not a problem.
出處:2009年央視春晚,趙本山、小沈陽等演出了小品《不差錢》。幾乎一夜之間,二人轉(zhuǎn)演員小沈陽連同小品中的多句經(jīng)典臺詞,紅遍大江南北。
入選理由:趙本山的小品歷年來都不乏經(jīng)典臺詞,這次有了小沈陽的加盟,語錄更是經(jīng)典。春晚過后,老百姓去餐館點菜,和餐館服務(wù)員之間最常見的對白就是"這個真沒有","這個可以有""咱不差錢".
2. 哥抽的不是煙,是寂寞!
What brother is smoking is not a cigarette, but loneliness!
出處:7月初,在百度貼吧里突然有人發(fā)了一張一名非主流男子吃面的圖片,圖片配文"哥吃的不是面,是寂寞".之后一發(fā)不可收拾,有網(wǎng)友相繼模仿"哥×的不是×,是寂寞"的句式,"哥上的不是網(wǎng),是寂寞"、"哥愛的不是你,是寂寞"……
入選理由:今年,"寂寞體"成為很多人的MSN、QQ簽名,仿佛什么事情都可以化作"寂寞"兩個字,它折射出現(xiàn)代人需要撫慰的心靈。寂寞是一種病,我們都在尋找治愈它的藥片。
3. 賈君鵬你媽媽喊你回家吃飯!
Jia Junpeng, your mother wants you to go home to have some food.
出處:賈君鵬只是個網(wǎng)絡(luò)虛擬人物,但是在2009年7月16日百度貼吧里的魔獸世界吧里,一個只有標題《賈君鵬,你媽媽喊你回家吃飯!》的空帖,短短幾個小時就被390617名網(wǎng)友瀏覽,引來超過1.7萬條回復(fù),并在接下來的一天時間內(nèi)吸引了710萬點擊和30萬的回復(fù)。
入選理由:相當長一段時間內(nèi),"×××,你媽媽喊你回家吃飯!"這種兼具家庭式溫馨的調(diào)侃語錄成了最流行的網(wǎng)絡(luò)問候語,并影響了社會各界和媒體們對此語錄的深度分析。
4. 人生就像茶幾,上面擺滿了杯具。
Life is like a tea table, with bitter cups placed all over it.
出處:首先是易中天因為在一期《百家講壇》中瞪大眼睛感嘆了一句"悲劇啊",結(jié)果就被網(wǎng)友截了圖并上傳到了網(wǎng)上,隨即成為無數(shù)網(wǎng)友爭相引用的簽名檔。其實,這句流行語的句式模板來自張愛玲筆下的---"人生是一襲華美的袍,上面爬滿了虱子。"
"杯具"一詞誕生后,網(wǎng)上出現(xiàn)了"杯具黨",網(wǎng)友們又創(chuàng)造了"餐具(慘。"、"洗具(喜。"和"茶具(差距)".
入選理由:在網(wǎng)友看來,"杯具"這個詞比"悲劇"能表現(xiàn)內(nèi)心的無奈,同時又多了一分自嘲的樂觀態(tài)度,比之前單純的悲觀也多了一分希望。
5. 不要迷戀哥,哥只是個傳說。
Don't be obsessed with brother. He is only a legend.
出處:這句話的起源是貓撲大雜燴,由網(wǎng)友"不要迷戀哥"的一個帖子引起的惡搞。
入選理由:原本是很自戀的一句話,卻給無聊的生活添加了一瓶調(diào)味劑,它火到什么程度呢?連國際知名大導(dǎo)演張藝謀的新任"謀男郎"小沈陽都在唱"不要瘋狂地迷戀我,我只是個傳說……"
6. 人情債,我肉償了!
My debts of gratitude have been repaid with my body!
出處:《蝸居》用犀利的筆觸講述了現(xiàn)代都市白領(lǐng)階層對房子的渴望以及房奴生活的酸甜苦辣。雖然仍然以上海為故事背景,但劇中人物每日掙扎與奮斗,付出巨大的大城市生活成本,卻是很多都市白領(lǐng)的生活寫照,編劇六六的犀利臺詞也成為很多人新的MSN簽名。
入選理由:除了關(guān)注熱門的社會話題外,劇中的臺詞也很潮,不僅幽默風(fēng)趣充滿智慧,還貼近老百姓的生活。隨著《蝸居》的熱播,劇中犀利有深度的臺詞也隨之走紅,成為觀眾們討論的熱點。