Sample Chinese-to-English Translation

In order to demonstrate a range of translation abilities (including how I approach rhyme, rhythm, meter, etc), this page includes excerpts from 1) a popular Taiwanese song and 2) a well-known Chinese novel-turned-movie.

小幸运 (田馥甄演唱) | “A Little Happiness/A Little Luck” performed by Hebe Tien 

I have translated this song into rhymed and metered English while trying to maintain, as closely as possible, the literal and essential meaning of the original lyrics. In other words, you can sing this song in English. Go ahead, try it.

Original lyrics	Google Translate	Song translation
我聽見雨滴落在青青草地 我聽見遠方下課鐘聲響起 可是我沒有聽見你的聲音 認真 呼喚我姓名	I heard the rain falling on the green grass I heard the distance in the distance But I did not hear your voice Seriously call my name	I hear the raindrops falling down on the green Off in the distance there are school bells ringing But I no longer hear your voice echoing, calling out my name earnestly
愛上你的時候還不懂感情 離別了才覺得刻骨 銘心 為什麼沒有發現遇見了你 是生命最好的事情	Love you when you do not understand feelings Farewell to feel unforgettable Why did not find meet you? Is the best thing to life	Back then, I did not really know what love meant After we parted you were hard to forget How come I did not understand at the time You were the best thing in my life?
也許當時忙著微笑和哭泣 忙著追逐天空中的流星 人理所當然的忘記 是誰風裡雨裡一直默默守護在原地	Maybe it was busy smiling and crying Busy chasing the meteor in the sky Of course forgetfulness Who is the wind in the rain has been quietly guarding in place	Maybe I was busy laughing and crying Busy catching shooting stars in my dreams People tend not to recall Who secretly sheltered them in every tempest, big or small
原來你是我最想留住的幸運 原來我們和愛情曾經靠得那麼近 那為我對抗世界的決定 那陪我淋的雨 一幕幕都是你 一塵不染的真心	So you are the most lucky I want to keep So we and love had to rely on so close That is my decision against the world The rain that accompany me Scenes are you Spotless really	Turns out you were the blessing I wanted to keep Turns out that you and I were not very far from falling in love, the one who faced the world with me, Stood in the rain with me, Was you in every scene– Your pure, selfless heart beating

 

The following is an excerpt from the well-known 2010 Chinese web-novel:

失恋33天 by 鲍鲸鲸 | Love is Not Blind (lit. 33 Days of Heartbreak) by Bao JingJing

I have also included the Google Translate’s version of the text to demonstrate the difference between machine- and human-translation efforts. Because no two languages express ideas in the same way, directly and literally translating Chinese into English using a dictionary or Google Translate without understanding the nuances of both languages can result in a very awkward and clunky final product. Therefore, I have translated the text twice, once for grammar, and once for style to highlight the differences between mechanical and expert translations.

Column 1 contains the original text in its original language.

Column 2 was generated using Google Translate.

Column 3 contains a grammatically correct (but awkward) translation.

Column 4 contains a fluent native-English translation.

 

Original	Google Translate	Colloquial English Translation	Novel-style translation
前言	Forward	Preface	Preface
6月26日星期日大风天	June 26 Sunday Big windy day	June 26, a windy Sunday	June 26: A windy Sunday
亲眼看到我男朋友挽着他新欢的手，在新光天地里试喷香水的那一刻，世界“蹭”的一声，变得格外面目可憎。这种眼见为实的背叛，是第一次，但不会是最后一次，因为这种前不着村后不着店，让呆立在他们两人不远处的我，顿时觉得生死两茫茫起来。	With my own eyes seeing my boyfriend holding his new love’s hand, in a new lighted world trying out sprayed perfume, in that moment, there is a “phht” sound, turned particularly disgusting. Seeing this betrayal was my first time, but not my last, because this stuck in the middle feeling let me, who was standing not far from them, feel like life and death are vast/obscure/boundless.	I saw my boyfriend holding his new love’s hand in a brightly lit mall, trying out perfume. In that moment, the gentle “phht” of the perfume spray bottle suddenly became disgusting to me. It was my first time experiencing this kind of betrayal, but probably not my last, because to me, standing not far from them, it was as if life and death had conflated into boundless confusion.	I was in the mall’s perfume section when I first discovered that my boyfriend was cheating on me. In that instant, the “phht” of the perfume spray bottle suddenly became disgusting to me. It was the first time I’d ever watched someone betray me. As I stood there, frozen, not far from the two of them, I felt as if my life had suddenly collapsed.
我一路跑回家，瘫坐在沙发上时，已累到呼吸濒临衰竭，那一刻的我无论从哪个层面看，都是在苟延残喘。我眨眨眼睛，眼角很干涩，我没有痛哭失声，但在我脑海中，房间里，各个角落，漫山遍野，似乎都在大剂量的播放着苦情歌。我的心一阵阵的抽搐，手指也在微微颤抖。我筋疲力尽，想要侧身靠一靠，却发现，沙发在我眼中已大到无边，全世界，都没有一个支点。	I ran all the way home, sat paralyzed on the sofa, tired to the point where my breath was on the verge of failure. At that point, no matter which perspective I looked at it, was like struggling at death’s door. I opened my eyes, the corner of my eyes were dry, but in my mind, in the house, each corner, as far as the eye can see, seems to be loudly playing a bitter love song. My heart went through spasms of twitching, my fingers were trembling slightly as well. I was exhausted, I wanted to lean sideways, but found the sofa to have enlarged in my eyes so that there was no side—the entire world, has no fulcrum.	I ran all the way home and collapsed, paralyzed, on the sofa, exhausted to the point of breathlessness. At that moment, no matter how I looked at the situation, I felt as if I were about to die. I opened my eyes—they were dry—but every corner of the house, as far as the eye could see, seemed to be screaming a bitter love song at me. My heart spasmed and my fingers twitched. I was exhausted, and wanted to lean on the sofa arm, but found that the sofa had suddenly enlarged so that I could not find an arm. The entire world, it seemed, had lost its fulcrum.	I ran home and fell on the sofa, breathless and exhausted. I felt like I was dying. The house itself seemed to be screaming bitter breakup songs at me as my heart spasmed and my fingers twitched. I wanted to lean on the sofa arm, but the sofa suddenly seemed way too long. The entire world felt like it’d fallen off its fulcrum.
我曾以为这是最后一次恋爱。	I once thought this was my last relationship.	I’d once thought that this would be my last relationship.	I used to think that this would be my very last relationship.
可悲的是，每一次奋身投入一段感情中时，我都会这么想。	Sadly, every time I dash into a relationship, I always think that.	Unfortunately, every time I rush headlong into a new relationship, I always think the same thing.	Unfortunately, every time I start a new relationship, I always think the same thing.
但这一次，我同他始终那么甜蜜那么默契，甚至，甚至在事发前一天，他还在说我爱你。	But this time, being with him was always so sweet and relatable…in fact, in fact the day before the thing happened, he was still saying “I love you.”	But this time, being with him was so sweet, so comfortable… in fact… in fact, the day before, he was still telling me, “I love you.”	But this time, being with him was so sweet, so comfortable…in fact, he had been telling me “I love you” only the day before.
我努力想要回忆起我们曾经的好情意，但是，它们的真实程度，在此刻遭到了毁灭性的质疑。	I tried hard to remember our old fond memories, but their realism was a destructive question.	I tried to remember fond memories of our time together, but questioning their reality seemed destructive.	I searched my memory, trying to recall positive memories from our relationship, but I couldn’t stop questioning all of it.
若仅仅是这样，或许还不至于那么猛烈的击垮我。我仍可以像从前的某次恋爱一样，分手在即时，心中骂着诅咒的话，但仍会笑着祝对方日后一切顺利。	If it was only this, maybe it wouldn’t have beat me down so violently. I’d be able to, like previous relationships’ breakup, in the moment, curses in my heart, but smiling and wishing the other side to live smoothly ever after.	If that was all there was to it, maybe I wouldn’t have been so violently crushed. I’d have been able to, like with previous breakups, curse my ex in my heart, but then smile and wish him well.	If it had just been him betraying me, I might not have felt so violently crushed. I probably would have been able to smile at him (cursing him inside, of course), and eventually wish him well.
而这一次，我指着那一对甜蜜的人儿破口大骂是因为，他身边那娇羞的新欢，竟是从初中起便和我混在一起四处嬉戏的首席资深闺蜜。	But this time, I pointed at that sweet, hoarsely yelling curses because the shy new love at his side was actually my childhood friend who had hung out together with me since junior high.	But this time, when I pointed at that sweet couple and screamed curses at them, it was because the shy new love at my ex’s side was my own childhood friend—who had been my girlfriend since junior high.	But this time, the reason why I couldn’t help screaming at the couple I saw in the mall was because the girl hanging onto my ex-boyfriend’s arm was my best friend. Correction—had been my best friend, since junior high.
是这个事实击垮了我。	It was this fact that crushed me.	It was this fact that crushed me.	That’s what crushed me.
这事实令我觉得，有问题的那个人是我。	This reality made me feel that the person with the problem was me.	It was this fact that made me feel like the real problem was myself.	That’s what made me feel like, perhaps, this time, all of this was my fault.
曾经有那么多迹象逼我恍然大悟，但我却统统选择视而不见。而一个人究竟要糟糕到什么田地，才会发生这样的事：小三是自己的闺蜜？	In the past there were so many signs forcing me to suddenly realize, but I chose to turn a blind eye. And how bad does a person have to be for this to happen: the betrayer is your own best girlfriend?	In the past, there were so many signs that I was now forced to acknowledge—back then, I had just turned a blind eye. How awful does a person have to be for the unthinkable to happen to you? For your own best girlfriend to betray you?	I now recalled several signs that I’d ignored in the past which I was now forced to acknowledge. I had been turning a blind eye to all of it until now. Just how awful does a person have to be for the unthinkable to happen to her? For her own best girl friend to betray her?
恍惚间，我都能听到老天爷自上空指着我，发出不屑的笑声。	In the midst of a trance, I could hear God pointing a finger at me, laughing disdainfully.	As if in a trance, I seemed to sense Heaven pointing a finger at me, laughing disdainfully.	I was in a trance. I seemed to see a mocking finger from the heavens, pointing at me, laughing disdainfully.
从小到大，闺蜜见证了我每一次和男友的大动干戈，我的男友们也都或多或少的遇到过我和闺蜜相互间的肆意撒泼。和闺蜜生气时，我便去找男友发泄情绪，和男友吵架时，我便去找闺蜜围炉夜话。	From youth until now, my girlfriend witnessed every big moment in my relationships. My boyfriends had also witnessed my carefree relationship with my girlfriend. When I was mad at her, I’d go to my boyfriend and release pressure, when I fought with my boyfriend, I would find my girlfriend and burn the midnight furnace.	Ever since I was young, my best girlfriend had witnessed all of the biggest moments in each of my relationships. My boyfriends also witnessed my close friendship with my girlfriend. When I was mad at her, I’d go to my boyfriends to talk. Likewise, if I fought with my boyfriends, I’d find her to talk, burning the midnight oil.	Since childhood, my best friend had witnessed all of the biggest moments in each of my relationships. My exes also saw how close I was to her. When I was mad at her, I’d complain to them. If I was mad at them, I’d complain to her until the wee hours of the morning.
但此刻，我却同时被两边摒弃，整个人就像是从传送带上掉下来的零件，自己倍感孤单，但这不是重点，重点是，对世界而言，我不构成任何存在感。	But at this moment, I was abandoned by both sides, felt like an object falling off a conveyer belt, feeling lonely, but this is not the important point. The important thing is, to the world, I had no presence.	But now I’d just been abandoned by both. I felt like an object discarded off a conveyer belt. I felt lonely, but that wasn’t the point. The point was, to the world, I was completely not present.	But now I’d been abandoned by both. I felt like a piece of trash, fallen off the conveyer belt. I was lonely, but that wasn’t the worst part of it. The worst thing was, I felt like I’d stopped existing.
我就这样坐在沙发上，一昧的发着呆，快要石化的时候，电话突然响了，随着电话铃声，我全身上下的毛孔顿时全部大幅度张开，作倾听状。	I sat like this on the sofa, ignorantly daydreaming, when I was nearly petrified, the phone suddenly rang, following the ringtone, my whole body’s pores from head to toe suddenly all opened to listen.	I sat in this manner on the sofa, thinking about nothing. Just when I was pretty much petrified, the phone suddenly rang, causing the pores all over my body to open, as if to listen.	I sat on the sofa, thinking about nothing. Just when I was just about petrified, the phone rang, sparking goosebumps all over my body.
会是两个人里的谁打来的？还是联袂一起打来的?是要跟我道歉，还是要说服我变化是幻觉刚刚那一幕只是我眼花了？	Which of the two called? Or are they calling together? Do they want to apologize? Or to persuade me that what I saw was just a hallucination?	Which of the two was calling me? Or were they both calling? Did they want to apologize? Or to persuade me that what I’d seen in the mall was just a hallucination?	Which of the two was calling me? Did they call to apologize? Or to persuade me that I was mistaken—that I was hallucinating back there in the mall?
我紧张的发抖，电话铃声变得不耐烦起来，我仿佛能听见，电话那头的人正说着：嘿，过时不候，机会有限。	I trembled nervously, the phone ring tones become impatient, I seem to be able to hear, the phone the other end of the people are saying: Hey, out of date, the opportunity is limited.	As I trembled nervously, the ringing phone grew more and more insistent. I thought I could hear the pre-recorded voice stating: “Hello, out of service.”	As I trembled, the ringing grew more insistent. I heard a pre-recorded voice saying: “I’m sorry, the number you have dialed—“
我一把抓起电话，声音飘忽的说了一句，喂？然后便紧紧的闭上嘴，准备随机应变。	I grabbed the phone, the sound of erroneous said one, Hi? And then tightly closed his mouth, ready to respond.	I grabbed the phone and picked it up. I said just one word, in a tremulous voice: “Hello?” And then I closed my mouth, ready to respond.	I lunged for the phone.   “Hello?” I said in a tremulous voice.
电话那头，有个男人大吼着说，黄小仙儿！打你丫电话一直关机！你穷的要死了吗？我没给你发工资吗?给我赶快回来加班！！	Phone the other end, there is a man roared and said, Huang Xiaodian children! Hit your phone has been shut down! Are you poor to die? I did not give you wages? Give me back to work overtime!	On the other end, a man shouted, “Huang XiaoXian! I’ve been calling you for ages but you haven’t been picking up! Are you so poor you’re going to die? Have I not paid your salary? Hurry up and come back to the office—you’re working overtime!”	On the other end, a man shouted:   “Ellie Huang! I have been calling you for ages but you haven’t been picking up! What is wrong with you? Did I not pay you this week or something? Hurry up and get back to work! You owe me overtime!”
我抓着电话愣了半天，才反应过来，正在冲我大吼的男人，是大老王—我老板。	I clutched the phone froze for a long time before they react, is rushing my man, is the big Pharaoh – my boss.	I held the phone, frozen for ages, before I finally came to. The man shouting at me over the phone was Da LaoWang, my boss.	I held the phone, frozen for what seemed like ages, before I finally came to. The man yelling at me over the phone was none other than my boss, Mr. Wang.
不知道从哪儿横生出的勇气，让我在愣了半天后，冲着大老王说出了那句本想献给那对野鸳鸯的话。	Do not know where to cross the courage, let me stunned for a long time, directed at the boss said the sentence would like to offer the wild mandarin ducks.	I have no idea where my daring came from, but somehow after unfreezing, I spat out the stupidest set of words I could have said:	I have no idea what happened next, or where I got the crazy idea to say what I said, but somehow after unfreezing, I shouted the first stupid thing I could think of:
“你丫给我滚！”	“You’re rolling me!”	“Get off my back!”	“Get off my back!”
这次换大老王呆住了，几秒钟后，他默默的挂了电话。	This time for the big Pharaoh stunned, a few seconds later, he silently hung up the phone.	Now it was Da LaoWang’s turn to freeze. Several seconds later, he silently hung up.	Now it was Mr. Wang’s turn to freeze. Several seconds later, he hung up.
我蹲在地板上，听着房间里回荡着的大吼过后的袅袅余音。做的好，黄小仙儿，我对自己说，一天里，先是分了手，然后失去了一个朋友，接着又因为对老板大吼，从而把工作丢了，接下来，你只要从地板上站起来，关好门窗，走向厨房，轻轻打开煤气，然后，静静的深呼吸，过不了多久，你的人生就可以涅槃了。	I squatted on the floor, listening to the room after the reverberation of the roar after the curl lingering sound. Do a good job, Huang Xiaodian children, I said to myself, the day, first divided hands, and then lost a friend, and then because the boss roared, and thus lost the work, then, you just stand up from the floor , Shut the doors and windows, to the kitchen, gently open the gas, and then, quietly take a deep breath, before long, your life can Nirvana.	I squatted on the floor, listening to the echo in the room after my loud roar. Great job, Huang XiaoXian, I said to myself. In one day, you broke up with your boyfriend, lost a friend, then screamed at your boss and threw away your job. Now, all you have to do is stand up, close the windows, walk to the kitchen, turn on the gas, and quietly breathe in deep—then you can head off to Nirvana.	I collapsed on the floor, listening to the echo of my own voice reverberate around the room.   Great job, Ellie. In one day, you lost a boyfriend, a friend, and your job. Now all you have to do is stand up, walk to the kitchen, stick your head in the stove, and send yourself off to sweet oblivion.
房间里一片寂静，只有指针向前移动的声音。随着一声清脆的契合声，我抬头看向时钟，时针分针秒针，都指向了零点。	The room was silent, only the pointer moved forward. With a crisp fit, I looked up at the clock, the hour hand minute hand, all pointing to the zero	The room was silent. Only the sound of the second hand split the stillness. During a particularly harmonious, crisp sound, I lifted my head and looked at the clock. The hour hand, minute hand, and second hand were all pointing to zero.	The room was silent. Only the sound of the clock’s second hand split the stillness. I looked up and saw that the hour, minute, and second hand were all pointing straight up.
我就这样迎来了，失恋的第一天。	I am so ushered, the first day of lovelorn.	And that was how I ushered in my first day post-breakup.	That was how I started my first day, post-breakup.