Vlad
我应该怎么闻? Let help me improve this translation. Wife said to her husband: - Where have you been all night? - Visitting my friend. - What did you do there? - Play mahjong. - Play mahjong? But why do you smell of whiskey? - You think I should smell of mahjong? 妻子对她的丈夫说: - 你去哪里了整夜? - 我的朋友。 - 你那里做过什么? - 打麻将。 - 打麻将吗?但为什么你闻起来像酒? - 你想,我应该怎么闻?像麻将吗?
Feb 1, 2015 11:38 AM
Corrections · 23
2

我应该怎么闻?  This can also mean "How should I be smelling?" 闻 is an active verb. I believe you are trying to say, "How should I smell?" It is better to say, 我身上味应该怎样? which translates literally as "How should the smell on my body be?"


Let help me improve this translation.

Wife said to her husband:
- Where have you been all night?
- Visitting my friend.
- What did you do there?
- Play mahjong.
- Play mahjong? But why do you smell of whiskey?
- You think I should smell of mahjong?

妻子对她的丈夫说: You don't need to use pronouns in familial relationships.  It is defined in terms of the speaker.  If you follow English "her husband", in Chinese you implies that she does this to every husband not including hers.


- 整夜你去哪里了整夜
- 我的朋友的This is a routine conversation and you got it quite right.  Anything more formal, i.e. in proper grammar etc, would have become unrealistic to real life situations.
- 你那里做过什么?Your use of 过 is most appropriate since it is an accusational tone the wife is using.  Using 了 is too mild.  Good job!
- 打麻将。
- 打麻将吗?[Too formal]为什么你闻起来像一身都是Or more accurately, 一身都是威士忌味?
- 你想,[Too namby-pamby] 喔? 应该怎么闻?[]麻将吗?

 

I am correcting from the tone of your Chinese version.  The English version is more sneering than accusatory.  Anyway, you captured the more common happening in a Chinese situation.  Good joke!

 

 

February 1, 2015
2

我应该怎么闻?

Let help me improve this translation.

Wife said to her husband:
- Where have you been all night?
- Visitting my friend.
- What did you do there?
- Play mahjong.
- Play mahjong? But why do you smell of whiskey?
- You think I should smell of mahjong?

妻子对她的丈夫说:
- 你整夜去了哪儿?
- 我的朋友那儿。
- 你在那儿干什么了?
- 打麻将。
- 打麻将吗?但为什么你身上有酒味?
- 那你觉得我身上应该是麻将味儿吗?

February 1, 2015
1

我应该怎么闻?

Let help me improve this translation.

Wife said to her husband:
- Where have you been all night?
- Visitting my friend.
- What did you do there?
- Play mahjong.
- Play mahjong? But why do you smell of whiskey?
- You think I should smell of mahjong?

妻子对她的丈夫说:
- 你去哪里了整夜? →你整晚都去了哪里?
- 我的朋友。 →去拜我的朋友。
- 你那里做过什么?→你们在那做了什么? 
- 打麻将。
- 打麻将吗?但为什么你闻起来像酒? →打麻将吗?但为什么你闻起来像喝了酒?
- 你想,我应该怎么闻?像麻将吗?→你觉得我闻起来应该像麻将吗?

February 1, 2015
1

我应该怎么闻?

Let help me improve this translation.

Wife said to her husband:
- Where have you been all night?
- Visitting my friend.
- What did you do there?
- Play mahjong.
- Play mahjong? But why do you smell of whiskey?
- You think I should smell of mahjong?

妻子对她的丈夫说:
- 你去哪里了整夜? 你一晚上都去哪儿了?
- 我的朋友。  找朋友去了。
- 你那里做过什么?  找朋友干嘛了?
- 打麻将。 √
- 打麻将吗?但为什么你闻起来像酒? 打麻将?那怎么身上有威士忌的味道呢?
- 你想,我应该怎么闻?像麻将吗? 不然呢?我应该有麻将的味道吗?

 

It's more natural in Chinese, but not precisely translated.

February 1, 2015
妻子问丈夫 = The wife asked the husband 妻子说丈夫 = The wife is talking about the husband Big difference in meaning
February 2, 2015
Show more
Want to progress faster?
Join this learning community and try out free exercises!