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Lost in Translation

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  1. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tom007:
    Auf Nimmerwiedersehen!
    Until we never meet again

  2. #12

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  3. #13

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    [QUOTE=huja;3904871]Sisu in Finnish

    Never fret - at least the Estonians understand! My anglo-Australian mum's best approximation (dad was Estonian) was "bloody minded stubbornness."

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  4. #14

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    My contribution to this thread: the Japanese expression "kuuki o yomu", which means something like "grasping the atmosphere", "reading the mood", or "understanding the current situation". The literal translation of the expression is "reading the sky". Most foreigners will never be able to achieve this when placed in a group of Japanese....

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  5. #15

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    The communication patterns were for negotiation styles - work context, not ordinary social rcommunication but doesn't this fit in with the whole sisu thing..

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    Come to think of it, even socially they are a people of few words.. not overly chatty. A culture that values sisu probably would be so 😃


  6. #16

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    Zaftig

    Yiddish. Means voluptuous, curvaceous, plump/chubby and usually chesty. There was a deli in Brookline, MA called Zaftig with a mural of a a large woman painted on the wall. I first encountered the word during the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal when reading a description of Ms Lewinsky as zaftig.

  7. #17

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    Japanese concept of Wa

    What does wa mean Japanese?
    Wa (和) is a Japanese cultural concept usually translated into English as "harmony". It implies a peaceful unity and conformity within a social group in which members prefer the continuation of a harmonious community over their personal interests.
    Learned this term in a Japanese history course at Uni. Professor spent a good bit of energy and time explaining and giving examples.

  8. #18

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    Renao 热闹

    The characters mean hot/noisy, but a more accurate translation is lively, bustling. One of the early words I learned in Shanghai. It was explained to me that people didn't want to move to Pudong at that time (newer, eastern section of Shanghai) because it wasn't renao. The stillness/emptiness freaked them out. Crowds, sounds, action was preferred.

  9. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by huja:
    Renao 热闹

    The characters mean hot/noisy, but a more accurate translation is lively, bustling. One of the early words I learned in Shanghai. It was explained to me that people didn't want to move to Pudong at that time (newer, eastern section of Shanghai) because it wasn't renao. The stillness/emptiness freaked them out. Crowds, sounds, action was preferred.
    Back then there were only two tunnels and two bridges, and you had to pay RMB 15 extra to the driver to cover his tunnel/bridge fee.

  10. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by huja:
    The Finnish way of life is summed up in “sisu,” a trait said to be part of the national character. The word roughly translates to “grim determination in the face of hardships,” such as the country’s long winters: Even in adversity, a Finn is expected to persevere, without complaining.
    https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/01/w..._Hm0JMevoVxvt0