Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Chinese term or phrase:
外国的月亮比中国的圆
English translation:
The moon seems fuller in foreign lands than in China
Added to glossary by
Jason Ma
Mar 23, 2008 12:03
16 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Chinese term
外国的月亮比中国的圆
Chinese to English
Social Sciences
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
The grass on the other side (/of fence) looks greener是我听说的一种说法。
直译怎么样啊？
谢谢！
直译怎么样啊？
谢谢！
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +6 | The Moon seems rounder in foreign lands than in China |
angielin
|
| 4 | The moon in foreign sky is rounder than that in Chinese. |
Duobing Chen
|
Change log
Mar 25, 2008 13:17: Jason Ma changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/641710">Jason Ma's</a> old entry - "外国的月亮比中国的圆"" to ""TThe moon seems fuller in foreign lands than in China""
Mar 25, 2008 13:18: Jason Ma changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/641710">Jason Ma's</a> old entry - "外国的月亮比中国的圆"" to ""The moon seems fuller in foreign lands than in China""
Proposed translations
+6
1 hr
Selected
The Moon seems rounder in foreign lands than in China
I don't really think there is a way to say this in English other than just to translate it. I mean, think about it - this is a very Chinese perspective. Grass greener on the other side really means "situations you are not really in always seem better (because you don't really know the pros and cons of it, having not been part of it"). That is very general. But what you are asking is very specific.
Note from asker:
| You are right, angielin. This is a a typical Chinese perpective, a narrow-minded perspective, maybe. So far I haven't found anyexact equivalance in English. Thanks. |
| Sorry for the typo, should be **Chinese perspective**. |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Bea Geenen
: Better "The moon (no capital letter) seems rounder abroad than in China".
1 hr
|
| agree |
carol so
9 hrs
|
| agree |
AZ-Loc
12 hrs
|
| agree |
orientalhorizon
12 hrs
|
| agree |
Malcolm Mayfield
: "The moon seems fuller in foreign lands (than in China)"?
13 hrs
|
| agree |
Bill Lao
14 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks everyone! In the light of the suggestions from Malcolm and jyuan_us I revised the translation."
3 hrs
Duobing Chen
China
China
Native in Chinese
China
Specified in Technical & engineering
Native in: Chinese 
Works in: English to Chinese, Chinese to English
Related KudoZ points
:
4
The moon in foreign sky is rounder than that in Chinese.
不知道意译的说法，觉得直译也好，供你参考。
Discussion
Usually the moon is either full or crescent, rounder? hmm, sounds weird to me.