Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Chinese term or phrase:
大眼瞪小眼
English translation:
look at one another at a loss, surprised, or disappointed
Added to glossary by
Elizabeth Ruggiero
Aug 3, 2008 13:39
15 yrs ago
Chinese term
大眼瞪小眼
Chinese to English
Other
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
What are the literal and implied meanings of this?
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
Aug 4, 2008 00:52: Elizabeth Ruggiero changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/27439">Elizabeth Ruggiero's</a> old entry - "大眼瞪小眼"" to ""eyeball to eyeball""
Proposed translations
2 hrs
Selected
eyeball to eyeball
This phrase was used by U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk of the Kennedy Administration at the height of the Cuba Crisis (of nuclear confrontation between the U S and USSR). It implies a puzzled (at that moment extremely fraught) confrontation. In Chinese, the phrase is often used but not necessarily with such intense and perilous connotations. It usually indicate a puzzling situation. The words large and small only indicates two different parties confronting each other.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you - this is the meaning I was trying to get out of it but couldn't think of how to say it. Thanks also for the great historical reference!"
+1
15 mins
Two people staring at each other
I'm not sure what the context is but this is the translation I've seen most often.
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Note added at 16 mins (2008-08-03 13:55:28 GMT)
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I suppose you could also say 'Two people looking/glancing at each other'.
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Note added at 16 mins (2008-08-03 13:55:28 GMT)
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I suppose you could also say 'Two people looking/glancing at each other'.
Example sentence:
我们大眼瞪小眼,谁也不知道该怎么办了。 Looking at each other, none of us was at a loss as to what to do.
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Jason Ma
: 大眼瞪小眼---面面相觑, as a two-part allegorical saying, it indicates **Two people look at each other in speechless despair/dismay/disappointment...**
34 mins
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+2
27 mins
two people staring at each other; without knowing what to do
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+2
40 mins
look at one another (or each other if two people) at a loss, at a dismay, surprised, or disappointed
An idiom, not necessarily limited to two people. Just imagine such a scenario, two or a group of people are discussing a topic and thinking they are approaching a final solution when their boss storms into the room and tells them that he forgot to provide them with a critical premise or fundamental condition, and their deliberations of the half day turns out to be nothing, then the whole room may "大眼瞪小眼", and maybe dare not be angry at their boss.
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Jason Ma
: Two-part allegorical sayings are treasures of Chinese language. 庙里旗杆---独一无二
15 mins
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Thank you very much!
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agree |
Jason Young
1 hr
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Thank you very much!
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Discussion