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Freelance translator and/or interpreter, Verified member
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Translation, Editing/proofreading, Subtitling
Expertise
Specializes in:
Marketing
Retail
Folklore
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Business/Commerce (general)
Internet, e-Commerce
Management
Transport / Transportation / Shipping
Tourism & Travel
History
Volunteer / Pro-bono work
Open to considering volunteer work for registered non-profit organizations
Translation - English Once upon a time, there was a monster who liked to eat people named Nianshou. He was bigger than a tiger and ran faster than even the wind. Nianshou usually lived in the deep sea but emerged at midnight on the last day of each year, running through villages and devouring all the people. Therefore, every year before New Year’s Eve, the villagers would pack up their belongings and move elsewhere to hide.
The previous year, Nianshou had devoured Mrs. Ding’s son; he died tragically while protecting his fellow villagers. This year, Mrs. Ding resolved to stay behind in the village and deal with Nianshou once and for all.
Around that same time, an old beggar entered the village leaning on a stick. As he walked along, he said, “I’m very hungry. Would you please give me something to eat?”
Everyone was rushing to start their journey, and no one paid any attention to the old man. But Mrs. Ding took pity on him, inviting him into her home and boiling some dumplings for him. She told the old beggar about Nianshou and urged him to hide.
But when he’d heard Mrs. Ding’s story, the old man smiled and said, “Mrs. Ding, why don’t I help you deal with Nianshou? Please prepare a piece of red cloth and two strips of red paper.”
As the sky was getting dark, the old beggar pasted the two pieces of red paper on either side of the door and draped the red cloth over his shoulders. He also burned his bamboo walking stick in the courtyard.
At midnight, Nianshou appeared. He found the atmosphere in the village was different from before: at the old woman’s house, red paper framed the doorway, and the house was lit by firelight. Nianshou growled. Just then, a popping sound suddenly erupted from the old woman’s courtyard. Nianshou was terrified and didn’t dare take another step. He couldn’t stand the red colors, the firelight, and the sound of explosions. At that moment, the door to the house swung open. In the courtyard, an old man draped in red cloth stood laughing. The sight scared Nianshou out of his wits and he ran off in utter disarray.
The next day, the villagers returned from their hiding places and were shocked to find Mrs. Ding unscathed. The old woman told everyone what happened last night, and the villagers came to a sudden realization: that the old beggar had been an immortal sent from heaven to get rid of Nianshou!
From then on, every New Year’s Eve, everyone wore red clothing, hung red paper by their door, and burned bamboo in their doorways to ward off Nianshou. The day Nianshou was driven away became known as “Guo Nian”, and eventually people started lighting firecrackers rather than burning bamboo. People also started writing lucky phrases on the red strips of paper, which became the New Year’s couplets we still see today.
Chinese to English: 成语故事 - 塞翁失马 / The Story behind the Idiom: The Old Frontiersman Loses His Horse General field: Art/Literary Detailed field: Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Source text - Chinese 古时候,在一个边境上的村子里,住着一位老人,我们叫他塞翁。有一天,塞翁的马突然不见了,大家都来安慰他。这位父亲说:“丢了一匹马没有什么大不了的,没准呀,还会给我带来福气呢。”
Translation - English Long ago, in a village on the border, there lived an old man named Sai Weng. One day, Sai Weng’s horse disappeared without a trace. The villagers all came to comfort him, but the old man said, “Losing a horse isn’t a big deal. You never know, this could bring me good luck.”
A few months later, the family’s horse returned. Not only that, he brought another even better horse with him! Everyone came to congratulate Sai Weng, but he wasn’t entirely happy with the situation. Instead, he calmly said, “Gaining a horse, so what? How do you know this isn’t a piece of bad luck?”
Sai Weng had a son who loved horseback riding. The first time he saw the new horse, his eyes lit up. He loved the horse immediately, to such an extent that he eagerly took it out for a ride, without fully understanding the new horse’s habits. One day, an unfortunate thing happened: Sai Weng’s son fell off the horse and broke his leg. When the good-hearted neighbors heard the news, they arrived one after another to express their sympathy. But Sai Weng said, “Thank you all for your kind words, but you never know. This could still turn into something good.”
Out of all Sai Weng’s peculiar remarks, this was the most confusing. The neighbors could not fathom how falling and breaking one’s leg could possibly bring good luck. But not long after that, the neighboring country’s army invaded the village. All the young men were required to join the fight; only Sai Weng’s son was allowed to stay home because of his broken leg. During the brutal conflict, most of the young men paid the ultimate sacrifice. Because of his broken leg, Sai Weng’s son survived.
This story inspires us with the realization that life is ever-changing. Good and bad, advantages and disadvantages, none of them are absolute or constant. We can’t only look at what’s happening right in front of our eyes; we also need to reflect on the long-term results.
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Translation education
Bachelor's degree - St. Olaf College
Experience
Years of experience: 2. Registered at ProZ.com: Jan 2023. Became a member: Jan 2023.
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Bio
I am a native English (U.S.) speaker with strong professional proficiency in Mandarin Chinese. I have worked in project management, product development, sourcing, and market research for 10 years at multi-lingual and multi-cultural organizations in the U.S. and China. My passion has always been for languages, and I strive to improve my Mandarin and translation skills continuously. I can translate written text from simplified Chinese characters into English, and also post-edit translations in this language pair.
My corporate work experience has given me strong project and time management skills. Clients will be able to count on me to create an execution plan for every project with a quick turnaround and to communicate with you every step of the way. I have familiarity with product development and marketing, particularly in the lawn, garden, and tool spaces. I also have experience working as a freelance copywriter and as an academic writing consultant and editor.
I would love to help Chinese clients market products to English-speaking consumers or translate business documents into English. I am also passionate about folklore, literature, and history, and I would love to work with clients looking to bring China's literary tradition and history to English-speaking readers. I look forward to working with you!
Keywords: Chinese, Mandarin, Mandarin Chinese, Simplified Chinese, English, Chinese to English Translation, Mandarin to English Translation, Marketing, Product Marketing, Short Stories. See more.Chinese, Mandarin, Mandarin Chinese, Simplified Chinese, English, Chinese to English Translation, Mandarin to English Translation, Marketing, Product Marketing, Short Stories, Folklore, Idioms, Literature, Literary Translation. See less.
Member since Jan '23
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