Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Chinese English dictionary

On the always interesting website Danwei.org an entertaining video interview with the English editor of the new double-English-Chinese and Chinese-English, Oxford University Press. It is (probably literally) biggest dictionary in this area until now and also get an online version. The online version is not as extensive as the paper, and lacks many cultural annotations for example, says Julie Kleeman or whether they are of Jeremy Gold Korn. The dictionary is compiled by teams of native speakers of both countries and includes, "yes, even bad words and bad words" which are not normally in a paper dictionary to find. The hardest, Kleeman said, was the translation of the so-called chengyu, the sayings, often a specific cultural context, and Chinese are not easily translated to non-Chinese.
In the English-Chinese section is regrettable and curiously pinyin, a major disadvantage for Western students.
The Wall Street Journal looks at the huge dictionary. There are also examples of recorded words mentioned, but also words that have not achieved.
On Chinese-forums.com has already started a whole discussion about the dictionary. It is also a link to brochure (pdf) that Oxford has made on the dictionary.