C (ts), Ch
(Ch: see also Q)
Firefly–Serenity Chinese Pinyinary Page Sections: Chinese Dialog | Search:![[Main-Page Link Image: logo]](../images/fscplogo2013.png)
Chinese translations with standard Hanyu Pinyin romanization and Chinese characters for Firefly the TV series and Serenity the movie and comic books
Chinese Dialog
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Cai2 bu4 shi4.
- Simplified characters: 才不是。 / Traditional characters: 纔不是。
- Back-translation of Mandarin: No way.
- Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers):
Tsai boo shr.
- Translated from script English:
No way.
- Context: “Shindig,” Kaylee, refuting the 80-04’s quality
cai2 bu4 shi4
actually no, No way (for disagreement)
- cai2: actually (for certainty or refuting)
- bu4 shi4: to not be, [set phrase] No!
- bu4 [pronounced “bu2” before a 4th-tone syllable]: not
- shi4: to be
chou4 ma3-niao4
- Simplified characters: 臭马尿 / Traditional characters: 臭馬尿
- Back-translation of Mandarin: stinking horse-urine
- Novelization Mandarin translation (Hanyu Pinyin romanization):
chou ma niao
[phonetic for English speakers: choh ma niao] - Possibly translated from the English: [Not in Firefly or Serenity scripts (see note below)]
- Context: Serenity (novelization) [Thought], Jayne, p. 58, about the unimpressive moon Lilac
chou4
to be stinking, [slang] to be inferior
ma3 niao4
horse urine
- ma3 de5: a horse’s
- ma3: a horse
- [understood: de5 的 : [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]]
- niao4: urine
Note:
- Origin: This phrase seems to come from the fandom. Early on, some fans translated xiong2mao1 ‘panda’ (of xiong2mao1 niao4 熊猫尿 (traditional: 熊貓尿 ):
panda urine
) from “Jaynestown” (X (sh)) as chou4 ma3 ‘stinking horse’.
See also:
- niao4 shi1 de5 du3gui3 (“Heart of Gold”)
- xiong2mao1 niao4 (“Jaynestown”)
Chu2fei1 wo3 si3 le5.
- Simplified/Traditional characters: 除非我死了。
- Back-translation of Mandarin: Over my dead body.
- Script Mandarin translation:
[Whispering in Chinese.]
[phonetic for English speakers: Choo fay wuh ss-luh.] - Translated from script English: [(Not in script) Over my dead body. (see Note 1 below)]
- Context: “Safe,” Gabriel (Tam), to Simon about Simon’s intent to return to the blackout zone
chu2fei1 wo3 si3 le5
Over my dead body!; [literally: only if I die]
- chu2fei1: unless, only if
- chu2: unless, except
- fei1: not
- wo3: I
- si3: to die
- le5: [completion marker]
Notes:
- Source: Thank you to Firefly Chinese translator Jenny Lynn for the Hanyu Pinyin romanization and English meaning.
- Gabriel sounds like “Joo fay woo suh lah” instead of “Choo fay wuh ss-luh.”
chui1niu2
- Simplified/Traditional characters: 吹牛
- Back-translation of Mandarin: to boast
- Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers):
tsway-niou
[Taiwan Mandarin pronunciation (FAQ: Variety of Chinese)] - Translated from script English:
bullcrap
- Context: “Safe” [Cut], Gabriel (Tam), after Simon implies he himself has always taken care of River
chui1niu2
[colloquial] to brag, to boast
- chui1: [colloquial] to brag, to boast; [literally: to blow]
- niu2 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: [colloquial] to brag, to boast; [literally: an ox]
Note:
- Also: chui1 niu2pi2 吹牛皮 : to brag, to boast; chui1: [colloquial] to brag, to boast; [literally: to blow]; niu2pi2: bragging, great exaggeration; [literally: an ox hide, leather] (niu2: an ox; pi2: a hide, leather)