“The Train Job”

Qing3 zai4lai2 yi1 bei1 ng5gaa1pei4?

• Simplified characters: 请再来一杯五加皮？ / Traditional characters: 請再來一杯五加皮？
• Back-translation of Mandarin: Can you please give me another glass of ngkapei (acanthopanax-bark liquor)?
• Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Ching zie lie ee bay Ng-Ka-Pei?
• Translated from script English: Can I have one more glass of Ng-Ka-Pei, please?
• Context: “The Train Job,” Mal, ordering in bar

qing3 zai4lai2

please give me another

1. qing3: please (for requests)
2. zai4lai2: to order a repetition, to have another helping
   1. zai4: again (for future actions)
   2. lai2: to do

yi1 bei1

a glass of

1. yi1 [pronounced “yi4” before a 1st-tone syllable]: one, a
2. bei1: [classifier for cupfuls/glassfuls]

English (Borrowed Cantonese) ↓

[see Note 1 below]

ngkapei

→ ng5gaa1pei4: [traditional Chinese medicine] acanthopanax bark, acanthopanax-bark liquor [see Note 1 below; Mandarin pronunciation: wu3jia1pi2]

1. ng5gaa1: the acanthopanax plant [Eleutherococcus gracilistylus; Mandarin pronunciation: wu3jia1]
   1. ng5: five
   2. gaa1: to add up
2. pei4: bark (the plant covering) [Mandarin pronunciation: pi2]

O1, zhe4 zhen1 shi4 ge5 kuai4le4 de5 jin4zhan3…

• Simplified characters: 噢，这真是个快乐的进展…… / Traditional characters: 噢，這真是個快樂的進展……
• Back-translation of Mandarin: Oh, this is truly a happy advance...
• Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Oh, juh jen sh guh kwai luh duh jean jan...
• Translated from script English: Oh, this is a happy development...
• Context: “The Train Job,” Mal, about impending barroom brawl

o1

[exclamation of surprised awareness], Oh!

zhe4

this

zhen1 shi4

is truly

1. zhen1: truly, indeed
2. shi4: to be

ge5

a

kuai4le4 de5

to be happy, to be joyful

1. kuai4: to be elated, to be joyful
2. le4: to be happy, to be joyful
3. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: integrated adjectival clause (restrictive relative clause)]

jin4zhan3

an advance, progress [noun]

1. jin4: to advance
2. zhan3: to develop

Ke3wu4 de5 lao3 bao4jun1…

• Simplified characters: 可恶的老暴君…… / Traditional characters: 可惡的老暴君……
• Back-translation of Mandarin: Wicked old tyrant...
• Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Kuh-ooh duh lao bao jurn...
• Translated from script English: Horrible old tyrant...
• Context: “The Train Job,” Kaylee, referring to Mal, who had told her to get back to work

ke3wu4 de5

to be wicked, to be detestable

1. ke3: [prefix turning verb to adjective meaning ‘capable of’, ‘-able’/‘-ible’]
2. wu4 [used only in compound words]: to hate, to loathe
3. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: integrated adjectival clause (restrictive relative clause)]

lao3

to be old

bao4jun1

a tyrant

1. bao4: to be tyrannical, to be violent
2. jun1: [written] a monarch, a lord

zhen1 de5 shi4 tian1cai2

• Simplified/Traditional characters: 真的是天才
• Back-translation of Mandarin: is a real genius
• Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): jen duh sh tyen tsai
• Translated from script English: an absolute genius
• Context: “The Train Job,” Kaylee, referring to Mal and his plans

zhen1 de5 shi4

to be a real (something)

1. zhen1 de5: [variant of: zhen1] truly, indeed
2. shi4: to be

tian1cai2

a genius

1. tian1: nature-given, heaven, God
2. cai2 [used only in compound words]: a person with a capability

dong3 ma5

• Simplified characters: 懂吗 / Traditional characters: 懂嗎
• Back-translation of Mandarin: understand?
• Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): dong ma
• Translated from script English: understand
• Context: “The Train Job,” Jayne, to Simon about his unimportance

dong3 ma5

understand?

1. dong3: to understand
2. ma5: [marker for questions]

gou3 cao4 de5

• Simplified/Traditional characters: 狗操的 [see Note 1 below]
• Back-translation of Mandarin: dog-f***ed
• Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): go tsao de
• Translated from script English: dog humping
• Context: “The Train Job,” Jayne, about location not being Niska’s rendezvous spot

gou3 cao4 de5

[offensive] dog-f***ed, that a dog f***ed

1. gou3: a dog
2. cao4: [offensive] to f***
3. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: integrated adjectival clause (restrictive relative clause)]

Jiu3ba1

• Simplified/Traditional characters: 酒吧
• Back-translation of Mandarin: Bar
• Translated from the English: Bar
• Context: “The Train Job,” Visible Chinese, on bar’s ionized-field window under the word BAR after Mal flies through it

jiu3ba1

a bar (barroom)

1. jiu3: liquor, spirits
2. ba1: a bar (barroom) [loanword; transliteration for bar: [English]]; [literally: [onomatopoeia for “Snap!” sound]]

Ping2jing4

• Simplified characters: 平静 / Traditional characters: 平靜
• Back-translation of Mandarin: Tranquil
• Translated from the English: Serenity [Firefly version (“Serenity” translation comparison)]
• Context: “The Train Job,” Visible Chinese, in logo on outside of Serenity, visible before River’s nightmare

ping2jing4

to be quiet (calm), to be tranquil

1. ping2 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: calm, peaceful
2. jing4: to be calm, to be still

Wei1 Dian4, Fen1

• Simplified characters: 危   电、氛 / Traditional characters: 危   電、氛
• Back-translation of Mandarin: Danger Electricity, Vapor
• Context: “The Train Job,” Visible Chinese, on white duct outside Serenity’s cargo bay, somewhat visible as Simon enters cargo bay and sees Kaylee

wei1

[for this meaning, Chinese character doesn’t represent an independent word in Modern Standard Mandarin (Putonghua)] →
wei1xian3 危险 (traditional: 危險 ): danger, to be dangerous

1. wei1 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: danger, dangerous
2. xian3: to be dangerous

dian4

electricity, to get an electric shock

fen1

[used only in compound words]: vapor

Zhu4cang2! Bu4xu3 Cheng2ke4!

• Simplified characters: 贮藏！ 不许 乘客！ / Traditional characters: 貯藏！ 不許 乘客！
• Back-translation of Mandarin: Storage! Passengers Not Allowed!
• Translated from the English: [(Not shown) Storage Only! Passengers Prohibited! (from Firefly Press Kit sticker)]
• Context: “The Train Job,” Visible Chinese, on locked train compartment door, with their international symbol for No Passengers [standing and sitting people in red hexagon and backslash ( \ ) through it]

zhu4cang2

to store up, to keep in a storehouse, storage

1. zhu4 [used only in compound words]: to store
2. cang2: to store

bu4xu3 cheng2ke4

passengers not allowed

1. bu4xu3: to not allow
   1. bu4: not
   2. xu3: to permit, to allow
2. cheng2ke4: a passenger
   1. cheng2: to ride
   2. ke4 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: a passenger, a traveler

Yong3

• Simplified/Traditional characters: 勇
• Back-translation of Mandarin: Soldier
• Translated from the English: Soldier [from costume designer Shawna Trpcic’s “Shindig” DVD commentary]
• Context: “The Train Job,” Visible Chinese, on Jayne’s T-shirt (Jayne T-shirt list), visible in infirmary

yong3

[Chinese character doesn’t represent an independent word in Modern Standard Mandarin (Putonghua); still used in:] →
san3bing1you2yong3 散兵游勇 (traditional: 散兵遊勇 ): [set phrase] [military] stragglers (soldiers scattered from a troop) and disbanded soldiers

1. san3bing1: [military] stragglers (soldiers scattered from a troop), [military] a skirmisher
   1. san3 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: scattered
   2. bing1: the troops, an army
2. you2yong3: stragglers (soldiers scattered from a troop) and disbanded soldiers
   1. you2 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: to roam, to rove
   2. yong3 [used only in compound words]: a soldier

Jing3

• Simplified/Traditional characters: 警
• Back-translation of Mandarin: Police
• Context: “The Train Job,” Visible Chinese, incorrectly written mirror-image on Paradiso sheriff’s shoulder patches (list of written-Chinese errors), visible during interrogation

jing3

[Chinese character doesn’t represent an independent word in Modern Standard Mandarin (Putonghua)] →
jing3cha2 警察 : the police

1. jing3 [used only in compound words]: the police
2. cha2 [used only in compound words]: to investigate, to inspect

Tong2meng2

• Simplified/Traditional characters: 同盟
• Back-translation of Mandarin: Alliance
• Translated from the English: [(Not shown) Alliance (from Firefly Press Kit star map)]
• Context: “The Train Job,” Visible Chinese, seen backwards through door of Paradiso sheriff’s office, as Mal and the others leave

tong2meng2

an alliance

1. tong2 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: together, in common
2. meng2 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: an alliance