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润物细无声

English translation: ...to seep into all areas unnoticeably...

18:24 Nov 23, 2010
Chinese to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Philosophy
Chinese term or phrase: 润物细无声
Hi everyone,

I have found this complex sentence and I believe it's a sort of philosophical classical sentence, but I cannot find a suitable translation in English (or Italian:)
Does anybody know what it means. I'm not sure context is important in this case but I will add the entire sentence anyway:
....使“设计”于“润物细无声”之中渗透到方方面面

Thanks everybody
Fabrizio
Fabrizio Zambuto
English translation:...to seep into all areas unnoticeably...
Explanation:
The phrase comes from a famous poem by Tofu, referring how the drizzle falls silently while everyone is asleep. The writer here has flaunted his literature knowledge by citing this phrase. The only option for translation is to replace this word play with a direct expression.
Selected response from:

Thomas Lam
Local time: 15:02
Grading comment
Thanks a lot
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4subtlely
wtInterprete (X)
4thin moisture thing (permete) with no sound
jbk4311 (X)
4...to seep into all areas unnoticeably...
Thomas Lam


  

Answers


3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
subtlely


Explanation:
It's from a poem. Literally, it means that rain went down lightly and peacefully, which watered everything quietly.

So you can either transfer that into an adverb, or literally translate that and put quotation marks on.

wtInterprete (X)
Switzerland
Local time: 08:02
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
Notes to answerer
Asker: thanks, but it's supposed to mean something, that's the point I don't get. Should be a sort of metaphore, I believe.

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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
thin moisture thing (permete) with no sound


Explanation:
thin moisture thing (permete) with no sound

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2010-11-23 23:21:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

thin moisture thing (permeate) with no sound



jbk4311 (X)
Local time: 16:02
Native speaker of: Native in KoreanKorean
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
...to seep into all areas unnoticeably...


Explanation:
The phrase comes from a famous poem by Tofu, referring how the drizzle falls silently while everyone is asleep. The writer here has flaunted his literature knowledge by citing this phrase. The only option for translation is to replace this word play with a direct expression.

Thomas Lam
Local time: 15:02
Native speaker of: Chinese
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks a lot
Notes to answerer
Asker: exactly what I was looking for!:) thanks!

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