See image online, please.

English translation: The Chinese House

18:57 Apr 23, 2008
Chinese to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
Chinese term or phrase: See image online, please.
http://www.madlaughter.com/ff/slides/chinese_house_cover.htm...

What does it mean? If you know anything about the calligraphy style I will very much appreciate some explanation or references.
jules_sieg
Mexico
Local time: 06:28
English translation:The Chinese House
Explanation:
These characters mean "The Chinese House" as seen at the bottom of the previous or next images.

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Note added at 39 mins (2008-04-23 19:36:45 GMT)
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The four Chinese characters literally mean “The house/home/family of Chinese people”. The last character means “house/home/family”. Your question “Do they mean house in the sense of a structure, a dynasty, a firm?” is what I am wondering about. Its accurate interpretation depends on where they appear. I considered “China Town”, but this too is what I am not sure about. The calligraphy is in traditional Chinese as most works of the kind are. Its style can be described as “softly beautiful”.

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Note added at 1 hr (2008-04-23 20:54:33 GMT) Post-grading
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Thank you for your enlightening explanation.
Selected response from:

Frank Wang
China
Local time: 20:28
Grading comment
This is the correct answer, based on what the original translator was told to express. All of the other answers are worthy additions, and fit the theme of the book very well, but The Chinese House is the actual title.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +2A Chinese Household
Wing-Sze Ho
3 +1A Chinese Community/A Community for the Chinese
Bin Tiede (X)
4The Chinese House
Frank Wang
3Chinese World / Association
Ritchest


  

Answers


23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
華人之家
A Chinese Household


Explanation:
華人 = Chinese person/people
之 = possessive particle
家 = family/household (or even philisophical school could be a stretch)

Translating it as simply 'house' is too literal. It has the connotation of a social unit.

The 之 is written in a very abbreviated and stylish manner.
華 is written in the traditional varient.

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Note added at 27 mins (2008-04-23 19:24:45 GMT)
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家 can be used as a classifier for FAMILY dynasties or a business unit. I don't think it refers to an edifice, if that is what you mean by structure, but it refers to a familial structure, unit or hierarchy. With more context, we would be able to tell you specifically.

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Note added at 28 mins (2008-04-23 19:26:24 GMT)
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Since the character 家 is possessed by 華人, I would assume that it is referring to something cultural and about heritage, and not something corporate.

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Note added at 30 mins (2008-04-23 19:27:57 GMT)
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I think other translators will agree that it is pretty simple to read, albeit a little stylized, but it is decipherable.

Wing-Sze Ho
United States
Local time: 08:28
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in ChineseChinese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  jessalexande (X): Very clear, Wing-Sze. I agree that the characters are relatively easy to decipher, despite being in cursive. I always feel that use of 之 adds emphasis, something akin to "this" (though certainly not to be translated as such, just a feeling).
14 mins
  -> Thanks! Always great to see someone from my area on Pro-Z!

agree  AZ-Loc
8 hrs
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35 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
A Chinese Community/A Community for the Chinese


Explanation:
The word with its litery meaning as "house/family" refers to a Chinese community, where the Chinese meet and share their cultur.

Bin Tiede (X)
Germany
Local time: 13:28
Native speaker of: Chinese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Wing-Sze Ho: could possibly be a Home for the Chinese, in the Confucian sense of community.
5 mins
  -> Home is a good word for it. Thanks!
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10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
The Chinese House


Explanation:
These characters mean "The Chinese House" as seen at the bottom of the previous or next images.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 39 mins (2008-04-23 19:36:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The four Chinese characters literally mean “The house/home/family of Chinese people”. The last character means “house/home/family”. Your question “Do they mean house in the sense of a structure, a dynasty, a firm?” is what I am wondering about. Its accurate interpretation depends on where they appear. I considered “China Town”, but this too is what I am not sure about. The calligraphy is in traditional Chinese as most works of the kind are. Its style can be described as “softly beautiful”.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2008-04-23 20:54:33 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Thank you for your enlightening explanation.

Frank Wang
China
Local time: 20:28
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
This is the correct answer, based on what the original translator was told to express. All of the other answers are worthy additions, and fit the theme of the book very well, but The Chinese House is the actual title.
Notes to answerer
Asker: That is what I am trying to verify. If you didn't have that tip, would the answer be self-evident. Also, what is the feeling of the characters. Do they mean house in the sense of a structure, a dynasty, a firm? In other words, what it would it mean and imply at first glance to a non-English speaking Chinese person who had no hints. Sorry to seem to be so pedantic, but I want to avoid the kind of embarrassing mistranslations that are often not obvious but can cause amusement and even ridicule. I'd also like to be able to add some background on the term as an interesting sidelight. Thanks for your help. This is something I have been trying to resolve for many years. I've been told that the calligraphy is very old-fashioned and not all that easy to decipher properly, much less translate.

Asker: The answers so far are wonderful, just what I was looking for. The calligrapher got the meaning exactly right. The book is about a commune in California that was called the Chinese House, because it had been built by a Chinese-American family with some traditional touches. But the book also considers/implies civilization as a house that the Chinese built. I will give this some time before selecting an answer, but The Chinese House is what I was hoping for. Many thanks.

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1 day 13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Chinese World / Association


Explanation:
Chinese World / Association

Ritchest
Local time: 20:28
Native speaker of: Chinese
PRO pts in category: 24
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