中文天天读-17: 善意的谎话

  • This is the 17th article from 中文天天读.
  • If you can understand this article, try to write it in English at the comment section.

什么是善意的谎话?你说过善意的谎话吗?

美国前总统卡特竞选时,一位爱找麻烦的女记者访问了他的母亲。

女记者问:“你儿子说,如果他说谎话,那么大家就不要选他。你敢说你儿子从来没有说过谎?”

卡特的母亲回答说:“也许我儿子说过谎,但都是善意的。”

“什么是善意的谎话?”

“你记得吗,几分钟前,当你进来的时候,我对你说,‘你真漂亮,我见到你很高兴’,这就是善意的谎话。”

Words / Phrases:
1.
总统
zǒng tǒng
: president
2.
竞选
jìng xuǎn
: run for, campaign for
3.
记者
jì zhě
: reporter, journalist
4.
访问
fǎng wèn
: interview, visit
5.
谎话
huǎng huà
: lie
6.
gǎn
: dare
7.
善意
shàn yì
: goodwill, good intentions
8.
记得
jì dé
: remember

语言点 Language Points

从来
always, at all times

“从来” is an adverb that indicates something is true from the past till present. It’s often used in a negative sentence.
你敢说你儿子从来没有说过谎?
Dare you say that your son has never told a lie?

Example:
(1) 因为经常睡不着,所以他从来不喝咖啡。
(2) 我的朋友从来没有来过中国,我回国的时候一定给他买个中国的礼物。

当……的时候
when

“当……时候” indicates “the time when something takes place”.
当你进来的时候,我对你说“你真漂亮,我见到你很高兴”。
When you came in, I said to you “You are so pretty. I’m very glad to meet you.”

Example:
(1) 当我回来的时候,爸爸妈妈已经睡了。
(2) 当她下飞机的时候,北京正在下雨。

source:《中文天天读 – 奇妙的中文2A》
Foreign Language Teaching And Research Press
slow-chinese.com

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6 thoughts on “中文天天读-17: 善意的谎话”

  1. 什么是善意的谎话?你说过善意的谎话吗?
    What is a white lie? What do you say a well-intentioned lie is?

    美国前总统卡特竞选时,一位爱找麻烦的女记者访问了他的母亲。
    During the election campaign of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter,
    a female reporter who loves to look for trouble interviewed his mother.

    女记者问:“你儿子说,如果他说谎话,那么大家就不要选他。你敢说你儿子从来没有说过谎?”
    The female reporter asked: “Your son says, if he is a liar, then we do not
    vote for him. Do you dare say your son has never told a lie?”

    卡特的母亲回答说:“也许我儿子说过谎,但都是善意的。”

    “什么是善意的谎话?”

    Carter’s mother replied: “Maybe my son told a lie, but he is well-intentioned.”

    “What is a well-intentioned lie?”

    “你记得吗,几分钟前,当你进来的时候,我对你说,‘你真漂亮,我见到你很高兴’,这就是善意的谎话。”
    Do you remember a few minutes ago, when you came in, I said to you, ‘You are so beautiful, I feel very happy after seeing you’. This is a well-intentioned lie.”

  2. What is a white lie? What do you say a well-intentioned lie is?
    During the election campaign of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter,
    a female reporter who loves to look for trouble interviewed his mother.
    The female reporter asked: “Your son says, if he is a liar, then we do not
    vote for him. Do you dare say your son has never told a lie?”
    Carter’s mother replied: “Maybe my son told a lie, but he is well-intentioned.”

    “What is a well-intentioned lie?”

    “Do you remember a few minutes ago, when you came in, I said to you, ‘You are so beautiful, I feel very happy after seeing you’. This is a well-intentioned lie.”

  3. Both translations appear accurate. However it seems to me that the second sentence of the article should be translated as: “Have you (ever) told a white lie?”

    I am by no means an expert at chinese and would appreciate any feedback on this matter.

    As I understand the sentence; “What do you say a well-intentioned lie is?” would be something along the lines of: ” 你说/觉得善意的谎话是什么?”

    有没有中国人看这个网站?请帮我们学中文,那句话应该怎么翻译?

    1. Hi Michael,
      I agreed with you in that the sentence, “你说过善意的谎话吗?” is better to be translated as “Have you (ever) told a white lie?”. I salute Chen Wenkuan and Dasod Yash for their translations as my level of Chinese is not good enough to understand the article.
      You all are ahead of me in learning Chinese even though I myself is ethnically Chinese.
      加油。
      Larry

    2. Hi,
      For the sentence:
      你说过善意的谎话吗?
      is better to translate as:
      “Have you ever told a white lie?”

      For the sentence:
      “What do you say a well-intentioned lie is?”
      Does it has the same meaning as “What do you think what a well-intentioned lie is?” ?
      If so, I think it could be translated as:
      你觉得善意的谎话是什么呢?

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