汉语新词新译系列-X

校草 (xiao4cao3) school beau

This term translates literally as “school grass,” the male counterpart of the “school flower (campus belle).” So, naturally, it refers to the most handsome and attractive male student on the campus.

小巷总理 (xiao3 xiang4 zong3 li3) neighborhood mediators

The Chinese term literally means “premier of the lanes”. It refers to China’s grassroots cadres who mediate everything in neighborhood communities.

秀霸 (xiu4 ba4) runway doyen

Some top fashion models are so popular that they have to undertake whirlwind, jet-setting tours around the world to get to all the catwalks during the peak season, giving them little time to take a break.

橡皮鸡蛋 (xiang4 pi2 ji1 dan4) bouncing egg, rubber egg

Customers in some cities recently complained that the yoke of some chicken eggs they bought turned hard and elastic after being boiled. Authorities have started investigations, but some say it could be caused by a poisonous feed.

相亲消费券 (xiang1 qin1 xiao1 fei4 quan2) blind-dating coupon

Dating agencies distribute these coupons for singles, regardless of age, profession or where they live. The coupons can be used to pay for entrance tickets to blind date parties.

性短信 (xing4 duan3 xin4) sexting

This term refers to a new trend among teenagers in some Western countries. They send nude or semi-nude photos through cell phones to their boyfriends or girlfriends. Instead of “texting”, they call it “sexting”.

戏骨 (xi4 gu3) chameleon-like actor

“Drama bone”, as this term translates literally, refers to actors who are very good at performing a wide range of different roles in stage plays or movies, though they may not be famous.

小月 (xiao3 yue4) female spendthrift

A pun on the Chinese word for “moonlight”, the term refers to those who spend all their income before next payday. Since the term uses part of the Chinese word and sounds like a female name, it is used to describe women in this category.

小透明 (xiao3 tou4 ming2) neglected author/blogger

The word literally means “small and transparent” in Chinese. If something’s small and transparent, people tend to neglect its existence. Some Chinese bloggers who receive little feedback laugh at themselves as “small and transparent.”

咸猪手 (xian2zhu1shou3) wandering hands, groper

Taiwan and Guangdong people refer to a man who tends to pay unwanted sexual attention to a fair lady as “zhuge,” which translates literally as “pig brother.” Hence, the hands (or “feet”) of the man who takes advantage of overcrowding to grope female passengers (or female colleagues in offices) are called xianzhushou.

现金池 (xian4jin1chi2) cash pool

This is a sophisticated system for managing funds for corporations. It optimize the interest results of a group of businesses. China Merchants Bank in October initiated the foreign exchange cash pool, the first of its kind on the Chinese mainland.

新新人类 (xin1xin1 ren2lei4) new-new generation

This is a term for a “novel generation” of youngsters who have novel ideals, are always ready to try out new fashions and new lifestyle, do whatever they see appropriate and are willing to be responsible for their unconventional action.

循环课本 (xun2huan2 ke4ben3) used textbook

The Chinese term, “recycled textbook,” actually means used books as you see in many US colleges. Some Shanghai schools have begun to promote used books to save resources

咸潮 (xian2chao2) salt tide

The tide takes place at the mouth of the Yangtze River every winter or early spring, when water flowing from the river decreases, causing chloride level to rise and even exceed the national standard. Local media reported the year’s first salt tide in the East China Sea may threaten one of Shanghai’s two sources of fresh water during the Spring Festival.

血拼 (xue3pin1) shopping

This Chinese term literally means a “bloody fight,” but sounds similar to the English word that it stands for. In a commercial metropolis like Shanghai, shopping is a craze and can be “bloody.”  Many of the city’s shopping malls, supermarkets, stored and restaurants open 24 hours a day over the New Year holiday and saw all their floors constantly packed with shoppers.

小混混 (xiao3hun4hun4) dawdling punk

This Chinese term is derogative. It refers to teenagers or young people who do nothing but hang around.

行头 (hang2tou2) gear

Some children in middle schools vie with each other to wear fashionable clothing and accessories. The equipment needed for a sport or professional activity, like roller skating, mountain climbing or firefighting, is also referred to as hangtou.

消费税 (xiao1fei4shui4) excise tax

The nation hopes the excise tax it started on April 1 to levy on cars, as well as other luxury products, will control the number of sedans on the roads as part of its effort to cut energy use and rein in air pollution.

下三赖 (xia4san1lai4) riffraff, low-class

Many Chinese students tend to use the literal English translation of this term, “down three bad.” As a translation, it’s not bad, since it conveys almost the right sense. In daily conversation, however, the term is widely used to express scorn.

下猛药 (xia4meng3yao4) drastic measures

When people adopt drastic measures to solve a nagging problem or a widespread social headache, the act is preferred to as a case of xiamengyao. The expression literally means to “prescribe a strong medicine” for a serious ailment.

虾米 (xia1mi3) what

On a BBS, this popular word means “what.” It came from China’s southern Fujian dialect, which pronounces “what” in Chinese similar to “xiami” — dried small shrimps.

下沉式广场 (xia4chen2shi4guang3chang3) sunken square

A sunken square that serves as a pedestrian access to shops around the busy crossing of five major roads in Yangpu District recently opened. Entertainment facilities are also available at the square.