汉语新词新译系列-T

推特症 (tui1 te4 zheng4) tweet tooth

The craving to post a new tweet on social microblogging site Twitter.

推特王 (tui1 te4 wang2) tweet heart

The Chinese expression is translated from the new English word for a Twitter user who is admired by others. The English word combines tweet and sweetheart.

淘港族 (tao2 gang3 zu2) mainland bargain-hunters in Hong Kong

Mainland tourists, attracted by the cheaper prices of luxury cosmetics and appliances such as cell phones in Hong Kong, who have provided a boost to the year-end sales season in the island city in the past few years.

童替 (tong2 ti4) stand-in kids

Children from poor backgrounds who are paid to substitute child stars for filming dangerous scenes in movies, such as fighting or explosions. Parents wanting their children to become stars quickly minimize any physical risks by hiring stand-in kids.

鸵鸟爱情 (tuo2 niao4 ai4 qing2) play-blind marriage/ostrich marriage

Some people in unhappy marriages learn to turn a blind eye to problems with their spouse, to keep the marriage on track. Like ostriches, they stick their heads in the sand.

调情短信 (tiao2 qing2 duan3 xin4) flexting

A Chinese translation of the English buzzword that is a portmanteau of flirt and texting.

TVB体 (TVB ti3) TVB style

It refers to a recent online trend to comfort others by using lines from TV series produced by Hong Kong Television Broadcasts Ltd, commonly known as TVB.

头像性格 (tou2 xiang4 xing2 ge2) profile picture character

It refers to an online trend to guess a netizen’s character from his or her profile picture on social networking sites. According to the theory developed by netizens, women who use their own photos usually have a strong spirit, lots of energy and are charismatic. Those who use pictures of aggressive foreign women tend to be weak and shy, they say.

陀螺人 (tuo2 luo2 ren2) spinning-top clan

Some urbanites are so busy day after day that they are circling either around their boss or their customers during work or their family members during their spare-time.

偷情节 (tou1 qing2 jie2) Valenswine’s Day

The eve of Valentine’s Day is said to be a festival for adulterous lovers or two lovers in a love triangle in some countries, with the rendezvous venues mostly in high-end hotels and gifts heavily jeweled.

躺着中枪 (tang3 zhe zhong4 qiang1) incidental victim

This expression is used to conjure up a vivid picture of someone who falls victim to a malicious comment or a criticism, even when she or he is not the intended target. It literally means that you are shot by a flying bullet, even though you are lying low.

叹老族 (tan4 lao3 zu2) young pessimists

Some young people in China feel they’re lagging behind in a fast-changing world. They sound as if they’re experiencing mid-life crisis before reaching middle age.