Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Chinese term or phrase:
卖梳子给和尚
English translation:
sell the comb to Buddhist monk
Chinese term
卖梳子给和尚
有一家运营极佳的大公司,为了扩大经营规模,决定高薪招聘业务主管。广告一打出,应征者云集。招聘主考说:是骡是马,相不如赛,拉出来遛遛就知道;我们出一道实践的试题,那就是请你们想办法把木梳卖给和尚。
大多数的应征者感到大惑不解,甚至认为公司刁难而愤怒:出家人要木梳何用?这不是拿待业人开玩笑吗?于是纷纷拂袖而去,最后剩下甲乙丙三人。 考官交待:“十日为限,届时呈报销售成果。”
欲知后事如何,请待下回分解。
Question: How to translate this expression in such a sense that an English native speaker won't hestitate to catch the point?
TIA!
3 +4 | sell the comb to Buddhist monk | Yurek |
4 +1 | Sending coal to Newcastle | QUOI |
Dec 5, 2008 01:43: Yurek changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/73066">Wenjer Leuschel (X)'s</a> old entry - "卖梳子给和尚"" to ""sell the comb to Buddhist monk""
Dec 5, 2008 01:43: Yurek changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/721801">Yurek's</a> old entry - "卖梳子给和尚"" to ""sell the comb to Buddhist monk""
Dec 9, 2008 10:46: Yurek changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/721801">Yurek's</a> old entry - "卖梳子给和尚"" to ""sell the comb to Buddhist monk""
Proposed translations
sell the comb to Buddhist monk
agree |
tianshandun (X)
: the recruiter must have ulterior motives.
4 hrs
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Anna Maria Sciacca
: Speaking of Chinese culture, you shouldn't use expression containing geogr. reference outside China. Further, in this case the common say is not that difficult to understand, I would prefer the straight translation and put a foot note to explain it.
5 hrs
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Michael Lickorish
: Western monks also shave their heads, so I think the meaning transfers quite well.
13 hrs
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thanks
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agree |
Helen Li
17 hrs
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thanks
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Sending coal to Newcastle
Thanks. Not a bad suggestion. It happened once when people started sending oil to Kuwait. I guess the Eskimos might need some fridges, too. |
Discussion
甲答:“一支;如此如此卖的,利润40%。”
考官问乙:“你呢?多少支?怎卖的?”
乙答:“十支;如此如此卖的,利润30%。”
考官问丙:“那么你呢?多少支?怎卖的?”
丙答:“一千支;如此如此卖的,利润50%,老和尚下个月需要三千支,决定每个月二十五日下单确定订单数目,五日交货。”
景气差,百业萧条,翻译稿件减少,加上翻译服务推介网站增加不少,提供推介服务的商家才不管翻译者死活,多采取竞标方式让翻译者互相压价。要如何卖翻译给文盲,还要得到高利润呢?嗯,这也是个“卖梳子给和尚”的实践题。免费服务别人好占个醒目的地位吗?笨蛋才会那么做。最好的做法是,让老和尚有钱买梳子,而且觉得花钱花得值得。卖翻译也是这么卖的,而且不管你的翻译在吃醋的同事眼里看来有多烂。