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I'm adding english subtitles to some mandarin movies, as volunteer and hobby. How to translate the following line better?

The main male character was waiting for his flight at the airport when he saw a group of young and beautiful stewardesses passing by, and was attracted by them, so soliloquized, “这帮丫头片子,也不知道都便宜哪帮孙子了”.

“丫头片子” is a Beijing dialect, meaning young girls. I can only think of the translation "chicks", but sounds a little weird. For “也不知道都便宜哪帮孙子了”,can only think of the translation “dunno which gang of boys finally caught away”, “caught away” sounds also weird, and the whole sentence sounds too literal.

“也不知道都便宜哪帮孙子了”,即:不知道被哪帮小子“钓”走了,“追”走了

Do you know of a better translation? (Note that this sentence is verbal)

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  • why does 丫 not look like a real character Mar 11, 2021 at 13:15
  • @小奥利奥 Haha, it's a real character and also widely used (脚丫、丫头、丫鬟), unlike some other rarely used real characters like 屮、甴曱、亖、囧、囙、孒、乜
    – user21286
    Mar 11, 2021 at 13:49

2 Answers 2

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'chicks' is a kind of unflattering nickname for 'girls', not a very accurate translation of '丫头片子' - '(immature, innocent, naive) young woman/ girl'. However, in this context, the main character does sexualize them, Thus, both 'chicks' and 'young women/ girls' are a suitable translation

Personally, I would translate as follow:

这帮丫头片子 - These girls,/ This flock of chicks,

也不知道都便宜哪帮孙子了”. Who knows what bad boys are getting into their panties / Who knows what bad boys are getting lucky with them

孙子 (grandkid) here is a 謔稱 (unflattering nickname) for men who are not mature or refine enough to be called upstanding

孙子 is seemingly a short form of 龟孙子 (unworthy rascals)-- a slang in Mandarin

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“这帮丫头片子,
These/This {choose a phrase from below}

也不知道都便宜哪帮孙子了”. which undeserving wretch will win their favour?

These/This:

{fair maidens, lovely lasses, gorgeous creatures, gaggle of daughters of Eve, defty damsels, darling daughters, attendant mistresses, inciting inamorata, pubescent paramours, helping handmaidens, doting minxes, tender spirits, soon-to-be spouses, brides-in-waiting, waiting wenches, budding bachelorettes, flight heroines, juicy Jezebels, nimble nymphs, delicious dishes, go-for geishas, sexy smashers, vestal virgins, airbourne nannies, pretty peaches, ravishing ravers, slender sylphs, wanton sprites, dazzling dryads}

chick: do people still say that?

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