6
votes
How do I self-answer "What does this say?"
Handwriting
TL;DR: Handwriting is much harder than printed text. The first step is to improve the image quality. Afterwards we can input the text into OCR software.
This is on a door where I'm ...
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5
votes
What comes after 小心 in 小心（？）落，请勿靠近 written on these boxes in messy handwriting?
it should be '坠落', the writer doesn't remember how to write it correctly.
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5
votes
Accepted
CCTV News: 海外观察：英国华人抗疫进行时: please correct my transcription
Sorry I couldn't add comments to existing answers, while being pretty good, there are some small mistakes within the existing answer, so I'll post the entire transcript below, feel free to ask me any ...
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5
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How do I self-answer "What does this say?"
Searching characters by their constituent components
TL;DR: We can find characters by inputting some or all of their constituent components.
小學堂 offers a component-searching interface, so that if you ...
- 22.2k
4
votes
How do I self-answer "What does this say?"
OCR: Optical Character Recognition
TL;DR: Input a photo of the text into OCR software (e.g. Online OCR), then input the output into some translation software. This method requires a sufficiently high ...
- 15.9k
3
votes
Help translating calligraphy
the calligraphy is "福如东海" in Chinese.
In English, it means "May your happiness be as vast as the East Sea". It's often used to wish someone immense good fortune or blessings.
福: ...
- 31
3
votes
Accepted
Condom poster: What should 爪 in ...因爪安全性行为感染艾滋病 actually be? And why is 经 in 预防艾滋病经性传播?
It is 不安全性行为 (unsafe sex) , not 爪安全性行为
经 means 'through'
性 means 'sex'
预防艾滋病(经)性传播 = prevent aids spread (through) sex
A more clear phrasing might help new learners understand better - 预防艾滋病经(由)性(...
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3
votes
Accepted
My dictionary shows 说 is both shuì and shuō
Yes, it's correct.
shui4 说客 说士 lobbyist 说服 persuade 说导 enlighten etc.
However considering that many people today mix them up In pronunciation, 说 is supposed to be pronouned as shuo1 In both meanings, ...
- 3,101
3
votes
How do I self-answer "What does this say?"
Drawing characters by hand
TL;DR: We can obtain plaintext by manually drawing characters one-by-one using various software.
Drawing on your phone
If your phone has Chinese input installed, you likely ...
- 15.9k
3
votes
Lao-Tseu carved statue signed sigillary caracters
The carving on the piece is from a poem called On Reading History (《咏史》) by Gao Shi (高适) from the Tang Dynasty.
The text is as follows:
尚有绨袍赠，应怜范叔寒。
不知天下士，犹作布衣看。
This is a simplified version of the ...
Mou某♦
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3
votes
Accepted
Seal script identification/translation
寅嘯
Yínxiào, an art name
虎山画（畫）廊
Hǔshān halls of art
Calligraphy:
閑（閒）來無事悠悠、［年〻］（年年）有餘［樂乐］（樂樂）
Always unhurried and at leisure, with joyous abundance as the years go by (non-literal translation)
...
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3
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CCTV News: 海外观察：英国华人抗疫进行时: please correct my transcription
This guy doesn't enunciate clearly enough. Anyway...
...的留学目的地，又有二十二万...
...生活中[huang3(?)]狀況怎么...
...华生的[qing3ying3(?)]經營又受到...
...负责人离长 Lǐ Qiáng (maybe 李強) 的观察
...有些华人表示呢？TA们收到了歧视
？ should be ，
...
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2
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CCTV News: 海外观察：英国华人抗疫进行时: please correct my transcription
This is based on @dROOOze's answer, but with more corrections:
"受到"了歧视
更"清醒"的认识
“响应”
“涌现”出了
远程“义诊”
给老人的“特定”购物时段
(also cleared up some punctuations and tiny bits)
英国有近八十万的华侨华人群体，也是全球重要的留学目的地，...
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votes
How do I self-answer "What does this say?"
Extended character searching by their constituent components: Small seal script, Chu silk and bamboo slip characters, bronze inscription characters, or oracle bone characters
TL;DR: Using ...
- 22.2k
2
votes
Accepted
What are the correct characters for 直接用自己的bǎolǐng象却换掉了对方的这个c3马 describing Caruana's recent surprise chess move?
It is called "堡垒象".
Not bao3ling3, but bao3lei3.
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2
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Painting signature translation (Characters identified: 筠新)
The characters are 「筠新」, which likely points to the artist 「雕筠新」 (Mandarin Pinyin: maybe Diāo Jūnxīn).
Here's another piece which features the same seal: http://auction.zhuokearts.com/art/25922855....
- 22.2k
2
votes
Help finding the artist
The artwork is signed with the name 「陸一飛」 (Mandarin Pinyin: Lù Yīfeī).
Calligraphy:
千里江陵一日還
Second line of Lǐ Bái's Departing from Baidi in the Morning
丙寅春日陸一飛畫
Painted in the spring of bǐngyín by ...
- 22.2k
2
votes
What comes after 小心 in 小心（？）落，请勿靠近 written on these boxes in messy handwriting?
This is a typical warning in warehouses to prevent incidents/injuries due to falling items.
小心坠落, 請勿靠近 - Be aware falling items, please do not come near/close, or please stay away.
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Can anyone help translate an artist's seal for me? (Characters identified: 臨摹)
临摹 means "Imitation" or "Copy". It is a practice where aspiring artists learn by copying masterpieces.
In exploring seal script fonts (篆体), it is evident that the structure of the ...
- 31
1
vote
Accepted
Help translating inscription and seal
The artist's name is 「葉潛德」 (Mandarin Pinyin: Yè Qiándé).
Calligraphy:
庚申深秋 // 潛德寫
Written on the end of autumn in the year of gēngshēn by 潛德 (Qiándé)
Seal 1:
潛德書画
Drawn and written by 潛德
Seal 2:
...
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1
vote
Seal on Yixing Teapot (Characters identified: 吳紅芳制)
制 means made
吴 is a well-known family name in China,so it's obviously 吴红芳 is a name for a person
The mean of this seal is (made by 吴红芳)
Many handicraftsman like leave their name with a seal
- 69
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vote
Accepted
SZTV News: 外交部告诫美方：敌人是病毒不是中国: please correct my transcription
Here I come!
应对日益严重国内疫情，美国总统特郎朗普频频妄图甩锅中国。他妄称在新冠疫情的问题向上，中国故意误导了国外社会，还频繁拿病毒源头做文章。对此外交部表示美方一些人应该尊重事实、尊重科学、应该认识到他们的敌人是病毒不是中国。
特朗普之外西方部分政客和媒体借疫情大肆渲染向中国索赔的论调。对此都[ming2(?)]多名外国政要和学者都看不下去了。...
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vote
Accepted
I would love to know the meaning of this script on a carved box given to me as a gift from a visitor to Singapore. (Characters identified: 珍藏)
It said: 珍藏
珍藏(n) precious/ cherished collection
珍藏 (v) to cherish and keep/ store
珍藏 (adj) cherished and kept/ stored
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I would love to know the meaning of this script on a carved box given to me as a gift from a visitor to Singapore. (Characters identified: 珍藏)
"珍藏" - save preciously, or treasure/collection, with the word "福(luck)" above and below.
It could be a gift for your friendship, or a fond memory - 情誼珍藏於心底 (Friendship saved ...
- 12k
1
vote
Accepted
Improve listening skills - Any best way to do it?
I reckon all the methods you mentioned can improve your listening. A common efficient way is: listening without transcripts first, read the transcripts while listening second, and listening without ...
- 1,242
1
vote
Accepted
Have I transcribed the paragraph 英国孩子学习中文的热情…… correctly?
The 丫丫学语 is wrong. It should be 呀呀学语, which means the expression of the baby babbling to learn the words of adults. For the other parts, I think your understanding is good.
- 1,242
1
vote
Accepted
Help deciphering a young Chinese student's writing!
这是我的名字阚鸿博
zhe shi wo de ming zi kan hong bo
This is my name Kan Hongbo
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How do I self-answer "What does this say?"
Search by radical
TL;DR: Chinese characters break down into radicals, so we can identify Chinese characters by searching via radicals. This requires basic familiarity with Chinese radicals.
Step 1: ...
- 15.9k
1
vote
Chinese commentary about a Sun Tzu quotation
A simple Google search for 'art of war':
http://classics.mit.edu/Tzu/artwar.html
The Art of War
By Sun Tzu
XIII. The Use of Spies
Hence the use of spies, of whom there are ...
- 77.1k
1
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My dictionary shows 说 is both shuì and shuō
The order means nothing. Here is a simple guide:
When 说 in 说服, 说客, 游说, use shuì. shuō for every case else.
A more simple rule, only use shuì when 游说, 说shuō服, 说shuō客 is acceptable.
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