Se = Serenity TTJ = The Train Job BW = Bushwhacked Sh = Shindig Sa = Safe OMR = Our Mrs. Reynolds JT = Jaynestown OoG = Out of Gas A = Ariel WS = War Stories HG = Heart of Gold OiS = Objects in Space T = Trash N/A = Not from an episode ..___.. OoG Script translation: All that's proper 21st century translation: Whatever's appropriate Pinyin: Suoyou de dou shidang Pronunciation: Suo-yo duh doh shr-dang -Context- MAL, upon discovering Kaylee and Bester going at it in the engine room: "What in the name of suoyou de dou shidang...?" ____ N/A Asshole Lit. translation: That which farts Pinyin: Fang pi Steve's comments: I have never heard a Chinese speaker refer to an individual as a "pigu." However the phrase "fang pi" which means roughly "that farts" is used similarly to our "asshole!" as an expression of disgust. ____ Sa Big change Pinyin: Da bianhua -Context- YOUNG SIMON's response to the news that he'll be getting his own source box: "Dad, this is so da bianhua!" Steve's comments: Bianhua means a change in the sense of a transformation. ____ HG Script translation: Blessings on you, dear sister. Pinyin: Zhufu ni, meimei. Pronunciation: Tzoo-foo nee, mei-mei. -Context- NANDI (another Companion) to INARA: "Zhufu ni, meimei." Steve's comments: I asked a Chinese friend today about the expression "zhufu ni," and she said that it is used this way, but it really means "congratulations." In Chinese religious culture, you can't really translate "bless you" literally; you'd be more likely to say "shanzai" which is a classical literary expression used by old fashioned Buddhist monks and means "May it be to the benefit of all" (I think this was someone's idea of a translation of Svaha, a Vedic exclamation found in certain ritual prayers, and also in Rg Veda usually to signify the end of a text). Another option would be the Chinese pronunciation of the Amitabha Buddha's name, O-mi-to-fo, frequently used by lay and clergy adherents of Buddhism as a greeting and a farewell. ____ Sh Bottom Pinyin: Pigu Pronunciation: Pee-goo -Context- BADGER to MAL: "I'm placing value on the fact that stick up your pigu is about as large as the one Harrow's got." ____ BW, etc. Script translation: Oh, crap Pinyin: Tzao gao -Context- Among other instances, MAL when Niska's guys come to get him and Wash in WS: "Tzao gao!" Steve's comments: Tzao gao is written with characters that mean "ruined cake," probably originating in nonsense words. If said by someone nice, you would translate it as "Oh, darn!" If, say, Jayne said it, it would be appropriate to translate it as "Oh, shit!" The variant is "zhen zao gao" which means "REALLY zaogao!" ____ OoG, Sh Script translation: Crap lit. Dog shit Pinyin: Gou shi Pronunciation: Go se -Context- CAPTAIN of the other ship: "You and him'll pilot this pile of gou shi out of here." Steve's comments: As mentioned previously, in Southern Mandarin the distinction between s and sh sounds slides around. A Northerner would pronounce this as "Gou sher" (sort of like regional US pronunciation of the word "sure"). ____ BW Crazy Pinyin: Feng le Pronunciation: Fong luh -Context- JAYNE: "I don't believe this. We're sitting put for a funeral?" MAL: "Yes, Jayne, that is exactly what we're going to do. Not going to have these people looking over my shoulder once we're gone. I'm not saying there's any peace to be had, but on the off chance there is, those folks deserve a little of it." JAYNE: "Loopy in the head. Feng le. All of you." Note: This is only in the script. Jayne's whole last line was cut from the aired version. ____ T Script translation: Dangly piece of flesh 21st century translation: Piece of meat Pinyin: Zhandou de yi kuai rou Pronunciation: Jan-doh duh ee-kwai-ro -Context- ZOE to INARA: "If the captain starts thinking with his zhandou de yi kuai rou, I'll step in." ____ BW Script translation: Dear god in heaven 21st century translation: My god Pinyin: Wo de tian a Pronunciation: Wuh de tyen ah -Context- MAL, having an unpleasant realization: "Wo de tian a!" ____ HG Script translation: Dirty bastard sons-of-- Pinyin: Wang ba dan Pronunciation: Wang bao dahn -Context- NANDI, pissed off the bad guys: "Wang ba dan--" Steve's comments: It literally means "Forgot 8 egg." I guess you could just translate it as bastard or s. o. b. The 8 refers to 8 principles of right conduct in Buddhist-derived moral teachings in old China. Humans are often referred to as "eggs" just as in old English slang--"good egg," "bad egg," etc. ____ TTJ Dog-fucking Pinyin: Gou cao de Pronunciation: Go tsao de -Context- JAYNE: Why are you parked here? This ain't the gou cao de rendezvous spot. ____ T Script translation: Don't worry Pinyin: Fang xin Pronunciation: Fahng-sheen -Context- ZOE: "Fang xin. I got his back." Steve's comments: Fang xin, don't worry, literally means "ease your heart." ____ HG Script translation: Engage in a feces-hurling contest with a monkey Pinyin: Gen houzi bi diou shi Pronunciation: Gun hoe-tze bee dio-se -Context- NANDI: "The House would tell you not to come. I know they ordered you to shun me when I left." INARA: "The House can gen houzi bi diou shi." Steve's comments: It means literally "compete in shit-slinging with a monkey." ____ Se Everyone in the 'verse Pinyin: Tianxia suoyou de ren -Context- MAL, talking about the Alliance ship: "Ni ta ma de. Tianxia shuoyoude ren gou gaisi. Have they spotted us?" Steve's comments: This "suoyou" is the same as in "suoyou de dou shidang." In Southern Mandarin, there is often a confusion between s and sh. Tianxia, literally All Under Heaven, used to refer specifially to the Chinese Empire, or somewhat more metaphorically, to the land, the Earth. ____ HG Script translation: Extraordinarily impatient Buddha Pinyin: Zhen mei naixin de Fozu Pronunciation: Jen mei nai-shing duh fwo-tzoo -Context- NANDI: "Zhen mei naixin de Fozu, Malcolm, I've been waiting for you to kiss me since I showed you my guns." Steve's comments: Literally, "a really impatient Buddha-ancestor." This is something I've never heard, but it may have been a phrase in the writer's village. ____ A Script translation: Frog-humping son of a bitch Literally: Frog-fucking punk Pinyin: Qingwa cao de liumang Pronunciation: Ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng -Context- MAL, frustrated by trying to learn medical jargon: "Qingwa cao de liumang!" Steve's comments: "Cao" is an old word that means "fuck" written with a character that combines the word for "to enter" with the word for "meat." Is that graphic enough for you? Liumang, punk or punks, refers to an individual (can be plural, too) who is a habitual loiterer. It sometimes also means homeless people who run around stirring up trouble. I don't know why it was translated in the script as bastard. ____ Se Fuck you. Damn everyone in the 'verse. Pinyin: Ni ta ma de. Tianxia suoyoude ren dou gaisi. -Context- WASH: "We have incoming! Alliance cruiser, bearing right down on us!" MAL: "Ni ta ma de. Tianxia shuoyoude ren gou gaisi. Have they spotted us?" ____ Sa Garbage Pinyin: Lese Pronunciation: Luh-suh -Context- SIMON, in full sarcasm mode: "It's fun, being forced to the ass-end of the galaxy. To get to live on a piece of lese wreck." Steve's comments: In the North, this word is pronounced "la-ji." "Lese tong" is "Garbage can." ____ T Script translation: Go far away very fast Pinyin: Kuai qu hen yuan de difang Pronunciation: Kwai chur hun-rien duh di fahng -Context- SIMON to JAYNE, wearily dismissive, as the script says: "Kuai qu hen yuan de difang." Steve's comments: The literal meaning is as stated. It would be more common in Earth Chinese to say, "Gun ququ" a rude expression that signifies "get the hell out of here" and literally means "roll away out of here." ____ Sa Handsome Pinyin: Shai Pronunciation: Swai -Context- KAYLEE, talking about SIMON: "He's so shuai. You just wanna take a bite out of him all over, you know?" ____ BW, Sa Script translation: Heaven knows what Pinyin: Tian xiaode Pronunciation: Tyen shiao duh -Context- BW WASH: "What the tian xiaode is going on in there?" Sa YOUNG SIMON: "If I had a dedicated source box, it wouldn't short out. I lost half my essay." GABRIEL TAM: "Yes, and you'd have access to any tian xiaode that filtered in from the cortex. I absolutely forbid it." Steve's comments: Note that xiaode is the common Southern way of saying "to know, knows." In the North folk say "zhidao" for this. I haven't a clue why the script writer used the phrase as stated in the context. It sounds as if he thought it meant "hell." ____ OoG Script translation: Hell alt. Devil Pinyin: Guai -Context- JAYNE to MAL and WASH: "What the guai do you two think you're doing? Fighting at a time like this. You'll use up all the air!" Note: This is only in the script. In the aired version, "the guai" was left out. ____ Sh Hey Pinyin: Wai Pronunciation: Whay -Context- WRIGHT, when the holographic (or whatever) pool balls start to disappear: "Wai!" ____ T Script translation: Holy testicle Tuesday Pronunciation: Shun-sheng duh gao-wahn -Context- MAL, upon seeing DURRAN's astoundingly expensive taste in interior decorating: "Shun-sheng duh gao-wahn." ____ A How are you? Pinyin: Ni hao? -Context- AGENT MCGINNIS, answering the video phone: "Ni hao?" ____ Sa I/you saw his ghost Pinyin: Jian ta de gui Pronunciation: Jien tah duh guay -Context- YOUNG SIMON: "So...how'd the independents cut us off?" YOUNG RIVER: "They were using dinosaurs." YOUNG SIMON,incredulous: "Jian ta de gui!" ____ T Script translation: Idiots. All of you. Pinyin: Nimen dou shi sagua Pronunciation: Nee mun doh shr sagwa. -Context- INARA, disapproving of the crew's new job: "Nimen dou shi sagua." Steve's comments: "Sa gua," literally "stupid gourd," means an idiot. ____ N/A I'm fucked Pinyin: Wo cao ____ Sh Is that so?/Oh, really? Pinyin: Shi ma? Pronunciation: Shuh muh? -Context- BANNING: "You ought to see to your girl." KAYLEE: "Shi ma?" BANNING: "Your girl. She's not very good. She made you a dress that looks like you bought it in a store." ____ BW, WS BW script translation: Jerk WS script translation: Son of a bitch Pinyin: Hun dan Pronunciation: Hwoon dahn -Context- BW JAYNE to MAL, speaking of COMMANDER HARKEN: "You saved his gorram life. And he still takes the cargo. Hun dan." WS MAL, upon seeing Niska: "Ta ma de hun dan." Steve's comments: It means "rotten egg." This is an old pun on the Taoist phrase Hundan, the Sacred Egg from which the Universe was born. You use if of anyone you don't like very much when they piss you off. ____ JT Jesus Pinyin: Yesu Pronunciation: Yeh-soo -Context- JAYNE, when the folk singer starts singing "The Hero of Canton": "Yesu, ta me de!" ____ OoG Script translation: Junk Pinyin: Feiwu Pronunciation: Fei-oo -Context- ZOE, after MAL has, perhaps unwisely, solicited her honest opinion of the ship he's just bought--Serenity: "Sir, it's a piece of feiwu." MAL: "Feiwu? Okay, so she won't win any beauty contests, that's true enough. But she's solid. Ship like this, be with ya till the day you die." ZOE: "Yes, sir. Because it's a death trap." ____ BW Script translation: Just our luck Pinyin: Zhen daomei Pronunciation: Jen dao mei -Context- MAL, upon realizing what happened to the people in the derelict ship: "Zhen daomei. I know what did this." ____ T Script translation: Let's take a deep breath. Pinyin: Yiqi shen huxi Pronunciation: Ee-chee shung-hoo-shee. -Context- INARA: "There's plenty of worlds where both of us could work. We used to visit them, remember?" MAL: "Yiqi shen huxi. Are you saying I'm doing this deliberate on account of you?" ____ OoG Script translation: Life support failure. Check oxygen levels at once. Pinyin: Jiushen yongzhe guzhang. Jiancha yongqi gongyin. Pronunciation: Jeo-shung yong-jur goo-jang. Jien-cha yong-chi gong yin. -Context- SERENITY's automated warning: "Life support failure. Check oxygen levels at once. Jiushen yongzhe guzhang. Jiancha yongqi gongyin." ____ A, etc. Little sister Pinyin: Mei mei -Context- This is how Simon often addresses River. Steve's comments: i. e. younger sister. One's older sister is addressed as "jiejie." ____ Se Little little sister [lit.] Young lady Pinyin: Xiao mei mei -Context- MAL to KAYLEE: "Don't go working too hard on that crush, xiao mei mei. Doc won't be with us for long." Steve's comments: Xiao means small, which can mean either young or petite. Any woman younger than oneself who is a good acquaintance, or just cute, can be addressed as "meimei." It literally means younger sister. Xiao meimei is sort of like the 1950s Father Knows Best expression "young lady," but is still used this way in modern Chinese. ____ Sa Oh, Lord/Oh, God Pinyin: Laotian fu Pronunciation: Lao tien foo -Context- WASH, upon seeing the wounded BOOK: "Laotian fu." ____ OMR Script translation: Mind your own business Pinyin: Guan ni ziji de shi Pronunciation: Gwon nee ju jee du shu -Context- MAL to KAYLEE, after she reprimands him for how he's treating Saffron: "Guan ni ziji de shi." ____ T Script translation: Monkey's ass Pinyin: Houzi de pigu Pronunciation: Hoe-tze duh pee-goo -Context- SAFFRON: "This was all your fault, you know. I had a perfect crime lined up." MAL: "Sure. You were stealing a man's beard." SAFFRON: "No, you houzi de pigu!" ____ T Script translation: Monkey raping Pinyin: Qiangbao houzi de Pronunciation: Chiang-bao hoe-tze duh -Context- MAL: "Point is, there's more'n one of us here wouldn't mind sticking it to a qiangbao houzi de Alliance bastard." ____ BW Script translation: Mother of god Pinyin: Wode ma Pronunciation: Wuh de ma -Context- JAYNE upon seeing the derelict ship: "Wode ma." Steve's comments: It literally means "My mother!" An old Irish slang term, "Mother of mine!" is useful to recall here. ____ JT, WS Motherfucker Pinyin: Ta ma de Pronunciation: Ta mah duh -Context- JT JAYNE, when the folk singer starts singing "The Hero of Canton": "Yesu, ta me de!" WS MAL, upon seeing Niska: "Ta ma de hun dan." Steve's comments: A closer translation would be "That fucker!" It literally means "His mother's." It often is put with other slang terms in the same way as "fucking" in slang English. Example: "Ta ma de wang ba dan!" means "Fucking bastard!" ____ WS Script translation: Mother-humping son of a bitch Pinyin: Ta ma de hun dan Pronunciation: Ta mah duh hwun-dan -Context- MAL, upon seeing Niska: "Ta ma de hun dan." ____ N/A My ass is fucked Pinyin: Wo pigu cao ____ OMR My Buddha-ancestor Pinyin: Wo de fozu -Context- INARA, just before she kisses an unconscious Mal: "Wo de fozu!" ____ Sa Nonsense [lit. Crap talk] Pinyin: Fei hua -Context- (Talking about the cows Mal's trying to sell) OLDER GRANGE: "T'ain't well fed. Scrawny." MAL: "Fei hua. Milk and hay, three times a day. Fed to 'em by beautiful women." ____ A Nurse [the profession, not the verb] Pinyin: Hushi -Context- It was written on the uniforms our Big Damn Heroes were wearing. ____ OMR Script translation: Of course Pinyin: Dangran -Context- BOOK: "Have you got an encyclopedia?" SIMON: "Dangran." ____ Sh Old friend, you're looking lively. lit. Old friend, you're looking full of spirit. Pinyin: Lao pengyou, ni kanqilai hen you jingshen. Pronunciation: Lao pung yo nee can chi lai hun yo jing shen. -Context- INARA to an older man at a party: "Lao pengyou, ni kanqilai hen you jingshen." ____ TTJ One more cup of that brand, please. Pinyin: Qing zai lai yi bei na kapei. Qing = please (used for making requests) Zai lai= give me another yi bei = a cup of (tea, whiskey, that wild axle grease Jayne's using for lube these days) na = that kapei = copy (of a tape, book, etc., used here by extension to mean "brand") -Context- MAL, ordering another drink at the infamous Alliance-friendly bar: "Qing zai lai yi bei na kapei." ____ Sa Ordinarily useless Pinyin: Jingchang mei yong de Pronunciation: Jing tzahng mei yong duh -Context- MAL: "Wash, I want you to go to town. See if you can't find that jingchang mei yong de of a doctor." ____ JT Panda piss Pinyin: Xiongmao niao Pronunciation: Shiong mao niao -Context- BARTENDER, knocking the drink out of JAYNE's hand: "Hero of Canton won't be drinking that xiongmao niao. He drinks the best whiskey in the house!" ____ N/A Penis (slang term for it) Pinyin: Jiba Pronunciation: Jee-ba ____ HG Script translation: Piss-soaked pikers Pinyin: Niao se de duguei Niao se duh doo-gway -Context- WASH, triumphing over the bad guys: "Got you, you niao se de duguei!" Steve's comments: I would translate this as "piss-soaked poison-devils" or just "piss soaked bastards." ____ A Piss washed Pinyin: Xi niao Pronunciation: Shee niao -Context- JAYNE, irritated because sonic guns are no good for shooting out locks: "Xi niao high-tech Alliance crap!" ____ TTJ Really is a genius Pinyin: Zhende shi tiancai Pronunciation: Jen duh sh tyen tsai -Context- KAYLEE: :Hell, no. But I think it's gonna work. The Captain zhende shi tiancai when it comes to plans." ____ T Script translation: Remorseless harridan Pinyin: Bu huihen de pofu Pronunciation: Boo hway-hun duh puo-foo -Context- SIMON, referring to SAFFRON: "Why the captain is trusting that bu huihen de pofu is beyond--" ____ Sa Right away, immediately Pinyin: Ma shang Pronunciation: Ma shong -Context- MAL: "Wash, get down to the infirmary, ma shang!" Steve's comments: The literal meaning of the words is "on horseback." ____ OoG Script translation: Screw you Literal meaning: Eat yours Pinyin: Chi ni de Pronunciation: Chur ni-duh -Context- WASH, talking about Zoe, who is injured: "I'm not leaving her, Mal. Don't ask me again." MAL: "I wasn't askin'. I was tellin'." WASH: "Chi ni de." ____ WS Shit Pinyin: Se -Context- MAL to WASH: "I let that niao-se trick of yours slide because this is a milk run. But when I go on a mission, I'm taking Zoe and that's the drill." ____ N/A Shit talk Pinyin: Dabian hua ____ Se Script translation: Shut up Pinyin: Bizui -Context- JAYNE, speaking of the Alliance ship bearing down on them: "If they're here for the salvage, we're humped." ZOE: "This ship's been derelict for months. Why would they--" MAL: "Bizui. Shut it down, Wash. Everything but the air." -and- WASH: "That's right, of course, 'cause they wouldn't arrest me if we got boarded, I'm just the pilot. I can always say I was flying the ship by accident." MAL: "Bizui." Steve's comments: The literal sense is "Shut your trap." ____ Se Script translation: Everybody, shut the hell up Pinyin: Nimen dou bi zui -Context- Everyone's arguing about the "whole murdering people issue" as Wash put it. Mal ends the argument in his own inimitable way. MAL: "Nimen dou bi zui! Way it is is the way it is. We got to deal with what's in front of us." ____ Sh Smelled a fart Pinyin: Wen gua pi Pronunciation: Wun gwa pee -Context- BADGER, talking about HARROW: "He's a quality gent. Nose in the air like he never wen gua pi." ____ Sa Son of a drooling whore and a monkey Pinyin: Liu kou shui de biaozi he houzi de erzi Pronunciation: Liou coe shway duh biao-tze huh hoe-tze duh ur-tze -Context- RIVER, having a fit: "Liu kou shui de biaozi he houzi de erzi!" ____ WS Stuff all the planets in the universe into my ass Pinyin: Taikong suoyou di xingqui dou sai jin wo de pigu. Pronunciation: Tai-kong suo-yo duh shing-chiou doh sai-jin wuh dhu pee-goo. -Context- ZOE, explaining why they didn't use WASH's plan: "The captain thinks it'll get back to someone. Just cause trouble." WASH: "Taikong suoyou di xingqui dou sai jin wo de pigu! Was I ever not asking what the captain thought!" ____ T Script translation: Stupid inbred stack of meat Pinyin: Ben tiansheng de yi dui rou Pronunciation: Bun tyen-shung duh ee-dway-ro -Context- SAFFRON talking about MONTY: "Ben tiansheng de yi dui rou." ____ Sh Thank you Pinyin: Xiexie Pronunciation: Sheh-sheh -Context- KAYLEE to MAL, after he agrees to let her interrogate the buffet table: "Xiexie, Captain." ____ Sa That has nothing to do with it Pinyin: Na mei guanxi Pronunciation: Nah mei guan shee -Context- YOUNG RIVER: "Simon lost his head in the heat of battle." GABRIEL TAM, amused: "Na mei guanxi. Because there were dinosaurs involved, I think we'll let it slide." Steve's comments: Note that "Mei guanxi" (minus the "na") is used to mean "you're welcome" after someone has said "thank you." ____ TTJ This really is a happy holiday Pinyin: Zhe zhen shi ge kuai le de jingzhang Pronunciation: Juh jen sh guh kwai luh duh jean jan -Context- MAL, realizing he's about to be on the losing side of a bar brawl: "Oh, zhe zhen shi ge kuai le de jingzhang." ____ Sh Treasure Pinyin: Baobei -Context- This is what Asherton Wing calls Inara. Steve's comments: Baobei literally means treasure. It is used of infants (although baobao which means the same is slightly more common) and when directed towards an adult means something like "darling" I am not sure that I have heard this one in common speech very often, but Chinese generally do not use endearments as much as English speakers do. ____ TTJ, OoG, HG Script translation: Understand? Pinyin: Dong ma? -Context- TTJ JAYNE to SIMON: "You just play at figurin' what's wrong with that moonbrained sister of yours till we call for ya. Dong ma?" OoG MAL, trying to calm KAYLEE down: "I cannot be having this from you right now. We got work to do. Dong ma?" HG JAYNE, trying to teach some of NANDI's people how to shoot: "Next one doesn't hit the board is giving up a special treat, dong ma?" ____ A, JT, HG, WS Urine Pinyin: Niao -Context- Used in combination with other words; see previous entries. ____ HG Script translation: Weak-ass sauce Pinyin: Landan jiang -Context- MAL, talking about his drink: "Landan jiang!" Steve's comments: I believe the Chinese phrase here signifies "Juice with no punch to it." Landan means rotten egg. ____ JT What the hell is this? Pinyin: Zhe shi shenmo lan dongxi? Pronunciation: Je shr shuh muh lan dong shi? -Context- WASH, upon tasting the mudder's milk: "Zhe shi shenmo lan dongxi?" ____ Sh Yeah, right Pinyin: Cai bu shi -Context- OLDER FARMER: "It's a fine machine, you just keep it tuned. KAYLEE: "Cai bu shi. The extenders ain't braced." ____ N/A Yes Pinyin: Shi ____ Sa Youngster Pinyin: Nianqing de Pronunciation: Nyen ching duh -Context- PATRON to RIVER: "You're not a witch, are you, nianqing de?" ____ N/A You're crazy Pinyin: Fa kuang ____ N/A You're mad Pinyin: Fa feng Steve's comments: "Fa" is a particle that functions like an iterative in Chinese. ------- ..end..