本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛“Long time no see” was first mentioned in the book written by an American guy called William Hunter who was one of the foreign people mastering Chinese in the early 19th century.
(zt)Long time no see is often attributed as a good example of Chinglish being used by native English speakers. The phrase is said to have originated from 好耐冇見(啦)(Cantonese)/好久不見(了)(Mandarin). These Chinglish phrases were used by dock workers to greet sailors from overseas.
It began in early 1900's when British and American warships and trading ships often stayed at Chinese docks, and through pidgin communications with dock workers, started to communicate in what is now known as Chinglish. The sailors used the phrase long time no see as a joke when they got home and somehow the phrase became widely used even in English-speaking countries. A more grammatically correct phrase of English should be I haven't seen you for ages.
While this story is substantiated by other sources [1], this may just be a myth as there are no known records of the origin. The phrase has also been said to originate from trade with American Indians. Similar seemingly grammatically "incorrect" phrases (such as "no pain, no gain" or "the more, the merrier") are common and native to English; thus "long time no see" may have been just a coincidence.
"Chinglish" is also used to describe the broken Chinese interspersed with English used by westernized Chinese (e.g. American born Chinese) who are no longer fluent in their parents' language and must use English words to supplement their limited Chinese vocabulary.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
(zt)Long time no see is often attributed as a good example of Chinglish being used by native English speakers. The phrase is said to have originated from 好耐冇見(啦)(Cantonese)/好久不見(了)(Mandarin). These Chinglish phrases were used by dock workers to greet sailors from overseas.
It began in early 1900's when British and American warships and trading ships often stayed at Chinese docks, and through pidgin communications with dock workers, started to communicate in what is now known as Chinglish. The sailors used the phrase long time no see as a joke when they got home and somehow the phrase became widely used even in English-speaking countries. A more grammatically correct phrase of English should be I haven't seen you for ages.
While this story is substantiated by other sources [1], this may just be a myth as there are no known records of the origin. The phrase has also been said to originate from trade with American Indians. Similar seemingly grammatically "incorrect" phrases (such as "no pain, no gain" or "the more, the merrier") are common and native to English; thus "long time no see" may have been just a coincidence.
"Chinglish" is also used to describe the broken Chinese interspersed with English used by westernized Chinese (e.g. American born Chinese) who are no longer fluent in their parents' language and must use English words to supplement their limited Chinese vocabulary.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net