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posted by dsk on November 24th, 2008 at 7:23PM

>I've never heard of this proverb/curse in Chinese.

You're right. Wikipedia says the saying goes back to '30s era Britain when it was incorrectly attributed to an old Chinese saying by Sir Austen Chamberlain.
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posted by dennisn on November 24th, 2008 at 9:31PM

Vina--stop the presentation and the further corruption of history!

(Dsk, which Wikipedia article?)

posted by Vina on November 25th, 2008 at 6:27PM

History has been manipulated countless times.   There is nothing to be corrupted when it has already been corrupted.   Because nothing is certain by now, maybe what I provided for the presentation was right.

posted by dennisn on November 25th, 2008 at 8:03PM

By the way, how did you figure the phrase meant "the right man at the right time"? I don't get it.

And why did your boss ask you, instead of google?

posted by Vina on November 25th, 2008 at 9:07PM

By Wiki.   It was written in Chinese, though.   Also, by Robert Kennedy's speech.   He brought this proverb up, and ever since, journalists have been using this proverb in their articles.

My boss wanted a deeper meaning to it.   Simply saying the proverb is a curse to wish someone a terrible time is too superficial.   Chinese proverbs are very abstract, it is never expressed in any direct format, and it is hardly sarcastic.   English translations to Chinese literature is always distorted in some kind of way.   Not that they mean to, but Chinese literature is complicated.

I still don't get it. In Bob K by dennisn on November 25th, 2008 at 10:26PM.
Cantonese. The point of Chi by Vina on November 26th, 2008 at 6:53PM.
And what's the point of (good) by dennisn on November 27th, 2008 at 12:26AM.
Exploit the rules: form, chara by Nylorac on November 27th, 2008 at 8:33AM.
You don't think Chinese litera by dennisn on November 27th, 2008 at 12:08PM.
I didn't say that. by Nylorac on November 27th, 2008 at 12:55PM.

posted by dsk on November 24th, 2008 at 10:45PM