Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2009 January 8

= January 8 =

Help translating Chinese name into English
Hi could anyone please translate this Chinese name into English? (http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/2822/photo5bi3.jpg) and if you could also provide pronunciation of the Chinese into english, that would be very much appreciated. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Transhelp123 (talk • contribs) 01:22, 8 January 2009 (UTC)

李雨涵 Lǐ Yŭhán 72.89.212.132 (talk) 07:15, 8 January 2009 (UTC)
 * For a dummies-guide pronunciation, "lee yoo hann" - Lee, like the name, yoo, like English "you" and han, like Han Solo. Steewi (talk) 23:07, 8 January 2009 (UTC)


 * Can the characters be literally translated, or are there some characters used in names whose literal meaning (if any) is Lost in the Mists of Time? —Tamfang (talk) 03:48, 9 January 2009 (UTC)


 * Yes, Tamfang:
 * 李: a traditional surname, but also "plum"
 * 雨: "rain"
 * 涵: "patience, restraint, retaining"
 * The combination 雨涵 does not appear in big dictionaries I have consulted, but we might speculate that the notions associated with the two components are somehow combined to suggest a composite meaning. A native speaker, please?
 * – ⊥ ¡ɐɔıʇǝo  N  oetica! T– 05:22, 9 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Yes, this is often the case.  bibliomaniac 1  5  05:23, 9 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Newsflash from my correspondent in Beijing: no, no special meaning. But it is a beautiful name. Probably a girl's name; and 涵 is typical for girls, suggesting virtue and inner beauty. (I set aside the gender issues arising from this post-Maoist stance.)
 * – ⊥ ¡ɐɔıʇǝo  N  oetica! T– 05:33, 9 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Well, "雨" isn't exactly pronounced "you". Try saying "you", but not fully pronouncing the "u" part, and keeping your lips held back more. ~ A H  1 (TCU) 01:29, 10 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Wow, this is a pretty hard one. The thing with most Chinese words and names is, some are very easy to translate and some are not. This one, it's like "rain" and some other word I can't quite translate. Mine is 梁燁文 (Liang Yewen; literally "Glorious culture"). I know the last one means "patience" or "contain". I don't know what it is, but the only explanation I can cook up is like, "Patience through hard times" because they put "rain" in front of "patience".


 * Also, none of you have mentioned, Ms. Li is actually a Chinese (or Taiwanese) celebrity. I showed this to my parents and they said she's a singer/actress.


 * It's pronounced like, "Lee Yee Han", to clear it all up. Ask Chinese friends for further assistance. ★ Dasani ★ 03:07, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Cerf's Up
Cerf's Up: What does it mean? ---77.4.35.76 (talk) 06:41, 8 January 2009 (UTC)


 * It's word play. See Surf's Up and Vint Cerf. (The picture is taken outside an ICANN meeting). ---Sluzzelin talk  07:03, 8 January 2009 (UTC)


 * More wordplay with "strategic plan" and Plan 9 from Outer Space, one of the cheesiest movies of all time, no doubt well known to the intended audience. --- OtherDave (talk) 14:01, 8 January 2009 (UTC)