May 25 鸡肋式就业 chicken-rib job market
Date:2012-05-24
鸡肋式就业(ji1 lei4 shi4 jiu4 ye4)
chicken-rib job market
Chinese college graduates these days tend to vie fiercely for a spot in the job market in first-tier cities like Shanghai and Beijing, though the jobs landed are often not as good as ones they could have got in a second-tier city. Chinese traditionally refer to something that has come in handy though it is by no means satisfying as a chicken rib, which barely satisfies the palate but it would be a waste of food to throw it away.
房闹(fang2 nao4)
housing trouble-maker
This is applied to home buyers who lodge unjustified protests against developers, following a mark-down of apartments in the same residential community. They protest that the homes they bought earlier have depreciated in value.
煎饼人(jian1 bing3 ren2)
pancake people
Thanks to information technology, people these days enjoy easy access to a much wider array of information in many fields than before. Many people prefer to be a jack of all trades instead of an expert in something. It’s just like a pancake that is spread out indefinitely, but only in a superficial way.
稍息族(shao1 xi zu2)
at-ease clan
Some people in mid-career who are well established choose to slow down to relax from the busy work life, as a way to become refreshed before taking on bigger tasks.
麻绳男人(ma2 sheng2 nan2 ren2）
hemp rope men
Some men are well-established in their careers or business ventures but have lost interest in life and curiosity in original thing. They are like the hemp rope from which bacon hangs: dull and moribund.
坏天气朋友(huai4 tian1 qi4 peng2 you3)
bad weather friends
Those who think of a friend when they are in need of help, who only take rather than give.
建设性吵架 (jian4 she4 xing4 chao3 jia4)
constructive quarrel
A constructive quarrel is open, transparent and straightforward, instead of being underhand and undermining, and has a positive ending - such as a solution to a dispute.
chicken-rib job market
Chinese college graduates these days tend to vie fiercely for a spot in the job market in first-tier cities like Shanghai and Beijing, though the jobs landed are often not as good as ones they could have got in a second-tier city. Chinese traditionally refer to something that has come in handy though it is by no means satisfying as a chicken rib, which barely satisfies the palate but it would be a waste of food to throw it away.
房闹(fang2 nao4)
housing trouble-maker
This is applied to home buyers who lodge unjustified protests against developers, following a mark-down of apartments in the same residential community. They protest that the homes they bought earlier have depreciated in value.
煎饼人(jian1 bing3 ren2)
pancake people
Thanks to information technology, people these days enjoy easy access to a much wider array of information in many fields than before. Many people prefer to be a jack of all trades instead of an expert in something. It’s just like a pancake that is spread out indefinitely, but only in a superficial way.
稍息族(shao1 xi zu2)
at-ease clan
Some people in mid-career who are well established choose to slow down to relax from the busy work life, as a way to become refreshed before taking on bigger tasks.
麻绳男人(ma2 sheng2 nan2 ren2）
hemp rope men
Some men are well-established in their careers or business ventures but have lost interest in life and curiosity in original thing. They are like the hemp rope from which bacon hangs: dull and moribund.
坏天气朋友(huai4 tian1 qi4 peng2 you3)
bad weather friends
Those who think of a friend when they are in need of help, who only take rather than give.
建设性吵架 (jian4 she4 xing4 chao3 jia4)
constructive quarrel
A constructive quarrel is open, transparent and straightforward, instead of being underhand and undermining, and has a positive ending - such as a solution to a dispute.
May 11 人肉胶囊 capsules made from dead babies
Date:2012-05-10
人肉胶囊 (ren2 rou4 jiao1 nang2)<br/>capsules made from dead babies<br/>The capsules are reported to contain the powdered flesh of dead babies. Media reports claimed the drugs were manu...
Apr. 27 鄙视链 Superiority chain
Date:2012-04-26
鄙视链 （bi3 shi4 lian4）<br/>Superiority chain<br/>In China’s online community, everyone seems to have a reason to look down upon others. UK soap opera buffs look down upon American soa...
Apr, 6 偷情节 Valenswine’s Day
Date:2012-04-05
偷情节 (tou1 qing2 jie2)<br/>Valenswine’s Day<br/>The eve of Valentine’s Day is said to be a festival for adulterous lovers or two lovers in a love triangle in some countries, wit...
Mar. 23 双非儿童 shuangfei children
Date:2012-03-22
双非儿童 (shuang1 fei1 er2 tong2)<br/>shuangfei children<br/>The term was invented by Hong Kong media. It refers to children delivered in Hong Kong by non-local parents, mostly mainland...
Mar. 9 漂绿 Greenwash
Date:2012-03-08
漂绿 (piao3 lv4)<br/>Greenwash<br/>The phenomenon of environmentally destructive companies launching “green” PR or green marketing campaigns to create the perception that th...
Feb. 24 沉默执法 silent law enforcement
Date:2012-02-24
沉默执法 (chen2 mo4 zhi2 fa3)<br/>silent law enforcement<br/>It refers to a new method of law enforcement adopted by urban management officers in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province. R...
Feb.10 绿道旅游 green-way tour
Date:2012-02-09
绿道旅游 (lv4 dao4 lv3 you2)
green-way tour
The rising trend of traveling along rivers, creeks, mountain ridges and landscaped roads that involves mostly walking, biking or railway trips. This form of traveling is healthier and better for the environment.
蚁贪 (yi3 tan1)
ant-bite bribes
Some officials on the lower rungs of the social ladder take small bribes. However, the illegal practice may continue for a long time because of its secretive nature. The amount will eventually add up to a huge sum.
SNS离婚潮 (SNS li2 hun1 chao2)
divorce boom caused by SNS
Social Networking Sites such as Kaixin are blamed for an increasing number of marriage breakdowns as flirting is common on the websites. The websites have turned into a primary place for suspicious spouses to look for evidence of cheating and affairs that lead to divorce.
药驾 (yao4 jia4)
drug-driving
Driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs other than alcohol. Drugs that act on the brain could impair one's motor skills, reaction time and judgment, leading to traffic accidents.
雪克隆 (xue3 ke4 long2)
snowclone
The term describes the practice of transforming cliches, axioms and pop culture catchphrases into modern analogies. By replacing a few key words from the original saying, a writer can put a new context using the old formula. For example, the catchphrase"To be or not to be, that is the question" can be turned into"To eat or not to eat, that is the question." Snowclone refers to the original catchphrase or the transformed version.
迟到券 (chi2 dao3 ke4)
coupons for being late for work
The coupon is a lucky draw gift at a company’s annual party. With each coupon, the employee can be late for work twice without getting their wages deducted. It was dubbed the most creative, surprising and caring lucky draw gift.
巴士餐厅 (ba1 shi4 can1 ting1)
Bustaurant
The term refers to a restaurant set up in a converted bus. A gourmet kitchen and seating area are set up in the bus. People can taste the food while enjoying the view when riding the bus.
green-way tour
The rising trend of traveling along rivers, creeks, mountain ridges and landscaped roads that involves mostly walking, biking or railway trips. This form of traveling is healthier and better for the environment.
蚁贪 (yi3 tan1)
ant-bite bribes
Some officials on the lower rungs of the social ladder take small bribes. However, the illegal practice may continue for a long time because of its secretive nature. The amount will eventually add up to a huge sum.
SNS离婚潮 (SNS li2 hun1 chao2)
divorce boom caused by SNS
Social Networking Sites such as Kaixin are blamed for an increasing number of marriage breakdowns as flirting is common on the websites. The websites have turned into a primary place for suspicious spouses to look for evidence of cheating and affairs that lead to divorce.
药驾 (yao4 jia4)
drug-driving
Driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs other than alcohol. Drugs that act on the brain could impair one's motor skills, reaction time and judgment, leading to traffic accidents.
雪克隆 (xue3 ke4 long2)
snowclone
The term describes the practice of transforming cliches, axioms and pop culture catchphrases into modern analogies. By replacing a few key words from the original saying, a writer can put a new context using the old formula. For example, the catchphrase"To be or not to be, that is the question" can be turned into"To eat or not to eat, that is the question." Snowclone refers to the original catchphrase or the transformed version.
迟到券 (chi2 dao3 ke4)
coupons for being late for work
The coupon is a lucky draw gift at a company’s annual party. With each coupon, the employee can be late for work twice without getting their wages deducted. It was dubbed the most creative, surprising and caring lucky draw gift.
巴士餐厅 (ba1 shi4 can1 ting1)
Bustaurant
The term refers to a restaurant set up in a converted bus. A gourmet kitchen and seating area are set up in the bus. People can taste the food while enjoying the view when riding the bus.
