Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Chinese term or phrase:
接鼓传花
English translation:
playing "hot potato"
Added to glossary by
Denyce Seow
Mar 15, 2007 19:31
17 yrs ago
Chinese term
Singapore
Business & Legal Translator
Native in: English (Variants: US, Singaporean, UK) 
Works in: Chinese to English
接鼓传花
Chinese to English
Other
Government / Politics
但是，由于“以文件落实文件”的“接鼓传花”在官场一直比较盛行，于是，中央发了通知，省、市、县，都要不厌其烦地再发或重申，而到了具体的每一个单位或部门，在节前的全体人员会议上，一般还会一再提醒。
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 | playing "hot potato" |
Malcolm Mayfield
|
| 3 +1 | red-tape relay |
Angus Woo
|
| 3 | relay |
isahuang
|
| 3 | pass on |
Fang Sheng
|
| 3 | pass the parcel, the official documents |
Julia Zou
|
Proposed translations
6 hrs
Selected
playing "hot potato"
接鼓传花 is a game where, as I understand it, you don't want to be "it", like various "hot potato" games. It implies passing the buck and giving s.o. the runaround.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks, everyone."
4 mins
relay
relay, or to reiterate
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Note added at 6 mins (2007-03-15 19:37:18 GMT)
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pass the baton to
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Note added at 8 mins (2007-03-15 19:39:34 GMT)
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passing around the document/dossier as a way to implement the policy written in the document
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Note added at 2 hrs (2007-03-15 22:23:40 GMT)
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denyce, sorry for misguiding you. this term definitely is not complementary. Like in the last note I posted, officials just pass around the document as a way of implementing the policy without really looking into the issue and make sure the policy is indeed implemented. I think if you want to keep the translation close to the Chinese text, you can try the phrase "pass the baton" for “接鼓传花”, but my concern would be in that case, pass the baton in English probably has a positive connotation, but that is not the case here. Yet, I would say the Chinese text is more sarcastic than negative.
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Note added at 6 mins (2007-03-15 19:37:18 GMT)
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pass the baton to
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Note added at 8 mins (2007-03-15 19:39:34 GMT)
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passing around the document/dossier as a way to implement the policy written in the document
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Note added at 2 hrs (2007-03-15 22:23:40 GMT)
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denyce, sorry for misguiding you. this term definitely is not complementary. Like in the last note I posted, officials just pass around the document as a way of implementing the policy without really looking into the issue and make sure the policy is indeed implemented. I think if you want to keep the translation close to the Chinese text, you can try the phrase "pass the baton" for “接鼓传花”, but my concern would be in that case, pass the baton in English probably has a positive connotation, but that is not the case here. Yet, I would say the Chinese text is more sarcastic than negative.
Note from asker:
| Hmm... I am a little confused here. Tingting's explanation has a positive connotation, whereas Fang Sheng's explanation makes the term sound negative. Which one should it be???? |
9 mins
Fang Sheng
Canada
Canada
Native in Chinese
Works in field
Canada
Translation you don't feel translated
Native in: Chinese (Variants: Mandarin, Traditional, Cantonese, Simplified)
Works in: English to Chinese, Chinese to English
Related KudoZ points
:
12
pass on
seems like 击鼓传花. I think this means that officials just tend to pass on their due responsibilities to others.
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Note added at 3 hrs (2007-03-15 22:36:09 GMT)
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I agree with Tingting's last comment: it's actually a way to derogatively depict bureaucracy.
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Note added at 3 hrs (2007-03-15 22:36:09 GMT)
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I agree with Tingting's last comment: it's actually a way to derogatively depict bureaucracy.
Note from asker:
| Hmm... I am a little confused here. Tingting's explanation has a positive connotation, whereas Fang Sheng's explanation makes the term sound negative. Which one should it be???? |
6 hrs
pass the parcel, the official documents
to pass the parcel 据说是（我不知道现在还流不流行）英国小孩中流行的一个游戏。小孩们坐成一个圈，跟着音乐声，传送一个包着很多层纸的包。音乐一停，拿到包的小孩打开一层纸后把纸包继续往下一个人传。打开最后一层纸拿到奖品的是胜利者。 这有点类似于中国的“击鼓传花”（to beat a drum to pass on the flower ).
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