針對序數詞如何提問？

sleet [求助]針對序數詞如何提問？

在另外的論壇里看到一個翻譯問題「林肯是美國的第幾屆總統？」，想想好像以前從來沒學過針對序數詞的提問問題。比如說:

他是你的第幾個孩子？
這是你第幾次來中國？
林肯是美國的第幾屆總統？

應該如何翻譯呢？I appreciate your help!




Yeti  This question has plagued many people and
I have come across the same question several times over the last few years, not only on Chinese forums, but English Q&A ones as well. There seems to be no answer for it.  (Unfortunately I have not saved the references to the responses, or I would and could quote them here.)

Personally, I think we have to deal with it on a case by case basis. Some can be dealt with, others not.  

E.g. 這是你第幾次來中國？ Instead of 你第幾次來, one can ask, "How many times have you been to China?"  The answer would yield the information on 你第幾次來.

For "presidents", here is an awkward way to do it, "What order is Lincoln in the list of American presidency?"

By the same token, one can say, "What order is this son in your list of children?"

I must say that this is most likely not the best way to say it, but I don't have another answer at the moment.

Let me try posting the question on one of these Q&A forums run by native speakers and see what kind of answer I would get. I have to think of a way to formulate the question properly.




hk00852  I have come across this one before, and I was not able to give an answer.
What I would suggest is to change the form of expression, such as:

他是你的第幾個孩子？How many kids do you have before him?
這是你第幾次來中國？How many times have you visited China before this visit?
林肯是美國的第幾屆總統？ How many Presidents were there before Lincoln?





sleet  Thank you.

I have been searching the Internet but find no answer for it. I wonder why English speaking people do not have such expressions.




hk00852  You could say that "他是我第三個兒子" in English (he is my third son),
but you cannot ask 他是你第幾個兒子？directly in English. The language just doesn't have a direct translation of this expression.

If you wonder why this is so in English, just say "it is so", and there can be no explanation.

Yeti  The following is what I got from usingEnglish.com

Posted by tdol, Editor, UsingEnglish.com

It's not an easy one this-- we have had the question before: UsingEnglish. It is hard to think of a natural questionf for this. I'd probably use 'Where does GWB come in the list/order of presidents?' For children, it is possible to ask 'Where do you come/fall in the family?'

==Here is what are in those two links:

Hi, Please help me in framing a right question for the following sentence, the answer is the word in quotes within the sentence. I wish to make a question to get the number as the answer.Bill Clinton is the "42nd" president of America.ThanksNatarajan

== (skip two irrelevant answers to...)

By Ron Bee

Another possibility:Which (ordinal number) presidency was Bill Clintion's?==

Another possible question:What ordinal number designates Bubba's presidency? _ :wink: ==

Lucyarliwu:

What the questioner needs most might be the answer given by Ron as "which presidency is Bill Collition's? " from which you will answer with "42th" only which is just what the questioner want to make.Hope I make myself understood ;)==

From the second referal:

Anahita:

My English teacher asked me a question and I answered him , " I am the third bairn in my family." Can you tell me what my English English question was?

==

Queenbu:

What is your position in the family?

==

navi tasan:

Hi everyone, I am not a native speaker, but I think I understand what Anahita is looking for. The word she is looking for exists in some languages, but not in English.A-Counting from the left which car is your car?The third car.B-Counting up from the oldest child which child are you in your family?The fifth child.Nobody would say sentence B in English though. They would just ask:'How many older brothers and sisters do you have?'

==There are other answers. I have only listed the ones I consider relevant.

這是你第幾次來中國？
I know it's more usual to ask like this:
How many times have you visited China before this visit?
But it is not the precise meaning of the original question.

How about:
What sequence of your trips to China is this?
(Answer: This is my third trip to China.)
Though a bit odd, it is a precise translation to the questioner's need.

Likewise:
What sequence of your children is he (in)?
(Answer: He is my second son.)
What sequence of US Presidency is Bill Clinton (in)?
(Answer: Bill Clinton is the 42nd President of the US.)
What number of sequence from the left was your car parked at?
(Answer: My car was parked at the 4th from the left.)

very good