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乌鸦变凤凰

English translation: A Cinderella story

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Chinese term or phrase:乌鸦变凤凰
English translation:A Cinderella story
Entered by: Jun Wang

02:54 Jun 24, 2004
Chinese to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Linguistics
Chinese term or phrase: 乌鸦变凤凰
Is there an equivalent idiom/set phrase in English?
Wei Peng Loy
Local time: 10:55
A Cinderella story
Explanation:
The movie "Pretty Woman" is called “麻雀变凤凰”and it is referred as a "Cinderella Story" in English. 乌鸦 is ugly in the eyes of Chinese but not of the American. But I think my tranlation is closer to the original than the "Ugly Duckling Story" 丑小鸭。
Selected response from:

Jun Wang
Local time: 20:55
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5A Cinderella story
Jun Wang
4 +1Makeover or transformation
angielin
3 +2just a suggestion
Wenjer Leuschel (X)


  

Answers


10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
乌鸦变凤凰
A Cinderella story


Explanation:
The movie "Pretty Woman" is called “麻雀变凤凰”and it is referred as a "Cinderella Story" in English. 乌鸦 is ugly in the eyes of Chinese but not of the American. But I think my tranlation is closer to the original than the "Ugly Duckling Story" 丑小鸭。

Jun Wang
Local time: 20:55
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ozethai
1 day 7 hrs
agree  jyuan_us
2 days 3 hrs
agree  Westmarck
2 days 22 hrs
agree  Chinoise
11 days
agree  methrinia
33 days
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18 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
乌鸦变凤凰
Makeover or transformation


Explanation:
Is the context more about looks / appearances? Makeover is more about the change in just looks. Transformation has a broader meaning. These are the verbs that you can use in the sentences to describe the same meaning. Or like the other reply you received, you could simply say "it is like a real life Cinderella (story)"

angielin
Singapore
Local time: 10:55
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Chinoise
10 days
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44 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
乌鸦变凤凰
just a suggestion


Explanation:
An ugly duckling turns out to be a lofty swan.

There is a story in Andersen's Tales telling the story of an ugly duckling that turned out to be a lofty swan.

Just an idea.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs 42 mins (2004-06-24 07:37:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

电影 Pretty Woman 的中文译名叫「麻雀变凤凰」，
但那是说「美女」有机会「飞上枝头变凤凰」，
「丑女」就不可能有那样的机会了──丑女得含着金汤匙出生才行。

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 hrs 46 mins (2004-06-24 21:41:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Cinderella was after all a princess all the time, even before she met the prince she enchanted.

Wenjer Leuschel (X)
Taiwan
Local time: 10:55
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in category: 18

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  angielin: That must be why there is this reality TV show in the U.S. now called "The Swan" (personally I think the show is rubbish but it goes exactly with what we are talking about here). :) cheers!
17 hrs
  -> Thanks for your opinion. The reality is unfortunately always dumb.//Add: Funny that rubbish nurishes the soul of the folk.
agree  jyuan_us: 含着金汤匙出生大概也不行：)
22 hrs
  -> :O) 丑女再丑也有人抢着要呢。
agree  Chinoise
11 days
  -> Thanks. Everybody has his good point of view.
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