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kicking the tires

Chinese translation: 投石问路者

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:kicking the tires
Chinese translation:投石问路者
Entered by: shcheong

04:38 Nov 27, 2002
English to Chinese translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial
English term or phrase: kicking the tires
What this means for you is a better qualified, more informed prospect, not just someone kicking the tires.
shcheong
Singapore
Local time: 23:54
投石问路者
Explanation:
投石问路者
Selected response from:

Lu Yi
China
Local time: 23:54
Grading comment
2 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +3***
Terry Thatcher Waltz, Ph.D.
4 +1货比三家的顾客
Xiaoping Fu
4投石问路者
Lu Yi


  

Answers


10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
***


Explanation:
This means a person who is not truly interested in buying, but who is "just looking" with no intention of buying.

Nice sounding Chinese, anyone???



Terry Thatcher Waltz, Ph.D.
Local time: 11:54
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 316

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yongmei Liu: 走马观花？看热闹？
25 mins
agree  Scott Li: in Hong Kong Cantonese, it says 運吉，something like carrying emptyness
1 hr
agree  Dolly Xu
1 hr
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54 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
投石问路者


Explanation:
投石问路者

Lu Yi
China
Local time: 23:54
PRO pts in pair: 12
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
货比三家的顾客


Explanation:
"kicking the tires" 这个说法无疑来自于汽车行业。一辆汽车摆出来卖，就有很多人来看。这个过来拍拍引擎盖，那个过来踢踢轮胎。“车不错嘛。能试试吗？”可多数不是真正的卖主。很多人不是看看而已，很可能会东问西问，左试右试。最后来一句“谢谢，再见。”这些人有两种类型。一种是真想买车，可是还不知道要买什么样的车。“踢车胎”不过是探探行情，得点信息，找找感觉而已。另一种是玩家。“踢车胎”是因为爱车。品味，把玩，与行家交流心得。如果是一辆古董车，卖主也许并不讨厌这类人。因为他自己可能也是玩家。乐得一块儿侃车。但车行推销员的感受就不一样了。

"kicking the tires" 扩展一下，被用来泛指一种普遍的购买前行为，即对欲购商品的察看、试用、品评、把玩，实际是“搜索信息”、“货比三家”。有时可能不只比三家。例如买新车，说不定要比个十家八家。

这个短语怎么译，可能要看卖的是什么东西。如果是一般商品，我觉得可以译为“货比三家的顾客”。但是，如果是汽车、电脑等拥有大量“发烧友”的商品类别，恐怕要考虑把第二种类型的人也包括进去。譬如：“货比三家的顾客和随兴而至的玩家”。


Xiaoping Fu
Canada
Local time: 08:54
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in pair: 2566

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  zhiyu liu
1 day 4 hrs
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