Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
picking one's brains
Chinese translation:
借腦子用用 / 分享吓心得
Added to glossary by
Kvasir
Jun 7, 2003 21:49
20 yrs ago
1 viewer *
English term
picking one's brain
English to Chinese
Art/Literary
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
idiom
I recieved an email the other day with the phrase: "Anyway, you sound very well travelled so Im hoping to pick your brains."
just for interest sake, i'm wondering how to render "picking one's brain" in chinese. I know what it means, just can't figure out a way to render it in english.
i'm thinking ゴユ笵, but what about a slang closer to the english expression. I'm interested in both mandarin and cantonese please.
just for interest sake, i'm wondering how to render "picking one's brain" in chinese. I know what it means, just can't figure out a way to render it in english.
i'm thinking ゴユ笵, but what about a slang closer to the english expression. I'm interested in both mandarin and cantonese please.
Proposed translations
(Chinese)
| 4 +2 | 借你的脑子使使？(mandarin) |
Y_Bill
|
| 4 +2 | 请教 |
Xiaoping Fu
|
| 3 | и辨Τ诀穦拜 |
Yongmei Liu
|
Proposed translations
+2
50 mins
Selected
借你的脑子使使？(mandarin)
More conventional would be “听听你的想法”。Sheer guesswork and I'm ready to retract this.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-06-08 07:31:08 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
总之，听起来你的旅行经验丰富，我正想多借鉴你的心得。
不知方言中有没有相类的俗语？
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-06-11 23:40:19 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
借你的脑子使使 is colloquially mandarin but not an established usage. But it certainly can mean \"asking for advice\".
The problem is the tone, 借你的脑子使使 is obviously poking fun at whoever it\'s addressed to, or at least used to somebody really close. Or even 借你的脑袋用用：））
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-06-12 15:14:16 (GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
Thanks for the points, Kvasir.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-06-08 07:31:08 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
总之，听起来你的旅行经验丰富，我正想多借鉴你的心得。
不知方言中有没有相类的俗语？
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-06-11 23:40:19 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
借你的脑子使使 is colloquially mandarin but not an established usage. But it certainly can mean \"asking for advice\".
The problem is the tone, 借你的脑子使使 is obviously poking fun at whoever it\'s addressed to, or at least used to somebody really close. Or even 借你的脑袋用用：））
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-06-12 15:14:16 (GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
Thanks for the points, Kvasir.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "心得 is certainly a very close equivalent for "picking brains" here since has that "organ" term is in there.
借腦子用用 is an interesting mandarin expression, i'll take your word for it. I don't believe it works well in cantonese but i think it would mean "borrowing one's brain power (to become smarter)" in cantonese."
3 hrs
Yongmei Liu
United States
United States
Native in Chinese
United States
ATA Certified & Calif. Court Certified
Native in: Chinese
Works in: English to Chinese, Chinese to English
и辨Τ诀穦拜
"What is in your head? Let's take a look-see."
+2
5 hrs
Xiaoping Fu
Canada
Canada
Native in Chinese
Canada
Professional Translating with Enthusiasm
Native in: Chinese 
Works in: Chinese to English, English, English to Chinese, and 1 more.
请教
picking one's brains，是向别人请教的意思。
“Im hoping to pick your brains”，一般可以译为“望能向您请教”。在这里，可变通译为，“希望你讲讲见闻”。
“Im hoping to pick your brains”，一般可以译为“望能向您请教”。在这里，可变通译为，“希望你讲讲见闻”。
Discussion