Singaporean Mandarin Database

This database contains a collection of Mandarin terms which have cultural, historical or sentimental value unique to Singapore. These terms may be used by Singaporeans in the past or at present. Some of the terms are read in print while others are used in our everyday conversations.

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五

wǔ

十

shí

对

duì

五

wǔ

十

shí

fifty-fifty

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生活用语

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fifty-fifty

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生活用语

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释义

形容词、副词

两者的机率各占一半，势均力敌。也称五五。

DEFINITION

Adjective , Adverb

Equal chance of victory between two competing parties with matching strengths. Also known in Mandarin as “五五”.

由来
  • 英语 “fifty-fifty” 的意译。
  • 早在 1939 年《南洋商报》就已经出现 “五十对五十” 一词。
  • 该词一般指出资、利益、费用等由两方均分，也可指在两方比赛、选举等有相同胜出机会。
  • 在球赛的语境中，五十对五十也可以被翻译为 “五五波”。“波” 在广东话（广州话、粤语）中可以指球，是英语词 “ball” 的音译。后来人 们就引用球赛胜出的机会来比喻任何胜出的机会，也将五十对五十简称为五五。
ETYMOLOGY
  • The Mandarin term “五十对五十” is a paraphrase of the English term “fifty-fifty”.
  • As early as 1939, the term “五十对五十” had already appeared in Nanyang Siang Pau.
  • This term is usually used to refer to an equal split of capital, benefits or expenses between two parties. It can also mean that in two-party contests such as elections, both parties have equal chances of winning.
  • In the context of ball games, fifty-fifty can also be translated as “五五波”. The word “波”, which is a transliteration of the English word “ball”, can refer to balls in Cantonese. Later, people likened the odds of winning a ball game to the any chances of winning, and abbreviated “五十对五十” as “五五”.
例句
杨荣文是个好部长，刘程强又是工人党的王牌，两人之战现在是五十对五十。（《联合早报》，30/4/2011）
SAMPLE SENTENCE
George Yeo is a good minister, but Low Thia Khiang is the trump card of the Workers’ Party. The odds in the battle between the two are fifty-fifty. (Lianhe Zaobao, 30/4/2011)
其他地区用语

五五波（港、澳、台、马）

TERMS USED IN OTHER REGIONS

五五波 (Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Malaysia)

参考资料
点击查看五十对五十的参考资料
REFERENCES

Click here to view references for fifty-fifty

 

 

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