| Change log entry 71533 | |
|---|---|
| Processed by: | richwarm (2021-02-14 23:26:11 GMT) |
| Comment: |
<< review queue entry 64939 - submitted by 'sl89' >> * Chinese dictionaries distinguish two pronunciations, ABC makes no such distinction. * LAC and MoE separate two senses that seem the same to me: when 何为 is used in a rhetorical question is means "it's no use; there's no point", that is just the sense "what for" used rhetorically. I'm following these dictionaries in separating literal and rhetorical usage. * In the sense "what is" is can be seen as classically trained construct: 何 what + 为 is, but it should be defined as it is used in modern Chinese. It is no different from 何时 or 何处. * I didn't find the senses "what for" and "why" in modern texts. ※ héwéi 【Wenlin】 adv. ① why ② what is/are ...? 【LAC】 1. 什幺是。 | ～温室效应？ 2. 〈书〉做什幺。 | 卿不候奏请，辄入长安，意欲～（《三国演义‧第九回》）？ 3. 〈书〉反问语气，表示「又如何」。 | 人生如寄，多忧～（《文选‧曹丕‧善哉行》）。 【MoE】 1. 做什么、干什么。 | 《后汉书．卷一四．宗室四王三侯传．齐武王縯传》：「本起兵图大事者，伯升兄弟也，今更始何为者邪？」 | 唐．韩愈〈汴泗交流赠张仆射〉诗：「新秋朝凉未见日，公早结束来何为？」 2. 什么是。如：「何为三大洋、五大洲？」 3. 反问的语气，表示没有什么用。 | 《文选．曹丕．善哉行》：「人生如寄，多忧何为？」 | 《文选．曹植．赠白马王彪诗》：「太息将何为？天命与我违。」 ※ héwèi 【LAC】 〈书〉为何；为什幺。 | 荆蛮非我乡，～久滞淫（《文选‧王粲‧七哀诗二首之二》）？ 【MoE】 何故、为什么。 | 《文选．王粲．七哀诗二首之二》：「荆蛮非我乡，何为久滞淫？」 童工数量向来难以估算，甚至何为童工也难以界定。 Child labor is notoriously difficult to measure or even to define. 谁是、或说何为佛陀？ Who or what is 'buddha'? 但问题是，究竟何为“精英”？ But the question is: what is Elite? |
| Diff: |
+ 何為 何为 [he2 wei2] /what is/(old) what for/(in a rhetorical question) it's no use/ + 何為 何为 [he2 wei4] /(old) why/ |