What do people mean when they refer to someone as "china"?

请问有的人对别人说“china”时，他是什么意思呢?

Hello, english isn't really my first language and while I was watching a gameplay of Uncharted: Lost Legacy, there was a dialogue wherein Chloe said: "You're doing great, china." while referring to Nadine who is obviously not Chinese. What do english speaking people mean when they refer to someone as "china"? Why do they do it? How did it start?

大家好，我不是英语母语者，我在看《神秘海域：失落的遗产》的游戏介绍时，看到一个对话，Chloe对Nadine说：“你做得很好，中国。” 但显然Nadine并不是中国人。英语人士称别人“china”是什么意思呢？他们为什么要这么说？这种表达是怎么开始的？

以下是美国reddit网民的评论：

BubbhaJebus

Yes, it's Cockney Rhyming Slang: "china" = "china plate" = "mate" (friend, buddy)

啊，是的，这是伦敦人的押韵俚语："china" = "china plate" = "mate"(朋友，兄弟)

ShawlWarehouse

It’s more often used in the form ‘my old china’. I think it comes from the rhyming slang: china plate = mate (ie friend)

通常会说“my old china”。我想这是源于俚语：china plate = mate(朋友)

Electriccheeze

This is exactly correct, China plate is cockney rhyming slang for mate.

完全正确，China plate就是伦敦俚语，意思是mate。

huscarlaxe

Cockneys, making English even more unintelligible.

都怪伦敦人把英语搞得不伦不类，莫名其妙。

sc-werkingonit

Fascinating. I’m sure you’re right. My first thought would be that it meant ‘delicate’, much like fine china.

For OP lowercase ‘china’ is used to describe high quality porcelain made in a style traditional to... China.

真有意思。我相信你是对的。我一开始觉得它可能是“精致”的意思，像精致的瓷器一样。

小写的' china '用于描述中国制造的传统风格的高质量瓷器。

superking2

Damn it that’s interesting

哇，真有趣

CrazySD93

Most common rhyming slang I hear these days (Australia), is “Seppo” when referring to Americans.

Seppo = Septic Tank = Yank.

我最近在澳大利亚最经常听到的押韵俚语是“Seppo”，指的是美国人。

Seppo =化粪池=美国佬。

Infinite_Degree1091

Agree. Probably a reference to "fine china" in ones china cabinet,.

同意。可能是指某人瓷器柜里的“精美瓷器”。

euphi_theexecutioner

This is very common slang in South Africa too.

在南非这也是很常见的俚语。

lukesvader

Mostly around Johannesburg though. I've never heard anyone in the Cape say my china.

不过主要是约翰内斯堡周边的人会这么说吧。我从没听好望角的人这么说过。

A

Is this a British thing? Native English speaker here and I've never ever heard this.

英国人才会这么说吧？我也是英语母语，但我从来没听说过这个说法。

SheWhoSmilesAtDeath

Has it been completely lost in the younger generations? Seems a shame

年青一代是不是已经完全不知道了？怪可惜的。

HermanCainsGhost

As someone mentioned above, seems to be based on Cockney rhyming slang, so likely a British thing

上面有人提到过了，可能是伦敦的押韵俚语，所以很可能是英国人的东西。

Sinarum

Is this a British thing?

It’s regional (London only), class-specific, (working class only), and generation specific (only older people).

英国人才这么说嘛？

这种说法是限于某个区域的(仅限伦敦)、特定阶级的(仅限工人阶级)和特定世代(仅限伦敦的老人家)

fifiblanc

My grandparents generation, being from central.London ( though not true Cockneys) would say it. Probably have not heard it outside the family since the 60s, apart from a few old films and maybe Only Fools and Horses.

我的祖父母那一辈，来自伦敦中部(虽然不是真正的伦敦人)，他们会这么说。从60年代起，除了一些老电影，我好像没有在外头听到过这个说法了。

HawnSolo

I’m not entirely certain of the origins, but it seems like the phrase is largely South African in usage today.

我不太确定这种说法的起源，但似乎目前是南非人说得多。

acowboywithinternet

It’s Cockney rhyming slang from London. China plate’ = mate (friend). Another example is ‘holy ghost’ = toast.

这是源于伦敦的伦敦俚语。China plate =朋友。还有个例子是' holy ghost ' =吐司。

Circumambulator

Or Berk, which comes from Berkeley Hunt, I’ll let you guess the rhyme.

还有Berk，Berkeley Hunt里有出现过，你们猜猜什么跟它押韵。

practicing_vaxxer

The only time I ever heard the word "berk" spoken aloud, on an episode of the sitcom "Agony", it was pronounced like "Burke" rather than "bark".

我唯一一次听到“berk”这个词，是在情景喜剧《Agony》里，发音像“Burke”而不是“bark”。

fifiblanc

Burk is a different word/spelling meaning a stupid person. Berk as in Berkshire, Berkley square, is usually pronounced Bark.

Burk是完全不同的词，拼写和意思都不一样，意思是愚蠢的人。Berk在Berkshire, Berkley广场里通常读作Bark。

Sinarum

It’s London Cockney for friend. Because “China plate” rhymes with mate.

Even in London itself this is considered outdated slang, and it tends to be older people who will know this lingo, much less use it.

这是伦敦方言中的朋友。因为“China plate”和“mate”押韵。

但在现在的伦敦，这个说法也过时了，只有年纪大的人才知道，说的人就更少了。

Caiur

As other people have said, it's British Cockney rhyming slang. I believe the Unchartered character Chloe is supposed to be Australian. And a little bit of that British rhyming slang has reached us in Australia, but it was definitely more common 30+ years ago.

其他人已经提到了，这是英国伦敦俚语。我猜Chloe应该是澳大利亚人。有些英国俚语曾传到澳大利亚，30多年前比较普及。

HawnSolo

This is a small detail I really enjoyed while playing Lost Legacy! While other folks in the thread are right about the rhyming slang origins of the phrase, calling a friend “China” is (as best as I can tell) mostly associated with South African slang specifically. Chloe occasionally borrows from this slang in conversations with Nadine in reference to her South African upbringing as they build their friendship over the course of the game.

这也是我在玩《失落的遗产》时非常喜欢的一个小细节！虽然其他人对这个俚语的起源说得没错，但据我所知，把朋友称为“China”主要跟南非俚语有关。Chloe偶尔会在与Nadine的对话中用到这个俚语，因为Nadine是在南非长大的，他们在游戏过程中建立了友谊。

nebalia

China plate=mate was widely used in Australia too, though it is now considered old fashioned. It is not unique to South Africa.

China plate =mate，澳大利亚人也常常这么说，但现在已经过时了。这并不是南非独有的。

sharkattack85

It’s English.

这是英语的表达。

Incogcneat-o

As another data point, if the person is Latin American (especially Mexcan) "chino" and "china" are common nicknames for people with curly/coily hair.

我再贡献一个知识点，如果这个人是拉丁美洲人(尤其是墨西哥人)“chino”和“china”都是人们对头发卷曲的人的常用昵称。

tehzephyrsong

It would be pronounced differently than if the character was using Cockney rhyming slang - if it's "china" as in "feminine person with curly hair" it would be pronounced like "cheenah," whereas the Cockney slang would be pronounced like the large Asian country. I'm not familiar with the game in the OP so I don't know if this line of dialogue was voice-acted or just text, though.

发音不同意思不同——如果指的是“有卷发的女性”，读音是“cheenah”，伦敦腔会读成“某亚洲大国”的发音。我对游戏不熟，所以我不知道这句对话是配音的还是文本的。

Scharlach_el_Dandy

I recently learned that chino for curly hair could come from cochino implying the curls are like pigs tails. Thoughts?

我最近才知道，表示卷发的chino可能源于cochino，意思是卷发像猪尾巴。你怎么看？

Sinarum

Are you sure? I thought chino or china is used as a nickname for a Mexcan with an East Asian look.

你确定？我以为chino和china是对拥有东亚长相的墨西哥人的昵称。

haironburr

Now Casey old China, the parting is mine

The Rumjacks - Bar The Door Casey

Casey，老朋友，我该走了

The Rumjacks -把门关上，Casey

Msimperfect78

Your lifelong, closest, One of a kind mate…. You might say: ‘Hey, there’s my Chines’ , ‘We’ve been friends for life, haven’t we Old China?’.

I originally used to see it more in the way that…. your most loved and cared for friend, whom you would always be there for no matter what and the one that you respect and love like family….

That friendship is much like the characteristics of a China Plate…. Genuine, Fragile and Precious.

Just another one of those words that somehow, somewhere and by someone…. Was given another Or an actual meaning.

伴你一生，最亲密无间，最独一无二的伴侣....你可以说：“嘿，这是我的朋友”，“我们是一辈子的朋友，不是吗，老伙计？”

我原来是这么理解的....对于你最爱和最关心的朋友，无论发生什么，你都永远陪在他身边，你尊重和敬爱的人就像你的家人一样....

这种友谊就像中国瓷盘....真诚、脆弱又珍贵。

这是某个词，以某种方式，于某处，由某人....被赋予了新的或现实的意义。

irieben

I hate this bloody rhymin slang folklore because everyone thinks himself an expert on it by merely the virtue of being born within hearing range of the big bong.

我讨厌这种该死的押韵俚语民间传说，因为每个人都认为自己是这方面的专家，仅仅因为他出生在大烟枪的听觉范围内。

Wayne1946

Cockney,originally was someone that lived in earshot of the Bow Bells. l am from the other side of England in the west, we have a dialect/s that is all our own..........far superior to London's

这是伦敦方言，最初是住在鲍贝尔斯附近的人开始这么说的。我来自英国西部，我们有完全属于我们自己的方言..........比伦敦方言好太多了

irieben

I hate this bloody rhymin slang folklore because everyone thinks himself an expert on it.

我讨厌这种该死的民间俚语，每个人都认为自己是这方面的专家。