[General] relatively outstanding

[Bide]

Apparently, it is ok in Chinese to say '较出色‘ spoken ‘jiao chuse' which equates to 'relatively outstanding' or 'comparatively remarkable'. Both these phrases grate on my ears, but I am a bit confused, with my head full of Chinese. For 'relatively outstanding' I would say 'good' or even 'excellent'. I tend to think something is 'outstanding' or not, that there is no halfway house.

As an English speaker, would you use 'relatively outstanding' or 'comparatively remarkable'?

 

[Skrej]

In the right context, yes, I might use either phrase. They are both potentially viable.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Some context would help.

 

[Eckaslike]

Apparently, it is ok in Chinese to say '较出色‘ spoken ‘jiao chuse' which equates to 'relatively outstanding' or 'comparatively remarkable'. Both these phrases grate on my ears, but I am a bit confused, with my head full of Chinese. For 'relatively outstanding' I would say 'good' or even 'excellent'. I tend to think something is 'outstanding' or not, that there is no halfway house.

As an English speaker, would you use 'relatively outstanding' or 'comparatively remarkable'?

I think that this is probably a British English thing. I would only say "outstanding" or "remarkable" on their own, in the same way that I would only say "excellent" on it's own.

e.g. "An area of outstanding natural beauty", or "a remarkable composition", or "an excellent wine".

My gut instinct is that, we would probably have to find some other way to express the meanings you want in BrE. It appears that AmE is possibly more flexible about the usage.

As Skrej and Mike have said, if you have some phrases in the context where it is used, we will be able to say whether it sounds natural, or not, to us.

 

[Bide]

Sorry about that, I didn't think of putting context. 1. is raw English more or less direct from the Chinese, 2. is my gloss.

1. Local companies in satisfy customers needs and self profit, do relatively outstanding, because retail business with local culture, religion as well as life style etc closely tied up.


2. Local companies (as compared to foreign companies) do well at satisfying their customers demands and their own desire for profit, because the retail business is closely linked to local culture, religion and life style.

@ Eckaslike: my sentiments exactly, maybe this is an American thing.

 

[MikeNewYork]

In AmE, it would not be unusual to modify those words.

 

[Eckaslike]

No problem, it's much clearer now.

The only thing I think might possibly be odd is the word, "Local" at the start of the sentence. Do you mean "Chinese companies" rather than "local companies", which makes them sound more as if they are local to one area, or region, of the country? It's because you said "as compared to foreign countries" that made me wonder if "local" was right.

Apart from that it makes perfect sense to me. The use of "do well", I think, works naturally in this context. i.e They may not do brilliantly, but they do better than average.

 

[Bide]

Sorry again about the lack of info. The text talks about a failed attempt by a foreign company to break into the retail market in South Korea. 'local' is then 'South Korean' in this context.

So, this use of 'relatively outstanding' is 'relatively unique'. (little joke, no offence. Hope Americans don't really say that).

 

[MikeNewYork]

We do say that.

 

[Eckaslike]

I think in that case, my natural inclination would be to use something like "Domestic companies" rather than "Local companies". In the sense of "domestic" as opposed "foreign" markets.

 

[Eckaslike]

We do say that.

Mike, I had to think hard about that usage because I have heard it used quite a lot, I think in BrE as well now. The penny finally dropped.

I know many BrE speakers don't like it because to them "unique" can only mean "one of a kind", and they do not use it in a more general sense of "special".

I actually use quite a few of what my parents would call "Americanisms". My sister-in-law is American so I've probably picked up a few from her. I'm also a different generation of course. A classic example was when I went to open the garden gate a good few years ago while my Mum was carrying a whole load of shopping, and I said quite naturally, "I'll get the gate", to mean "I'll hold it open". My Mum stopped, and looked at me as if I'd landed from Mars and said "Get the gate?", in a voice that only mothers can use, so as to mean she thought I was going to take it off it's hinges and carry it back to her. It was then I realised that language moves on. I explained to her by saying "Well, when the phone rings I say to you, "Don't worry I'll get it" and it just means I'll answer it. It doesn't mean I'm going to rip it off the wall and bring it to you". She then conceded that she was just not used to hearing used in that way.

Funny how we don't notice phrases which are natural to us, until someone else points them out!

 

[MikeNewYork]

You said a mouthful when you said "language moves on". It always has and it always will.

 

[Bide]

Thanks you guys! 'domestic' is better! With all this Chinese in my head, I have word-finding difficulties in English!

 

[Tdol]

I agree that you can modify words like outstanding with unusual adverbs, but I don't think it works here- it's not the kind of text to be trying to show some creative sparkle. Domestic companies do better than foreign ones would work better as a phrase for me.

 

[tedmc]

"Local" and "domestic" make no difference to me in the context. Both are distinct from foreign companies.
Why would you prefer to call it "domestic companies"?

 

[Matthew Wai]

'较出色‘

I would use 'outstrip' for it, i.e. 'Domestic companies outstrip foreign ones in satisfying ...'

I am a bit confused, with my head full of Chinese.

I wonder how a native English speaker's head can be full of Chinese.

 

[Eckaslike]

I wonder how a native English speaker's head can be full of Chinese.

I think this is just a general phrase Matthew, usually said to mean that you are so at home with using another language, especially if you live in the country that uses it, that you start thinking more in the terms of the language of your host country rather than in those of your native one.

So, the speaker is saying that she is so used to the Chinese way of saying these things that she is finding it difficult to think of the proper words to use in English.

I used to know someone at university who spoke English, French, Swedish and German. She used to find it very hard to wake up, and her problem was that many of her language classes were first thing in the morning. She would say, "I had my Swedish head on today", to mean for example that she had gone to her German class, but at the time "her head was so full of Swedish" that she kept wanting to use Swedish words for things instead of the German ones.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I agree that you can modify words like outstanding with unusual adverbs, but I don't think it works here-

Does the following work?
'Domestic companies are relatively outstanding when it comes to satisfying ...'

 

[Eckaslike]

I agree with Piscean. I would have to find other ways of saying the same thing.

However, it seems from what AmE speakers have said that, if you are writing for an American audience then your sentence would probably work.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Matthew, that works for me.