YOYO-ISG 100314 Newspaper / Magazine Column

[Kooper]

I don't understand this sentence:
"In their spare time, China's leaders are reaching under the carpet to tackle the country's endemic corruption......"

What does "reaching under the carpet" mean here?

sweep sth under the carpet: to hide a problem or try to keep it secret instead of dealing with it.

Most of the time China's leaders are sweeping the country's endemic corruptions... under the carpet. It is only in their spare time that they are reaching under the carpet to tackle these problems.

Hi, Kooper

I am not a member of ISG. May I join your discussion?

Dear Michael,

I'm more than happy to have you join our discussions. Please don't hesitate to express different opinions from ours.

I have a little bit different opinion about your reply. I have read the article, and I did not see description that implies " Most of the time China's leaders are sweeping problems under the carpet" By saying "In their spare time, China's leaders are reaching under the carpet to tackle....", I think the author just implies that China's leaders 平常不會去處理這些該處理的問題, 只有在spare time 有空閒的時候才去處理. I mean the author does not imply that China's leaders sweep these problems under the carpet.

Just my humble opinion

Michael

Well, to me the expression "reach under the carpet" implies that something must have been swept under the carpet, or we'll find nothing there.

As you may know that dust doesn't accumulate under the carpet by nature, unless we sweep it under the carpet.

Anyway, I have to admit that my point of view is highly subjective.

[Michael-liu]

Dear ISG members,

I have a question.

I wonder why the title of this artice is called "The China Fix". What does "Fix" mean or imply here?

What would be a good translation for this title? Any idea?


Michael

[Sherry Liao]

Dear ISG members,

I have a question.

I wonder why the title of this artice is called "The China Fix". What does "Fix" mean or imply here?

What would be a good translation for this title? Any idea?


Michael

Wow, Michael, welcome!

Before I read the article, at first sight of the title I thought "fix" referred to something about drugs-taking. So "The China Fix" can be translated to "中國癮". But after reading the article, I knew I was totally wrong. I think "fix" means "predicament" here.

Here is the definitions from Cambridge:
fix (n.) (informal): an awkward or difficult situation:
Ex.: I'm in a bit of a fix with the arrangements.

Also,
fix (n.) (slang): an amount of an illegal drug, or of another substance which has an effect on someone if they take it:
Ex.: He was shaking badly and needed a fix.
Ex.: HUMOROUS Ginny needs her daily fix of chocolate.

[Michael-liu]

Hi, Sherry

I agree with your explanation. But maybe the author used "fix" intentionally as a "pun" (雙關語) , in order to imply both "addiction" and "predicament" . They always use a pun in the title of an article in Time Magazine

I also looked up the dictionary and found out there is another important meaning for "fix "

fix : something that has been dishonestly arranged

Ex: People think the election was a fix. (做假)

I guess this is not the meaning the author wants to imply in this article.


Michael