<p>I suggest: "We shouldn't rush the process" since it's a long and painful process you're talking about.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-01T00:49:21.057Z
Might be better with 'can't rush the process'?? What do you actually think when you read '不能太着急‘？ ‘cannot very worry (about it)?
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-01T04:41:00.937Z
What do I actually think when I read '不能太着急‘？
-- one cannot afford to rush the process because rushing it might be detrimental. That's why I said "shouldn't", or maybe "must not" is a better choice?
monalisa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-01T00:26:05.647Z
2015-09-01T00:26:05.647Z
monalisa
<blockquote>
  <p>应该说已经推动了应试教育向素质教育的转变，</p>
</blockquote>

<p>This line does not have a subject. It looks like a typical bad use of Chinese language.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>但是这个转变非常艰难，是一个痛苦的漫长的过程，</p>
</blockquote>

<p>It's saying this change is very difficult and it needs a long and painful duration to be accomplished.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我们不能太着急。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Thus, we'd better not  <strong><em>push it forward too hard / jump the gun / be too hasty / act in haste / go off at half cook / advance too quickly.</em></strong></p>

<p>So 着急 here does not mean  'worry, feel anxious'. </p>

<p>Here it's more referring to the probable unwise actions and behavior that is caused by your worry and anxiety.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-01T04:12:17.337Z
Chinese often omits words, which always confuses me. This is an interview, so in context it is not hard to infer 我们 as the subject. Since they wrote 不能， wouldn't 'can't ' be more fitting than the subjunctive 'we had better not'??
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-02T05:09:49.593Z
Sorry, you are right about that. Precisely speaking, 不能 should be translated as " can't ".
John
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-02T08:43:03.980Z
Please don't apologize, I am only asking because I don't know what is right.
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-01T02:22:32.707Z
2015-09-01T02:22:32.707Z
John
<blockquote>
  <p>应该说已经推动了应试教育向素质教育的转变，但是这个转变非常艰难，是一个痛苦的漫长的过程，我们不能太着急。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>我们不能太着急 connotes two aspects here: </p>

<ol>
<li>it exhorts us that the process is long and hard and there is no way we can get the result quickly, so we shouldn't rush it. </li>
<li>As the process drags on, we should have the patience and not be anxious.  </li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-12T07:23:29.010Z
2020-01-12T07:23:29.010Z
dan
<p><code>但是这个转变非常艰难，是一个痛苦的漫长的过程，我们不能太着急。</code></p>
<p><code>But the transition is very arduous, being a painful and long-lasting process, and we can not be expecting achievements in a relatively short time.</code> I think notably <code>着急</code> translates as <code>worry, feel anxious</code> as you said, while here I think there is a relative abbreviation from here such as <code>我们不能太着急(结果的呈现)</code>, inferring from the context of the sentence.</p>
<p>So I think what you meant was pretty close, although we can use <code>can not</code> instead of <code>should not</code>, to make the mood more flexible.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-20T20:29:52.563Z
2022-09-20T20:29:52.563Z
Qiyu Zhong
<p>Based on my time in China in both professional and casual settings, I would interpret the term 着急 here as meaning "rushed." "Hurried" might also work. </p>

<p>My translation of your sentence would be</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>It can be said that we've already begun to push the transition from exam-oriented education to quality-oriented education, but this transition is very difficult. It is a painful and slow/very long/endless/arduous process. We should not/cannot be too rushed/hurried.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>To illustrate, I give an example:</p>

<p>My wushu teacher might tell me </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>这个动作挺难的，别着急，慢慢来，不然容易受伤哦</p>
</blockquote>

<p>which translates to </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>This move is pretty difficult, don't rush it, do it slowly, otherwise you'll easily get injured.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>As you've pointed out, very often people and dictionaries will construe 着急 to mean "worry" or "anxious," but I feel like using "rushed" or "hurried" is more in the spirit of the sentence, given the context of a "painful and arduous" process. </p>

<p>有道词典 contains some examples where "hurry" and its derivatives are used. <a href="https://www.youdao.com/example/blng/eng/%E7%9D%80%E6%80%A5" rel="nofollow noreferrer">In the entry for 着急 under more examples</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>似乎以色列并不着急阻止阿巴斯和埃及、约旦领导人那些他的本地盟友的所作所为。</p>
  
  <p>Israel seems in no hurry to prevent that; nor does Mr Abbas, nor their
  local allies, the leaders of Egypt and Jordan.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>and</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>虽然你很着急，但投资者们却喜欢观望(等待“再翻一张牌看看”)。</p>
  
  <p>Investors like to wait ("flip another card over") while you want to
  hurry.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>and </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"不，"那个着急的侍者一边说，一边拉下了铁百叶窗后站了起来。"</p>
  
  <p>"No," the waiter who was in a hurry said, rising from pulling down the
  metal shutters.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-09T09:43:19.803Z
2020-01-09T09:43:19.803Z
Marko
<p>'着急' is not worry, the text is talking about 应试教育 versus 素质教育, the transition from 应试教育 to 素质教育 is a long hard process, so we must be patient and follow the basic education rules to make this change. In this text, '着急' means impatient, short-tempered. As the saying goes A watched pot never boils.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-01T04:23:35.903Z
On the other hand, 快乐的时光总是短暂的， 'time flies when you're having fun'。 Maybe he means, have fun, don't worry, and the change will happen quicker than you think! I don't really think so, but it is possible.
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-01T04:39:52.973Z
`快乐的时光总是短暂的`, `time flies when you're having fun`. I think when a man is happy, the time flies quicker than  when he is sad or worried.  `着急`,  in this text, means a man is eager to get the result or for example a man is eager to have a watermelon and even the watermelon  is not ripe. Maybe the example can help you understand.
GoingMyWay
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-01T01:16:24.493Z
2015-09-01T01:16:24.493Z
GoingMyWay
<p>Focus on 
 <strong>是一个痛苦的漫长的过程 (It's a painful long process)</strong></p>

<p>When you search for the usage of 着急 when it means no rush. <strong>there is usually a time duration/period mentioned along,</strong> for example:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>慢慢来，不着急 (No rush. Take your time)</p>
</blockquote>

<p><a href="http://www.learnenglishwithwill.com/no-rush-meaning-usage-example-chinese-translation/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.learnenglishwithwill.com/no-rush-meaning-usage-example-chinese-translation/</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>不着急，慢慢来("Take your time")</p>
</blockquote>

<p><a href="https://www.putclub.com/html/ability/oral/20170124/120031.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.putclub.com/html/ability/oral/20170124/120031.html</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>想形容一件事“不着急，可以等” (Describe something no rush, you can wait for)</p>
</blockquote>

<p><a href="https://www.lizhi.fm/1647017/2612685025255778822" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.lizhi.fm/1647017/2612685025255778822</a></p>

<p>一个痛苦的漫长的过程 describes the duration of a process, so in order to translate to a word match the scene, no rush/take your time should fits better for 着急</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-10T08:01:17.037Z
2020-01-10T08:01:17.037Z
Ray
<p>According to dictionary owned by <a href="http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=Z00000115354" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Ministry of Education in Taiwan</a>, 著急 means that feeling anxious and impatient because you want some result to happen  earlier.</p>

<p>Consider the meaning and context in given quotation. The different style of education is pushed to change. But the change is difficult, and it is a painful and a long process. To interpret 我們不能太著急。 Consider the process is difficult, painful and long. It is rational to tell us not to feel anxious and inpatient for the reason that you want the result(Change of education style) to happened earlier. That is to say, Please don't be anxious and impatient since you cannot expect that the result you want achieve fast, just be patient.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-09T08:36:54.267Z
2020-01-09T21:56:43.983Z
2020-01-09T21:56:43.983Z
000
<p>"We should not do it in haste."</p>

<p>hurried, usually carelessly.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-09T15:13:03.697Z
2020-01-09T15:13:03.697Z
Xiaoxiong Lin
<p>XXX, 是一个痛苦的漫长的过程，我们不能太着急</p>

<p>"XXX is a struggling and long-time procedure, <strong>we shouldn't hurry</strong>"</p>

<p>but how it sounds I prefer this:</p>

<p>"XXX is a struggling and long-time procedure, <strong>we need to be patient</strong>"</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-12T10:23:38.813Z
2017-04-12T10:23:38.813Z
Ile
<p>This text is talking about 应试教育 versus 素质教育。In this sentence the last phrase is a bit unclear.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>应该说已经推动了应试教育向素质教育的转变，但是这个转变非常艰难，是一个痛苦的漫长的过程，我们不能太着急。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Dictionaries say ‘着急’ means 'worry, feel anxious' </p>

<p>我们不能太着急。I'd like to translate this as 'we shouldn't expect quick results' or 'we shouldn't fret'. Does that catch the Chinese meaning??</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-01T01:04:30.660Z
Since the process is not in 'our' control, I agree with your interpretation in your last sentence.
NS.X.
<meaning><meaning-in-context>
What does 着急 mean in 我们不能太着急 in the context of exam-oriented education (应试教育) versus all-round education (素质教育)?
# What does 着急 mean in 我们不能太着急 in the context of exam-oriented education (应试教育) versus all-round education (素质教育)?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-09-01)

This text is talking about 应试教育 versus 素质教育。In this sentence the last phrase is a bit unclear.

> 应该说已经推动了应试教育向素质教育的转变，但是这个转变非常艰难，是一个痛苦的漫长的过程，我们不能太着急。

Dictionaries say ‘着急’ means 'worry, feel anxious'

我们不能太着急。I'd like to translate this as 'we shouldn't expect quick results' or 'we shouldn't fret'. Does that catch the Chinese meaning??

**Tags:** meaning, meaning-in-context

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Since the process is not in 'our' control, I agree with your interpretation in your last sentence.  

---

## 10 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-09-01. Score: 4

I suggest: "We shouldn't rush the process" since it's a long and painful process you're talking about.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Might be better with 'can't rush the process'?? What do you actually think when you read '不能太着急‘？ ‘cannot very worry (about it)?  
> **username_2**: What do I actually think when I read '不能太着急‘？ -- one cannot afford to rush the process because rushing it might be detrimental. That's why I said "shouldn't", or maybe "must not" is a better choice?  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-09-01. Score: 2

> 应该说已经推动了应试教育向素质教育的转变，

This line does not have a subject. It looks like a typical bad use of Chinese language.

> 但是这个转变非常艰难，是一个痛苦的漫长的过程，

It's saying this change is very difficult and it needs a long and painful duration to be accomplished.

> 我们不能太着急。

Thus, we'd better not ***push it forward too hard / jump the gun / be too hasty / act in haste / go off at half cook / advance too quickly.***

So 着急 here does not mean 'worry, feel anxious'.

Here it's more referring to the probable unwise actions and behavior that is caused by your worry and anxiety.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Chinese often omits words, which always confuses me. This is an interview, so in context it is not hard to infer 我们 as the subject. Since they wrote 不能， wouldn't 'can't ' be more fitting than the subjunctive 'we had better not'??  
> **username_3**: Sorry, you are right about that. Precisely speaking, 不能 should be translated as " can't ".  
> **username_0**: Please don't apologize, I am only asking because I don't know what is right.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-01-12. Score: 1

> 应该说已经推动了应试教育向素质教育的转变，但是这个转变非常艰难，是一个痛苦的漫长的过程，我们不能太着急。

我们不能太着急 connotes two aspects here:

1. it exhorts us that the process is long and hard and there is no way we can get the result quickly, so we shouldn't rush it.
2. As the process drags on, we should have the patience and not be anxious.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2022-09-20. Score: 1

`但是这个转变非常艰难，是一个痛苦的漫长的过程，我们不能太着急。`

`But the transition is very arduous, being a painful and long-lasting process, and we can not be expecting achievements in a relatively short time.` I think notably `着急` translates as `worry, feel anxious` as you said, while here I think there is a relative abbreviation from here such as `我们不能太着急(结果的呈现)`, inferring from the context of the sentence.

So I think what you meant was pretty close, although we can use `can not` instead of `should not`, to make the mood more flexible.


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2020-01-09. Score: 1

Based on my time in China in both professional and casual settings, I would interpret the term 着急 here as meaning "rushed." "Hurried" might also work.

My translation of your sentence would be

> It can be said that we've already begun to push the transition from exam-oriented education to quality-oriented education, but this transition is very difficult. It is a painful and slow/very long/endless/arduous process. We should not/cannot be too rushed/hurried.

To illustrate, I give an example:

My wushu teacher might tell me

> 这个动作挺难的，别着急，慢慢来，不然容易受伤哦

which translates to

> This move is pretty difficult, don't rush it, do it slowly, otherwise you'll easily get injured.

As you've pointed out, very often people and dictionaries will construe 着急 to mean "worry" or "anxious," but I feel like using "rushed" or "hurried" is more in the spirit of the sentence, given the context of a "painful and arduous" process.

有道词典 contains some examples where "hurry" and its derivatives are used. [In the entry for 着急 under more examples](https://www.youdao.com/example/blng/eng/%E7%9D%80%E6%80%A5)

> 似乎以色列并不着急阻止阿巴斯和埃及、约旦领导人那些他的本地盟友的所作所为。
>
> Israel seems in no hurry to prevent that; nor does Mr Abbas, nor their
> local allies, the leaders of Egypt and Jorusername_4.

and

> 虽然你很着急，但投资者们却喜欢观望(等待“再翻一张牌看看”)。
>
> Investors like to wait ("flip another card over") while you want to
> hurry.

and

> "不，"那个着急的侍者一边说，一边拉下了铁百叶窗后站了起来。"
>
> "No," the waiter who was in a hurry said, rising from pulling down the
> metal shutters.


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2015-09-01. Score: 1

'着急' is not worry, the text is talking about 应试教育 versus 素质教育, the transition from 应试教育 to 素质教育 is a long hard process, so we must be patient and follow the basic education rules to make this change. In this text, '着急' means impatient, short-tempered. As the saying goes A watched pot never boils.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: On the other hand, 快乐的时光总是短暂的， 'time flies when you're having fun'。 Maybe he means, have fun, don't worry, and the change will happen quicker than you think! I don't really think so, but it is possible.  
> **username_7**: `快乐的时光总是短暂的`, `time flies when you're having fun`. I think when a man is happy, the time flies quicker than  when he is sad or worried.  `着急`,  in this text, means a man is eager to get the result or for example a man is eager to have a watermelon and even the watermelon  is not ripe. Maybe the example can help you understand.  

---

### Answer by username_8 on 2020-01-10. Score: 1

Focus on
**是一个痛苦的漫长的过程 (It's a painful long process)**

When you search for the usage of 着急 when it means no rush. **there is usually a time duration/period mentioned along,** for example:

> 慢慢来，不着急 (No rush. Take your time)

<http://www.learnenglishwithwill.com/no-rush-meaning-usage-example-chinese-translation/>

> 不着急，慢慢来("Take your time")

<https://www.putclub.com/html/ability/oral/20170124/120031.html>

> 想形容一件事“不着急，可以等” (Describe something no rush, you can wait for)

<https://www.lizhi.fm/1647017/2612685025255778822>

一个痛苦的漫长的过程 describes the duration of a process, so in order to translate to a word match the scene, no rush/take your time should fits better for 着急


---

### Answer by username_9 on 2020-01-09. Score: 1

According to dictionary owned by [Ministry of Education in Taiwan](http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&searchid=Zusername_900115354), 著急 means that feeling anxious and impatient because you want some result to happen earlier.

Consider the meaning and context in given quotation. The different style of education is pushed to change. But the change is difficult, and it is a painful and a long process. To interpret 我們不能太著急。 Consider the process is difficult, painful and long. It is rational to tell us not to feel anxious and inpatient for the reason that you want the result(Change of education style) to happened earlier. That is to say, Please don't be anxious and impatient since you cannot expect that the result you want achieve fast, just be patient.


---

### Answer by username_10 on 2020-01-09. Score: 0

"We should not do it in haste."

hurried, usually carelessly.


---

### Answer by username_11 on 2017-04-12. Score: -1

XXX, 是一个痛苦的漫长的过程，我们不能太着急

"XXX is a struggling and long-time procedure, **we shouldn't hurry**"

but how it sounds I prefer this:

"XXX is a struggling and long-time procedure, **we need to be patient**"


---

