<p>还是 denotes this sense defined in dictionaries:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>表示对某一事实的强调 (denotes an emphasis on a certain fact)</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>E. g.  这种事我还是第一次遇到。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So, 还是城市好 means something along the line of <em>in view of all the circumstances (or after all), the city is better (to live)</em>, implying that after some comparison he feels the city is better to live.</p>
<p>算了 means <em>leave/make it that way</em>.  享福算了 means <em>just to enjoy happiness from life</em>.</p>
<p>As for this part:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Edit: In fact, I don't understand how the speaker could get away with not putting 很 in 城市好. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>the sentence 还是城市好 sets up a comparison here (comparing to countryside).  Well, 城市很好 is just to express <em>city life is quite good</em> and it doesn't implies any comparison.  One may say: 城市很好, 但乡下也很好。and 和乡下比，还是城市好。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-03T22:05:39.817Z
2020-09-04T04:11:52.357Z
2020-09-04T04:11:52.357Z
dan
<p>In these contexts: 还是 means 'still (after all)' in comparison to a previously mentioned or implied known object; 算了 means 'just (simply)'</p>
<p><strong>还是</strong>城市好 = (after all) the city <strong>is still</strong> better</p>
<p>享福<strong>算了</strong> = <strong>just</strong> (simply) enjoy life</p>
<p>More example:</p>
<p><strong>还是</strong>工作重要 = work <strong>is still</strong> more important (after all)</p>
<p>干脆辞职<strong>算了</strong> = simply <strong>just</strong> resign</p>
<p>Example of 还是 in another context (followed by a verb instead of a noun):</p>
<p>(<strong>还是</strong>)放弃(<strong>算了</strong>) - (<strong>better off</strong>) (<strong>just</strong>) give up</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-03T20:18:44.467Z
2020-09-03T20:24:29.453Z
2020-09-03T20:24:29.453Z
Tang Ho
<blockquote>
<p>唉，以前挖门打洞，清苦死了，还是城市好，干脆留在这儿享福算了.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This is a sentence said by a village mouse which came to the city and realised how wonderful the life in the city is.</p>
<p>还是城市好 - how to translate 还是 here? I believe the whole phrase means &quot;On the other hand, the city is good&quot;?</p>
<p>享福算了 - I THINK I should understand it as 享 (enjoy) + 福 (happiness) + 算了. What's the meaning of 算了 here and, consequently, what's the meaning of 享福算了? Does it mean &quot;enjoying happiness taken for granted&quot; or &quot;forget about enjoying happiness&quot; in the imperative form, or &quot;enjoy happiness and forget the rest&quot; in the imperative form, or something else?</p>
<p>Edit:
In fact, I don't understand how the speaker could get away with not putting 很 in 城市好. Please, help me understand this as well.</p>

<translation><word><phrase>
How to translate properly 还是 and 算了 in this sentence?
# How to translate properly 还是 and 算了 in this sentence?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-09-03)

> 唉，以前挖门打洞，清苦死了，还是城市好，干脆留在这儿享福算了.

This is a sentence said by a village mouse which came to the city and realised how wonderful the life in the city is.

还是城市好 - how to translate 还是 here? I believe the whole phrase means "On the other hand, the city is good"?

享福算了 - I THINK I should understand it as 享 (enjoy) + 福 (happiness) + 算了. What's the meaning of 算了 here and, consequently, what's the meaning of 享福算了? Does it mean "enjoying happiness taken for granted" or "forget about enjoying happiness" in the imperative form, or "enjoy happiness and forget the rest" in the imperative form, or something else?

Edit:
In fact, I don't understand how the speaker could get away with not putting 很 in 城市好. Please, help me understand this as well.

**Tags:** translation, word, phrase


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-09-03. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

还是 denotes this sense defined in dictionaries:

> 表示对某一事实的强调 (denotes an emphasis on a certain fact)

> E. g. 这种事我还是第一次遇到。

So, 还是城市好 means something along the line of *in view of all the circumstances (or after all), the city is better (to live)*, implying that after some comparison he feels the city is better to live.

算了 means *leave/make it that way*. 享福算了 means *just to enjoy happiness from life*.

As for this part:

> Edit: In fact, I don't understand how the speaker could get away with not putting 很 in 城市好.

the sentence 还是城市好 sets up a comparison here (comparing to countryside). Well, 城市很好 is just to express *city life is quite good* and it doesn't implies any comparison. One may say: 城市很好, 但乡下也很好。and 和乡下比，还是城市好。


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### Answer by username_2 on 2020-09-03. Score: 2

In these contexts: 还是 means 'still (after all)' in comparison to a previously mentioned or implied known object; 算了 means 'just (simply)'

**还是**城市好 = (after all) the city **is still** better

享福**算了** = **just** (simply) enjoy life

More example:

**还是**工作重要 = work **is still** more important (after all)

干脆辞职**算了** = simply **just** resign

Example of 还是 in another context (followed by a verb instead of a noun):

(**还是**)放弃(**算了**) - (**better off**) (**just**) give up


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