<p>First off, this is not well written Chinese since it could lead to different interpretations.</p>
<p>One:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>除非，你堅持(認為)躲在潮濕的甲殼裡更快樂。</p>
<p>Unless, you insist that hiding in a moist carapace is happier.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Two:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>除非，你堅持躲在潮濕的甲殼裡更（讓你）快樂。</p>
<p>Unless, keeping your self hidden in a moist carapace (makes) you happier.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Although the essential meaning is similar. There are different interpretations because 堅持 used in the sentence is not clear enough.</p>
<p>堅持 could have two different meanings in the sentence:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>persist in: Basically, it means keep doing something persistently.</p>
</li>
<li><p>insist (that.../on):
In this case, it's actually means 堅持（認為）、堅持（覺得）、堅持（要）and the words in the brackets can be omitted if there is no ambiguity.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>With appropriate pauses in speaking, this ambiguity can be avoid. In written, normally, such ambiguity is avoided by proper punctuation. However in this case, additional words might be necessary to avoid misinterpretation.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-27T11:37:36.533Z
2014-03-27T11:37:36.533Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
user1228520
<p>My thinking of meaning of this sentence is "Don't insist to stay in the shell unless you feel more happy with that".</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-26T09:21:30.590Z
2014-03-26T09:21:30.590Z
Rogason
<blockquote>
  <p>潮濕=moistly</p>
  
  <p>甲殼=shell</p>
  
  <p>快樂=happy</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I think you can understand the sentence now, it means <em>unless you insist that hiding in a moistly shell is more happy.</em></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-26T23:26:44.907Z
2014-03-26T23:26:44.907Z
Ave Maleficum
<p>I recently encountered: 除非，你堅持躲在潮濕的甲殼裡更快樂。in an email.</p>

<p>The context is that the writer was telling me to cheer up.</p>

<p>I can recognize some of these words.</p>

<p>It seems to start off with "unless you persist", but beyond that I'm not very sure what to make of it.</p>

<p>"Unless you persist in making yourself sad, you will become more cheerful" is one guess, but I can't make that out of the remaining words.</p>

<p>"Unless you persist in trying to be happy, you can't hope to be happy" would be another reasonable guess, but again I don't see how to get that from the remaining words.</p>

<p>It's quite possible that both of the above guesses are completely misguided.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-26T09:23:16.530Z
According the [context](http://www.fsm.gov.mo/cht/healthcare/ContextDetail.aspx?Context=201), your guesses are not quite close. It means "Unless persisting in hiding in the moist shell would make you happier, (you should let yourself go)." The *moist shell* is a metaphor for having much worry.
Stan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-27T01:28:10.357Z
@Stan That's exactly what it means. Maybe you can turn your comment into an answer?
TactMayers
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-27T01:58:30.437Z
@TactMayers this question looks a little off-topic because it is "asking for translations" (in fact I don't quite get the criterion for this rule). So let it be a comment :)
Stan
<translation><grammar><traditional-characters>
What is the grammar of : 除非，你堅持躲在潮濕的甲殼裡更快樂。
# What is the grammar of : 除非，你堅持躲在潮濕的甲殼裡更快樂。

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-03-26)

I recently encountered: 除非，你堅持躲在潮濕的甲殼裡更快樂。in an email.

The context is that the writer was telling me to cheer up.

I can recognize some of these words.

It seems to start off with "unless you persist", but beyond that I'm not very sure what to make of it.

"Unless you persist in making yourself sad, you will become more cheerful" is one guess, but I can't make that out of the remaining words.

"Unless you persist in trying to be happy, you can't hope to be happy" would be another reasonable guess, but again I don't see how to get that from the remaining words.

It's quite possible that both of the above guesses are completely misguided.

**Tags:** translation, grammar, traditional-characters

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: According the [context](http://www.fsm.gov.mo/cht/healthcare/ContextDetail.aspx?Context=201), your guesses are not quite close. It means "Unless persisting in hiding in the moist shell would make you happier, (you should let yourself go)." The *moist shell* is a metaphor for having much worry.  
> **username_2**: @username_1 That's exactly what it means. Maybe you can turn your comment into an answer?  
> **username_1**: @username_2 this question looks a little off-topic because it is "asking for translations" (in fact I don't quite get the criterion for this rule). So let it be a comment :)  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-03-27. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

First off, this is not well written Chinese since it could lead to different interpretations.

One:

> 除非，你堅持(認為)躲在潮濕的甲殼裡更快樂。
>
> Unless, you insist that hiding in a moist carapace is happier.

Two:

> 除非，你堅持躲在潮濕的甲殼裡更（讓你）快樂。
>
> Unless, keeping your self hidden in a moist carapace (makes) you happier.

Although the essential meaning is similar. There are different interpretations because 堅持 used in the sentence is not clear enough.

堅持 could have two different meanings in the sentence:

1. persist in: Basically, it means keep doing something persistently.
2. insist (that.../on):
   In this case, it's actually means 堅持（認為）、堅持（覺得）、堅持（要）and the words in the brackets can be omitted if there is no ambiguity.

With appropriate pauses in speaking, this ambiguity can be avoid. In written, normally, such ambiguity is avoided by proper punctuation. However in this case, additional words might be necessary to avoid misinterpretation.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2014-03-26. Score: 1

My thinking of meaning of this sentence is "Don't insist to stay in the shell unless you feel more happy with that".


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### Answer by username_5 on 2014-03-26. Score: 1

> 潮濕=moistly
>
> 甲殼=shell
>
> 快樂=happy

I think you can understand the sentence now, it means *unless you insist that hiding in a moistly shell is more happy.*


---

