<p>I haven't read the article, but the phrase 横空出世 normally means <em>suddenly come into the world, especially something/someone big, dramatic,  extraordinary and etc.</em></p>
<p>The whole phrase 何处横空出世 means <em>where (something) come into the world out of blue</em>. 何处 means <em>where</em> or <em>from where</em>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-19T22:22:47.723Z
2020-06-19T22:22:47.723Z
dan
<p>Probably we have learned that 「橫」 means <em>horizontal</em>. Semantically extend this to <em>across &gt; cross, travel across</em>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>何處橫空出世</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><em>Where to cross the sky and escape this world?</em></p>
</blockquote>

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2020-06-18T10:57:16.163Z
出世 here  means 'born' -->  come into.this world
Tang Ho
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2020-06-18T11:01:17.170Z
@TangHo https://tw.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20150703000010KK02850, here I would say it's used as a pun for Elon Musk's satellite achievements.
dROOOze
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2020-06-18T11:05:30.593Z
It doesn't say 出世 means 'escape this world' in the linked page
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-18T11:06:48.083Z
@TangHo it's literally *rising high above the world*. In the context of satellites and rockets, this is pointing to his achievements in space technology.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-18T11:11:22.170Z
I feel as if there might be something lost in translation. In English, the saying "his achievements are out of this world" means "his achievements are extraordinary".
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-18T11:13:57.377Z
毛澤東 was not a good poet. 橫空出世 literally mean 'across the sky and come into this world' 韆鞦功罪 should be 千秋功罪
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-18T11:18:54.263Z
@TangHo whether he was a good poet or not is not relevant, the author who wrote 何處橫空出世 is probably from Mainland China so the saying 橫空出世 probably refers to Mao Zedong's descriptions of high mountains breaking the clouds. 橫空出世 does not appear in the classics, so the most likely meaning it could be is from Mao Zedong's poem.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-18T11:36:37.297Z
I think dROOOze is right about the achievements. 
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/business-45573131   -----> this the article I'm talking about.
I think they didn't want to write ,,where Musk was born?" so they used this description - ,,Where this person with achievements out of this world was born?", just to enrich the article.
Caro
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-18T11:37:14.397Z
Thank you very much for this discussion and of course for your help!!!
Caro
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-18T10:30:23.463Z
2020-06-18T10:55:26.987Z
2020-06-18T10:55:26.987Z
dROOOze
<p>I am translating an article about Elon Musk and one of the subtitles is called &quot;何处横空出世?&quot;.</p>
<p>I don't quite understand what 横空 means. I found one translation that said it means some kind of wonderful person, but I am not sure if it's right.</p>
<p>Have you ever encountered this kind of sentence?</p>

<meaning><meaning-in-context><word>
何处横空出世 - meaning
# 何处横空出世 - meaning

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-06-18)

I am translating an article about Elon Musk and one of the subtitles is called "何处横空出世?".

I don't quite understand what 横空 means. I found one translation that said it means some kind of wonderful person, but I am not sure if it's right.

Have you ever encountered this kind of sentence?

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


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-06-19. Score: 0 | Accepted answer

I haven't read the article, but the phrase 横空出世 normally means *suddenly come into the world, especially something/someone big, dramatic, extraordinary and etc.*

The whole phrase 何处横空出世 means *where (something) come into the world out of blue*. 何处 means *where* or *from where*.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2020-06-18. Score: 0

Probably we have learned that 「橫」 means *horizontal*. Semantically extend this to *across > cross, travel across*.

> 何處橫空出世

> *Where to cross the sky and escape this world?*

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: 出世 here  means 'born' -->  come into.this world  
> **username_2**: @username_3 https://tw.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20150703000010KK02850, here I would say it's used as a pun for Elon Musk's satellite achievements.  
> **username_3**: It doesn't say 出世 means 'escape this world' in the linked page  
> **username_2**: @username_3 it's literally *rising high above the world*. In the context of satellites and rockets, this is pointing to his achievements in space technology.  
> **username_2**: I feel as if there might be something lost in translation. In English, the saying "his achievements are out of this world" means "his achievements are extraordinary".  
> **username_3**: 毛澤東 was not a good poet. 橫空出世 literally mean 'across the sky and come into this world' 韆鞦功罪 should be 千秋功罪  
> **username_2**: @username_3 whether he was a good poet or not is not relevant, the author who wrote 何處橫空出世 is probably from Mainland China so the saying 橫空出世 probably refers to Mao Zedong's descriptions of high mountains breaking the clouds. 橫空出世 does not appear in the classics, so the most likely meaning it could be is from Mao Zedong's poem.  
> **username_0**: I think username_2 is right about the achievements.  https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/business-45573131   -----> this the article I'm talking about. I think they didn't want to write ,,where Musk was born?" so they used this description - ,,Where this person with achievements out of this world was born?", just to enrich the article.  
> **username_0**: Thank you very much for this discussion and of course for your help!!!  

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