<p>In this context it means &quot;to watch/guard the place&quot;, &quot;to look after the place&quot;.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>1997年，他到东莞打工，在一家木材厂给人看场子，在那里，他学会了汉族的生活方式，和朋友一起打台球，到歌厅唱歌。</p>
<p>In 1997, he went to work in Dongguan as a &quot;watcher&quot; for a timber factory. There, he learned about the the Han lifestyle, played pool with friends and sang in karaoke bars.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I'm translating a bit freely here, but that's the geist. 给人看场子 means &quot;to watch/guard the place for someone else&quot;, but it conveys the idea of informal work.</p>
<p>The subject of the sentence wasn't a formal security guard, or supervisor. He was <em>&quot;helping someone look after the place&quot;</em>, <em>&quot;making sure things ran smoothly&quot;</em>.</p>
<hr>
<p>Bonus: <a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%9C%8B%E5%9C%BA%E5%AD%90/8515295" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Baidu Baike</a> has also a page about this term, meaning essentially &quot;bouncer&quot;, or even &quot;henchman&quot; for club and bar owners. However it doesn't look like this page is written very professionally, so it's probably a very colloquial, extended meaning, or possibly underworld lingo. I would take it with a grain of salt.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-01T12:57:30.877Z
2020-07-01T15:25:07.173Z
2020-07-01T15:25:07.173Z
blackgreen
<p>Security to maintain order =  保安维护秩序。</p>
<p>在以前，看场子通常是向黑社会支付一些酬劳，然后委托他们维护秩序，防止其他帮派的人闹事。在社会动荡的年代，黑帮社会通常会占领某一块区域，并强行推销他们的这种服务，不交钱是要被砸场的。</p>
<p>但是现代社会已经很少发生了，广义地被理解成维护秩序也可以的。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-01T23:33:40.507Z
可能是hanguan的回答太简短了，这个网站有很多人看不懂存中文写的内容，通常都写英文来回答。不过你的回答很棒！+1 :)
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-01T23:37:19.070Z
其实现在的在线翻译都是人工智能了，翻译出来都很准确。这里的人都是学中文的，会看不懂中文？我都能看懂他们写的英文，只是不太会写，我是无意中看到这个网站的，希望提供点帮助而已
芸香科橙子同学
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-01T23:55:48.753Z
有的只是初学者，不过你可以写中文回答，因为还是有人看得懂的。Have fun here! :)
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-02T04:24:48.300Z
Usually we expect people to answer a question in the language it was written. Unless you cannot write English in an understandable form, then you have no choice but use the language that you can express your idea with
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-02T04:30:19.673Z
現在我用中文向你提意見，你可以理所當然地用中文回覆。此外，就此言論你已知道我會中文，以後就算我用英文作評，你用中文回答也可以。
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-05T01:41:00.957Z
其实你在这种情况下用“建议”比较适合，意见这个词太严肃了。
芸香科橙子同学
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-01T20:17:31.760Z
2020-07-02T20:49:35.477Z
2020-07-02T20:49:35.477Z
芸香科橙子同学
<p>It means security, preserve order</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-04T08:35:46.167Z
Would it be possible to expand on this answer please?
Becky 李蓓
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-01T12:59:42.070Z
2020-07-01T12:59:42.070Z
hangun
<blockquote>
<p>&quot;1997年，他到东莞打工，在一家木材厂给人看场子，在那里，他学会了汉族的生活方式，和朋友一起打台球，到歌厅唱歌。&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Hi everyone! I'm trying to translate this sentence, but I don't understand what 看场子 stands for in this sentence.</p>
<p>I know it could just mean &quot;Look at the place&quot; but that doesn't make sense here. Does it mean something like &quot;keep watch/guard&quot;?
Thank you in advance for the replies!</p>

<translation><meaning-in-context>
What is the meaning of 看场子?
# What is the meaning of 看场子?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-07-01)

> "1997年，他到东莞打工，在一家木材厂给人看场子，在那里，他学会了汉族的生活方式，和朋友一起打台球，到歌厅唱歌。"

Hi everyone! I'm trying to translate this sentence, but I don't understand what 看场子 stands for in this sentence.

I know it could just mean "Look at the place" but that doesn't make sense here. Does it mean something like "keep watch/guard"?
Thank you in advance for the replies!

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


---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-07-01. Score: 2

In this context it means "to watch/guard the place", "to look after the place".

> 1997年，他到东莞打工，在一家木材厂给人看场子，在那里，他学会了汉族的生活方式，和朋友一起打台球，到歌厅唱歌。
>
> In 1997, he went to work in Dongguan as a "watcher" for a timber factory. There, he learned about the the Han lifestyle, played pool with friends and sang in karaoke bars.

I'm translating a bit freely here, but that's the geist. 给人看场子 means "to watch/guard the place for someone else", but it conveys the idea of informal work.

The subject of the sentence wasn't a formal security guard, or supervisor. He was *"helping someone look after the place"*, *"making sure things ran smoothly"*.

---

Bonus: [Baidu Baike](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%9C%8B%E5%9C%BA%E5%AD%90/8515295) has also a page about this term, meaning essentially "bouncer", or even "henchman" for club and bar owners. However it doesn't look like this page is written very professionally, so it's probably a very colloquial, extended meaning, or possibly underworld lingo. I would take it with a grain of salt.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-07-01. Score: 2

Security to maintain order = 保安维护秩序。

在以前，看场子通常是向黑社会支付一些酬劳，然后委托他们维护秩序，防止其他帮派的人闹事。在社会动荡的年代，黑帮社会通常会占领某一块区域，并强行推销他们的这种服务，不交钱是要被砸场的。

但是现代社会已经很少发生了，广义地被理解成维护秩序也可以的。

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: 可能是hanguan的回答太简短了，这个网站有很多人看不懂存中文写的内容，通常都写英文来回答。不过你的回答很棒！+1 :)  
> **username_2**: 其实现在的在线翻译都是人工智能了，翻译出来都很准确。这里的人都是学中文的，会看不懂中文？我都能看懂他们写的英文，只是不太会写，我是无意中看到这个网站的，希望提供点帮助而已  
> **username_3**: 有的只是初学者，不过你可以写中文回答，因为还是有人看得懂的。Have fun here! :)  
> **username_4**: Usually we expect people to answer a question in the language it was written. Unless you cannot write English in an understandable form, then you have no choice but use the language that you can express your idea with  
> **username_4**: 現在我用中文向你提意見，你可以理所當然地用中文回覆。此外，就此言論你已知道我會中文，以後就算我用英文作評，你用中文回答也可以。  
> **username_2**: 其实你在这种情况下用“建议”比较适合，意见这个词太严肃了。  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2020-07-01. Score: -1

It means security, preserve order

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: Would it be possible to expand on this answer please?  

---

