<p>他「準」是對 means 他「肯定」是對. The meaning is not「准」(允許).</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我就立刻知道他準是對兒媳幹了偸鷄摸狗的勾當</p>
<p><em>I immediately knew that he did something shady to [pronoun] daughter-in-law.</em></p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-10T15:40:23.050Z
2020-01-10T15:40:23.050Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
dROOOze
<p>I would translate it as </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>他准是对儿媳干了偷鸡摸狗的勾当 </p>
  
  <p>He must have done [something] to his daughter in law</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The translation should reflect the following:</p>

<ol>
<li>he knew</li>
<li>but he was guessing</li>
</ol>

<p>In the link you provided, there is an example: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>这人准是她丈夫。 </p>
  
  <p>This man must be her husband.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>It also used "must" in the translation. I feel that if you use "surely is" or "did" the guessing part is missing. Since you're better in English, maybe you can help me understand this. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-11T00:45:33.767Z
I feel the difference between *"I immediately knew he surely had done"* and *"I immediately knew he must had done"*, if any, is very subtle. But I'm not a native English speaker. I'm glad if anybody can teach me here.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-10T16:19:12.930Z
2020-01-10T16:19:12.930Z
sylvia
<p>I [then] knew immediately that he must have done something filthy [shady, stealthy, unseemly, etc.] to the daughter-in-law. </p>

<p>我 [就] 知道  立刻 他 准是 干了 偷鸡摸狗的勾当 对 儿媳. </p>

<p>准是 = 一定是. 干 = 做 =  do. No need to connect the latter to its extended meanings. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-11T08:18:30.880Z
2020-01-11T08:18:30.880Z
xbh
<p>他手指挖着裤管上的泥巴，<br>
His finger scraping the mud off his trouser leg,<br>
愤怒地告诉我是他那不孝的儿子，<br>
he angrily told me his son is not a good son,<br>
当我再问为何打他时，<br>
when I asked why he hit him,<br>
他支支吾吾说不清楚了，<br>
he mumbled an answer,<br>
我就立刻知道他准是对儿媳干了偷鸡摸狗的勾当。<br>
I immediately knew he must have had sex with his daughter-in-law, (possibly raped her).</p>

<p>Just normal village life!</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-11T00:50:12.810Z
The sentence has not directly said that he have had sex with his daughter-in-law.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-11T01:40:34.420Z
No, of course not, that is much too direct for Chinese people! They would never say that! What do you think he did? To what may 勾当 refer?
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-11T02:10:37.697Z
It might invoke some sex affair, but not necessarily. It's just something bad which is unspeakable.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-11T02:31:43.287Z
@Pedroski -- any special reason why 不孝, (not fifilal),  is translated as "not a good son"? Could it be that the context of the situation calls for a "circumstantial translation" rather than a direct translation?   As for
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-11T02:54:20.540Z
As for 偷鸡摸狗的勾当, in an ordinary context, it may mean to steal or some unlawful activity. However, in the context of the situation in question when a 儿媳, (daughter-in-law) is involved and also using 干了 and 勾当  (which are normally used to describe some action which is not "morally good", especially 勾, "to hook" ), then I would say that sex, possibly non-consensual, was meant to have taken place or allegedly so.
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-11T08:52:19.423Z
I would hardly ever use 'filial', the word means son-like, "from Late Latin filialis "of a son or daughter," so you are saying "a son like a son",  or "son of a son," boomerang-speak!
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-11T00:43:28.470Z
2020-01-11T00:43:28.470Z
Pedroski
<blockquote>
  <p>我就立刻知道他准是对儿媳干了偷鸡摸狗的勾当. </p>
</blockquote>

<p>准 means <strong>surely;definitely</strong>.</p>

<p>是 is used as an adverb:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>（重读， 表示坚决肯定， 含有“的确、实在”的意思）</p>
</blockquote>

<p>E.g. 他是不知道 // He certainly doesn't know.</p>

<p>对 is a preposition, meaning <strong>to</strong>. E.g. 你对我做了什么 // What have you done to me.</p>

<p>干 means 做(do). </p>

<p>Over all, the sentence roughly means: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p> I immediately knew he surely had done some stealthy, shady business to his daughter-in-law. </p>
</blockquote>

<p>P.S. As you suspect, the sentence might invoke some sexual affairs. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-10T15:35:12.980Z
2020-01-10T15:35:12.980Z
dan
<p>I'm having trouble understanding this:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>他手指挖着裤管上的泥巴，愤怒地告诉我是他那不孝的儿子，当我再问为何打他时，他支支吾吾说不清楚了，<strong>我就立刻知道他准是对儿媳干了偷鸡摸狗的勾当</strong>。<br>
  <sub>活着, p.3</sub></p>
</blockquote>

<p>My translation is:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>[With] his finger picking trouser-leg mud, [he] angrily told me that it was his unfilial son, [but] when I next asked him why hit him, he hummed-and-hawed [and] spoke unclearly; I immediately knew he (准是对 ???) [his] daughter-in-law work (?) [in] stealthy, shady business.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>Question</strong>: What does 我就立刻知道他准是对儿媳干了偷鸡摸狗的勾当 mean?</p>

<p>It seems like <a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E5%87%86" rel="nofollow noreferrer">准</a> means allow, but I don't know why 是 nor 对 is used here.  It's possible <a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E5%B9%B2" rel="nofollow noreferrer">干</a> may mean "to have sex" here.</p>

<translation>
What does 我就立刻知道他准是对儿媳干了偷鸡摸狗的勾当 mean? (from 活着, p.3)
# What does 我就立刻知道他准是对儿媳干了偷鸡摸狗的勾当 mean? (from 活着, p.3)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-01-10)

I'm having trouble understanding this:

> 他手指挖着裤管上的泥巴，愤怒地告诉我是他那不孝的儿子，当我再问为何打他时，他支支吾吾说不清楚了，**我就立刻知道他准是对儿媳干了偷鸡摸狗的勾当**。  
> 活着, p.3

My translation is:

> [With] his finger picking trouser-leg mud, [he] angrily told me that it was his unfilial son, [but] when I next asked him why hit him, he hummed-and-hawed [and] spoke unclearly; I immediately knew he (准是对 ???) [his] daughter-in-law work (?) [in] stealthy, shady business.

**Question**: What does 我就立刻知道他准是对儿媳干了偷鸡摸狗的勾当 mean?

It seems like [准](http://youdao.com/w/%E5%87%86) means allow, but I don't know why 是 nor 对 is used here. It's possible [干](http://youdao.com/w/%E5%B9%B2) may mean "to have sex" here.

**Tags:** translation


---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-01-10. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

> 我就立刻知道他准是对儿媳干了偷鸡摸狗的勾当.

准 means **surely;definitely**.

是 is used as an adverb:

> （重读， 表示坚决肯定， 含有“的确、实在”的意思）

E.g. 他是不知道 // He certainly doesn't know.

对 is a preposition, meaning **to**. E.g. 你对我做了什么 // What have you done to me.

干 means 做(do).

Over all, the sentence roughly means:

>  I immediately knew he surely had done some stealthy, shady business to his daughter-in-law.

P.S. As you suspect, the sentence might invoke some sexual affairs.


---

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-01-10. Score: 3

他「準」是對 means 他「肯定」是對. The meaning is not「准」(允許).

> 我就立刻知道他準是對兒媳幹了偸鷄摸狗的勾當
>
> *I immediately knew that he did something shady to [pronoun] daughter-in-law.*


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-01-10. Score: 3

I would translate it as

> 他准是对儿媳干了偷鸡摸狗的勾当
>
> He must have done [something] to his daughter in law

The translation should reflect the following:

1. he knew
2. but he was guessing

In the link you provided, there is an example:

> 这人准是她丈夫。
>
> This man must be her husband.

It also used "must" in the translation. I feel that if you use "surely is" or "did" the guessing part is missing. Since you're better in English, maybe you can help me understand this.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: I feel the difference between *"I immediately knew he surely had done"* and *"I immediately knew he must had done"*, if any, is very subtle. But I'm not a native English speaker. I'm glad if anybody can teach me here.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-01-11. Score: 2

I [then] knew immediately that he must have done something filthy [shady, stealthy, unseemly, etc.] to the daughter-in-law.

我 [就] 知道 立刻 他 准是 干了 偷鸡摸狗的勾当 对 儿媳.

准是 = 一定是. 干 = 做 = do. No need to connect the latter to its extended meanings.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2020-01-11. Score: 0

他手指挖着裤管上的泥巴，  
His finger scraping the mud off his trouser leg,  
愤怒地告诉我是他那不孝的儿子，  
he angrily told me his son is not a good son,  
当我再问为何打他时，  
when I asked why he hit him,  
他支支吾吾说不清楚了，  
he mumbled an answer,  
我就立刻知道他准是对儿媳干了偷鸡摸狗的勾当。  
I immediately knew he must have had sex with his daughter-in-law, (possibly raped her).

Just normal village life!

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: The sentence has not directly said that he have had sex with his daughter-in-law.  
> **username_5**: No, of course not, that is much too direct for Chinese people! They would never say that! What do you think he did? To what may 勾当 refer?  
> **username_3**: It might invoke some sex affair, but not necessarily. It's just something bad which is unspeakable.  
> **username_6**: @username_5 -- any special reason why 不孝, (not fifilal),  is translated as "not a good son"? Could it be that the context of the situation calls for a "circumstantial translation" rather than a direct translation?   As for  
> **username_6**: As for 偷鸡摸狗的勾当, in an ordinary context, it may mean to steal or some unlawful activity. However, in the context of the situation in question when a 儿媳, (daughter-in-law) is involved and also using 干了 and 勾当  (which are normally used to describe some action which is not "morally good", especially 勾, "to hook" ), then I would say that sex, possibly non-consensual, was meant to have taken place or allegedly so.  
> **username_5**: I would hardly ever use 'filial', the word means son-like, "from Late Latin filialis "of a son or daughter," so you are saying "a son like a son",  or "son of a son," boomerang-speak!  

---

