<p>I think there should be a comma in your sentence after 的 before 我, otherwise it could mean 我 lived in China 60 years:</p>

<p>最近两次听到新西兰的老人艾黎说：“中国有两个最美的小城，第一是湖南凤凰，第二是福建长汀……”他是以一个在中国生活了将近六十年的老朋友说这番话的,我真是感激而高兴。 </p>

<p>You could write 作为 ,‘as' instead of this 以.</p>

<p>他是以一个在中国生活了将近六十年的老朋友说这番话的,
(When) he, as an old friend, who had lived in China nearly 60 years, spoke these words,<br>
我真是感激而高兴。<br>
I was really grateful and happy</p>

<p>以時啟閉 is a bit difficult to interpret without more context, but this is probably 根据， ‘according to' giving a meaning 'open and close on time'. This 以 is not the same as the 以 in your sentence.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-28T23:13:22.960Z
2017-06-28T23:13:22.960Z
Pedroski
<p>In the 散文 which I am reading the following sentence occurs:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>最近两次听到新西兰的老人艾黎说：“中国有两个最美的小城，第一是湖南凤凰，第二是福建长汀……”他是<strong>以</strong>一个在中国生活了将近六十年的老朋友说这番话的我真是感激而高兴。 </p>
</blockquote>

<p>My troubles again stem from the 以. Is this the same usage as in:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>以時啟閉 ;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>meaning 艾黎 spoke in accordance with his friend? In other words 艾黎 may never have been to China, but still expresses opinions about which city is the most beautiful one, just because his friend told him?!</p>

<meaning><meaning-in-context>
Meaning of 他是以朋友說這番話的
# Meaning of 他是以朋友說這番話的

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-06-28)

In the 散文 which I am reading the following sentence occurs:

> 最近两次听到新西兰的老人艾黎说：“中国有两个最美的小城，第一是湖南凤凰，第二是福建长汀……”他是**以**一个在中国生活了将近六十年的老朋友说这番话的我真是感激而高兴。

My troubles again stem from the 以. Is this the same usage as in:

> 以時啟閉 ;

meaning 艾黎 spoke in accordance with his friend? In other words 艾黎 may never have been to China, but still expresses opinions about which city is the most beautiful one, just because his friend told him?!

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


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-06-28. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

I think there should be a comma in your sentence after 的 before 我, otherwise it could mean 我 lived in China 60 years:

最近两次听到新西兰的老人艾黎说：“中国有两个最美的小城，第一是湖南凤凰，第二是福建长汀……”他是以一个在中国生活了将近六十年的老朋友说这番话的,我真是感激而高兴。

You could write 作为 ,‘as' instead of this 以.

他是以一个在中国生活了将近六十年的老朋友说这番话的,
(When) he, as an old friend, who had lived in China nearly 60 years, spoke these words,  
我真是感激而高兴。  
I was really grateful and happy

以時啟閉 is a bit difficult to interpret without more context, but this is probably 根据， ‘according to' giving a meaning 'open and close on time'. This 以 is not the same as the 以 in your sentence.


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