<p>"He shivered at the memory." ?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-26T02:35:00.977Z
The listener is more interested in a general English translation of the word 悲凉. Probably not generally translated as a verb such as "shiver"
wpt
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-23T13:19:00.687Z
OK. My intention was to convey the meaning, not the pronunciation. I thought maybe the quotation marks would get this intention across. 
bēi liáng seems to me the sort of feeling you'd have while shivering at some bad memory.
David Lloyd-Jones
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-21T21:58:52.947Z
2017-06-21T21:58:52.947Z
David Lloyd-Jones
<p>悲 means sad and 凉 means cold. So you feel both sad and cold. You can translate it as desolate or dismal.</p>

<p>Some definitions from different dictionaries:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>According to 《现代汉语规范词典》 悲凄  is <strong>悲伤+凄凉</strong> and 悲伤 means sad, sorrowful and 凄凉 means desolate, cold and lonely.</p></li>
<li><p>According to 《现代汉语词典》 悲凄 is <strong>悲哀+凄凉</strong> and 悲哀 means grieved, sorrowful, sad and 凄凉 means desolate, cold and lonely.</p></li>
<li><p><em>Comprehensive Chinese-English Dictionary</em> has <strong>sad and cold</strong></p></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php?page=worddict&amp;wdrst=0&amp;wdqb=%E6%82%B2%E5%87%89"><em>MDBG</em></a> has <strong>sorrowful, dismal</strong></li>
</ul>

<p>I would translate your sentence as <em>Every time he recalled his own experiences, he felt sad and cold in his heart for a while</em>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-21T09:20:03.310Z
悲凉 => 悲惨，凄凉. So I think it should also represent "miserable".
Dante WWWW
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-21T09:55:23.720Z
According to 《现代汉语规范词典》 悲 refers to 悲伤 and according to 《现代汉语词典》 it refers to 悲哀.
BertR
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-23T21:31:57.563Z
Miserable and desolate can be used interchangeably *in some cases* to refer to a state of extreme sadness. **Forlorn** would be another word that fits the criteria. To me 悲凉 and 凄凉 are synonyms. It's essentially splitting up the word 悲凄 (sad) and combining each with 凉 (cold).
deutschZuid
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-21T07:07:45.367Z
2012-05-21T09:53:37.670Z
2012-05-21T09:53:37.670Z
BertR
<p>How would you say 悲凉 in English? For example,</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>每当想起自己的经历，心里就阵阵悲凉。</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-21T14:57:17.290Z
T.L. welcome to Chinese Language and Usage. :) In the future, please remember to provide some research effort when you ask for translations, as stated by our [FAQ]. :)
Alenanno
<translation>
How would you say 悲凉 in English?
# How would you say 悲凉 in English?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-05-21)

How would you say 悲凉 in English? For example,

> 每当想起自己的经历，心里就阵阵悲凉。

**Tags:** translation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: T.L. welcome to Chinese Language and Usage. :) In the future, please remember to provide some research effort when you ask for translations, as stated by our [FAQ]. :)  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2012-05-21. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

悲 means sad and 凉 means cold. So you feel both sad and cold. You can translate it as desolate or dismal.

Some definitions from different dictionaries:

* According to 《现代汉语规范词典》 悲凄 is **悲伤+凄凉** and 悲伤 means sad, sorrowful and 凄凉 means desolate, cold and lonely.
* According to 《现代汉语词典》 悲凄 is **悲哀+凄凉** and 悲哀 means grieved, sorrowful, sad and 凄凉 means desolate, cold and lonely.
* *Comprehensive Chinese-English Dictionary* has **sad and cold**
* [*MDBG*](http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php?page=worddict&wdrst=0&wdqb=%E6%82%B2%E5%87%89) has **sorrowful, dismal**

I would translate your sentence as *Every time he recalled his own experiences, he felt sad and cold in his heart for a while*.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: 悲凉 => 悲惨，凄凉. So I think it should also represent "miserable".  
> **username_4**: According to 《现代汉语规范词典》 悲 refers to 悲伤 and according to 《现代汉语词典》 it refers to 悲哀.  
> **username_6**: Miserable and desolate can be used interchangeably *in some cases* to refer to a state of extreme sadness. **Forlorn** would be another word that fits the criteria. To me 悲凉 and 凄凉 are synonyms. It's essentially splitting up the word 悲凄 (sad) and combining each with 凉 (cold).  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2017-06-21. Score: -1

"He shivered at the memory." ?

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: The listener is more interested in a general English translation of the word 悲凉. Probably not generally translated as a verb such as "shiver"  
> **username_2**: OK. My intention was to convey the meaning, not the pronunciation. I thought maybe the quotation marks would get this intention across.  bēi liáng seems to me the sort of feeling you'd have while shivering at some bad memory.  

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