<p>"Tiny rice orzo in light sweet soup" .... um .... doesn't sound sexy at all</p>

<p>For traditional foods, I prefer keeping their original pronunciation.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-08T03:12:41.420Z
2014-07-08T03:12:41.420Z
Henry HO
<p><strong>Is there an official (bit of a stretch) translation for 凉虾 (米凉虾) in English?</strong></p>

<p><a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%87%89%E8%99%BE" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><strong>凉虾</strong></a></p>

<p>The page you've referenced is talking about a dish of cold shrimp seen in several cities on the mainland. You could just run that page through Google Translate for a pretty clear interpretation.</p>

<p>Results of Google Translation show cold shrimp...:</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/xVlku.png" alt="Cold Shrimp"></p>

<p>However, because this is a dish and I have seen many restaurants make up any number of English names for the same dishes, I doubt that an "official" English translation exists (naturally I could be wrong but I've asked native speakers and they have not been able to clarify further). </p>

<p><strong>Colloquial usage</strong></p>

<p>Asking a native Chinese speaker about this, she informs me that 凉虾 could also mean "cool a bit" as ha can be used to infer (－下) "a bit." As in cool off one's temper or even temperature (body) a bit. Because it is colloquial, applications of this interpretation may vary across communities (for example, the colloquialism may not apply to different regions of Mandarin speakers).</p>

<p><strong>Sound Inference</strong></p>

<p>To my poorly trained ear I sometimes confuse the sound of "凉虾" Liángxiā with "龙虾" lóngxiā (lobster).</p>

<p>References:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.meishij.net/china-food/xiaochi/hubei/14717.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Meishij Recipe for Cold Shrimp</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-07T14:31:14.183Z
did you miss this bit: *Is there an official (bit of a stretch) translation for 凉虾 (米凉虾) in English?* - a search for "cool shrimp" in English doesn't return anything resembling 凉虾....
Mou某
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-07T14:52:59.080Z
I don't think google translate really is a reliable source for .... *anything* ....
Mou某
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-07T15:02:57.337Z
@user3306356 - The Google note is a translation not a reference. I am using your reference and pointing out that a simple translation reduces to "Cold Shrimp." Then I provide a colloquial usage from a native speaker presented with this phrase. If asking a native speaker how to say this in English one might expect to hear "Cold Shrimp.." followed by other adjectives to describe the dish. At least that is my experience when eating out with my Chinese relatives at different restaurants (and when I presented this phrase earlier today).
Tommie C.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-07T14:29:53.963Z
2014-07-07T15:58:53.463Z
2014-07-07T15:58:53.463Z
Tommie C.
<p>Is there an official (bit of a stretch) translation for 凉虾 (米凉虾) in English?</p>

<p>Wikipedia only has a chinese page: <a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%87%89%E8%99%BE" rel="nofollow">凉虾</a></p>

<p>The only info I could find is, well, awful:</p>

<p><a href="http://zhidao.baidu.com/link?url=4UFaBhpD3i8bLCWL06KxJVKZfy0l_8boXKjrxsCTMuz31d2y-9FH5ECcISSGWvJX30C1A9ElB_QxNRCrq1var_" rel="nofollow">百度知道</a></p>

<p><strong>宜昌凉虾英文介绍</strong></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Yichang is located in ChuanE throat, it's eating habits and for the length of ChuanE flavor concurrently and colourful happening, and it added some unique features, and feel more exquisite taste delicious.</p>
  
  <p>宜昌地处川鄂咽喉，它的饮食习惯便因兼具川鄂风味之长而丰富多彩变化万千，又不觉中添加了一些自己的特色，于是品尝起来感觉更是细腻美味了。</p>
  
  <p>Cool shrimp, not shrimp, just a kind of solid particles like shrimp of relieving drinks. Cool prawn production process is so simple, is to make the hot MiJiang encounter condensing water shape (form outside image shrimp), confirmed after water can be eaten. Summer's streets are everywhere. Walk tired, I felt hot, drink and fifty cents, refreshing, refreshed...</p>
  
  <p>凉虾，并不是虾，只是一种固体颗粒象虾仁的消夏饮品。凉虾的制作过程很简单，就是让热的米浆遇冷凝结成水滴状(外形象虾仁)，兑水后即可食用。夏天的街道上随处可见。走累了，觉得热了，喝一杯，五角钱，沁人心脾，神清气爽……</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I'm pretty sure <em>cool shrimp</em> is <strong>not</strong> a helpful translation...not to mention the rest that is.</p>

<p>Any ideas?</p>

<hr>

<p>edit: after tommy's answer I did more research and found this:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.6eat.com/DataStore/CardExpensePage/415525_1" rel="nofollow">6eat</a></p>

<p><strong>酒店餐厅菜单英文翻译</strong></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>　　米凉虾 Rice noodles frozen</p>
</blockquote>

<p>but that doesn't seem to be such a great translation either....</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-07T16:32:58.103Z
Yes, the edited reference illustrates the point precisely. One can go to many different restaurants, choose the same dish, and see different English descriptions. This situation even applies to multiple English language menus; think of the many different ways menus describe a burger with cheese as an example. Creative editing on the part of restaurants makes menu dishes harder to pin down and they are sometimes not readily agreed upon (though mileage may vary as 麻婆豆腐 is usually quite similar in my experience).
Tommie C.
<translation>
Translation: 凉虾 (米凉虾)
# Translation: 凉虾 (米凉虾)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-07-07)

Is there an official (bit of a stretch) translation for 凉虾 (米凉虾) in English?

Wikipedia only has a chinese page: [凉虾](http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%87%89%E8%99%BE)

The only info I could find is, well, awful:

[百度知道](http://zhidao.baidu.com/link?url=4UFaBhpD3i8bLCWL06KxJVKZfy0l_8boXKjrxsCTMuz31d2y-9FH5ECcISSGWvJX30C1A9ElB_QxNRCrq1var_)

**宜昌凉虾英文介绍**

> Yichang is located in ChuanE throat, it's eating habits and for the length of ChuanE flavor concurrently and colourful happening, and it added some unique features, and feel more exquisite taste delicious.
>
> 宜昌地处川鄂咽喉，它的饮食习惯便因兼具川鄂风味之长而丰富多彩变化万千，又不觉中添加了一些自己的特色，于是品尝起来感觉更是细腻美味了。
>
> Cool shrimp, not shrimp, just a kind of solid particles like shrimp of relieving drinks. Cool prawn production process is so simple, is to make the hot MiJiang encounter condensing water shape (form outside image shrimp), confirmed after water can be eaten. Summer's streets are everywhere. Walk tired, I felt hot, drink and fifty cents, refreshing, refreshed...
>
> 凉虾，并不是虾，只是一种固体颗粒象虾仁的消夏饮品。凉虾的制作过程很简单，就是让热的米浆遇冷凝结成水滴状(外形象虾仁)，兑水后即可食用。夏天的街道上随处可见。走累了，觉得热了，喝一杯，五角钱，沁人心脾，神清气爽……

I'm pretty sure *cool shrimp* is **not** a helpful translation...not to mention the rest that is.

Any ideas?

---

edit: after tommy's answer I did more research and found this:

[6eat](http://www.6eat.com/DataStore/CardExpensePage/415525_1)

**酒店餐厅菜单英文翻译**

> 　　米凉虾 Rice noodles frozen

but that doesn't seem to be such a great translation either....

**Tags:** translation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Yes, the edited reference illustrates the point precisely. One can go to many different restaurants, choose the same dish, and see different English descriptions. This situation even applies to multiple English language menus; think of the many different ways menus describe a burger with cheese as an example. Creative editing on the part of restaurants makes menu dishes harder to pin down and they are sometimes not readily agreed upon (though mileage may vary as 麻婆豆腐 is usually quite similar in my experience).  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-07-07. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

**Is there an official (bit of a stretch) translation for 凉虾 (米凉虾) in English?**

[**凉虾**](http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%87%89%E8%99%BE)

The page you've referenced is talking about a dish of cold shrimp seen in several cities on the mainland. You could just run that page through Google Translate for a pretty clear interpretation.

Results of Google Translation show cold shrimp...:

![Cold Shrimp](https://i.sstatic.net/xVlku.png)

However, because this is a dish and I have seen many restaurants make up any number of English names for the same dishes, I doubt that an "official" English translation exists (naturally I could be wrong but I've asked native speakers and they have not been able to clarify further).

**Colloquial usage**

Asking a native Chinese speaker about this, she informs me that 凉虾 could also mean "cool a bit" as ha can be used to infer (－下) "a bit." As in cool off one's temper or even temperature (body) a bit. Because it is colloquial, applications of this interpretation may vary across communities (for example, the colloquialism may not apply to different regions of Mandarin speakers).

**Sound Inference**

To my poorly trained ear I sometimes confuse the sound of "凉虾" Liángxiā with "龙虾" lóngxiā (lobster).

References:

[Meishij Recipe for Cold Shrimp](http://www.meishij.net/china-food/xiaochi/hubei/14717.html)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: did you miss this bit: *Is there an official (bit of a stretch) translation for 凉虾 (米凉虾) in English?* - a search for "cool shrimp" in English doesn't return anything resembling 凉虾....  
> **username_0**: I don't think google translate really is a reliable source for .... *anything* ....  
> **username_1**: @user3306356 - The Google note is a translation not a reference. I am using your reference and pointing out that a simple translation reduces to "Cold Shrimp." Then I provide a colloquial usage from a native speaker presented with this phrase. If asking a native speaker how to say this in English one might expect to hear "Cold Shrimp.." followed by other adjectives to describe the dish. At least that is my experience when eating out with my Chinese relatives at different restaurants (and when I presented this phrase earlier today).  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-07-08. Score: 1

"Tiny rice orzo in light sweet soup" .... um .... doesn't sound sexy at all

For traditional foods, I prefer keeping their original pronunciation.


---

