<p><strong>Oxford English to Chinese</strong></p>

<p><strong>Start Out</strong></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>1 (begin to do sth.) 开始起步</p>
</blockquote>

<p>起步 if we look at it literally it means "pick up" + "feet" (steps really but that doesn't sound as good).</p>

<p>So it usually gets translated as</p>

<p>• start</p>

<p>• begin</p>

<p>• In French it's translated as débuter, which also means start or begin but looks like the English debut.</p>

<p><strong>So here's where you're confused</strong> it looks like we have 开始 + 起步 as start + start, right?</p>

<p>But if we take the literal translation of 起步 from uptop we could translate it like <em>"began to pick up its feet"</em>.</p>

<p>Going off of the French inspiration I would love to translate it as <em>"made its debut"</em>, which sounds a lot better.</p>

<p>Dunno if I'm cutting too much out but I would translate the entire sentence <strong>IT企业的电子商务也在1999年开始起步</strong> as <em>eCommerce also made its debut in 1999</em>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-20T08:02:13.317Z
e-commerce began in the 1990s. In my text it says this. The dot com boom was 1997 - 2000. I can't put the whole text here, and I am told it is a bit unclear, but I would like to read into 开始起步 not 'just started' (it was already around) but 'really got going'. Do you think that is a possible interpretation?
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-20T08:30:22.637Z
In that case I would assume this is an English translated to Chinese text. Especially since "start out" is in **Oxford** as 开始起步...
Mou某
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-20T05:03:53.850Z
2014-12-20T05:03:53.850Z
Mou某
<p>In this sentence, </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>IT企业的电子商务也在1999年开始起步。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>How would you translate '开始起步'?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-19T23:41:15.287Z
just got going，see e。g。nciku
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-20T00:03:13.967Z
Thanks. nciku does not exist anymore. There is however no word 开始起步 in its successor. Why do you think the sentence use 2 words which both mean 'start' together?
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-20T00:22:54.453Z
see e。g。 iciba： 起步 start、break the ice、get off the ground， e。g。 我们帮助一些小公司顺利起步 We help small companies to get off the ground.
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-20T00:32:35.307Z
Thanks again. I was just wondering why they did not just say '起步‘ or just '开始’。Why use both together?
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-20T01:05:36.790Z
开始起步：开始 just，起步 get going，
在1999年开始了、在1999年起步了 would seem possible， 
为了强调，两个动词可以用在一起 used together for emphasis
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-20T05:49:37.637Z
In English you can do the same thing, as in 'it was just starting to get off the ground' or similar.  The two disyllables means it's well-formed from the standpoint of sentence rhythm.
neubau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-20T05:56:14.583Z
开始起步 as googling it seems to confirm this seems to be a standard expression for the start of something considered important, cf.
入门错误三：从平台开始起步, 
正式的国际核安全体制:开始起步, 
质量认证体系建设开始起步 Quality certification system is on the way
国内比特币消费开始起步
千年的巨神新手流程，从零开始起步！ 
users naturally are reminded of prosodic requirements
(see preceding comment).
user6065
<translation><meaning>
How to interpret 开始起步 in IT企业的电子商务也在1999年开始起步?
# How to interpret 开始起步 in IT企业的电子商务也在1999年开始起步?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-12-19)

In this sentence,

> IT企业的电子商务也在1999年开始起步。

How would you translate '开始起步'?

**Tags:** translation, meaning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: just got going，see e。g。nciku  
> **username_0**: Thanks. nciku does not exist anymore. There is however no word 开始起步 in its successor. Why do you think the sentence use 2 words which both mean 'start' together?  
> **username_1**: see e。g。 iciba： 起步 start、break the ice、get off the ground， e。g。 我们帮助一些小公司顺利起步 We help small companies to get off the ground.  
> **username_0**: Thanks again. I was just wondering why they did not just say '起步‘ or just '开始’。Why use both together?  
> **username_1**: 开始起步：开始 just，起步 get going， 在1999年开始了、在1999年起步了 would seem possible，  为了强调，两个动词可以用在一起 used together for emphasis  
> **username_2**: In English you can do the same thing, as in 'it was just starting to get off the ground' or similar.  The two disyllables means it's well-formed from the standpoint of sentence rhythm.  
> **username_1**: 开始起步 as googling it seems to confirm this seems to be a standard expression for the start of something considered important, cf. 入门错误三：从平台开始起步,  正式的国际核安全体制:开始起步,  质量认证体系建设开始起步 Quality certification system is on the way 国内比特币消费开始起步 千年的巨神新手流程，从零开始起步！  users naturally are reminded of prosodic requirements (see preceding comment).  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-12-20. Score: 2

**Oxford English to Chinese**

**Start Out**

> 1 (begin to do sth.) 开始起步

起步 if we look at it literally it means "pick up" + "feet" (steps really but that doesn't sound as good).

So it usually gets translated as

• start

• begin

• In French it's translated as débuter, which also means start or begin but looks like the English debut.

**So here's where you're confused** it looks like we have 开始 + 起步 as start + start, right?

But if we take the literal translation of 起步 from uptop we could translate it like *"began to pick up its feet"*.

Going off of the French inspiration I would love to translate it as *"made its debut"*, which sounds a lot better.

Dunno if I'm cutting too much out but I would translate the entire sentence **IT企业的电子商务也在1999年开始起步** as *eCommerce also made its debut in 1999*.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: e-commerce began in the 1990s. In my text it says this. The dot com boom was 1997 - 2000. I can't put the whole text here, and I am told it is a bit unclear, but I would like to read into 开始起步 not 'just started' (it was already around) but 'really got going'. Do you think that is a possible interpretation?  
> **username_3**: In that case I would assume this is an English translated to Chinese text. Especially since "start out" is in **Oxford** as 开始起步...  

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