新词新译：老人老办法/银发产业/两地分居/断背婚姻/龙凤胎/枢纽站点/赖床/小大人/较真

老人老办法
grandfather policy
It's a common practice in China to follow the principle of "old rules for old staff" as this Chinese term literally translates. But actually, it means an exemption based on circumstances existing prior to the adoption of a new policy so that those who were recruited earlier won't be affected by the new policy.

银发产业
silver industry
With a quickly ageing population in big cities like Shanghai, the business that focuses on products and services for seniors is becoming a booming economic sector.

两地分居
long-distance marriage
Because of a rigid residence registration system, it was quite common in China about two decades ago that a married couple lived in two locations far apart. This situation is similar to the long-distance relationships?in Western countries, but the Chinese term is used almost exclusively for married couples.

断背婚姻
Brokeback marriage
Borrowing the name from Ang Lee's movie brokeback Mountain,?this term means a current or former marriage in which one partner is gay or has had a gay affair.

龙凤胎
boy-girl twins
It is deemed extremely auspicious among Chinese for a woman to give birth to boy-girl twins or the "dragon-phoenix twins" as the Chinese term literally means. An Anhui woman delivered quadruplets, two boys and two girls, in Shanghai last week.

枢纽站点
public transport transfer depot
Shanghai plans to build 60 new public transport transfer depots by 2010 to streamline transfers between metro lines, buses, private cars, railways and even flights to promote the city central transport position in the Yangtze River Delta region.

赖床
sleep in, lie in
The expression refers to the habit of some people who spend an unduly longer time in bed, especially on holidays and weekends, enjoying the well-deserved leisure and laziness to compensate for a busy week or work schedule.

小大人
an old head on young shoulders, mature beyond one's years
The Chinese term, a little adult, is usually used to describe a child who behaves as if he is much older and more mature than his age. It's a commendatory term used to praise a child for being exceptionally smart or understanding.

较真
extremely rigid, uncompromising
This term describes a person who believes in downright exactness and is always prepared to go to great lengths to get things right.

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