Question [CN] Need help with phrase

1. 似笑非笑

2. 适可而止

thnkx

 

half-smile. But it really depends on the context because 似笑非笑 can be caused by anger, jealously, contempt all kinds of emotions.

 

the author keeps rehashing the same phrases for different meanings, and I need to keep coming up with different translations for them.

for example
everyone always twitch their lips 嘴角抽 (bemused, shock, disgust etc.)
everyone keeps swallowing their saliva 吞口水 (shock, hunger, hesitation etc.)
everyone keeps raising their eyebrow 眉毛一挑 (puzzlement, questioning etc.)
everyone keeps giving half smiles 似笑非笑 (joking, contempt, questioning etc.)
everyone keeps showing serious face 一本正经 (serious, joking etc.)

one phrase can appear more than 3/4 times in a single chapter, sometimes even more...

 

typical web novel writing style. You can't change them.

 

I don’t speak or read Chinese, but google says:
1. Seem to laugh
2. Just enough

So here are some ideas based on the almighty google that can be used depending on context:

1. Smirk, grimace, bemused smile, mocking, poker face, dispassionate face, self-deprecating, humorous, brightened look, faux smile, blasé

2. Appropriate, exact, sufficient, ample, plenty, comfortable, considerate, acceptable

Not sure if this is what you were looking for, but I hope it’s helpful!

 

1) i think i will go with mocking smile because the character is giving a smile like he's looking at someone saying a bare faced lie

2） for the second one, the person is asking the other whether he knows how to write the words "适可而止", so i'm not sure whether i should use the word restraint or "enough is enough" or some other phrase

 

Ooh! I like “restraint” as an option!

 

I prefer enough is enough.

 

well, i put both down as options and leave it up to the editor to decide

 

Time to stop, there it.

You Probably need to edit their Chinese works before translating it.

 

Yeah, i had to change a few sentences, then there is also the occasional mistyped words or missing words by the author