# 磁場不對



## KYC

Hello, there:
I am wondering how to express "磁場" in English.
The scenaio is for example, the persons in the same office had a bad day, so they just joked saying :這裡(here)磁場不對.

I am wondering how to express the meaning naturally.
Is it right and idiomatic to say :*The magnetic field is not good today*?

Thanks a lot!


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## IDK

That would be the literal translation.

You could say it like that or something like: The magnetic field doesn't flow right today (not necessarily grammatically correct).


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## GamblingCamel

Hello KYC.
I can not think of a fixed USA English expression comparing human attraction/repulsion to a magnetic field.  

If you want to use idiomatic English that has a "scientific" edge, try:

There's tension in the air.
There isn't good chemistry among us.
The vibes aren't good at the office.

And of course, you can also say, "We don't get along well."


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## Jerry Chan

Hi GamblingCamel,

If it's Ž¥ê•s›” between 2 people, they don't get along well, or, see eye to eye.

But in KYC's example, it looks like a people vs environment thing to me. Things aren't going well due to some inexplicable force. 

So do you think there's any similar English expression?


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## KYC

> it's Ž¥ê•s›” between


 
Excuse me ,but what's that?


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## Jerry Chan

KYC said:


> Excuse me ,but what's that?


 
I just repeated  磁場不對. Somehow got the wrong code.


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## GamblingCamel

Jerry Chan said:


> But in KYC's example, it looks like a people vs environment thing to me. Things aren't going well due to some inexplicable force.
> 
> So do you think there's any similar English expression?



You're exactly right, JERRY.  I didn't read KYC's text carefully enough. 

I can't think of an English expression at the moment, so I'm going to forward this thread to a couple of other English speakers.


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## Jerry Chan

GamblingCamel said:


> You're exactly right, JERRY.  I didn't read KYC's text carefully enough.
> 
> I can't think of an English expression at the moment, so I'm going to forward this thread to a couple of other English speakers.



Great!

This "magnetic field" saying is actually quite modern.
Traditionally, superstitious  Chinese blame it on bad "Feng Shui"!


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## GamblingCamel

Jerry Chan said:


> This "magnetic field" saying is actually quite modern.
> Traditionally, superstitious  Chinese blame it on bad "Feng Shui"!



That's very funny, JERRY.
Recently Americans have started to say, "There's bad feng shui."
However, I did not propose it as a translation, because I thought Chinese speakers might use the classic philosophical term in an entirely different way.


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## bibliolept

We might say there's a bad energy in the air, I suppose. (Some might even say chi... but that's a separate matter and isn't a particularly idiomatic expression.)

People might say that the stars are out of alignment, that there's a weird vibe in the air.

It depends on what exactly is going wrong: if people are in a bad mood we might say that everybody got up on the wrong side of the bed. If unfortunate events are occurring, we might talk about bad karma...


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## dengkel

Hi, KYC:

I'd like to say: the atmosphere here is not right for 這裡(here)磁場不對. Do you agree?


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## Hahutzy

bibliolept said:


> We might say there's a bad energy in the air, I suppose. (Some might even say chi... but that's a separate matter and isn't a particularly idiomatic expression.)
> 
> People might say that the stars are out of alignment, that there's a weird vibe in the air.
> 
> It depends on what exactly is going wrong: if people are in a bad mood we might say that everybody got up on the wrong side of the bed. If unfortunate events are occurring, we might talk about bad karma...



Agreed, there's many ways to say it in English, primarily because the initial phrase in Chinese is a bit too vague.


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## dengkel

It is wired, I never hear any Chinese say "磁場不對". Those who say this phrase may be not from China.


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## samanthalee

dengkel said:


> It is wired, I never hear any Chinese say "磁場不對". Those who say this phrase may be not from China.



Could be. I know I've heard "磁場不對" before, but I can't remember who said it. And I'm very certain I've heard Selina (of Taiwanese girl band S.H.E.) use "磁場" in this sense. She was saying "the air gets charged up when 2 members of the opposite sex have their lips too close together, even if they have no romantic feelings for each other."
I guess depending on context, "磁場" can be translated as "the atmosphere" or "the air" or... something else. And perhaps "磁場" in this sense originates from Taiwan.


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## dengkel

You are right, they should learn Chinese.


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