Concise English-Chinese / Chinese-English Dictionary (Third Edition) [Vinyl Bound]

Martin H. Manser (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 7100039339 | ISBN-13: 978-7100039338 | Publication Date: June 1, 2004 | Edition: 3rd

Based on its highly acclaimed first edition, this pocket-sized new edition has been enlarged (25% more pages), extensively revised and updated to take account of new vocabulary and recent developments in English and Chinese. Thousands of additional words sand phrases have been included. With Pinyin romanization of each of the more than 20,000 entries in both sections, accompanied by simplified and traditional Chinese characters, and examples of usage.

Product Details

• Vinyl Bound: 676 pages
• Publisher: Commercial Pr Ltd; 3rd edition (June 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 7100039339
• ISBN-13: 978-7100039338
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 3.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #794,906 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reliable small dictionary, November 7, 2005

By 

A. J. Sutter (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Concise English-Chinese / Chinese-English Dictionary (Third Edition) (Vinyl Bound)

This is the dictionary I usually use when visiting China. It has a lot of contents for the price. Multiple definitions are given for most words, sometimes with illustrative sentences. Pinyin, simplified and traditional characters are shown for all entries in both directions. There is also a radical index to help you find the pinyin equivalents of characters. (A stroke-count index, such as in some Taiwan dictionaries, would have been a helpful addition.) The fonts used are a bit small throughout, however.

One complaint I have that isn't unique to this dictionary concerns a word of great importance to a traveler -- "hotel". Check the E-to-C section of this and most other dictionaries, and you'll find only one gloss: "lu3guan3" (number indicate tones). This is also the word used in the Berlitz Chinese phrase book, BTW. But all but one of the dozen or so different places I've stayed at in Beijing & Shanghai have been called "fan4dian4", and the exception was a "jiu3dian4" (Pudong Shangri-La). "Fandian" is also the word taxi drivers use and respond to. Sure enough, if you look up "fandian" in the C-to-E section of the Concise Dictionary and several others, you'll find it glossed as "hotel". Why there isn't more symmetry regarding this important entry beats me.

By the way, if you're visiting a major city in China, consider winging it on a phrase book until you can visit a large bookstore. The Concise Dictionary 3E is widely available there in a convenient vinyl-covered pocket edition for Y36 = about US$4.50.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars watch out for small print edition, October 24, 2005

By 

Tomtul2 (Culver City, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Concise English-Chinese / Chinese-English Dictionary (Third Edition) (Vinyl Bound)

I ordered a version of this dictionary based on Elizabeth Yu's comment that it was readable for one with failing eyesight. The book I got was NOT readable for me (it must have been 6 pt type or less--I have normal vision problems for a person in their 40s, I have no trouble reading a newspaper).

I think there is a large and small print version of this book with identical titles--note ISBN: 0195911512 has dimensions of about 5" x 7", but ISBN: 7100039339 does not give dimensions and the photo looks narrower (mine is about 2.5" x 5").

So if you want readable print, check the size of the book.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars 3rd edition print WAY TOO SMALL, December 29, 2006

By 

permutations (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Concise English-Chinese / Chinese-English Dictionary (Third Edition) (Vinyl Bound)

I saw comments that the print in the third edition was too small, but I bought it anyway. Big mistake. The print is so small that the dictionary is virtually useless. It's about 5-6 point type. I need a magnifying glass to read it, and complex Chinese characters come out as little more than a black blob, even with a magnifying glass, because the characters can't be printed that small. Don't buy this dictionary!!!!

The only reason I gave it a "2" rather than a "1" is that the content seems okay (as much as I can see of it, anyway).