This paper breifly analyzes one kind of typical Chinese phatic communion — "chi fan le ma?".
本文从三个方面简要分析了汉语中最典型的寒暄语"吃饭了吗?"。
The man eat for living,not live for eating.
人吃饭是为了活着，但活着不是为了吃饭。
Men eat to live but not live to eat.
人吃饭为了活着，但活着不是为了吃饭。
Eat to live but not live to eat.
人为了活着而吃饭, 而不是为了吃饭而活着。
Live not to eat but eat to live.
[谚]要为活着而吃饭，不要为吃饭而活着。
Eat to live, but do not live to eat.
吃是为了活，不要活着为了吃。
We should eat to live and not live to eat.
我们应当为活着而吃饭，不应为吃饭而活着。
We eat that we may live.
我们是为了活下去而吃饭的。
Today I eat, sleep and live for conservation.
如今，我吃饭、睡觉、生活都是为了保护自然环境。
It isn't for the sake of food and wages that I've been waiting about so long in hopes to see you.
我并不是为了吃饭和工钱才这样长久地等待着想跟你见一面呀。
as it is considered unlucky for anyone living to eat it.
因为人们认为活着的人吃了这些东西是不吉利的。
Lunch is a time to relax and get to know one another, and they rarely drink at lunchtime.
他们认为吃饭时间是放松和了解人的过程，而且他们吃饭很少喝酒。
No song, no supper.
不干活不给饭吃。(直译是:没歌唱就没饭吃。)
But it had to eat to live. Little Crabby only ate living things.
活着就要吃饭，我的小蟹还得吃活东西。
Many native tribes lead a hand-to-mouth existence, content to have food for one day at a time.
许多土著人过着无隔日粮的生活，每天有饭吃就满足了。
To eat and then to empty your bowels -- is this not to eat in vain?
吃饭于前，又拉屎于后，不是白吃了吗？
"Then his servants said to him, Why have you been acting in this way? you were weeping and going without food while the child was still living; but when the child was dead, you got up and had a meal."
臣仆问他说，你所行的是什么意思。孩子活着的时候，你禁食哭泣。孩子死了，你倒起来吃饭。
He has run out of food, his children are hungry.
他家揭不开锅了, 孩子们都等着吃饭。
For ten days or so, some wanted to quit or resign, saying they couldn't take it any more, couldn't eat or sleep.
有那么十天左右的时间，有些人就不干了，想辞职，说是受不了，吃不下饭，睡不着觉。