I often come across 寶島 in local source text. It is often mistakenly rendered literally as Treasure Island when it simply means Formosa (I now realize). My question though is why does it mean Formosa?
The full translation is 美麗寶島. 寶島 is just a shorthand.
The full translation is 美麗寶島. 寶島 is just a shorthand.[/quote]
ah, I see. But it still doesn’t explain why the 寶 is needed. Formosa means only beautiful in Portuguese (and Latin).
Because 美麗島 is an awkward construction. 寶 doesn’t mean treasure here; it means precious or valuable in this instance.
i’ll go with that 
Yeah but why is a word even needed for “Formosa”? What does it mean to say that x means Formosa and y means Taiwan when the two refer to the same thing?
There is also 福爾摩沙 (fu’ermosha)
no, no that’s sherlock holmes 
Don’t directly translate phrases into Chinese, doesn’t work, and as Bear said Bao has many meanings, especially meaning precious. You think too much! (really, it doesn’t pay to think too much in learning Chinese, just go with the flow).
the phrase is used as a metaphor for Taiwan, rather than any literal translation of Formosa. it is very common and has entered stock-phrase land now, as every one knows what it means. (according to my erudite scholar of a wife)
yeah but, nah but, the “correct” translation seems to be Formosa not Taiwan…everyone knows it refers to Taiwan, yes, but you can’t translate 寶島火鍋餐聽 as Taiwan Hotpot Restaurant (or indeed Treasure Island etc.)…its Formosa Hotpot Restaurant (meaning that is the name on the door)…which brings me back to my original question.
well then, let me restate that as “it’s a metaphor for Formosa that everyone is aware of”
formosa, taiwan, what’s the difference?
[quote=“urodacus”]well then, let me restate that as “it’s a metaphor for Formosa that everyone is aware of”
formosa, taiwan, what’s the difference?[/quote]
ah yes but there is a difference…Formosa is the non-Sinitic name for Taiwan hence it is (or was) favored by independence activists as an alternative name for the island.
a rose by any other name…
Dear The Bear,
Try inputting it into the revised Guoyu Cidian web site put out by the Republic of China (Taiwan)'s Ministry of Education:
http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/
西班牙語稱臺灣為福爾摩沙（Formosa），為美麗之島的意思，故稱臺灣為「寶島」。
Are all inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula considered “Spanish”? 
Kobo-Daishi, PLLA.
No in Spanish Taiwan is often called Hermosa. Not.
How is 寶島 “non-Sinitic”? Looks like a distinctly Sinitic word for treasure followed by an equally Sinitic word for island to me.
Say Formosa is 福爾摩沙 at a stretch if you must. To say it “equals” 寶島 is ludicrous.
[quote=“smithsgj”]No in Spanish Taiwan is often called Hermosa. Not.
How is 寶島 “non-Sinitic”? Looks like a distinctly Sinitic word for treasure followed by an equally Sinitic word for island to me.
Say Formosa is 福爾摩沙 at a stretch if you must. To say it “equals” 寶島 is ludicrous.[/quote]
yes but the collocation “treasure island” is non-Sinitic no? I may be wrong but it doesn’t appear in classical Chinese. Even googling it and all you get is Taiwan-specific references.
erm…maybe because there is one (and only one!) “美麗島” located in Mediterranea 
(Corsica is called “Kaliste” be the greek which can be roughly translated by “Formosa” in portugese)