Intermediate - Plans for Children? : Poddie Transcript Collaboration Final Version

cinnamonfern

March 05, 2011, 05:57 AM posted in Transcripts with Tal

Here is the final version of the first poddie transcript collaborative effort - conceived by bababardwan and with  contributions by bababardwan, watyamacallit, toianw, and myself.

I've (hopefully) attached a PDF to this post that you can download.  If not...here is the text of the transcript.

 

ChinesePod Lesson Transcript

Intermediate – Plans for Children?   (#1615)

http://chinesepod.com/lessons/plans-for-children

 

John: Coming to you from Shanghai China, this is ChinesePod. We have an Intermediate lesson…and my name is John.
Dilu: 你好，我叫 Dilu.
John: So Dilu, today we have an interesting lesson. I think we can file it under the "Nosey Questions" file, or possibly the "Flirty Questions" file.
Dilu: 我觉得这个对话应该是在办公室里面发生的。
John: Okay. So it's in the office. Is it more nosey or is it more flirty?
Dilu: 好像有一点 "flirty".
John: Okay, so who are the people in the dialogue?
Dilu: There’s a guy, and a girl, of course…and I don’t think they’re very familiar with each other.
John: Okay.
Dilu: 然后…here comes the dialogue.
John: Alright, that’s enough information. Here we go.
[DIALOGUE]
John: Okay, so these questions are all pretty common, of someone asking about your personal life. But there are a few things that are worth some special attention, I think.
Dilu: Okay, let’s look at the first question.
John: Yeah, the very first line is interesting. So what is the question?
Dilu: 这个男人说：你老家是哪里的？你老家是哪里的？
John: Okay, so the question is, “Where’s your hometown?”, right? But what is this: 是哪里的?
Dilu: 这个就是你老家在哪里？
John: Alright, so you could say that as well. Where is your hometown?
Dilu: 是的。是的。
John: But then you can also say…
Dilu: 你老家是哪里的？
John: Okay. And unfortunately we can’t really explain exactly what’s going on in this pattern because it’s just a way that you ask, right? If you break it down, it’s not going to make a whole lot of sense.
Dilu: 不用太担心。
John: The one thing that you should pay attention to, is that there is that “是…的” pattern in the question, so you’re going to see the 的 again in the answer.
Dilu: Right. 她说：浙江的。浙江的。
John: Ok, so the question: 你老家是哪里的？ The answer: 浙江的。
Dilu: 但是如果这个问题是:“你老家在哪里？”，你可以说：“浙江。”
John: Okay, so if there’s no 的 in the question, you won’t have 的 in the answer.
Dilu: 嗯.
John: Okay, fine. And that’s pretty close to Shanghai, right? How do we say that?
Dilu: 离上海挺近的。离上海挺近的。
John: Okay, so 离, 2nd tone, and then a place, and then 近.
Dilu: 是的.
John: So close to somewhere. Of course, we can use the same pattern to say “far”, right?
Dilu: 嗯，比如说：离北京挺远的。
John: Okay, quite far from Beijing.
John: And then the guy asks the girl if it’s her first job, right?
Dilu: 对，这John: Ok, first job. Now the measure word in there is what again?
Dilu: 分, “f-e-n”. 第四声。
John: 第一份工作. Could I say: 第一个工作？
Dilu: 也可以。但是这个‘分’更加真实一些。
John: Okay, so the “份” measure word is a bit more formal. You can use “个” with 工作, but obviously it’s less formal. So there are a few nouns that can take 个 and they can take another one. 工作 is one of them.
Dilu: 那这个女孩子就说：我一毕业就来这家公司了。一毕业就来这家公司了。
John: Okay, so here we have a grammar pattern: 一…’something’…就…’something’. So it’s two events.
Dilu: 对。表示两件事情近接着发生。
John: Okay, so things happened in quick succession. So as soon as “A” happened, “B” happened.
Dilu: 没错。
John: 一”A”就”B”. Okay, so in this case, as soon as she graduated,
Dilu: 一毕业就来这家公司了。
John: Okay, she came to this company. And what is the measure word for the company?
Dilu: 家。 家。
John: Okay, got it. And then the guy asks a more personal question, right?
Dilu: 这个问题很典型我觉得。
John: Very typical, what is it?
Dilu: 他问：有男朋友了吧？
John: Okay, now what is the difference between: 有男朋友了吧？and 有男朋友吗？
Dilu: 这个男的他在猜…他觉得应该是有男朋友。
John: So he’s guessing and he thinks she probably does. So “有男朋友了吧?” is kind of like, “You have a boyfriend then, right?”
Dilu: 嗯。对对对。是你的第一份工作吗？这是你的第一份工作吗？
John: Whereas “有男朋友吗?” is just like “Do you have a boyfriend? Yes or no.”
Dilu: 啊, 是的。我觉得这个男人好像对这个女人有一点兴趣。
John: So he’s a little bit interested, because by saying, “You must have a boyfriend.” he’s hinting that she’s desirable.
Dilu: 我也不知道。
John: I think that’s what’s going on. So what’s her answer?
Dilu: 我没有男朋友。
John: Alright, doesn’t have a boyfriend. And then he says…
Dilu: 哦, 怎么会呢？
John: So how could that be? How could you not have a boyfriend?
Dilu: 怎么会呢？你这么漂亮，一定有很多男孩子追你吧。
John: Okay, so now he’s really starting to flirt, right?
Dilu: 为什么？
John: Well he says directly, “You’re so pretty.” And then he says, “There must be a lot of guys pursuing you.”
Dilu: Maybe that’s just compliment.
John: Yeah, yeah.
John: So what’s the verb we see here for pursue?
Dilu: 追, 追. “z-h-u-i”, 第一声.
John: Okay, first tone. And uh, if you haven’t learned this word, you’re probably using something like “喜欢”, ‘people like you’. But the word that you hear a lot in Chinese in romantic relationships where one person is pursuing the other is…
Dilu: 追。
John: Okay, and notice he uses “一定”, meaning “definitely”, at the beginning of the sentence.
Dilu: 是的。是的
John: And then he has 吧 at the end, which we often see with guesses. So are these two contradicting each other? What’s going on here?
Dilu: 他比较肯定。”你这么漂亮，所以一定有人追你。但是呢。。。我有不是百分之一百的确定。”
John: Okay, so he’s not 100% certain, but he’s kind of like, “There have gotta be tons of guys after you, right?”
Dilu: 对对对。
John: Something like that.
John: Okay, and then she finally divulges some relevant information. What does she say?
Dilu: Yeah, finally. 我已经结婚了。
John: So, “I’m already married”. So remember, when you hear 已经, you’re frequently going to have a 了 at the end.
Dilu: 对，已经结婚了。
John: Okay, so now he’s trying not to disguise his disappointment, right? What does he say?
Dilu: 结婚了？看不出来。你这么年轻。结婚了？看不出来。你这么年轻。
John: Okay. You’re so young. So what was that phrase before “You’re so young.”?
Dilu: 看不出来。看不出来。
John: Okay, so literally this is kind of like “I can’t tell by looking.” So in other words, “You don’t look it.” “I wouldn’t have guessed by looking at you.”
Dilu: 没错。没错。
John: This is a really useful phrase. So, for example, if like an elderly person tells you their age, and you want to flatter them you might say…
Dilu: 哦，看不出来。你这么年轻。
John: Right, but it’s useful in all kinds of circumstances.
Dilu: 看不出来John, 你这么聪明。
John: Uh, thanks.
John: Okay, anyway. And then she denies being young, right? What does she say?
Dilu: 她说：不年轻了。不年轻了。
John: Ok, so 不 and then 了 is kind of like saying ‘not anymore’.
Dilu: 嗯，是的。是的。
John: So she’s kind of saying, “I’m not young anymore.”
Dilu: Exactly. 那最后一个问题非常典型， 就是别人知道你结婚了以后，常常会问这个问题。
John: Ah, so it’s a very typical question you get after other people know you’re married. They want to know, what?
Dilu: 你准备什么时候要宝宝?
John: Alright, so when do you plan to have a baby? So we have this word 准备, right? Now does this actually mean ‘prepare for, prepare’?
Dilu:也不是。她 就是计划，打算的意思。
John: Ok, so to plan to, not necessarily be preparing for. So 准备, what are the tones there?
Dilu: 第三声和第四声。
John: Ok, 3 - 4. And then, 你准备什么时候要宝宝。 So this 要宝宝, ‘to have a baby’, ‘to want a baby’, what is that?
Dilu: 没错。就是生孩子的意思。
John: 生孩子。 So that’s, ‘to give birth to a child’.
Dilu: 对。
John: Could you say that too?
Dilu: 当然也可以。不过呢要宝宝更加口语一点。
John: Okay, so this is a bit more informal, spoken.
Dilu: 那么这个女孩儿的回答呢就是： 我还没考虑过。还没考虑过。
John: So I have not yet considered that.
Dilu: 是的。还没…什么什么…过。表示的就是‘not yet’.
John: Ok, 那这个考虑. What are the tones here?
Dilu: 考虑是第三声和第四声。
John: Okay, remember that’s ‘lǜ’, the ‘l’ with the ‘u’ with the umlaut, right?
Dilu: 哦，对对对。考虑。考虑。
John: Okay, got it. Now correct me if I’m wrong, but this seems like a very Chinese way of deflecting a question, is that right?
Dilu: 对啊。常常，我们常常会听到这样的问题。
John: So in what kind of circumstances do you use this answer, this ‘I haven’t considered it yet’?
Dilu: 如果别人问你，啊，什么时候换工作呀？
John: When are you going to change jobs? When are you going to find a new job?
Dilu: 还没考虑过。
John: But let me ask, why would people be asking, “When are you going to find a new job?”
Dilu: 那有可能我一直都跟我的朋友抱怨我的工作。就是我的工作不好…什么什么。
John: Oh, you’re always complaining about your job. Ok. Or maybe you’re gonna buy a car.
Dilu: 你准备什么时候买车？
John: 还没考虑过。
Dilu: 还没考虑过。
John: Alright, let’s listen to that dialogue one more time.
[DIALOGUE]
John: OK, so Dilu, you’ve gotta tell me, they really are being flirty in this dialogue, right?
Dilu: 啊，我觉得是这样子的。
John: OK, cause when the guy asks, “有男朋友了吧？”, and she says, “没有男朋友”, why didn’t she just tell him she was married right then?
Dilu: First of all, 首先，这个男人很喜欢这个女孩子。
John: OK, so you can hear that.
Dilu: 嗯，但是呢，这个女孩子，她比较有一些 “social skill”.
John: OK.
Dilu: 嗯。因为她没有直接说：“我已经结婚了，你不要跟我说话。”
John: OK, but do you think that her husband would think she has social skill?
Dilu: 其实在现在的社会里面，这种现象还是挺多的。
John: So this phenomenon is quite common.
Dilu: 嗯，女孩子一般性不愿意让别人知道自己结婚了，因为可能男生就会对你不感兴趣。
John: So it’s kind of a trick that some Chinese girls use to keep some interest up so it’s somehow to their advantage.
Dilu: I would say it’s an international phenomenon.
John: OK, and then one other question I had, I said, “You can tell that the guy is interested, right?” You can hear it. How would we say that in Chinese?
Dilu: 可以听得出来这个男生他比较感兴趣。
John: Right, 听得出来. You can hear it.
Dilu: 嗯，是的。
John: So just now we had 看不出来, you can’t see it, right?
Dilu: 啊，对对对。
John: So it’s the same pattern.
Dilu: 但是还有一种可能性，我觉得。
John: Another possibility, which is?
Dilu: 就是这个女孩子，他很虚荣。
John: She’s very vain.
Dilu: 因为她就等着那个男人说，“哎呀，你这么漂亮，一定有很多男孩子追你吧。”
John: OK, I was thinking the same thing.
Dilu: 哈哈. Oh John, 你有没有被别人问过，“什么时候要宝宝？”
John: 有.
Dilu: 真的吗？
John: Yeah, this is a common question. Like you said, as soon as people know you’re married, they ask you this.
Dilu: 哦, 然后你的回答是…?
John: 还没考虑过。
Dilu: 嗯，好像还蛮普遍的。
John: There’s a lot of stuff we can do before we have kids. Alright, anyway, if you guys have any questions, nosey or not, you can come to ChinesePod.com and ask us.
Dilu: OK, we’ll see you there.
John: 再见。
Dilu: 再见。