Intermediate - Misunderstood Taxi Destination
Right-Wingnut
February 25, 2013 at 08:43 AM posted in Transcripts with TalLesson here.
(I am not ready to start on this myself, but it is the next one in order going back in time from 'Fight on a Plane'. Someone else might want to start.)
Right-Wingnut
March 02, 2013 at 06:31 AM
10:32
Dilu: 好吧。我们今天的课先到这边。如果你有任何的问题，欢迎你到ChinesePod，给我们来留言。
John: ChinesePod.com. 再见。
Dilu: 再见。
Right-Wingnut
March 02, 2013 at 06:29 AM
10:02
John: So what do we want to review?
Dilu: 就是这两个路名。
John: First one is ...
Dilu: 山西路。山西路。
John: 1st tone, 1st tone. This one is much smaller than Shanghai. And the other one is ...
Dilu: 陕西路。陕西路。
John: 3rd tone, 1st tone. This one's bigger than Shanghai. And in English when you spell 陕西, you write SHAANXI. You add another 'A', otherwise they're totally indistinguishable if you don't add the tones.
Right-Wingnut
March 02, 2013 at 06:23 AM
9:33
Dilu: 对的。我们办公室有一个同事，Jiaojie。她是山西人。
John: When we talked to her about this, she says frequently she tells people she's from 山西, [?] Chinese people.
Dilu: 对。但是很多人一直就觉得她是陕西人。
John: They just hear 陕西 because they're more used to hearing 陕西, even though she says clearly she's from 山西.
Dilu: 对对对。有可能。那其实这是中国人也容易犯［的］一个错误。我们再来复习一下。
Right-Wingnut
March 02, 2013 at 06:15 AM
9:07
John: So when we were preparing this dialog we had a big conversation - 'is this possible, do Chinese people mishear tones? Isn't it so second nature that its two totally different words that you couldn't possibly mishear?'
Dilu: 这还是很possible的。
John: 是吗？ Have you ever made this kind of mistake with 山西 and 陕西?
Dilu: Possible, 因为我的地理不是很好。
John: Especially if you're not really clear on the geographical locations.
Right-Wingnut
March 02, 2013 at 06:08 AM
8:02
Dilu: 对啊。不知道我们的poddies有没有听到这个difference。
John: Well you have another chance to listen. Here we go one more time.
8:09 - Dialog
Right-Wingnut
March 02, 2013 at 06:06 AM
7:34
Dilu: 这边指的就是look around，看看。
John: Check.
Dilu: 是的。
John: Check to make sure nothing fell out of your pockets, or whatever.
Dilu: 是的。检查一下，别忘了东西。
John: And when she gets out of the taxi and the taxi drives off, she finally realises.
Dilu: 怎么是陕西路？怎么是陕西路？
John: 陕西路, 3rd tone - 1st tone. 怎么是, kind of like 'how can it be?'
Right-Wingnut
March 02, 2013 at 06:01 AM
7:03
John: So two streets have a 路口, a place where they meet, the intersection.
Dilu: 对。
John: That's 4th tone and 3rd tone.
Dilu: 对。第四声和第三声。路口。
John: So the passenger missed these important clues, that they're going to the wrong place, and she's getting ready to get out.
Dilu: 而且师傅说：检查一下，别忘了东西。
John: So good drivers frequently remind you to make sure you haven't forgotten anything. Your umbrella, your cell phone, all these things. But 检查, 3rd tone-2nd tone, doesn't that mean 'inspect'.
Right-Wingnut
March 02, 2013 at 05:55 AM
Dilu: 如果不在左边，下去要绕个大圈子。要绕个大圈子。
John: Because of the one-way street, right?
Dilu: 没错。
John: 绕个大圈子. So 绕圈子 is a phrase, and that means 'to have to go on a big loop'.
Dilu: 绕个大圈子就是绕一个大圈子。
John: So 'go in a big circle to come all the way back'.
Dilu: 对。然后这个乘客就说：那在山西路和南京路路口下车。
Right-Wingnut
March 02, 2013 at 05:49 AM
John: I frequently hear this 那就something吧 when people are ordering from a menu.
Dilu: 就是：好吧，随便吧。
John: They don't have that, so 那就 this ...
Dilu: 对。
John: ...吧.
Dilu: 你有没有注意到这个师傅，他说的是：陕西路。
John: I did 注意到.
Dilu: 但是这个passenger没有注意到。
John: Right, so he misses that little miscommunication and continues. So then the driver specifies how it might be a little 麻烦. What does he say?
Right-Wingnut
March 02, 2013 at 05:42 AM
5:32
Dilu: 其实就是右转和左转。
John: Two ways to say it.
Dilu: 对。
John: And you'll notice that when you're given a choice like this, really we can only do this, then frequently the way people respond is ...
Dilu: 那就什么什么什么吧。
John: 'Then just do that'. So you have this 那就 and then frequently the 吧. Like 'alright, if that's the only choice, I guess we'll just do that'.
Dilu: 是的。
John: So in the dialog we heard ...
Dilu: 那就左拐吧。那就左拐吧。
Right-Wingnut
March 02, 2013 at 05:36 AM
Dilu: 就是这个意思。
John: And he specifies why its important. What does he say?
Dilu: 这个师傅说：陕西路是单行道，下去不能右拐，只能左拐。
John: 单行道, that's 1st, 2nd and 4th.
Dilu: 没错。第一声，第二声和第四声。单行道。
John: One-way street. 单 meaning 'single', 'one', 行 meaning 'move' and 道 meaning 'street' here.
Dilu: 很厉害。
John: And then we have 右拐 and 左拐.
Right-Wingnut
March 02, 2013 at 01:38 AM
4:41
Dilu: 所以这个师傅他问：高架下去左边还是右边？
John: So he doesn't know which way he needs to go to find this specific address. So 'on the left side or on the right side?'
Dilu: 左边还是右边？
John: Practically speaking, he's also asking 'do I need to turn left or turn right?'
Right-Wingnut
March 02, 2013 at 01:34 AM
4:01
Dilu: 对。其实就是掉一个头。然后掉个头。比较口语一点。
John: 掉头 also OK. So notice when you want to say 'make a U-turn up ahead', the 在前面 needs to be 在前面.
Dilu: 对。
John: It needs to come before the verb.
Dilu: 对。在前面掉个头。在前面掉个头。
John: So they're on the 高架 and they're getting to the place where its time to make an exit, and apparently the street that they're going to is perpendicular, so its coming up. So they're maybe going from west to east, and they're getting off, and they have to choose now - do they need to make a right or a left onto this street.
Right-Wingnut
March 02, 2013 at 01:25 AM
Dilu: 就是那个traffic light，对吗。
John: So in Chinese 红绿灯, 红灯, 绿灯. In English we say 'traffic light', 'red light', 'green light'.
Dilu: 没错。
John: That makes sense - the Chinese makes sense. So in order to get on the 高架 he has to make a U-turn.
Dilu: 他说：那要在前面掉个头。
John: So the word for 'make a U-turn' is ...
Dilu: 掉头。掉头。第四声和第二声。
John: 4th tone, 2nd tone. And sometimes you can add a little 个 in there to make it a little more 口语, is that right?
Right-Wingnut
March 02, 2013 at 01:11 AM
Dilu: 是的。就是...
John: The surface of the ground.
Dilu: 没错。
John: Two 4th tones.
Dilu: 地面。两个第四声。
John: This can occasionally contrast with being underground or being on the surface.
Dilu: 我们有的时候也会说：地下。
John: And that contrasts with 地面 as well.
Dilu: 对。
John: So what's the deal with this surface?
Dilu: 地面红绿灯太多了。红绿灯太多了。
John: 红绿灯 meaning 'traffic light'.
Dilu: 对。
John: Literally 'red-green light'.
Right-Wingnut
March 02, 2013 at 01:05 AM
2:31
Dilu: 是的。在这里你也可以说：上高架。但是＇上＇是指一个动作。
John: So 上 emphasises 'get on' the 高架, but occasionally they can both be used.
Dilu: 是的。有的时候两个都可以。
John: And there's a reason that this person wants to 走高架.
Dilu: 他说：地面红绿灯太多了。地面红绿灯太多了。
John: So if you're not on the 高架, you're on the 地面. Is that right?
Right-Wingnut
March 02, 2013 at 12:58 AM
2:04
Dilu: 他说：要不要走高架？要不要走高架？
John: So the word for 'elevated highway' is ...
Dilu: 高架。第一声和第四声。
John: 1st, 4th. 高架. Now he uses 走高架, which is kind of like 'go along the 高架', 'take the 高架'.
Dilu: 对的。就是要不了从高架上面走。(Not sure about this line. It doesn't make much sense to me.)
John: But I've also heard 上 高架.
Right-Wingnut
March 02, 2013 at 12:52 AM
John: So first line of the dialog we hear where the passenger wants to go. What's the street?
Dilu: 山西路。山西路。
John: Two 1st tones. Now, you should know that in China there are two provinces with very similar names. 山西 is two 1st tones.
Dilu: 对。两个第一声。
John: But what's the name of the one with 西安 in it?
Dilu: 另外一个是陕西。陕西。
John: And that one is 3rd tone, 1st tone.
Dilu: 对的。
John: [So big hint right there to the answer that we gave in the interim]. And then the driver wants to know whether or not he should take the elevated highway.
Right-Wingnut
March 02, 2013 at 12:44 AM
Dilu: 大家好，我是Dilu，欢迎收听中文播课中级课程。
John: Hey guys, I'm John, this is an Intermediate lesson.
Dilu: 今天我们也要坐taxi啊。
John: Right, so this is another Intermediate taxi lesson, and this lesson makes the case that occasionally even Chinese people hear the tones wrong.
Dilu: 对。有的时候中国人也会犯这个错。因为这两个词听上去很像。
John: So listen to the dialog and see if you can catch where the miscommunication happens.
Dilu: 好，先来听一下对话。
Right-Wingnut
March 02, 2013 at 06:29 AM10:30-end