User Comments - bodawei

Posted on: Pain and Suffering 伤心, 难受，郁闷 ,不爽，难过

@bill and others discussing 'pissed' and 'pissed off'

For those also interested in Aussie话， pissed off is not only used among friends.  It is not considered a particularly venomous swearword.  We are pissed off by all sorts of things down here.. politicians, public transport, losing a cricket game, 等等。 

Like in the UK 'pissed' is a state of inebriation, as in 'he was pissed as a newt'.

Posted on: Seeing off a Monk, Returning to Japan -- 送僧归日本

@changye

Thanks you are a fount of wisdom - that is so interesting.  I can imagine how the 'original' version is common sense, the 'opposite' meaning could be considered modern and somewhat cynical.  I wonder when the 'opposite' meaning came into use.  (Looks like I got the old and the new mixed up.)

The fellow who told me this I met a couple of years ago in a hostel.  His family name is 朱, a character which appears in the saying meaning 'red'。

Posted on: Seeing off a Monk, Returning to Japan -- 送僧归日本

@Pete

Thanks for the saying  '天下乌鸦一般黑'  -- all crows are black.  And yes 多半我同意！

It also sounds like a rejoinder to a phrase I like:

近朱者未赤  

近墨者黑  

(BTW have I got too many characters there? It seems to lack the usual Chinese symmetry)

Posted on: Excuses for Being Late

@miantiao

谢谢你。

所以。。可以说“大概他的话是空白的威胁。“

“威胁“是有很有意思的话。 现在我可以谈论威胁世界和平的人！

Posted on: Big Bed

@van0000

Sorry, but I have to report you.  There is no room for this kind of advertisement on ChinesePod - this is a worse offence than money laundering.  

As the ad is up I feel obliged to point out that you have your facts wrong. Except the one about paying WAY WAY WAY too much for a bed in Shanghai.

Posted on: Funny Business

Never has CP promised so much and delivered so little!! ...Anyone wishing to learn about money laundering will not find anything remotely useful here! :-)

I can only conclude that CP staff are completely ignorant in the ways of the financial underworld.  Stick to stealing menus Matt.

Seriously, it's a great lesson with (for me) lots of new vocab about typical business stuff.  

Posted on: Big Bed

@lwelsh

there is usually a wealth of choice on price - if you want some luxury (as Jenny says) the hotels that are  not international chains offer better value

you can use guidebooks (eg. LP) to book ahead

OR once you have stayed somewhere they will usually help you book at the next place you want to go to

OR you can arrive without plans and let yourself be whisked around by one of the innumerable touts at stations etc. who make a living taking a commission on your room rate. A little risky, particularly on price.

OR (if you have time) you can go to the neighbourhood of your choice and just look out for accommodation signs.

Posted on: Excuses for Being Late

I do find this culturally natural .. two things:

- an obsession with starting work right on time (we are WAY more relaxed in Australia)

- 如果你迟到了就扣工资。。cutting your pay if you're late - it does happen, or at least the threats happen.

But did he mean it?  不是大概他的话没有诚意？？  Anybody know how to say 'empty threat'?

Posted on: Excuses for Being Late

Thanks for a great lesson - featuring a couple of the deepest characters, 了, 送, - so many meanings to explore. 

@miantiao

thanks for your 指导期介绍‘送 和 陪‘

别送了 -  ha ha. went to this guy's place for dinner up in the hills of the city and at the end of the night he insisted on walking with my wife and myself all the way to the highway, to get a cab, maybe 15, 20 minutes away.  All the way in his pyjamas.  Actually he was already in his pyjamas when we arrived for dinner.

Posted on: Seeing off a Monk, Returning to Japan -- 送僧归日本

@pete

Thanks again for your presentation - insightful as usual.  A few years ago I went to an all-day Buddhist event with some Chinese friends and I was surprised how much it all reminded me of a (somewhat unhappy) Baptist Sunday School upbringing.  So, although I am not personally drawn to Buddhism your 'take' helps me deal with it. I can enjoy it's poetry!

@tvan

thanks for the text

@barbs

取经 qujing is the word for getting the Scriptures and learning from the experience of others.  Like getting money out of the bank. I would not have guessed the connection without Pete's explanation.