User Comments - jwosmun

Posted on: Lili and Zhang Liang 9: The Come-on

Guerdon has just become a much better known word in the US through the National Spelling Bee, where a 13 year old Indiana boy spelled it to win.  Again, CPod was ahead of its time.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=4968542

Posted on: When will he return?

Hanzi translate plugins: ChinesePera-kun (Firefox) https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/search?q=chinese&cat=1%2C37 HanziBar (IE and Firefox) small charge http://www.realimaginary.com/

Posted on: Lili and Zhang Liang 9: The Come-on

Supplementary Vocabulary has an entry: 奖赏 jiǎngshǎng guerdon Is there a version of English in which guerdon is a standard conversational word? The version that I know would imply that 奖赏 is an obscure, seldom used word and that we should not use it in normal conversation. If guerdon is not standard somewhere, perhaps CPod is having fun. This is the second time that I have learned from CPod an English word's meaning only through the Chinese meaning.

Posted on: When will he return?

a1pi2 No need to apologize. You are doing exactly the correct thing for Newbie comments.

Posted on: When will he return?

urbandweller What you say about hanzi is correct except for one important problem - it takes a while for a Newbie to learn about the online translators and hanzi tools. The official CPod position is that it does not directly teach through the characters, and thus does not provide a suitable means for a Newbie to learn about other resources. In actuality, these resources are necessary if one persists beyond Newbie, and if they are not acquired, the person will in all likelihood abandon CPod. Some of us would like CPod to rethink their position on this and provide a means for any user to easily acquire the tools necessary to fully use their approach, which is, after all, the best available.

Posted on: Where Do You Live?

If one reads the contents of the comments from the start of CPod the issue of the use of pinyin in Newbie and sometimes Elementary lessons keeps repeating, with true Newbies expressing frustration when it is not provided and some of the more advanced users contending that it should not be necessary, for some of the reasons enumerated above. I suspect that occasionally this has led some to give up on CPod. Earlier a consensus was reached to always provide pinyin in Newbie lessons. If this was not done the writer either apologized for the inability to do so or faced the consequences by being chastized. Another user would frequently provide the missing pinyin. This position seemed to have been supported by the CPod staff. Of late this has been forgotten, and I recommend that the pinyin rule be kept in force at least for Newbie and possibly for Elementary. Another aspect of the problem is that new users do not have an easy way of finding out what the best tools are and where to find them. They are found usually by stumbling upon them from old comments or by a following comment triggered by someone's frustration, as done in this lesson. What is missing from the CPod website is an easily accessed repository of links to the best tools and of links to other websites that enhance the learning process in CPod, ultimately making the use of pinyin unnecessary.

Posted on: The Olympic Mascots

sophie20461's quotation above is widely disseminated from the Olympic organization and is a very good extension for this lesson. It is good that she placed it here. It is not too intimidating for this level and is well worth reading. There is much new vocabulary, some familiar from other lessons. The English version is the text in the article Bazza referred to for the mascot drawings, now at http://en.beijing2008.cn/spirit/beijing2008/graphic/n214068254.shtml The following is a list, although a little long, that may be useful for some in digesting it. The definitions were obtained mostly using HanziBar, nciku, and ChinesePod's The Dictionary. 亲密 [qīn mì] /(adj) intimate; close; familiar 伙伴 [huŏ bàn] /partner (for an activity)/companion; mate 融入了 [róng rù le] to incorporate 奥林匹克 [Aò lín pĭ kè] /Olympic/ 匹 [pĭ] /(measure word for horses, mules, a bolt of cloth)/ordinary person/ 形象 [xíng xiàng] /image/form/figure/ 朗朗上口 [lăng lăng shàng kŏu] easy to read 疊 叠 [dié] /fold up/repeat/pile up 喜爱 [xĭ ài] /to like/to love/to be fond of/favorite/ 传统 [chuán tŏng] /tradition/ 方式 [fāng shì] /way (of life)/pattern/style/mode/manner/way/fashion/pattern; conduct; style; approach 盛情 [shèng qíng] /(adj) bonhomie; munificence; great hospitality/ 邀请 [yāo qĭng] /invite/ 展现 [zhăn xiàn] /(v) come out; emerge/ 燦爛 灿烂 [càn làn] /glitter/magnificent; brilliant; resplendent; splendid; glorious 美好 [mĕi hăo] /happy/fine/OK/ 祝愿 [zhù yuàn] /wish/ 传递 [chuán dì] /(v) transmit on; pass on to someone else/ 祝福 [zhù fú] /blessings/wish well/ 图案 [tú àn] /design/pattern/ 收获 [shōu huò] /benefit, reward/gather (or bring ) in the crops; harvest 象征 [xiàng zhēng] /symbol/signify/ 鲤鱼 [lĭ yú] /carp/ 鲤鱼跳龙门 formerly used to describe success in the public examinations, now for a success that overcomes a major difficulty or realizes a dream. http://baike.baidu.com/view/72970.htm 寓意 [yù yì] implied meaning; moral; message; import 事业 [shì yè] /cause/undertaking/enterprise/plant/ 有成 [yǒuchéng] achieve success 梦想 [mèng xiăng] /to dream of (in vain)/ 实现 [shí xiàn] /to achieve/to implement/to realize/to bring about/ 蕴涵 [yùn hán] /entailment/ contain / implication 吉庆 [jí qìng] an auspicious occasion; a happy occasion 吉庆有余 [jí qìng yǒu yú] auspicious happiness in overmeasure (or in superabundance) 纹饰 [wén shì] decorative pattern (on utensils); figure 新石器时代 [Xīn Shí qì Shí dài] /(n) Neolithic/New Stone Age/ 纹 [wén] lines; veins; grain/trace/mark/ 纯洁 [chún jié] /pure/clean and honest/ 相互 [xiāng hù] /each other/mutual/ 辉映 [huī yìng] shine; reflect 憨态 [hān tài] To look simple and honest; to be foolish-looking and lovely . 憨态可掬 [hān tài kě jū] charmingly naive 憨 [hān] /silly/simple-minded/ 掬 [jū] hold with both hands 广袤 [guǎng mào] Broad; vast 袤 [mào] /length/distance from north to south/ 共存 [gòng cún] /to coexist/ 宋 [sòng] /(surname)/name of a dynasty/ 瓷 [cí] /chinaware/porcelain/ 莲花 [lián huā] /Lotus (computer company)/ 瓣 [bàn] /petal/section/ 憨厚 [hān hòu] straightforward and good-natured; simple and honest 厚 [hòu] /generous/thick (for flat things)/ 樂觀 乐观 [lè guān] /optimistic/hopeful/ 化身 [huà shēn] incarnation ; embodiment 散播 [săn bò] /to spread/ 精神 [jīng shén] /vigor/vitality/drive/spiritual/mental/psychological/ 所到之处 [suŏ dào zhī chŭ] wherever it goes or touches/wherever it reaches 洋溢 [yáng yì] /brimming with/steeped in/ 溢 [yì] /overflow/ 熱情 热情 [rè qíng] /cordial/enthusiastic/passion/passionate/passionately/ 頭部 头部 [tóu bù] /head/ 敦煌 [Dūn huáng] /(N) Dunhuang (city in Gansu)/ 壁画 [bì huà] /mural (painting)/fresco/ 壁 [bì] /wall/rampart/ 火焰 [huŏ yán] /blaze/flame/ 纹样 [wén yànɡ] Pattern of decorative figures. 奔放 [bēn fàng] /bold and unrestrained/untrammeled/ 奔 [bēn] /to hurry or rush/to run quickly/to elope/ 熟稔 [shú rěn] Be very familiar with 稔 [rěn] Ripe (Of grains)/One year/To be familiar with . 各项 [gè xiàng] every 机敏 [jī mĭn] /(n) agility/alert and resourceful; quick-witted; sharp 灵活 [líng huó] /flexible/nimble/agile/ 驰骋 [chí chěng] gallop 驰 [chí] /run fast/speed/spread/gallop/ 骋 [chĕng] /hasten/run/open up/gallop/ 辽阔 [liáo kuò] /vast/extensive/ 辽 [liáo] distant; faraway/the Liao Dynasty (907—1125) 阔 [kuò] /rich/wide/broad/ 青藏高原 [Qīng zàng gāo yuán] /Tibetan Plateau/ 展现 [zhăn xiàn] /(v) come out; emerge/ 新疆 [xīn jiāng] /Xinjiang (Uygur Autonomous Region)/ 风格 [fēng gé] /style/ 敏捷 [mĭn jié] /nimble/shrewd/ 田径 [tián jìng] /(n) track and field/ 好手 [hǎo shǒu] expert/good hand; past master 来自 [lái zì] /to come from (a place)/ 天空 [tiān kōng] /sky/ 展翅飞翔 [zhăn chì fēi xiáng] spread wings and fly 燕子 [yàn zi] /swallow/ 称谓 [chēng wèi] /title/ 风筝 [fēng zhēng] /kite/ 喜悦 [xĭ yuè] /happy/joyous/ 祝你好运 [zhù nĭ hăo yùn] Good luck 祝福 [zhù fú] /blessings/wish well/ 天真无邪 [tiān zhēn wú xié] innocent 邪 [xié] /demonical/iniquitous/nefarious/ 天真 [tiān zhēn] /naive/innocent/artless/ 矫捷 [jiǎo jié] vigorous and nimble; brisk 体操 [tĭ cāo] /gymnastic/gymnastics/ 闪亮 [shăn liàng] /brilliant, shiny/flare/glisten/twinkle/ 闪亮登场 [shăn liàng dēng chăng] spectacular entrance

Posted on: Welcome to ChinesePod

This Podcast clearly did not get recorded on September 7, 2005. If it is an updated Podcast, which is often a good idea, the published date ought to be updated also, or at least have a revision date. I listened to this because I wanted to hear your original vision and compare it with the present reality.

Posted on: Can you Speak Chinese?

John, Thanks. I have been wondering for a while and thought it appropriate to ask the question in a current lesson in which Ken uses it, which now restricts it to Newbie or Elementary levels. Besides, the Chinese version does reflect the meaning. I took the liberty of adding the words to the ChinesePod dictionary.

Posted on: Can you Speak Chinese?

Given the importance of lexis in ChinesePod, there must be a preferred way of expressing the word in Chinese, but near a I can tell it is only ever used in English. So, what is lexis in Chinese?