User Comments - pearltowerpete
pearltowerpete
Posted on: How embarrassing!
January 27, 2009 at 2:25 AMHi garfaldo
The first thing that came to mind when I saw that pinyin was 对联 dui4lian2, the couplets that people post on the sides of their door during Chinese New Year. But if you are talking about 对脸, it means "face-to-face."
Posted on: Seeing off an Old Friend 渭城曲
January 27, 2009 at 2:20 AMHi all,
Here is today's poem. And here is the alternative interpretation I mentioned in the podcast.
渭城朝雨浥轻尘，
wèi chéng zhāo yǔ yì qīng chén
客舍青青柳色新。
kè shè qīng qīng liǔ sè xīn
劝君更尽一杯酒，
quàn jūn gèng jìn yī bēi jiǔ
西出阳关无故人。
xī chū yáng guān wú gù rén
As always, please leave your feedback and questions!
Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 7: A Firing Afoot?
January 27, 2009 at 2:01 AMHi thinkbuddha
The presence of 是 doesn't really affect the meaning. Chinese tends to use 也 more than we would say "also" in English. It sometimes seems like a verbal tic, and doesn't always need to be translated.
Hi kenm
The change of fourth to third tone with the addition of 儿 is not a standard rule for 儿话音 （adding the "er" sound). For instance, the word 事 "a matter, an issue" keeps its fourth tone when it becomes 事儿.
Hi sinolover
In Chinese, to lay off for economic reasons is 裁员 cai2yuan2 ("to cut employees"). 炒鱿鱼 chao3you2yu2 is "to fire." Strictly speaking, the situation in the dialogue is a layoff, but for dramatic reasons we chose "firing." Plus, sometimes people take being laid off personally, and react as if they have been fired.
Tune in for the next Wang's Office for more on this timely topic!
Posted on: Farewell, Son 游子吟
January 26, 2009 at 11:53 PMHi user28880
Thank you very much for your warmth and enthusiasm. This show will focus on poetry, but who knows what the future will hold. In the meantime, fellow poddie Henning hosts a lively group that discusses the 红楼梦.
Posted on: Chinese New Year News
January 26, 2009 at 11:48 PMHi all
Licha's comment was deleted because it contained personal attacks. I frankly don't care if people talk smack about me. But it's not cool to go after other poddies.
The subsequent comments had to go because they no longer made sense without the original. "Hell" is certainly not off limits here.
We do our very best to keep things civil and free-wheeling. No one wants to live in a perfect censored world. But ChinesePod is, after all, a business. It is based on a spirit of courtesy and a shared goal, learning Chinese.
Just as you couldn't tolerate someone standing outside your department store insulting the customers and slagging off the merchandise, we cannot allow people to break the comment policy.
Posted on: Farewell, Son 游子吟
January 26, 2009 at 11:38 PMHi realqueen,
That's great! We will definitely keep working to make more interesting lessons!
Posted on: Keys, Wallet, Phone
January 26, 2009 at 7:36 AMHi calkins
In 我先走了, the 了 indicates not that the action has already occurred, but that something will soon change, like 我马上就到了. (Of course I can't "immediately have arrived"-- the 了 shows that it's about to happen). In a way, it softens the tone (much more 好听 than saying 我先走）.
To rephrase that same idea with 他们, you could say 他们都要走了.
This is definitely one of those tricky situations that are challenging for us non-native speakers.
Posted on: Farewell, Son 游子吟
January 26, 2009 at 7:07 AMHi cosmicmind3
Hey, bub! They're real, and they're fantastic!
Posted on: Chinese New Year News
January 27, 2009 at 3:09 AMHi licha
Sorry to burden you with art and culture. Whatever you were trying to say to me and urbandweller made as much sense as the wonderful Ella Fitzgerald in this clip: