User Comments - pearltowerpete

Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 6: Up-and-Comer in the Office

Hi darylk

Thank you very much for your suggestions about limiting new vocabulary in the expansion sentences. These sentences are supposed to be the most difficult part of the lesson, and to push you to learn new words. And if you are like me, you probably find that the lack of context makes understanding them a bit more difficult.

So while the expansion sentences will probably remain quite difficult, the CPod staff and the poddies will be delighted to discuss particular problems with you.

Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 6: Up-and-Comer in the Office

Hi mikeinewshot

Good suggestion about 背后. 专业 is a tougher call because while you are correct about its usage here, it is much more commonly used to mean someone's major. However, you are right that it is good for users to understand that a given word may have many diverse meanings.

Posted on: The Good Husband

Hi user8646

ChinesePod has never claimed to represent all Chinese households. We acknowledge that there is widespread variation by region, age, income, etc.

There are many reasons for traditional views on the role of women in China. One of the most important is the premium on physical strength common in agricultural societies. In addition to being on average physically weaker than men, women are unable to do heavy work during the late stages of pregnancy. This biological difference was later supplemented with cultural conventions such as dowries and foot-binding.

To modern Western (and many Chinese) eyes these views seem regressive. But to acknowledge that they exist is not to endorse them. The idea of 重男轻女 is deeply embedded in Chinese society.

That being said, mikeinewshot, impatience with sexism is not limited to "american females."

Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 6: Up-and-Comer in the Office

Hi fangaili

Good observation. This was a conscious omission for the sake of avoiding Chinglish. Unless he/she were a complete kiss-up, I just couldn't see an employee saying "I will work hard," or "I will strive." The cultural context is just different.

At a lower level I would have translated that phrase, but I think it's safe to assume that Intermediate level students understand it.

Posted on: 在中国过万圣节

Hi mark

我自己没做过什么恶作剧， 但我们老家那边的小流氓特别喜欢。万圣节的前一天叫做“白菜夜” cabbage night, 小流氓都会用卫生纸和剃须膏去搞一些很离谱的事。但你说的对，要妥当，不能玩的太crazy!

Posted on: Understanding 了解 (Liǎojiě) and 理解 (Lǐjiě)

Hi calkins, greggs, rjberki and suburbanite

Thank you for asking a reasonable question that many other poddies must also be wondering about.

The current CPod back-end does not permit us to submit comments before publication of a lesson. And because of a technical limitation, we are not currently able to include PDFs of the examples on Qing Wen. 

The good news is that a much-needed overhaul of the back-end is very near completion. In the meantime, I can only offer sincere thanks to super-poddies like cassielin, and assure you all that connie will publish the sample sentences as soon as she arrives at work after each Qing Wen is released.

Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 6: Up-and-Comer in the Office

Hi sunnydevil

谢谢你的建议。其实很多poddies特别喜欢这个系列-- 萝卜青菜各有所爱吧。

我们已经有一千多个podcasts, 有的比较偏于商业方面，但很多就象你说的-- 八卦新闻，购物习惯，啥都有。

我想也许高级课程更适合你的需要吧。

Posted on: What's your (animal) sign?

wjefferys and Changye

I second kesirui's comment. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the poddie community.

Posted on: Understanding 了解 (Liǎojiě) and 理解 (Lǐjiě)

Hi rjberki

In many sentences either 理解 or 了解 could be used, but the meanings will be different. For example, if I don't want to go out and have fun, and my girlfriend understands that I'm just down in the dumps and so doesn't get angry, then she is "理解ing" me. If she makes me a bowl of my favorite dish, 麻婆豆腐, then her understanding of my likes/dislikes shows that she 了解 me.

Similiarly, the meanings of sentences, theories or concepts can be "理解ed。”　Thinking of this 理 as 道理的理 may help.

I hope that makes things a bit clearer. If not, please just keep asking.

Posted on: Understanding 了解 (Liǎojiě) and 理解 (Lǐjiě)

Hi greggs,

There is no pre-existing phrase for "patience will be rewarded." A similar and more vivid phrase is 心急吃不了热豆腐 -- xin1ji2 chi1buliao3 re4 dou4fu3 -- An impatient person will be unable to eat hot tofu.