User Comments - pearltowerpete
pearltowerpete
Posted on: Catch the Train
November 20, 2008 at 7:57 AMmmysdf
You are entitled to your opinions. But you are not entitled to attack the other listeners.
If you are not satisfied with this service, there is an easy solution: don't use it.
No one will miss you.
Posted on: More Chinese lessons, and now EnglishPod!
November 20, 2008 at 5:12 AMHi davidtzau
Thanks for your enthusiasm.
During tough times like these, education is not a bad business to be in. A lot of people see that they can make themselves more competitive by learning another major language. Investing in your brain is probably the best thing you can do with your money!
So of course we cherish the support and participation of each of our poddies.
Posted on: Moving House and Chinese Wineries
November 20, 2008 at 2:43 AMHi illyria1013
People still do pick auspicious days for events, although maybe it's a bit less common than it used to be. The agricultural almanac 黄历 suggests dos and don'ts for each day. Jiaojie adds that rural people often see days with 3, 6 and 9 as auspicious for big events.
One of my teachers in Albany had a Taiwanese friend who got married in New York. After he booked the church, arranged flowers and caterer, etc., his parents urged him to call it off, because the day was inauspicious! After a lot of back and forth, he persuaded them that because of the time difference between Taiwan and New York, the date was actually not unlucky after all. Cross-cultural compromise.
As for your question about who designed this calendar, it's hard to say for sure. But lunar calendars are common in agriculture-based societies. The 28-day period roughly coincides with many natural forces, including the tides, the times for planting, even women's menstrual cycles. People today don't seem to have such a deep connection to mother Earth.
Posted on: Argument over Garbage (1)
November 20, 2008 at 2:34 AMHi wei1xiao4
Sounds a bit like the "Bottle Bill" that many US states have, where you pay something like 5 cents more for every bottle and then get it back when you recycle it.
Frankly, I don't like to smash the bottles, because producing glass uses an awful lot of energy. I'd much rather recycle them for the sake of Mother Earth.
But since the liquor industry hasn't followed the wine industry's example, and you can't get Bombay Sapphire or Laphroaig in a plastic pouch, this is the next best option.
Posted on: Hungry Traveler: Sichuan
November 20, 2008 at 2:26 AMHi xinjiapo2703
Adding the 一下 yi1xia4 gives a sense that the act will be quick and not too bothersome. It makes your request more polite. So while you could leave it out, you'll sound friendlier and more polite if you say it. Alternatively, you can double the verb: 看看，尝尝, etc.
我尝过了 wo3chang2guo4le -- Here, the 了 is showing that the act finished recently. This sort of subtlety is why it is problematic for teachers to say simply that " 了 is for the past tense." It may be a convenient shortcut in your early studies, but it does not tell the whole story.
Posted on: Leaving Luggage with the Hotel
November 20, 2008 at 2:13 AMHi light487,
I agree, "unit" is a very workable translation.
Also, note that the Chinese 单位 refers as well to the "work unit" by which society was organized during the old days of Communism.
Finally, danwei.org is one of the best China-focused blogs around.
Posted on: Leaving Luggage with the Hotel
November 20, 2008 at 2:09 AMHi natertot
MS Pinyin is popular, as is Qinghua Ziguang 清华紫光. But probably the most user-friendly is Google Pinyin. This is a "smart" program that learns from your habits, and also from the habits of people around the world. On other forums here we have discussed the hidden price of this "free" program in terms of lost privacy, etc. But there is no denying it is a very convenient and powerful tool.
Posted on: Leaving Luggage with the Hotel
November 20, 2008 at 2:05 AMHi junjun39
ChinesePod is not a pinyin translation service. We are more than happy to help users with all kinds of Chinese questions. But simply posting a big block of text and requesting a translation will not work. Thank you for your understanding.
Posted on: Leaving Luggage with the Hotel
November 20, 2008 at 2:04 AMHi dundkerlumpen
When you're asking what's going on, it's 什么事？Another way to ask is 怎么了？which has an implication that something has gone wrong.
I don't know about dachsunds in the Garden of Eden ;-) But 条 is for bigger dogs, whereas 只 can be used for smaller, roly-poly dogs.
Posted on: Argument over Garbage (1)
November 20, 2008 at 8:01 AMHi kesirui
Sounds like a deal!
While we're talking about unethical recycling, it is worth mentioning that there is a market for foreign cigarette packages as well as *gulp* medicine bottles.
So be careful about what you put in the garbage.