User Comments - pulosm
pulosm
Posted on: All About Measure Words
October 15, 2007 at 4:02 AMbtw, 只 is one of the simplified characters I just can't get into. I see it and it looks like "zhi3" (only) and nothing else. I mean 隻 makes so much sense, and so does its sister 雙 (shuang1) ;-)
Posted on: All About Measure Words
October 15, 2007 at 3:28 AMJust use 个 for everything. ;-) I hate how some nouns have different ones. I mean, is "dog" supposed to be 只 ， 条 ， or what? I mean, choose one, Chinese language, and stick to it. ;-)
Posted on: Opinions on Poetry
October 15, 2007 at 2:47 AMThe truest test is to memorize the 三字经 Here is someone reading it: http://www.panming.com/szj/szj.htm And, for your convenience, here it is: 人之初 性本善 性相近 习相远 苟不教 性乃迁 教之道 贵以专 昔孟母 择邻处 子不学 断机杼 窦燕山 有义方 教五子 名俱扬 养不教 父之过 教不严 师之惰 子不学 非所宜 幼不学 老何为 玉不琢 不成器 人不学 不知义 为人子 方少时 亲师友 习礼仪 香九龄 能温席 孝于亲 所当执 融四岁 能让梨 弟于长 宜先知 首孝弟 次见闻 知某数 识某文 一而十 十而百 百而千 千而万 三才者 天地人 三光者 日月星 三纲者 君臣义 父子亲 夫妇顺 曰春夏 曰秋冬 此四时 运不穷 曰南北 曰西东 此四方 应乎中 曰水火 木金土 此五行 本乎数 曰仁义 礼智信 此五常 不容紊 稻粱菽 麦黍稷 此六谷 人所食 马牛羊 鸡犬豕 此六畜 人所饲 曰喜怒 曰哀惧 爱恶欲 七情具 匏土革 木石金 与丝竹 乃八音 高曾祖 父而身 身而子 子而孙 自子孙 至玄曾 乃九族 人之伦 父子恩 夫妇从 兄则友 弟则恭 长幼序 友与朋 君则敬 臣则忠 此十义 人所同 凡训蒙 须讲究 详训诂 名句读 为学者 必有初 小学终 至四书 论语者 二十篇 群弟子 记善言 孟子者 七篇止 讲道德 说仁义 作中庸 子思笔 中不偏 庸不易 作大学 乃曾子 自修齐 至平治 孝经通 四书熟 如六经 始可读 诗书易 礼春秋 号六经 当讲求 有连山 有归藏 有周易 三易详 有典谟 有训诰 有誓命 书之奥 我周公 作周礼 着六官 存治体 大小戴 注礼记 述圣言 礼乐备 曰国风 曰雅颂 号四诗 当讽咏 诗既亡 春秋作 寓褒贬 别善恶 三传者 有公羊 有左氏 有谷梁 经既明 方读子 撮其要 记其事 五子者 有荀杨 文中子 及老庄 经子通 读诸史 考世系 知终始 自羲农 至黄帝 号三皇 居上世 唐有虞 号二帝 相揖逊 称盛世 夏有禹 商有汤 周文武 称三王 夏传子 家天下 四百载 迁夏社 汤伐夏 国号商 六百载 至纣亡 周武王 始诛纣 八百载 最长久 周辙东 王纲堕 逞干戈 尚游说 始春秋 终战国 五霸强 七雄出 嬴秦氏 始兼并 传二世 楚汉争 高祖兴 汉业建 至孝平 王莽篡 光武兴 为东汉 四百年 终于献 蜀魏吴 争汉鼎 号三国 迄两晋 宋齐继 梁陈承 为南朝 都金陵 北元魏 分东西 宇文周 与高齐 迨至隋 一土宇 不再传 失统绪 唐高祖 起义师 除隋乱 创国基 二十传 三百载 梁灭之 国乃改 梁唐晋 及汉周 称五代 皆有由 炎宋兴 受周禅 十八传 南北混 辽与金 皆称帝 元灭金 绝宋世 莅中国 兼戎狄 九十年 国祚废 太祖兴 国大明 号洪武 都金陵 迨成祖 迁燕京 十七世 至崇祯 权阉肆 寇如林 至李闯 神器焚 清太祖 膺景命 靖四方 克大定 廿一史 全在兹 载治乱 知兴衰 读史书 考实录 通古今 若亲目 口而诵 心而维 朝于斯 夕于斯 昔仲尼 师项橐 古圣贤 尚勤学 赵中令 读鲁论 彼既仕 学且勤 披蒲编 削竹简 彼无书 且知勉 头悬梁 锥刺股 彼不教 自勤苦 如囊萤 如映雪 家虽贫 学不辍 如负薪 如挂角 身虽劳 犹苦卓 苏老泉 二十七 始发愤 读书籍 彼既老 犹悔迟 尔小生 宜早思 若梁灏 八十二 对大廷 魁多士 彼既成 众称异 尔小生 宜立志 莹八岁 能咏诗 泌七岁 能赋棋 彼颖悟 人称奇 尔幼学 当效之 蔡文姬 能辨琴 谢道韫 能咏吟 彼女子 且聪敏 尔男子 当自警 唐刘晏 方七岁 举神童 作正字 彼虽幼 身己仕 尔幼学 勉而致 有为者 亦若是 犬守夜 鸡司晨 苟不学 曷为人 蚕吐丝 蜂酿蜜 人不学 不如物 幼而学 壮而行 上致君 下泽民 扬名声 显父母 光于前 裕于后 人遗子 金满籯 我教子 惟一经 勤有功 戏无益 戒之哉 宜勉力
Posted on: Fighting over the Bill
October 12, 2007 at 6:36 PMHA HA HA! I love it.
Posted on: Fighting over the Bill
October 12, 2007 at 4:03 PMrjlee818--that is a BRILLIANT tip. I practiced it a couple of times right now so it's refined when I need to use it.
Posted on: Describing Athletes
October 12, 2007 at 4:01 PMGood to know re: hench. Englishpod--Here are all the terms you could use: (1) Fit (British English) (2) Jacked (American Northeast) (3) Buff (California?) (4) Ripped (?) [usually means lean muscle, not necessarily "big", so not really the same idea as "zhuang"] (5) Cut (?) [means lean, lean muscle that is well-defined; kinda like ripped] (6) pulosm (international; used in all languages)
Posted on: Describing Athletes
October 12, 2007 at 12:03 AMI am from California. We say "buff," not "buffed." It is totally what "zhuang" means. It's a perfect translation. Some New Englanders would say "jacked."
Posted on: Describing Athletes
October 11, 2007 at 9:40 PMJenny, I heart you. :-)
Posted on: Fighting over the Bill
October 11, 2007 at 3:24 PMJosh, This is common in many cultures--Filipino and Armenian are examples that come to mind.
Posted on: Please Speak Chinese
October 16, 2007 at 2:37 PMA couple of comments: (1) I think this phenomenon is uniquely Chinese. In Vietnam, when I would speak Vietnamese, which is known by even LESS foreigners, I never ever ever had anyone do what maxiewawa describes. BUT, that happens ALL the time in China. (2) I don't think there is any way around it. They don't believe that you don't speak English even when you say you are Italian or whatever else. They see a non-Asian and assume that they speak English (which is usually true). They only way to do it is to get them to believe that your Chinese is better than their English. Even if it is not. So, right in the beginning, pronounce everything perfectly and use a chengyu or something. It sounds crazy, but it works. (3) This problem is less common in Taiwan, so learn Chinese there! ;-) (4) As for the discussion about 汉语，中文 and 普通话. First, 汉 (han4) does NOT refer to Mandarin-speaking Chinese. Cantonese, Fukkienese, Hakka, etc. are ALL Han Chinese. 汉 is used to distinguish the majority of the population from the other 54 odd minority groups that are Chinese nationals but are not what we traditionally think of as "Chinese" (Uighurs, ethnic Koreans, etc.). 普通话 means "common language" and refers to Mandarin. But, this is only used in Mainland China. In Hong Kong you usually say "gwok yu" and in Taiwan you would say "guo2yu3." They mean "national language". You only use any of these when you are SPECIFICALLY distinguishing Mandarin from other languages/dialects. 中文 is uses synonymously with Mandarin, but by no means really means Mandarin. Technically, it just means "Chinese" and includes all dialects/languages of the Chinese. 汉语 is a formal version of 中文and includes the written language. Additionally, it is not "offensive" the way 中文 could be because it specifically refers to the Han language and does not treat Han as the only "Chinese" because, as I said, Uighurs et al. are Chinese nationals as well, so theoretically (though never ever in practice) their languages fall under the umbrella of 中文 (5) As for strange pronunciations of "ying." In the north of China, the "ing" is pronounced almost like "ieng." When people say "Beijing," the "ing" has an "ie" coloration; a twang, if you will. As for Taiwan, many many many people do not have the Taiwanese accent; it's mainly only people who grow up speaking Taiwanese at home. I think it's overstated. ALSO, it is not fair to say that mainlanders ALL speak like Beijingers. Many southern Chinese sound exactly the same as Taiwanese speakers.