User Comments - zhenlijiang
zhenlijiang
Posted on: Let's Just Be Friends
March 10, 2010 at 2:48 AMsydcarten, I think our teachers have assured us that in Chinese that is the correct language for being clear in these situations.
Being very explicit (in English) to me would be something like "I'm not attracted to you one bit." "Be your girlfriend--never!" "You may be a good guy, but if you were the last man on this planet, honestly I think I would have to turn to women." etc etc. "Let's just be friends" is clear enough in meaning without having to resort to such brutality isn't it?
Posted on: Aussie Rules
March 8, 2010 at 11:40 AMWhile you wait for a CPod teacher to respond, here's one of the times this question has been addressed on the boards:
Yes it is presumptuous of me to link to a comment I made myself, but I think you might find this one helpful (and Baba is right). Sorry for butting in again.
Posted on: Flying a Kite
March 8, 2010 at 9:47 AM我叫过她外号儿，就是 Princess 胖！真可爱！
Posted on: Man-to-Man Advice on Women
March 6, 2010 at 5:11 PM哈哈，说得很对。同时，我觉得好多女孩儿在内心里想要的‘伴侣’就是一只（一个）挺好玩儿的，蛮忠实的，真可爱的宠物哦~
Posted on: Man-to-Man Advice on Women
March 6, 2010 at 4:30 PMAs Jason says--and there was a lesson on that!
Posted on: Due This Week
March 6, 2010 at 2:01 PM"that situation (= the boss having to ask his people to do a lot of hard work, not for the first time, but again) has already arisen.", rather. Sorry.
Posted on: Due This Week
March 6, 2010 at 11:22 AMHow about if put this way:
又渴了，要再喝一杯。 Though I guess this isn't something you would normally hear anyone say. I just want to make the point about the difference between 又 and 再.
I'm thirsty again (already happened). I want (to have) another glass (have another glass is to happen hereafter).
With 这么多工作，又要辛苦你们了。the reference is not "future". When Changye said the situation has already happened, he meant that that situation (= the boss having to ask his people to do a lot of hard work, again) has already arisen, and not for the first time but again.
Posted on: Let's Just Be Friends
March 6, 2010 at 10:22 AM不是这个意思哦！难道你眼里的女人光有‘干什么事都打小算盘’这样的吗？
Posted on: Let's Just Be Friends
March 6, 2010 at 10:21 AM谢谢你分享——年纪大，经验多，对吧（开玩笑!）。
那我想知道，你们一般到多大年龄之后才认识到最简单的是男人的想法？
Posted on: Let's Just Be Friends
March 10, 2010 at 4:32 AMsydcarten I'm sorry if you thought my tone was offensive. I was using a bit of hyperbole to make my point, which was about cultural expectation as John said, a common understanding among speakers of English regarding the entire sentence "Let's just be friends" which, if you look at it cold, is actually not explicit at all; in fact it is something people say when the meaning is implicit, but needs to be clear.
I'm not a native speaker of English but agree with you that "Let's be friends" is not the same as "Let's just be friends", agree that "let's be friends" leaves room for ambiguity. John, a native speaker, says your meaning would still be understood without the "just"--again I think this is about cultural expectation.
If you need to see a word for "just" to feel assured about the Chinese expression, then I guess by the same thinking you would need to ask "Why don't we need to see the 还是 in the English?"
The two languages don't match word for word.