Intermediate - Calling a Moving Company

Right-Wingnut
March 20, 2013, 04:48 AM posted in Transcripts with Tal

Lesson here.

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Right-Wingnut
March 20, 2013, 04:44 AM

0:00-0:30

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Right-Wingnut

John: Hey guys, this is ChinesePod, an Intermediate lesson, and I'm John Pasden.

Dilu: 大家好,我是Dilu。

John: And today we have a lesson about calling a moving company and telling them what you want.

Dilu: 对。今天我们要说一说:搬家。搬家。

John: So 搬家, two 1st tones, that means 'to move'.

Dilu: 对。

John: Now notice the tones is not 半价, that means 'half price'.

Dilu: You like shopping, John. 不是不是。

John: We're talking about 搬家.

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Right-Wingnut
March 20, 2013, 04:53 AM

0:30-1:00

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Right-Wingnut

0:28

Dilu: 对。两个第一声。搬家。那搬家的时候呢,你会打电话叫一些搬家公司去帮你。

John: So 'moving companies' - 搬家公司.

Dilu: 对。

John: So that's the context, let's listen to the dialog.

0:41 - Dialog

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Right-Wingnut
March 20, 2013, 04:55 AM

1:00-1:30

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Right-Wingnut
March 20, 2013, 04:55 AM

1:30-2:00

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Right-Wingnut

1:43

John: So in the first line we hear a guy making a phone call to the moving company.

Dilu: 是的。他说:我要搬家,想预订车子和工人。

John: So 预订, two 4th tones, that means 'to reserve'

Dilu: 对。To make a reservation. 预订。

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Right-Wingnut
March 20, 2013, 04:59 AM

2:00-2:30

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Right-Wingnut

John: So he's reserving what?

Dilu: 车子和工人。车子和工人。

John: What is the difference between 车子 and 车? Are they both cars?

Dilu: 我觉得其实两个都是一样的。

John: Sometimes it sounds better to have a two syllable word ...

Dilu: 对。

John: Sometimes its better to have one syllable. OK. So 车子 is just 车, so a moving truck, and the other one is ...

Dilu: 工人。工人。就是帮你搬家的那些师傅。

John: So a 工人 is any kind of worker.

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Right-Wingnut
March 20, 2013, 05:04 AM

2:30-3:00

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Right-Wingnut

2:29

Dilu: 对。一般做labour work的,都叫工人。

John: Manual labour types.

Dilu: 对。

John: So in English we say 'movers'. You can't say 搬家人.

Dilu: 不可以,不可以。工人或者是师傅。

John: Got it. And then the lady asks an interesting question. What does she ask?

Dilu: Interesting? 有些什么东西?有些什么东西?

John: The interesting part is this 些. It mean 'some'. So if you ask 有什么东西, it could be 'what things do you have?' or 'what thing'.

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Right-Wingnut
March 20, 2013, 05:11 AM

3:00-3:30

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Dilu: 有些什么东西一定是比一件东西要多一点。

John: So if you add in the 些 it means its not just one thing, its some things.

Dilu: 对。

John: But you don't have to add it.

Dilu: 对。你也可以说:有什么东西?在中文里面不太[分]单数和复数。

John: Its not like plural where you have to get it straight. So what 东西 are there?

Dilu: 有一个衣柜,一张床,一个沙发,还有一个冰箱和一台空

调。

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Right-Wingnut
March 20, 2013, 06:36 AM

3:30-4:00

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Right-Wingnut

John: A bunch of things. We're just going to go through these really quickly. So the first one is a 'wardrobe'.

Dilu: 衣柜。衣柜。

John: 1st tone, 4th tone. And then its a bed, and of course the measure word is ...

Dilu: 张。一张床。一张床。

John: And then 沙发 - sofa, that's 个 also.

Dilu: 对。一个沙发。一个沙发。

John: And then 'refrigerator' is ...

Dilu: 冰箱。冰箱。两个第一声。

John: Two 1st tones. And the final one is ...

Dilu: 空调。空调。

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Right-Wingnut
March 20, 2013, 06:58 AM

4:00-4:30

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Right-Wingnut

4:02

John: So 'air conditioner' - 1st tone, 2nd tone - but what was the measure word?

Dilu: 台。一台空调。

John: 台 - isn't that the measure word for computers?

Dilu: 没错。跟电脑的那个量词是一样的。一台空调。一台电脑。

John: Got it. But fortunately a bunch of these just use 个 which is easier.

Dilu: 但是有一些东西还是需要用不一样的词呢。

John: For a bed you have to use 张.

Dilu: 还有空调,要说'台'。

John: And then what's the reaction to these things?

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Right-Wingnut
March 20, 2013, 07:06 AM

4:30-5:00

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Right-Wingnut

Dilu: 这个人说:那还挺多的。那还挺多的。

John: 挺多的 - 'quite a lot'. But why is there a 还 in here?

Dilu: 因为之前这个男的他说:没什么东西,只有什么什么什么。然后这个女的说:啊,不这么多,那还挺多的。是没有想到有这么多。

John: So when you're a bit surprised. You said there weren't many things but that is kind of a lot.

Dilu: 对。

John: That tone, you can use 还 to indicate that you're surprised that its more than you expected.