Intermediate - Mountain Bike

Right-Wingnut

Dilu: 你好，我是 Dilu。欢迎收听中文播客，中级课程。

John: Hey guys, I'm John. This is an Intermediate lesson on ChinesePod.

Dilu: 今天我们的课文是关于自行车，因为中国是一个自行车王国。

John: So China is the bicycle kingdom. Today its about specific kinds of bicycles. Before we go into it though, can we review real quickly what are the tones for 'bicycle'?

Dilu: 自行车。第四声，第二声和第一声。

Right-Wingnut

John: 4-2-1. 自行车。

Dilu: 对。

John: Alright, lets listen to the dialog now.

0:36 - Dialog

Right-Wingnut

Dialog

Right-Wingnut

1:31

John: So right in the beginning we hear the measure word for 'bicycle'.

Dilu: 没错。这辆自行车是谁的？这辆自行车是谁的？

John: So the measure word is ...

Dilu: 辆。第四声。一辆自行车。

John: 4th tone. So then the girl asks about how long this guy has been coming to work by bike.

Dilu: 对。你什么时候开始骑车上班了？

John: So 'when did you start riding your bike to come to work?'. But I want to ask you, this 骑车 - 2nd tone, 1st tone - right?

Right-Wingnut

2:02

Dilu: 是的。骑车，第二声和第一声。

John: Does this apply exclusively to riding a bike, or could it be a motorbike or a scooter.

Dilu: 对，都可以。可以是骑自行车，也可以是骑摩托车。

John: So remember 骑 refers to the action of straddling the mode of transportation, whether its a horse, a bike, or a motorbike, whatever.

Dilu: 对。

John: So the answer is ...

Dilu: 我骑了很久了。我骑了很久了。

Right-Wingnut

2:29

John: So remember this is the double 了, where you've been doing something for a long time, and you're still doing it now. So for example, if I want to talk about how long I've been living in 上海， I could say 我住了九年了。

Dilu: 对。也是两个＇了＇。

John: So 'I＇ve been living in 上海 for 9 years and I'm still here.

Dilu: Right. 如果你等别人，等了很久，然后你可以说：我等了很久了。我等了半个小时了。

John: So I've been waiting for half an hour, and I'm still waiting.

Dilu: 对。

John: OK, but then the girl continues talking about the bike. What does she say?

Right-Wingnut

3:33

Dilu: 因为这车有点儿奇怪。这车有点儿奇怪。

John: Hold on a second. We have 这车 here, but in the beginning we said that 辆 is the measure word for bikes.

Dilu: 在这边就是省略了这个量词。在这里是省略了这个 measure word。

John: So its correct if you omit it?

Dilu: 是的。这车，这辆车，都可以。

John: But its a little bit informal if you drop the measure word, right?

Dilu: 对。一般性第一句的话都会说：这辆车。那后面可以 drop。

Right-Wingnut

3:34

John: So if you always include it, you're not going to be wrong. So 'this bike is a little ...'

Dilu: 奇怪。奇怪。

John: 2nd tone - 4th tone, so 'weird' or 'strange'.

Dilu: 对。因为太它长了不太一样。

John: It looks different from most bikes because it is a ...

Dilu: 山地车。山地车。

John: Literally 'mountain land vehicle'. Its the mountain bike.

Dilu: 没错。山地车。就是那种 mountain bike。

Right-Wingnut

4:02

John: And its different from a regular bike. How do we say 'regular bike'?

Dilu: 普通的自行车。普通的自行车。

John: A normal bike, a regular bike is 普通的。So what are the tones on that?

Dilu: 普通。第三声和第一声。

John: 3-1. And what exactly does a 普通的自行车 look like?

Dilu: 啊，你有两个轮子。有一个铃，然后可能会有一个篮子。就是［那样］，然后后面说到身体车有一些不一样的 function。那这个普通自行车都是没有的。

Right-Wingnut

4:36

John: So two key things though. In China a regular bike normally has a little bell and a basket. You need your basket to put things in, when you go to the grocery store or whatever, and you need your bell to tell people to get out of the way because there's so many people in the street.

Dilu: That's a stereotype.

John: Its true. I ride a bike in China, I have a 普通的。Lets keep going though. What is special about the 山地车？

Dilu: 山地车可以防震。山地车可以防震。