User Comments - kevg

Posted on: Having One's Nails Done

To add to the tonal confusion of 美甲/指甲, we also have another zhi3jia(?) 趾甲 (as someone above pointed out), which means toenail(s). Can 美甲 also refer to pedicure? How are the two distinguished in a conversation? 是不是趾甲的甲要念第三声而不是轻声? 

Great calls on the two Seinfeld episodes. Images of the Costanzas and the rest of the crew seem to pop up in almost any awkward social circumstance in any country.

Surely "steep" is used in American English, although perhaps sparingly. I've heard it (even used it) and I'm not THAT old...

Posted on: A Chinese Bachelor Party

A hamburger on top of the steak... nice one, Jenny! :)

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她们说要给我开个单身派对。

"They said they are going to plan a bachelorette party for me."

"Throw a...party" would work too.

Posted on: 《水调歌头·明月几时有》

Everyone's interest and hard work inspired me to join the party. So, here is my attempt at a quick translation. My understanding of the 词 is based on David's and Jiaojie's explanation and the glossary provided. Of course, I have also borrowed some ideas from Mark, cassielin, pchenery, etc. Thank you! Great song!

When will I see you in full form again?

Wine in hand, my words float into the sky.

Oh, that celestial palace up there,

For how many millennia must have passed?

How I'd return on a gust of wind at once,

But, alas, I know it would be far too cold

Up in that mansion of magnificent jade.

Ah, for it is better yet here on earth,

Where, thanks to you, I can dance with my shadow!

Now, slowly, your brilliance faces the red pavilion

And shines through a silk-draped window

Into a room where the sleepless are awake.

I should not begrudge you.

But why are you not full tonight!

Yes, men have their moments of joy and despair.

I suppose it is the same for you.

And so it has been throughout the days.

How I hope people will forever

See your beauty from even the farthest corner.

Posted on: Star Trek

helenshen_counselor and tofufah:

Thank you for your thoughtful responses. It seems that 通信 and 通讯 are often used to mean the same thing, but use varies form region to region I suppose. I generally see the use of 通信 in texts from Mainland China, thus I was interested in the use of 通讯 here.

信号 and 讯号both mean signal, but I more often see 信号。

Posted on: Drunk Driving

Thanks, Changye.

Posted on: Drunk Driving

Question about 罪加一等. I wonder why it's glossed as "torture" in the key vocabulary list. Is the wife exaggerating because of the apparent severity of the offense? In the dialogue it's marked in the translation as "double offense" -- as it appears in my dictionaries. Is this a technical designation in terms of the law in this case or just a way to emphasize that the punishment will probably be more severe because of the husband's particular condition.

Second, is there a technical distinction in terms of 酒后驾车and醉酒后驾车?

Thanks.

Posted on: 混合动力车

Very useful lesson indeed! Keep up the good work, ChinesePod! Connie, thanks for the 款 explanation. 清楚了!

Posted on: 郑和七下西洋

Last I heard, the experts were saying that 1421 (Menzies) was a hoax or, at best, a work of fiction.

Posted on: Star Trek

I'm so glad John asked about Star Trek's popularity in China. It is interesting to know that there is some following there, but Jenny's explanantion about the man on the street probably not knowing anything about it is important. This means that although we can get some nice vocabulary from this lesson, and maybe be better prepared to explain what Star Trek is to a Chinese-speaking person, we shouldn't expect to encounter this type of discussion (in Chinese, at least). But perhaps that will change "in the future"...

Chinese question: Is there a difference between 通信官 and 通讯官?