<![CDATA[Comments on: A Magazine Subscription]]> 2010-07-22 18:00:00 <![CDATA[By: barto]]> 那怎麽說呢？

]]> 那怎麽說呢？

]]> <![CDATA[By: Tal]]> I really like 发呆 and will now look out for chances to use it, but if someone asked me in English: "What are you spacing out about?" I think I might well be confused for a second, and then wonder if it looked like I wanted to keep my distance from others!

他话也不说，坐在那里发呆。 = He said nothing but sat there staring blankly.

]]> I really like 发呆 and will now look out for chances to use it, but if someone asked me in English: "What are you spacing out about?" I think I might well be confused for a second, and then wonder if it looked like I wanted to keep my distance from others!

他话也不说，坐在那里发呆。 = He said nothing but sat there staring blankly.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> 订阅类型：subscription types:

初级用户..basic subscriptions

高级用户...premium subscriptions

教师辅导课程...teacher guided courses

我的回答是：

我要再订一年的中文播客教师辅导课程

]]> 订阅类型：subscription types:

初级用户..basic subscriptions

高级用户...premium subscriptions

教师辅导课程...teacher guided courses

我的回答是：

我要再订一年的中文播客教师辅导课程

]]> <![CDATA[By: jennyzhu]]> 订阅/dìngyuè is widely used to mean subscription of podcasts, although 阅/yuè means to "read", which still implies subscribing to print media. But at the end of the day, words evolve to represent more facets of life.

]]> 订阅/dìngyuè is widely used to mean subscription of podcasts, although 阅/yuè means to "read", which still implies subscribing to print media. But at the end of the day, words evolve to represent more facets of life.

]]> <![CDATA[By: jennyzhu]]> That's correct. Now you know how to talk about your subscription type in Chinese.

]]> That's correct. Now you know how to talk about your subscription type in Chinese.

]]> <![CDATA[By: jgwilson]]> I heard on another Chinesepod lesson that one in every three babies is Chinese. Is this true??? Where did you guys get that statistic?

]]> I heard on another Chinesepod lesson that one in every three babies is Chinese. Is this true??? Where did you guys get that statistic?

]]> <![CDATA[By: barto]]> 謝主隆恩！

]]> 謝主隆恩！

]]> <![CDATA[By: changye]]> 我年轻时为了学英语订阅《读者文摘》(Reader's Digest)和《新闻周刊》(News Week)，每月花不少钱。当然当时没有互联网，我很羡慕当代年轻人！

]]> 我年轻时为了学英语订阅《读者文摘》(Reader's Digest)和《新闻周刊》(News Week)，每月花不少钱。当然当时没有互联网，我很羡慕当代年轻人！

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> 谢谢老师。

]]> 谢谢老师。

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> yeah, I agree, good word. Looking at the dai part I could see it had the kou [mouth ..which can also mean an opening ] radical and it made me wonder if it was being used because part of the spaced out look can be having your mouth open. But apparently the whole character is pictographic of a baby...I guess young baby's can look pretty spaced out at times.

]]> yeah, I agree, good word. Looking at the dai part I could see it had the kou [mouth ..which can also mean an opening ] radical and it made me wonder if it was being used because part of the spaced out look can be having your mouth open. But apparently the whole character is pictographic of a baby...I guess young baby's can look pretty spaced out at times.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> 对，互联网非常方便，不过我还要知道什么简单的中文杂志订比较好？

]]> 对，互联网非常方便，不过我还要知道什么简单的中文杂志订比较好？

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> From the supplementary vocab:

时政杂志..political magazine

..this has me intrigued. I'm wondering about censorship and freedom of speech and the nature and popularity of such magazines.

]]> From the supplementary vocab:

时政杂志..political magazine

..this has me intrigued. I'm wondering about censorship and freedom of speech and the nature and popularity of such magazines.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> Sounds like calling a stranger 美女 is normal and no big deal, but I'm wondering if it would also seem normal coming from a laowai, or would it be taken differently?

]]> Sounds like calling a stranger 美女 is normal and no big deal, but I'm wondering if it would also seem normal coming from a laowai, or would it be taken differently?

]]> <![CDATA[By: chris]]> My word baba, i just logged on and yours is the only avatar i can see on my dashboard's conversations section with just a solitary appearance from changye breaking it up! some frenetic blogging tonight :-)

]]> My word baba, i just logged on and yours is the only avatar i can see on my dashboard's conversations section with just a solitary appearance from changye breaking it up! some frenetic blogging tonight :-)

]]> <![CDATA[By: orangina]]> I've been called 美女, and had to keep my laowai "And who do you thing you are? Do I know you?!?" reaction in check. In highschool I had a teacher who would call the girls sweetie or dear. It never bothered me coming from him because he was rather avuncular, but it did upset some of the other girls.

]]> I've been called 美女, and had to keep my laowai "And who do you thing you are? Do I know you?!?" reaction in check. In highschool I had a teacher who would call the girls sweetie or dear. It never bothered me coming from him because he was rather avuncular, but it did upset some of the other girls.

]]> <![CDATA[By: orangina]]> stupid baby. doesn't know anything, can't even talk.

]]> stupid baby. doesn't know anything, can't even talk.

]]> <![CDATA[By: euphonies]]> If any intermediate/upper intermediate poddies are thinking of 订月刊 but not sure which, I really enjoyed 读者 that has tons of reader's digest type stories (or, is it actually the Reader's Digest?). Some short stories are quite difficult whilst other absolutely accessible. If you are in China, it's also super cheap to pop by the newspaper vendor (报刊亭）and buy one issue to check it out before subscribing. Some former renter had subscribed to 读者 and we got it every month for free. That was how I discovered it! Fun! I wonder if it is possible to subscribe from the US. Do any poddies have experience with subscribing to Chinese mags outside of China?

Also, could someone help me say "issue" as in "the May issue?" Finally, one question I've always had was how to say "advertorial" - is it "社论式广告"? My co-workers told me that didn't exist as in the West. Does anyone know if it does and if so, how to call it more naturally?

Thanks!

]]> If any intermediate/upper intermediate poddies are thinking of 订月刊 but not sure which, I really enjoyed 读者 that has tons of reader's digest type stories (or, is it actually the Reader's Digest?). Some short stories are quite difficult whilst other absolutely accessible. If you are in China, it's also super cheap to pop by the newspaper vendor (报刊亭）and buy one issue to check it out before subscribing. Some former renter had subscribed to 读者 and we got it every month for free. That was how I discovered it! Fun! I wonder if it is possible to subscribe from the US. Do any poddies have experience with subscribing to Chinese mags outside of China?

Also, could someone help me say "issue" as in "the May issue?" Finally, one question I've always had was how to say "advertorial" - is it "社论式广告"? My co-workers told me that didn't exist as in the West. Does anyone know if it does and if so, how to call it more naturally?

Thanks!

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> hehe Chris, yeah I know I've got the blogging equivalent of 口头腹泻 but I don't think it was any worse last night but rather I did notice that it was very quiet on the boards last night and so it looked worse. My take on it was that it went quiet after peoples posts started disappearing...so they thought they'd give it a break...guess I was close to the only one that soldiered on undettered,hehe ....aiyou !

]]> hehe Chris, yeah I know I've got the blogging equivalent of 口头腹泻 but I don't think it was any worse last night but rather I did notice that it was very quiet on the boards last night and so it looked worse. My take on it was that it went quiet after peoples posts started disappearing...so they thought they'd give it a break...guess I was close to the only one that soldiered on undettered,hehe ....aiyou !

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> hey thanks orangina. I hadn't thought of it from that angle..but yeah ,very interesting. I wonder if any other laowais have been called meinv and how they felt about it.

]]> hey thanks orangina. I hadn't thought of it from that angle..but yeah ,very interesting. I wonder if any other laowais have been called meinv and how they felt about it.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> 刊。。caught my eye because it's a pretty simple character and I could see that 干 must be the phonetic [and it's less common to have it on the left I think] and thus 刂 must be the radical. I guess you can use a knife to produce things...and thus has been stretched out to imply some meaning in publication.

]]> 刊。。caught my eye because it's a pretty simple character and I could see that 干 must be the phonetic [and it's less common to have it on the left I think] and thus 刂 must be the radical. I guess you can use a knife to produce things...and thus has been stretched out to imply some meaning in publication.

]]> <![CDATA[By: johnb]]> I think you're on the right track, but I'm pretty sure 刊 itself is totally phonetic. The 说文解字 entry for it is: 剟也从刀干声, which is saying that it means 剟, and that the sound comes from 刀 and 干 mixed. These days that would make it dān, but I guess when 说文解字 was written the sounds lined up. 剟 means to carve, so I'm guessing it had something to do with woodblock printing.

That's my take on it.

]]> I think you're on the right track, but I'm pretty sure 刊 itself is totally phonetic. The 说文解字 entry for it is: 剟也从刀干声, which is saying that it means 剟, and that the sound comes from 刀 and 干 mixed. These days that would make it dān, but I guess when 说文解字 was written the sounds lined up. 剟 means to carve, so I'm guessing it had something to do with woodblock printing.

That's my take on it.

]]> <![CDATA[By: changye]]> Hi johnb

In the sentence “剟也，从刀干声”, the “从” indicates "semantic part", and the “声” indicates "phonetic part", so the character “刊” is not totally phonetic, but a typical 形声字. For the record, “取” is defined as “捕取也，从又从耳” in 《说文解字》, which means that the character is made of two semantic parts, namely 又 (hand) and 耳 (ear). In ancient China, ears of war captives were cut and used as evidence of battle achievement.

PS. The readings of “刊” (kan) in ancient times （both 上古音 and 中古音） were almost the same as modern one.

]]> Hi johnb

In the sentence “剟也，从刀干声”, the “从” indicates "semantic part", and the “声” indicates "phonetic part", so the character “刊” is not totally phonetic, but a typical 形声字. For the record, “取” is defined as “捕取也，从又从耳” in 《说文解字》, which means that the character is made of two semantic parts, namely 又 (hand) and 耳 (ear). In ancient China, ears of war captives were cut and used as evidence of battle achievement.

PS. The readings of “刊” (kan) in ancient times （both 上古音 and 中古音） were almost the same as modern one.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bodawei]]> The dialogue has a nice example of where Chinese is more precise than English (and surely it is usually the other way round?)  

Although there is some lack of consistency in English with 'bi-monthly' there should be no ambiguity in Chinese: 

半月刊 （一月两次的）- twice a month

双月刊 (两月一次的）- every two months

If the language is not enough is not clear enough, the context for 半月刊 in the dialogue makes the meaning clear.   However, it is unusual to have magazines published twice a month (I can't think of any examples, can anybody?) and in publishing the English word bi-monthly generally means 双月刊 not 半月刊.  Right?  

]]> The dialogue has a nice example of where Chinese is more precise than English (and surely it is usually the other way round?)  

Although there is some lack of consistency in English with 'bi-monthly' there should be no ambiguity in Chinese: 

半月刊 （一月两次的）- twice a month

双月刊 (两月一次的）- every two months

If the language is not enough is not clear enough, the context for 半月刊 in the dialogue makes the meaning clear.   However, it is unusual to have magazines published twice a month (I can't think of any examples, can anybody?) and in publishing the English word bi-monthly generally means 双月刊 not 半月刊.  Right?  

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> thanks changye. Great explanation of the use of 从 and 声 in 说文解字, and I love your example.

]]> thanks changye. Great explanation of the use of 从 and 声 in 说文解字, and I love your example.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> thanks johnb..yeah, to carve or engrave, so I'm sure you're right..the old method of printing.

]]> thanks johnb..yeah, to carve or engrave, so I'm sure you're right..the old method of printing.

]]> <![CDATA[By: johnb]]> Oh, you're right (not that there was any doubt!). I was treating it like a 反切 pronunciation annotation, but that's not how the 说文解字 glosses work. Thanks for the clarification (and, as bababardwan said, great example ;)).

]]> Oh, you're right (not that there was any doubt!). I was treating it like a 反切 pronunciation annotation, but that's not how the 说文解字 glosses work. Thanks for the clarification (and, as bababardwan said, great example ;)).

]]> <![CDATA[By: kimiik]]> 其实互联网的发展好解释了为什么《读者文摘》最近破产过。

http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/17/readers-digest-bankruptcy-business-media-readers-digest.html

]]> 其实互联网的发展好解释了为什么《读者文摘》最近破产过。

http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/17/readers-digest-bankruptcy-business-media-readers-digest.html

]]> <![CDATA[By: jennyzhu]]> We call "advertorial" 软广告/ruǎnguǎnggào/"covert advertising".

]]> We call "advertorial" 软广告/ruǎnguǎnggào/"covert advertising".

]]> <![CDATA[By: kimiik]]> There are some sort of "ambiguities" in chinese too.

weekly 一个星期一期

bi-weekly 一个星期两期

tri-weekly 一个星期三期

...

]]> There are some sort of "ambiguities" in chinese too.

weekly 一个星期一期

bi-weekly 一个星期两期

tri-weekly 一个星期三期

...

]]> <![CDATA[By: bodawei]]> 不好意思，我不明白。 外什么含糊不清的？

]]> 不好意思，我不明白。 外什么含糊不清的？

]]> <![CDATA[By: bodawei]]> Jenny, covert advertising does exist of course (eg. cash for comment) but an advertorial is not covert.

]]> Jenny, covert advertising does exist of course (eg. cash for comment) but an advertorial is not covert.

]]> <![CDATA[By: orangina]]> Actually some guy called me 美女 today and then proceeded to ask me for money to feed his young son. After I said no and kept walking down the street he chased me for a bit and I heard a 漂亮 thrown in for good measure. Now, I am a regular enough looking person, nothing outstanding. So usually when I get it I chalk it up to good manners (or the fact that I am white as a ghost and nothing else matters.) But today it just pissed me off. I have a cold, probably red eyes, and if not at least mouth breathing which I am aware is not a cute look. So the whole 美女，请问，你能帮助我吗 thing is manipulative enough on its own, but today just pretty insulting.

Tomorrow I will look back and say 没事，it is just his culture.

]]> Actually some guy called me 美女 today and then proceeded to ask me for money to feed his young son. After I said no and kept walking down the street he chased me for a bit and I heard a 漂亮 thrown in for good measure. Now, I am a regular enough looking person, nothing outstanding. So usually when I get it I chalk it up to good manners (or the fact that I am white as a ghost and nothing else matters.) But today it just pissed me off. I have a cold, probably red eyes, and if not at least mouth breathing which I am aware is not a cute look. So the whole 美女，请问，你能帮助我吗 thing is manipulative enough on its own, but today just pretty insulting.

Tomorrow I will look back and say 没事，it is just his culture.

]]> <![CDATA[By: Tal]]> "I'm wondering if it would also seem normal coming from a laowai, or would it be taken differently?" --- Very much a context thing. If you develop an informal, matey relationship with a Chinese woman and call her 美女, it'd go down like it does in this dialogue. But if you need to consider, even for a moment, whether your relationship with a Chinese woman is actually of this nature, then calling her 美女 could and would only be interpreted as a pass.

@orangina, pretty much have to say 'been there, done that', but now I'm at the stage where I'll actually say something like "不好意思，我没时间，你知道吗？", and it's a calmer experience overall. Maybe that's another of those 'you know you've gone native when' things.

]]> "I'm wondering if it would also seem normal coming from a laowai, or would it be taken differently?" --- Very much a context thing. If you develop an informal, matey relationship with a Chinese woman and call her 美女, it'd go down like it does in this dialogue. But if you need to consider, even for a moment, whether your relationship with a Chinese woman is actually of this nature, then calling her 美女 could and would only be interpreted as a pass.

@orangina, pretty much have to say 'been there, done that', but now I'm at the stage where I'll actually say something like "不好意思，我没时间，你知道吗？", and it's a calmer experience overall. Maybe that's another of those 'you know you've gone native when' things.

]]> <![CDATA[By: orangina]]> Yeah tal, I usually say 没有钱，but today he went into quite the sob story so I said 不好意思，我说的不好，听不懂。But I think the jig is up and I can't fake ignorance anymore. It is true I did not get every nuance of his tale, but I understood fairly clearly. Too bad he didn't have some funky accent I don't get yet. But I like your "你知道吗？“ I'm going to add that to my repertoire.

]]> Yeah tal, I usually say 没有钱，but today he went into quite the sob story so I said 不好意思，我说的不好，听不懂。But I think the jig is up and I can't fake ignorance anymore. It is true I did not get every nuance of his tale, but I understood fairly clearly. Too bad he didn't have some funky accent I don't get yet. But I like your "你知道吗？“ I'm going to add that to my repertoire.

]]> <![CDATA[By: kimiik]]> 为什么含糊不清的？

例如 "一个星期一" 的意思是 "one monday", 那 "一个星期一期" 的最后 "期" 突然混乱了意义。

也有好听的 "一个星期七期" (qīqīqī) 又名 "一日一期"。

]]> 为什么含糊不清的？

例如 "一个星期一" 的意思是 "one monday", 那 "一个星期一期" 的最后 "期" 突然混乱了意义。

也有好听的 "一个星期七期" (qīqīqī) 又名 "一日一期"。

]]> <![CDATA[By: Tal]]> Sounds like you're becoming an old China hand! (Not that you're old of course, 呵呵.) The jig is up? Dig it.

]]> Sounds like you're becoming an old China hand! (Not that you're old of course, 呵呵.) The jig is up? Dig it.

]]> <![CDATA[By: changye]]> Yeah, 反切 is really a great invention! If it were not for 反切, Chinese phonologists would have had more difficulty reconstructing ancient readings of Chinese characters. There is no accepted theory about when 反切 was invented, but the first known record of the use of 反切 appeared at the end of 东汉 (later Han dynasty, 25 - 220), which was about one hundred years after the edition of 《说文解字》. FYI, the syllable table of the Korean language is traditionally called “反切”, which represents the fact that Korean scholars learned Chinese phonology very earnestly when they invented Korean alphabets in the 15th century.

]]> Yeah, 反切 is really a great invention! If it were not for 反切, Chinese phonologists would have had more difficulty reconstructing ancient readings of Chinese characters. There is no accepted theory about when 反切 was invented, but the first known record of the use of 反切 appeared at the end of 东汉 (later Han dynasty, 25 - 220), which was about one hundred years after the edition of 《说文解字》. FYI, the syllable table of the Korean language is traditionally called “反切”, which represents the fact that Korean scholars learned Chinese phonology very earnestly when they invented Korean alphabets in the 15th century.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> Very much a context thing. If you develop an informal, matey relationship with a Chinese woman and call her 美女, it'd go down like it does in this dialogue

...thanks tal. Oh, I've just realised something after reading your comment. I was listening to this lesson while driving home from work and wasn't fully switched on. I had been under the impression this guy was talking to a staff member [stranger] in a department store and getting suggestions for a gift to buy there, and that the twist that often appears in these dialogues at the end in this case was that she'd suggested something that led him to take his business elsewhere..the post office. I guess the suprise at the end was instead that he has a girlfriend already and then turns around and calls this girl 美女. I see now that at the very start she addresses him by name [missed that] so they're not strangers. Ok, so in China it's not used between strangers but rather good friends, right?

]]> Very much a context thing. If you develop an informal, matey relationship with a Chinese woman and call her 美女, it'd go down like it does in this dialogue

...thanks tal. Oh, I've just realised something after reading your comment. I was listening to this lesson while driving home from work and wasn't fully switched on. I had been under the impression this guy was talking to a staff member [stranger] in a department store and getting suggestions for a gift to buy there, and that the twist that often appears in these dialogues at the end in this case was that she'd suggested something that led him to take his business elsewhere..the post office. I guess the suprise at the end was instead that he has a girlfriend already and then turns around and calls this girl 美女. I see now that at the very start she addresses him by name [missed that] so they're not strangers. Ok, so in China it's not used between strangers but rather good friends, right?

]]> <![CDATA[By: trevorb]]> Bababardwan: Doesn't really matter if it did or didn't that's a helpful picture for getting it to stick in the mind..... :-)

]]> Bababardwan: Doesn't really matter if it did or didn't that's a helpful picture for getting it to stick in the mind..... :-)

]]>