User Comments - PeonyM

Posted on: Obsession with mobile games 沉迷游戏──不能自拔

Thanks for the questions. 

1, 泥泞 should be ni2 ning4. So the host made a mistake in the pronunciation. Thanks for pointing that out. 

2, As said in the audio discussion, 乱 means chaotic and disordered; 象 is a phenomenon or situation. Together it means 混乱的现象. We often use this word to describe some social problems, for example, 媒体乱象、社会乱象.

Posted on: Job Hopping 另谋高就──闪辞

夯实和巩固都是加固、打牢的意思，事实上，这两个词经常连在一起，作为一个四字词来使用：夯实巩固基础。

夯实的重点在于“实”，使东西变得更加结实、实在，可以理解为加大密度。

巩固的重点在于“固”--坚固稳定，不晃动。

比如说，我在为考试复习的时候，逐字逐句地重新阅读课本，加深理解，就是在“夯实”基础；重新记背重要的知识点就是在“巩固”知识，“巩固”只能用在已经掌握、了解的东西上面。

Posted on: Job Hopping 另谋高就──闪辞

比如 and 譬如 have very similar meanings and usages. Both mean to list examples.

譬如 also means to make a metaphor. it is used in formal and written occasions, or sometimes in poems: 譬如朝露--man's life is just like morning dew. 

比如 is more often used in spoken language. 我们每天要吃很多蔬菜，比如说白菜、空心菜等等。

Posted on: Jack Ma’s retirement 功成身退──接任马云：创造者张勇和他所改变的阿里巴巴

An interesting question! 

节选 means to choose or to cite partially from a full article or a book. We often combine it with prepositions like 自 (from), like "节选自诗集"--excerpt from a collection of poems. 

选择 is a verb which means to choose. We can directly add either verb or noun after it. 选择 can also be a noun, which means choice. 

Posted on: Are reserved seats REALLY reserved? 坐立不安──高铁霸坐

Hi, for the two words, actually we can see both in daily life. It's good to point out the difference: 座 is a noun, which means 座位; whilst 坐 is a verb, which means to sit. So we can understand 占座 as "霸占座位"--verb plus noun; or 占坐--a combination of two verbs. 

But 占座 is more formal and more frequently used than 占坐. I hope this helps, and I'm sorry for the inconsistency in the dialogue.  

Posted on: 网络语言心照不宣；入学陈述舞弊造假

“曝”是一个多音字，确实有pù和bào两个读音。在“曝光”一词中应该读作bào;在“曝晒”一词中读pù，指“用强烈阳光照晒”。

不过，“曝光”这个词的读音是有地区差异的，在港台地区可能会经常听到pù guāng, 但是在中国大陆标准的读法应该是bào guāng, 这在新闻媒体当中经常可以听到。

Posted on: 网络语言心照不宣；入学陈述舞弊造假

心照不宣 means that It’s understood. As explained in the vocabulary, this phrase means a tacit mutual understanding that you don’t have to say it and others will understand. 

In this situation, the speaker thinks that they both understand and therefore no need to say it out. But obvious the other person didn't understand it that way, so we can also argue that the other person misunderstood.  

I think the expansion translation is fine but we might need to refer to the translation in vocabulary to fully understand the idiom. Indeed, it's very hard to achieve 心照不宣.

Posted on: Ways to use 倒。 你倒是试试呀──“倒”的用法

感谢你的问题。

你的判断是正确的，在这个句子里，确实是第二种情况：与预期相反，意思和“反而”类似。在对话里，这个“倒”也是第四声。

只是目前系统没有办法给单字添加多个读音，所以我们只好先把两种读音都列出来，与此同时我们也在研究如何给不同情况分别注音。

Posted on: Mobile payments in China 移动支付遍布中国

In the audio, the host said that 不时 two meanings, one is 经常, the other is 不确定的时间. I think 时不时 (from time to time) definitely has the first meaning, but I'm not so sure if it also has the second meaning. Like in the word 不时之需, 不时 cannot be interchangeable with 时不时 here. 

Yes, 诧异 and 震惊 have very similar meanings! In fact, we often use two words together to emphasize the feeling of surprise. But 诧异 focuses more on 异--confused; 震惊 focuses more on 惊--astonished or shocked. 

Very good questions and I hope this helps!

Posted on: In the red 入不敷出—收入不够开支

1，“体”是身体，“质”可以理解为特质或者性质。

It's a concept of Chinese Medicine. It can be translated as physique, or physical conditions and features. We can say, for example, 体质虚弱, 过敏体质 (check this: https://chinesepod.com/lessons/misfortune-from-our-mouths-%E7%A5%B8%E4%BB%8E%E5%8F%A3%E5%85%A5%E2%94%80%E2%94%80%E7%AE%A1%E4%BD%8F%E5%98%B4%E5%B7%B4

When we say "工作狂体质“ or ”购物狂体质“，we were improvising on its meaning. It's almost like workaholic or shopaholic is an innate physical trait of the body. 

2, Yes, 剁手 can be used as a verb which means to buy. It expresses a sense of regret which makes you want to cut off your hands to stop shopping. 

We can say 我今天又剁手了一个名牌包包。