User Comments - Tal

Posted on: Kaixin Wang Farm Thieves

Okiedoke compagnero, no budging requests from me!

Actually, just been thinking how cute appropriate funny it is just how many British accents you hear in Star Wars. I mean there's all the Death Star officers and crew right, from (the late great) Peter Cushing down? I was about to try making a link between a British accent and a penchant for ruthless empire building (lol), but then there's Obi-Wan of course.

Oh dear,

Posted on: Kaixin Wang Farm Thieves

I'm still relishing this quote from isiz3245

I think that perhaps since English isn't America's native language...

It's not? (Not that I'm disagreeing of course.) So what is? Cherokee?

@xiaophil - hey dude, I'm sure it'll come as no surprise to you that I've loved Carrie Fisher's voice all my life! But... didn't she have a British accent in Star Wars?!? Well... some of the time!

Posted on: Kaixin Wang Farm Thieves

Actually there is a Chinese version of Wikipedia, but I think it's quite likely they have to toe the line.

I'm reluctant to head off topic into the choppy waters of discussing Chinese internet censorship, but in answer to your question Sebire I'd say it's six of one and half a dozen of the other.

Posted on: Kaixin Wang Farm Thieves

A warm welcome then to ousijia, long may you speak the English bits of Audio Review MP3s! (I can't remember the last time I enjoyed hearing those bits so much, you actually made me feel a little homesick.)

I'm sure you've got a divine voice too Sarah, you're English, how could you not?

Simon, perhaps this edition of 请问 might be of interest.

Posted on: Kaixin Wang Farm Thieves

  A pertinent observation undoubtedly, my friend.

Not myself having been born within the sound of Bow Bells however, I have no suitable rejoinder. I shall merely drift into a pleasant reverie, like Wordsworth on his couch thinking of the daffodils, dig out my Elgar MP3s, softly murmuring a nice bit of Blake as the orchestra strikes up.

Posted on: Kaixin Wang Farm Thieves

Could that possibly be suxiaoya? What a divine voice, why have we not heard it before?? 

British English is the most beautiful in the world of course, as all my own students know.

Posted on: Funny Business 5

Ha!   I just got this thing working, and it is so cool!

Thanks again RJ, it is worth the effort.

Perhaps at times I'm just too impatient, generally I can't be bothered spending time figuring out stuff like this, (often I can't get it to work and I consider it wasted time.)

But if you follow the instructions exactly, it works!!

Worth it just for the Expansion sentence MP3 alone, never mind all the other stuff! Way to go!

Posted on: Turn Right, Turn Left

Well miantiao, I hope you're right about that premium thing, 我手头也不富裕！

Posted on: Funny Business 5

Sounds great! I'm a Firefox user, and I never change the cog wheel settings from the default! I like the idea of having the expansion sentences just by themselves, played twice. Occasionally (when I can be bothered I'll edit the Audio Review MP3 to get that, but this sounds much more convenient, thanks for mentioning it!)

Posted on: Turn Right, Turn Left

But there is something else deeply cultural that I am trying to get at here - when I say Deng Xiaoping I try to get it exactly right out of respect for the language.  When a Chinese person says a transliterated Western name it is often said with a smile - the message seems to be 'doesn't that sound funny'?  What do you think?

I'm afraid you're simply reminding me of the recent exchanges we had about Chinese attitudes to foreigners and foreign culture.

As for transliterations of foreign names, I've noticed that for the most part Chinese people greatly prefer them to trying to pronounce the foreign name correctly. (They usually will not even recognize the 'foreign' version, however similar it is to the transliteration.)

For example, every year I try (in a small way) to introduce my students to Charles Darwin. I'll begin with an exercise in which the name 'Darwin' is mentioned. "Who was Darwin?" I'll then ask. "Have you heard of him?"

Usually for many long moments, every face is blank. Then a look of understanding will appear on the face of a bright spark, who will say something like:
"哦，达尔文。 "   Then they all begin murmuring 达尔文 until they all get it.

"That's right," I'll follow up. "Charles Darwin. Heard of him?"
"Yes," someone will say. "达尔文。"

"In the west we call him 'Darwin'," I'll follow up. "Try and say the name 'Darwin'."

"达尔文，达尔文," they all say.
"No, 'Darwin'," from me.

Finally the few bright sparks with a look of amusement will finally try and pronounce it properly, the rest just look blank, at which point I give up and move on to the next point.