User Comments - byronmeinerth
byronmeinerth
Posted on: Do You Like Shanghai?
December 21, 2011 at 4:52 PMAgreed on the issue of nature. I don't think there's much of comparison, which is partly due to the geography and climate of Shanghai compared to that of Hong Kong.
Posted on: Matchmaking in the Park
December 21, 2011 at 4:44 PM朱老师在0:44在说什么？就是不要相亲的意思，不过她也说戗啥啥啥？谢谢
请纠正我的错误。
Posted on: 就 for Emphasis
December 21, 2011 at 3:32 PM我也通常说“It is I.”或者“It's I.” 别说母语的人也许觉得听起来奇怪。在这儿写的引号不是标准，你们知道可不可以打吗？
请纠正我的错误。
Posted on: Visa Issues
December 21, 2011 at 2:50 PMJohn, as always, a great explanation here. As with many things in language, this is a good example of how both are correct, just different. I found that when I focustoo much on what is wrong or right, it can be misleading, when a better question might be what is appropriate or more commonly said.
Posted on: To Finish Something Off: Verb 好 (hǎo)
December 21, 2011 at 2:47 PM作业还没做好了，不过我更喜欢听中文播客。
请纠正我的错误。
Posted on: Please Speak Chinese
December 21, 2011 at 2:44 PMI just read this part on 钟头 and have wondered about that for a while. I've seen it written but never heard it spoken.
Posted on: An Improved Understanding of Improve
December 19, 2011 at 9:13 AM哈哈中国不但会恭维别人，而且会诚实地说话。有一次同事一听我说话，就说我的中文水平退步了。
Posted on: Flu Vaccination
December 15, 2011 at 5:00 PM谢谢！
Posted on: Do You Like Shanghai?
December 21, 2011 at 5:01 PMI should first mention that this comment is practical in nature, not political. It is also meant to be an observation, not a critique.
In English, we would rarely, if ever, write Taibei, which is what I saw for the transliteration of 台北. Because of the differing pronunciation systems in Mainland China and Taiwan, words have come into English in differing formations. Some of these, such as Peking and Canton, have changed over time to their modern forms of Beijing and Guangzhou.
After having studied some Mandarin, I'm more conscious of how I pronounce certain Chinese words in English, such as the "j" in Beijing or the first "a" in Shanghai. Even with my parents, who do not speak Chinese, I may do this. However, if I wrote Taibei with anyone, including English speakers with experience in China, I think this would strike them as the 拼音 transliteration rather than the current name of the place.
Interestingly though, a foreigner reading "Taibei" will probably pronounce the name better than if she saw "Taipei".