User Comments - mark
mark
Posted on: Romantic Movies and Real Life
August 21, 2012 at 3:10 AMRJ, I bet you didn't live in the SF Bay Area in the 60's and hang out with hippies.
Posted on: Romantic Movies and Real Life
August 21, 2012 at 2:32 AMMy understanding of the term "chick flick" is not how it is used here. According to my understanding, this kind of movie isn't the kind women like to watch. Rather, its a kind of movie that some men like to watch, because the women in it put on a very sexy performance, could even be pornography. It is possible that the usage has changed, though. In my experience "chick flick" was most in vogue in the 60's and 70's, and since has mostly fallen out of use.
Posted on: Sobriety Check
August 20, 2012 at 4:25 AM当然听到过，你有什么意思？
Posted on: Unique Professions (Part Two)
August 19, 2012 at 3:09 AMI assume you are talking about the community mediator job.
Posted on: The Quick, Smooth 马
August 18, 2012 at 4:14 AMSome co-workers dubbed me, 老马， which I came to like, and use as a nickname in Chinese. Anyway, this Qing Wen left out one of my favorite cheng yu, 老马识途 - the old horse knows the road. Not something I'd be immodest enough to say about myself, but I still like to know the expression exists.
Posted on: Unique Professions (Part One)
August 14, 2012 at 4:25 AMCommunists have radishes, Asians have bananas, but I am not sure what objects fit a white person who's desires belay his outward presentation. Strawberry wedding cake? Lemon snow cone? It seems like such people defy pithy description.
Posted on: 叶诗文
August 13, 2012 at 4:11 AM说实话，我不太注意奥运会，但是叶诗文拿取两块金牌的话，我就很佩服她，祝她很幸福的生活。
Posted on: Say It Again, Please
August 12, 2012 at 4:56 PMFor giving a recital of memorized material, I've usually heard it described as, 背诵。 On 念, 读 and 朗诵 my mind may be polluted by the division between pronounce, and "read aloud" in English, where you wouldn't say "pronounce this paragraph". Anyway, it seems like I have usually heard 念 used with words and phrases, and 读 or 朗诵 with sentences, paragraphs and longer, but it is possible that speakers other than the ones I am used to use 念 on longer bodies of material, and I simply, incorrectly projected the division that English makes. The existence of the word 念书 supports that hypothesis, but it isn't conclusive. It would be typical Chinese modesty to say, "I'm pronouncing words from books at XYZ school.", just like in one of the recent intermediate lessons someone was congratulated on becoming a manager and replied, "I'm barely getting enough to eat".
Maybe, "verbs for reading" would make a good Qing Wen.
PS to Bodawei, I'm afraid I don't follow every discussion thread.
Posted on: Unique Professions (Part One)
August 12, 2012 at 4:15 PMI can attest that the 水军 are active on Web sites in the U.S. Any site that allows postings has to take some precautions not to host unwanted and unpaid advertising. However, China is not the only 水军 equiped country. For example, India has its own well staffed army of these people. Even the U.S. has a 机器人水军。 The cost of living is higher here. So, one person needs automated assistance to make a living this way.
Posted on: Romantic Movies and Real Life
August 21, 2012 at 3:22 AMKong_yi, I don't know how long it will take you to get from Intermediate to UI, but I can tell you my experience. My very first ever, text included a dialog that said, it takes at least three years to speak Chinese well. That got my hopes up, and it seems like some who have lived in China three years may have achieved that, but it is taking me longer. I'd studied Chinese for almost four years, before I found Chinesepod. At that time the UI lessons were challenging, but not overwhelming. Chinesepod probably speeded my progress some, but it was another couple years before I was comfortable with the Advanced lessons.