User Comments - mark
mark
Posted on: Driving in China
December 6, 2011 at 4:08 AM虽然我在美国有三十多年的驾龄长，在中国我还是不敢开车。
Posted on: Red Envelopes During the Spring Festival
December 4, 2011 at 3:26 PM红包 indeed seem to be deeply ingrained in the culture. Laici (spelling?) is one of the few Cantonese words that my wife learned as a child (she is fourth generation).
Posted on: 穿越
December 1, 2011 at 5:17 AMbababardwan, you aren't the only one afflicted. I think the Cpod techies need to fix something before we can enjoy this lesson.
BTW, I was able to access the lesson dialog mp3. There is no explanation, but it seems to be a not very difficult advanced lesson. So, you might be able to get something out of it that way.
Here is the response I get on the other content:
AccessDeniedAccess DeniedBF2588815393D92BuXFA9duU5jF4o8mpMDaGdXhEdciC3EwrqwhBYYPSaz1rWtmbnGEKlSzHeL9aFICZ
It is probably a permissions issue at s3.
Posted on: Taking the Train to Beijing
November 29, 2011 at 4:11 AMConversely, I have many times had the experience of looking up a word in MDGB only to get a blank stare when I try to use it in conversation with a native speaker. (consider the definition of 身世， for example. MDGB says it is "life experience". In a recent lesson, Jenny was quite emphatic that it was "parentage". I trust Jenny to know her own language.)
I probably stated my definition of standard imprecisely. If most native speakers accept a way of saying something as well formed, I think it is standard.
Posted on: Taking the Train to Beijing
November 28, 2011 at 2:16 AMWell, children learn their mother tongue without recourse to a dictionary. I sometimes do misunderstand things, but that happens to me in English, too. I too use MDBG, but I have found that their definitions are sometimes misleading. So, I take them with a grain of salt. I do have a 家教, but it is because Chinesepod is not a substitute for actual speaking practice, rather than that there is something wrong with cpod's materials. BTW, I never speak English with my 家教。 We often discuss the meaning of words, but all of the conversation is in Chinese.
I haven't paid that much attention to what is officially standard, but if most the native speakers that I interact with understand me, I think it is standard enough.
I do sometimes get conflicting advise from various teachers. A friend from Taiwan will suggest I say something one way, a net friend in Shenzhen will suggest a different way, another person, who lives further north, will suggest a third way.
Posted on: Taking the Train to Beijing
November 27, 2011 at 4:47 AMPersonally, I think both of the examples you cited are reasonable translations. Chinese often omits things that are obvious from context. Trying to produce word-for-word translations of sentences is going to be a frustrating exercise (take 不好意思 for example). Often there isn't a direct correspondence. I picked up using 那 as "then" or "so" from somewhere. I'm pretty sure it has that kind of meaning. Then again, I very seldom even look at the English translations. I only do so, if I am completely stuck and need a hint about the meaning of something. It is easier for me to understand Chinese without thinking about the corresponding English. I get less of a "word salad soup" feeling that way;
Posted on: Essential Math Terms
November 26, 2011 at 7:24 PMI think the "saved by the gong" crew should come back for a calculus course.
Posted on: How to Eat a Hairy Crab
November 22, 2011 at 4:41 AMI'm not sure how you tell with a crab.
Posted on: 虎妈狼爸
December 8, 2011 at 3:15 AM@Jenny, we indeed have a saying, "spare the rod, and spoil the child". It used to be taken seriously, but now it is either said jokingly, or to illustrate that someone's child rearing meathods are behind the times. At least, that is how it is used in the US. It probably came from Britian, and I imagine had a similar evolution.