User Comments - tvan
tvan
Posted on: Washing Dishes
August 31, 2009 at 2:29 PMusr26089, I believe the CPod mostly relies upon a automated conversion.It must be a standard feature of the automated translation protocols. I use a couple of other programs to drill in the both character sets and have noticed the same thing with the water radical.
Still, as you point out, 三点水 vs. 两点水is a tiny mistake. (Can't think of any examples where the use of one or the other changes a word's meaning.) I've seen a lot worse with the character 干。 For example 干净 rendered as 幹淨。
Posted on: Opening a Meeting
August 31, 2009 at 11:32 AM在美国演说的时候, 人们常常先开玩笑或讲段故事. 中国有没有这种的惯例?
Posted on: The Jenny Zhu Show
August 30, 2009 at 12:14 PMI just re-upped my premium subscription which, coincidentally, came due last week in August, so I was able to take advantage of the promotion. I renewed it on Tuesday or Wednesday (i.e. 8/25), received an e-mail quite quickly, responded and, on Thursday, received a call from a CPod counsellor. My needs assessment started in English, then switched to Chinese mostly covering my background (e.g. years of study), areas of interest, hobbies, etc.
Obviously, I can't offer any testimonials/blanket condemnations yet. However, the process seemed professional and well-organized.
Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 14: The Finale
August 30, 2009 at 12:02 PM只送一个劳力士手表给他们. 没有人介意.
Posted on: Funny Business 4 -- Farewell, Xiao Zhao
August 20, 2009 at 3:35 AM有没有人知道, 大陆的国有公司还用马克思的会计制度? 我指导私营公司用国际的会计制度, 但不知道国有的还怎么样.
Posted on: Earlier and Later than Expected: 才and 就
August 16, 2009 at 11:25 PM@clairbauer, until a more advanced learner comes along, I'll embarass myself and take a stab at your question.
To my internal translator "现在才六点， 别起床" and ”現在就六點，別起牀“ have almost identical meanings. Maybe someone else has a different opinion.
Posted on: What's Your Job?
August 16, 2009 at 12:37 AMThanks Changye... and wuttae for the question. My dictionary had 值班, but no context.
Posted on: What's Your Job?
August 15, 2009 at 7:47 PM@wuttae, 值班人员/ZhíBànRénYuán means on duty worker. I am not familiar with the exact phrase in Chinese, but a brief perusal of the web indicates that it would be used in an official sense such as a police officer, a guard, or a sentry being "on duty."
Posted on: SBTG: Sun Yatsen
August 14, 2009 at 1:14 PM@Changye, very perceptive. I do think that 孙中山 borrowed ideas, then adapt them to Chinese culture. In fact, so did 毛泽东 (i.e. adapting Marxism to an agrarian society).
However, the current usage (有中国特色的社会主义) is, as you say, disingenuous.
Posted on: Washing Dishes
August 31, 2009 at 4:52 PMHello Henning,
Actually, Henning, you are right. My Far Eastern (traditional) dictionary lists the 三點水 flavor as proper. But I have an old John DeFrancis textbook that definitely lists the 兩點. Personally, I've seen both forms used. A quick Google turned up the following: