User Comments - tvan

Posted on: Summer at ChinesePod

@henning, Hah, I was about to say the same thing, but was afraid of offending.  However, with @mark playing the classic "whatever works" American stereotype, all we need now is a Japanese poddie to suggest releasing smaller, efficient, more frequent lessons to complete the stereotype.

I don't think you need to complete the lessons in the order released.  You can always (gasp!) study lessons from the prior week.  In fact, I have a feeling from the occasional comment on older lessons that many poddies do exactly this.  However, actively posting poddies (i.e. the ones you see here) prefer to study just-released lessons, since that is when posting is the most active.  That said, I'm with @Mark's "whatever" attitude re: lesson release; and I'm with Henning re: a proper, fixed schedule for News and Features; and I'm with @archtipol in that I would miss N&F if it were discontinued.

Posted on: Introduction to Pinyin

@changye, you often see children (and sometimes adults) mix bopomopo and characters in Taiwan in the same fashion.  Must be a feature of a character-based language.

re: phonetic components, as pointed out above, these are unreliable and, hence, serve best as memorization aids.  However, if you know a character is simplified, it's a pretty good bet that it's got a phonetic component.

Posted on: Pin Number

bingge, one way to say debit card is 借记卡

Posted on: 沙漠寻踪三

Changye thanks for the "smarts" part.  That was the part I was missing.  Pete, thx for taking the time to point out the subtleties of the phrasing.

Posted on: 沙漠寻踪三

请问,　在那句　expansion　sentence, "運氣背的時候，做甚麼都不順心，連喝涼水都會塞牙縫", 我不太明白　"塞牙縫"　的意思.　我知道它字面的翻译是　"stuck between the teeth,"  但我不太清楚细微的用法.　

Posted on: Funny Business, Part Two

因为会计师有不少的规定和指导方针, 所以很多人以为是个科学. 说是在做个会计师镇是个艺术. 现在我是个总经理,但以前我二十多年当公司的会计师. 对这个课程, 我感觉最逼真的就是那个老板要 "打擦边球." 不过在美国没有人会那样威胁人. 比较平常的是你的老板说，

“I'm not an accountant, so I can't argue accounting with you.  But I know that a good accountant could make these sales figures hit the target.  I also know that there are lots of good accountants in this company."

我不会用中文写上面的引述，可是上面的是我真真的经验。 在学校的个案研究的话，你当然马上辞职，可是那时候我有两个孩子，两个汽车，一所房子，一位怀孕的太太... 虽然不用我老板的方式 （太非法的）但是以保护公司和保护自己的家庭，我就打擦边球。

Posted on: What's Your Surname?

@xueny brought up a question regarding addressing a woman as 太太。 I have been told that, first, this is considered rude and, second, it is usually reserved as a form of address to one's wife.  Is this correct?  I commonly address men as 先生 sometimes when, for example, asking for directions.  Nobody's gotten offended, though they might be just making allowances.

In some situations, for example at an English corner, if I am talking to a young lady, I encourage her to call me 爷爷, 叔叔，or something along those lines.  It seems to establish a "boundary," that makes conversation more comfortable.  However, that's totally instinctive on my part, so I'm not sure if my reasoning is correct.

Posted on: Hot Pot

So hot pot originated in Sichuan?  That is fitting, I think, since Sichuan has the hottest hot pot (both figuratively and literally) that I have tasted.  I remember in Chongqing being served a type of live fish that jumped around in the 麻辣烫 until they either died from the boiling or the spices.  Certainly a fish atrocity, but a delicious one nonetheless.

I have only eaten Cantonese and Sichuan hot pot; there must be other styles.  Anyone have any stories?  What is Shandong hot pot like?  Also, if you can handle the preparation, hot pot is a good cold weather camping dish.

Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 11: Wang in the Doghouse

joshtt, your translation is correct, though both characters obviously have different meanings than the ones you inferred.  妓女 is one of many words for prostitute.

Posted on: Pregnancy Series 6: Shopping for the Newborn

@wchan, 不是每一个人说你在留言板　"抛垃圾."　　那是一两位人的意见.　你拿到博士吗?

孩子小的时候,　我们也用尿布,可是我用的是　"diaper service," 所以不用洗,　算了又方便有保护环境.　可是我孩子以上一岁半,　因为当时l拉得太厉害,　因此我们开始用尿不湿.