User Comments - tvan
tvan
Posted on: Which friend?
December 20, 2008 at 8:34 PMgarfaldo, the traditional PDF's are generated using some sort of automated translation script. There are oftensmall errors such as the one here. 亁 versus 幹 versus 干 is another common one. I think it's partly due to the consolidation of a number of traditional characters into one simplified character.
Not sure about the missing 雙 you found on the other thread. I don't recall running into a missing character before.
Posted on: Learning the Lei Feng Song
December 20, 2008 at 6:17 AMDid Lei Feng exist? I don't know. However, many countries have founding myths that, in retrospect, are constructed of whole cloth. In the U.S. it's George Washington and his cherry tree (ironically, a lie). The Romans had Romulus and Remus... etc. etc. They're still nice stories.
Changye, actually, I was somewhat touched by the Hachiko story.
Posted on: Learning the Lei Feng Song
December 18, 2008 at 8:34 PMWell, I'm not native Chinese, but I sympathise with xigua2's comments re: culture. Maoism was an aberration in Chinese culture, which is now reverting back to center. At the same time, Maoism's historical significance cannot be denied and, as such, it seems a worth lesson topic, regardless of one's personal likes and dislikes. Its effects are still felt.
Also, to quibble, I don't believe China has ever claimed to be communist; rather, as I understand affairs, the claim is that China is socialist being guided towards communism by the Communist Party.
Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 6: Up-and-Comer in the Office
December 16, 2008 at 12:35 PMIf I can add my own feedback on darylk's comment, I'm not sure where you draw the line, but obviously the the newer the student, the less likely he/she is to gain an advantage from lots of new expansion terms.
However, in Upper-Intermediate and Advanced lessons, I often draw my most useful phrases from expansion sentences and enjoy the challenge of new vocabulary.
Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 6: Up-and-Comer in the Office
December 15, 2008 at 3:18 AMHmmm, 周俊， 你说你要吴刚了解市场的需求，但我理解你的意思！
Posted on: Understanding 了解 (Liǎojiě) and 理解 (Lǐjiě)
December 15, 2008 at 12:24 AMCassielin, 谢谢你。 你很了解我们的错误！
Posted on: The Olympics
December 14, 2008 at 5:11 PMParalympics -残奥会/殘奧會/Cánaòhùi. 残/殘 means disabled and, of course, 奥会 is an abbreviated form of 奥运会/奧運會。
Posted on: Understanding 了解 (Liǎojiě) and 理解 (Lǐjiě)
December 14, 2008 at 3:52 PMExcalibur, I heard differently on these sentences:
1. 他是我的铁哥儿。他非常了解我. (No 们）
5. 有的时候，我比较郁闷。什么事都不想做。但是她很理解我。所以她不会生我的气。
7. 我他了解他。（我知到他喜欢吃什么做，他的性格。）
8. 我很理解他。（比如说他做一件事情，那我理解他为什么这么做。）（我理解他的性格。）÷
How about the sentence pattern on #7? "我他了解他." Is that correct?
On PDF's, I'm a big fan of just listening. I think trying to do what Excalibur did (i.e. transcribing the lesson), and then either looking at the PDF or waiting for Connie would be a good study technique. This is how I study lower-level (for me) lessons.
Posted on: Gifts and Groups!
December 14, 2008 at 3:15 PM新闻/News is an excellent, informative group. I sometimes wonder how the rest of us could help out, but that might wind up with "news overload."
misterjess, isn't Monterey Park/Little Taipei the largest Chinatown in the U.S.? It certainly seems to be the largest Mandarin-speaking one.
Posted on: Learning the Lei Feng Song
December 22, 2008 at 1:59 PMIt's an old, dated book. but Red Star Over China, by Edgar Snow is a good primary English source. It includes interviews with Mao and is generally sympathetic to his views.
I think Snow would have liked the Lei Feng song.