User Comments - pulosm

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pulosm

Posted on: The More Than One Child Policy and Taking Trains
August 12, 2008, 09:34 PM

Da2mo2,

Actually, you can say 出賣 (chu1mai4) which means "to sell out."  I am not sure about a noun though.  Also, it's not exactly the same as English.  It does have the feeling of betraying or turning your back on something, though.

Posted on: Antiperspirant in China
July 02, 2008, 12:21 AM

I stopped using antiperspirant/deodorant when then didn't have any in Taiwan.  At first, I felt like I smelt bad, but then I think my body adjusted.  Now I don't smell bad.  I think deodorant is unnecessary when you shower twice (or even once) daily.  Seriously, that stuff is toxic!!

Posted on: What is your job?
June 29, 2008, 08:30 PM

Do the Chinese have the anti-lawyer mentality so prevalent in the United States?

What about being anti-doctor?  They are the ones that make you wait an hour past your appointment time, see you for five minutes, diagnose you with something you already knew you had (i.e., you came in saying "i have a cold"), and then just prescribe you medicine.  All for a huge fee!

Posted on: What is your job?
June 29, 2008, 08:28 PM

How do you say:

"I'm a model/dancer/actor/poet and then there's my day job."

I think the "slash" part loses the humor that it has in English.  If you live in LA, this is actually the job description of half the population.  :-)

Posted on: Best Friends
June 26, 2008, 03:45 PM

Hey Punter888,

I don't drink, but I believe the word is "宿醉" (su4zui4), it literally means something "long-time drunk."

Posted on: Chinese Medicine: Acupuncture, Cupping and Scraping
June 26, 2008, 02:37 PM

Growing up in California, some of my fellow students (Chinese, or more often, Vietnamese) would come to school with red marks on their backs from scraping or cupping.  During PE, someone would notice, and there were a few times where teachers (non-Asian) would suspect child abuse. 

I don't understand using such painful methods for common colds!  Just wait it out!!  Though, I'm all for acupuncture when something is really wrong.

Posted on: Instant Noodles
June 26, 2008, 04:10 AM

Nanjing,

What difference does it make whether or not the animal itself is a carnivore?  That seems like a distinction without a difference to me...

Posted on: Good Morning!
June 25, 2008, 08:55 PM

culloose:

I just checked that site.  It's pretty awful.  I wouldn't use that.  Learn pinyin.  It is consistent if you learn all its rules.  I'm not sure I know where you can learn this, but it shouldn't be too hard to find!

Posted on: Good Morning!
June 25, 2008, 07:22 PM

"hen" (and the e and en in pinyin in general) is pronounced like "uh" in English or like the "e" in french.  So "hen" should be pronounced like "hun" (as in Atila the Hun).

Posted on: I Just.... 刚 & 刚才(gāng & gāngcái)
June 25, 2008, 05:54 PM

sballa,

Yes, you are right!  I would think of "gang1 hao3" or "gang1gang1 hao3" as "just right" (to keep in line with "gang1" as "just").

It could also be used in the sense of "just happened to be" (though, I guess that's like "just right", too)

Examples:

Wo3 dai4 de qian2 gang1hao3 ke3yi3 mai3 zhe4ben3 shu1

(I just happened to bring enough money to buy this book or I brought just enough money to buy this book)

Wen1du4 gang1hao3 chi1 ye3can1

(The temperature is just right for a picnic)

I am not good at making examples.  Sorry.

Hope this helps.