Archive for September, 2009
Geography Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 30, 2009
The other day I was talking with a friend and the topic of 地理 (geography) came up. He was very quick to 坦率地承认 (frankly admit) that he didn’t know where 新西兰 (New Zealand) was until recently, and that he had always thought it was in 欧洲 (Europe). Better late than never, I suppose. Later, he…
Another Day, Another Border Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 27, 2009
Yesterday was another day in Hong Kong. I met up with a classmate whom I hadn’t seen for years, browsed the English book selection, and then made my decision about how I would get back to Shenzhen that night. The opportunity to 坐船 (ride a boat) won out over the other choices, and I made…
Something Neat Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 23, 2009
Hi Readers! I have a rather interesting bit of 消息 (news). I am not very 得意 (self-satisfied), nor am I 自卑 (self-abasing)- in fact I try to avoid 吹牛 (boasting) at all costs. On to the news – the other month, I was interviewed for an article which recently ran on many websites, including the…
Proverbs I Enjoy Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 21, 2009
Hello readers! Today I’d like to share a couple of my favorite idioms in Chinese. 先斩后奏 xian1zhan3hou4zou4 – act first and report afterwards. This refers to when somebody has done something without asking for permission first. It’s something like “shoot first, ask questions later.” 破釜沉舟 po4fu2chen2zhou1 – Break the Pots and Sink the Boats. This…
Phrases I Like Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 17, 2009
Hello Readers! 车到山前必有路, 船到桥头自然直 (che1 dao4 shan1qian2 bi4you3lu4, chuan2dao4qiao2tou2zi4ran2zhi2) (There must be a road for the car to go to the mountain, a boat will straighten out under a bridge)- This is a phrase kind of like “things work out in the end.” This is a phrase that I learned while studying Chinese in college…
Typhoon Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 14, 2009
It’s 台风 (typhoon) season here in southern China, and in Hong Kong the warning level has gone up to 8级 (level 8) which is when they stop airplanes from flying. It’s been 暴雨 (raining heavily) all day, which has led to 降温 (a drop in temperature). Even the most 勤劳 (arduous) people from work had…
Living in Another Country Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 10, 2009
As someone who is living in 国外 (a foreign country/abroad) , there are a lot of 生活习惯 (lifestyle habits) and 观念 (values/views) that can be 适应不了 (impossible to adjust to). Sometimes it can be in the way people 思考 (think) about certain issues, and it may come off to local people as 抱怨 (complaining), 批评(criticism)…