Archive for 'Vocabulary'
Charity in China, part 1 Posted by Transparent Language on Jul 11, 2009
It is a fairly regular occurrence that I see 乞丐 (beggars) and 要饭的 (beggars – see below) on the streets of Beijing- particularly in areas with high tourist traffic. This got me to wondering- how do people help others in China? Of course, in many cases it is 信用 (credit) which restricts individuals from getting…
Fundraising Posted by Transparent Language on Jul 8, 2009
If your company needs seed funding to make it to the next step, you need to understand the process of 筹款 (fundraising). Investors are going to be vigilant in their questioning of your 市场定位 (market position), your 目标客户群 (targeted customer group), and their 回报 (return on investment) quantified by 利息 (interest). Your best bet is…
Korea Part 1 Posted by Transparent Language on Jul 5, 2009
I wrote this post while on the 高速铁路 (high speed rail) to 釜山(Pusan). I departed from 首尔(Seoul), formerly known as 汉城 (old name for Seoul) with a friend. We have enjoyed some great 拌饭 (bibimbap) so far here. What surprises me the most in Korea is the clearly high 效率 (efficiency）of most systems, not least…
Michael Jackson Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 27, 2009
As nearly everybody in the world knows, the other day a famous 歌星 (music star) 逝世 (passed away). Yes, it was 迈克尔 杰克逊 (Michael Jackson), the creator of the record-holding best-selling 唱片 (album) in history. Nobody expected for him to 去世 (pass on) at such an early age. Thousands of 歌迷 (fans) lined up all…
Summer in Beijing Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 24, 2009
Hello readers! So these days it’s pretty hot in Beijing, reaching 40 摄氏度 (degrees Celsius), that’s 104F for people who use 华氏度 (degrees Fahrenheit). I have tried to use my 空调 (air conditioner) but to no avail, leaving me somewhat 郁闷 (melancholy). Also, in Beijing, the 空气 (air) owing in part to 污染 (pollution), can…
On Usage of Terms of Annoyance Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 21, 2009
Sometimes in 跨文化谈判 (cross-cultural negotiations) , some of the 幽默(humor) can be lost, and it can lead someone approaching the situation in a 认真 (serious/diligent) manner to be at a loss for words and unable to communicate further. Today, let’s take a look at some words that people use to express annoyance. First, there’s 烦…
Changing Jobs Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 17, 2009
How do people talk about their careers in China? Many people here work very hard, to the point where they 做牛做马 (work as hard as oxen or horses). Even so, sometimes a horse has to 跳槽 (jump stables). It is important to be as 用功 (hardworking) as they come in this economic climate. For…