Mark Rowswell is a famous Canadian performer, but don’t worry if his name doesn’t ring any bells. He is mostly famous in China, and mostly known by his stage name: Dashan (大山 Dàshān, literally means big mountain).

After studying Chinese in a Canadian university, Rowswell continued his Chinese language studies in Beijing University. His knowledge of the language and his comedian skills soon made him a star in the Chinese media.

His first performance in the Chinese television was during his first years in China, while he was still a Chinese language student. In November 1988 he was invited to take part in a comedic skit on national television during the CCTV New Years’ Gala, a variety program broadcast to an estimated audience of 550 million people. He became an overnight star all over China.

Nowadays Dashan lives in the middle kingdom and works as an actor, host and comedian. His passion and love for the Chinese language and culture made him a cultural ambassador between China and the west.

Let’s take a look into the first skit of Dashan. It’s a bit long, but actually use simple language:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j7E78IqkmA&list=PLDeXaeN3UCCeUdTVznQO4RdhsNi4WTgMa

说这个笑话呢，来自于台湾。这个有一个小孩儿大概七，八岁。问他爸爸，说爸爸什么叫生气？什么叫愤怒？什么叫发疯？什么叫哭笑不得？这爸爸一听，怎么回这么一个问题呀?哎，这还不好解释呢。干脆，我给你演示一下，哎，对了！我一演示，你就明白了。他呢拿起了电话，随便拨打了一个电话号码。

对方一接，挺礼貌的：“你好，这里是林公馆。请问，您找谁？”

爸爸说了：“我找周润发”

“哦，我们这是林公馆。请问，您找哪位呀？”

“麻烦您帮我找一下周润发”

“你是不是没听清楚的，我们这儿是林公馆”

“您无论如何帮我找一下周润发，好不好？”

“你是不是板桥出来的呀？” 就给他挂了。

爸爸说：“你看，对方现在在生气。那么什么叫愤怒呀，我再给你演示一下”。 拿起了电话，还是拨打这个电话号码。

对方一接：“你好，这里是林公馆。请问，您找谁？”

“我找周润发”

“你什么毛病呀！我们这是林公馆，你听清楚了没有？”

“麻烦您帮我找一下周润发，好不好？”

这回对方用了一句台湾话：“找你娘的头！”

爸爸说：“你看，现在对方在愤怒。那么什么叫发疯，我再给你演示一下”。拿起了电话，还是拨打这个电话号码。

这回对方可生气：“我跟你说，这叫骚扰，你知儿道吗？你要是再敢打这个电话，我要叫警察了”

爸爸非常平静的说：“您好，请问， 这是林公馆吗？”

“哎唷，对不起，对不起，非常抱歉，非常抱歉。因为刚才来了几个骚扰电话，我以为又是一个，非常抱歉，非常抱歉。哎，请问，您找谁？”

“我找周润发”

爸爸说：“你看，对方现在在发疯。那么什么叫 哭笑不得，我再给你演示一下”。拿起了电话，还是拨打这个电话号码。

这回对方更生气了：“我跟你说，我现在就要叫警察，我跟你说没完了！”

爸爸非常平静的说：“你好，我是周润发。请问，有人找我吗？”

爸爸轻轻地把电话放下，说：“对方在哭笑不得”

Shuō zhège xiàohuà ne, láizì yú táiwān. Zhège yǒu yīgè xiǎo hái’ér dàgài qī, bā suì. Wèn tā bàba, shuō bàba shénme jiào shēngqì? Shénme jiào fènnù? Shénme jiào fāfēng? Shénme jiào kūxiàobùdé? Zhè bàba yī tīng, zěnme huí zhème yīgè wèntí ya? Āi, zhè hái bù hǎo jiěshì ne. Gāncuì, wǒ gěi nǐ yǎnshì yīxià, āi, duìle! Wǒ yī yǎnshì, nǐ jiù míngbáile. Tā ne ná qǐle diànhuà, suíbiàn bōdǎle yīgè diànhuà hàomǎ.

Duìfāng yī jiē, tǐng lǐmào de:“Nǐ hǎo, zhèlǐ shì lín gōngguǎn. Qǐngwèn, nín zhǎo shuí?”
Bàba shuōle:“Wǒ zhǎo zhōurùnfā”
“ó, wǒmen zhè shì lín gōngguǎn. Qǐngwèn, nín zhǎo nǎ wèi ya?”
“Máfan nín bāng wǒ zhǎo yīxià zhōurùnfā”
“nǐ shì bùshì méi tīng qīngchǔ de, wǒmen zhè’er shì lín gōngguǎn”
“nín wúlùn rúhé bāng wǒ zhǎo yīxià zhōurùnfā, hǎobù hǎo?”
“Nǐ shì bùshì bǎn qiáo chūlái de ya?” Jiù gěi tā guàle.
Bàba shuō:“Nǐ kàn, duìfāng xiànzài zài shēngqì. Nàme shénme jiào fènnù ya, wǒ zài gěi nǐ yǎnshì yīxià”. Ná qǐle diànhuà, háishì bōdǎ zhège diànhuà hàomǎ.
Duìfāng yī jiē:“Nǐ hǎo, zhèlǐ shì lín gōngguǎn. Qǐngwèn, nín zhǎo shuí?”
“Wǒ zhǎo zhōurùnfā”
“nǐ shénme máobìng ya! Wǒmen zhè shì lín gōngguǎn, nǐ tīng qīngchǔle méiyǒu?”
“Máfan nín bāng wǒ zhǎo yīxià zhōurùnfā, hǎobù hǎo?”
Zhè huí duìfāng yòngle yījù táiwān huà:“Zhǎo nǐ niáng de tóu!”
Bàba shuō:“Nǐ kàn, xiànzài duìfāng zài fènnù. Nàme shénme jiào fāfēng, wǒ zài gěi nǐ yǎnshì yīxià”. Ná qǐle diànhuà, háishì bōdǎ zhège diànhuà hàomǎ.
Zhè huí duìfāng kě shēngqì:“Wǒ gēn nǐ shuō, zhè jiào sāorǎo, nǐ zhī er dào ma? Nǐ yàoshi zài gǎn dǎ zhège diànhuà, wǒ yào jiào jǐngchále”
bàba fēicháng píngjìng de shuō:“Nín hǎo, qǐngwèn, zhè shì lín gōngguǎn ma?”
“Āi yō, duìbùqǐ, duìbùqǐ, fēicháng bàoqiàn, fēicháng bàoqiàn. Yīnwèi gāngcái láile jǐ gè sāorǎo diànhuà, wǒ yǐwéi yòu shì yīgè, fēicháng bàoqiàn, fēicháng bàoqiàn. Āi, qǐngwèn, nín zhǎo shuí?”
“Wǒ zhǎo zhōurùnfā”
bàba shuō:“Nǐ kàn, duìfāng xiànzài zài fāfēng. Nàme shénme jiào kūxiàobùdé, wǒ zài gěi nǐ yǎnshì yīxià”. Ná qǐle diànhuà, háishì bōdǎ zhège diànhuà hàomǎ.
Zhè huí duìfāng gēng shēngqìle:“Wǒ gēn nǐ shuō, wǒ xiànzài jiù yào jiào jǐngchá, wǒ gēn nǐ shuō méi wánliǎo!”

Bàba fēicháng píngjìng de shuō:“Nǐ hǎo, wǒ shì zhōurùnfā. Qǐngwèn, yǒurén zhǎo wǒ ma?”
Bàba qīng qīng de bǎ diànhuà fàngxià, shuō:“Duìfāng zài kūxiàobùdé”

 

I think it’s hilarious. This crosstalk is not only funny, but is also a good opportunity for us to delve into the differences between four Chinese phrases describing anger and irritation: 生气，愤怒，发疯，哭笑不。

 

生气 Shēngqì

Meaning: take offence, get angry.

For example:

1） 他生气的时候对谁都不理睬。

Tā shēngqì de shíhòu duì shuí dōu bù lǐcǎi.

When he is angry he ignores every one.

2） 他很爱面子,有一次我跟他开了个玩笑话，他就一直生我的气。

Tā hěn àimiànzi, yǒu yīcì wǒ gēn tā kāile gè wánxiào huà, tā jiù yīzhí shēng wǒ de

qì.

He is very proud. I made a joke once, and he is still angry with me since than.

3） 他常无缘无故生气。

Tā cháng wúyuán wúgù shēngqì.

He often gets angry over nothing.

 

 愤怒 Fènnù

Meaning: indignant, angry, wrathful.

For example:

1） 愤怒的小鸟。

Fènnù de xiǎo niǎo.

Angry Birds (the video game).

2） 大家对他的行为感到无比愤怒。

Dàjiā duì tā de xíngwéi gǎndào wúbǐ fènnù.

Everyone was supremely angry at his behavior.

3） 他愤怒地说不出话来。

Tā fènnù de shuō bu chū huà lái.

Indignation bereft him of speech.

4） 电视台收到许多愤怒的观众的投诉。

Diànshìtái shōu dào xǔduō fènnù de guānzhòng de tóusù.

The television station got lots of irate complaints from viewers.

 

发疯 Fāfēng

Meaning: go mad, become insane, lose one’s mind.

For example:

1） 他觉得自己简直要发疯了。

Tā juédé zìjǐ jiǎnzhí yào fāfēngle.

He felt he was about to go crazy.

2） 小孩的母亲急得发疯了。

Xiǎohái de mǔqīn jí dé fāfēngle.

The mother of the child was crazy with worry.

 

哭笑不得 Kūxiàobùdé

Meaning: do not know whether to cry or to laugh, find something both funny and annoying.

For example:

1） 他很调皮，常常弄得大家哭笑不得。

Tā hěn tiáopí, chángcháng nòng dé dàjiā kūxiàobùdé.

He is very naughty, often makes us all amused and saddened at the same time.

2） 看到他那副狼狈相，真叫我哭笑不得。

Kàn dào tā nà fù lángbèi xiāng, zhēn jiào wǒ kūxiàobùdé.

Looking at his sorry state, I didn’t know whether to cry or to laugh.

3） 小时候的我总是喜欢问为什么，一连好几个为什么，弄得爸爸哭笑不得。

Xiǎoshíhòu de wǒ zǒng shì xǐhuān wèn wèishéme, yīlián hǎojǐ gè wèishéme, nòng

dé bàba kūxiàobùdé.

When I was a kid, I kept asking why. I could ask why after why after why, causing

my dad amuse and irritation simultaneously.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iailMSUVenA