Archive for the ‘learn Chinese’ Category

Learn Chinese -Dialogue-an air ticket and hotel- Chinese Online Class

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
在中国,你可以去旅行社或直接与航空公司联系有关你的航空旅行的事宜,不过现在有许多人直接在网上预订机票和酒店。但要切记,一些城市有多个机场,因此一定要搞清楚你的航班的起点站和终点站。
In China, you can either go to a travel agency or talk directly to an airline representative to make travel arrangements, but many people now book their flights and hotels online. Remember, however, that some cities have more than one airport, so be sure to know which airport and terminal is handling your flight.

Text
课文
nǚ hái: nín hǎo, xiān sheng, xū yào wǒ bāng máng ma?
女孩:您好,先生,需要我帮忙吗?  
Girl: Hi! Can I help you, sir?

mài kè: nǐ hǎo! wǒ xiǎng yù dìng yī zhāng xià zhōu rì sì yuè yī rì běi jīng dào shàng hǎi de jī piào.
麦克:你好!我想预订一张下周日四月一日北京到上海的机票。  
Mike: Hi! I want to book an air ticket from Beijing to Shanghai for next Sunday, April 1.

nǚ hái: qǐng shāo děng. wǒ lái bāng nín chá yī xià.
女孩:请稍等。我来帮您查一下。  
Girl: One moment, please. Let me see what’s available.

mài: wǒ xiǎng dìng shāng wù cāng, ér qiě zuì hǎo shì zǎo shàng de háng bān.
麦克:我想订商务舱,而且最好是早上的航班。  
Mike: I’d like to travel business class, and I prefer a morning flight.

nǚ hái: guó háng CA yī wǔ yī jiǔ cì háng bān, zǎo shàng jiǔ diǎn sān shífēn qǐ fēi.
女孩:国航CA1519次航班,早上九点三十分起飞。
Girl: How about CA1519 leaving at 9:30 a.m.?

mài kè: tài hǎo le. wǒ yīng gāi jǐ diǎn dào jī chǎng bǐ jiào hé shì?
麦克:太好了。我应该几点到机场比较合适?  
Mike: That’s fine. What time should I be at the airport?

nǚ hái: qī diǎn sān shí fēn kāi shǐ jiǎn piào, xiān sheng.
女孩:七点三十分开始验票,先生。  
Girl: Check-in is 7:30 a.m., sir.

mài kè: shì zhè yàng. wèi le bǎo xiǎn qǐ jiàn, wǒ zhēng qǔ qī diǎn zhōng gǎn dào jī chǎng.
麦克:是这样。为了保险起见,我争取七点钟赶到机场。  
Mike: I see. To be on the safe side, I will try and get to the airport by 7 a.m.

nǚ hái: nín yǒu xíng lǐ xū yào tuō yùn ma?
女孩:您有行李需要托运吗?  
Girl: Will you have any baggage to check?

mài kè: shì de, wǒ yǒu liǎng gè dà lǚ xíng xiāng xū yào tuō yùn.
麦克:是的,我有两个大旅行箱需要托运。  
Mike: Yes, I will. I’ll have two large suitcases.

nǚ hái: zhè shì suí shēn xíng lǐ hé tuō yùn xíng lǐ de yǒu guān guī dìng.
女孩:这是随身行李和托运行李的有关规定。  
Girl: Here are the rules related to carry-on and checked baggage.

mài kè: hǎo de. lìng wài, nǐ kě yǐ bāng wǒ zài shàng hǎi yù dìng yī jiā jiǔ diàn ma?
麦克:好的。另外,你可以帮我在上海预订一家酒店吗?  
Mike: OK. By the way, can you help me make a hotel reservation in Shanghai?

nǚ hái: dāng rán kě yǐ. zhè shì yī fèn yǒu guān shàng hǎi jiǔ diàn de xiáng xì jiè shào.
女孩:当然可以。这是一份有关上海酒店的详细介绍。  
Girl: Yes, of course. Here’s a detailed introduction to hotels there.

mài kè: xiè xie nǐ de bāng zhù!
麦克:谢谢你的帮助!  
Mike: Thanks, that’s very kind of you!


New Words
生词
预订
yù dìng: book; reserve  
机票 jī piào: air ticket  
航班 háng bān: schedule flight; flight  
机场 jī chǎng: airport  
旅行社 lǚ xíng shè: travel agency  
航空公司 háng kōng gōng sī: airline company; airlines; airways  
候机楼 hòu jī lóu: terminal building  
候机室 hòu jī shì: airport lounge  
头等舱 tóu děng cāng: first-class cabin  
商务舱 shāng wù cāng: business cabin  
经济舱 jīng jì cāng: economy cabin  
机长 jī zhǎng: captain (chief pilot)  
空姐 kōng jiě: air hostess; stewardess  
机组人员 jī zǔ rén yuán: crew members  
座位 zuò wèi: seat  
安全带 ān quán dài: seat belt  
验票 yàn piào: check in  
登机牌 dēng jī pái: boarding pass  
起飞 qǐ fēi: take off  
降落 jiàng luò: land  
行李 xíng li: baggage; luggage  
随身行李 suí shēn xíng li: carry-on baggage  
托运行李 tuō yùn xíng li: checked baggage  
规定 guī dìng: rule; regulation  
酒店 jiǔ diàn: hotel  
详细介绍 xiáng xì jiè shào: a detailed introduction  

Learn Chinese – Chinese allegories – Chinese Online Class

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

Chinese allegories
歇后语

Two-part allegorical saying (of which the first part, always stated, is descriptive, while the second part, often unstated, carries the message)

dà xiàng de bí zi – néng qū néng shēn
大象的鼻子 – 能屈能伸
Like an elephant’s nose, be able to stoop or stand erect – submit or assert oneself as the occasion requires; be adaptable to circumstances

lǎo hǔ lā chē – shéi găn (găn)
老虎拉车 – 谁敢(赶)
When a tiger pulls a cart, nobody dares to drive it. – This allegory means nobody has that great courage to do something.

sì yuè de bīng hé – kāi dòng (dòng) le
四月的冰河 – 开动(冻)了
Glaciers begin to thaw in April. – start; set in motion; put into operation. (“开动,” which means “start; set in motion; put into operation”, is a homophone for “开冻,” which means “thaw”.)

shàng xié bú yòng zhuī zi – zhēn hǎo
上鞋不用锥子 – 真(针)好
Sole a shoe without an awl – How nice; really good. (If one soles a shoe without an awl, that implies the needle s/he uses is good. “真好,” which means “how nice; really good”, is a homophone for “针好,” which means “the needle is good”.)

yī lián sān zuò miào – miào miào miào (miào miào miào)
一连三座庙 – 妙妙妙(庙庙庙)
Three temples in a row – wonderful; marvelous; excellent. (“妙,” which means “wonderful; marvelous; excellent”, is a homophone for “庙,” which means “temple”.)

gé zhe mén fèng chuī lǎ ba – míng (míng) shēng zài wài
隔着门缝吹喇叭 – 名(鸣)声在外
Blow a trumpet through a door crack – have a reputation. (“鸣声,” meaning “song or distinctive sound”, is a homophone for “名声,” which means “reputation or renown”. Thus, “鸣声在外,” meaning “the song or distinctive sound is outside”, becomes “名声在外,” meaning “have got a reputation”.)

shí tou dàn yān xián cài – yī yán (yán) nán jìn (jìn)
石头蛋腌咸菜 – 一言(盐)难尽(进)
Make pickles with stone – Literally, it’s difficult for salt to penetrate; figuratively, one cannot explain the matter in a few words; it is a long story. (“盐,” meaning “salt”, is a homophone for “言,” which means “words”; “进,” meaning “penetrate”, is a homophone for “尽,” which means “finished”. Thus, “一盐难进,” meaning “it’s difficult for salt to penetrate”, becomes “一言难尽,” meaning “one cannot explain the matter in a few words; it is a long story.”)

guān gōng dǎ pēn tì – zì wǒ chuī xū (xū)
关公打喷嚏 – 自我吹嘘(须)
Guan Yu, a general in the period of the Three Kingdoms, sneezes. – Literally, he blows his own beard (when sneezing); figuratively, self-glorification

Learn Chinese – Chinese allegories – Chinese Online Class

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011

lĕng shuǐ pào chá – wú wèi
冷水泡茶 – 无味
Make tea with unboiled water – Literally, unpleasant tasting; tasteless. Figuratively, uninteresting

gǔn shuǐ pào chá – yòu nóng yòu xiāng
滚水泡茶 – 又浓又香
Make tea with boiling water – of rich flavor; of strong fragrance or aroma

bō li bēi qī chá – kàn dào dǐ
玻璃杯沏茶 – 看到底
Infuse tea in a glass – see the bottom; see through something

bào mǐ huā qī chá – pào tāng le
爆米花沏茶 – 泡汤了
Infuse tea with pop rice – come to nothing; fall through

chá bēi lǐ fàng kuài táng – shòu mìng bù cháng
茶杯里放块糖 – 寿命不长
Put a piece of sugar in a teacup – have a short life

fú wù yuán shàng chá – hé pán tuō chū
服务员上茶 – 和盘托出
A waiter comes to serve tea – reveal everything; hold nothing back

chá hú lǐ hǎn yuān – hú (hú) nào
茶壶里喊冤 – 胡(壶)闹
Cry out about one’s grievances in a teapot – act wildly; do mischief; make trouble (The characters “胡” and “壶” share the same pronunciation in Chinese. “胡” means “wildly” and “壶” refers to “tea pot”.)

chá hú lǐ zhǔ guà miàn – nán lāo
茶壶里煮挂面 – 难捞
Cooking fine dried noodles in a teapot – difficult to get something