Mandarin From the Ground Up

Show notes:

Lesson Outline:
  1. [00:21] Intro / updates / announcements 
  2. [03:53] Magic Phrase: 櫃台負責配合客人
  3. [05:56] A ramble on tones, context, and imitation
  4. [11:52] Dialogue
  5. [14:43] Translation

Magic Phrase (4-2)
This phrase is composed entirely of words that use the 4-2 tone pair. We use it to practice identifying and then pronouncing the tones, hearing how they interact with each other in context. 

櫃台負責配合客人
Guìtái fùzé pèihé kèrén

櫃台 / guìtái / reception, front desk
負責 / fùzé / to be responsible for, to take responsibility for
配合 / pèihé / to cooperate with
客人 / kèrén / customers, guests


Transcript of the dialogue (Chinese characters only)
L：嘿，教授，你叫我過來？
P：小李，你進來。我要談談你的論文。
L：我的論文內容，你看完了嗎？
P：我看完了，你的論文主題很… 特別：「地球鳳梨種植的範圍跟價格」…
L：我知道，我知道，你好奇我的調查是怎麼進行的。
P：其實… 這麼說不如說…
L：我去年去印尼做調查，我發現印尼竟然沒有任何鳳梨！
P：不過，真正的問題更大…
L：我知道了！是數學的問題，例如鳳梨在不同季節的價格不正常。
P：不是這個…
L：這些數學問題確實很複雜，而且你知道我不太擅長數學。
P：所以我…
L：但我認為這是一個過程。我一定會克服！我會練習數學…
P：好了！夠了！問題不是數學，問題是… 鳳梨。
L：問題是鳳梨？
P：對，鳳梨這個話題，不適合作為論文題目！
L：不適合？
P：對！所以，很抱歉，我只能拒絕你目前的論文。
L：不會吧！
P：很遺憾。
L：不如…. 我就換個主題重寫！
P：你有時間嗎？怕時間不足，你的論文快到期了。
L：我可以的！我證明給你看！
P：好，那你要換什麼主題？
L：我來寫… 酪梨！「酪梨的價格地圖」… 你覺得怎麼樣？

Transcript of the dialogue (w/ pinyin and translation)
Use this as a visual listening guide, or if you want to check your tone comprehension. Tones are indicated by marks above the letters in the pinyin transliteration, as follows: (1)  ā  (2)  á  (3)  ǎ  (4)  à

  • L：嘿，教授，你叫我過來？
    • Hēi, jiàoshòu, nǐ jiào wǒ guòlái?
    • Hey, professor, you called me over?
  • P：小李，你進來。我要談談你的論文。
    • Xiǎo lǐ, nǐ jìnlái. Wǒ yào tán tán nǐ dì lùnwén.
    • Xiao Li, come in. I want to discuss your thesis.
  • L：我的論文內容，你看完了嗎？
    • Wǒ dì lùnwén nèiróng, nǐ kàn wán le ma?
    • The contents of my thesis, you finished reading it?
  • P：我看完了。你的論文主題很… 特別：「地球鳳梨種植的範圍跟價格」
    • Wǒ kàn wán le, nǐ dì lùnwén zhǔtí hěn… tèbié: 「Dìqiú fènglí zhòngzhí de fànwéi gēn jiàgé」
    • I finished reading it. The topic of your thesis is very… special: 「Earth’s pineapple growing regions: range, and prices」
  • L：我知道，我知道。你好奇我的調查是怎麼進行的。
    • Wǒ zhīdào, wǒ zhīdào. nǐ hàoqí wǒ de diàochá shì zěnme jìnxíng de.
    • I know, I know. You’re curious how I undertook my survey.
  • P：其實… 這麼說，不如說…
    • Qíshí… zhème shuō bù rú shuō
    • Actually, it would be better to say…
  • L：我去年去印尼做調查，我發現印尼竟然沒有任何鳳梨！
    • Wǒ qùnián qù yìnní zuò diàochá, wǒ fāxiàn yìnní jìngrán méiyǒu rènhé fènglí!
    • Last year I went to Indonesia to do a survey, I realized Indonesia doesn’t have any pineapples at all!
  • P：不過，真正的問題更大…
    • Bùguò, zhēnzhèng de wèntí gèng dà...
    • But, the real problem is bigger…
  • L：我知道了！是數學的問題，例如鳳梨在不同季節的價格不正常。
    • Wǒ zhīdàole! Shì shùxué de wèntí, lìrú fènglí zài bùtóng jìjié de jiàgé bù zhèngcháng.
    • I know! It’s the math problems. For example, pineapples in different seasons have abnormal prices.
  • P：不是這個…
    • Bùshì zhège…
    • It’s not this…
  • L：這些數學問題確實很複雜，而且你知道我不太擅長數學。
    • Zhèxiē shùxué wèntí quèshí hěn fùzá, érqiě nǐ zhīdào wǒ bù tài shàncháng shùxué
    • These math problems are indeed very complicated, and you know I’m not too good at math.
  • P：所以我…
    • Suǒyǐ wǒ…
    • So I…
  • L：但我認為這是一個過程。我一定會克服！我會練習數學…
    • Dàn wǒ rènwéi zhè shì yīgè guòchéng. Wǒ yīdìng huì kèfú! Wǒ huì liànxí shùxué…
    • But I believe this is a process. I will definitely overcome it! I will practice math…
  • P：好了！夠了！問題不是數學，問題是… 鳳梨。
    • Hǎole! Gòule! Wèntí bùshì shùxué, wèntí shì… fènglí.
    • Ok! Enough! The problem isn’t math, the problem is… pineapples.
  • L：問題是鳳梨？
    • Wèntí shì fènglí? 
    • The problem is pineapples?
  • P：對，鳳梨這個話題，不適合作為論文題目！
    • Duì, fènglí zhège huàtí, bùshìhé zuòwéi lùnwén tímù!
    • Yes, pineapples, this topic, it’s not suitable to be taken as a thesis topic!
  • L：不適合？
    • Bùshìhé?
    • Not suitable?
  • P：對！所以，很抱歉，我只能拒絕你目前的論文。
    • Duì! Suǒyǐ, hěn bàoqiàn, wǒ zhǐ néng jùjué nǐ mùqián dì lùnwén.
    • That’s right! So, I’m sorry, I can only reject your current thesis.
  • L：不會吧！
    • Bù huì ba! 
    • No way!
  • P：很遺憾。
    • Hěn yíhàn. 
    • It’s a pity.
  • L：不如…. 我就換個主題重寫！
    • Bùrú…. Wǒ jiù huàn gè zhǔtí chóng xiě! 
    • How about… I just change my topic and rewrite it!
  • P：你有時間嗎？怕時間不足，你的論文快到期了。
    • Nǐ yǒu shíjiān ma? Pà shíjiān bùzú, nǐ dì lùnwén kuài dào qí le.
    • Do you have time? I’m afraid there’s not enough time. Your thesis is almost due.
  • L：我可以的！我證明給你看！
    • Wǒ kěyǐ de! Wǒ zhèngmíng gěi nǐ kàn!
    • I can do it! I’ll prove it to you!
  • P：好，那你要換什麼主題？
    • Hǎo, nà nǐ yào huàn shénme zhǔtí?
    • Okay, so what thesis topic will you change to?
  • L：我來寫… 酪梨！「酪梨的價格地圖」…
    • Wǒ lái xiě… lùo lí! 「Lùo lí de jiàgé dìtú」
    • I will write about… avocados! 「Avocados, a map of prices.」

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