6 minutes reading time
(1105 words)
New Mandarin Chinese Lesson: Cultural Differences: Are They Crazy?
We're excited to announce that 席爱娜 Xi Aina (Diana) has just published "Cultural Differences: Are They Crazy?", a new Intermediate level Mandarin Chinese lesson, on Language Mentor!
Lesson Script
Are They Crazy?
Tāmen Fēngle Ma?
他们疯了吗？
A:
Today, when I went to work - encountered a very strange situation.
Jīntiān wǒ shàngbān de shíhou, pèngdào yíjiàn hěn qíguài de shì.
今天我上班的时候，碰到一件很奇怪的事。
B:
What situation?
Shénme shìqing?
什么事情？
A:
Our German boss came to Beijing - to inspect work.
Wǒmen Déguó de lǎobǎn lái Běijīng shìchá gōngzuò.
我们德国的老板来北京视察工作。
He - with regards to our work - very dissatisfied.
Tā duì wǒmen de gōngzuò hěn bù mǎnyì.
他对我们的工作很不满意。
B:
Really?
Zhēnde ma?
真的吗？
A:
Right. Today - during meeting - he - very angry.
Duì. Jīntiān kāihuì de shíhou, tā hěn shēngqì.
对。今天开会的时候，他很生气。
I've worked at the company ten years, ...
Wǒ zài gōngsī gōngzuò le shí nián, ...
我在公司工作了十年，……
never seen him so angry.
cónglái méi jiànguò tā nàme shēngqì.
从来没见过他那么生气。
B:
Oh, then you must be very nervous.
Ō, nà nǐ yídìng hěn jǐnzhāng le.
噢，那你一定很紧张了。
A:
Right. But very strange, ...
Duì. Dànshì hěn qíguài, ...
对。但是很奇怪，……
all my Chinese colleages - all - with lowered heads - laughing.
wǒ suǒyǒu de Zhōngguó tóngshì dōu zài dīzhe tóu xiào.
我所有的中国同事都在低着头笑。
Can it be - they all crazy?
Nándào tāmen dōu fēngle ma?
难道他们都疯了吗？
B:
Is it so? When your boss angry - is like what?
Shì ma? Nǐmen lǎobǎn shēngqì shí shì shénme yàng de?
是吗？你们老板生气时是什么样的？
A:
Everyone when angry - aren't all the same?
Dàjiā shēngqì de shíhou bù dōu shì yíyàng ma?
大家生气的时候不都是一样吗？
Very ferocious, just like this, like this ...
Hěn xiōng, jiù zhèyàng, zhèyàng ...
很凶，就这样，这样……
B:
Ha! ha! ha! ...
Hahaha ...
哈哈哈……
A:
How is it - you also laugh?
Nǐ zěnme yě xiào le?
你怎么也笑了？
B:
If - speaking of - your boss - use so many expressions - and body language - ...
Rúguǒ nǐmen lǎobǎn yòng zhème duō biǎoqíng hé shēntǐ yǔyán de huà, ...
如果你们老板用这么多表情和身体语言的话，……
then no wonder your Chinese colleagues laughed.
nà jiù guàibùdé nǐde Zhōngguó tóngshì xiào le.
那就怪不得你的中国同事笑了。
A:
Why? When angry, of course you'll look very fierce, ...
Wèishénme? Shēngqì de shíhou nǐ dāngrán huì kànqǐlái hěn xiōng, ...
为什么？生气的时候你当然会看起来很凶，……
furthermore you use a lot of body language to let everyone know!
érqiě nǐ yòng hěnduō shēntǐ yǔyán lái ràng dàjiā zhīdào a!
而且你用很多身体语言来让大家知道啊！
B:
But in China - if we really angry, ...
Dànshì zài Zhōngguó, rúguǒ wǒmen zhēnde shēngqì, ...
但是在中国，如果我们真的生气，……
we are expressionless, furthermore we will not speak.
wǒmen shì méiyǒu biǎoqíng de, érqiě wǒmen huì bù shuōhuà.
我们是没有表情的，而且我们会不说话。
This kind of anger - only - will make us feel afraid.
Zhèyàng de shēngqì cái huì ràng wǒmen juéde hàipà.
这样的生气才会让我们觉得害怕。
Your boss's - that kind of manner - will just make us feel it's funny.
Nǐ lǎobǎn de nèizhǒng yàngzi zhǐ huì ràng wǒmen juéde hěn hǎowán.
你老板的那种样子只会让我们觉得很好玩。
A:
Oh, really?
Ō, zhēnde ma?
哦，真的吗？
No wonder - usually when I get angry at the company ...
Guàibùdé wǒ píngshí zài gōngsī lǐ shēngqì de shíhou, ...
怪不得我平时在公司里生气的时候，……
Note: Literally... no wonder ~ I ~ commonly ~ at ~ company ~ in ~ angry ~ de ~ time ...
I always feel they are laughing at me.
wǒ zǒng juéde tāmen zài xiào wǒ.
我总觉得他们在笑我。
Okay, next time I'll imitate - not speak - not use hand/body language.
Ēn, xiàyícì, wǒ yào xuézhe bù shuōhuà, búyòng shǒushìyǔ.
嗯，下一次，我要学着不说话，不用手势语。
Like this way?
Xiàng zhèyàng ma?
像这样吗？
B:
Yes - right! right! right! - it is just this appearance.
En, duìduìduì, jiùshì zhègè yàngzi.
嗯，对对对，就是这个样子。
When you act like this I'm actually a little afraid!
Nǐ zhèyàng wǒ háishì zhēnde yǒudiǎn hàipà ne!
Tāmen Fēngle Ma?
他们疯了吗？
A:
Today, when I went to work - encountered a very strange situation.
Jīntiān wǒ shàngbān de shíhou, pèngdào yíjiàn hěn qíguài de shì.
今天我上班的时候，碰到一件很奇怪的事。
B:
What situation?
Shénme shìqing?
什么事情？
A:
Our German boss came to Beijing - to inspect work.
Wǒmen Déguó de lǎobǎn lái Běijīng shìchá gōngzuò.
我们德国的老板来北京视察工作。
He - with regards to our work - very dissatisfied.
Tā duì wǒmen de gōngzuò hěn bù mǎnyì.
他对我们的工作很不满意。
B:
Really?
Zhēnde ma?
真的吗？
A:
Right. Today - during meeting - he - very angry.
Duì. Jīntiān kāihuì de shíhou, tā hěn shēngqì.
对。今天开会的时候，他很生气。
I've worked at the company ten years, ...
Wǒ zài gōngsī gōngzuò le shí nián, ...
我在公司工作了十年，……
never seen him so angry.
cónglái méi jiànguò tā nàme shēngqì.
从来没见过他那么生气。
B:
Oh, then you must be very nervous.
Ō, nà nǐ yídìng hěn jǐnzhāng le.
噢，那你一定很紧张了。
A:
Right. But very strange, ...
Duì. Dànshì hěn qíguài, ...
对。但是很奇怪，……
all my Chinese colleages - all - with lowered heads - laughing.
wǒ suǒyǒu de Zhōngguó tóngshì dōu zài dīzhe tóu xiào.
我所有的中国同事都在低着头笑。
Can it be - they all crazy?
Nándào tāmen dōu fēngle ma?
难道他们都疯了吗？
B:
Is it so? When your boss angry - is like what?
Shì ma? Nǐmen lǎobǎn shēngqì shí shì shénme yàng de?
是吗？你们老板生气时是什么样的？
A:
Everyone when angry - aren't all the same?
Dàjiā shēngqì de shíhou bù dōu shì yíyàng ma?
大家生气的时候不都是一样吗？
Very ferocious, just like this, like this ...
Hěn xiōng, jiù zhèyàng, zhèyàng ...
很凶，就这样，这样……
B:
Ha! ha! ha! ...
Hahaha ...
哈哈哈……
A:
How is it - you also laugh?
Nǐ zěnme yě xiào le?
你怎么也笑了？
B:
If - speaking of - your boss - use so many expressions - and body language - ...
Rúguǒ nǐmen lǎobǎn yòng zhème duō biǎoqíng hé shēntǐ yǔyán de huà, ...
如果你们老板用这么多表情和身体语言的话，……
then no wonder your Chinese colleagues laughed.
nà jiù guàibùdé nǐde Zhōngguó tóngshì xiào le.
那就怪不得你的中国同事笑了。
A:
Why? When angry, of course you'll look very fierce, ...
Wèishénme? Shēngqì de shíhou nǐ dāngrán huì kànqǐlái hěn xiōng, ...
为什么？生气的时候你当然会看起来很凶，……
furthermore you use a lot of body language to let everyone know!
érqiě nǐ yòng hěnduō shēntǐ yǔyán lái ràng dàjiā zhīdào a!
而且你用很多身体语言来让大家知道啊！
B:
But in China - if we really angry, ...
Dànshì zài Zhōngguó, rúguǒ wǒmen zhēnde shēngqì, ...
但是在中国，如果我们真的生气，……
we are expressionless, furthermore we will not speak.
wǒmen shì méiyǒu biǎoqíng de, érqiě wǒmen huì bù shuōhuà.
我们是没有表情的，而且我们会不说话。
This kind of anger - only - will make us feel afraid.
Zhèyàng de shēngqì cái huì ràng wǒmen juéde hàipà.
这样的生气才会让我们觉得害怕。
Your boss's - that kind of manner - will just make us feel it's funny.
Nǐ lǎobǎn de nèizhǒng yàngzi zhǐ huì ràng wǒmen juéde hěn hǎowán.
你老板的那种样子只会让我们觉得很好玩。
A:
Oh, really?
Ō, zhēnde ma?
哦，真的吗？
No wonder - usually when I get angry at the company ...
Guàibùdé wǒ píngshí zài gōngsī lǐ shēngqì de shíhou, ...
怪不得我平时在公司里生气的时候，……
Note: Literally... no wonder ~ I ~ commonly ~ at ~ company ~ in ~ angry ~ de ~ time ...
I always feel they are laughing at me.
wǒ zǒng juéde tāmen zài xiào wǒ.
我总觉得他们在笑我。
Okay, next time I'll imitate - not speak - not use hand/body language.
Ēn, xiàyícì, wǒ yào xuézhe bù shuōhuà, búyòng shǒushìyǔ.
嗯，下一次，我要学着不说话，不用手势语。
Like this way?
Xiàng zhèyàng ma?
像这样吗？
B:
Yes - right! right! right! - it is just this appearance.
En, duìduìduì, jiùshì zhègè yàngzi.
嗯，对对对，就是这个样子。
When you act like this I'm actually a little afraid!
Nǐ zhèyàng wǒ háishì zhēnde yǒudiǎn hàipà ne!
你这样我还是真的有点害怕呢！
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