We're excited to announce that 席爱娜 Xi Aina (Diana) has just published "Cultural Differences: The Boss Is Always Right", a new Intermediate level Mandarin Chinese lesson, on Language Mentor!
Lesson Script
The Boss Is Always Right
Lao3ban3 Zong3shi4 Dui4 De
老板总是对的！
A:
Vocabulary
Ci2hui4
词汇
B:
To be late
Chi2dao4
迟到
A:
Put on or wear cloths
Chuan1
穿
B:
Shoe
Xie2
鞋
A:
To make life uncomfortable for someone in a way that gives the perpetrator plausible deniability
Gei3 ren2 chuan1 xiao3xie2
给人穿小鞋
B:
To offend or displease someone
De2zui4
得罪
A:
To try hard, To make great effort
Nu3li4
努力
B:
To change, revise or correct
Gai3
改
A:
Facing towards or In the presence of
Dang1zhe
当着
Announcer:
Dialogue
Dui4hua4
对话
A:
You'll be late!
Ni3 yao4 chi2dao4 le!
你要迟到了！
B:
Right, I know.
Dui4, wo3 zhi1dao4.
对，我知道。
But I - not - like to - go to work.
Dan4shi4 wo3 bu4 xiang3 qu4 shang4ban1.
但是我不想去上班。
A:
Don't you - very - like your work?
Ni3 bu2 shi4 hen3 xi3huan1 ni3 de gong1zuo4 ma?
你不是很喜欢你的工作吗？
B:
Right, but I notice - recently - my boss often gives me a hard time.
Dui4, ke3shi4 wo3 fa1xian4 zui4jin4 wo3 lao3ban3 chang2chang2 gei3 wo3 chuan1 xiao3xie2.
对，可是我发现最近我老板常常给我穿小鞋。
A:
Did you recently offend your boss?
Ni3 zui4jin4 de2zui4 ni3 lao3ban3 le ma?
你最近得罪你老板了吗？
B:
Did not - I always work very hard!
Mei2you3 a, wo3 yi4zhi2 dou1 hen3 nu3li4 gong1zuo4 ya!
没有啊，我一直都很努力工作呀！
A:
Then your boss is from - when - start to give you a hard time?
Na4 ni3 lao3ban2 shi4 cong2 shen2me shi2hou kai2shi3 gei3 ni3 chuan1 xiao3xie2 de?
那你老板是从什么时候开始给你穿小鞋的？
B:
It seems - is from - Wednesday last week - started.
Hao3xiang4 shi4 cong2 shang4 xing1qi1 san1 kai1shi3 de.
好像是从上星期三开始的。
A:
That day - have any special things happen - or not?
Nei4tian1 you3mei2you3 shen2me te4bie2 de shi4qing fa1sheng?
那天有没有什么特别的事情发生？
B:
That day we had a meeting, ...
Na4 tian1 wo3men kai1 le yi2ge4 hui4, ...
那天我们开了一个会，……
A:
What happened at the meeting?
Hui4 shang4 fa1sheng1 shen2me le?
会上发生什么了？
B:
At the meeting - my boss said some incorrect things, ...
Zai4 hui4 shang4, wo3 lao3ban3 yi4xie1 dong1xi1 shuo1 cuo4 le, ...
在会上，我老板一些东西说错了，……
I also helped him revise, ...
wo3 hai2 bang1 ta1 gai3 le ne, ...
我还帮他改了呢，……
He also said - thanks - to me.
Ta1 ye3 shuo1 le xie4xie4 wo3.
他也说了谢谢我。
A:
Ah? Are you crazy?
A2? Ni3 feng1 le ma?
啊？你疯了吗？
You - at big meeting - corrected what boss said?
Ni3 zai4 da4hui4 shang4 gai3 lao3ban3 de hua4?
你在大会上改老板的话？
This time you - definitely dead!
Ni3 zhe4ci4 si3 ding4 le!
你这次死定了！
B:
How can this be? What did I do?
Zen3me hui2shi4? Wo3 zen3me le?
怎么回事？我怎么了？
A:
You - at meeting - in the presence of big boss's face ...
Ni3 zai4 hui4 shang4 dang1zhe da4 lao3ban3 de mian4 ...
你在会上当着大老板的面……
said your boss did mistake.
shuo1 ni3de lao3ban3 zuo4 cuo4 le.
说你的老板做错了。
Your boss - not angry with you - just strange.
Ni3 lao3ban3 bu4 sheng1 ni3de3 qi4 cai2 guai4 ne.
你老板不生你的气才怪呢。
B:
Why? Why will he be angry with me?
Wei4shen2me? Ta wei4shen2me yao4 sheng1 wo3de qi4?
为什么？他为什么要生我的气？
A:
You - do this way - will let big boss feel ...
Ni3 zhe4yang4 zuo4 hui4 rang4 da4 lao3ban3 jue2de ...
你这样做会让大老板觉得……
your boss's work - not done well enough, ...
ni3 lao3ban3 de gong1zuo4 zuo4de bu2gou4 hao3, ...
你老板的工作做得不够好，……
Furthermore - will let everyone feel your boss's competence - not as strong as you.
Er2qie3 hui4 rang4 da4jia1 jue2de ni3 lao3ban2 de neng2li4 mei2you3 ni3 qiang2.
而且会让大家觉得你老板的能力没有你强。
You say - in this kind of situation - how would he - not angry?
Ni3 shuo1, zai4 zhe4yang4 de qing2kuang4 xia4, ta1 zen3me hui4 bu4 sheng1qi4?
你说，在这样的情况下，他怎么会不生气？
B:
Yes, if - stand at my boss's perspective, ...
En, ru2guo3 zhan4 zai4 wo3 lao3ban3 de jiao3du4, ...
嗯，如果站在我老板的角度，……
thinking this way - it seems - also isn't unreasonable.
zhe4yang4 xiang3 hao3xiang4 ye3 bu2 shi4 mei2you3 dao4li3.
这样想好像也不是没有道理。
A:
Right, in America you wouldn't consider - this way?
Dui4le, zai4 Mei3guo2, ni3men bu2hui4 zhe4yang4 kao3lv4 ma?
对了，在美国，你们不会这样考虑吗？
B:
Probably not.
Ying1gai1 bu2hui4 ba.
应该不会吧。
Actually, I - also - am not very sure.
Qi2shi2, wo3 ye3 bu2 shi4 hen3 que4ding4.
其实，我也不是很确定。
I also am - just started working, ...
Wo3 ye3 shi4 gang1gang1 kai1shi3 gong1zuo4, ...
我也是刚刚开始工作，……
However I want to go consult a bit - my older brother.
Bu2guo4, wo3 yao4 qu4 zi1xun2 yi2xia4 wo3 ge1ge.
Lao3ban3 Zong3shi4 Dui4 De
老板总是对的！
A:
Vocabulary
Ci2hui4
词汇
B:
To be late
Chi2dao4
迟到
A:
Put on or wear cloths
Chuan1
穿
B:
Shoe
Xie2
鞋
A:
To make life uncomfortable for someone in a way that gives the perpetrator plausible deniability
Gei3 ren2 chuan1 xiao3xie2
给人穿小鞋
B:
To offend or displease someone
De2zui4
得罪
A:
To try hard, To make great effort
Nu3li4
努力
B:
To change, revise or correct
Gai3
改
A:
Facing towards or In the presence of
Dang1zhe
当着
Announcer:
Dialogue
Dui4hua4
对话
A:
You'll be late!
Ni3 yao4 chi2dao4 le!
你要迟到了！
B:
Right, I know.
Dui4, wo3 zhi1dao4.
对，我知道。
But I - not - like to - go to work.
Dan4shi4 wo3 bu4 xiang3 qu4 shang4ban1.
但是我不想去上班。
A:
Don't you - very - like your work?
Ni3 bu2 shi4 hen3 xi3huan1 ni3 de gong1zuo4 ma?
你不是很喜欢你的工作吗？
B:
Right, but I notice - recently - my boss often gives me a hard time.
Dui4, ke3shi4 wo3 fa1xian4 zui4jin4 wo3 lao3ban3 chang2chang2 gei3 wo3 chuan1 xiao3xie2.
对，可是我发现最近我老板常常给我穿小鞋。
A:
Did you recently offend your boss?
Ni3 zui4jin4 de2zui4 ni3 lao3ban3 le ma?
你最近得罪你老板了吗？
B:
Did not - I always work very hard!
Mei2you3 a, wo3 yi4zhi2 dou1 hen3 nu3li4 gong1zuo4 ya!
没有啊，我一直都很努力工作呀！
A:
Then your boss is from - when - start to give you a hard time?
Na4 ni3 lao3ban2 shi4 cong2 shen2me shi2hou kai2shi3 gei3 ni3 chuan1 xiao3xie2 de?
那你老板是从什么时候开始给你穿小鞋的？
B:
It seems - is from - Wednesday last week - started.
Hao3xiang4 shi4 cong2 shang4 xing1qi1 san1 kai1shi3 de.
好像是从上星期三开始的。
A:
That day - have any special things happen - or not?
Nei4tian1 you3mei2you3 shen2me te4bie2 de shi4qing fa1sheng?
那天有没有什么特别的事情发生？
B:
That day we had a meeting, ...
Na4 tian1 wo3men kai1 le yi2ge4 hui4, ...
那天我们开了一个会，……
A:
What happened at the meeting?
Hui4 shang4 fa1sheng1 shen2me le?
会上发生什么了？
B:
At the meeting - my boss said some incorrect things, ...
Zai4 hui4 shang4, wo3 lao3ban3 yi4xie1 dong1xi1 shuo1 cuo4 le, ...
在会上，我老板一些东西说错了，……
I also helped him revise, ...
wo3 hai2 bang1 ta1 gai3 le ne, ...
我还帮他改了呢，……
He also said - thanks - to me.
Ta1 ye3 shuo1 le xie4xie4 wo3.
他也说了谢谢我。
A:
Ah? Are you crazy?
A2? Ni3 feng1 le ma?
啊？你疯了吗？
You - at big meeting - corrected what boss said?
Ni3 zai4 da4hui4 shang4 gai3 lao3ban3 de hua4?
你在大会上改老板的话？
This time you - definitely dead!
Ni3 zhe4ci4 si3 ding4 le!
你这次死定了！
B:
How can this be? What did I do?
Zen3me hui2shi4? Wo3 zen3me le?
怎么回事？我怎么了？
A:
You - at meeting - in the presence of big boss's face ...
Ni3 zai4 hui4 shang4 dang1zhe da4 lao3ban3 de mian4 ...
你在会上当着大老板的面……
said your boss did mistake.
shuo1 ni3de lao3ban3 zuo4 cuo4 le.
说你的老板做错了。
Your boss - not angry with you - just strange.
Ni3 lao3ban3 bu4 sheng1 ni3de3 qi4 cai2 guai4 ne.
你老板不生你的气才怪呢。
B:
Why? Why will he be angry with me?
Wei4shen2me? Ta wei4shen2me yao4 sheng1 wo3de qi4?
为什么？他为什么要生我的气？
A:
You - do this way - will let big boss feel ...
Ni3 zhe4yang4 zuo4 hui4 rang4 da4 lao3ban3 jue2de ...
你这样做会让大老板觉得……
your boss's work - not done well enough, ...
ni3 lao3ban3 de gong1zuo4 zuo4de bu2gou4 hao3, ...
你老板的工作做得不够好，……
Furthermore - will let everyone feel your boss's competence - not as strong as you.
Er2qie3 hui4 rang4 da4jia1 jue2de ni3 lao3ban2 de neng2li4 mei2you3 ni3 qiang2.
而且会让大家觉得你老板的能力没有你强。
You say - in this kind of situation - how would he - not angry?
Ni3 shuo1, zai4 zhe4yang4 de qing2kuang4 xia4, ta1 zen3me hui4 bu4 sheng1qi4?
你说，在这样的情况下，他怎么会不生气？
B:
Yes, if - stand at my boss's perspective, ...
En, ru2guo3 zhan4 zai4 wo3 lao3ban3 de jiao3du4, ...
嗯，如果站在我老板的角度，……
thinking this way - it seems - also isn't unreasonable.
zhe4yang4 xiang3 hao3xiang4 ye3 bu2 shi4 mei2you3 dao4li3.
这样想好像也不是没有道理。
A:
Right, in America you wouldn't consider - this way?
Dui4le, zai4 Mei3guo2, ni3men bu2hui4 zhe4yang4 kao3lv4 ma?
对了，在美国，你们不会这样考虑吗？
B:
Probably not.
Ying1gai1 bu2hui4 ba.
应该不会吧。
Actually, I - also - am not very sure.
Qi2shi2, wo3 ye3 bu2 shi4 hen3 que4ding4.
其实，我也不是很确定。
I also am - just started working, ...
Wo3 ye3 shi4 gang1gang1 kai1shi3 gong1zuo4, ...
我也是刚刚开始工作，……
However I want to go consult a bit - my older brother.
Bu2guo4, wo3 yao4 qu4 zi1xun2 yi2xia4 wo3 ge1ge.
不过，我要去咨询一下我哥哥。
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