Hoes Before Bros (in Chinese)

Recently on ChinesePod we were developing a lesson that uses the expression 重色轻友. Literally it means something like “heavy sex light friendship.” The idea here is valuing one’s love interests over one’s friends. In translating this phrase, the immediate English translation that sprang to my mind was “hoes before bros,” a phrase I first heard a few years ago from Wilson (in an intellectual discussion on intersexual nomenclature, of course).

Obviously “hoes before bros” isn’t quite appropriate for our …

加油!加油!

我知道很傻。怎么还觉得好笑呢?…

Busy + Pecha Kucha

Busy week. We’re preparing for the October holiday at work, which means getting an extra week’s worth of work done ahead of time. Plus, I found out those essays I wrote got decent grades, and I’m eligible for a scholarship. I will be pretty stoked if this goes through. I have to hand in the complete application by the end of this week.

This also happens to be the week I got asked to do a presentation for Pecha Kucha

The triple 'dui'

dui-dui-dui

The triple ‘dui’

Today on ChinesePod there was an intermediate lesson called Growing Affections. A commenter named Trevor Morley called attention to a linguistic phenomenon which he aptly dubbed “the triple dui” (that’s “triple ,” not to be confused with “triple DUI“). This “对对对” is something I’ve noticed myself, and I’ve been observing it for a while.

means “right,” and as English speakers, I think it’s pretty easy for us to understand how …

Critical Discourse Analysis in China

I had my third Critical Discourse Analysis (批评性话语分析 or CDA) class today. I was really starting to wonder what was up with that class, but I finally got it straight. You see, having no prior significant exposure to the field, I had this simple understanding of “discourse analysis” as basically “analyzing discourse.” It goes a bit beyond that. But CDA is even further removed:

Critical discourse analysis has made the study of language into an interdisciplinary tool and can

Chineseblast

Chineseblast

Chineseblast screenshot

While surfing Chinese-forums.com, I discovered a promising new website for learners of Mandarin Chinese: Chineseblast (“collaborative learning engine for Chinese”). The site revolves around users’ “projects” (which usually means translation projects). The community contributes to projects both in adding and editing the translations themselves, as well as in adding comments and questions.

It very much reminds me of manga/anime fans’ community efforts at translating Japanese, but in the case of Chineseblast, the content translated isn’t so concentrated …

the lively art of writing and the elements of style

My friend Josh recently returned to Shanghai after finishing his masters and is looking for work. He sent me the following text message:

Josh: do you have the lively art of writing and the elements of style?

My first impulse was that he was passing on some kind of Chinglishy inquiry he had gotten. The conversation continued something like this:

me: [confidently playing along] i sure do!

Josh: Can I borrow them?

me: [having my doubts about

Mother Teresa (1910—1997)

Mother Teresa (1910—1997)

Mother Teresa

你知道Mother Teresa(中文名字包括:特蕾莎修女、德雷莎修女、德兰修女)是谁吗?还没来中国的时候我以为全世界都知道她,后来发现大部分的中国人却没有听说过。

“超越梦想的皮皮”在博客上有介绍

德兰修女是阿尔巴尼亚人,但她一生都在印度的加尔各答为穷人服务,所以大家都称她印度修女。德兰修女是1979年诺贝尔和平奖的获得者,她是继史怀泽博士1952年获得诺贝尔和平奖以来,最没有争议的一个得奖者。她除了被誉为“穷人的圣母”外,还被誉为“慈悲天使”、“贫民窟的守护者”、“贫民窟的圣人” 等等。

“超越梦想的皮皮”还有德兰修女语录(原文是英文):

人们经常是不讲道理的、没有逻辑的和以自我为中心的
不管怎样,你要原谅他们

即使你是友善的,人们可能还是会说你自私和动机不良
不管怎样,你还是要友善

当你功成名就,你会有一些虚假的朋友和一些真实的敌人
不管怎样,你还是要取得成功

即使你是诚实的和率直的,人们可能还是会欺骗你
不管怎样,你还是要诚实和率直

你多年来营造的东西有人在一夜之间把它摧毁
不管怎样,你还是要去营造

如果你找到了平静和幸福,他们可能会嫉妒你
不管怎样,你还是要快乐

你今天做的善事,人们往往明天就会忘记
不管怎样,你还是要做善事

即使把你最好的东西给了这个世界,也许这些东西永远都不够
不管怎样,把你最好的东西给这个世界

你看,说到底,它是你和上帝之间的事
而决不是你和他人之间的事

–德兰修女

Mother Teresa对世人各种疑惑所给予的解答

最美好的一天?
今天

最简单的事?
犯错

最大的阻碍?
害怕

最严重的错误?
自暴自弃

万恶的根源?
自私

最好的休闲活动?
工作

最深重的挫败?
灰心

最好的老师?
儿童

最优先的需要?
沟通

最令人快乐的事?
帮助别人

人生最大的谜?
死亡

人最大的缺点?
坏脾气

最危险的人物?
说谎者

最低劣的感觉?
怨恨

最宝贵的礼物?
宽恕

最不可或缺的?
家庭

最短的捷径?
直路

最使人愉悦的感觉?
内心的平安

最幸福的保单?
微笑

最有效的解决之道?
乐观

最大的满足?
完成该做的事情

全世界最强大的力量?

Time-Lapse Chinese Dinner

When I think “time-lapse photography” I don’t think “Chinese food,” but it really was a good idea. The meal really gets going about halfway through.

Open Salaries: Not for China

I recently discussed the article Why Secret Salaries Are a Baaaaaad Idea with my Chinese friend Mike. It’s an interesting read. The main points the article makes for why open salaries are a good idea:

  1. Salaries will become more fair. The system gets a chance to adjust itself.
  2. It will be easier to retain the best employees because they’re more likely to feel they’re getting a fair salary.
  3. The pressure is on the people with the high salaries to earn
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