Conversation Translations

Conversation translations
Unit 1
CONVERSATION 1
01.03
Li Hello, Mr Wang!
Wang Hello, Miss Li!
Li Is Mrs Wang well?
Wang She is very well. Miss Li, how are you?
Li I’m fine, too. However, I am very busy.
Wang I am busy, too. Goodbye.
Li Bye, bye!
CONVERSATION 2
01.05
Li Hello, Mrs Wang!

Mrs Wang Hello, Miss Li!
Li Are you busy?
Mrs Wang I am not busy. How about you?
Li I’m very busy. How about Mr Wang?
Mrs Wang He is fine, but he is also busy.
Li Say ‘hello’ to Mr Wang.
Mrs Wang Thank you very much.
Li You’re welcome. Goodbye.
Mrs Wang Bye!
Unit 2
CONVERSATION 1
02.03
Li Hello! Please have a seat.

Wangs Thank you, Miss Li.
Li You’re welcome. How are you both?
Wangs Very well, we are both fine.
Conversation translations 1
Li The weather is really good today.
Mr W Yes, (it’s) really good. The weather’s mild.
Li It was cold yesterday.
Mrs W How are things, Miss Li?
Li I’m fine, but I’m very busy. What about you?
Wangs We are also very busy.
All All of us are busy.
CONVERSATION 2
02.05
Li Mr Wang, may I ask you what you do?

Wang I am a teacher.
Li I’ll call you Teacher Wang, is that OK?
Wang That’s fine. And you? What is it that you do?
Li I am a secretary. I also do translation work.
Wang You are a secretary and also a translator; you must be
very busy with your work.
Li Yes, I am very busy and tired. However, I am very
content. How about you?
Wang I am busy, too. OK, see you tomorrow.
Li Bye. See you tomorrow, Teacher Wang.
Unit 3
CONVERSATION 1
03.03
Li Teacher Wang. How are you?

Wang I’m very well. Miss Li, how are things with you?
Li I am very well, too. He is…?
Wang He is my student. His surname is …
Harry My surname is Williams, my first name is Harry.
Li Hello, Harry. My surname is Li, my name is Li Meiying.
Harry Excuse me, what’s your name?
Li My name is Lĭ–Měi–yīng. Harry, what country are you from?
Harry I am from America, a New Yorker. Miss Li, what place are you from?
Li I am from Shanghai.
Harry Miss Li, I am very pleased to make your acquaintance.
Li I’m pleased to meet you, too, Harry.
Wang OK, see you tomorrow.
Li See you tomorrow.
2
CONVERSATION 2
03.05
Li Hello, Harry!
Harry Hello, Miss Li! He is John. He is my friend and also my roommate.
Li (I’m) very pleased to meet you. My name is Li Meiying.
What nationality are you?
John I am from Britain. Very pleased to meet you, too.
Li Are you from London?
John Yes, I am.
Harry John is also Teacher Wang’s student.
Li You are friends, roommates and also classmates.
Harry/John Correct. We are classmates, too.
Li Your Chinese is really good.
Harry/John No, no, not at all.
Li My goodness, you don’t have to be so modest!
Harry/John My goodness, Miss Li, your English is really good!
Li No, no, not at all.
CONVERSATION 3
03.07
Li Hello, Teacher Zhang!

Zhang Little Li, how are things?
Li I am fine. How is Teacher Wang well, I take it?
Zhang Old Wang? He is very well, too.
Li (to Harry) Hello!
Zhang Who is he?
Harry My name is Harry. I am from America. You…?
Li She is Teacher Wang’s wife.
Harry Hello, Mrs Wang!
Zhang Call me ‘teacher’, why don’t you? My surname is Zhang.
I am also a teacher.
Harry Teacher Zhang, I am very pleased to meet you.
Zhang Your Chinese is really good!
Harry Mrs Wang, oh, no, Teacher Zhang, not at all, my Chinese
is not good.
Unit 4
CONVERSATION 1
04.03
Zhang Little Li, do you have any free time tomorrow?

Li Yes, I am not busy tomorrow. I am free.
Zhang Let’s go and have tea tomorrow. My treat.
Li Great, where shall we go for tea?
Zhang The teahouse is called ‘Old Beijing’. The manager is a
former classmate of mine.
Li I like tea – black tea, green tea, jasmine tea – I like them
all. What about Teacher Wang? Is he going?
Zhang He’s not. Old Wang rarely has tea, he only likes coffee.
Li I like both. Sometimes I also drink cola.
Zhang OK, tomorrow we’ll go and have tea together.
CONVERSATION 2
04.05
Jingli Aren’t you Little Zhang? Long time no see!

Zhang Long time no see. This is Little Li, my good friend and
she also teaches me English.
Jingli Welcome! Please sit down.
Zhang/Li Thanks!
Jingli What tea would you like? We have black tea, green tea,
jasmine tea – all of these.
Zhang It is hot today, let’s have green tea.
Jingli We also have dim sum and fruit.
Li It is really hot and (so) I would rather not eat dim sum.
Perhaps some fruit?
Jingli OK. We have fruit – apples, oranges and grapes ….
Zhang That’s great!
4
CONVERSATION 3
04.07
Jingli How is everything?

Zhang The tea is very nice, so is the fruit.
Li The teahouse is really beautiful.
Jingli You flatter me, thanks!
Li I definitely will visit here very often with my friends for tea.
Jingli That’s great!
Li Manager, have you got a business card?
Jingli Yes, here you are. This is (my) name card.
Li The phone number of the teahouse is 08487 4186.
Jingli That’s right. You are welcome to come here often.
Unit 5
CONVERSATION 1
05.03
Wang How is it going, students? Is learning Chinese difficult?

S1 Learning Chinese is very difficult.
S2 It is not easy to learn Chinese, but it is very interesting.
Wang (Since) you are learning Chinese, you ought to know
what hobbies Chinese people have.
S1 Chinese people like T’ai Chi.
S2 They all love to play table tennis.
S1 Teacher, what hobbies do you have?
Wang I often practise calligraphy.
S1 I really would like to learn how to write brush characters.
S2 We should first learn to speak and then to write.
Wang Yes, you need first to practise speaking, and then learn writing.
S2 That’s true. As we are now in China, it is very
convenient to practise speaking.
Wang The homework for today is to ask your Chinese friends
what hobbies they have.
CONVERSATION 2
05.05
Li Oh, Harry, long time no see. You must be very busy

with your Chinese?
Harry Very, but it is very interesting. May I ask you some questions?
Li Yes, go ahead. I’m not busy at the moment.
Harry May I ask what your hobbies are?
Li I like reading, watching TV and also going to the
cinema. What about you?
Harry In America I often played basketball.
Li You are in China now, so you should learn a Chinese hobby, I think.
Harry Yes, I would like to learn to cook Chinese food because
I like Chinese food. The landlady is going to teach me.
Li What can you make now?
Harry I can make Chinese tea.
Li That is not difficult. You just need boiling water. What
else can you make?
Harry I can also make instant noodles!
Li That is easy, too. You just need boiling water!
CONVERSATION 3
05.07
John Miss Li, may I ask what your hobbies are?

Li I like reading, watching TV, watching movies and I also
like learning foreign languages.
John You’re an English translator; therefore, your English
must be very good.
Li I would still like to learn French and, after that, German.
And you? What are your hobbies?
John In Britain, I often played tennis.
Li What about now?
John Now my friend is teaching me calligraphy.
Li What characters have you learned to write?
John I can write ‘one’.
Li (Can you write it) beautifully?
John My friend says it is fine.
Li What else can you write?
John I can also write ‘two’.
Li How does it look?
John My friend says it is OK.
Li You must be able to write ‘three’!
John Three? That, I still don’t know.
6
Unit 6
CONVERSATION 1
06.03
Li Hello everyone! First I will tell you a bit about my family

and then you (can) ask questions. Please take a look
at this photograph. There were seven in my family. I
had one elder brother, one younger brother and two
younger sisters.
Visitor How old were you then?
Li I was 20 then. I was a university student. My younger
brother was 17 and he was in middle school; my two
younger sisters were primary school students.
Visitor What work did your parents do then?
Li They worked in a hospital. My father was a doctor and my
mother was a nurse. My elder brother was a factory worker.
Visitor It is said that each family could only have one child
in China, but there were three boys and two girls in
your family.
Li Look, this photo is over 40 years old.
Visitor Oh, sorry. I was forgetting.
CONVERSATION 2
06.05
John We’ll have tea while we practise talking about our

families, what do you say?
Harry Fine, no problem. I haven’t got (any) milk. Shall we have
Chinese tea?
John OK, no problem.
Harry Here you are – a cup of green tea. May I ask how many
there are in your family?
John There are four: my dad, mum, a younger sister and me.
Harry What do they do?
John My dad is a lawyer, my mum is a doctor and my
younger sister is a university student.
Harry What hobbies do they have?
John My parents like listening to music, my younger sister likes
playing tennis. She also likes bags and she has all kinds of bags.
Harry How many bags does she have?
John Over a hundred.
Harry Over a hundred!? Do you miss them?
John I miss them very much. Apart from them, I also miss Mimi.
Harry Mimi must be your girlfriend?
John Look, this is a photo of Mimi.
Harry Oh, apart from the four members in your family, there
is a cat, too! I also like cats and dogs.
CONVERSATION 3
06.07
John Harry, how about you? How many are there in your family?
Harry There are four in my family, too. I have one elder sister.
John How old is your elder sister now (lit: this year)?
Harry She is 25 years old. She works for a computer company.
My dad is the manager of a pub and my mum works in
a middle school. She is a music teacher.
John What hobbies do they have?
Harry They have many hobbies. They love watching
basketball and listening to music. My elder sister loves
learning foreign languages. She has many foreign
language dictionaries.
John How many?
Harry Over 50!
John Over 50! You must miss them, too.
Harry That’s true; however, apart from them, I also miss Lucy.
John Lucy must be a dog, right?
Harry No, Lucy is my girlfriend!
Unit 7
CONVERSATION 1
07.04
Wang Class, today we are going to chat about daily routine. What
time do you usually go to bed and what time do you get up?
S1 I go to bed at 11:30 p.m. and get up at 6:00 in the
morning. We start classes at 8:00, a bit too early.
S2 Why do you get up at 6:00? I can make it even if I get up at 7:00.
S1 After I get up, I have a shower, have breakfast, and
then have coffee, then I go to class. If I get up at 7:00, I
definitely cannot make it in time.
8
S2 I am used to having a shower in the evening, and in
the morning I seldom have breakfast, so I can make it if
I get up at 7:00.
Wang Going to bed late and not having breakfast are not
good habits.
S1 That’s true. When I have class in the morning, I always
feel sleepy and I’m sluggish in the afternoon.
S2 I always feel hungry in the morning, and I have no
energy in the afternoon, because after lunch I feel
sleepy and only want to rest.
Wang You have almost six hours of classes every day, and after
class you have to do homework. If you are not healthy,
it will be difficult to make progress in your studies.
S1 OK Teacher, from now on I will go to bed at 11:00 in the
evening.
S2 From now on, I will eat breakfast every day.
Wang You should be as good as your word. Start tomorrow!
CONVERSATION 2
07.06
Anna Shall we practise talking about daily life?

Sophie Good idea! Ask away.
Anna What day is it today?
Sophie Wednesday.
Anna What time do you usually have breakfast?
Sophie I usually have breakfast at 7:30.
Anna What about at weekends?
Sophie At the weekend, I do not have breakfast. I sleep late.
Anna What time do you usually start classes?
Sophie Sometimes 8 o’clock, sometimes 10 o’clock.
Anna What do you do in the afternoon apart from attending classes?
Sophie I sometimes go to the library, sometimes play ball games.
Anna And in the evening?
Sophie I often go to the library in the evening; sometimes I
have a beer and a chat with classmates.
Anna You are very busy every day.
Sophie No, I am busy every hour!
CONVERSATION 3
07.08
Sophie Now you answer my questions.

Anna Sure. Go right ahead.
Sophie What do you usually do at the weekend?
Anna I am the same as you. I sleep late in the morning.
Sophie What do you usually do in the afternoon?
Anna On Saturdays, I often go to the cinema if I have free time. On
Sunday afternoons, I do revision and homework at the dormitory.
Sophie Do you study even on Sunday afternoons? You really are a
good student.
Anna It’s because I don’t want to have to say on Monday in
class: ‘I am sorry. I do not know;’ ‘I am sorry. I forget.’
Sophie ‘I am sorry. I was unwell yesterday.’
Anna Clever, aren’t you! How did you guess?
Unit 8
CONVERSATION 1
08.03
Wu Today we will talk about food. Are you all used to

eating Chinese food?
S1 I like it. Chinese food is both delicious and cheap.
Wu What do you like? Can you give an example?
S1 For example: ‘bāozi’, dumplings, ….. 
S2 That’s right, both convenient and delicious and not expensive either.
Wu How much do you usually spend on breakfast?
S1 About 10 yuan, I guess.
Wu You have your lunch in the school canteen, don’t you?
S2 Yes, the food in the canteen is exceedingly good.
S1 That’s true. My lunch is different every day. For example,
on Monday I have rice with ‘gōng bao jī ding’; on Tuesday I
have ‘Běijīng zhá jiàng’ noodles; and on Wednesday…
S2 I bet you have dumplings on Wednesdays.
S1 Yes, sometimes pot stickers.
Wu What about dinner? Do you cook for yourself?
S2 I often cook my own dinner. I can cook scrambled eggs
with tomatoes. It’s really good.
S1 I often go shopping in the market. When I do the
shopping, haggling is fun.
Wu Can you haggle, too? Your Chinese is really good.
10
CONVERSATION 2
08.05
Wang Some of you said in the last lesson that your haggling
skills are not bad. Is that true? How do you ask (for
things) when shopping?
S1 How much for this, please? How is it sold?
S2 Then we say: ‘Oh, Shifu, too expensive! It’s not cheap.’
S1 Although there are some shops where it is not possible
to bargain, I still say ‘Oh, that’s not cheap’ because I
would like to practise my speaking skills.
Wang That’s right. It’s a good opportunity to practise
speaking skills.
S1 My speaking skills have improved a lot.
S2 My listening ability has improved a lot.
Wang So it is not enough to learn from teachers only. Each
day there are a lot of learning opportunities.
S1 That’s true. We should learn and at the same time make
use of what we’ve learned.
S2 Yes, we should use and learn at the same time.
S1 After you learn it, you use it and then you won’t forget
it. Am I right?
Wang Certainly. Quite right!
CONVERSATION 3
08.07
Wu Hello, Shifu, how much for the bananas?

Shifu Bananas are 10 yuan per jin. 
Wu 10 yuan per jin? Not cheap. Let me have a look.
Shifu No need to look. My bananas are very good. I wouldn’t take
any money if they weren’t. How many would you like?
Wu I’d like ten.
Shifu Look, the ten bananas weigh nearly two and a half jin,
and I will only charge you 20 yuan, is that OK?
Wu OK, here you are, 50 yuan.
Shifu Ten, twenty, thirty. Here is your change of 30 yuan. You
are welcome to come here often.
Wu Yes, I certainly will. Bye-bye.
Wu (to herself) Oh, today is Friday. I must buy myself two bottles of beer.
Unit 9
PRESENTATION
09.02
Today is Friday, the 28th of October. Tomorrow is our classmate Dehua Li’s birthday.
Dehua is half German and half Chinese. Her father is German and her mother is an overseas
Chinese. Because her mother cannot speak Mandarin, she decided to come to China to
learn Chinese.
Dehua’s landlady is very nice. Tomorrow, i.e. 29th October, the landlady is going to cook
Chinese food especially for Dehua in celebration of her birthday. The landlady has also told
Dehua she can invite her classmates to the birthday party.
The place where Dehua lives is just to the west of the university. Once out of the north gate
of the university, it takes about 15 minutes’ walk until the residential area comes into view.
The residential area has five tall new apartment buildings. The address is No. 24, Unit 2,
Building No. 3, Jingming Estate, East Road, Daxue Xili. Her home is on the 8th floor.
Everyone is very happy, of course. We all have been so busy. The weekend party is a really
good opportunity to relax. It won’t do to attend a birthday party empty-handed. What gift
shall we give Dehua?
CONVERSATION 1
09.04
S1 Hey you guys (lit. fellow classmates), Dehua’s landlady has

invited us to her home to celebrate Dehua’s birthday with her.
S2 Great! The moment I hear the word ‘party’, I
immediately feel excited.
S3 What’s Dehua’s date of birth?
S1 It’s 29th October. That’s tomorrow. Let’s discuss what
birthday presents to get for her.
S2 We should certainly buy a birthday cake.
S3 We can make a Chinese birthday card especially for her as well.
S1 The landlady is inviting us to a meal, (so) we should
buy a gift for her, too.
S2 Yes, what about a bunch of fresh flowers?
S1/S3 OK, fine.
S1 I have another good idea.
All What’s that?
S1 We’ll sing ‘Happy Birthday’ in Chinese. Wouldn’t that be
good? You all know how to sing it, right?
All Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you…
12
S1 Right. John and Harry, do the shopping tomorrow
morning, and then we will all share the cost.
S2 Don’t tell Dehua about this plan. We’ll give her a happy
surprise tomorrow.
CONVERSATION 2
09.06
S1 Dehua said that the place she lives is to the west of the
university, is that right?
S2 Yes. She said it only takes 15 minutes on foot. However,
where are the five tall buildings she mentioned?
S1 Let me have a look at my mobile … Oh, Dehua said we should
go out from the north gate but we took the south gate!
S3 We all are too careless, how embarrassing!
S2 It is 11:30 now. We planned to arrive at about 12 o’clock.
We’ve got half an hour. We’ll make it, no problem.
S1 OK, now attention, please, everybody. Remember the address
is No. 24, Unit 2, Building 3, and the flat is on the 8th floor.
S3 Building 3 and floor 8, now I am very confused.
S1 The word ‘lóu’ means ‘building’ as well as ‘floor of
a building’. Teachers often say that when learning
Chinese we must pay attention to the context, as …
S2 I know your level of Chinese is high. However, today is
Saturday and we all want to relax, not learn Chinese.
S1 Teacher Wang often says that when learning Chinese
one cannot relax. He means …
S3 He means the moment you relax, you’ll forget everything.
S1 You are very smart, nothing gets past you, does it?
S2 Look, five tall buildings! The Jingming Estate is just over there!
Unit 10
CONVERSATION 1
10.03
Zhang Are you free this weekend, Little Li?

Li Yes, what can I do for you?
Zhang I would like you to come clothes shopping with me.
Li No problem. I’ll go with you. However, you’ve got lots of nice clothes.
Zhang (I’m) embarrassed to say that I have put on weight. The clothes
I bought before are a bit tight. I can no longer get into them.
Li But I don’t feel you have put on weight.
Zhang That is because we see each other so often. Next week,
there is a university classmates’ get-together, I would
like to buy something pretty to wear to the party.
Li Do your old classmates often get together?
Zhang We often did before, but less so now. We are too busy now.
Li Shall we go shopping on Saturday or Sunday?
Zhang Either is fine with me.
Li What about Saturday afternoon? I plan to go to the
library to return books in the morning as two of the
books I borrowed will soon be overdue.
Zhang You’ll have to pay a fine, will you?
Li Yes. Previously (the fine was) 1 yuan per day, now it is
more expensive: 5 yuan per day.
Zhang Then we’ll meet at around 12:00 at the library. I’ll treat you
to lunch and, after lunch, we’ll go clothes shopping.
Li I usually have a cup of coffee and an apple or a banana
for lunch.
Zhang Then don’t have breakfast on Saturday.
Li OK, on Saturday I will have brunch: breakfast and lunch
eaten together!
CONVERSATION 2
10.05
Fuwuyan Hello, welcome.

Li ‘Fúwùyuán’, we would like to buy clothes.
Fuwuyan Clothes are on the 4th floor. The lift is over there.
Li The styles in this shop are good and the prices aren’t
bad either. Let’s look around first. Let’s not hurry to buy.
Zhang Have a look at this red top. What do you think?
Li It’s good. That green one is also pretty.
Zhang This item is 460 yuan, not cheap.
Li Things cost more now. To pay about 400 yuan for an
item of clothing is not that much.
Fuwuyan Today it is the weekend. You can have a 20 per cent
discount this weekend so this dress will only cost 368
yuan.
Li The style is good, the colour is very good, too.
Fuwuyan We have all sizes in stock – large, medium and small.
Li Why not try it on?. ‘Fúwùyuán’, may I ask where the
fitting room is, please?
Fuwuyan Look, it’s to your left.
14
Li You should try all of them, the red, the green, and this
dark red one, as well.
Zhang OK. I also need to buy a pair of trousers.
Li I think that you should buy a skirt.
Zhang All right, today whatever you say goes.
CONVERSATION 3
10.07
Li The top you bought is red, so the skirt should be dark red or black.
Zhang How about this black skirt with small dark red flowers?
Li It’s pretty. ‘Fúwùyuán’, how much is this skirt, please?
Fuwuyan Originally it was 390 yuan. Today there is a 20 per cent
discount and it only costs 312 yuan.
Zhang I’ll have it. No need to try on the skirt. I will go and pay.
Fuwuyan One top at 368 yuan; one skirt at 312 yuan; that is 680 yuan in total.
Zhang Do you accept credit cards? I did not bring a lot of cash with me.
Fuwuyan Both credit cards and Alipay are accepted. 680 yuan altogether,
please enter your PIN number. Done. This is your receipt.
Zhang Little Li, thank you for coming clothes shopping with
me. It is getting dark. Let’s go to a teahouse now. After
we’ve drunk our tea, we’ll go home.
Li Don’t worry about going home yet. You still need a pair
of high-heel shoes.
Zhang No, no need. I have lots of shoes.
Li Do you have red ones?
Zhang Red high-heel shoes? I’m pushing 60!
Fuwuyan Shoes are on the 8th floor. The lift is to your right.
Li Today you’ll do as I say. Let’s go.
Zhang I am afraid I have forgotten my PIN number.
Li Don’t be afraid. Use mine.
Unit 11
PRESENTATION
11.03
The Jingming ‘Xiaoqū’ (housing complex) is in the northwest (part) of Beijing. The scenery in
that area is very beautiful. There are three parks in the area. The largest is at the front.
There are many trees and flowers in this park. There is a lake where there are lots of fish: red
ones, yellow ones, black ones and also one white fish. Everybody likes to come here to do
T’ai Chi, take a stroll or read books and newspapers.
The smallest park is at the back, where, apart from two big trees, there is only a lawn. This is
the quietest part of this ‘xiaoqū’ (housing complex). It is also Dehua’s favourite place.
Dehua often comes here to revise Chinese. Whenever she is tired of studying and she would like
to relax, she comes here to look at the green grass and listen to the birds singing in the trees.
Today the weather is fine. Dehua is going to go to the small park to revise Chinese. Suddenly
she sees a WeChat message on her mobile:
Sorry, is it convenient to speak now?
CONVERSATION 1
11.05
Dehua Hello, may I ask who is speaking, please?

Marie My name is Marie, (I’m) a student who is learning
Chinese.
Dehua What can I do for you?
Marie I heard from my friend Harry that the place where you
live is not bad. I would like you to tell me something
about it, is that OK?
Dehua Would you also like to rent a place here?
Marie Yes. My (knowledge of ) Chinese characters and
grammar are both fine, but my listening and speaking
are not very good, so I would like to live with a Chinese
family.
Dehua Oh, yes, I never speak English at home. If I see any
letting advertisements, I will make enquiries on your
behalf.
Marie Many thanks. What is the environment in that
neighbourhood like?
Dehua The environment is very good. There are parks both
front and back, and there are trees, flowers and lawns.
The scenery is beautiful.
Marie Is living there convenient?
Dehua Very. Just outside, there is a street, and there are many
shops, banks, restaurants, etc. on the street.
Marie Oh, dear! The battery on my mobile has almost run
out, so sorry. May I call you in the afternoon at about 4
o’clock?
Dehua In that case, you must hurry and charge up your
mobile. I’ll wait for your call.
16
CONVERSATION 2
11.07
Marie Hello, this is Marie. I would like to know about the

transport links in the area.
Dehua Transport is very convenient. There are many bus stops
outside the ‘xiaoqū’ (housing complex).
Marie Are there tube stations nearby?
Dehua Yes, the tube station is to the east of the ‘xiaoqū’ (housing
complex) and it takes ten minutes to get there on foot. By
the way, there is a new café near the tube station.
Marie I always drink tea now; I rarely have coffee. Every family
has wi-fi, don’t they?
Dehua Yes. The grandpas and grandmas here can all use their
mobiles to read newspapers or read the news online.
Marie If you have any news, please let me know. You can
send a WeChat message or call me.
Dehua Don’t worry. As soon as I have any news, I will tell you.
Unit 12
PRESENTATION
12.03
Last week I mentioned to my landlady that one of my friends wanted to rent a room in this
district (and said that), if there was someone who would like to let a room, to please let me
know. To my surprise, my landlady soon had news.
My landlady said that they are an old couple – the man’s surname is Liu. Before he retired,
he was an engineer. The woman used to be a manager at Beijing Railway Station; she
is also retired. Their daughter went to the United States two years ago. She studied for
an MBA and has already graduated. Originally their hope was that their daughter would
quickly return to China to look for work after graduation. They hadn’t expected that she
would have found herself an American boyfriend and, on top of that, begun working
for an American import-export company. Realising that their daughter probably didn’t
want to return to China, they were a little sad but they understood her point of view and
respected her choice.
Both the study and the bedroom, once set aside for their daughter’s sole use, are spacious.
However, no-one has been using them all this time. They want to find a suitable lodger
who will also be able to teach them a little English. My landlady got (hold of ) Engineer Liu’s
telephone number for me. This evening I will phone him and make further enquiries.
CONVERSATION 1
12.05
Dehua Hello, hello, excuse me but is that Uncle Liu?

Liu Yes, who’s calling?
Dehua Uncle Liu, hello, my name is Dehua. I’m a foreign student of
Chinese. I’m living in apartment block No. 8 in this neighbourhood.
Liu Oh, yes, so I hear. Your classmate wants to rent a room, is that
correct?
Dehua Yes. I would like to ask some questions about the room on her
behalf.
Liu Our flat is in Block 3. It has three bedrooms and a living room.
Next to the living room is the dining room. There are two
bathrooms and the kitchen isn’t small. Apart from that, there is
also a study.
Dehua Not bad at all. Do you have any requirements of your lodger?
Liu We have one small requirement – that the lodger can speak
English.
Dehua Why?
Liu It’s because our daughter is working in the United States. Her
boyfriend is an American. If we go to the US to see them, it will
certainly be inconvenient if we can’t understand English.
Dehua You want to learn English from her?
Liu That’s right. It will be fine if we just learn a little simple everyday
colloquial language.
Dehua You and Ayi are really engaging in life-long learning. I think she
can definitely help.
CONVERSATION 2
12.07
Dehua Hello, Marie. Where did you go last night? I phoned you
and left a message. I also sent you a WeChat message –
how come you didn’t reply?
Marie I’m really sorry. Yesterday evening I went to see a film
and forgot to take my mobile phone with me. I meant
to phone you this morning but I slept in. Sorry.
Dehua I’ve been making enquiries on your behalf about
renting a room.
Marie There’s been some news? You’ve really done me a big favour.
Dehua The flat is in Block 3. There are three bedrooms, two bathrooms,
and there is a living room, dining room and study.
Marie Wow, that really is spacious! How many people are there
altogether in the household?
18
Dehua Just one old couple. They are both retired. Their daughter is
working in the United States. I can go with you to look at the flat.
Marie Many thanks. Many thanks. How much is the monthly rent?
Dehua I didn’t ask. You had better go and take a look first and then talk it
over with them. Renting a room is different from renting a whole
apartment.
Marie I know. When only renting a room, the rent will already include
water and electricity. Do they have any requirements?
Dehua They have one small one: they are hoping that you can teach
them some English; some of the simplest everyday conversation
will be fine.
Marie If they have already retired, why do they still (want to) study?
Dehua They are worried that they will find it awkward when they go to
America.
Marie No problem. I am half British; my Mum is an Englishwoman born
and bred.
Dehua That’s great! You can learn from each other and help each other.
Unit 13
PRESENTATION
13.03
This weekend my friend Bill is coming to Beijing to spend some leisure time. Bill and I have
been good friends since we were little. When we were at secondary school, we often went
to see kung fu movies together – for example, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Kung Fu
Panda. So from as early as our secondary school days, we had already become interested
in Chinese culture and Chinese history. After leaving school, we both decided to come to
China to study Chinese. That way, we could study Chinese while at the same time gaining an
understanding of Chinese history and Chinese culture.
When it came to choosing a school, he chose to go to Shanghai (and) I chose to come to
Beijing. In this way, if he came to Beijing I could help him and go with him when he went out
to have some fun (and) if I went to Shanghai, he could help me and accompany me when I
went out to have a good time.
I plan on borrowing a bicycle for Bill so we can see Beijing by bicycle. In Beijing, taking the
bus or underground is convenient, but it is limiting and, on top of that, during the morning
and evening rush hours or at weekends there are always a lot of people getting on and off.
We don’t plan on taking taxis either, because how could we get to know the city or get an
understanding of people’s everyday lives from the inside of a taxi? For us, the best way to see
Beijing is by bicycle; we can stop or go on whenever we want – it will be both convenient
and liberating. Of course, we are expecting that the weather will have to be good.
CONVERSATION 1
13.05
Tom Ian, there’s a favour I need to ask you.

Ian Go right ahead, what can I help you with?
Tom My old friend Bill is coming from Shanghai to Beijing to
spend some leisure time.
Ian He wants to stay here, am I right?
Tom Yes, at night I can sleep on the sofa and Bill can stay in
my room.
Ian No problem. When is he coming?
Tom He’s arriving on Saturday and will go back to Shanghai
next Tuesday.
Ian Saturday, Sunday, Monday – three nights altogether?
Tom That’s right. This will be his first visit to Beijing. During the
day I will go out with him to have some fun, (we’ll) have
our meals out, and do our best not to disturb you.
Ian No problem. Your friend is my friend. How is he getting
here? Is he taking the plane?
Tom You really are a ‘laowai’. The plane is fast but you have to
factor in the time it takes to get to the airport. The high-
speed train is convenient, fast, comfortable, and …
Ian And you can see the scenery.
Tom You’re quite sharp. Apart from that, I also have
something else I need to discuss with you. I’d like to
borrow…
Ian You’d like to borrow a bike from me, is that it?
Tom How did you guess?
Ian Because if a friend of mine should come, I would have
to trouble you on that account as well.
CONVERSATION 2
13.07
Tom Hello, Bill. Expect you’ve already bought your ticket, haven’t you?
Bill Yes, buying it online is very convenient.
Tom How much is a ticket?
Bill My ticket is for a second-class seat; the price was 553
yuan. A first-class ticket costs around 1,000 yuan.
Tom How long does it take to get to Beijing from Shanghai?
Bill Less than six hours.
Tom Wow, it is more than 1,300 kilometres from Shanghai to
Beijing (but) you can get here in less than six hours!
20
Bill Yes, it’s the high-speed train, you know.
Tom You’re arriving at Beijing South Station at lunchtime on
Saturday, is that correct?
Bill Yes, it is service number G102 (and) it leaves Shanghai at
6.39 in the morning, arriving into Beijing South Station at
lunchtime at 12.18. The journey time is 5 hours 39 minutes.
Tom Good, I will go to Beijing South Station at lunchtime to
meet you.
Bill Sorry to trouble you.
Tom It’s only right (that I do so). We’re old friends, there’s no
need to thank me.
Bill I’ll soon be off to Beijing. I’m really excited.
Tom I’m also really excited at the prospect of seeing you in Beijing!
Bill See you on Saturday in Beijing!
Unit 14
PRESENTATION
14.03
In Beijing there are four seasons in a year: spring, summer, autumn and winter. Spring
starts in April. When April arrives, the weather begins to get warmer and warmer.
Summer begins in June. When summer arrives, the weather grows hotter and hotter;
sometimes the temperature is high, rising to 37-38 degrees. It sometimes rains in
summer. When autumn arrives, that is to say from September, the weather starts to
cool down. From November it gets colder and colder; generally the coldest weather
falls in January. Winter in Beijing is long; there are about four months of winter. The
temperature can dip below minus 10 degrees and it is much colder than London. In
winter it sometimes snows.
For travellers, autumn is the best season in Beijing, as in autumn the weather is generally
good, neither hot nor cold. It is seldom windy and it seldom rains. Now autumn is already
here. My friend Bill is coming to Beijing from Shanghai to spend some leisure time. He’ll arrive
in Beijing at lunchtime. I have seen the weather forecast: fine during the day, cloudy at night
turning overcast with light rain. Today’s high will be 20 degrees.
Bill is coming on the high-speed train and it will arrive at 12:39. I need to set off for the
station to meet him right away.
CONVERSATION 1
14.05
Tom We meet in the capital, Beijing! How are you? You’ve

had a long journey.
Bill It was extremely good – there was air conditioning
on the train – much more comfortable than on an
ordinary train.
Tom Do you have any plans for today?
Bill No, now I am in Beijing, I have to be guided by you;
that is what is known as ‘kè suí zhǔ biàn’ (the guest
should follow what the host decides).
Tom Wow, ‘kè suí zhǔ biàn’, your Chinese is really great!
Bill Not at all, I know you are always more diligent than I
(when it comes to Chinese).
Tom OK, if you want to work hard, we won’t speak English
for the next few days. Do you agree?
Bill Of course, that is a must.
Tom But we’ll speak Mandarin; don’t speak any
Shanghainese to me.
Bill Don’t worry, my Shanghainese is not as good as my
Mandarin. To be honest, all I can say is ‘ā lā wù dǒng’.
Tom ‘Ā lā wù dǒng’ – what does that mean?
Bill ‘Ā lā wù dǒng’ is just ‘wǒ bù dǒng’.
Tom ‘Ā lā’ dǒng le’. (I get it.)
Bill Now your Shanghainese is as good as mine.
Tom Let’s go – we’ll go to a bar and have a drink while we
chat.
Bill Actually, these days I prefer tea.
Tom In that case, we’ll go to ‘Lǎo Běijīng’, a very good
teahouse not far from here, quite near; it is only a
quarter of an hour on foot.
Bill Great. I’ve been on the train for more than five hours
(so) I would really like to walk a bit and relax.
Tom The weather is fine today, neither hot nor cold, the
temperature …
Bill Oh, it’s your old habit again of talking about the
weather.
22
CONVERSATION 2
14.07
Bill Wow, the weather is really good!

Tom It’s a bit cooler than Shanghai, am I right?
Bill Much cooler than Shanghai.
Tom It’s autumn now and the weather is getting cooler and cooler.
Bill It is still hot in Shanghai, and humid, too. Very uncomfortable.
Tom Beijingers call that kind of weather ‘sāngná tiānr’.
Bill ‘Sāngná tiānr’ – what does that mean?
Tom ‘Sāngná’ just means ‘sauna’.
Bill Oh, I understand – muggy weather. See, we’re talking
about the weather again.
Tom Oh, we’re here. Look! The building next to that big tree
is ‘Lǎo Běijīng’.
Bill This kind of house is what is called a ‘sìhéyuànr’, isn’t it?
Tom That’s right. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?
Bill How wonderful to drink tea in a courtyard house!
Tom There are also authentic Beijing snacks to be had!
Bill Many thanks, many thanks. My old friend certainly
knows me best.
Tom In that case, let’s go right in.
Bill Wait, hold on. What’s the hurry? I need to take a few photos.
Tom Give me your camera. I’ll help you take them. Good. Look into
the camera, smile! Say cheese (in Chinese = ‘aubergine’)!
Bill Chee–se!
Unit 15
PRESENTATION
15.03
Yesterday Bill arrived in Beijing. He can only stay for three days, that’s really too short a time.
The reason is that he is still doing part-time work for a company, with responsibility for the
English version of their website. The boss is most satisfied with his work, but work is very
busy so the boss cannot let him have any more time off.
Yesterday I introduced him to some of the most famous places in Beijing and the tastiest
foods, and asked him what his plans were. Bill said that he wanted to go everywhere and
taste everything; whatever I arrange will be fine with him. He only had one request: that we
wouldn’t stay at the dormitory and in the mornings sleep in late.
We are old friends and know each other very well. Today I plan to first go to Tian’anmen
Square, then view the Palace Museum. In the afternoon, we’ll look around Beijing’s hutong
and in the evening go to Beijing’s most famous roast duck restaurant to eat roast duck.
Tomorrow we will certainly be tired, so I intend for us to take the coach to the Great
Wall. That way we can rest on the coach. On the third day we definitely must go to the
Summer Palace and we must eat some lamb hot pot. If there is time, we will also go and
visit Tiantan Park.
CONVERSATION 1
15.05
Tom Oh dear! It’s already past 7 o’clock. Hurry, get up!

Bill I woke at 5:00, but then fell asleep again.
Tom Get washed as quickly as you can and then we’ll go to
the canteen to eat breakfast.
Bill What do you eat in the mornings?
Tom Whatever you want, they have it: deep fried dough
sticks, soya milk, tea eggs, filled pancakes. At lunchtime
and in the evenings they also have hamburgers, hot
dogs, pizza, sandwiches.
Bill Who comes to China and still eats sandwiches? I like
filled delicacies so I must try Beijing filled pancakes. Will
we come back after we’ve eaten?
Tom Once we’ve eaten, we’ll leave right away.
Bill In that case let’s take some mineral water.
Tom Good idea, one easily gets thirsty when riding a bicycle.
Bill What’s the plan for today?
Tom How come you are only now asking me this?
Bill I’m asking where we will go first and where we will go
after that.
Tom We’ll go to Tian’anmen Square first, then the Palace
Museum. If you stick with me, you will definitely be
happy with this plan.
Bill Are there audio guides available when looking around
the Palace Museum?
Tom There are. The first time I went I listened to it in English,
now we can have a go at listening to the Chinese.
Bill The audio guide will make the visit much more
convenient. Apart from taking a few photographs, I’m
also interested in gaining an understanding of the
history of the Imperial Palace.
Tom After that, we’ll take a stroll around some hutong. If you
take a look at the map you can see: to the north of the
Forbidden City there are a few small hutong there. You
can get there quickly by bike.
Bill Seeing the big square and wandering around the small
hutong. That’ll be great!
24
CONVERSATION 2
15.07
Tom We’ve seen Tian’anmen Square, visited the Palace

Museum, strolled around the hutong. How was it?
Bill I heard about those places long ago but today was
the first time that I have been able to visit them, it was
really great! Seeing is believing!
Tom Now we’ll go to the roast duck restaurant, it’s right nearby.
Bill As soon as you mention roast duck, I feel hungry. Let’s go.
Tom Oh no! That’s done it. My bicycle’s broken down; it’s an
old problem. I need to find a bicycle repairman.
To a passerby (lùrén)
Bill I’m sorry to trouble you but is there a bicycle repairman
around here?
Luren Let me think…um…there’s one. Go straight and when
you get to the intersection with the traffic lights, turn
left. On the opposite side of the road there’s a bicycle
repairer.
Tom Go straight ahead, on reaching the intersection up
ahead, turn left, on the opposite side of the road. I
understand. Thank you.
Ten minutes later
Bill Look, it’s over there. It’s a woman!
Tom Shifu, my bicycle has broken down, could I trouble you
to take a look?
Shifu I’ll have a look. Oh, it’s a small problem. I’ll mend it for
you right away. Where are the two of you off to?
Tom We’re going to the roast duck restaurant. It’s not far
from here, I take it?
Shifu It’s very near. Turn right at the next intersection and
then keep going south. On a bike it will only take seven
or eight minutes.
Tom The roast duck restaurant is on the left-hand side of the
road, am I right?
Shifu That’s right. It’s on the left. I’ve finished. Try it out.
Bill So quickly? Shifu, your workmanship is quite
something!
Shifu Of course. I have been repairing bicycles here for a
dozen years or so.
Tom How much is it?
Shifu I’ll knock some off for you. I’ll only ask for 25.
Tom Here’s 30, keep the change.
Shifu Thanks. Go carefully. You’re welcome to come again!
Unit 16
PRESENTATION
16.03
I’ve been living in Uncle Liu’s house for more than a week already. I moved in ten days ago.
I don’t have many things (so) I didn’t ask a removal company. It was my classmates who
helped me move. My friend Dehua also came over to help.
The environment in this neighbourhood is really good. Every morning I go out for half an
hour’s run and after I come back, I brush my teeth, wash my face and eat breakfast. After that
I go to class. Uncle Liu and Ayi are both good to me. I need to respect their customs and do
my best not to disturb their daily routine.
I teach them English twice a week for about half an hour each time. They work very hard
and have made swift progress. They say that their learning English is not just so that it will be
convenient when they go abroad; learning foreign languages is good for the brain.
Now we’ll soon have exams and I’m rather busy. Since yesterday, I’ve felt rather under the
weather. It seems that I have caught a cold; my head hurts, my throat, too, so this evening
I won’t be able to teach them English. However, I have already found a few websites that
are quite good (so) they can study online by themselves whenever they have free time. The
websites are free of charge. Once my cold is better, I will teach them again.
CONVERSATION 1
16.05
Marie Ayi (Auntie), I’m back.

Ayi Quick, come in and look at the English books I have
just bought.
Marie Ayi, it seems I’ve caught a cold today, so I won’t be able
to teach you now.
Ayi You’re ill? Where do you feel unwell?
Marie I have a headache and my throat is sore.
Ayi Do you have a temperature?
Marie It doesn’t seem so.
Ayi When was it that you (began to) feel unwell?
Marie It was yesterday morning.
Ayi I will make a glass of lemon water for you and add
some honey. Once you’ve drunk it, go to bed and don’t
read any books.
Marie I can’t not read. I have homework to do and I also need to
revise because I will have some exams soon. I’m very worried.
Ayi Well that must mean you have ‘shàng huǒ’.
Marie Ayi, I’ve learned the character ‘huǒ’ but not the term
‘shàng huǒ’. What does ‘shàng huǒ’ mean?
26
Ayi When people feel stressed they often feel unwell. For
example, they have a headache or a sore throat. We say
that (the person has) ‘shàng huǒ’.
Marie So if I drink lemon water I can ‘xià huǒ’, is that right?
Ayi You could say it that way. People often say ‘qù huǒ’.
Marie OK, then. I’ll have a go at getting rid of my ‘huǒ’.
CONVERSATION 2
16.07
Ayi Marie, do you feel any better?

Marie Yes, a little. My throat has eased and my head doesn’t
hurt so much.
Ayi Before going to bed, have another glass of lemon
water and your ‘huǒ’ will dissipate.
Marie OK. I will do as you say. Oh yes, I have just found some websites
for learning English. Take a look. They’re all free of charge.
Ayi Let’s wait until tomorrow. Today you need to go to bed
a little earlier. When you have been reading for a long
time, your eyes will tire and when your eyes are tired,
your head will hurt.
Marie Ayi, it is as if you were a doctor.
Ayi Since retiring I am always thinking of how to get sick
less often and how to avoid getting sick.
Marie My health has always been good up to now. It has
been many years since I was last ill.
Ayi Uncle Liu and I have also not been to hospital for many
years now.
Marie I’ve never been to hospital here (so) I don’t know how
to register and where to queue.
Ayi No problem, I will go with you. If you get a
temperature, you will need to go to the hospital.
There’s no other option.
Marie To me, going to see the doctor is a form of study.
Ayi Actually, your Mandarin is already very good. People
often say, ‘bízi xiàbianr yǒu ge zuǐ’.
Marie ‘Bízi xiàbianr yǒu ge zuǐ’ – what does that mean?
Ayi It means, if you don’t understand, then ask! Not only
can a mouth eat, it can also ask questions.
Marie Ayi, I’m feeling much better. I don’t need to go to hospital.
Unit 17
PRESENTATION
17.03
Both Wang Laoshi and I went to university last century during the late 1970s. After
graduating with a bachelor’s degree, we became teachers in a school. Later, we taught while
reading for a research degree. At that time, Lao Wang’s specialization was Modern Chinese,
while I was reading International Relations.
We both had lots of hobbies: Lao Wang was good at table tennis; I was a good singer and
not a bad dancer, either. After we got married, we often went along to all sorts of gatherings,
and our lives were a lot of fun.
Starting in the early eighties, more and more foreign students came to China to study
Chinese, and our school sent us to work in the Department for International Chinese
Education. All of a sudden we felt that the pressure of work had increased. That was
because not only did we have to give classes but we also had to take responsibility for the
development of new courses and new teaching materials. We had to attend many meetings
and at the same time study English, because it was essential that we understood English
when teaching foreign students. When we were students, our foreign language elective had
been Japanese.
Time flies and we have now been working at the Department for International Chinese
Education for more than 20 years. Lao Wang has become a professor and I, too, have
taken on research students. However, it was not until last month at a gathering of former
classmates that I discovered that almost all of our old classmates have travelled abroad, but
we are always at work, as if our life is just work!
CONVERSATION 1
17.05
Zhang Lao Wang, it seems that you have been really busy
again recently.
Wang At the beginning of next month there is an important
conference on International Chinese Education.
Zhang You have to make all sorts of arrangements for the
conference, I suppose?
Wang How do you know that?
Zhang We’re an old married couple, how could I not know?
Wang Well, if you already know, why do you ask?
Zhang How long has it been since you last played table
tennis?
Wang Played table tennis? Oh dear, the last time I took part in
a table tennis competition was last century. Where did
all the time go?
28
Zhang Yes, time has really flown by. Our hair has turned white,
our eyesight has deteriorated, and now we even walk
more slowly than before.
Wang That’s true. I smoke less now and I don’t guzzle drink
the way I used to.… OK, then, I know you have
something on your mind. Out with it!
Zhang This year we should go abroad for the summer holiday.
Wang You’re a bit too old to be an overseas student, aren’t you?
Zhang Enough of your jokes. I think we should travel outside
China and get to know the world outside.
Wang Who says I don’t know about the outside world? I’ve
convened so many international conferences, then
there is the internet and the library….
Zhang Professor Wang, tell me what is meant by ‘seeing is
believing’. My old classmates have all been abroad
many times. Because of work, we hardly ever rest, even
in the winter and summer vacations.
Wang All right, next summer, then. There isn’t time this year.
Zhang Can I take you at your word?
Wang We’re an old couple who have been married for nearly 30
years; when have I ever not been as good as my word?
CONVERSATION 2
17.07
Zhang Xiao Li, long time no see. Have you been busy recently?
Li I’m busy every day, but each day is a happy one. Zhang
Laoshi, how was the last class reunion you went to?
Zhang When us old classmates get together we’re all really
happy. Oh, yes, everyone said that the clothes you
helped me pick out were most becoming.
Li Did you wear that pair of red high heels?
Zhang I did and everyone said they looked pretty.
Li You do need to dress up a bit when attending a get-
together.
Zhang Let me tell you a bit of good news: I’ve just discussed
with Lao Wang a plan for us to travel abroad next
summer vacation.
Li The world is so big, you should go and take a look.
Zhang We work in the Department for International Chinese
Education, but we haven’t even been abroad. How can
that be right?
Li When you and Lao Wang are not engaged in your own
research, you’re taking care of Master’s students and
PhD students – you’re always busy. It seems like, as far
as you are concerned, work is more important than life.
Zhang That’s right. All these years, every day has been spent
either in the classroom, in the office, in the canteen or
in the library.
Li Where are you planning on going?
Zhang The UK, but I’m a bit worried about my English.
Li No need to worry, you speak English quite fluently.
Zhang No, my speaking isn’t up to much and my listening
skills are not great either.
Li I’ve just found some websites that offer English tuition –
they are quite well designed: there are listening,
speaking, reading and writing exercises. I’ll email you the
links later on.
Zhang Thank you. These days you really need to keep studying
no matter how old you get.
UNIT 18
PRESENTATION
18.03
Lao Wang has already agreed that during next year’s summer vacation we’ll go travelling
abroad. It really wasn’t easy for him to come to this decision, as his work is so busy. Ever since
becoming a professor, it seems that he has no time to rest: when he is eating he talks about
work; when taking a walk he’s thinking over problems; and even his dreams have something
to do with work. If I suggest going out to see a ballet or to a concert, he says either he hasn’t
finished writing an article or there is a speech that he hasn’t finished preparing.
For him, there is no difference between work and leisure. After he comes home, he
goes to his study and it is as if he is immediately lost in another world. If I put on a
new skirt and walk up and down in front of him, he doesn’t notice me. When I holler
to him that dinner is ready, he doesn’t hear me unless I yell three times. The day before
yesterday I replaced his mobile phone with a slightly better one but the chances are
that he hasn’t opened it up to use it and I don’t even know whether he has memorized
the new number.
He always wants to do things perfectly, so he can never finish what he has to do. Day
after day, if he’s not reading, then he’s staring at the computer. He has already had to
replace his glasses twice this year. The doctor says that his eyes need to rest and that
30
he cannot work for long periods of time; otherwise, there will be problems. I’m going to
have to find a way to make him go out for a walk with me after work; in that way he can
relax his eyes.
CONVERSATION 1
18.05
Zhang Professor Wang, Professor Wang, may I come in?

Wang Oh dear. I hear you. As soon as you start calling me
‘Professor Wang’, I get scared. I must have done
something wrong again.
Zhang Heavens! You’ve really lost touch with reality.
Wang Do you have something to discuss?
Zhang How is the new mobile phone I bought you?
Wang I’ve opened it and charged it up but I haven’t learned
how to use it yet.
Zhang Have you memorized the new number?
Wang I haven’t tried to remember it, so how could I have
memorized it?
Zhang The new mobile has a lot of functions and it’s easy to
use, too.
Wang To my way of thinking a mobile phone is just a
telephone; it doesn’t require so many functions.
Zhang These days it seems that mobile phones can (let you)
do everything: read books, read newspapers, record
sounds and images, take photographs, go shopping….
Wang This brings with it many issues: issues of time, issues of
health; issues of security; issues of privacy….
Zhang Oh goodness, it’s not the functionality of mobile
phones I want to discuss with you, but how we’ll
prepare for going to Britain.
Wang Why make preparations as early as this?
Zhang The preparations are important and they require time.
Wang Well, let’s wait until I’ve finished reading this article.
Zhang No, we’ll discuss it now.
Wang In that case can I trouble you to make me a cup of
green tea? I’ve made progress, haven’t I? I’ve started
drinking tea.
Zhang You’ve got the right idea. It is only when one eats and
drinks healthily that one can be healthy.
CONVERSATION 2
18.07
Zhang The tea’s ready. The tea leaves were a present from Xiao
Li. Have a taste.
Wang Any gift of Miss Li’s will certainly be good.
Zhang Let’s talk about how to improve our English.
Wang You really make me laugh. We’ve been writing teaching
materials and articles for all these years. How could we
have done it if we didn’t understand English?
Zhang That relates to our ability in reading and writing, not
our speaking and listening skills. There are many
people with a good standard of English who find
that when they go abroad they cannot understand
what people are saying and can’t make themselves
understood. They only have to open their mouths and
they’ve made a mistake.
Wang But when we go abroad, we’ll have a guide.
Zhang A guide won’t be able to focus attention only on us. If
we go to a supermarket or shopping centre we’ll have
to speak, won’t we?
Wang We’ll stay in hotels – they’ll have food and drink; we won’t
need to go to supermarkets and shopping centres.
Zhang But what if we should happen to get lost? We’ll need
to be able to ask the way. I often make mistakes even
when using the simplest words, such as ‘he’ and ‘she’.
Wang Gosh, I will have to think this over. It seems that I, too,
have made that mistake.
Zhang Therefore we need to listen to as much conversational
English as we can and practise as much as we can.
Wang I agree with your point of view, but where will I find the
time?
Zhang Time? Well, if you don’t look for it, you won’t find it.
From now on, once you’ve knocked off work and had
your meal, we’ll go for a walk together and practise
speaking; you won’t be allowed to work any more.
Wang I get it, when all is said and done, you just don’t want to
let me work at home, isn’t that it?
Zhang I’m thinking of your best interests and I worry about
you. Otherwise, your eyes will soon be developing
problems. It is only when one has rested properly that
one can do good work.
Wang Very well, then. I don’t have any choice. At home, you
are the boss!
32
Unit 19
PRESENTATION
19.03
After the summer vacation began, I found an internship with a French cosmetics company. I
work two days a week. French cosmetics are quite well known in China, and (their) perfume
is especially popular.
My main responsibility is introducing our products to clients, while at the same time keeping
a record of the clients’ opinions, suggestions and requirements, which I then pass on to the
manager of the company. In fact, since our website is very well designed, customers can
find out about each product online. However, many clients still come to Beijing from other
parts of the country as they prefer to meet with representatives of the company face to face,
discuss the products and look at samples.
As soon as I get to the office, I get out the product instructions and then the samples and
set them down next to the instructions. Once the client has arrived, as well as introducing
the products, I open them up, in response to the interest shown by the client and according
to the client’s requests, and let the client try out the product. When faced with a new client,
I have to write down the contact details, for example the name, telephone number, email
address, WeChat number and so on.
My original intention was just to work during the summer vacation, earn some pocket
money and then stop work once term had started. I hadn’t anticipated that my boss would
be very satisfied with my work and not be willing to let me go. He not only gave me a raise,
but said that if, once term had started, I was too busy, it would be all right if I only worked
two half-days, and I agreed.
I plan to go and open a bank account and deposit the money I earn in that account. After I
graduate, I will use the money to travel and gain a good understanding of local conditions
and customs in China.
CONVERSATION 1
19.05
Marie Ayi, banks are open at the weekend, aren’t they?

Ayi They are. If you need cash, there’s an ATM downstairs.
Marie It’s not that I am looking for an ATM. I want to open a bank
account and deposit the money I earn in the account.
Ayi The banks’ opening hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00
p.m. They open a bit later at weekends and they close a
bit earlier than normal. You’ve got a job now?
Marie That’s right. It’s an internship with a cosmetics company.
My job is to introduce the products to the clients and
make a note of the clients’ opinions and requirements.
Ayi Will you still have time to work once term begins?
Marie It won’t be a problem – I’ll be able to organize my time.
Ayi It is important to work to earn money, but your studies
are more important, you know.
Marie Ayi, don’t worry. This work is also a good opportunity
for me to improve my Chinese.
Ayi As long as you know (what’s important). Do you need
me to go along with you to the bank?
Marie There’s no need. I’m no longer anxious about filling in
forms: name, sex, date of birth, occupation, nationality,
passport number; then there’s also….
Ayi Enough. I know that you have made great progress. Remember
to get all the documentary proof you need ready.
Marie The most important one is proof of identity. In the case
of us foreigners, that means our passport. I’ll go and
open an account this coming Sunday.
Ayi There are two banks in the neighbourhood. Go early,
otherwise you’ll have to queue – if you have any
problems, then….
Marie I know! Tell me please, what is that under my nose?
Ayi Heavens, I really don’t have time to joke with you!
Conversation 2
19.07
Marie Hello. I would like to open an account.

Teller Would that be an RMB account or a foreign currency account?
Marie RMB.
Teller Please fill in this form. Be sure to write your name clearly
and exactly as it appears on your passport. It would be
best to write your contact address in Chinese. If you have
any problems, you can ask me.
Marie I understand. No problem, I can write Chinese.
Teller Have you brought a copy of your passport?
Marie Oh dear, how could I forget to do that? I have already
made the photocopy and put it on my desk but I’ve
forgotten to bring it with me.
Teller It doesn’t matter. Give me your passport and I will copy
it for you now.
(After a few minutes)
Marie I’ve finished filling in the form. Please have a look – are
there any problems?
34
Teller Mm, that’s fine. Have you brought any cash with you? When
opening an account, you’d better deposit some cash.
Marie I have. Here you are. I’m depositing 100 yuan to start with.
Teller Good, please bear with me a moment. Good, now
please input your PIN number.
Marie Yes, I’ve keyed it in.
Teller Fine, please wait a moment. OK, this is your deposit
book. From now on you can use it to make deposits
and withdrawals and you can also apply for a debit
card and a credit card. We also offer online services,
mobile phone banking and so on. We have a large
range of products.
Marie Many thanks! Your customer service is both quick and
high quality.
Teller You’re too kind. We’re here to help.
Unit 20
PRESENTATION
18.03
The first of October is China’s National Day. National Day is a three-day holiday that, when
added to a weekend, means that people can take a week off work. I, too, want to take
advantage of this opportunity and invite my friends to a good meal to thank them for the
kindness and help they have shown me.
It was Dehua who helped me make contacts when I was looking to rent a place, and Harry,
Jack and my roommate helped a great deal with my move. On the day I moved, Harry and
Jack helped me move four large suitcases to the (new) neighbourhood (housing complex)
on bikes and then they used a small trolley to move each suitcase one by one to my room.
Running back and forth like that, they were on the go the whole time and tired out, but they
said that for them it was exercise – even better than going to the gym.
I’ve already told them (about the event), asked them to make sure they are free, (and said)
that they definitely have to come to the party and give me an opportunity to express my
thanks, while at the same time we can all happily have a good natter.
Now the question of where to eat is causing me a headache. I’ve spent a long time looking
online and researched a good number of menus, but the more I look, the more confused I
become; the more I think about it, the more I feel at a loss. Everyone in our circle has different
things they like to eat: some like to eat spicy food, some like to eat sweet things, some like to
eat seafood, some like barbecued dishes, and then there are those who want to lose weight
and eat vegetarian food. It really is hard to please everyone.
CONVERSATION 1
20.05
Marie Ayi, when the National Day holiday comes around I

want to invite my friends for a meal, but I don’t know
where we should go.
Ayi The National Day holiday is a long one – aren’t you
going to go travelling?
Marie None of us has plans to travel; we’re worried that there
will be a lot of people and the queues will be too long.
Actually everybody wants to take advantage of the
opportunity to have a good rest.
Ayi Since it’s Golden Week, there will always be crowds
of people at the famous scenic spots. However, it’s
not difficult to go out for a meal; there are restaurants
everywhere, you know.
Marie It is also a problem when the choice is too large. I’ve
searched online and in the newspapers, but the more I
look, the more at a loss I feel.
Ayi Will you have Chinese food or Western food?
Marie Chinese food, of course. The problem is that some like
to eat spicy food, some like to eat sweet food, some
like plain food….
Ayi It’s hard to come up with the perfect plan, hard to
please everyone.
Marie I really want each person to be happy with the meal.
Ayi The way I see it, you should go for a buffet.
Marie A buffet? Yes, how come I didn’t think of that?
Ayi Last night I saw a TV commercial for a new buffet-style
restaurant. It has Chinese food, Western food, cold
dishes, hot dishes – everything – and, on top of that,
they say that the chef won first prize in a competition.
Marie Do you remember the name of the restaurant?
Ayi No, but the commercial will be on TV again tonight. I’ll
certainly take the details down, don’t worry.
Marie Thank you! Thank you!
36
CONVERSATION 2
20.07
Fuwuyuan Welcome! How many of you are there?

Marie There are six of us altogether.
Fuwuyuan Please go inside. Is that table by the window all right?
Marie It’s fine. Could you give us a quick introduction (to the
layout of the buffet), please?
Fuwuyuan Take a look: Western food is there on the left; Chinese
food is in the middle. On the right are the desserts and
also fruit and beverages.
Marie We all like to eat Chinese food.
Fuwuyuan Apart from offering all kinds of traditional dishes,
we also have a chef who will cook dishes for you on
request: pan-fried, deep-fried, roasted, stir-fried …
whatever you order he’ll cook it for you.
Marie Is he the chef who took first prize in the competition?
Fuwuyuan That’s right, seeing is believing, you’ll soon be able to
judge his skill for yourselves.
Friend 1 Yes, sour, sweet, bitter and spicy, I want to taste them all.
Friend 2 Goodness me, I certainly don’t want to eat anything
bitter, although I am fully able to ‘chī kǔ’.
Fuwuyuan I forgot to say that usually alcoholic beverages aren’t
normally included in the price, but during Golden
Week we have a special offer – each customer can
have a glass of beer free of charge.
Marie In that case, please bring us our beers right away.
Fuwuyuan Very well, wait just a moment. I will bring them right
away.
Marie Today we’ll have a relaxed meal together on me.
No-one is allowed to mention ‘going Dutch’ or ‘losing
weight’, and you’re not allowed to look at your watches.
Friend 1 I am all in favour of those three ‘not allowed’s. I’m starving.
Friend 2 Hold your horses; a good meal should be savoured slowly.
Waitress Here are your beers! This is the ice; please help
yourselves. Oh, yes, will you be needing knives and
forks?
Friend 1 We can all use chopsticks.
Marie Many thanks to you all for coming. I’ve been so lucky to
have got to know you all in China. Come, raise a glass
to our friendship!
All Come on everyone, Bottoms up! Cheers!
Unit 21
PRESENTATION
21.03
Recently I’ve had my nose buried in books related to Chinese culture. There are two main
reasons for this. On the one hand, I’m studying Chinese and it is impossible to study a language
without also studying the culture. That’s why I must do my best to read relevant materials in
Chinese. On the other hand, my parents will be coming to Beijing very soon. They are making
a trip to Hong Kong at the moment and then from Hong Kong they will go to Shanghai to
attend a conference. They’ll come to Beijing to visit me as soon as the conference is over.
I’ll definitely have to act as a good guide for them; not only will I have to show them around
famous historical sites, I will also have to tell them, conscientiously and in a professional
fashion, about the history and tales of those places.
All that won’t be easy. I’m in the process of looking for related literature on the subject and
reading whatever materials I find. Although there are some materials in English, I don’t want
to use them as that would do nothing to improve my Chinese and, moreover, I have also
found that some of the English translations are not that accurate. That’s why I choose to read
Chinese ones.
As far as my parents are concerned, it was not an easy thing for them to make a trip to China.
As well as taking them to famous scenic spots, I also want them to gain an understanding
of traditional Chinese art: see a performance of acrobatics with their own eyes; hear a
performance of Peking Opera first-hand; and also, of course, take them to sample for
themselves authentic Peking Duck.
CONVERSATION 1
21.05
Harry I’m sorry, but could you turn the music down? I’m
reading.
John Sorry. I thought you liked listening to music while
reading.
Harry I’m reading a book about Chinese art. It’s a little difficult
and I need to read it slowly and carefully; otherwise, it
will be hard for me to understand.
John How come you have started to research art topics?
Harry It’s not research. I simply want to get a basic
understanding of related topics.
John Related topics? What related topics?
Harry My parents will be coming to Beijing soon and I have
to make myself into a good travel guide for them. They
are sightseeing in Hong Kong at present.
38
John Of course you need to take good care of them. You’re
their son. However, what does that have to do with art?
We’ve been to almost all the famous historical places
in Beijing and (we know that) if you get lost it is easy to
consult one’s mobile phone or ask a passer-by.
Harry I don’t just want to show them around, I also want to
tell them about the history and tales of those places.
John Our teacher has told us all about the history of the
Forbidden City, the tales of the Summer Palace and the
legends of the Great Wall.
Harry They also want to take advantage of this opportunity
to gain an understanding of traditional Chinese arts.
My Mum really likes traditional Chinese arts.
John Traditional arts? What aspects of art are you looking into?
Harry I’m in the process of reading a book about the art of
Peking Opera.
John Wow, Peking Opera. You are researching Peking Opera?
Harry No, no. As I said, I just want to gain a simple understanding.
John Gaining a simple understanding is no simple task! OK,
then. I’ll switch off the radio. We can’t have Western
pop music going in through your ears while your brain
is thinking about Peking Opera.
Harry Oh no! I nearly forgot. I have to make some telephone
enquiries for my parents about the hotel.
CONVERSATION 2
21.07
Front desk Hello. Minghua Hotel, Reception.

Harry Hello, I would like to ask some questions about your
hotel.
Front desk The Minghua Hotel is a four-star hotel, but our motto is
that we offer a five-star service at a four-star price.
Harry That’s great. I’ve seen online that the daily rate is 880
yuan, is that correct?
Front desk Yes, that is the rate for a standard double; singles are
a little cheaper and the luxury suites are a bit more
expensive.
Harry I take it that breakfast is included?
Front desk Yes, it’s included. There is a breakfast buffet with both
Chinese and Western food. There is also a chef who
prepares hot breakfasts for the guests: noodles in soup,
fried eggs, toast.
Harry Does the hotel have wi-fi?
Front desk It does. There is also a swimming pool and a gym.
These are all free of charge for guests.
Harry Are there English-language programmes available on
the TVs in the guest rooms?
Front desk Yes, you can receive both the BBC and CNN.
Harry I take it the hotel staff all speak English?
Front desk All those on the front desk can speak English. The other
staff are all in the process of learning English.
Harry There’s one more question: what time is check out?
Front desk Check out is before 12:00 noon. Now that it is autumn,
the season for travel, we don’t have many vacancies so it
would be best to book in advance. If you book a fortnight
in advance, you will receive a 10 per cent discount.
Harry Thanks for explaining all that. We’ll talk it over and if we
need to make a booking we’ll contact you immediately.
Unit 22
PRESENTATION
22.03
For the past few days I have been busy preparing next week’s lesson. The aim of this lesson is
to give the foreign students an account of China’s traditional festivals. Although the topic is
not a difficult one for me, it will not be easy to deliver the lesson successfully.
Before this class of students arrived in China, none of them had studied Chinese before,
but now their level of Chinese is already really quite good and in last month’s vocabulary
competition held in our department they all got good scores. Despite this, I still have to
prepare conscientiously for the lesson and introduce traditional Chinese festivals using
language that the students will be able to understand.
My first experience of teaching a lesson on culture to overseas students was many years ago.
That lesson was certainly hard to forget. Before the lesson, I prepared thoroughly but when I
came to deliver it none of the students could understand what I was saying, as the Chinese
I used was too difficult for them. Prior to that I had been teaching Chinese students and I
had the mistaken impression that if only one spoke slowly everything would be all right.
In the end I had to deliver the lesson (on festivals) in English. After the lesson, the Head of
Department tore me off a strip, saying, ‘If the lesson is to be delivered in English, why not ask
a teacher from the English Department to do it? Some of the students do not have English as
their mother tongue, was that fair to them?’ I couldn’t say a word in reply to the Head of the
Department’s questions.
40
Many years have passed but I still distinctly recall the incident – even the Head’s tone of
voice and his air of annoyance has stuck in my memory as clear as day. I am extremely
grateful for the Head’s criticisms. In fact, very often criticism is more helpful than praise when
it comes to improving people’s performance.
CONVERSATION 1
22.05
Wang What is it you are looking for?

Zhang I’m looking for those old photographs. I need them to
prepare my lesson.
Wang Huh? How can you show our private possessions to
students?
Zhang You were much better looking when you were young
than you are now, but you’re still afraid of being looked
at by students?
Wang It’s not that I am afraid of being seen by the students.
I’m afraid that you’ll tell me off again for not making
enough effort to lose weight.
Zhang That’s not true at all; don’t I praise you every day these
days? You’re not drinking as much, not smoking …
Wang Enough! Joking aside, how come you’re looking for
those old photos?
Zhang I’m preparing a presentation on traditional Chinese
festivals for the students and I recall that we took quite
a few photos when we celebrated the Spring and Mid-
Autumn Festivals at our old home. I want to dig up a
few of those photos and use them in class.
Wang Isn’t there a lot of that kind of material online?
Zhang It’s more realistic to use one’s own old photos, and the
students will find them more interesting. How come
you don’t understand that, Professor Wang?
Wang You’re right! You’re the boss in our house.
Zhang How strange! What boss is it that cooks meals every
day, washes clothes and cleans?
Wang Oh, I remember now – I’ve also used old photographs
with students. I took them to my office.
Zhang Well bring them back straight away. Off you go!
Wang If you’re in a hurry, I’ll take a taxi, shall I?
Zhang Take a taxi? There’s no hurry. But you can run there. You
haven’t done any running today, have you?
Wang Oh dear! And I thought you’d forgotten all about that.
CONVERSATION 2
22.07
Zhang Hello, class! You’ve been in China nearly a year now, so

do you all know what festivals and holidays we have
here in China?
S1 There’s National Day on the 1st of October.
S2 There’s the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival,
New Year and …
S3 And Spring Festival. Spring Festival is the most
important festival.
Zhang That’s right. Spring Festival, in the hearts of the Chinese,
is the most important festival.
S1 In the hearts of Westerners, Christmas is the most
important festival.
Zhang Since this student has brought up the subject of
Christmas, can you then talk a bit about the similarities
or differences that there are between those two
festivals?
S2 People all have time off to go home to celebrate the
festival with their families.
Zhang That’s right. We call this ‘hé jiā tuányuán’ (family
reunion).
S1 At Christmas, everyone has a Christmas tree in the
house and we exchange Christmas presents with our
relatives.
Zhang Chinese people will stick Spring Festival couplets
on the door frames and the Chinese character ‘fú’
(meaning ‘good fortune’). People give the elderly
gifts as a mark of respect and red envelopes
containing money to the children; this is called
‘yāsuìqián’ and expresses the wish that the children
will enjoy good health and that nothing untoward
will befall them in the new year.
S3 Teacher, we also send Christmas cards to relatives and
friends before Christmas to wish them well.
Zhang Chinese people also exchange greetings with
relatives and friends after Spring Festival, saying
‘Guònián Hǎo’ (Happy New Year), ‘Xīnnián Wànshì
Rúyì’ (May Everything Be As You Would Wish It in the
New Year), ‘Gōngxǐ Fācái’ (Wishing You Happiness
and Prosperity), etc. I have another question I’d like
to ask: why is it that Chinese traditional festivals fall
on a different day each year?
42
S1 It’s because they follow the lunar (agricultural)
calendar; we’ve learned about that before.
Zhang Well, then I won’t mention it any more. Now I’ll show
you some old photos, taken when I went back to my
old home for Spring Festival.
S2 Wow! What a lot of delicious food! You’re eating the
New Year’s Eve family dinner.
S3 My goodness, isn’t that Teacher Wang? When he was
young, he didn’t wear glasses; he was really good-looking!
Unit 23
PRESENTATION
23.03
The last lesson on culture went well and the students were all very happy with it. They
not only improved their language level through classroom discussion, they took a step
towards a better understanding of Chinese customs: for example, when eating with
Chinese friends, it is impolite to stick one’s chopsticks into the rice; and one needs to wait
for the host to say “Please eat” and “Don’t stand on ceremony” before eating the dishes that
have been newly brought to the table. By looking at the PowerPoint I made, they were
able to see the differences that exist between south China and north China and between
the country villages and the cities, as well as the way in which China has developed
and changed, and the way in which living standards for ordinary Chinese people have
improved.
After the class, the students wrote a report on that class under the title ‘We like
lessons like this.’ The report appeared on the school’s website. They hope that they
will have more classes like that in future, linking their study of the language with an
understanding of culture.
This afternoon I bumped into the Head of Department at the entrance of the school.
He said that student feedback was very important; whether it be criticism or praise,
we need to listen to it and read it seriously. He said that he is planning to offer an
introduction to Chinese culture to foreigners who are working in China. He asked me to
make preparations to teach the new course. He said that I could use my own judgement
in selecting extra content. He also asked me to prepare to teach a mass online course in
the future so that more people would be able to have an opportunity to hear my class.
How to link language learning with cultural content, how to enable students to participate
actively in classroom discussion – that is easier said than done!
CONVERSATION 1
23.05
Wang Congratulations! Congratulations!

Zhang What’s happened? Why are you congratulating me?
Wang There was a meeting at the school today. The Director
indicated that we must make greater use of the
internet. This is the direction of future development.
Zhang We’ve talked about this topic for several years already;
that’s not news.
Wang The Director praised you at the meeting and called
upon the department to pool its experience and learn
from you. That’s why I ought to congratulate you.
Zhang It was enough that the students were happy.
Summarizing my experience will take a lot of time,
when will I have time to do it?
Wang Summarizing one’s experience is an interesting thing
to do.
Zhang But it will mean spending a lot of time preparing.
Wang You often say that when it comes to work it is
important to see things through to the end and that
each class you deliver before retirement should be
delivered successfully. What’s wrong with you today?
Zhang Today the Head of the Department asked me to
prepare lessons for foreigners who are working in
China focused on cultural issues, and that, as much as
possible, Chinese should be used in class. Time is tight.
There is a lot of pressure on me.
Wang That is the future direction of development. You have
to do it whether you like it or not.
Zhang But I still feel a bit anxious. To discuss cultural content
is easier said than done. Cultural difference is a subject
for a student’s research thesis.
Wang It is not necessary to address such a large topic;
many of the customs of ordinary people have a
connection with language, for example the question of
homophones…
Zhang Let’s go for a stroll in the park and chat while we walk.
Wang Great! We can talk about work while we’re taking some
exercise – ‘killing two birds with one stone’!
44
CONVERSATION 2
23.07
Zhang Hello, everyone! We all know that festivals and holidays

are good opportunities to get together with relatives
and friends. I expect you’ve all taken part in such
occasions, haven’t you?
Worker 1 Yes, my Chinese friends are very welcoming; they
always invite me to their homes for a meal.
Worker 2 That’s right, my Chinese colleagues always cook a lot of
tasty dishes.
Zhang How do you express your thanks to them?
Worker 2 Because I often go there, I help wash the vegetables
and do the washing up.
Worker 3 I buy a gift to express my thanks.
Zhang This student has brought up the subject of gift-giving.
Have you ever thought about what you need to pay
attention to when buying gifts?
Worker 2 I know that we shouldn’t use white or black paper to
wrap a present in.
Worker 1 I’ve heard that there are certain things that should
never be given as gifts, for example clocks, but I don’t
know why that is.
Zhang There are many homophones in Chinese. The character
‘zhōng’ sounds the same as the ‘zhōng’ in (the phrase)
‘yǒushǐyǒuzhōng’. When people make the final
arrangements on behalf of someone who will soon leave
this world, we say in Chinese that they ‘sòng zhōng’.
Worker 3 Heavens, one really does need to be careful! On no
account should one make a present of a clock.
Zhang That is why there is a taboo against giving clocks as
presents. It is better not to give pears either since
‘lí’ (pear in Chinese) sounds the same as the ‘lí’ in the
word ‘líkāi’ (meaning to part) and so people don’t feel
comfortable about giving pears as gifts either.
Worker 1 In that case, are there any examples of congratulatory
associations?
Zhang There certainly are. People often say ‘nián nián yǒuyú, suì
suì píng’ān’ when giving New Year greetings. Since ‘píng’ in
‘píng’ān’ sounds the same as the ‘píng’ in ‘píngguǒ’ (apple),
there is no problem with giving apples as presents. You
often see pictures of fish on traditional Chinese New Year
paintings – this is to express the feeling behind ‘nián nián
yǒuyú’ (may you have prosperity year after year).
Worker 3 There are so many homophones in Chinese, how can
we know what associations they have?
Zhang The simplest thing is to be guided by your Chinese
friends or colleagues. As the saying goes, ‘When in
Rome, do as the Romans do.’ Now we’ll watch a video
devoted to the subject of gift-giving in (Chinese)
culture and then we’ll continue our discussion.
Unit 24
PRESENTATION
24.03
China is the largest country in Asia. Among all the countries of the world, only Russia and
Canada are larger in area than China. The population of China is the largest in the world.
According to the statistics, as of November 2015 the population of China amounted to
1.37349 billion. China has 56 ethnic groups altogther, of which the Han comprise 94 per cent
of the total population. China has 23 provinces, five autonomous regions, and four directly
controlled municipalities. The four directly-controlled municipalities are: Beijing, Tianjin,
Shanghai and Chongqing. Apart from the provinces, autonomous regions and directly-
controlled municipalities, there are two Special Administrative Zones: Hong Kong and Macao.
The capital of China is Beijing.
China is a large country with a large population. Apart from the languages spoken by the
ethnic minorities, there are also numerous dialects. The main language spoken by Chinese
people is Chinese, and Chinese is also one of the working languages of the United Nations.
Standard Chinese is known as Putonghua; it takes the Beijing pronunciation as its standard
pronunciation and the northen dialect as its basic dialect.
China has the world’s largest square, called Tian’anmen Square. The longest wall in the world,
known as the Great Wall, is found in China. China has the highest peak in the world: Mount
Everest. China has one of the world’s most beloved animals: the giant panda. The Yangtze
and the Yellow River are the most famous of China’s rivers.
As in all other parts of the world, China has many festivals. The most important of these is
Spring Festival, also called Chinese New Year.
46
CONVERSATION 1
24.05
Wang Hello, class. You’ve been studying in China for almost a

year now, I believe you must have visited a lot of places.
S1 I don’t spend the holidays in town. During the holidays
I always go away. I’ve been to Shandong, climbed
Taishan, and visited the birthplace of Confucius.
S2 I’ve been to Shanxi and eaten authentic daoxiao
noodles in the provincial capital, Taiyuan.
S3 I’ve been to Guilin in Guangxi. People there say that the
scenery in Guilin is the best in the world, and it really
does live up to its reputation!
Wang I’m sure you have no problems communicating in
Chinese while travelling?
S1 I’m finding it OK. One of my aims in travelling is to
practise my spoken language – getting to know the
culture while at the same time improving language
skills, killing two birds with one stone.
S2 People are very friendly no matter how good or
bad one’s Chinese is; they all give me a great deal of
encouragement.
S3 However, in the countryside or in small cities the
locals usually speak a dialect and that isn’t easy to
understand.
S1 That’s true. When I was in Guangdong, I couldn’t
understand a word of Cantonese.
Wang Some dialects are very different from Mandarin. There
are differences in vocabulary and grammar, but the
biggest difference lies in the pronunciation.
S2 Which dialect is spoken by the greatest number of
people?
Wang The northern dialect is spoken by the greatest number.
S3 I hear that in the south whenever you go over a
mountain or cross a river you will find a big difference
in the accent used.
Wang The saying ‘Shílǐ bù tóng yīn’ (every five miles you hear
a different accent) refers to that very phenomenon.
The government encourages us all to learn Mandarin
in order to facilitate interaction between all the ethnic
groups and the people from every region.
CONVERSATION 2
24.07
Wang I have another question I would like to ask you. You’ve

been to so many places, from the south to the north,
from the countryside to the city – have you noticed
Pinyin being used?
S1 I seem to recall seeing it at the airport and at train stations.
S2 There is Pinyin on the signs along the high-speed
expressways.
S3 What you’re referring to are place names. Apart from
place names, I can’t think of any other examples.
Wang I’m raising this subject in order to impress on you still
further why you need to study Chinese characters.
It won’t do to learn the Chinese language but not
learn characters. Let’s talk for a moment about our
experience of learning characters.
S1 I feel that Chinese characters are difficult to learn, to
be sure, but, if you practise them frequently and revise
them often, then you can memorize them successfully.
S2 I think that a useful method is to remember the
radicals. The meaning of the character is often related
to the radical. For instance: characters containing ‘sān
diǎn shuǐr’ (the three dots of water) often express a
connection with water, e.g. ‘jiāng’ (river), ‘hé’ (river), ‘hú’
(lake), ‘hǎi’ (sea), etc, etc.
S3 Some characters can be separated into a few simple
parts. For example, the ‘míng’ in ‘míngtiān’: on the left
we have the character for the sun, while on the right
we have the character for the moon.
S1 That’s right. The character ‘xīng’ (star) has the sun on
top and ‘shēng’ (to give birth to) on the bottom.
Wang You’ve all given an excellent overview. You’ve not
only learned the basic vocabulary and grammar
of Mandarin, more importantly you have found
appropriate ways to learn the language. Furthermore,
you have achieved understanding of Chinese customs
and culture through the process of your language
studies. I hope you’ll continue to work hard and reach
the next level after you go back.
All Don’t worry. We’ll definitely continue to work hard!
48

Conversation Translations

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

Conversation Translations

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Conversation Translations

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Conversation translations

Li Hello, Mrs Wang!

Li Hello! Please have a seat.

Li Mr Wang, may I ask you what you do?

Li Teacher Wang. How are you?

Li Hello, Teacher Zhang!

Zhang Little Li, do you have any free time tomorrow?

Jingli Aren’t you Little Zhang? Long time no see!

Jingli How is everything?

Wang How is it going, students? Is learning Chinese difficult?

Li Oh, Harry, long time no see. You must be very busy

John Miss Li, may I ask what your hobbies are?

Li Hello everyone! First I will tell you a bit about my family

John We’ll have tea while we practise talking about our

Anna Shall we practise talking about daily life?

Sophie Now you answer my questions.

Wu Today we will talk about food. Are you all used to

Wu Hello, Shifu, how much for the bananas?

S1 Hey you guys (lit. fellow classmates), Dehua’s landlady has

Zhang Are you free this weekend, Little Li?

Fuwuyan Hello, welcome.

Sorry, is it convenient to speak now?

Dehua Hello, may I ask who is speaking, please?

Marie Hello, this is Marie. I would like to know about the

Dehua Hello, hello, excuse me but is that Uncle Liu?

Tom Ian, there’s a favour I need to ask you.

Tom We meet in the capital, Beijing! How are you? You’ve

Bill Wow, the weather is really good!

Tom Oh dear! It’s already past 7 o’clock. Hurry, get up!

Tom We’ve seen Tian’anmen Square, visited the Palace

Marie Ayi (Auntie), I’m back.

Ayi Marie, do you feel any better?

Zhang Professor Wang, Professor Wang, may I come in?

Marie Ayi, banks are open at the weekend, aren’t they?

Marie Hello. I would like to open an account.

Marie Ayi, when the National Day holiday comes around I

Fuwuyuan Welcome! How many of you are there?

Front desk Hello. Minghua Hotel, Reception.

Wang What is it you are looking for?

Zhang Hello, class! You’ve been in China nearly a year now, so

Wang Congratulations! Congratulations!

Zhang Hello, everyone! We all know that festivals and holidays

Wang Hello, class. You’ve been studying in China for almost a

Wang I have another question I would like to ask you. You’ve

You might also like