Overseas Chinese

Upper-Intermediate - Overseas Chinese (D0863)
A: 你的美国表弟怎么样？
nı̌ de Měiguó biǎodı̀ zěnmeyàng?
How is your American cousin?
B: 特别有意思的一个人，就是没办法沟通。
tèbié yǒu yı̀si de yı̄ ge rén, jiùshı̀ méi bànfǎ gōutōng.
He is a very interesting individual, but there is no way of
communicating.
A: 他不会说中文？
tā bù huı̀ shuō Zhōngwén?
He doesn’t speak Chinese?
B: 会是会一点，都是些比较简单的句子。他在芝加
哥出生，一直都没回来过。这是他第一次回国。
见到那么多亲戚，人都晕了。
huı̀ shı̀ huı̀ yı̄diǎn, dōu shı̀ xiē bı̌jiào jiǎndān de jùzi. tā zài
Zhı̄jiāgē chūshēng, yı̄zhı́ dōu méi huı́lai guo. zhè shı̀ tā dı̀
yı̄ cı̀ huı́guó. jiàndào nàme duō qı̄nqi, rén dōu yūn le.
He can a little bit–all just relatively basic phrases. He was
born in Chicago, and had never come here. This is his first
time to China. He’s met so many relatives, it was over-
whelming for him.
A: 是啊，光那些七大姑八大姨就要记好一阵。他们
家很早就去美国了吧？
Visit the Online Review and Discussion (text version). c 2008 Praxis Language Ltd.
shı̀ a, guāng nàxiē qı̄dàgūbādàyı́ jiùyào jı̀ hǎoyı̄zhèn. tāmen
jiā hěn zǎo jiù qù Měiguó le ba?
Yeah, just learning the terms for all the relatives takes quite
a while. Did they move to America a long time ago?
B: 对，爷爷那辈就去了，是老华侨。我记得刚改革
开放，他就写信给我们，我们都吓了一跳。
duı̀, yéye nà bèi jiù qù le, shı̀ lǎo huáqiáo. wǒ jı̀de gāng
gǎigé kāifàng, tā jiù xiěxı̀n gěi wǒmen, wǒmen dōu xià le yı̄
tiào.
Yes. It was in his Grandfather’s generation that they left
and became overseas Chinese. I recall that just after China
opened up to the outside world, he wrote us all a letter. We
were all so surprised.
A: 那时候真闭塞，现在进出国门简直是家常便饭。
好多新移民都是两边跑。
nà shı́hou zhēn bı̀sè, xiànzài jı̀nchū guómén jiǎnzhı́ shı̀ jiā-
chángbiànfàn. hǎo duō xı̄n yı́mı́n dōu shı̀ liǎngbiānpǎo.
At that time it was very closed off, and now going in and out
of China is very commonplace. Many new immigrants now
go back and forth.
B: 现在中国就缺这些懂不同语言文化的人，所以华
裔特别有优势。我表弟这次就是想看看有什么机
会。可惜他语言不过关，否则马上就能找到好工
作。
xiànzài Zhōngguó jiù quē zhèxiē dǒng bùtóng yǔyán wén-
huà de rén, suǒyı̌ huáyı̀ tèbié yǒu yōushı̀. wǒ biǎodı̀ zhècı̀
jiùshı̀ xiǎng kàn kan yǒu shénme jı̄huı̀. kěxı̄ tā yǔyán bù
guòguān, fǒuzé mǎshàng jiù néng zhǎodào hǎo gōngzuò.
Right now China is lacking people with understanding of dif-
ferent languages and cultures, so overseas Chinese have a
great advantage. My cousin is here this time looking for
some opportunities. It’s too bad his language is not up to
par–if it were, he would find a good job very quickly.
A: 哎，如果从小开始学中文就好了。
āi, rúguǒ cóngxiǎo kāishı̌ xué Zhōngwén jiù hǎo le.
Man, it would have been good if he had learned from an
early age.
B: 他是第三代移民，连他父母都不太会说，更别
说他了。而且好多人刚出去的时候怕孩子语言跟
不上，就鼓励他们多说英语。这样难免要忽略中
文，也没办法。
tā shı̀ dı̀ sān dài yı́mı́n, lián tā fùmǔ dōu bùtài huı̀ shuō, gèng
bié shuō tā le. érqiě hǎo duō rén gāng chūqù de shı́hou pà
háizi yǔyán gēnbushàng, jiù gǔlı̀ tāmen duō shuō yı̄ngyǔ.
zhèyàng nánmiǎn yào hūlüè Zhōngwén, yě méi bànfǎ.
He’s a third generation immigrant, even his parents cannot
speak Chinese that well, so obviously he can’t either. On
top of that, when many people leave here, they are scared
that their children wont be able to keep up with the new
language, so they urge them to speak English. So when
this happens it’s easy for their Chinese to get neglected–
there’s no way around it.
A: 也是。你表弟的想法比较像美国人还是中国人？
yěshı̀. nı̌ biǎodı̀ de xiǎngfǎ bı̌jiào xiàng Měiguórén háishi
Zhōngguórén?
You’re right. So, is your cousin’s thinking more American or
Chinese?
B: 不能这么分吧。我问过他，他说自己是美国人，
好多想法也比较西化。但是他也认同中国的一些
传统价值，因为他是华人。
bùnéng zhème fēn ba. wǒ wèn guo tā, tā shuō zı̀jı̌ shı̀ Měi-
guórén, hǎo duō xiǎngfǎ yě bı̌jiào xı̄huà. dànshı̀ tā yě rèn-
tóng Zhōngguó de yı̄xiē chuántǒng jiàzhı́, yı̄nwèi tā shı̀ huá-
rén.
It’s hard to distinguish. I have asked him, and he says he
is an American, and that a lot of his viewpoints are very
western. However, he does identify with some traditional
Chinese values as he is of Chinese decent.
A: 噢哟，双重身份真不容易。有机会叫他一块儿出
来玩儿吧。
oyō, shuāngchóng shēnfèn zhēn bù róngyı̀. yǒujı̄huı̀ jiào tā
yı̄kuàir chūlai wánr ba.
Wow, a dual identity cant be easy. If the chance comes up,
invite him to come out with us.
B: 好啊，他正想多交些朋友呢。
hǎo a, tā zhèng xiǎng duō jiāo xiē péngyou ne.
Sure. He really wants to make some friends.
Key Vocabulary
表弟 biǎodı̀ younger male cousin
沟通 gōutōng to communicate
芝加哥 Zhı̄jiāgē Chicago
亲戚 qı̄nqi relatives
七大姑八 qı̄dàgūbādàyı́ general term of ad-

大姨 dress for various rela-
tives
华侨 huáqiáo overseas Chinese
闭塞 bı̀sè closed off
家常便饭 jiāchángbiànfàn common occurrence
移民 yı́mı́n immigrant
华裔 huáyı̀ foreign citizen of Chi-
nese origin
优势 yōushı̀ in a good position
过关 guòguān up to par
跟不上 gēnbushàng unable to keep up with
难免 nánmiǎn difficult to avoid
忽略 hūlüè to neglect
西化 xı̄huà westernized
双重 shuāngchóng dual
Supplementary Vocabulary
两全其美 liǎngquánqı́měi satisfy both aspects
劣势 lièshı̀ at a disadvantage
跟得上 gēndeshàng able to keep up with

Overseas Chinese

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Overseas Chinese

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Upper-Intermediate - Overseas Chinese (D0863)

表弟 biǎodı̀ younger male cousin

芝加哥 Zhı̄jiāgē Chicago

七大姑八 qı̄dàgūbādàyı́ general term of ad-

华侨 huáqiáo overseas Chinese

闭塞 bı̀sè closed off

家常便饭 jiāchángbiànfàn common occurrence

优势 yōushı̀ in a good position

跟不上 gēnbushàng unable to keep up with

难免 nánmiǎn difficult to avoid

两全其美 liǎngquánqı́měi satisfy both aspects

跟得上 gēndeshàng able to keep up with

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