Travel in Chinese Lesson 1 Greetings

Dialogue:

空中小姐：先生，打扰一下，这是入境卡，请拿好。

黄人豪：来，一个人一张。

雪梅：这里写名字，这儿填什么？

黄人豪：你工作的地方，写工作单位的名字就可以了。

雪梅：怎么写啊？

黄人豪：“新闻报社”，我给你写吧。

雪梅：住址写哪儿？

黄人豪：写饭店吧，房子还没有租好，只能先住饭店了。

雪梅：饭店的名字是明月饭店吧？

黄人豪：对。小杰，我给你填吧。

小杰：谢谢。

雪梅：这次公司派你来中国真是个好机会。我们可以在中国生活一段时间了。

黄人豪：是啊，你也可以到中国各处去看看。看看真实的中国。

小杰：你最好多写一些文章，让外国人好好了解中国。

（广播：各位乘客朋友，我们的飞机就要着陆了，请大家回到座位上，系好安全带。）

雪梅：飞机要降落了，坐好吧。

（下飞机）

边检人员：您好。

黄人豪：您好。

边检人员：请出示护照和机票。

黄：这是我们三个人的。

边检人员：你们是一家人吗？

黄：对！

边检工作人员：您来中国的目的是什么？

黄：我是公司总部派来的。

边检人员：你们打算住在酒店？

黄：公司正在帮我们找房子，我们暂时住在酒店。

边检人员：您们打算在中国工作多长时间？

黄：公司派我来工作两年。

（指妻子）她和报社也签了两年的合同。

边检人员：好！祝你们一家在中国过得愉快！

雪梅：唉，行李在哪儿呢?

黄：应该往前走吧。

Stewardess: Excuse me, Sir. These are the entry cards for you.

Huang: Thank you!

Here, one each.

Xuemei: This is for the name, what do I fill in here?

Huang: Your workplace, just write the employer’s name.

Xuemei: How do I write it?

Huang: “China Newspaper Office”, I’ll write it for you.

Xuemei: Thanks.

What address should I write?

Huang: Write the name of the hotel, because we haven’t rented a place yet, so we’ll stay at the hotel first.

Xuemei: The hotel is called Mingyue hotel, right?

Huang: Yes. Xiaojie, let me write it for you.

Xiaojie: Thank you.

Xuemei: Your appointment to China is really a great opportunity. We could live in China for a while.

Huang: You can also travel around China and have a close look at a real China.

Xiaojie: You should write lots of articles, so people in other countries can understand China better.

Xuemei: The plane is landing. Sit well, honey.

Huang: We’ll be home soon.

Customs Officer: Please show me your passports and plane tickets.

Huang: This is for the three of us.

Customs Officer: Are you all one family?

Huang: That’s right！

Customs Officer: What’s your main purpose for visiting China?

Huang: I’ve been assigned here by the company headquarters.

Customs Officer: You plan to stay at a hotel?

Huang: The company is looking for a place for us, we’ll be at a hotel temporarily.

Customs Officer: How long do you plan to work in China?

Huang: The company has appointed me here for two years.

（Points to wife）She has also signed a two year contract with the newspaper office.

Customs Officer: That’s good！Have a pleasant stay in China！

Xuemei: wher do we get our luggage?

Huang: It should be further ahead.
 

Sign Posts

Beijing or Peking?

You might get a little confused about the difference between Beijing and Peking. Is it Beijing duck or Peking duck, Beijing opera or Peking opera? Unfortunately, people use both terms and each side seems to think they are the most correct. The Chinese name of the capital city didn't change, just the romanized spelling. In my view, Peking is just a wrong spelling that became popularized. The city's name is pronounced 北京 and should be spelt in English with a "B". However, the name Peking was used for many years and it stuck. Some people insist on using "Peking" because that's what they think foreigners are used to. Others use Beijing for the city name, but keep Peking for well-known names like Peking duck or even Peking University. Regardless, you can use either Peking or Beijing, but at least in my view, Beijing is preferable.

Bookmarks

1)哪儿 wher

（例）你们住在哪儿？wher do you live?

（例） 你从哪儿来？wher do you come from?

（例） 哪儿卖火车票？wher do they sell train tickets?

2）给 preposition, as in "for" somebody

（例）妈妈给儿子收拾房间。The mother tidied the room for her son.

（例）他给我介绍了中国的交通情况。He told me all about the Chinese transportation.

3）应该 should do something or be some way

（例）如果他坐两点的火车，现在应该到了。

If he took the 2 o'clock train, he should have arrived by now.

（例）他是在中国长大的，应该看得懂中文。

He grew up in China, he should understand Chinese.

（例）已经是3月了，应该暖和了。

It's already March, it should be warm by now.

4）可以……can, possibly, maybe

（例）我可以用这个电话吗？

Can I use this telephone?

Substitution and Extention

1）把……

（例）请帮我把行李送到楼上去。

（例）请把照相机递给我。

2）V + 一下儿

（例）请等一下儿好吗？

（例）我想打听一下儿怎么去银行。