Dreaming in Chinese (26 page)
Read Dreaming in Chinese Online
Authors: Deborah Fallows
Tags: #Language Arts & Disciplines, #Translating & Interpreting, #Social Science, #Anthropology, #Cultural
Xizhou = shee zhō
Liang = lyahng
gāokǎo = gao kao
xiāngxìn = shyahng sheen
zìjǐ = dzə jee
Chapter 9
rènao = rə nao
xiǎoxīn = shyao sheen
kāixīn = kai sheen
fàngxīn = fahng sheen
shāngxīn = shahng sheen
rèxīn = rə sheen
mótè = muo tə
qiǎokèlì = chyao kə lee
shālā = shah lah
luómàn = lwō mahn
luóji = lwō jee
yīn yáng = yeen yahng
kāiguān = kai gwahn
hǎohuài = hao hwai
duōshǎo = dwō shao
hūxī = hoo shee
zuǒyòu = dzwō yō
dōngxi = dōng shee
gāoǎi = gao ai
dàxiǎo = dah shyao
diàn = dyen
diànhuà = dyen hwah
diànnǎo = dyen nao
diànshì = dyen shər
diàntī = dyen tee
diànyǐng = dyen ying
diànbào = dyen bao
diànchē = dyen chə
chē = chə
fùmǔ = foo moo
yǔmào = yü mao
míngbai = ming bai
yānhóng = yen hōng
niánqīng = nyen ching
tiānqì = tyen chee
huǒchē = hwō chə
mǎmahūhū = mahmah hoohoo
mǎshàng = mah shahng
xìngfú = shing foo
xiàtiān = shyah tyen
Chapter 10
tīng bù dǒng = ting boo dōng
Yìndù = yeen doo
Xīlà = shee lah
āijí = ai jee
Běijīngrén = bay jing rən
Shànghǎirén = shahng hai rən
Guóyǔ = gwo yü
Pǔtōnghuà = poo tōng hwah
Lǔ Xùn = loo shün
Báihuà = bai hwah
fántǐzì = fahn tə dzə
jiǎntǐzì = jyen tə dzə
Pīnyīn = peen yeen
Chapter 11
hànzì = hahn dzə
zhūròu = zhoo rō
jī = jee
miàn = myen
dānwèi = dahn way
ànmó = ahn muo
Dagu Lù = dah goo loo
mù = moo
lǎoshī = lao shər
rén = rən
hàn = hahn
shuǐ = shway
gān = gahn
má = mah
Yuèyáng = yüeh yahng
gāokǎo = gao kao
gǎnmào = gahn mao
Chapter 12
bù kěy
ǐ
=
boo k
ə yee
bié zuò = byeh dzwō
bú shì táng = boo shər tahng
zhè shì yào = zhə shə yao
xūyào wǒ de yào = shü yao wō də yao
wèishěnme = way shen mə
wǒ Běijīng jiā de = wō bay jing jyah də
jiā = jyah
hùkǒu = hoo kō
Chapter 13
dìzhèn = dee zhən
zāihài = dzai hai
ānwèi = ahn way
yǒnggǎn = yōng ahn
jiù = jyō
liǎojiě = lyao jyeh
anpái = ahn pai
kào = kao
jīhuì = jee hway
huīfù = hway foo
jīnglì = jing lee
bēi = bay
Wēn Jiābǎo = wen jyah bao
bié kū = byeh koo
gǎnxiè = gahn shyeh
míngbai = ming bai
zhīdào = zhə dao
rènshi = rən shə
Yī, èr, sān = yee ahr sahn
Chapter 14
Nǐ de = nee də
Zhōngwén = zhōng wen
hěn hǎo = hen hao
shūdiàn zài nǎr = shoo dyen dzai nahr
hǎohǎo xuéxí, tiāntiān xiàngshàng = hao hao shüeh shee tyen tyen shyahng shahng
Acknowledgments
When my husband, Jim, and I left Washington, DC, for Shanghai, we knew only a handful of the people mentioned below. We didn’t know a single soul in China. (A stunning fact, when you think that there are 1.3 billion people in China!) By the time we returned to the US three years later, each and every one of these people had become near and dear to us. We might have survived China without them, but only barely. I thank them all for their help in their individual, generous ways.
In Shanghai: Dean Ding, Jessica Dong, Michelle Garnaut, Dan Guttman and ZeeZee Zhong, York-Chi and Stephen Harder, Andrew Houghton, Ken and Ann Jarrett, Kitty Leung, Ben Liotta, Isaac Mao, Adam Minter, John Northen, Lucia Pierce, Liz Rawlings and Steve Chalupsky, Andy Rothman and Robin Bordie, Anne-Marie Slaughter and Andy Moravcsik, Kyle Taylor, Louis Woo, Jarrett and Candice Wrisley.
In Beijing: Fr. Ron Anton, Andrew Batson, Bing and Dan Bell, Weilian Carter, Chen Xin, Duncan Clark, Susan Conley and Tony Kieffer, Melanie and Eliot Cutler, Simon Elegant, Mei Fong and Andrew Lih, Jeremy Goldkorn, Jorge Guajardo and Paola Sada, Hu Shuli, Elizabeth Knup, Kaiser Kuo, Showkee Lee and Soh and all their kids, Debbie Liang, Guo Liang, Rebecca and Kenny Lin and their children, Angie and Ben, Miranda Ma, Kirk McDonald, Russell Leigh Moses, Evan Osnos, Herve Pauze and Lisa Robins, Fr. Robert Ribeiro, Bipin Rudhee, Diane Sovereign, Peg and Bob Walther, Lily Wang, Bill and Jenny Wright, Anita Zhang, Sellen Zhang.
In China at large: Liam Casey, Brian and Jeanee Linden, Rebecca Mackinnon, Roland Soong, Andy Switky, Sun Zhe and Nina Ni.
My special crew of Chinese language helpers who really stepped up: John Flower and Pam Leonard, who also took us all over Sichuan Province, Sarah Jessup, Chris Livaccari, Orville and Baifang Schell, who have provided endless help in countless ways. My sister, Susan Garau, shares my obsession with language and was always ready to chat about Mandarin. And my many language teachers, from Meng Laoshi to Danny.
Our wonderful friends in the US who encouraged us and sheltered us: Meena and Liaquat Ahamed, Mike Brewer and Janet Brown, Ann Brown, Linc Caplan and Susan Carney, Susan DeVogel and Alan Zabel, Patty and Marvin Fabrikant, Julian Fisher, Rebecca Frankel, Katie Hafner, David and Eve Ignatius, Randy Kluver, Katie Neider, Beth and Charlie Peters, Lee Rainie, Shaun Raviv, Kate and Tod Sedgwick, Sherry Smith and Marcus Corley, Sue Tierney, Bill and Lynda Webster.
And the dear friends who dared to visit: Chandler Burr, Gloria Dittus, my cousin Eileen Fischer, Simon Lazarus and Bonnie Rose, Barbara and Robert Liotta, Rita O’Connor and Ted Schell, Ric and Heather Redman and their daughter Jing, Peter Rinearson, Mary Schwab-Stone, Susan Shirk. Jessica Herzstein and Lyn Jeffery both let me tag along on their amazing work around Shanghai.
My thanks to Rebecca Nicolson and Aurea Carpenter of Short Books in London, who first suggested the idea that I might write about my experience in China by writing about the language, and for helping me through all steps that separate the “book idea” from the actual book, which they published in England. George Lucas of Inkwell Management deftly guided the process of bringing the book to America. I am very grateful to George Gibson and his wonderful team at Walker & Company, including especially Michelle Blankenship, Margaret Maloney, and Sabrina Farber, for their enthusiasm about the book and for their creativity and energy.
Our children, Tom and Lizzy Fallows, and Tad and Annie Fallows, relentlessly e-mailed, Skyped, came to visit, and were very tolerant, patient and loving with their wandering parents. They even seemed happy to have us back home. My mom, Angie Zerad, has been a superstar supporter and enthusiast from start to finish. Jim and I had no idea what we were in for when we set out for China. It was an experience that encompassed everything we naively promised each other many years ago: for better for worse; for richer for poorer; in sickness and in health. China was all of that and much, much more. We had quite a time together. This book is for Jim.
A note on the author
Deborah Fallows
has lived in Shanghai and Beijing, and traveled throughout China for three years with her husband, writer James Fallows. She is a Harvard graduate, has a PhD in linguistics, and is the author of
A Mother’s Work
. She most recently worked in research and polling for the Pew Internet & American Life Project and in data architecture for Oxygen Media. When in the United States she and her husband live in Washington, DC. They have two sons and two daughters-in-law.
Copyright © 2010 by Deborah Fallows
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information address Walker & Company, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010.
Published by Walker Publishing Company, Inc., New York
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR.
ISBN: 978-0-8027-7913-7 (hardcover)
First published in the United States by Walker Publishing 2010
First published in Great Britain by Short Books in 2010
This e-book edition published in 2010
E-book ISBN: 978-0-8027-7924-3
Visit Walker & Company’s Website at
www.walkerbooks.com
Table of Contents
3. Language play as a national sport
4. Why the Chinese hear tones, and we don’t
6. A brief introduction to Chinese names
7. Finding your way in China—the semantics of time and place
8. Disappearing pronouns and the sense of self
9. Think like the Chinese think
10. A billion people; countless dialects
11. The essence of being Chinese
12. Rules to follow and rules to break