Authors: Deborah Fallows

Tags: #Language Arts & Disciplines, #Translating & Interpreting, #Social Science, #Anthropology, #Cultural

Dreaming in Chinese (26 page)

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.

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

1. The grammar of romance

2. When rude is polite

3. Language play as a national sport

4. Why the Chinese hear tones, and we don’t