Meeting Module Unit 1
Production Tape 1
On the comprehension tape in this unit, you learn some questions and answers used in arranging a time for a meeting.
If you think that you might have forgotten the meaning of some of these sentences,
go back to the end of the C1 tape and review them.
If you think that you know the meanings of all the sentences on the target list,
you should begin learning how to say them.
William Martin, who works in the Canadian Embassy in Peking,
has placed a call to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and has just been connected to the office he is calling.
Listen as the phone is answered.
喂
你是駐科党吗?
是,你是哪位?
我是威廉马丁.
Repeat the greeting which is used on the phone.
喂
Repeat the title, Section Chief.
科党
Repeat.
Hello, are you Section Chief Zhu?
喂
你是駐科党吗?
喂
你是駐科党吗?
Repeat William Martin's name in Chinese.
威廉马丁.
Repeat, I'm William Martin.
我是威廉马丁.
Take part in the telephone conversation yourself now.
Ask if you're speaking to Section Chief Zhu,
then identify yourself.
喂
你是駐科党吗?
是,你是哪位?
我是威廉马丁.
Again
喂
你是駐科党吗?
是,你是哪位?
我是威廉马丁.
The conversation continues. Listen.
我有点事,想跟您当面谈谈.
Repeat the verb to talk about, to chat.
谈
Repeat the word face to face or in person.
当面
Repeat, I'd like to talk with you in person.
我想跟您当面谈谈.
The word gun in this sentence is the propositional verb with
not the conjunction end.
As a propositional verb, gun can be negated.
Repeat this sentence, I didn't go with him.
我没跟他去.
我没跟他去。
Repeat again. I'd like to talk with you in person.
我想跟您当面谈谈。
Now repeat. I have something I'd like to talk with you about in person.
我有点事想跟您当面谈谈。
The noun 事 as you remember can mean business, matter, or affair.
Here it's translated more generally as thing.
How do you say I have something I'd like to talk about with you in person?
我有点事想跟您当面谈谈。
Again.
我有点事想跟您当面谈谈。
Mr. Martin continues. Listen.
不知道您有功夫没有?
有功夫.
Repeat the word for a period of free time.
功夫.
Repeat. I don't know whether you have time or not.
不知道您有功夫没有?
我知道您有功夫没有?
Try asking the question yourself. You'll get a reply.
不知道您有功夫没有?
有功夫.Again.
不知道您有功夫没有?
有功夫.
Here's a quick review. What's the word for face to face?
当面.
What's the verb to chat?
谈谈.
What's the word for section chief?
科长.
What's the word for a period of free time?
功夫.
Mr. Martin has explained why he called and that he would like to get together to talk. Listen now as he begins to arrange a time.
什么时候对您合适?
今天明天都可以.Repeat the propositional verb for or with regard to.
对.
对.Repeat the adjectival verb to be suitable or fitting.
合适.
Repeat suitable for you.
对您合适.
Repeat what time would suit you?
什么时候对您合适?
Ask the question yourself now. You'll get a reply. What time would suit you?
什么时候对您合适?
今天明天都可以.
Again.
什么时候对您合适?
今天明天都可以.
They continue. Listen.
今天下午两点钟方便吗?
三点比两点方便一点.Repeat Mr. Martin's line. Would two o'clock today be convenient?
今天下午两点钟方便吗?
Notice the word order. The time phrase which comes before the verb is ordered, beginning with the largest unit of time and ending with the smallest unit of time.
Ask the question yourself now. You'll get a reply. Would two o'clock today be convenient?
今天下午两点钟方便吗?
三点比两点方便一点.Again.
今天下午两点钟方便吗?
三点比两点方便一点.
Now let's take a look at the answer. Repeat the prepositional verb which means in comparison with.
比.比.
Repeat. Three would be more convenient than two, or more literally, three in comparison with two is more convenient.
三点比两点方便一点.
The prepositional verb 比 is used to compare two things which are different. The two things compared come before and after the prepositional verb 比.
The prepositional verb phrase with 比 is usually followed by an adjectival verb. How do you say three would be more convenient than two?
三点比两点方便一点.
Promise responding to the question yourself now. Answer that three would be more convenient than two.
今天下午两点钟方便吗?
三点比两点方便一点.Again.
今天下午两点钟方便吗?
三点比两点方便一点.
Using what you've just learned about the prepositional verb 比, try translating the following sentences. This is more expensive than that.
这个比那个贵.
This dictionary is larger than that dictionary.
这本字点比那本字点大.
He's busier than I am.
他比我忙.
Your television is better than mine.
你的电视比我的好.
Let's take a moment to discuss comparison with 比.
The two things that you compare using 比 need not only be nouns or pronouns. You can compare two actions using verb phrases. For instance, repeat, going by plane is faster than going by train.
坐飞机比坐火车快.
How would you say it's more convenient to drive than to take the train?
开车比坐火车方便.Again.
开车比坐火车方便.
In addition to nouns, pronouns, and verb phrases, the two things you can compare using 比 can be full sentences. Repeat, it's more convenient for you to come than for me to go.
你来比我去方便.
You may also want to compare how two people do things. First of all, repeat, he does well in his studies.
他念书念得很好.
You'll remember that when you're describing an action which consists of a verb plus object, the entire action is first stated.
Then the main verb follows describing the manner. Now repeat, he does better in his studies than I do.
他念书比我念得好.
Notice that the entire action is still stated at the front of the sentence. How would you say he drives faster than I do?
他开车比我开得快.
How do you say he reads magazines more quickly than I do?
他看杂志比我看得快.
How do you say Comrade Ma studies English better than Comrade Fang?
马同志学英文比方同志学得好.
You'll find more examples on the drill tape for this unit.
Let's return now to the conversation between Mr. Martin and Section Chief Zhu. Here's where we left off.
今天下午两点钟方便吗?
三点比两点方便一点,因为我一会儿出去,也许两点回不来.
三点钟也好.
Repeat the compound verb result, cannot come back.
回不来,回不来.
Now repeat, can come back.
回得来,回得来.
In the transportation module, you learned the verb 回来 to come back.
Now you see this verb with the syllables 得 and 不 inserted between the syllables of 回来.
The insertion of 得 or 不 signals a new form of the verb, the potential form.
It's called this because verbs like 回得来回不来 combine the meaning of be able to or can with the original meaning of the verb.
回得来 can come back,回不来 cannot come back.
Now compare the verb 回不来 with the phrase 不回来 is not coming back.
The different ordering of the syllable 不 signals a different meaning.
How do you say is not coming back?
不回来.
How do you say cannot come back?
回不来.
Only compound verbs of result can occur in the potential form.
Here's another example.Repeat can go up.
上得去,上得去.
How would you say cannot go up?
上不去.
Not all compound verbs are compound verbs of result.
For instance,准备 and计划 are not.
This means they do not occur in the potential form.
You may be asking, how can I tell which compound verbs are compound verbs of result?
Although there is no sure way to tell, there are characteristics you can take note of.
A compound verb of result usually has an action verb in the first syllable,
and the second syllable shows the result of that action.
For instance, repeat can finish doing.
做得完,做得完.
Repeat cannot finish doing.
做不完,做不完.
When compound verbs of result are not in the potential form,
they are usually in the completed action form,
that is with the marker 了 or the negative marker 美.
This is called the actual form.
The verb indicates what actually happened.
Repeat, that matter is already finished.
那件事已經做完了.
And how would you say that matter can't be finished in a day?
那件事一天做不完.
Let's return to the conversation now.
You'll recall you're working on this sentence.
因为我一会儿出句,也许两点回不来.
Repeat the adverb perhaps.
也许,也许.
Repeat the phrase, I might not be able to get back by two.
也许两点回不来.
Now repeat the word which means a little while.
一会儿,一会儿.
Repeat the phrase, because I'm going out in a little while.
因为我一会儿出去.
Repeat the whole sentence.
Because I'm going out in a little while, I might not be able to get back by two.
因为我一会儿出去,也许两点回不来.
Again.
我一会儿出去,也许两点回不来.
因为我一会儿出去,也许两点回不来.
Try saying it ahead of the speaker, you'll get a reply.
Because I'm going out in a little while, I might not be able to get back by two.
因为我一会儿出去,也许两点回不来.
三点钟,也好.
Again.
因为我一会儿出去,也许两点回不来.
三点钟,也好.
Listen as the conversation continues.
那么我三点钟在楼下的会客室等您.
好,三点钟见.
Repeat the word for well then.
那么.
Repeat the word for downstairs.
楼下.
Repeat the word for reception room.
会客室.
Repeat the downstairs reception room.
楼下的会客室.
Repeat.
I'll wait for you in the reception room downstairs.
我在楼下的会客室等您.
Repeat.
I'll wait for you in the reception room downstairs at three o'clock.
那么我三点钟在楼下的会客室等您.
Again.
那么我三点钟在楼下的会客室等您.
Try saying it yourself now. You'll get a reply.
Well then.
I'll wait for you in the reception room downstairs at three o'clock.
那么我三点钟在楼下的会客室等您.
三点钟见.
Again.
那么我三点钟在楼下的会客室等您.
三点钟见.
Now let's review the conversation on this tape.
Put the following lines into Chinese.
Hello.
喂.Hello, are you second chief Zhu?
Why?
你是朱鸽掌吗?
Yes.
Who is this please?
是,您是哪位?
I'm William Martin.
我是 William Martin.
I have something I'd like to talk about with you in person.
我有点是想跟您当面谈谈.
I don't know whether you have time or not.
不知道您有功夫没有?
I have the time.
有功夫.
What time would suit you?
什么时候对您合适?
Either today or tomorrow would be fine.
今天明天都可以.
Would two o'clock today be convenient?
今天下午两点钟方便吗?
Three would be more convenient than two.
三点比两点方便一点.
Since I'm going out in a little while, I might not be able to get back by two.
因为我一会儿出去,也许两点回不来.
Three is fine too.
三点钟也好.
Well then, I'll wait for you in the reception room downstairs at three o'clock.
那么我三点钟在楼下的会客室等您。
Fine, I'll see you at three.
好,三点钟见。
I'll rewind the tape and practice this conversation again.
This is the end of the tape.
We have meeting module unit one, production tape one.