Meeting Module Unit 8, Production Tape 1
On the comprehension tape in this unit, you learn to understand questions and answers used in politely declining invitations.
If you think that you might have forgotten the meanings 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 these sentences, you should begin learning how to say them.
The situations on this tape are set in the PRC.
The following conversation involves turning down a formal invitation. Listen.
喂,这是李斌斯
喂,我是来登大使的秘書
repeat protocol department
李斌斯
repeat hello, this is the protocol department
喂,这是李斌斯
answer the telephone yourself now saying hello, this is the protocol department, you'll get a reply
喂,这是李斌斯
喂,我是来登大使的秘書
again
喂,这是李斌斯
喂,我是来登大使的秘书
now repeat ambassador Leiden
来登大使
repeat the word for secretary
秘书
repeat hello, this is ambassador Leiden secretary
喂,我是来登大使的秘书
to respond to the receptionist yourself now
say that you're ambassador Leiden secretary
喂,这是李斌斯
喂,我是来登大使的秘书
again
喂,这是李斌斯
喂,我是来登大使的秘书
喂,这是李斌斯
喂,我是来登大使的秘书
the conversation continues
大使接着你们的请帖了
repeat the word for invitation
请帖
repeat the verb used for receiving a letter or phone call
接
the verb 接 is used here with the result ending 找
which indicates success and obtaining something
repeat the ambassador received your invitation
大使接着你们的请帖了
notice that because the object 您的请帖
is not an amount object
the marker for completed action comes at the end of the sentence
say it ahead of the speaker now
the ambassador received your invitation
大使接着你们的请帖了
the secretary continues
很可惜,因为他有事
8月9号不能来
请您转告李部长
很抱歉
可惜
很可惜,因为他有事
8月9号不能来
很可惜,因为他有事
8月9号不能来
notice how the short phrase 太有事
is used to mean
he has a previous engagement
it's considered perfectly polite in Chinese to say that you're busy
without going into an explanation of why
notice also that the phrase 很可惜
starts off the Chinese sentence
just as unfortunately does in English
repeat again
unfortunately, because he has a previous engagement
he can't come on August 9th
很可惜,因为他有事
8月9号不能来
很可惜,因为他有事
8月9号不能来
now repeat the verb to inform or to pass on a message
转告
repeat minister li
李部长
repeat please inform minister li
请您转告李部长
say it ahead of the speaker
please inform minister li
请您转告李部长
now repeat the added title verb
which means to be sorry for not fulfilling
one's social responsibilities
抱歉
repeat I'm very sorry
很抱歉
how do you say
unfortunately, because he has a previous engagement
he can't come on August 9th
很可惜,因为他有事
8月9号不能来
how do you say
please inform minister li
请您转告李部长
how do you say
I'm very sorry
很抱歉
很遗憾,来登大使不能来
我替你转告一下
repeat the idiom very regrettable
很遗憾
repeat
repeat that ambassador li can't come
很遗憾,来登大使不能来
say it ahead of the speaker
repeat that ambassador li can't come
很遗憾,来登大使不能来
repeat the prepositional verb 4
in the sense of
in the place of
or substituting for
替
repeat I'll pass the message on for you
我替您转告一下
the prepositional verb T
meaning in place of
is different from the prepositional verb 给
also translated for
repeat I'll buy it for you
我给你买
the object of the prepositional verb 给
often receives a benefit
now repeat
I'll teach for you
我替你教书
the prepositional verb T
means to substitute for
to take the place of
it's used to describe
taking over a task
which someone else
had an obligation to do
or had planned to do
in other words
doing it in his place
unfortunately
both T and 给
can be translated as 4
but if you think of 给
as meaning for the benefit of
and T as meaning in place of
there'll be a less problem
how do you say
I'll pass on the message for you
我替您转告一下
let's review some of the vocabulary
that's been introduced so far
what's the word for secretary
秘书
what's the word for invitation
清铁
how do you say
receive your invitation
接着你们的清铁了
how do you say
it's very unfortunate
很可惜
what's the verb to inform
or to pass on a message
转告
how do you say
I'm very sorry
很抱歉
what's the prepositional verb
meaning to substitute for
替
now try putting the
conversation you just
learned into Chinese
I'll give you the sentences
in English one at a time
hello this is the
protocol department
why this is Li Bin Si
hello I'm ambassador
leiden secretary
喂我是来当大使的秘书
the ambassador
received your invitation
大使接着你们的清铁了
unfortunately because
he has a previous engagement
he can't come on August 9
很可惜
因为他有事
8月9号不能来
please inform minister Li
请您转告李部长
I'm very sorry
很抱歉
we very much regret
that ambassador
leiden can't come
很遗憾
来当大使不能来
我请你转告一下
you may want to rewind the
tape and try this
conversation again
now let's turn to another
conversation
a group of Canadian
students in Peking
is trying to set up
a joint trip with
a group of Chinese
listen
马铭尼
我们有几个同学
星期六
计划到长城去玩
同学
repeat a few of our students
我们有几个同学
repeat the name for
the great wall
长城
repeat plan to go to
the great wall
for an outing
计划到长城去玩
repeat a few of our students
are planning to
go to the great wall
Saturday for an outing
我们有几个同学
星期六
计划到长城去玩
我们有几个同学
星期六
计划到长城去玩
say it ahead of the speaker
a few of our students
are planning to
go to the great wall
Saturday for an outing
我们有几个同学
星期六
计划到长城去玩
the conversation continues
listen
你们能不能一起去
真不巧
那天
我们有事
没办法去
repeat the question
你们能不能一起去
notice that the word
can is translated with
nung here
notice also
that the adverb
一起 is used to
add the meaning of
with us to the sentence
how do you say
can you go with us
你们能不能一起去?
真不巧,那天我们有事,没办法去。
你们能不能一起去?
真不巧,那天我们有事,没办法去。
now repeat the word for timely or opportune,巧。
repeat truly on timely or more loosely, we really couldn't make that.
真不巧,真不巧。
repeat there's no way or it can't be helped.
没办法,没办法。
repeat we have a previous engagement that day, we have no way of going.
那天我们有事,没办法去。
how do you say we really couldn't make that?
真不巧,how do you say we have a previous engagement that day, we have no way of going?
那天我们有事,没办法去。
how do you say we really couldn't make that?
马明离,我们有几个同学,星期六计划到长城去玩,你们能不能一起去?
真不巧,那天我们有事,没办法去。
马明离,我们有几个同学,星期六计划到长城去玩,你们能不能一起去?
真不巧,那天我们有事,没办法去。
the Canadian replies, listen,希望以后再找机会聚一聚吧。
repeat the verb to get together or to gather to assemble,聚,聚。
repeat, find a chance to get together,找机会聚一聚。
notice that the verb聚 is reduplicated here using the syllable e, this makes the activity sound more informal, also this verb is usually used to me get together at someone's place, rather than get together to go out and do something.
repeat, I hope that later we'll again find an opportunity to get together,希望以后再找机会聚一聚吧。
希望以后再找机会聚一聚吧。
say it ahead of the speaker, I hope that later we'll again find an opportunity to get together,希望以后再找机会聚一聚吧。
try responding to Ma Mingli yourself now, say that you hope that later you'll again find an opportunity to get together,
真不巧,那天我们有事,没办法去。
希望以后再找机会聚一聚吧。
again,
真不巧,那天我们有事,没办法去。
希望以后再找机会聚一聚吧。
now let's review this last conversation you just learned, I'll give you the sentences in English you put them into Chinese.
Ma Mingli, a few of our students are planning to go to the Great Wall Saturday for an outing.
Ma Mingli,我们有几个同学,星期六,计划到长城去玩。
can you go with us?
你们能不能一起去?
we really couldn't make that.
真不巧,
we have a previous engagement that day, we have no way of going.
那天我们有事,没办法去。
I hope that later we'll again find an opportunity to get together.
希望以后再找机会聚一聚吧。
now here's the other conversation you learned on this tape.
put these sentences into Chinese.
Hello, this is the protocol department.
Why? 这是李滨思?
Hello, I'm Ambassador Leiden's secretary.
喂,我是来登大使的秘书。The ambassador received your invitation.
大使接着你们的清铁了。Unfortunately, because he has a previous engagement, he can't come on August 9th.
很可惜,因为他有事,8月9号不能来。Please inform minister Lee.
请您转告李部长。I'm very sorry.
很抱歉。We very much regret that ambassador Leiden can't come.
很遗憾,来登大使不能来。I'll pass on the message for you.
我替你转告一下。This is the end of the tape and of meeting module unit 8, production tape 1.