scene of the seminar

A seminar on Italy’s tourism development based on healthy cuisine, green environment and pleasant travel experience was held at the Italy Pavilion yesterday.

Experts from Italy and China exchanged views on eco-friendly living, sustainable development, and promoting Italian tourism to the Chinese.

Topics ranged from Italian art, green spaces, hot springs to wine and Mediterranean culture.

In September and October, the pavilion will host similar seminars on sustainable architecture, new building materials, home design, and emerging food market.

M. Well, we were on our way to the 颐和园，the Summer Palace, Yíhéyuán, when

S. Ok, I agree, I was cycling too fast. 我同意， 我骑得太快了， wǒtóngyì, wǒ qǐ de tài kuàile. But, no harm done.

M. So we’ll continue on our way, and learn to say ‘be careful!’ and ‘a bit slower’ and more.

S. We cycle to the Yíhéyuán. 我们骑车到颐和园去 wǒmen qíchē dào Yíhéyuán qù.

M. You have to be careful. 你要小心 nǐ yào xiǎoxīn.

S. Right, I should be a bit careful. 对，我应该小心一点 Duì, wǒ yīnggāi xiǎoxīn yì diǎn.

M. Don’t cycle too fast. 别骑太快 bié qí tài kuài.

S. Right, I should cycle a bit slowly. 对，我应该骑慢点 wǒ yīnggāi qí màn diǎn

M. But, not too slowly. 但是，也不要太慢 dànshì, yě bú yào tài màn.

M. Hǎo, let’s look at the new material.

S. I said ‘we cycle to the Summer Palace’ 我们骑车去颐和园.

M. wǒmen qíchē qù Yíhéyuán .

S. So try to say, ‘we cycle to Tiananmen’. Hěnhǎo. Wǒmen qíchē qù Tiān’ānmén.

M. And, You have to be careful. 你要小心 nǐ yào xiǎoxīn. 小心 XIAO XIN xiǎoxīn, literally, ‘small heart’, and it means ‘careful’.

S. So say it, everybody, pretend you are warning someone. Xiǎoxīn, xiǎoxīn.

M. You should be a bit careful. 你应该小心一点 yīnggāi YING GAI yīnggāi, ‘should’, or ‘ought to’. yì diǎn YI DIAN yì diǎnr, ‘a bit’ or ‘a little bit’. So, we can say, xiǎoxīn, or, much the same thing, xiǎoxīn yì diǎn.

S. Don’t cycle too fast. 别骑太快 bié qí tài kuài. I should cycle a bit slowly. 我应该骑慢点wǒ yīnggāi qí màn diǎn.

M. Notice something? Sometimes we can omit the ‘yì’ in ‘yì diǎn’ when the phrase comes after an adjective. So, try to say, ‘please speak a bit slower. Mei2cuo4 请你说慢点. Or, qǐng nǐ shuō màn yì diǎn. 一样，the same, 一样。

S. And can you say, ‘you should eat a bit slower.’ Hěn hǎo, 你应该吃慢点，or, nǐ yīnggāi chī màn yìdiǎn.

M. But, not too slowly. 但是，不要太慢 dànshì, bú yào tài màn.

M. We’ll finish with the dialogue again. Try to repeat it out loud with us. Here we go.

S. 我们骑车去颐和园 wǒmen qíchē qù Yíhéyuán.

M. 你要小心 nǐ yào xiǎoxīn.

S. 对，我应该小心一点 Duì, wǒ yīnggāi xiǎoxīn yì diǎn.

M. 别骑太快 bié qí tài kuài.

S. 我应该骑慢点wǒ yīnggāi qí màn yìdiǎn

M. 但是，也不要太慢 dànshì, bú yào tài màn.

S. Got it all? Great. Keep practicing.

M. See you next lesson. Zài jiàn.

[bǎ]

mark
target

1. 子弹打中了靶子。The bullet found its mark.
2. 靶子，标的投掷比赛中瞄准的标志A mark aimed at in throwing contests.
3. 靶心是用一个大红圆环作标记的。The bull’s eye was marked with a large red circle.
4. 政治家理所当然是讽刺的靶子。Politicians are legitimate targets for satire.
   靶-靶 <名>
   靶子 【target】练习射箭或射击时特意设置的目标。如:靶场
   靶场
   【range】∶练习射击(如用弓、枪炮或导弹)的场地
   【proving ground】∶试验武器或弹药的区域或场所
   靶心
   【blank】 靶的中心,瞄准的目标
   靶 bǎ 靶子。练习射击或射箭的目标。借指攻击的对象：打～、成了别人的～子。
   ────────────────—
   靶-靶bà     1.辔首垂下部，即辔革。  2.缰绳。  3.器物上便于用手拿的部分。  4.枪靶子。借指枪。  5.比喻可以被人用以要挟的过失。  6.弓身的正中。张弓时握手处。  7.耙。

   靶-靶 <名>    靶子 【target】练习射箭或射击时特意设置的目标。如:靶场
   靶场
   【range】∶练习射击(如用弓、枪炮或导弹)的场地
   【proving ground】∶试验武器或弹药的区域或场所
   靶心
   【blank】 靶的中心,瞄准的目标
   靶 bǎ 靶子。练习射击或射箭的目标。借指攻击的对象：打～、成了别人的～子。
   ────────────────—
   靶-靶bà     1.辔首垂下部，即辔革。  2.缰绳。  3.器物上便于用手拿的部分。  4.枪靶子。借指枪。  5.比喻可以被人用以要挟的过失。  6.弓身的正中。张弓时握手处。  7.耙。

结婚啦
A：你好啊，辛蒂。祝贺你。听说你要结婚了。
B：是这样，埃莫里先生。谢谢。
A：好日子是哪天啊？
B：我们打算六月份举行婚礼，具体哪天还没定呢。

The recent news about a mentor tutoring 47 PhD candidates has shocked the nation. The teacher was reportedly unable to recall the names of several of his students. As a matter of fact, he left his students unattended most of the time.

From 2000 through 2006, the number of PhD holders in the country increased by more than 20 percent, much higher than the 5 percent growth in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries.

While we have more PhDs now than those of 30 years ago, we still have not developed strict standards on PhD training.

The eligibility criteria for doctorates should be set and implemented fully. PhD candidates usually go through a long process before being granted their doctorates. Some of them fail.

In China, almost all PhD candidates reportedly make it through. Some mentors turn a blind eye to the poorly written graduation dissertations.

China is offering 62,000 PhDs this year. Without a strict training system, the nation will soon become the world’s No 1 producer of doctorates, though in number only.

The training of PhD holders is currently one of the hot topics in the country. Specifically, the concern is the establishment of an elimination system to make PhD training more meaningful.

Strict training for PhD candidates will impact the nation’s development. Quality should matter more than quantity.

日本旅馆：如果您想调节您房间的温度，请控制您自己。

Please don’t feed the animals. If you have any food, please give it to the guard on duty.

匈牙利动物园：请不要给动物喂食。如果您有食品，请喂给值班警卫。

Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar.

挪威酒吧：女士们不要在酒吧里生孩子。

Fur coats made for ladies from their skins.

瑞典皮货商店：为女士们制作的皮大衣，是用她们的皮制成的。

Teeth extracted by the latest Methodists.

香港牙科诊所：由最新的卫理公会教徒给您拔牙。

Drop your trousers here for best results.

泰国的干洗店：在这里脱掉您的裤子，等待最好的结果。

Chefs Elena Arzak (left) and Fina Puigdvall show dishes that they have prepared.

Two renowned female chefs will present their dishes at Spain Pavilion from tomorrow to September 5 during the pavilion’s food carnival.

Elena Arzak, of three-Michelin-starred Arzak Restaurant, joining hands with Fina Puigdevall, of two-Michelin-starred Les Cols Restaurant, will stage their dishes during the pavilion’s food carnival expecting to embrace 49 Michelin stars.

The two showed their skills at a restaurant under Gran Meliá Hotel Shanghai.

Tomorrow will be the Spain Pavilion Day and the night before, Elena Arzak will prepare the banquet for the Prime Minister of Spain José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and his delegation. Fina Puigdevall will make dinners for the noon and evening at the same restaurant in Gran Meliá Hotel Shanghai during the week.

M:We discussed the best place to zhàoxiàng. We said, 这里好 zhèlǐ hào.

S: 但是，那边更好 dànshì, nàbian gèng hǎo.

M: 我觉得这里更好 wǒ juéde zhèlǐ gèng hǎo.

S:  Now listen for the word 比 bǐ when I say ‘I reckon there’s better than here’ 我认为，那边比这里好 wǒ rènwéi, nà bian bǐ zhèlǐ hǎo.

M. Can you guess the meaning of bǐ? Listen when I say ‘I’m better than him’ 我比他好 wò bǐ tā hǎo.

S: Duì le! Bǐ here means ‘compared with’. So how do you say ‘I’m faster than him?

M. Méi cuò. 我比他快 wǒ bǐ tā kuài.

S:  And if 高GAO gao1 means ‘tall’, how do you say ‘You’re taller than him?’

M. Right. 你比他高ni3 bǐ tā gāo.

S:   Now say ‘I’m taller than you’.

M: Duì le. 我比你高wǒ bǐ nǐ gāo.

S: Now listen, and guess the meaning of 矮 ǎi. Manli, 我比你高 wǒ bǐ nǐ gāo.

M: 对，我比你矮 duì, wǒ bǐ nǐ ǎi.

S: Guessed? Right, 矮ǎi ǎi, third tone, means ‘short’.

S: So we’ve learnt ‘tall’ gao1, and ‘short’ ǎi. One small thing: nǐ, bǐ, wǒ and ǎi are all third tone words. But, as we’ve said before, pronouncing a third tone word followed directly by another third tone word is a bit awkward. So the first word is usually pronounced in the second tone. For example, it’s much easier to say ní hǎo than nǐ hǎo. What do you do when you get three or four third tone words in a row? Well, it can get quite complicated if you think about it.

M: So don’t think about it. Just mimic us and say what comes naturally, and you’ll usually be right.

S: For example, ‘I’m very short’ is I 我 very 很 short 矮. ManLi will now tell us she is very short, and you guys at home say the same thing, (even if you are seven feet tall). Ready.

M: 我很矮 wǒ hěn ǎi.

S:  And now, ‘I’m shorter than you’.

M: 我比你矮 wǒ bǐ nǐ ǎi.

S:  Now, ‘he is shorter than me.’

M: 他比我矮 tā bǐ wǒ ǎi.

S:  And I will say, ‘I’m better than you’. 我比你好 wǒ bǐ nǐ hǎo.

M: You’re joking! Nǐ kāi wán xiào.

S: Now, to add to our ways of describing people, we’ll finish by learning ‘fat’ and ‘thin’, and practice using 比 BI bǐ. Listen out for the word for ‘fat’.

M: Stuart, you’re fatter than me. 你比我胖nǐ bǐ wǒ pàng.

S: 对了，我比你胖 wǒ bǐ nǐ pàng.

M: Get the word for ‘fat’? Méi cuò. 胖PANG pàng.

S: And, ML, ‘you’re thinner than me’. 你比我瘦 nǐ bǐ wǒ shòu.

M: 对了， 我比你瘦 wǒ bǐ nǐ shòu. 瘦SHOU shòu, ‘thin’ or ‘lean’.

S: So I’ll lose weight before the next lesson, zàijiàn.

M: Zàijiàn.