A Mini Mandarin Lesson

Wǒ zài wǎnglù shàng gōngzuò yǐjīng liù nián le,

I've been working online for six years now, 

dàbùfèn de shíjiān dōu bú shì zài Táiwān  

 and most of that time hasn’t been in Taiwan. 

dàbùfèn de shíjiān yě dōu méiyǒu zìjǐ de péngyǒu quān  

Most of the time, I didn’t have my own friend circle.

Shuō qǐlái yǒuyìdiǎn qíguài  

When I say it, it sounds a bit strange.  

Yīnwèi wǒ de gōngzuò hǎoxiàng jiùshì zài gēn rén shuōhuà  

Because my job seems to be talking to people.  

Búguò chángcháng suàn shì bù zìrán de duìhuà  

But often, it could be considered as unnatural conversation.  

Bú tài zhèngcháng de duìhuà  

Not quite normal conversation.  

Shàngkè de shíhòu, rúguǒ cóng zhèngcháng de rénjì hùdòng de jiǎodù lái kàn  

When having lesson, if you look at it from a normal social interaction perspective...  

Wǒ yǒushíhòu gǎnjué zìjǐ jīhū tīng qǐlái shì yí ge hěn jīchē de rén  

Sometimes I feel like I almost sound like a pretty obnoxious person.  

Yīnwèi shēnwéi lǎoshī wǒ hǎoxiàng yǒu zérèn yào jiūzhèng xuéshēng  

Because as a teacher, I seem to have the responsibility to correct students.  

Yīnwèi xuéshēng shì xiǎngyào wǒ jiūzhèng tāmen de  

Because students do want me to correct them.  

Zhèyàng tāmen cái zhīdào yào zěnme yòng duì cí, shuō duì shēngdiào  

This way, they know how to use the right words and say the correct tones.  

Zìrán de shuō zhōngwén  

To speak Chinese naturally.  

Dànshì rúguǒ shēn wéi yí ge péngyǒu  

But if I'm acting as a friend…  

Zài zhèngcháng de hùdòng xià  

Under a normal interaction…  

Qíshí wǒ juéde yǒu yuànyì xué zhōngwén de xīn jiù yǐjīng hěn bàng le  

Tbh I think just having the willingness to learn Chinese is already pretty awesome.  

Qiánnián, wǒ huí le Táiwān, huí dào le wǒ niàn dàxué de chéngshì  

Two years ago, I returned to Taiwan, to the city where I went to college.  

Yí ge péngyǒu dōu méiyǒu le  

There weren’t any friends (here) anymore

Wǒ fāxiàn hǎoxiàng zài nǎlǐ dōu yīyàng  

It dawned on me, no matter where i am, it seems the same.  

Jiùsuàn shì wǒ zhǎngdà de guójiā  

Even if it’s the country where I grew up.  

Zhídào qùnián  

Until last year.  

Wǒ mǎi le yí ge lǎo dàlóu lǐ de yí hù gōngyù  

I bought a unit in an old apartment building.  

Cái kāishǐ chóngxīn tǐhuì dào  

Only then did I start to re-experience…  

Miànduìmiàn gēn rén hùdòng de gǎnjué  

The feeling of interacting with people face-to-face.  

Duōme zhēnshí, duōme qiángliè  

How real, how intense it is

Miànduìmiàn yìqǐ zuòshì de gǎnjué  

The feeling of doing things together in person.  

Miànduìmiàn kāi qūquánhuì de gǎnjué  

The feeling of having neighborhood meetings face-to-face.  

Miànduìmiàn jiāo dào péngyǒu de gǎnjué  

The feeling of making friends in person.  

Miànduìmiàn bèi tǎoyàn de gǎnjué  

The feeling of being disliked in person.  

Wǒ zài wǎnglù shàng gōngzuò yǐjīng liù nián le,

dàbùfèn de shíjiān dōu bú shì zài Táiwān  

dàbùfèn de shíjiān yě dōu méiyǒu zìjǐ de péngyǒu quān  

Shuō qǐlái yǒuyìdiǎn qíguài  

Yīnwèi wǒ de gōngzuò hǎoxiàng jiùshì zài gēn rén shuōhuà  

Búguò chángcháng suàn shì bù zìrán de duìhuà  

Bú tài zhèngcháng de duìhuà  

Shàngkè de shíhòu, rúguǒ cóng zhèngcháng de rénjì hùdòng de jiǎodù lái kàn  

Wǒ yǒushíhòu gǎnjué zìjǐ jīhū tīng qǐlái shì yí ge hěn jīchē de rén  

Yīnwèi shēnwéi lǎoshī wǒ hǎoxiàng yǒu zérèn yào jiūzhèng xuéshēng  

Yīnwèi xuéshēng shì xiǎngyào wǒ jiūzhèng tāmen de  

Zhèyàng tāmen cái zhīdào yào zěnme yòng duì cí, shuō duì shēngdiào  

Zìrán de shuō zhōngwén  

Dànshì rúguǒ shēn wéi yí ge péngyǒu  

Zài zhèngcháng de hùdòng xià  

Qíshí wǒ juéde yǒu yuànyì xué zhōngwén de xīn jiù yǐjīng hěn bàng le  

Qiánnián, wǒ huí le Táiwān, huí dào le wǒ niàn dàxué de chéngshì  

Yí ge péngyǒu dōu méiyǒu le  

Wǒ fāxiàn hǎoxiàng zài nǎlǐ dōu yīyàng  

Jiùsuàn shì wǒ zhǎngdà de guójiā  

Zhídào qùnián  

Wǒ mǎi le yí ge lǎo dàlóu lǐ de yí hù gōngyù  

Cái kāishǐ chóngxīn tǐhuì dào  

Miànduìmiàn gēn rén hùdòng de gǎnjué  

Duōme zhēnshí, duōme qiángliè  

Miànduìmiàn yìqǐ zuòshì de gǎnjué  

Miànduìmiàn kāi qūquánhuì de gǎnjué  

Miànduìmiàn jiāo dào péngyǒu de gǎnjué  

Miànduìmiàn bèi tǎoyàn de gǎnjué  

我在網路上工作已經六年了  

我在网路上工作已经六年了 

Wǒ zài wǎnglù shàng gōngzuò yǐjīng liù nián le,

I've been working online for six years now, 

大部分的時間都不是在台灣 

大部分的时间都不是在台湾 

dàbùfèn de shíjiān dōu bú shì zài Táiwān  

 and most of that time hasn’t been in Taiwan. 

大部分的時間也都沒有自己的朋友圈  

大部分的时间也都没有自己的朋友圈  

dàbùfèn de shíjiān yě dōu méiyǒu zìjǐ de péngyǒu quān  

Most of the time, I didn’t have my own friend circle.

說起來有一點奇怪  

说起来有一点奇怪  

Shuō qǐlái yǒuyìdiǎn qíguài  

When I say it, it sounds a bit strange.  

因為我的工作好像就是在跟人說話  

因为我的工作好像就是在跟人说话  

Yīnwèi wǒ de gōngzuò hǎoxiàng jiùshì zài gēn rén shuōhuà  

Because my job seems to be talking to people.  

不過常常算是不自然的對話  

不过常常算是不自然的对话  

Búguò chángcháng suàn shì bù zìrán de duìhuà  

But often, it could be considered as unnatural conversation.  

不太正常的對話  

不太正常的对话  

Bú tài zhèngcháng de duìhuà  

Not quite normal conversation.  

上課的時候，如果從正常的人際互動的角度來看  

上课的时候，如果从正常的人际互动的角度来看  

Shàngkè de shíhòu, rúguǒ cóng zhèngcháng de rénjì hùdòng de jiǎodù lái kàn  

When having lesson, if you look at it from a normal social interaction perspective...  

我有時候感覺自己幾乎聽起來是一個很機車的人  

我有时候感觉自己几乎听起来是一个很机车的人  

Wǒ yǒushíhòu gǎnjué zìjǐ jīhū tīng qǐlái shì yí ge hěn jīchē de rén  

Sometimes I feel like I almost sound like a pretty obnoxious person.  

因為身為老師我好像有責任要糾正學生  

因为身为老师我好像有责任要纠正学生  

Yīnwèi shēnwéi lǎoshī wǒ hǎoxiàng yǒu zérèn yào jiūzhèng xuéshēng  

Because as a teacher, I seem to have the responsibility to correct students.  

因為學生是想要我糾正他們的  

因为学生是想要我纠正他们的  

Yīnwèi xuéshēng shì xiǎngyào wǒ jiūzhèng tāmen de  

Because students do want me to correct them.  

這樣他們才知道要怎麼用對詞、說對聲調  

这样他们才知道要怎么用对词、说对声调  

Zhèyàng tāmen cái zhīdào yào zěnme yòng duì cí, shuō duì shēngdiào  

This way, they know how to use the right words and say the correct tones.  

自然地說中文  

自然地说中文  

Zìrán de shuō zhōngwén  

To speak Chinese naturally.  

但是如果身為一個朋友，  

但是如果身为一个朋友，  

Dànshì rúguǒ shēn wéi yí ge péngyǒu  

But if I'm acting as a friend…  

在正常的互動下  

在正常的互动下  

Zài zhèngcháng de hùdòng xià  

Under a normal interaction…  

其實我覺得有願意學中文的心就已經很棒了  

其实我觉得有愿意学中文的心就已经很棒了  

Qíshí wǒ juéde yǒu yuànyì xué zhōngwén de xīn jiù yǐjīng hěn bàng le  

Tbh I think just having the willingness to learn Chinese is already pretty awesome.  

前年，我回了台灣，回到了我念大學的城市  

前年，我回了台湾，回到了我念大学的城市  

Qiánnián, wǒ huí le Táiwān, huí dào le wǒ niàn dàxué de chéngshì  

Two years ago, I returned to Taiwan, to the city where I went to college.  

一個朋友都沒有了  

一个朋友都没有了  

Yí ge péngyǒu dōu méiyǒu le  

There weren’t any friends (here) anymore

我發現好像在哪裡都一樣  

我发现好像在哪里都一样  

Wǒ fāxiàn hǎoxiàng zài nǎlǐ dōu yīyàng  

It dawned on me, no matter where i am, it seems the same.  

就算是我長大的國家  

就算是我长大的国家  

Jiùsuàn shì wǒ zhǎngdà de guójiā  

Even if it’s the country where I grew up.  

直到去年  

直到去年  

Zhídào qùnián  

Until last year.  

我買了一個老大樓裡的一戶公寓  

我买了一个老大楼里的一户公寓  

Wǒ mǎi le yí ge lǎo dàlóu lǐ de yí hù gōngyù  

I bought a unit in an old apartment building.  

才開始重新體會到  

才开始重新体会到  

Cái kāishǐ chóngxīn tǐhuì dào  

Only then did I start to re-experience…  

面對面跟人互動的感覺  

面对面跟人互动的感觉  

Miànduìmiàn gēn rén hùdòng de gǎnjué  

The feeling of interacting with people face-to-face.  

多麼真實、多麼強烈  

多么真实、多么强烈  

Duōme zhēnshí, duōme qiángliè  

How real, how intense it is

面對面一起做事的感覺  

面对面一起做事的感觉  

Miànduìmiàn yìqǐ zuòshì de gǎnjué  

The feeling of doing things together in person.  

面對面開區權會的感覺  

面对面开区权会的感觉  

Miànduìmiàn kāi qūquánhuì de gǎnjué  

The feeling of having neighborhood meetings face-to-face.  

面對面交到朋友的感覺  

面对面交到朋友的感觉  

Miànduìmiàn jiāo dào péngyǒu de gǎnjué  

The feeling of making friends in person.  

面對面被討厭的感覺  

面对面被讨厌的感觉  

Miànduìmiàn bèi tǎoyàn de gǎnjué  

The feeling of being disliked in person.