Chinese Short Dialogue | 听中文会话 | 中国語リスニング

小刚 and 小宝 discuss the Spring Festival being recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage and explore its meaning and traditions.

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《English Translation》

小宝: 哥哥, what does '申遗' mean?
小刚: '申遗' means applying to have important traditional culture recognized as something the world needs to protect, like our Spring Festival!
小宝: Wow, is Spring Festival really that amazing? Why does it need to be protected?
小刚: Because Spring Festival has many wonderful traditions, like putting up spring couplets, having New Year's Eve dinner, and setting off firecrackers. These are part of our culture, and we want the whole world to know about them.
小宝: Oh, I love Spring Festival the most because I can get red envelopes!
小刚: Yes, getting red envelopes is fun, but what’s more important is that Spring Festival is a time for family reunions and a great opportunity to pass down our culture. We need to remember these traditions and keep them alive.
小宝: Yes! I’ll tell my friends that Spring Festival is the most important day in the world!
小刚: Great! This way, more people will understand and love our culture.

黄刚 and 陈花 discuss the marriage reward policy in 吕梁市 and its impact.

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《English Translation》

黄刚: 小花, did you hear? 吕梁市 has introduced a policy where women under 35 who register for marriage can get a reward of 1500 yuan.
陈花: Really? Such a policy exists? But why limit the age to 35?
黄刚: They say it’s because pregnancy after 35 is considered advanced maternal age. This reward might be to encourage early marriage and childbirth. The birth rate in 吕梁 has already dropped to 6.6‰, and the situation is quite serious.
陈花: Oh, I see. They’re trying to boost the marriage and birth rates through incentives. But how much impact can 1500 yuan really have?
黄刚: The amount is indeed small, but perhaps it’s a symbolic incentive. After all, 吕梁 is just a pilot area, and there might be more support in the future, such as subsidies for families with a second or third child.
陈花: Hmm, that makes some sense. But I think to genuinely encourage young people to marry and have children, the fundamental issues like the cost and stress of raising children need to be resolved.
黄刚: Exactly! Problems like housing prices, education, and healthcare—if these aren’t addressed, it’s hard to change young people’s minds with just a 1500-yuan reward.
陈花: Yes, and nowadays, many people value freedom and career development. Marriage and having children are no longer the only life choices. Even the best-designed policies need to align with young people’s needs.
黄刚: That’s true. This policy might be a good start, but whether it will actually work depends on its long-term implementation and supporting measures.
陈花: Right, I hope the policies can be more practical, truly reduce family burdens, and give people confidence in the future.

刘娜 teaches David how to express gratitude in different situations using phrases like ‘谢谢’, ‘非常感谢’, and others.

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《English Translation》

刘娜: David, today we are learning how to express gratitude in Chinese. The simplest way is to say ‘谢谢’.
大卫: ‘谢谢’, I know that!
刘娜: Correct! If you want to be more polite, you can say ‘非常感谢’ or ‘谢谢您’.
大卫: When should I use ‘非常感谢’ and ‘谢谢您’?
刘娜: ‘非常感谢’ is used in more formal situations, for example, when someone has helped you a lot. ‘谢谢您’ is suitable for addressing elders or strangers.
大卫: Got it! Are there any other ways?
刘娜: Yes, for example, ‘太感谢了’ or ‘谢谢你的帮助’.
大卫: ‘太感谢了’, sounds very enthusiastic!
刘娜: Exactly! Let’s practice. Here’s a scenario: Your friend helps you move. What would you say?
大卫: 谢谢你的帮助!
刘娜: Very good! Another one: A waiter brings you food. What would you say?
大卫: 谢谢!
刘娜: Correct! Last one: Your teacher helps you review for an exam.
大卫: 非常感谢您!
刘娜: Excellent! Today you’ve learned several ways to express gratitude.
大卫: Thank you, teacher! I’ll use these expressions more in the future!

小刚 explains to 小宝 the meaning of the popular internet term '接' and how it reflects young people's hopes for a bright future.

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Available in 8 languages on the app:

Learn Chinese | 중국어 배우기 | 中国語を学ぶ | Изучать китайский язык | Học tiếng Trung | Belajar bahasa Mandarin | Aprender chino | تعلم اللغة الصينية

《English Translation》

小刚: 小宝, do you know that it’s very popular online lately to say '接'?
小宝: '接'? Receiving what?
小刚: It’s like when you see someone doing a good deed or getting something nice, you say '接,' hoping that you can receive the same thing.
小宝: Oh! So it’s like when I see you eating candy, and I say '接,' hoping you’ll give me candy too?
小刚: You can think of it that way. Nowadays, many older brothers and sisters, when they see someone getting a good job or getting into a good school, they say '接,' hoping they’ll have the same good luck.
小宝: Can they really 'receive' good luck?
小刚: Saying '接' is a way to express hope. It also reminds us that to get good things, we have to work hard ourselves. If you just say '接' but don’t study or work hard, good luck won’t come to you.
小宝: I understand! I need to work hard too so I can 'receive' good luck!

陈智高 and 王明月 start from the theatrical allusion of "关公战秦琼" to explore the influence of culture on language understanding and expression, emphasizing the challenges of cultural differences in cross-cultural communication.

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Available in 8 languages on the app:

Learn Chinese | 중국어 배우기 | 中国語を学ぶ | Изучать китайский язык | Học tiếng Trung | Belajar bahasa Mandarin | Aprender chino | تعلم اللغة الصينية

《English Translation》

陈智高: 明月, do you think foreigners can understand our allusion of '关公战秦琼'?
王明月: Teacher, that might be a bit challenging for them. Behind this allusion is the accumulation of our Chinese history and culture. Without a certain cultural background knowledge, it's probably difficult to understand its intricacies.
陈智高: Exactly! Language is like a bridge connecting different cultures. But this bridge can't be built solely with words and grammar. You need to understand the customs and traditions on both sides of the bridge to truly cross it and go far!
王明月: You're so right! I encountered similar situations when I was abroad. Once, I used '过五关斩六将' to describe someone overcoming difficulties, but my foreign friends looked completely bewildered and couldn't understand the meaning at all.
陈智高: Haha, it's just like when we hear foreigners speaking their local dialects. We might understand each word, but when put together, we can't grasp the meaning at all. Cultural differences are like an invisible wall, hindering people's understanding and communication.
王明月: So, when learning a language, we can't just learn the surface. We need to delve deeper into the cultural connotations behind it. Like when we learn English, we can't just memorize vocabulary and grammar, we also need to understand the history, literature, values, and so on of English-speaking countries.
陈智高: Exactly! Language is the carrier of culture. Every word and expression is imbued with cultural imprints. To truly master a language, one must wholeheartedly experience its cultural essence.
王明月: I understand now, teacher. It seems I should read more foreign literature and learn more about their cultural backgrounds to better understand and use the language.
陈智高: Yes, learning a language is a process of continuous exploration and discovery. We must always maintain curiosity and embrace different cultures with an open mind to truly grasp the essence of language!

小刚 tells 小宝 about Japan offering a 10-year visa to Chinese citizens, explaining that traveling to Japan will become more convenient.

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Available in 8 languages on the app:

Learn Chinese | 중국어 배우기 | 中国語を学ぶ | Изучать китайский язык | Học tiếng Trung | Belajar bahasa Mandarin | Aprender chino | تعلم اللغة الصينية

《English Translation》

小刚: 小宝, did you know? It will now be easier to travel to Japan!
小宝: Really? Why is that?
小刚: Because Japan is going to issue a new visa for Chinese people, and with this visa, you can travel to Japan for 10 years.
小宝: What is a visa?
小刚: A visa is like a pass. With it, you can visit other countries. In the past, a visa to Japan was only valid for a short time, but now the new visa will be valid for 10 years!
小宝: Wow! That means I can visit Japan many times!
小刚: Yes, and each time you can stay in Japan longer—up to one month! Many people are planning to visit Japan during the Spring Festival.
小宝: Then I want to go to Japan too! I want to eat delicious sushi!

小刚 tells 小宝 about the achievements of China in 2024 as showcased in a video released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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Available in 8 languages on the app:

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《English Translation》

小宝: 小刚哥哥, what does 'Luckily, there’s China' mean?
小刚: That’s the name of a video released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It talks about all the amazing things China achieved in 2024!
小宝: What amazing things?
小刚: For example, China helped other countries build high-speed railways, like the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia, and China’s rocket sent astronauts to the Tiangong space station.
小宝: Wow! China is so awesome! Is there more?
小刚: Yes! Things like domestically made electric vehicles and smart robots are very advanced, and China also won a gold medal in swimming at the Paris Olympics!
小宝: That’s incredible! I want to do something amazing for China in the future too!

小刚 and 小宝 discuss an incident where a teacher made an inappropriate remark in class and its impact.

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Available in 8 languages on the app:

Learn Chinese | 중국어 배우기 | 中国語を学ぶ | Изучать китайский язык | Học tiếng Trung | Belajar bahasa Mandarin | Aprender chino | تعلم اللغة الصينية

《English Translation》

小刚: 小宝, the news today said that a teacher said something very excessive in class!
小宝: What did she say?
小刚: She asked students to take their report cards home for their parents to sign, and someone asked, 'Is it okay if my mom signs?' and she shouted, 'If your whole family is dead, then you don't need to sign!'
小宝: Ah? How could the teacher say that? Did she say it because she was very angry?
小刚: Maybe, but saying things like that will hurt the students' feelings. Teachers should teach us to speak properly, not to scare people.
小宝: That's right, teachers should be as gentle as mothers. So what happened afterwards?
小刚: The school removed her from her position as homeroom teacher and also reminded other teachers to be careful about their words and actions.
小宝: That's the best! Everyone should speak like the 'Speak Properly' book teaches, right?
小刚: That's right, 小宝! We also have to remember not to say hurtful things even when we are angry.