Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Learn Chinese -- Dialogue -- Lesson 12 Making Telephone Calls

TEXT
 
mài kè: nín hăo, zhè lĭ shì běi jīng fàn diàn ma?
麦克: 您好,这里是北京饭店吗?  
Mike:  Hello, is that Beijing Hotel? 
   
xiăo lĭ: shì de, nín zhăo nă wèi?
小李: 是的,您找哪位?  
Xiao Li:  yes, whom are you going to speak to? 
   
mài kè:
 qĭng zhuăn sān èr yāo bā fáng jiān, wŏ zhăo shĭ mì sī xiān shēng.
麦克: 请转3218房间,我找史密斯先生。 
Mike:  Extension 3218, please. I want to speak to Mr. Smith. 
   
xiăo lĭ: hăo de, qĭng shāo dĕng.
小李: 好的,请稍等。 
Xiao Li:  Hold on please.
   
mài kè: tā bú zài, nín néng bāng wŏ gěi tā shāo gè huà ma?
麦克: 他不在,您能帮我给他捎个话吗? 
Mike:  He is out. Would you have a message conveyed to him?
   
xiăo lĭ: dāng rán kĕ yĭ.
小李: 当然可以。 
Xiao Li:  Of course.
   
mài kè: qĭng tā gĕi mài kè huí diàn huà, diàn huà hào mă shì liù bā jiŭ jiŭ bā líng bā bā. 
麦克: 请他给麦克回电话,电话号码是68998088。 
Mike:  Please let him ring back to Mike whose phone number is 68998088.
   
xiăo lĭ: hăo de. 
小李: 好的。 
Xiao Li:  Okay.
 
Background
 
中国人打电话的习惯是直接找受话人,而不先报发话人姓名,接电话时也是这样,第一句话往往是"您找哪位?"。在北京打国际电话很方便。许多饭店、外国人居住的公寓、办公楼等均可直接挂国际长途。

When Chinese people make a phone call, they ask for the addressee by name directly. However, it is not their habit to give their own name first when making receiving a call. It is very convenient to make international calls which can be dialed directly at hotels, foreigner's mansion, office building, etc.   
New Words

打电话 dă diàn huà: make a phone call

号码 hào mă: number

zhuăn: an extension

zhăo: speak to

稍等 shāo dĕng: hold on

回电话 huí diàn huà: ring sb. back



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