Re: Democracy march takes over Hong Kong streets



Jensen wrote:

> "mark" <sometimes2003@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:Xns9725D7416BB1Esometimes2003@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> Apologies in full.
> >> I was too busy to look it up but here in HK we have Cantonese, Hakka,
> >> Shanghaiese, mandarin plus a few more.
> >> I believe on the mainland around 80% of folks can handle mandarin.
> > The Chinese Ministry of Education says 53%:
> > http://english.people.com.cn/200501/03/eng20050103_169500.html
> I'll buy that. Whilst in Beijing two months ago, I was extremely fortunate
> to be able to talk to people from all walks of life - from taxi drivers to
> university professors - they were mostly "locals" of course, but they tried
> their hardest to explain to me that Mandarin is the "universal language" in
> China, and that it is taught in all schools, but the degree of proficiency
> varies of course from region to region, and from person to person. They told
> me that Mandarin was originally the Peking dialect, and that it was only one
> that had a written language, which other dialects eventually adopted. Can
> anyone confirm/disprove this? I find it incredible that such a large country
> with so huge a population with many regional differences can be governed by
> one central government. I wonder whether these conditions prevent the growth
> of an eventual successful democracy.
> Similarly, English is also taught in all schools, but to a lesser degree.
> The tour guides we met can rattle along very well in English, but their
> thinking process was clearly different to people in the West - not a big
> surprise. I asked the girl, who showed us the various Chinese tea, why she
> didn't go further with her education, since she already had the basic
> knowledge of English. She looked at me earnestly and blushed, saying,
> "Laziness". This, I think, showed me clearly that opportunity for the people
> in China is there for the taking, but the centuries-old tradition of having
> things brought to you on a silver platter still remains in most. Note, I
> said "most", but not all, because I have been highly-motivated people go
> forward - forward towards goals never before existed within their sights. I
> sincerely believe that the form of government in China now no longer
> matters, because the Chinese people as a whole have awakened, and they are
> being beckoned to achieve things which only people in the West so far had
> the chance to do. Music please.
> Jensen.

I have been in China [Hong kong] for nearly forty years and i have not met a
lazy local person yet. Your girl in Beijing was exceptional.

Written Chinese characters can be understood by most people, the Japanese too,
the dialects can be very different, so they can always communicate by writing
characters.


.

Relevant Pages

  • We need Language Exchange Partners, we can teach you Chinese (Mandarin)
    ... We can teach you Chinese (Mandarin) in exchange. ... I want to learn: English ... Thomas Xu, 27 years old, China ...
    (soc.culture.taiwan)
  • Re: Democracy march takes over Hong Kong streets
    ... >>> I believe on the mainland around 80% of folks can handle mandarin. ... >China, and that it is taught in all schools, but the degree of proficiency ... [Mandarin Chinese is ... >sincerely believe that the form of government in China now no longer ...
    (soc.culture.china)
  • Re: Learning English: (Was) Sex in Shanghai
    ... My point has been that the Chinese schools should expect, ... of foreign teachers going in, a basket of trash-typed individuals, ... Now in China it is almost impossible to go anywhere ... And if this foreigner can speak English and have social habits ...
    (soc.culture.china)
  • Re: OT: Why does the Right hate relativity?
    ... of Chinese - so why be concerned over what decision was made by the ... People's Republic of China? ... I know the Chinese language used to come in many flavours... ... The largest is Mandarin, which is spoken in most of ...
    (rec.arts.sf.written)
  • Re: Learning Chinese Is Too Tough
    ... conference in 2006 entitled "Why every school should offer Mandarin". ... language: some 30m foreigners are studying Mandarin today, and Chinese ... In a few decades China may indeed overtake America as the world's top ...
    (soc.culture.china)