You have been asked to interpret for an international conference entitled “Challenges in High School Teaching”. During this presentation you are interpreting for an education expert on the topic of autism spectrum disorders and how to deal with autistic children in the classroom.

Listen to Speech

Interpreting Speech #4 – Autism (English-into-Mandarin)

Transcript and reference translation

I must say it’s been really fantastic to attend this conference and see presentations on a whole range of different issues that teachers face every day on the job.
我想说我很高兴能出席这次会议，并能看到关于教师日常工作中面对的各类问题的演讲。

My background is not only in teaching but also in special needs.
我的背景不仅仅是在教学方面，而且也在特殊教育这个方面。

As a Special Education Needs Co-ordinator in a mainstream secondary school in Sydney, I am responsible for ensuring that the special needs of pupils are identified and addressed across the curriculum.
作为悉尼一所主流中学的特殊教育辅导员，我所负责的是确保能找出学生的特殊需求，并通过教学大纲来解决这些问题。

In 2010 I completed my PhD entitled “Autism in the Classroom: Teacher and Student Dynamics”.
2010年的时候我完成了我的博士论文，题目是“教室里的自闭症——教师与学生的互动”。

My aim for today is to try and flesh out some of the most common signs of autistic behaviour and provide some practical advice for teachers on how to deal with it most effectively.
我今天的目的是尝试讲述一下自闭行为最常见的一些迹象，并给老师们提供一些如何有效解决这些问题的建议。

Autism is a neural development disorder which is observable in early childhood.
自闭症是一种神经发育失调症，常见于儿童早期。

Students with this disorder withdraw from communicating with their classmates and their teachers.
有自闭症的学生害怕与他们的同学和老师交流。

They also exhibit repetitive behaviour and have a profound fear of change in their environment.
他们还表现出重复性的行为，而且非常害怕身边环境的变化。

All of these aspects present a challenge that both beginning and veteran teachers may find difficult to overcome.
所有这些方面都是一种挑战，新的老师和经验丰富的老师可能会发现很难克服这些问题。

Autism is a “spectrum disorder” which means that, put simply, some people have mild symptoms whilst others have serious symptoms.
自闭症是一种程度不一的紊乱症，这意味着，简单点说，一些人症状较轻，而一些人症状严重。

Students with mild autism may be diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome.
患有轻度自闭症的人可能会被确诊为阿斯伯格综合症。

An autistic person may have a high IQ or a highly developed skill such as music or art.
一个有自闭症的人可能智商较高，或某方面技能突出，例如音乐或艺术。

Remember that autism should not be seen as a label, but as a signpost directing you to meeting the pupil’s needs and full psychological, and medical advice should always be sought.
请记住，自闭症不应该被认作是一个标签，而应该是一个路标，来指引你满足学生的需要并为其寻求全面的心理和医疗建议。

During my presentation I will go through some of the most common characteristics of autistic students that I have encountered both as a teacher and a special needs co-ordinator.
在我的演讲之中，我要说一说得自闭症学生的最常见的特点，这些特点是我当老师和特殊教育辅导员的时候注意到的。

Probably the most significant trouble that autistic students face is an inability to relate to you and the other students.
这些得自闭症的学生可能面对的最大的困难是跟老师和其他学生相处。

They might seem aloof, or passive, or even eccentric.
他们可能看起来冷漠，被动，甚至古怪。

What you need to remember is that they don’t really have an understanding of socialising with other people, but this is itself does not distress them, unless someone makes an issue of it.
你要注意的是他们真的不理解怎样去跟别人交往，但是这个问题本身并没有让他们感到紧张，除非有人指出。

On top of this, their speech difficulties are many and varied.
除此以外，他们也有各种各样的说话障碍。

They can range from no interest in communicating, to repetitive language, irrelevant but factual contributions, strange use of language rules, and so on.
这些障碍可能包括不喜欢沟通、语言重复、表达正确但不相关，用语怪异等。

This can be tough for a teacher to work with, and you may wish to seek specialist help to explore how best to manage this behaviour in the classroom.
老师处理这种情况非常困难，而且可能想去找一个专业家来探究怎样在课堂上最好的去管理这些行为。

You may also notice that an autistic pupil takes things very literally and you need to be careful that you don’t upset them as a result.
你也可能注意到得自闭症的学生只能了解言语的字面意思，而且你需要小心不要让他们难过。

Avoid sarcasm and think about the literal meaning of what you say.
避免用讽刺言语，并且考虑说话的字面意思。

You may have observed the pupil performing repetitive and stereotyped actions, perhaps on entering the classroom or getting stationery out.
你可能已经观察到了这种学生做重复化、模式化的动作，也许是在进入课堂或者把文具掏出来的时候发生的。

Their pre-established routines never change and if disrupted can upset them greatly, so avoid doing so.
他们前定的程序从不改变，如果被打乱的话，会使他们非常难过，所以请避免这样做。

Quite often, too, autistic pupils have a good memory, particularly for rote learning.
而且，得自闭症的学生记忆很好，尤其善于死记硬背。

They remember visual things very well, and find it easier to remember the last lesson by picturing what another pupil did or said.
而且他们可以通过想象其他学生所做的或所说的事情，来更好地记住上一堂课的内容。

They need ‘cues’ to help them remember, but once they have these, you can use them as a trigger repeatedly.
他们需要‘暗示’去帮助他们记忆，但是一旦他们接受，老师可以频繁地使用这种方法去刺激他们。

What many teachers pick up on pretty early is that students with autism have very good coordination skills.
很多老师很早就发现得自闭症的学生协调性好。

For example, the autistic pupil can dismantle and reassamble an intricate object with great ease and may have an obsessive need to repeat this again and again.
比如说，得自闭症学生善于拆卸组装复杂的物品，而且对重复这件事很着迷。

They find this activity highly rewarding, so try exploring ways to build this kind of task into the work you provide for them.
他们觉得这种活动很有成就感，所以你可以尝试想办法把这种活动放在你给他们的任务内。

Some content adapted from 500 Tips for Working with Children with Special Needs by Betty Vahid, Sally Harwood and Sally Brown.

1. You choose not to attend class. (verb)
2. You are a student who is always sucking up to the teacher. (noun)
3. You did something wrong. The teacher puts you in… (noun)
4. Your parents found out. They punish you. (verb)
5. In your high school you buy food at the… (noun)
6. You copy your friend’s assignment and hand it in, claiming it is your work. (verb/noun)
7. This school teaches both boys and girls. (noun)
8. When you’re sick at school you see a nurse in the… (noun)
9. The person – not a teacher – who provides spiritual/religious guidance at your high school. (noun)
10. You get A after A after A. You are a… (noun)
11. The head of the school or faculty at uni. (noun)
12. The leading student or leader of the class. (noun)
13. At uni, you decide to put off studying your degree for one year. (verb)
14. You take an exam without preparing for it. (verb)
15. You sit an exam for someone else. (verb)
16. A specialised school that trains students to commonly to pass the entrance examinations of high schools or universities. (noun)
17. You memorise lots of information in preparation for your exam. (verb)
18. An exam you take to get into university. (noun)
19. You pretend to be sick to get out of going to school or work. (verb)
20. You can’t read or write. (adjective)

—–

Answers:

1. You choose not to attend class. (verb) English: skip class; wag (Aussie slang); play truant (formal). Chinese: 逃课 táokè.

2. You are a student who is always sucking up to the teacher. (noun) English: teacher’s pet. Chinese: 马屁精 mǎpìjīng.

3. You did something wrong. The teacher puts you in… (noun) English: detention. Chinese: 留校 liúxiào; 留堂 liútáng.

4. Your parents found out. They punish you. (verb) English: ground; to impose a curfew. Chinese: 禁足 jìnzú.

5. In your high school you buy food at the… (noun) English: canteen; cafeteria (US); tuckshop (Aussie slang). Chinese: 食堂 shítáng.

6. You copy your friend’s assignment and hand it in, claiming it is your work. (verb/noun) English: plagiarise; plagiarism. Chinese: 抄写 chāoxiě.

7. This school teaches both boys and girls. (noun) English: co-educational school/co-ed. Chinese: 男女同校 nánnǚ tóngxiào.

8. When you’re sick at school you see a nurse in the… (noun) English: sick bay. Chinese: 医务室 yīwùshì.

9. The person – not a teacher – who provides spiritual/religious guidance at your high school. (noun) English: chaplain. Chinese: 牧师 mùshī.

10. You get A after A after A. You are a… (noun) English: straight-A student; dux. Chinese: 尖子生 jiānzishēng.

11. The head of the school or faculty at uni. (noun) English: dean. Chinese: 院长 yuànzhǎng.

12. The leading student or leader of the class. (noun). English: class monitor; prefect (UK; private schools in Australia); Chinese: 班长 bānzhǎng.

13. At uni, you decide to put off studying your degree for one year. (verb). English: defer; Chinese: 推迟入学 tuīchí rùxué.

14. You take an exam without preparing for it. (verb) English: No exact English word exists! You could say “I guess I’ll just wing it” (slang); Chinese: 裸考 luǒkǎo.

15. You sit an exam for someone else. (verb) English: No exact English word exists! Chinese: 枪手 qiāngshǒu.

16. A specialised school that trains students to commonly to pass the entrance examinations of high schools or universities. (noun) English: cram school. Chinese: 补习班 bǔxíbān.

17. You memorise lots of information in preparation for your exam. (verb) English: to cram; to learn by rote; Chinese: 死记 sǐjì.

18. An exam you take to get into university. (noun) English: College entrance exam. Chinese: 高考 gāokǎo.

19. You pretend to be sick to get out of going to school or work. English: to chuck a sickie (Aussie slang). Chinese: 装病 zhuāngbìng.

20. You can’t read or write. (adjective) English: illiterate; Chinese: 文盲 wénmáng.

A Chinese finance expert is giving an impromptu speech at an international conference about the state of private enterprises in China.

Listen to Speech

Interpreting Speech #3 – Private Enterprises (Mandarin-into-English)

Transcript and reference translation

我觉得改革开放的三十年实际上是包容性发展的三十年，对中国来说包容性的发展意味着各种所有制经济共同发展，民营经济也发展了起来。三十年来民营经济成为市场经济重要组成部分，民营经济已经成为就业的主渠道，75%以上的就业人口在民营经济，新增就业人口的85%以上都是民营经济。
I think that the past 30 years of China’s reform and opening up to the world has been a period of “inclusive development”. To China, this means the “common development” of the economy and diverse forms of ownership. Private enterprises have also thrived. In the past 30 years they have become an important part of the market economy, as well as an avenue for employment. Over 75% workers are employed in private enterprises, and over 85% of new jobs are generated by private enterprises.

所以假如没有中国的民营经济，中国的就业问题解决不了，民营企业所创造的财富，在全国的经济总量当中占65%以上，税收大概占50%左右，在经济层面民营经济已经做出了很大的贡献。­­
So if there were no private enterprises in China, the employment problem could not be solved. The wealth that private enterprises create comprises over 65% of China’s economic aggregate. Tax revenue takes up roughly 50%. Economically speaking, private enterprises have made a large contribution.

更主要的是民营经济发展改变了人们的观念。过去人们靠国家来养活，发工资，吃大锅饭，这种日子已经结束了，现在民营企业靠自己的本事， 不仅自己发工资，也替国家发工资，这是很大的贡献。
The main thing is that the development of private enterprises has changed people’s thinking. In the past, people relied on the state to support themselves and give them a wage, and they ate communally. These days are long gone. Nowadays private enterprises are left to their own devices. Not only do they allocate their own salaries but they also replace the wages that used to be given out by the government. This is a significant contribution.

现在民营经济发展碰到瓶颈，第一，市场准入受到一些限制，尽管我们政府说要放开对民间资本的限制，一视同仁，平等竞争，同等保护，实际上这并没有得到很好的落实，市场准入碰到很大的困难。
A bottleneck has formed in the development of private enterprises. First, the market has had some limitations imposed upon it. Although our government says that it wants to free the limits on private capital – that it wants to treat everyone equally, and promote equitable competition and equal protection, in actual fact this has not been implemented very well. So the market has encountered some difficulties.

第二，融资困难，现在民营企业，中小民营企业融资非常困难。为了应对国际金融危机的冲击，政府出手四万亿经济刺激的计划，一揽子计划起到很大的作用，但是这个积极作用逐步消退，负面作用慢慢体现出来了。负面作用就是政府主导，各级政府办企业，投资主要靠政府，靠国企，而民间资本，民营企业受到挤压，这是个不争的事实。
Second, financing is difficult. Financing for private enterprises and small and medium enterprises is very difficult. In response to the global financial crisis, the government has handed out a four trillion economic stimulus package. This all-inclusive plan has played a significant role, but its positive impact has waned, and its downsides have gradually come into view. These downsides involve the management of the government. Every level of government manages enterprises, and investments mainly rely on the government – that is, state enterprises. This puts pressure on private capital and private enterprises. And this is a fact which cannot be denied.

现在民间资本得到贷款非常困难，虽然银行说，中小企业贷款占了银行信贷的60%左右，但没有落实到民营资本，因为银行所说的中小企业其实是指大企业，真正的小企业，微型企业得不到贷款，融资非常困难，只靠高利贷。
Nowadays securing loans for private capital is extremely difficult. Although banks say that loans for small and medium enterprises constitute around 60% of their credit, this has not been the case for private capital because the small and medium enterprises that the banks are referring to are in fact large enterprises. Real small and micro enterprises cannot secure loans. So financing is difficult and they have to turn to loan sharks.

第三个困难就是税收负担太重，税和费负担太重，现在民营企业碰到原材料涨价，劳动力涨价的问题，同时税费负担又重，所以日子很难过，必须要减轻他们的负担。我是主张化税为薪，对一些传统产业，劳动密集型的企业，解决了大量就业人口的企业，应该减轻税收，能免则免，让他们好好经营下去，雇佣更多的员工，或给员工增加工资。
The third difficulty is that taxation is too heavy – there are too many taxes and expenses. Nowadays private enterprises are faced with the increasing price of raw materials and labour. Meanwhile, taxes and expenses are high and the people fall upon hard times. We must ease their burdens. I advocate turning taxation into salaries. We should tackle the high levels of unemployment in traditional and labour-intensive industries. We should alleviate taxes and exempt them wherever possible, and make sure enterprises continue operating smoothly. We should also employ more workers, or raise employees’ salaries.

第四个困难是权益保障，民营企业的权益，应该受国家法律保护，保护私有财产。中国《物权法》出台后，法律层面得到了保障，但是实际生活当中，民营企业权益经常受到来自权力部门的侵犯，而大部分来自于政府权力部门的干涉。所以，民营企业，在这种情况下敢怒而不敢言，甚至不敢怒不敢言，挫伤了积极性，这个是很值得我们警惕的问题。
The fourth difficulty is securing the rights and interests of private enterprises. They should receive legal protection from the state to protect their private property. After the launch of China’s “Real Right Law”, legal protection was established but in real-life the rights and interests of private enterprises are often infringed upon by the corridors of power. And in many cases this is in the form of governmental interference. So many private enterprises are up in arms but dare not speak, or they may not even show their anger. This dampens their enthusiasm. And this is an issue we need to be wary of.

这几个方面的问题直接影响了民间投资的积极性。就民营企业自身来说，要解决的是创新的问题。民营企业最大的优势是产权明晰，自己的一亩三分地，自己干，动力比较强劲，但问题就在于产权封闭，因为不善于和人合作，总想靠自己慢慢积累，靠银行借贷，逐步发展，这个时代已经过去了。民营企业必须要通过资本市场来运作，通过兼并重组，自身整合，才能做大做强。
These different kinds of problems have a direct impact on the enthusiasm of private investment. As for private enterprises themselves, they need to resolve their innovation issues. The biggest advantage of private enterprises is the clarity of their property rights. You get allocated what is called “the third piece of an acre”. You can use it, and you’re highly motivated to do so. However the problem is that property rights are limited because people are not used to cooperating with each other. They have always preferred to rely on themselves to slowly accumulate savings and rely on the banks to lend them money and develop slowly. This is a thing of the past. Private enterprises must operate in the capital market. And to be strong contenders they need to merge, and restructure, and make themselves whole.

Material adapted from an interview with Yu Junbao (保育钧), guest researcher for the Counselor’s Office of the State Council and Vice-Chairperson of the All-China Federation of Industry & Commerce (国务院参事室特邀研究员、全国工商联原副主席). Link includes full original video and transcript.

You have been called to interpret for a tour guide at the Parliament of Victoria. The guide is giving a talk to a visiting delegation from China about the history and function of the building.

Listen to Dialogue

Interpreting Speech #2 – Victorian Parliament (English-into-Mandarin)

Transcript and reference translation

Hello and welcome to the Parliament of Victoria.
大家好，欢迎来到维多利亚议会。

The Parliament was constructed between 1856 and 1930, during the gold rush period.
维多利亚议会建于1856年到1930年的淘金热时期。

It is a bicameral parliament – in other words, it has two houses, with representatives elected to the Legislative Council – the Upper House – and the Legislative Assembly – the Lower House.
这是一个双院的议会，换一句话说，该议会分为两个议院。由代表选出的人进参议院（也称上议院）和众议院（也称下议院）。

The Assembly has 88 members and the Council 40.
众议院有88个成员，参议院有40个议员。

One of the Parliament’s major roles is to make laws.
议会的主要职能是制定法律。

Bills can be introduced in either House but must be agreed to by both Houses, and the Governor must give royal assent before they become law.
上下院都可以提出法案，但必须同时获得两院通过，此外，还需获得总督的御准才能正式成为法律。

Like all parliaments in Australia and in the Commonwealth, the Victorian parliament is designed according to the Westminster System.
就像在澳大利亚和联邦的所有议会一样，维多利亚议会的设计符合威斯敏斯特系统。

To reflect this, the interior of the Assembly Chamber is decorated green, the Council Chamber, red.
考虑到这些，众议院的内部装潢以绿色为基调，而参议院是红色的。

Today we begin our tour in the Lower House – the Legislative Assembly – and as you can see, everything in this room – the seats, carpet, the books, even my tie! – is green.
今天，我们先从下议院开始我们的参观，众议院，正如你所见，从座位，地毯，书籍，甚至我的领带，所有物件在这个房间都是绿色的。

The function of the Lower House is to review any laws under consideration.
下议院的作用是用来回顾所有涵需审理的法律。

You can see here – in the front row – this is where the government ministers sit.
你可以看到这里，议席的前排，是政府部长坐的。

On the other side is where the opposition and the shadow ministers sit; their job is to hold the government to account on any decisions they make.
而相对的另一排是反对的也就是影子部长坐的。他们的职责是让政府对他们的决定负责。

Both the government and opposition seats are divided into front and back benchers.
政府席和反对者席都分成前排和后排的席位。

The front benches are reserved for members of the cabinet.
前排的席位都预留给内阁成员。

A backbencher may be a new parliamentary member yet to receive high office or even a senior figure who has been dropped from government.
一个后排议员可能是一名还未得到高级职务的新议会成员，或一位不再受到政府重视的高层人物。

They can engage in debates in parliament, and pass on the views of their constituents, but do not wield much influence in the party.
他们可以参与议会中的辩论，提交选民意见，却无法对政党施加太多的影响。

At the front of the house is the Speaker, whose job is to mediate the discussions.
议院的前方是议长，他的工作是斡旋讨论。

Members of the general public can sit in to observe the parliament in the public gallery; as for the press gallery, this is reserved for journalists.
普通公众也可以在公众走廊旁听并考察。同时相对的媒体走廊，是留给与会的记者。

In the centre of the house there are 67 books which make up the bulk of Victoria’s laws.
在议院的中央有67本书，它们组成了维州法律的绝大部分。

At the moment, the numbers in the Parliament are very close – in total there are 88 Members of Parliament: 45 Liberal-Nationals and 43 Labor.
现在，议会中的人数相当接近。总共有88个议员，其中45名联盟党成员，43名工党成员。

Have a look here – this is where the Premier sits, and over here is where the Treasurer sits.
来看看这里吧。这是州长的座位，那里是财长的座位。

Note that the role of the Treasurer is different to that of the Minister of Finance – the former looks after the budget, while the latter checks whether the money is being used reasonably.
需要注意的是，财长的角色和财政部长是不同的。前者需顾及财务预算，而后者则需核实钱是否花在适当的地方。

So what’s been happening in the Victorian Parliament as of late? Let me see…
因此，让我们看看维多利亚议会最近发生了什么？

Just yesterday, MPs were discussing the use of crown land – in particular, a hospital they were proposing to tear down and use for another purpose.
就在昨天，议员们讨论了政府用地问题。特别提到了一个医院。他们提议把它拆毁，挪作它用。

They were also talking about creating a national system for the registration of chemists and whether traditional Chinese herbalists could be considered medical practitioners.
他们还谈论了关于建立一套新的国家药剂师注册系统，但这当中，中国中草药师并不认为是医疗从业者。

All right, now it’s time to go to the Upper House, also known as the Legislative Council.
好了，现在是时候是去上议院（也就是参议院）的时候了。

The first thing you should notice is that this room is much nicer than the previous one; the design here is all in red and looks quite luxurious.
首先你们会发现这个房间比之前那个好很多。整个房间设计成红色而且相当奢华。

The arrangement of the seats in the Upper House is quite similar to that of the Lower House.
上议院的座次安排与下议院相仿。

On the right side is the Government – on the left, the Opposition.
右侧是政府，左侧是反对者。

The President here plays a similar role to that of the Speaker in the Lower House.
上议院议长和下议院议长所扮演的角色也不禁相似。

There are 21 Liberal-National seats, 16 Labor and 3 Greens – all up, that’s 21 seats for the Government and 19 for the Opposition.
这里有21个联盟党坐席，16个工党坐席和三个绿党坐席。它代表着21席属于政府，19席属于它的反对者。

Oh, wait, don’t sit on this chair – it’s meant only for the Queen or the Governor of Victoria!
哦，等一下。这个位子不能坐，只有女王和维多利亚州总督才能坐。

In the past 156 years it’s only been sat on 57 times, and only one time by the Queen, in 1954.
在过去156年中，该座位只被坐了57次，其中女王仅在1954年坐了一次。

As the Queen is 86 years of age, she can’t really fly down from Britain to make a speech here, while the Governor, on the other hand, is only 15 minutes away by car!
因为女王以年届86岁高龄，她真的不能从英国飞来做一次演讲。而另一方面，州总督距此仅15分钟车程。

I heard one of you would like to know a bit about conscience votes – well, first let me say they don’t happen very often.
我听到你们中有一员想知道关于自由投票的事。好，首先我想说的是，这不经常发生。

In the past 17 years, there have only been eight of these kind of votes, and in the past three years none at all.
在过去17年间只发生过8次类似的投票，而过去三年间则一次都没发生过。

They usually only come up if the MPs find they have moral or religious objections to laws being discussed.
它们通常仅在议员们对法律有道德或宗教缘发生反对时才发起。

In general, though, most MPs vote on party lines – so how they will vote is already determined during discussions made before parliament sits.
总的来说，大多数议员都代表党派利益而投票。它们如何投票早在进议会前已经商议得出了。

In fact, only some controversial subjects such as abortion, artificial insemination, same-sex marriage, etc. attract conscience votes.
事实上，只有一些争议的议题比如堕胎，人工受精，同性婚姻等才会采取自由投票。

What you find is that, during a conscience vote, you get to know what the politicians really think, as they have the opportunity to vote according to their personal beliefs, rather than toe the party line.
你会发现在自由投票时，你将知道议员们的真实想法，它们讲有机会按照它们自己的信仰而不是党派利益而投票。

So, at times, Government MPs agree with Opposition MPs, or MPs within the same party may have conflicting views.
因此，当那时，政府的议员们有可能做出与它们的反对派议员做出相同的投票或者即使在同一党派也会发生意见相左的情况。

So conscience votes, though rare, are often the most interesting votes in the parliament.
因此，自由投票是非常罕见的，同时也是在议会中最有趣的投票。

Now, each MP here represents a region within the state, and in Victoria there are eight regions, which are represented by five people.
每一位议员代表了州内的一个地区，而在维州有8个区，由5人代表。

If you get 12% of the vote, you win the seat, which means that minor parties find it easier to win because they only need this small percentage of support, as opposed to a majority vote.
如果你获得百分之十二的选票，你就可以赢得席位，也就是说少数党会更容易获胜，因为他们只需要小的百分比的支持，不同于多票选举。

There are three Greens here, and in the last election the Democratic Labor Party had one seat here.
在这之中有三位绿党党员，而且在上次选举中民主劳工党有过一个席位。

Although he originally only got 2% of the vote, he got through on preferences, and stayed an MP here for four years.
虽然他起初仅获得百分之二的选票， 但最终因为按选择次序投票方法，并在议员的位置上一待就是4年。

Next week, during the first week of May, the state budget will come out, so the parliament has to decide how to spend over $40 billion dollars.
下周，也就是五月的第一周，州预算将会出台，因此议会将会决定如何使用400亿澳元。

They will look at how to allocate funds for areas such as public transport – trains, trams, buses, etc., hospitals, schools, the police, the fire brigade, and so on.
他们会关注于如何分配资金于不同的地方，比如公共交通系统，火车，电车，公交车等等。和医院，学校，警察，救火队等等。

I look forward to meeting you all here at the parliament again, thank you.
我期待着能与你们在议会再次见面，谢谢。

Content adapted from a tour of the Parliament given in April 2012, and from text in the Parliament brochure.

This dialogue takes place between Mr Ben Doherty, a loan manager at a bank called SmartVest and Mrs Wang Fang, a Mandarin-speaking client who is making an equiry about how to apply for a mortgage.

Listen to Dialogue

Mandarin-English Dialogue #8 – Mortgage Application

Transcript

Mr Doherty: Hi. How can I help you today?

Mrs Wang (王太太): 您好，我想多了解一下怎样申请住房贷款。这周，我已经看了很多在远郊的漂亮房子了，其中有一套特别吸引我。[Hello. I would like to know more about how to apply for a home loan. I’ve been inspecting some beautiful houses in the outer suburbs this week, and there is one in particular that caught my eye.]

Mr Doherty: Fantastic. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ben Doherty and I’m a loan manager here at SmartVest Bank. I would be happy to help you with any finance advice you require. So, tell me, what is it that attracted you to the property?

Mrs Wang (王太太): 我看的那套房子相当的宽敞，而且是刚翻新的。它是三室一厅两卫。那里还有一个大后院，我可以让我的狗在那儿到处跑。难以想象在我的家乡北京还能以这么好的价格买到这么满意的房子。 [The house I looked at was really spacious and has been newly rennovated. It has three bedrooms, one living room and two bathrooms. There’s also a big backyard where I can let my dogs run around. I could never imagine getting such a lovely place in my hometown Beijing at a decent price.]

Mr Doherty: I can imagine. How much was the property valued at?

Mrs Wang (王太太): 恩，好的。这正是我所担心的。这套房产的价值是五十六万澳元，虽然比我预期的要低，不过还是超出了我的心理价位。考虑到这套房子的价格，你觉得我能贷多少钱呢？ [Ah, yes. This is what I was worrying about. The property is valued at $560,000 which, although much cheaper than I was expecting, is still a little out of my price range. Considering how much the property is worth, how much do you think I can borrow?]

Mr Doherty: How much you can afford to borrow will depend on a range of different things such as your income, your credit history and your savings. Later on we can use one of our home loan calculators to give you a good indication of your borrowing power and help you work out what your repayments would be.

Mrs Wang (王太太): 我明白了，不好意思，因为我之前从来没有申请过贷款，所以我有很多问题想问。[I see. You’ll have to excuse me as I’ve never applied for a loan before, so I have a thousand questions.]

Mr Doherty: By all means, shoot.

Mrs Wang (王太太): 好的， 事实上，如果你不介意的话，我自己已经列出了一些我想问的问题。首先，你能告诉我要付多少订金吗？ [OK.  I’ve actually written out a list of questions I’d like to ask if you don’t mind. Firstly, could you tell me how much deposit I need to make?]

Mr Doherty: No I don’t mind at all, it’s always great to see customers being organised and taking the initiative! I can see you’re really eager to get stuck in to this, so let’s get started.

( … )

Ah yes, now, you asked me about deposit… Well, with our home loans, you typically need a deposit of at least 5% of the property’s value – plus enough to cover stamp duty and other admin fees.

Mrs Wang (王太太): 我明白了，那申请时我需要提供哪些文件呢？我这么问是因为我有个表妹最近在另一家银行申请了一个个人贷款。她被震惊到了，因为她需要提供一大堆的资料，都快要被烦死了。[I see. And what documents do I need to provide when applying? The reason I ask is one of my cousins recently applied for a personal loan at another bank and she was surprised by how much paperwork she had to provide. She said it was a lot of stuffing around.]

Mr Doherty: Yes, I understand. There are a number of documents you will need to provide. I have a checklist here. You can have a look at it.

( … )

Well basically you need to provide a 100-point identification check, and evidence of your income, as well as details about the assets you own, and also any outstanding debt you have as well.

Mrs Wang (王太太): 好。 哦，我刚想起来，我的邻居告诉我如果这是我第一次买房， 我可以申请。。。叫什么？好像叫“首次置业补助”。这真是太好了，我从来不知道有这么回事儿。[OK. Oh, I just remembered one thing. My neighbour said that if you’re purchasing your first home you can also apply for a… what’s it called? I think it’s called a “First Home Owner Grant”. It sounds great! I had no idea such a thing existed.]

( … )

虽然我有绿卡，但我不是澳洲国籍，这样我还有资格申请吗？ [I’m not an Australian citizen, although I do have Permament Residency. Am I still eligible for it?]

Mr Doherty: Don’t worry, permanent residents can also apply for it. The main thing is that you are buying your first home in Australia and that you plan to stay in that place for at least 12 months afterwards. Here, I’ll give you this factsheet. Maybe your interpreter could translate it for you later.

Mrs Wang (王太太): 谢谢。不过需要看的资料太多了，你介意我休息会儿吗？ [Thank you. There is so much information to go through. Do you mind if we take a short break?]

Mr Doherty: No worries. I’ll get you a cuppa and a bickie if you like. There’s no point rushing such an important decision after all – and later in the afternoon I can explain all your options and take you through some scenarios that might work best for you.

Mrs Wang (王太太): 听起来真不错，再次谢谢您。[That sounds lovely. Thanks again.]

Chao Liang has come to the office of Adrian Turner, a lawyer working for Bates and Stuart, a law firm in Melbourne. Liang is making an enquiry about personal injury claims on behalf of one of his colleagues who has recently suffered an injury at work.

Listen to Dialogue

Mandarin-English Dialogue #7 – Personal Injury Claim

Transcript

Turner: Hi, Chao Liang is it? My name is Adrian Turner. I’d like to welcome you to Bates and Stuart on this sunny afternoon. Please, take a seat. I can offer you tea, coffee or juice – whatever you like.

Liang (梁): 谢谢你，唐纳先生。来点热水就行了。[Thank you Mr Turner. Just some hot water will be fine.]

Turner: OK. And what can I help you with today?

Liang (梁): 我在Richmond一家叫做Tiptop的电焊公司做焊工。前台小姐告诉我说您擅长个人工伤索赔，但她没有讲清楚您能为哪种类型的工伤索要赔偿。[I work as a welder in Richmond, for a company called TipTop Welding. The receptionist told me that you specialise in personal injury claims, but she couldn’t give me a straight answer about what kind of injuries you can actually claim compensation for.]

Turner: There are many. It can be a physical injury such as a broken bone, or loss of hearing or sight, or it may be a psychological trauma like anxiety disorder. What kind of problem do you have?

Liang (梁): 不是我，而是我的同事杨君。她一个月前来我们车间做学徒，我挺照顾她的。她在电焊这方面很有天份而且她也很细心。[It’s not me, it’s my coworker Yangjun. She started working as an apprentice at our workshop about a month ago and I took her under my wing. She’s got a real talent for welding – and has good attention to detail.]

 ( … )

那天我老板决定让她试一试电弧焊，嗯，您可能对这样的工作不大熟悉，它稍微有点儿技术性。简单说来，就是指在通电的情况下把两块金属焊接到一起。[The other day my boss decided to give her her first go at arc welding, and, well, you’re probably not familiar with this kind of work – it’s a bit technical. Long story short, it involves welding two pieces of metal together using a power supply.]

Turner: Yes, arc welding, I’ve dealt with cases like that before. I know it can be very dangerous if proper safety precautions are not followed. Do go on.

Liang (梁): 恩，您说得对。我已经在澳洲做这行六年了，在过去的三年中一直在这家公司工作。像这种情况我见的多了。[Yes, you’re right. I’ve been doing this trade for six years in Australia, and been working at this particular workshop for the past three. I’ve seen my fair share of these kind of injuries.]

( … )

您可以想象下，被高温和火花烫到的风险还是挺大的。为了保护自己，我们还得带上厚厚的手套，并穿上防护夹克。[You can imagine there’s a great risk of getting burnt from the heat and the sparks. To protect ourselves we wear heavy leather gloves and protective jackets.]

Turner: Yes, I know. So, what happened to your colleague? Let me guess, there was a problem with the helmet? I’ve heard stories of the face plate getting cracks. If the helmet is damaged the sparks can damage your eyes, correct?

Liang (梁): 嗯，说得对。但事情并不是那么简单。上个星期四，就在下班之后，我接到了老板的一个电话，说杨军把手烫伤了。[Yes, that’s right. But it’s not as simple as that. Last Thursday – just after I clocked off – I got a call from my boss. He said Yangjun had burnt her hands.]

( … )

原来手套上有洞！怎么会这样？我那个白痴老板给她用的是一双破掉的旧手套，那双手套几个月前就该扔掉啦。[Turns out there were holes in her gloves. I couldn’t believe it! My idiot boss had given her a pair of old tattered gloves that should have been thrown out months ago.]

( … )

昨天晚上我去医院看杨君。她一直在哭，手上打满了绷带。她跟我说她受到了二度烧伤。[Last night I went to the hospital to see Yangjun. She was crying and her hands were all bandaged up. She told me she sustained second-degree burns.]

Turner: That must be a terrible ordeal for her. Did the doctor say if she would get permanent scarring as a result of the burns?

Liang (梁): 医生还不清楚。现在她疼得厉害。我希望我要是能先给她提个醒就好啦。问题在于，这样的事情不是第一次发生啦。[They don’t know yet. For now she’s in a lot of pain. I wish I could have done something to warn her. The problem is, this is not the first time this has happened.]

( … )

有时我的老板不大细心，所以在我们上班的地方还发生了好多次其他的事故。但是这次事故是最严重的。[My boss can be careless at times and has been involved in a number of other accidents around the workplace. But this one would have to be the first serious one.]

 ( … )

我知道在澳大利亚你们有很健全和完善的法律体系。我一直在想我是不是该叫警察。她真可怜，我觉得她的遭遇太不幸啦。[I know in Australia you have a very robust and well-established legal system. I can’t stop thinking whether or not I should have called the police. I fell really bad about what happened to her, poor girl.]

Turner: You did the right thing in coming here and seeking legal advice. But first you should know that if someone has an accident at their workplace it is not considered a crime per se – it’s a tort, a civil wrong. It’s a matter for the courts – in other words – not the police.

Liang (梁): 您是说杨君可以告他？怎么个告法呢？ [You mean Yangjun could sue him? How does that work then?]

Turner: Usually you start off by lodging a personal injury claim. This claim alleges that the injury you have suffered was caused by someone else’s negligence.

( … )

There are various types of compensation claims including WorkCover claims, insurance claims, lump sum payouts, and so on. Here’s a leaflet with some more information – maybe your interpreter could translate that later for you.

Liang (梁): 谢谢。我是从电视的广告上看到你们律师行的联系方式的。广告说，在有些情况下，如果客户打赢了官司的话，就不需要付律师费了，是吗？ [Thank you. You know I found the contact details of your law firm on an advert on TV. It said in some cases the client doesn’t have to pay legal fees if you win the lawsuit. Is that true?]

Turner: In many cases, yes, but there are number of criteria that need to be looked at. Later on we can have your colleague’s case assessed to see if it qualifies for a “no win no pay” arrangement.

Liang (梁): 明白了。那通常要等多长时间呢？ [I see. And how long does it usually take?]

Turner: In some cases it can take up to 12 months to settle so you may need to be patient. If your colleague wishes she can make an appointment with us when she feels up to it. We can help her prepare her claim and arrange the appropriate medical assessments. It will be our job to negotiate her claim for compensation.

This dialogue takes place between Jeremy, an English-speaking man in China on a business trip, and a Receptionist at Garden Hotel in Dalian.

Listen to Dialogue

Mandarin-English Dialogue #6 – Hotel Reservation

Transcript

Receptionist (接待员): 先生您好，欢迎来到花园酒店。我能为您做点什么吗？[Hello and welcome to Garden Hotel. What can I do for you?]

Jeremy: Hello. I was just wondering if you had any vacancies?

Receptionist (接待员): 请问，您预订了吗？ [May I ask, have you made a reservation?]

Jeremy: I didn’t have time. My employer arranged a hotel for me in Shenyang, but they scheduled an emergency meeting in Dalian for tonight, so here I am. So, do you have any rooms or not?

Receptionist (接待员): 有的，有的，不过，因为这几天有个大型国际会议，房紧得要命。[We do, we do, but the hotel’s quite tight at the moment. There has been a big, international conference going on over the past few days.)

Jeremy: Oh. No wonder I couldn’t find any rooms before. I went looking around the CBD today but had no luck. Well, I’m by myself, and I’m not terribly picky, so I can just make do with whatever you have on offer.

Receptionist (接待员): 别凑合吧，出门在外，怎么也得住舒服了。三楼套间怎么样？里边睡觉，外面会客办公。[Don’t just make do – when you travel, travel in comfort. How about a suite on the third floor? You can sleep inside, and meet people and do business outside.]

Jeremy: That sounds good, but what about the price? How much for a night?

Receptionist (接待员): 不贵，才800。您先上楼看看去就知道有多值了。猛一看简直就和总统套房一模一样。[It’s not expensive, only 800. If you go take a look at it now you can see how good it is. It looks just like a presidential suite.]

Jeremy: My God! 800? Even in yuan… that’s not exactly a bargain! This is not my first rodeo you know. I’ve been travelling around China for the past six months on business trips. Excuse my bluntness, but I know when I’m being ripped off.

Receptionist (接待员): 这房您要是不要，可就真得凑合了。一楼楼梯拐角那儿有一间标准间，便宜，240一天。您还真幸运，会议把一楼都包了，就剩下这一间。[If you don’t want the quality room, then you’ll really just have to make do. By the corner of the first floor staircase there’s a standard room. It’s cheap – just 240 a day. You’re really lucky – the conference rented the entire first floor and left only this room.]

Jeremy: Ah, and why didn’t they take this room?

Receptionist (接待员): 其实也没什么，他们是鸡蛋里桃骨头，非嫌对面有个厕所不可，说是味儿太冲。要我说，门关严了，哪儿闻得着什么味儿呀？[No reason. They were just nitpicking and didn’t like the bathroom across the hallway. They said it’s too smelly. If you ask me, if you shut the door, how can you possibly smell anything?]

Jeremy: Well I’m hardly gonna take a room that someone else has rejected. Anyway I’m a pretty light sleeper – if there’s some stench in the room it’s gonna be hard for me to get to get a good night’s sleep. I got an early start tomorrow, and a massive list of errands to run. What other rooms are available?

Receptionist (接待员): 您看看，房这么紧，您还这么挑，好的不要，便宜的您又嫌不好。得，顾客是上帝，我再给您找找。嘿，您的福气真不错，楼顶上还有一间255的。[See here, with so few rooms left you’re still being picky. You didn’t want the good room, and you didn’t want the cheap one. Well, customers are always right; I’ll look again for you. Eh, you really are lucky – there’s another room for 255 on the top floor.]

Jeremy: What was wrong with this room that it wasn’t rented out before?

Receptionist (接待员): 瞧您这话说的！我们这儿是星级旅馆，哪能靠有毛病的房赚钱呢！这房朝西，稍微有点儿西晒。关上窗帘儿，空调一开，一觉睡到天亮，保您什么都觉不出来。[Now look what you said! We are a star-class hotel here, how can we make money on sub-par rooms? This room faces west; it gets a little more sun. Close the drapes, turn on the air conditioning, and you’ll sleep the whole night through. I guarantee it.]

Jeremy: OK. That one will do. Thank you.

Dialogue adapted for educational purposes from the excellent textbook Streetwise Mandarin Chinese by Rongrong Liao, David Y. Dai and Jack Franke.

1. A girl who acts or dresses like a boy. (noun)

2. The person you blame when something goes wrong, even if it’s not their fault. (noun)

3. A word used to describe food which makes you feel full quickly. (adjective)

4. Someone who knows a lot about China, its languages, culture, etc. (noun)

5. When you are the third person on a date you are a…? (noun)

6. Instead of doing your work you are being lazy and taking a nap. (verb)

7. You can’t walk well because you’ve damaged your leg or foot. (verb)

8. Your cheeks go red. (verb)

9. Without you knowing, someone has put a little microphone in your room to record your conversations. (verb)

10. You get food and money off your friends for free. (verb)

11. “Oh, my darling, my love for you will last forever and ever!” You hear this phrase in an overly romantic movie. What word would you use to describe it? (adjective)

12. You attend a class but you’re not actually enrolled in it. (verb)

13. The zipper of your trousers. (noun)

14. You can’t tell if that person is male or female. (adjective)

15. A man puts a knife to your throat and takes your wallet. (verb)

16. An ugly old woman. (noun)

—–

Answers:

1. English: tomboy. Chinese: 假小子 jiǎxiǎozi

2. English: scapegoat. Chinese: 替罪羊 tìzuìyáng

3. English: filling. Chinese: 很撑 hěn chēng

4. English: Sinologist; China hand; China watcher. Chinese: 中国通 Zhōngguótōng

5. English: third-wheel. Chinese: 燈泡 dēngpào

6. English: to slack off. Chinese: 偷懒 tōulǎn

7. English: to limp. Chinese: 走路一拐一拐 zǒulù yī guǎi yī guǎi

8. English: to blush. Chinese: 脸红 liǎnhóng

9. English: to bug (of a room or telephone line); to tap (of a telephone line). Chinese: 窃听 qiètīng

10. English: to mooch. Chinese: 白吃 báichī  (of food); 讨钱花 tǎo qián huā (of money)

11. English: corny. Chinese: 肉麻 ròumá

12. English: to sit in a class; to audit a class (formal). Chinese: 旁听 pángtīng

13. English: fly. Chinese: 裤子的拉链 kùzi de lāliàn; 裤门儿 kùménr

14. English: androgynous. Chinese: 中性的 zhōngxìng de

15. English: to rob sb; to mug sb. Chinese: 抢劫 qiǎngjié

16. English: hag. Chinese: 黄脸婆 huángliǎnpó; 老太婆 lǎotàipó

Raymond Smith, Minister for Health and Ageing, is giving a speech to the local community about upgrades to St Gregory’s, a hospital located in a city called Saltham.

Listen to Speech

Interpreting Speech #1 – Hospital Upgrades (English-into-Mandarin)

Transcript and reference translation

Good morning. My name is Raymond Smith, Minister for Health and Ageing, and I am pleased to announce a major upgrade to the facilities at St Gregory’s Hospital in Saltham.
早上好。我叫雷蒙德史密斯，健康老龄部长，我很高兴地宣布在萨尔坦姆的圣乔治医院在设施上将会有个很大的改善。

This upgrade will boast 88 new wards, four new specialist departments and a renovation to the chapel.
这次改善包括88个新病房，4个专科部门以及翻修一个礼拜房。

These new specialist departments will include an ICU, an ENT department, a cardiology department and a gynaecology and obstetrics department.
这些新专科部门包括一个重症监护室，耳鼻喉专科，心血管科以及妇产科。

We also aim to cut elective surgery waiting lists by 35% which will allow an extra 78 patients a day to be processed.
我们同时致力于缩减选择性外科手术百分之三十五的等候时间，这将使医院每天能够处理78个额外的病人。

This is a milestone for St Gregory’s Hospital which, as we all know, struggled last year due to a lack of funding from the previous state government.
这对圣乔治医院是一个里程碑，正如我们所知，由于从州政府获得基金不足，去年我们很挣扎。

Today we are also excited to release a new plan which will make the ageing population in this region a priority.
今天，我也很兴奋地发布一个新计划，它将使这个地区的老龄人口问题放在首位。

This package will allocate funding for future innovative projects such as the construction of a new nursing home, as well as a dementia ward, with an aim to combat Alzheimer’s disease.
这个组合将分配基金用于将来的创新项目，诸如建造一个养老院，一个痴呆症病房，用来与老年痴呆症作斗争。

Lastly, we are working on establishing a new vaccination clinic to provide better services for Australians travelling overseas who require immunisation.
最后，我们正努力建造一个新的疫苗接种诊室，来为需要疫苗接种的出境游澳洲人提供更好的服务。

This came about in light of a new survey which revealed that 45% of Aussie travellers have not had even basic vaccines such as influenza, tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough.
这么做是因为依据一项最近的调查揭露，有45%的澳大利亚旅行者竟然还没有接种一些基本的疫苗，包括流行性感冒，破伤风，白喉以及百日咳。

Well this more or less wraps up our announcement today. We look forward to hearing your feedback at our community consultation day on 9 June at Saltham Town Hall. Thank you.
好，这差不多就是我们今天要讲的通知，在6月9日社区咨询日那天，我们在萨尔坦姆城镇大厅期待您的反馈。谢谢。

Mrs Pang, a pregnant woman, is having a consultation with Dr Robinson. She has been feeling anxious recently about her pregnancy.

Listen to Dialogue

Mandarin-English Dialogue #5 – Pregnancy Anxiety

Transcript

Dr Robinson: Good afternoon Mrs Pang. It’s nice to see you again. I remember last appointment you said you were feeling a bit anxious about your pregnancy. Did you manage to work things out with your employer yet?

Mrs Pang (庞夫人): 医生您好。是的，现在情况好多啦。我老板终于批准给我产假了。今天早上我去蒸了桑拿，庆祝庆祝。能休息会，再按摩按摩，感觉真好。[Hello Doctor. Yes, things are a lot better now. My boss has finally granted me maternity leave. This morning I went to the sauna to celebrate. It felt great to unwind and have a massage.]

Dr Robinson: Oh, you went to a sauna? It’s good to hear you’re feeling better about the pregnancy now, but you should know that going to saunas is not a good option during pregnancy. This is because extreme temperatures could potentially be harmful to your baby.

Mrs Pang (庞夫人): 真的吗？我完全不知道。这是我这辈子第一次去蒸桑拿呢。真是个愚蠢的错误，我希望不要影响到我宝宝的安全。[Really? I had no idea. That was the first time I’ve ever been to the sauna in my life. I hope I haven’t put my baby’s life at risk by making such a stupid mistake.]

Dr Robinson: Well, if it’s your first time the risk is slight, so I wouldn’t worry about that.

Mrs Pang (庞夫人): 那就放心多了。尽管这个星期比上个星期好多了，但是我还是会很担心生孩子的事情，因为我妈妈怀我的时候有过并发症。[That’s a relief. Although this week has been much better than the last, I still get anxious about delivering the baby because my mother had complications when she had me.]

( … )

可能我喝咖啡喝太多啦。我姐姐说咖啡因喝多了会伤害到还没出生的宝宝，对吗？[Maybe I’m drinking too much coffee. My sister said that drinking caffeine can hurt unborn babies. Is that true?]

Dr Robinson: Well, actually there have been no studies which have proven that caffeine can harm the foetus. But I would recommend limiting your consumption of beverages which contain caffeine – I’m talking about, of course, coffee, as well as tea, coke, and so on. That would be good for your general health.

Mrs Pang (庞夫人): 哦，最近我老是有便秘的问题。你有什么建议吗？[Oh, I’ve also been having some trouble with constipation recently. Do you have any advice you can give me?]

Dr Robinson: That’s perfectly normal. Constipation can come as a result of the hormone change that’s taking place in your body right now, and this change causes your digestive system to process food intake more slowly than usual.

Mrs Pang (庞夫人): 那我怎么办啊？我意思是，虽然这还不是大问题，但是有好几次我硬是便秘了一整个晚上。[Then what should I do about this? I mean, it’s not a big problem for me, but a couple of times the constipation lasted the whole night.]

Dr Robinson: I wouldn’t worry too much about this, but there are three things you can do to alleviate your consipation. One is to keep your fluids up as much as you can. Two is to do more exercise – a rigorous walk each day should be fine.
( … )
And three is make sure you get enough roughage – you know, eat foods which are high in fibre such as bran, cereals and fruit and vegies. If problems persist you can try a laxative.

Mrs Pang (庞夫人): 好，我会试试看的。但是，我现在还在怀孕，我想知道工作或锻炼是否安全。我星期一到星期四兼职做会计，周末的时候会去运动一下。如果工作太辛苦不安全的话，我想，还是休息一下的好。[OK, I will try to do that. But I was curious if it’s safe to work or exercise now while I’m pregnant. I work part-time as an accountant Monday to Thursday and exercise on weekends. If it’s not safe to strain myself at work I’m thinking of taking a break.]

Dr Robinson: Well, let me put it this way – if you’re pregnant, you shouldn’t be running marathons any time soon. But light exercise during your pregnancy can have a number of benefits.
( … )
Well, firstly it can enhance your blood circulation throughout your entire body and improve your posture, as well as improve your general sense of well-being. And if you can keep up a good exercise regime during your pregnancy, this will put you in a better shape to cope with the delivery.

Mrs Pang (庞夫人): 我肯定会牢记这些的。有的时候我胸口有灼烧感，这也让我很担心。还有，我嘴巴里老是有味道，有时在公共场所打嗝打得还很响，真是太尴尬啦。我可以做点什么来防止这些事呢？[I’ll be sure to keep that in mind. I’m also concerned about the burning sensation I sometimes get in the middle of my chest. It leaves an unpleasant taste in my mouth and sometimes it makes me burp really loud in public places, it’s quite embarrasing! Is there anything I can do to prevent this?]

Dr Robinson: Hmm, sounds like heartburn. Try to eat small but frequent meals – say, five or six per day, instead of two or three big meals. You should also avoid drinking large amounts of fluids with your meals. Alcohol and smoking is also a no-no.

Mrs Pang (庞夫人): 这些我倒不大担心。我们中国女性很少喝酒。烟呢，我已经戒了好多年啦。非常感谢你给我的帮助。你和助产师凯瑞辛苦啦。[I wouldn’t worry about that. Us Chinese women rarely drink alcohol. And, as for smoking, I gave that up years ago. I’d like to thank you for all the help you’ve given me. You and my midwife Kerry have worked so hard.]

Dr Robinson: It’s my pleasure. You know we’re here any time if you need to schedule another appointment. Take care.