The world of shopping has changed forever now that almost everything can be bought on-line. Many people much refer the convenience of internet shopping, whilst others still prefer the more traditional ways of actually seeing what they are buying first. Whichever way you prefer, e-commerce is a subject that you really need to be able to talk about as it’s part of the modern way of life!
In this Podcast, you will learn:
(i) How to talk about ordering goods on-line
(ii) To discuss the merits of some items for sale on on-line sites
Dialogue:
Have you tried on-line shopping as these two friends are discussing?
（在街上）
(zài jiē shàng)
(on the street)
A:我最近想买些法国的护肤品，但我不敢在淘宝上买。听说那上面山寨产品特别多，你会鉴别么？
Wǒ zuì jìn xiǎng mǎi xiē Fǎ Guó de hù fū pǐn, dàn wǒ bù gǎn zài Táo Bǎo shàng mǎi. Tīng shuō shàng miàn shān zhài chǎn pǐn tè bié duō, nǐ huì jiàn bié me?
I want to buy some French skincare products, but I don’t dare to buy them on Taobao. I’ve heard that there are lots of stolen goods on there. How do you identify them?
B:我也不太懂，但我知道特别便宜的肯定没好货。
Wǒ yě bù tài dǒng, dàn wǒ zhī dào tè bié pián yi de kěn dìng méi hǎo huò.
I don’t know how. But I know that very cheap things are definitely not good.
A:是。也有人愿意海淘，但我不太会，听说很麻烦。
Shì. Yě yǒu rén yuàn yì hǎi táo, dàn wǒ bù tài huì, tīng shuō hěn má fán.
Right. Some people would like to purchase on-line from overseas websites, but I don’t know how to. I have heard that it’s a hassle.
B:对了，我有个朋友要从巴黎回北京，要不我问问她能不能帮你带一两瓶。
Duì le, wǒ yǒu gè péng yǒu yào cóng Bā Lí huí Běi Jīng, yào bù wǒ wèn wen tā néng bù néng bāng nǐ dài yī liǎng píng.
Oh yes. Actually, I have a friend who is coming back to Beijing from Paris. How about I ask her if she can bring you one or two bottles?
A:啊那太好了！谢谢你！
À, nà tài hǎo le! Xiè xie nǐ!
That’s fantastic! Thank you!
Chinese words and phrases mentioned in this Podcast:
法国的：French
护肤品：skincare product
淘宝：Taobao
山寨产品／山寨货：stolen items; cheap copies of well-known products
鉴别：identify
海淘：on-line shopping in China from an overseas shop
海：ocean/overseas
淘：rinse
麻烦：hassle
Cultural/Grammar note:
Taobao is a Chinese shopping website, which is similar to eBay and Amazon.