It’s hard not to see or listen to news about the US Presidential election as they seem to go on for ever and ever! Yet, the choice of a new President may have consequences for the whole world in general. In such case, it’s very useful to know just what’s happening and be able to talk with your friend and colleagues in Mandarin Chinese about the current status and the expected result!
In this Podcast, you will learn:
(i) To chat with your friends about political event in the US
(ii) How to explain who the candidates are in the election
Dialogue:
（在饭馆）
(Zài fàn guǎn)
(at the restaurant)
A:你平时关注美国总统大选的新闻么？
A: Nǐ píng shí guān zhù Měi Guó zǒng tǒng dà xuǎn de xīn wén me?
Do you follow the news about the US presidential election?
B:没怎么关注。这届的候选人是谁？
B: Méi zěn me guān zhù. Zhè jiè de hòu xuǎn rén shì shuí?
Don’t really follow it. Who are the candidates this year?
A:共和党是特朗普。民主党是希拉里。
A: Gòng hé dǎng shì Tè Lǎng Pǔ. Mín zhǔ dǎng shì Xī Lā Lǐ.
The Republican Party candidate is Donald Trump; the Democratic Party has Hillary Clinton.
B:哦，不知道希拉里会不会成为美国第一个女总统。
B: O, bù zhī dào Xī Lā Lǐ huì bù huì chéng wéi Měi Guó dì yī gè nǚ zǒng tǒng.
Oh, I see. Not sure if Hillary will be the first female president in the US.
A:目前好像是希拉里的支持率稍稍领先特朗普，但最终结果现在还真不好说。
A: Mù qián hǎo xiàng shì Xī Lā Lǐ de zhī chí lǜ shāo shāo lǐng xiān Tè Lǎng Pǔ, dàn zuì zhōng jié guǒ xiàn zài hái zhēn bù hǎo shuō.
Currently, it looks like Hillary leads Trump slightly in the polls. But it is hard to say what the final result will be right now.
Chinese words and phrases mentioned in this Podcast:
饭馆：restaurant
平时：usually
关注：follow/follow up
新闻：news
总统：president
大选：election
总统选举／总统大选：presidential election
没怎么：not really
这届：this term
候选人：candidate
共和党：Republican Party
民主党：Democratic Party
唐纳德·特朗普：Donald Trump
希拉里·克林顿：Hillary Clinton
克林顿：Bill Clinton
阿诺德·施瓦辛格：Arnold Schwarzenegger
第一个：first
女总统：female president
目前：currently/at present
好像：it seems that
支持率：support rate
稍稍：slightly
领先：lead
最终：final
结果：result
还不好说：‘难说’, hard to say
现在：right now
Cultural/Grammar note:
In China there is no public voting for top leaders. Political topics in China are a lot more sensitive than in the US. But it doesn’t mean that common people don’t care or talk about such issues. In restaurants or on some casual occasions, friends will talk about politics. They might talk about regulations, laws and the government. So it is not taboo to talk about such things in informal conversations.
Mandarin Chinese learning resources we recommend:
