Seeking advice at the hotel lobby
While in Hainan Island Chen talks to the hotel receptionist about the room reservations and then asks her for recommendations on what to do on the island.
Click on either pinyin or characters to listen to individual words. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the dialogue.
Hover the mouse over the Chinese characters for a second to see the pinyin version of that line. You can also click on the right-hand button for all pinyin to be displayed.
Receptionist:
先生您好，有什么可以帮忙的？
Chen:
您好，我订了两个房间，四天。
Receptionist:
好的，请问先生贵姓？
Chen:
我姓陈，耳东陈。
Receptionist:
陈远方先生，是吗？
Chen:
对，没错。
Receptionist:
好的，请稍等，我给您查一下。对，陈先生，您订了两间单人房，住三个晚上。一间是Lilly White小姐住，一间是您自己住。您是用信用卡预定的吗？
Chen:
是的。
Receptionist:
陈先生，我能看一下您的信用卡吗？
Chen:
好的，给。
Receptionist:
好，请您在这儿签个名。这是你们的房卡。你们的房间都在八楼，电梯在那边。
Chen:
好的，请问您早餐几点？
Receptionist:
早餐从七点到九点半，在酒店餐厅。
Chen:
我们的房费包括早餐了吗？
Receptionist:
不好意思，房费不包括早餐。早餐每人另收十五元。
Chen:
好的。我能不能再问您一个问题…… 我们是来海南岛旅游的，所以想请问一下您我们该去哪里玩比较好。
Receptionist:
好的，没问题。来海南岛玩，一定要去“天涯海角”，那是一个又漂亮又浪漫的景点，我们酒店每天都有大巴去那儿。另外，你们也可以去参观热带雨林的景观，或者去潜水、做水上运动。你们也可以就在三亚的海边散散步，然后在那里选一家当地的餐厅品尝各式各样的海鲜。
Chen:
太棒了，多谢！嗯……您觉得哪里的海滩最好？
Receptionist:
我个人认为大东海海滩的景色不如亚龙湾海滩的漂亮，可是大东海离这儿比较近。亚龙湾离市区远，但是那里的大海非常漂亮，并且有七公里长的白色沙滩！
Chen:
太好了！
Receptionist:
陈先生，那边的架子上有很多小册子，里面有很多信息，你可以随便看。
Chen:
多谢！
Receptionist:
Hello sir! How can I help?
Chen:
Hello, I have booked 2 rooms for 4 days.
Receptionist:
Sure, may I ask your surname please?
Chen:
My surname is Chen, ear-east Chen. (In this way Chen can let the receptionist know the character of his surname.)
Receptionist:
Mr Yuanfang Chen, is it?
Chen:
Yes, correct.
Receptionist:
Good, please wait a second and I'll check for you. Right, Mr Chen, you booked 2 single rooms for 3 nights, one is for Miss Lilly White and the other one is for yourself. Did you book with your credit card?
Chen:
Yes.
Receptionist:
Mr Chen, may I see your credit card?
Chen:
Sure, here you are.
Receptionist:
Good, please sign your name here. These are your rooms' key cards. Both rooms are on the seventh floor, the lift is over there.
Chen:
Good, may I ask what time is breakfast?
Receptionist:
Breakfast is from seven to nine thirty, in the hotel restaurant.
Chen:
Does the room's price include breakfast?
Receptionist:
Sorry, no. Breakfast is an extra fifteen yuan per person.
Chen:
Fine. Could I ask you another question…? We are tourists on Hainan Island, and I'd like to ask your advice on the best places to visit.
Receptionist:
Sure, no problem. If you travel on Hainan Island, you should definitely go to 'The End of the Earth' (lit. sky end sea corner), which is a beautiful and romantic scenic spot. Our hotel has a coach that goes there everyday. You can also visit the tropical rain forest, or go diving and do other water sports. But you can also just go for a walk on the beach at Sanya and choose one of many local restaurants to taste all kinds of sea food.
Chen:
Great, thanks a lot! Umm…which beach would you say is the best?
Receptionist:
In my personal opinion, the scenery at Big East Sea is not as beautiful as at Ya Long Bay, but it is closer. Ya Long Bay is far from downtown, but it has beautiful seas and a 7 km long white sandy beach!
Chen:
It sounds lovely!
Receptionist:
Mr Chen, there are many brochures on the shelf over there, with a lot of information. Please help yourself!
Chen:
Thanks a lot!
These are notes about potentially difficult key expressions. They are listed in the order in which they appear in the dialogue.
1. 耳东陈
我姓陈，耳东陈。My surname is Chen, ear-east Chen.
It is common to specify what the character is when telling other people one's name, especially one's surname. 阝is the 'ear' radical in the character 陈, hence the reference to the character 耳 ear in analogy. The right part of the character 陈, 东 east, can be used on its own, thus 耳东陈 ear-east Chen.
我姓张，弓长张。My surname is Zhang, bow-long Zhang.
我姓章，立早章。My surname is Zhang, standing-early Zhang.
我姓刘，文刀刘。My surname is Liu, knowledge-knife Liu. (刂 is the 'knife' radical, hence the reference to the character 刀 knife.)
2. 是……的 (1)
您是用信用卡预定的吗？Did you book with your credit card?
是……的 structure can be used to put emphasis on part of a sentence. 是 is put at the beginning of the emphasis and 的 is put after the verb. In this instance 'to book with a credit card' is emphasized.
3. 是……的 (2)
我们是来海南岛旅游的。We are tourists on Hainan Island. (lit. We came to Hainan Island to travel.)
The 是……的 structure can also be used in a simple sentence with a verb expression in the middle.
我是教汉语的。I teach Chinese.
他是搞摄影的。He does photography.
4. 又……又
那是一个又漂亮又浪漫的景点。That is a beautiful and romantic scenic spot.
又……又 structure is used to introduce two qualitative adjectives, adverbs or verbal expressions, and means 'both…and…'.
今天又刮风又下雨。It is windy and rainy today. (lit. Today | yòu | blow wind | yòu | drop rain.)
这件事他做得又快又好。He finished this very fast and very well. (lit. This thing | he did | yòu | fast | yòu | well.)
5. 热带
你们也可以去参观热带雨林的景观。You can also visit the tropical rain forest.
热带 means 'the tropics'. 带 means 'area, region'. 热 means 'hot'.
这一带环境很不错。The environment of this region is not bad.
最近长江一带很少下雨。It has rained little in the Yangtze area recently.
6. 各式各样
……品尝各式各样的海鲜。...to taste all kinds of seafood.
各式各样 is a four-character idiom meaning 'all kinds of', (lit. 'various | styles | various | kinds').
大家提了各式各样的问题。People asked all kinds of questions.
7. 我个人认为
我个人认为大东海海滩的景色不如亚龙湾海滩的漂亮。In my personal opinion, the scenery at Big East Sea is not as beautiful as at Ya Long Bay.
个人 means 'individual'. 我个人认为 means 'In my personal opinion', which is a useful fixed expression when introducing one's point of view in a polite manner.
8. 离……近/远
大东海离这儿比较近，亚龙湾离市区远。Big East Sea is closer, Ya Long Bay is far from downtown.
离……近 means 'to be close to' and 离……远 means 'to be far away from'.
9. 公里
有七公里长的白色沙滩。There is a 7 km long white sandy beach.
公里 is a traditional Chinese length measurement. 1公里 = 1千米 one kilometre.
10. 随便
你可以随便看。Please help yourself (to read)!
随便 means 'to do as one wishes'. 随便看 lit. to read as you wish, 随便用 lit. to use as you wish, 随便坐 lit. to sit (anywhere) as you wish.
Chen's telephone booking
Before Chen and Lilly arrived at the hotel on Hainan Island Chen had already booked two rooms. Re-order this earlier telephone conversation with the hotel receptionist. You can listen to the dialogue 'Seeking advice at the hotel lobby' to check on the details of his booking. For help, click on the audio buttons to hear each sentence. The audios are given in the correct order. Check your answers.
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海南大酒店，您好。
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您好。我想预定两间单人房。
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好的，从几号到几号？
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从下个月三号到七号。
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四天三晚。我们有两间单人房，都在八楼。行吗？
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好的，多谢。
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请问您客人的姓名是什么？
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我姓陈，耳东陈，叫陈远方，另一位客人叫Lilly White。
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陈先生，您打算用信用卡预定吗？
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是的，我用信用卡。
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请问您的信用卡卡号是多少？
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我的卡号是……
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Things to do on Hainan Island
Listen to the dialogue 'Seeking advice at the hotel lobby' and tick the activities that are recommended by the receptionist. Note that four of them are not mentioned in the dialogue. You can hover over the Chinese characters to see their English translation.
Chen brought a world map with him.
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