Introducing myself - is my grammar, etc. correct?

[trisha2766]

Hello! I'll be taking a class at a local weekend Chinese school next year and I'm pretty sure that the first thing I'll be asked to do is introduce myself - and talk about myself a little, not just say my name. So I have been working on writing something up that I can practice and memorize.

I've been studying off and on for quite a long time now, mostly on my own using the NPCR books. Still, there's so much I don't know.

If anyone has the time I would appreciate corrections, comments, etc. on what I have come up with so far. I had a native speaker help with parts of it, but then I added some more on my own.

Beneath the Chinese is the English version of what I'm trying to say. In some cases I made the English part a more literal translation of the Chinese in other places I didn't.

你好! 我叫Trisha. 我跟我丈夫住在密苏里.

我们有两只猫和一只狗. 我们的狗叫 Hope. 我几乎每天出去遛狗还是一起玩耍。她是一年岁.

搞网络是我的本行. 我做网站.还我拥有生物学专业的硕士学位.

我学学停停汉语很多年了. 不过,虽然我觉得没天我的汉语水平提高,进步不快. 我不知道该怎么办. 没天我学生词,语法,练习口语, 看课文,什么的. 可是进步还太慢. 可能练习写会有用的.

我要学汉语因为我们想从中国领养一个女儿. 我要她也学汉语. 这样我就能在家跟她说汉语, 能用中文念书给她听。

还学中文我也对另方面中国文化感兴趣. 比如我喜欢听琵琶

和二胡音乐还我常常打太极拳.

我的爱好之一是蝴蝶花园-我种的植物吸引蝴蝶.

我也很喜欢看书和杂志. 我最喜欢的作者是Carl Sagan.

这学期上课,我很高兴. 我想学多.

----------------------

Hello! My name is Trisha. I live in Missouri with my husband. We have 2 cats and a dog. Our dog is named Hope. Almost every day I take her for a walk or play with her. She is 1 year old.

My profession is internet related. I make web sites. In addition, I have a M.S. degree in Biology.

I have studied Chinese off and on for many years. However, although I think my Chinese improves every day, my progress is not very fast. I don’t know what to do. Every day I study new vocabulary and grammar, practice speaking, read textbook, etc. , but my progress is still too slow. Maybe practicing writing will help.

I want to learn Chinese because we are adopting a daughter from China. I want her to learn Chinese also. I want to be able to talk to her at home in Chinese and be able to read books to her.

In addition to learning Chinese I am also interested in other aspects of Chinese culture. For example, I like to listen to pipa and erhu music and I often do tai chi.

One of my hobbies is butterfly gardening - I grow plants to attract butterflies. I also like to read books and magazines. My favorite author is Carl Sagan.

I am happy to be taking this class this semester and hope to learn a lot.

[doraemon]

Trisha, it's a very good speech. I think I might help you change some parts of it though to make it a little better:

The first sentence is perfect. For the parts which I think don't need to be changed I'll just skip it.

我们养了两只猫和一条狗. 我几乎每天都会出去溜狗或者陪它一起玩耍.

我是从事网络工作的.(This is another alternative. The one you wrote is just as good) 我制做网站. 我还拥有生物学专业的硕士学位.

这几年来, 我一直在断断续续地学习汉语. 虽然我觉得我的汉语每天都在提高, 但是进步不算快. 也许练习写作会帮助我提高汉语水平.

我学习汉语的原因是为了想在中国领养一个女儿. 我也想让她也学习汉语. 这样, 我就能够用汉语跟她交流并且还能读 / 念 中文书给她听.

除了学习汉语以外, 我对中国文化的其它方面也很感兴趣. 比如说, 我喜欢听琵琶和二胡的音乐, 而且还常常打太极拳.

"Butterfly gardening" 是我其中的爱好之一. 我喜欢种吸引蝴蝶的植物. Sorry, I don't know how to say "butterfly gardening" in Chinese. I guess you could say "养蝴蝶, which means to raise butterflies.

我很高兴能够参加这学期的课程. 我希望能够得到很大的收获.

Good luck with your Chinese learning!

[trisha2766]

Thanks! I'm still going through all your suggestions, there are quite a few characters and words there that I don't know yet.

And the use of 除了...以外 - that is in the chapter of NPCR I'm doing this week, but I hadn't had the time yet to really understand it!

[cantonese]

"除了学习汉语以外..." means "Other than learning Mandarin....".

[doraemon]

Oops, I think I left out something like two sentences. I'll write everything out again just to make it less confusing for you. You can ignore the previous correction. My apologies .

你好! 我叫Trisha. 我跟我丈夫住在密苏里.

我们家养了两只猫和一条狗. 我们的狗叫Hope, 今年一岁. 我几乎每天都会出去溜狗或者陪它一起玩耍.

我是从事网络工作的. 主要是制做网站. 我还拥有生物学专业的硕士学位.

这几年来, 我一直在断断续续地学习汉语. 虽然我觉得我的汉语每天都在提高, 但是进步不算快. 我不知道该怎么办．我每天都在背生词, 学语法, 练习口语, 看课文什么的, 但是进步还是挺慢的. 也许练习写作会帮助我提高汉语水平.

我学习汉语的原因是为了想在中国领养一个女儿. 我也想让她也学习汉语. 这样, 我就能够用汉语跟她交流并且还能 读 / 念 中文书给她听.

除了学习汉语以外, 我对中国文化的其它方面也很感兴趣. 比如说, 我喜欢听琵琶和二胡的音乐, 而且还常常打太极拳.

养蝴蝶是我其中的爱好之一. 我喜欢种吸引蝴蝶的植物.

我也很喜欢看书和杂志. 我最喜欢的作者是Carl Sagan.

我很高兴能够参加这学期的课程. 我希望能够得到很大的收获.

Edited December 11, 2009 at 08:50 AM by doraemon

[mcgau]

I would suggest ...avoiding using too many "wo" (I ) because it sounds like a celebrity and too egoistic.

你好, 我叫 Trisha, 跟丈夫住在密苏里.

家里养了一只小猫小狗, 小狗叫 Hope, 已经一岁了, 每天都会跟我出去遛狗一起玩.

我有个生物学专业的硕士学位, 但网络才是我老本行, 我专门替人做网站.

学汉语都学了很多年了, 学一会, 停一会, 断断续续地学. 虽然有进步, 但进展得很慢, 真不知道怎办. 我每天会背些生词、语法, 练习口语, 看些课文, 说不定练习写文章会有用.

其实学好汉语是为了我的女儿. 我在中国收养她的, 她也得学汉语, 这样我们就可以在家里一起说汉语, 我又能用中文念故事给她听。

我对其他中国文化也很感兴趣. 比如听琵琶和二胡, 我还经常打太极呢.

说到平日嗜子, 我最爱弄蝴蝶花园, 里面的植物很能吸引蝴蝶, 斑蝶飞舞, 多漂亮啊! 我也很喜欢看书和杂志, 最喜欢的作家是Carl Sagan.

很高兴上这学期的课, 相信会获益良多.

Hmm, I like your hobby and butterfly gardening looks very nice. Please adopt me too.

Who will be your audience actually? Chinese? It's quite uncommon to talk about a dog in the first time. Perhaps make some simple puns can make the introduction more funny.../

我叫 Trisha , 有些人说发音像 "超傻" --- 超级傻傻的 (听众笑) , 我跟丈夫住在美国一个叫密苏里的地方, 但我可不是做 "秘书" 的 (听众笑)

网络才是我老本行, 我专门替人做网站, 但我大学时是念生物学, 还要拿了个硕士学位. 也算得上是资源错配啊.

在美国时, 我最喜欢躲在花园里, 弄一种叫 "蝴蝶花园" 的玩艺儿, 里面种满一大堆植物, 鲜花盛开时, 整个花园满是蝴蝶, 漂亮得要命, 但别叫我蝴蝶夫人, 她是个男人来的 (听众笑).

家里养了一只小猫小狗, 小狗叫 Hope, 已经一岁了, 闹得很, 每天都会跟我出去遛狗一起玩.

我学汉语都学了很多年了, 学一会, 停一会, 断断续续地学. 虽然有进步, 但进展得很慢, 真不知道怎办. 我每天会背些生词、语法, 练习口语, 看些课文, 说不定练习写文章会有用. 中文虽然很难学, 但中文字太漂亮了, 当我朋友发现我竟然写出中文时, 他们把我当成甚么古典文学大师一样, 好像在破解金字塔的文字, 那种感觉实在太过瘾了!

其实学好汉语是为了我的女儿. 我在中国收养她的, 她也得学汉语, 这样我们就可以在家里一起说汉语, 我又能用中文念故事给她听。

我对其他中国文化也很感兴趣. 比如听琵琶和二胡, 我还经常打太极呢. (play some taichi gesture and say "一个大西瓜... 一刀切开它..." 我也很喜欢看书和杂志, 最喜欢的作家是Carl Sagan.

很开心认识各位, 也高兴能上这学期的课, 相信会获益良多.

Edited December 18, 2009 at 10:25 PM by mcgau

[trisha2766]

Sorry I didn't follow up with this thread for a while. I've been putting off working on it. I've been bad. Class is tomorrow. Maybe if I'm lucky the teacher won't ask me to introduce myself, or maybe I can get away with something just real short and simple. Maybe just keep the parts that I can say more fluidly.

I have been practicing though - but it just sounds awkward and I keep forgetting what I want to say, since I had to just pretty much memorize it.

mcgau - this is just for a class at a local weekend Chinese school. I think the teacher will be happy if I can say almost anything at all.

This has definitely been a good exercise though for me anyway. And I'll keep practicing tonight.

[skylee]

Trisha do you have a Chinese name? I have just read this thread for the first time and when I saw your name the characters 翠紗 came up in my mind. I think it is beautiful. If you want a name in Chinese you might want to consider it.

PS - One of my primary school classmates was called 翠意. I think it is a very beautiful name. Colourful, lively yet soft and gentle.

[chenxiyin212]

Haha,翠纱 look like a female name.

[trisha2766]

No, I don't have a Chinese name. Thanks for that suggestion! I hadn't decided yet that if I ever needed one if I would try to transliterate my name or just make up something new.

I didn't need to introduce myself yet for class, we got kind of a slow start with the semester. In about a week the teacher is going to have everyone either introduce themselves or talk about something else. He looked at mine and made some corrections - this is what he suggested:

大家好! 我叫 Trisha. 我跟我丈夫, 住在 密苏里州 圣路易斯君. 我们家有两只猫 和一只狗. 我们的狗叫 Hope她刚刚一岁.

搞网络是我 的本行.我做网站. 我还拥有生物学专业的硕士学位.

我学汉语很多年了,但是学学停停，进步不快. 我不知道该怎么办. 现在我每天学生词,语法,练习口语,什么的. 虽然我觉得我的汉语水平有提高,可是进步还是太慢.

我学习汉语的原因, 是因为我们想从中国领养一个女儿. 我要她也学汉语. 这样,我就能在家里跟她说汉语,能用中文念书给她听。

除了学习中文以外,我对中国文化的其它方面也很感兴趣. 比如说,我喜欢听琵琶和二胡演奏的音乐,而且还常常打太极拳. 另外, 我的爱好之一是在院子里种一些能吸引蝴蝶的植物. 我也很喜欢看书和杂志我最喜欢的作者是 Carl Sagan.

我很高兴能够参加这学期的课程.我希望能够得到更大的 收获.