发现这个论坛蛮好的啊……

[Guest IVYtony]

大家好：

我是一个在美国攻读哲学博士学位（PhD）的中国学生。

最近发现这个论坛，而且非常有意思，我会经常来这里，如果你们喜欢，我会尽力帮助需要帮助 的人学习中文。

看到外国人学习中文，我感到非常的高兴。hoho~~~~

-------------------Translation below 翻译如下-------------------------------

Hello:

I'm a Chinese student who is now studying towards a PhD at an American university.

I found this forum recently. I'd like to visit here often. If you guys like, I'll try to help you learn Chinese.

So happy to see that foreigners are trying to learn Chinese language hooooo~~~~~

[Dav-X]

i love to speak mandarin too, as i always find it much easier than learning english. but ...why is that chinese always feels so happy when he knows others learn chinese language? Will british feel the same when others try hard to speak english?

[xiaocai]

那您觉得是什么原因？英国人高兴与否于我们有何干系？

[Kink]

Because everyone already speaks English.....its normal for people to learn English and unusual for people to learn Chinese...

[mgmei]

I've been (very informally) engaged in some Korean learning on my own. A guy from Korea who works in my laboratory just found it to be strange and wondered why anyone who didn't plan to Korea (I don't) would want to do such a thing.

[madizi]

Hm, do you remember Monty Python's song "I like Chinese"? I think that you can find in this song many reasons why are people learning Chinese.

I LIKE CHINESE

The world today seems absolutely crackers,

With nuclear bombs to blow us all sky high.

There's fools and idiots sitting on the trigger.

It's depressing and it's senseless, and that's why...

I like Chinese.

I like Chinese.

They only come up to your knees,

Yet they're always friendly, and they're ready to please.

I like Chinese.

I like Chinese.

There's nine hundred million of them in the world today.

You'd better learn to like them; that's what I say.

I like Chinese.

I like Chinese.

They come from a long way overseas,

But they're cute and they're cuddly, and they're ready to please.

I like Chinese food.

The waiters never are rude.

Think of the many things they've done to impress.

There's Maoism, Taoism, I Ching, and Chess.

So I like Chinese.

I like Chinese.

I like their tiny little trees,

Their Zen, their ping-pong, their yin, and yang-ese.

I like Chinese thought,

The wisdom that Confucious taught.

If Darwin is anything to shout about,

The Chinese will survive us all without any doubt.

So, I like Chinese.

I like Chinese.

They only come up to your knees,

Yet they're wise and they're witty, and they're ready to please.

All together.

[verse in Chinese]

Wo ai zhongguo ren. (I like Chinese.)

Wo ai zhongguo ren. (I like Chinese.)

Wo ai zhongguo ren. (I like Chinese.)

Ni hao ma; ni hao ma; ni hao ma; zaijien! (How are you; how are you; how are you; goodbye!)

I like Chinese.

I like Chinese.

Their food is guaranteed to please,

A fourteen, a seven, a nine, and lychees.

I like Chinese.

I like Chinese.

I like their tiny little trees,

Their Zen, their ping-pong, their yin, and yang-ese.

I like Chinese.

I like Chinese.

They only come up to your knees...

[CBC]

I've never heard this song before. Is it done by any foreigner living in China?

[Dav-X]

i never feel so happy when people study my language. But i think they ought to do it when they live in any country where english isn't so commonly spoken. How could anyone survive if he can't do shopping alone? When they can do it, how's that we have to feel so happy then?

[xuechengfeng]

Nobody is impressed if a foreigner learns English in America; the typical response is "You're in our country, you should learn the language and stop speaking yours."

It's quite sad.

[skidooman]

不错。。。

在我是小时的魁北克小镇， 我们都说法语，都非常喜欢老外可根我们说法文。他们给我们一个很好的礼物， 因为没有多国外人董我们。。。

对英语的人（美英加）来说，不一样，因为所有旅游的人需要说一点英语。

[bluepoppy]

Hi IVYTony, that's a nice offer so thanks!

As for how English people feel about people speaking our language, well, it's not easy to make that comparison between China and England here. Ｆｏｒ　exmaple a Chinese person might feel pleased that there are increasing numbers of people studying Chinese...it shows that 改革開放以來 China has resumed its place on the international stage, right?

In contrast, being English, when I meet foreigners who can speak English I can't really put that down to any interest in England, of course it's because of the U.S.A. So I can't really think "Great, this person wants to know about my culture，”， because in all probability, they don't.

So it's two different situations, anyway...

P.S. Without meaning to be biased, isn't it slightly more impressive when a non-Chinese can write Chinese fluently than when a foreigner can write English because the Roman alphabet is easy, only 26 characters, that only takes a few hours to learn for an adult at most?

[gato]

In contrast, being English, when I meet foreigners who can speak English I can't really put that down to any interest in England, of course it's because of the U.S.A. So I can't really think "Great, this person wants to know about my culture，”， because in all probability, they don't.

You don't think they're learning English to read Shakespeare? Or maybe to listen to the Beatles or Coldplay? You're being too modest. Even Americans idolize the Brits.

[xuechengfeng]

lol I've never met one American that idolizes the British.

[Guest IVYtony]

wow, I found you guys flooding so quick.

The reason why I feel happy to see more foreigners are trying to learn Chinese is that people never gave it a try at all, which can tell us that people realize the benefit (or say importance?) of learning Chinese (make them richer--e.g.marketing in China, sale, etc). China might play an increasingly important role in the world.

However, I heard Bill Clinton (old farter?) predicted that India will play much more important roles than China in future. Because, the education in China is still far behind. You can see the rapid development of IT industry in india though, many people are still in poverty. However, China is not in poverty? The donation from China government for the tsunami disaster is so high that it, to a different extent, offends the people. Because the money are from their own pocket, thus, the government is: 打肿脸充胖子！

[Guest IVYtony]

你好：skidooman，

你帖子里说到“法文”，我觉得如果写成"法语”会更合适一些。更符合普通话得习惯说法。that is catachrestic.

“法文”might be widely spoken in Hongkong, Taiwan and some other regions within China.

Maybe I am wrong, the native speakers are not always critical to their speaking.

[HashiriKata]

lol I've never met one American that idolizes the British.

Where have you been then, xuechengfeng?

HK

(PS: I've turned British just for the glory! )

[bluepoppy]

Yes, Xuechengfeng, steady on old chap