Chinese For Dummies (77 page)

liúlǎn
浏览
(
瀏覽
) (lyo-lahn) (
browse
)

shàngwǎng
上网
(
上網
) (shahng-wahng) (
go online
)

tuì chū
退出
(tway choo) (
log off
)

xiàzài wénjiàn
下载文件
(
下載文件
)
(shyah-dzye one-jyan) (
download a file
)

xuǎnzé yìjiā wǎngshàng fúwù tígōng shāng
选择一家网上服务提供商
(
選擇一家網上服務提供商
) (shwan-dzuh ee-jya wahng-shahng foo-woo tee-goong shahng) (
choose an Internet service provider
)

By the beginning of the 21st century, China was home to more than 10 million PCs and 26 million Internet users even though the Chinese government strictly controls the web's use.

Talkin' the Talk

Eugene and Sarah discuss the wonders of the Internet.

Eugene:

Yīntèwǎng dàodǐ shì shénme dōngxi?

een-tuh-wahng daow-dee shir shummuh doong-she?

Just what exactly is the Internet?

Sarah:

Yīntèwǎng shì yìzhǒng diànnǎo de guójì hùlián wǎng. Tā tígòng xìnxī fúwù.

een-tuh-wahng shir ee-joong dyan-now duh gwaw-jee hoo-lyan wahng. tah tee-goong sheen-she foo-woo.

The Internet is a kind of interconnected international network. It provides information.

Eugene:

Tīngshuō wànwéiwǎng shénme dōu yǒu.

teeng-shwaw wahn-way-wahng shummuh doe yo.

I've heard that the World Wide Web has everything.

Sarah:

Duì le. Nǐ yī shàngwǎng jiù kěyǐ liúlǎn hěn duō bùtóng de wǎngzhàn.

dway luh. nee ee shahng-wahng jyo kuh-yee lyo-lahn hun dwaw boo-toong duh wahng-jahng.

That's correct. The minute you go online, you can browse all sorts of different websites.

Checking Your E-Mail

Your
diànzǐ yóuxiāng dìzhǐ
电子邮箱地址
(
電子郵箱地址
) (dyan-dzuh yo-shyahng dee-jir) (
e-mail address
) is as important as your
míngzi
名字
(meeng-dzuh) (
name
) and your
diànhuà hàomǎ
电话号码
(
電話號碼
) (dyan-hwah how-mah) (
phone number
) when it comes to keeping in touch. E-mail is almost indispensable if you want to do business. Just check your
shōuxìnxiāng
收信箱
(show-sheen-shyahng) (
inbox
) and you'll probably have received a few more
diànzǐ yóujiàn
电子邮件
(
電子郵件
) (dyan-dzuh yo-jyan) (
e-mails
) while reading this section alone.

Individuals in China are charged by the minute if they use their own home computers, so folks may not be that keen on checking their e-mail too frequently. If something's really important, you may want to resort to a phone call so you know they'll pick up on the other end of the line.

Here are some things you can do with e-mail when you have your own account:

bǎ wénjiàn fùjiā zài diànzǐ yóujiàn
把文件附加在电子邮件
(
把文件附加在電子郵件
) (bah one-jyan foo-jyah dzye dyan-dzuh yo-jyan) (
attach a file to an e-mail
)

fā diànzǐ yóujiàn
发电子邮件
(
發電子郵件
) (fah dyan-dzuh yo-jyan) (
send an e-mail
)

sòng wénjiàn
送文件
(soong one-jyan) (
send a file
)