Terry：I'm curious to know about Chinese, John. I've heard it's a difficult language to learn. （泰瑞：約翰，我很好奇想瞭解一下中文。我聽說它是一種很難學的語言。）
John：Well, I don't know if it's really harder or easier than any other. Mandarin is a tonal language, with four distinct tones. （約翰：這個嘛，我不知道它到底是比別的語言更難學還是更好學。 中文是一種聲調的語言，有四個明顯不同的聲調。）
Terry：And if I don't use the proper tone, I won't make sense,right? （泰瑞：所以如果我沒有用對聲調，就會不知所云，對嗎？）
John：(Laughing.) Basically. Either what you say won't have any meaning, or it might have a meaning different from the one you intended. （約翰：（笑）基本上是這樣。不是你講的話不具任何意義， 就是意義可能跟你想講的不一樣。）
Terry：What about the grammar? （泰瑞：語法呢？）
John：Mandarin is a language of great economy. We like to keep it short and to the point, so the grammar is very straightforward. （約翰：中文是一種非常符合經濟效益的語言。我們喜歡簡潔扼要， 所以語法很簡單。）
Terry：Unlike English! And so many Chinese people study English too. （泰瑞：跟英文不一樣！而且這麼多華人也在學英文。）
John：Of course——it's the international language. Many people here are fluent in both languages. （約翰：當然——它是國際語言。這裡有很多人這兩種語言都精通。）
必通句型
．... is a tonal language, with (number) distinct tones. ......是一種聲調語言，有（數量）個明顯不同的聲調。 ．(Language) grammar (is/is not) very (complicated/straightforward). （語言）語法（是／不是）很（複雜／簡單）。 ．... is a language of great.... ......是一種富......的語言。 ．Many people here are fluent in.... 這裡有很多人......說得很流利。 ．(Somebody) is fluent in... and conversant in.... （某人）的.....說得很流利，而且精通......。 ．When I was in (place), I learned a little bit of survival (language). 我在（地方）的時候，學了一點點的『活命』（語言）。 ．(Somebody) has a(n) (adj.)... accent. （某人）有股（形容詞）......腔。 ．... has a lot in common with.... ......和......有很多共通處。
