Of impressions, ideas and waiting Di impressioni, idee e attese De impressões, ideias e esperas 印象、想法和等待

Hi everyone, this is Owen and this is my podcast for Friday September the 11th. Welcome back to the new season of podcasts. Bem-vindos de volta à nova temporada de podcasts. First I'd like to tell you about a new feature on the PodClub app: it now comes with a new vocabulary trainer! Em primeiro lugar, gostaria de vos falar sobre uma nova funcionalidade da aplicação PodClub: agora vem com um novo treinador de vocabulário! You can now import new words from the podcasts and use the vocabulary trainer to help you practise and learn these. I hope you all enjoyed your summer and your holidays. My summer holiday came to an end a few weeks ago and I'm now back in the Middle Kingdom [1] after a memorable [2] visit to Europe. As minhas férias de verão terminaram há algumas semanas e estou agora de volta ao Reino do Meio [1] depois de uma visita memorável [2] à Europa. The highlights included visiting my family and meeting my niece [3] for the first time, trips to two great cities and eating too much. Os pontos altos incluíram visitar a minha família e conhecer a minha sobrinha [3] pela primeira vez, viagens a duas grandes cidades e comer demasiado. I've returned to China a few kilos heavier. 我回国后体重又重了几公斤。 I always forget how much I miss [4] cheese, bread and butter in China. Esqueço-me sempre das saudades que tenho [4] do queijo, do pão e da manteiga na China. 我总是忘记我是多么怀念中国的奶酪、面包和黄油。 The British love butter, they put butter on everything. It's something Vittoria, my Italian girlfriend, can't get her head around [5]. É algo que a Vittoria, a minha namorada italiana, não consegue compreender [5]. 我的意大利女友维多利亚 (Vittoria) 对此感到无法理解 [5]。 It was very nice to be back in Europe. It is a place I miss a lot and it made me want to plan a return in the near future. Today, I'll be talking about my impressions of two cities I visited, as well as a business idea and a book I read during my holiday. Hoje, vou falar das minhas impressões sobre duas cidades que visitei, bem como de uma ideia de negócio e de um livro que li durante as minhas férias.

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I returned to some worrying news in China. Voltei a ver algumas notícias preocupantes na China. People are talking about the economy a lot and the outlook [6] isn't good. As pessoas falam muito da economia e as perspectivas [6] não são boas. The Shanghai stock exchange [7] has lost a lot of money and generally the numbers aren't good. A bolsa de Xangai [7] perdeu muito dinheiro e, em geral, os números não são bons. Some people are saying the good days in China are coming to an end. I'm not sure it will happen so quickly but, nevertheless [8], maybe it's time for me to think of a move. Não sei se será tão rápido mas, mesmo assim [8], talvez seja altura de pensar numa mudança. On my holiday I visited two cities which could possibly be my next home. The first city was London. My flight to London Heathrow landed in the late afternoon. O meu voo para Londres Heathrow aterrou ao fim da tarde. It was a nice sunny afternoon. Estava uma bela tarde de sol. The drive from the airport to my sister's house in the south-east of London took us some way along the Thames. A viagem do aeroporto até à casa da minha irmã, no sudeste de Londres, fez-se ao longo do Tamisa. When we crossed the river we got a good view of the Houses of Parliament and beyond. Quando atravessámos o rio, tivemos uma boa vista das Casas do Parlamento e mais além. London looked beautiful in the late summer sun. Londres estava linda ao sol do fim do verão. Have you been to London before? What were your first impressions of London? Later on during my trip I went to visit some friends in Berlin. Mais tarde, durante a minha viagem, fui visitar alguns amigos em Berlim. I had never been to Berlin before. My first impression was that it's not the most attractive city. A minha primeira impressão foi que não é a cidade mais atractiva. Have you visited Berlin? What did you think of it? There was a programme on the BBC while I was in Wales about Londoners moving to Berlin. Durante a minha estadia no País de Gales, houve um programa na BBC sobre a mudança de londrinos para Berlim. London is becoming so expensive that people are looking for alternatives. Berlin is high on the list. Berlim está no topo da lista. The cost of living in London would of course also be a problem for me. O custo de vida em Londres também seria, naturalmente, um problema para mim. On the other hand, it's such a multicultural and culturally rich city, which is something that appeals to me after many years in China. Por outro lado, é uma cidade tão multicultural e culturalmente rica, o que é algo que me atrai depois de muitos anos na China. 另一方面，这是一个多元文化、文化底蕴丰富的城市，这是我在中国生活多年后很有吸引力的地方。 The least appealing [9] aspect of London for me though – the side of London that I really don't like – is that it feels like the city has sold out [10]. No entanto, o aspeto menos apelativo [9] de Londres para mim - o lado de Londres de que realmente não gosto - é que parece que a cidade se esgotou [10]. 然而，对我来说，伦敦最不吸引人[9]的方面——我真正不喜欢的一面——是，这座城市感觉已经被卖光了[10]。 Everywhere you go in London you see the same international shops, the same international chains [11] of cafes and restaurants. Em Londres, onde quer que se vá, vêem-se as mesmas lojas internacionais, as mesmas cadeias internacionais [11] de cafés e restaurantes. It seems there are only chain-shops, -cafes and -restaurants. And some public buildings, such as concert halls, have big corporate sponsors. E alguns edifícios públicos, como as salas de espectáculos, têm grandes patrocinadores empresariais. The city feels corporate – controlled by multinational companies and impersonal. A cidade parece corporativa - controlada por empresas multinacionais e impessoal. Berlin, on the other hand, felt very personal and independent. The area I was in had a lot of character. A zona onde me encontrava tinha muito carácter. All the shops, bars and cafes are independently owned. Todas as lojas, bares e cafés são de propriedade independente. And though not as multicultural as London, there is still a great mix of people in Berlin. Anyway, what are your opinions on these two cities? If you had to choose one of these cities to live in, which would it be? I would like to hear from you. There is a comment box for you to write in below, if you like.

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One of the things I enjoyed a lot of during my holiday was cake. Uma das coisas de que gostei muito durante as minhas férias foi o bolo. Everywhere I went there was cake on offer. Em todo o lado onde ia, havia bolos para oferecer. There was always time for a cup of coffee or tea and a slice [12] of cake. And there were also my mother's homemade scones with clotted cream and jam [13]. E havia também os scones caseiros da minha mãe com natas e compota [13]. In Berlin my friends were also always looking for a cafe to have a glass of chilled white wine and some cake. Em Berlim, os meus amigos também estavam sempre à procura de um café para beber um copo de vinho branco fresco e comer um bolo. As I said before, I put on [14] a bit of weight. Como já disse, engordei [14] um pouco. I'm not used to eating sweet things anymore. Já não estou habituada a comer coisas doces. In China I very rarely [15] eat anything sweet. Na China, muito raramente [15] como algo doce. The Chinese don't have desserts. Os chineses não têm sobremesas. They never have anything sweet at the end of a meal. However if they do order something sweet in a restaurant, it usually gets served with all the other food, which in itself is very strange. No entanto, se pedirem algo doce num restaurante, normalmente é servido com todos os outros alimentos, o que por si só é muito estranho. 然而，如果他们在餐厅里点了一些甜食，通常会和其他食物一起上桌，这本身就很奇怪。 The Chinese are gradually developing a taste for cake but they can't bake and no one has an oven [16] in the kitchen. Os chineses estão a desenvolver gradualmente um gosto por bolos, mas não sabem cozinhar e ninguém tem um forno [16] na cozinha. 中国人渐渐喜欢上了吃蛋糕，但他们不会烤蛋糕，而且厨房里也没有烤箱[16]。 Yet they are starting to copy the western tradition of birthday cakes. No entanto, estão a começar a copiar a tradição ocidental dos bolos de aniversário. A number of bakeries in Kunming specialise in big fancy [17] cakes. Algumas padarias em Kunming especializam-se em grandes bolos de fantasia [17]. In the shop windows they display fabulous layered cakes [18] with whipped cream and slices of fruit on top. Nas montras, exibem fabulosos bolos em camadas [18] com chantilly e fatias de fruta por cima. The bakeries will also write a personal message on the cake using colourful icing [19]. As pastelarias também escrevem uma mensagem pessoal no bolo utilizando uma cobertura colorida [19]. The problem is that they taste industrial. They look amazing, but taste horrible. The actual cake is tasteless and the whipped cream isn't actual cream but a type of soft meringue instead. O bolo não tem sabor e as natas batidas não são natas verdadeiras, mas sim um tipo de merengue macio. 实际的蛋糕是没有味道的，而且鲜奶油不是真正的奶油，而是一种软蛋白酥皮。 Incidentally [20], that is the story of China. De resto [20], é esta a história da China. They want everything to look good on the outside, but inside it's often not so good. Anyway, back to cake, I'm sure there is a market for good quality cake here in Kunming. People will pay more for a proper [21] cake, I'm certain. De certeza que as pessoas pagarão mais por um bolo [21] como deve ser. I know a French cafe in Kunming which sells very nice cake. Conheço um café francês em Kunming que vende bolos muito bons. I believe they do good business. And I also believe there is space for more such businesses. Is this a chance for me? I don't want a cafe. I just think I can sell my own cakes and I think I could deliver them. So now you are probably wondering: “Well, can he bake?” I think I can. Vittoria, my girlfriend enjoys my baking. Vittoria, a minha namorada gosta dos meus cozinhados. I often bake cakes for friends and our parties. So let's just say I can. Por isso, digamos que posso. Now, what about the business? E quanto ao negócio? Well, first of all I don't need much start-up capital. Bem, em primeiro lugar, não preciso de muito capital de arranque. I'll do some online marketing and then my cakes will sell themselves by word of mouth [22]. Farei algum marketing em linha e depois os meus bolos vender-se-ão por si próprios, de boca em boca [22]. Eventually [23] I will also try the wedding cake business, which, I imagine, is very lucrative [24]. Eventualmente [23] tentarei também o negócio dos bolos de casamento, que, imagino, seja muito lucrativo [24]. Now all I need are some good recipes. So what's the most delicious cake you bake? Do you think I'd be able to sell it? Acham que o posso vender? Let me have your ideas. Dêem-me as vossas ideias. Thanks in advance. Desde já, obrigado.

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During my holiday I read a book called ‘Waiting'. A colleague recommended it. The book was written by a man called Ha Jin. 这本书的作者是哈金。 Here are a few words about his life. He was born in the north east of China in 1956. In his early teens he joined the army during the Cultural Revolution. No início da adolescência, alistou-se no exército durante a Revolução Cultural. Then at the age of nineteen he went to university to study English. In 1985 he got a scholarship to study American literature in the United States of America. He was still living in America when the Tiananmen Square incident happened in 1989. Ainda vivia na América quando se deu o incidente da Praça de Tiananmen, em 1989. It was then that he decided to stay in America for good. Foi nessa altura que decidiu ficar definitivamente na América. It was also at that point that he chose to write in English and not Chinese as a way to separate himself from what was happening in China. Foi também nessa altura que optou por escrever em inglês e não em chinês, como forma de se separar do que estava a acontecer na China. 也是在那个时候，他选择用英文而不是中文写作，以此来将自己与中国发生的事情区分开来。 All his poetry, short stories and novels which have been published, he wrote in the English language. Another reason he chooses to write in English is because he finds the English language a lot more flexible than Chinese. Outra razão pela qual opta por escrever em inglês é o facto de considerar a língua inglesa muito mais flexível do que a chinesa. For example, although there are hundreds if not thousands of dialects in the Chinese language it is almost impossible to write in a dialect. Every Chinese character has a fixed meaning. Cada carácter chinês tem um significado fixo. You can't show on the page how people really speak. Não se pode mostrar na página como as pessoas falam realmente. Many of Ha Jin's stories are set during sensitive times in modern Chinese history, such as the Korean War or the Cultural Revolution. Muitas das histórias de Ha Jin decorrem durante períodos sensíveis da história moderna chinesa, como a Guerra da Coreia ou a Revolução Cultural. As a result all his books are currently banned [25] in China. Consequentemente, todos os seus livros estão atualmente proibidos [25] na China. ‘Waiting', the book I read, is about a man who wants to divorce his wife so that he can marry another woman. "Waiting", o livro que li, é sobre um homem que se quer divorciar da mulher para poder casar com outra. But in order to get a divorce both the husband and wife have to agree. Mas para se poder divorciar, tanto o marido como a mulher têm de estar de acordo. This turns out to be a bit of a problem because his wife doesn't want a divorce. Isto acaba por ser um pouco problemático porque a sua mulher não quer o divórcio. They were married in 1963 and it takes 18 years until the man gets his wish. Casaram-se em 1963 e foram precisos 18 anos para que o homem realizasse o seu desejo. In the end he marries the other woman, only to realise that he isn't happy with her either. No final, casa-se com a outra mulher, mas apercebe-se de que também não é feliz com ela. Reading the descriptions of life in China during that time, the poverty, the restrictions on personal freedom and remembering that it wasn't that long ago is quite extraordinary. Ler as descrições da vida na China durante esse tempo, a pobreza, as restrições à liberdade pessoal e recordar que não foi assim há tanto tempo é extraordinário. 阅读对当时中国生活的描述，贫困，个人自由的限制，并记起那并不是很久以前的事，这真是令人难以置信。 China has come incredibly far since those days, yet it's easy to forget that when you live here as a foreigner. A China evoluiu muito desde esses tempos, mas é fácil esquecer isso quando se vive aqui como estrangeiro. Of course China still has a long way to come and I hope one day Ha Jin's books will also be published in the country they are all set in. 当然，中国还有很长的路要走，我希望有一天哈金的作品也能在其故事发生的国家出版。

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Thank you all very much for listening. If you have any questions, there's a comment box below for you to write in. By the way, to make learning even easier we've added a new vocabulary trainer to our PodClub app. This way you'll be able to import any difficult words and practise them whenever and wherever you like. Desta forma, pode importar palavras difíceis e praticá-las quando e onde quiser. Don't forget that you can listen to the podcast by downloading our app or by visiting our website www.podclub.ch. In two weeks' time Gerry will be back. My next podcast will be on October 9th. Until then I wish you a great month. Bye!

Glossaire: Owen in China [1] Middle Kingdom: another name for China

[2] memorable: easy to remember, difficult to forget

[3] niece: the daughter of my brother or sister

[4] miss: feel sad because something is not there, for example “I ___ my mother's cooking when I'm in China”

[5] get (your) head around: understand (an informal way to say when something is difficult to understand)

[6] outlook: an idea of what the future will be like, for example “The economic ___ is not good”

[7] stock exchange: a place where people buy and sell shares in companies, for example Wall Street

[8] nevertheless: despite a fact that has just been mentioned, for example “The weather looks bad. ___ I'm going out for a walk.”

[9] the least appealing: the opposite of “the most attractive”

[10] sell out: If you do this, it means that you give up your moral principles and take money, for example “People think that the artist ___ ___ when he started advertising for a big multinational company”

[11] chain: a group of business that belong to the same company

[12] slice: piece (of cake or bread, for example)

[13] NB : Scones with clotted cream, butter and jam are a traditional thing to eat as part of an afternoon tea in Britain. A scone is a kind of small cake. If you see signs for “a cream tea”, this is what they are selling.

[14] put on: here: to add, to gain (for example “to ___ ___ a few kilos of weight”)

[15] rarely: not often

[16] oven: the place where you bake or roast food (part of a cooker)

[17] fancy: expensive and special

[18] layered (cakes): (cakes) with different parts, one on top of the other

[19] icing: a mixture of sugar and water that you put on top of a cake

[20] incidentally: by the way

[21] proper: real, authentic

[22] by word of mouth: (advertising) that depends of one person telling another person

[23] eventually: in the end (NB This is a “false friend”!)

[24] lucrative: a ___ business is a business where you make a lot of money

[25] banned: made illegal, not allowed, for example “This book is ___ in China