Chinese · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 6 of 12
Public life
新闻里的语言Xīnwén li de yǔyán
Understand and report public announcements in Chinese: reporting verbs like 表示, 强调 and 指出, and the written news words 将, 于, 已 and 其.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Report what someone said with 表示, 强调, 指出 and 宣布
- Recognise news language: 将, 于, 已, 其, 据报道
- Turn a spoken sentence into written news style
- Talk about a public policy in neutral terms
Listen
In a Chengdu newsroom, editor Kang Li asks reporter Yu Tao what the city government announced at a press conference about free buses for older people (a fictional story). Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Kang Li
余涛，回来了？市政府的发布会怎么样？明天的报纸要用。
Yú Tāo, huílai le? Shìzhèngfǔ de fābùhuì zěnmeyàng? Míngtiān de bàozhǐ yào yòng.
Yu Tao, you're back? How was the city government's press conference? We need it for tomorrow's paper.
Yu Tao
康老师，非常重要。市政府宣布，从明年一月一号开始，六十五岁以上的老年人坐公交和地铁都免费。
Kāng lǎoshī, fēicháng zhòngyào. Shìzhèngfǔ xuānbù, cóng míngnián yīyuè yī hào kāishǐ, liùshíwǔ suì yǐshàng de lǎoniánrén zuò gōngjiāo hé dìtiě dōu miǎnfèi.
It was very important, Ms Kang. The city government announced that from the first of January next year, people aged sixty-five and over will travel free on buses and the metro.
Kang Li
好消息。具体是谁说的？原话是什么？
Hǎo xiāoxi. Jùtǐ shì shéi shuō de? Yuánhuà shì shénme?
Good news. Who exactly said it? What were the actual words?
Yu Tao
是交通局的刘局长。他表示，这项政策是为了方便老年人出行，让他们多出门走走。他还强调，这不是临时措施，会长期实施。
Shì jiāotōngjú de Liú júzhǎng. Tā biǎoshì, zhè xiàng zhèngcè shì wèile fāngbiàn lǎoniánrén chūxíng, ràng tāmen duō chūmén zǒuzou. Tā hái qiángdiào, zhè bú shì línshí cuòshī, huì chángqī shíshī.
Mr Liu, the director of the transport bureau. He said the policy is meant to make it easier for older people to get around and to encourage them to go out more. He also stressed that it isn't a temporary measure and will stay in place long term.
Kang Li
钱从哪儿来？肯定有人会问这个。
Qián cóng nǎr lái? Kěndìng yǒu rén huì wèn zhège.
Where does the money come from? Someone's bound to ask that.
Yu Tao
有记者问了。刘局长指出，全市六十五岁以上的老人有三百多万，费用由市政府承担。不过他说，具体办法还要再研究，下个月公布。
Yǒu jìzhě wèn le. Liú júzhǎng zhǐchū, quánshì liùshíwǔ suì yǐshàng de lǎorén yǒu sānbǎi duō wàn, fèiyòng yóu shìzhèngfǔ chéngdān. Búguò tā shuō, jùtǐ bànfǎ hái yào zài yánjiū, xià ge yuè gōngbù.
A journalist did ask. Mr Liu pointed out that there are over three million people aged sixty-five and over in the city, and that the city government will cover the cost. But he said the details still need to be worked out and will be published next month.
Kang Li
好。那你先写个导语给我看看。记住，是新闻稿，别用太口语的说法。
Hǎo. Nà nǐ xiān xiě ge dǎoyǔ gěi wǒ kànkan. Jìzhù, shì xīnwéngǎo, bié yòng tài kǒuyǔ de shuōfǎ.
Good. Then write me an opening paragraph first. Remember, it's a news report, so don't use expressions that are too colloquial.
Yu Tao
您看这样行不行：“成都市政府昨天宣布，从明年一月一号开始，六十五岁以上老年人可以免费坐公交车和地铁。”
Nín kàn zhèyàng xíng bu xíng: “Chéngdū shìzhèngfǔ zuótiān xuānbù, cóng míngnián yīyuè yī hào kāishǐ, liùshíwǔ suì yǐshàng lǎoniánrén kěyǐ miǎnfèi zuò gōngjiāochē hé dìtiě.”
How about this: “Chengdu city government announced yesterday that from the first of January next year, people aged sixty-five and over can ride buses and the metro for free.”
Kang Li
意思没问题，但是太像聊天了。“昨天”写成“昨日”，“从……开始”改成“自……起”，“坐”改成“乘坐”，日期写“1月1日”。还有，政策还没开始，要加个“将”。
Yìsi méi wèntí, dànshì tài xiàng liáotiān le. “Zuótiān” xiěchéng “zuórì”, “cóng … kāishǐ” gǎichéng “zì … qǐ”, “zuò” gǎichéng “chéngzuò”, rìqī xiě “yīyuè yī rì”. Háiyǒu, zhèngcè hái méi kāishǐ, yào jiā ge “jiāng”.
The meaning's fine, but it sounds too much like chatting. Write “zuórì” instead of “zuótiān”, change “cóng … kāishǐ” to “zì … qǐ” and “zuò” to “chéngzuò”, and write the date in figures, with “rì”. And the policy hasn't started yet, so add “jiāng”.
Yu Tao
明白了。那就是：“成都市政府于昨日宣布，自明年1月1日起，全市65岁以上老年人将可免费乘坐公共交通。”
Míngbai le. Nà jiù shì: “Chéngdū shìzhèngfǔ yú zuórì xuānbù, zì míngnián yīyuè yī rì qǐ, quánshì liùshíwǔ suì yǐshàng lǎoniánrén jiāng kě miǎnfèi chéngzuò gōnggòng jiāotōng.”
I see. So: “The Chengdu municipal government announced yesterday that as of 1 January next year, residents aged 65 and over will be able to use public transport free of charge.”
Kang Li
很好，这就是新闻的语言。下面再加上刘局长的话，用“表示”“强调”就行。据报道，国内不少城市已经实施了类似的政策，你也查一下，放在最后。
Hěn hǎo, zhè jiù shì xīnwén de yǔyán. Xiàmian zài jiāshang Liú júzhǎng de huà, yòng “biǎoshì” “qiángdiào” jiù xíng. Jù bàodào, guónèi bù shǎo chéngshì yǐjīng shíshīle lèisì de zhèngcè, nǐ yě chá yíxià, fàng zài zuìhòu.
Very good, that's the language of the news. Then add Mr Liu's words below, using “biǎoshì” and “qiángdiào”. According to reports, quite a few cities in China already have similar policies; check that too and put it at the end.
Yu Tao
好的，我半个小时以后发给您。
Hǎo de, wǒ bàn ge xiǎoshí yǐhòu fā gěi nín.
Sure, I'll send it to you in half an hour.
Understand
Reporting what someone said
Chinese reported speech is simple: the verb doesn't change, you only adjust pronouns and time words. (tā shuō tā míngtiān lái), he said he'd come tomorrow. A reported question keeps its question word or uses (shì bu shì): (jìzhě wèn qián cóng nǎr lái), a journalist asked where the money comes from.
In the news, (shuō) is replaced by more precise verbs. (biǎoshì) is the neutral “stated, said”; (qiángdiào) is “stressed”; (zhǐchū), “pointed out”, often introduces a fact or figure; (xuānbù) is “announced”, for decisions. (chēng), “said, claimed”, is short and common in headlines. (jù bàodào) means “according to reports”, and (jù …) alone means “according to …”.
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (biǎoshì) | to state, to say | (Tā biǎoshì hěn mǎnyì.) |
| (qiángdiào) | to stress, to emphasise | (Tā qiángdiào zhè bú shì línshí cuòshī.) |
| (zhǐchū) | to point out | (Tā zhǐchū fèiyòng yóu shìzhèngfǔ chéngdān.) |
| (xuānbù) | to announce | (Shìzhèngfǔ xuānbùle xīn zhèngcè.) |
| (chēng) | to say, to claim (news) | (Gāi gōngsī chēng …) The company said … |
| (jù bàodào) | according to reports | (Jù bàodào, …) |
The language of the news
News reports and official announcements use a set of short written words, many of them from classical Chinese. (jiāng) marks the future, like (huì) or (yào); (yú) marks a time or place, like (zài); (yǐ) is (yǐjīng); (qí) means “his, her, its, their”. (gāi) before a noun means “the said, this”: (gāi zhèngcè), this policy.
You don't need these words in conversation; saying (wǒ jiāng yú míngtiān qù chāoshì) to a friend would sound comic. But you'll meet them in every news report, notice and official letter, so learn to recognise them and to switch between the two styles.
| Spoken | Written | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| (zuótiān) | (zuórì) | yesterday |
| (cóng … kāishǐ) | (zì … qǐ) | from, as of |
| (huì) / (yào) | (jiāng) | will |
| (zài) | (yú) | at, on, in |
| (mǎshàng) | (jíjiāng) | soon, about to |
| (dànshì) | (rán'ér) | but, however |
| (yǐjīng) | (yǐ) | already |
| (tā de) / (tā de) | (qí) | his, her, its, their |
| (zuò) | (chéngzuò) | to travel by, to ride |
From spoken to news style, step by step
Kang Li turns Yu Tao's spoken sentence into news language in a few steps. Time words get shorter and more formal: (zuótiān) becomes (zuórì), (xià ge yuè) becomes (xià yuè). The time is introduced with (yú): (yú zuórì xuānbù), announced yesterday. (cóng … kāishǐ) becomes (zì … qǐ), something still to come gets (jiāng), and everyday verbs get their formal partners, such as (chéngzuò) for (zuò). Dates and ages are written in figures: 1月1日, 65岁.
(qí) and (gāi) keep a news report short by pointing back to something already mentioned: (qí mùdì), its purpose; (gāi zhèngcè), the policy (just mentioned). In conversation you would say (zhège zhèngcè de mùdì).
- 刘局长表示，其目的是方便老年人出行。Liú júzhǎng biǎoshì, qí mùdì shì fāngbiàn lǎoniánrén chūxíng.Mr Liu said that its purpose is to make it easier for older people to get around.
- 该政策已于今年1月1日开始实施。Gāi zhèngcè yǐ yú jīnnián yīyuè yī rì kāishǐ shíshī.The policy came into effect on 1 January this year.
- 据报道，地铁新线即将开通。Jù bàodào, dìtiě xīn xiàn jíjiāng kāitōng.According to reports, the new metro line will open soon.
More in the grammar: Spoken and written Chinese
New words
- 市政府shìzhèngfǔcity government · (zhèngfǔ), government; (fèiyòng yóu shìzhèngfǔ chéngdān), the city government covers the cost
- 宣布xuānbùto announce · (fābùhuì), press conference
- 老年人lǎoniánrénolder people, the elderly · more formal than (lǎorén)
- 免费miǎnfèifree (of charge)
- 表示biǎoshìto state, to express
- 政策zhèngcèpolicy · measure word (xiàng): (zhè xiàng zhèngcè)
- 强调qiángdiàoto stress, to emphasise
- 措施cuòshīmeasure, step · from chapter 5; (línshí cuòshī), temporary measure
- 实施shíshīto put into effect, to implement · (jùtǐ bànfǎ), the detailed arrangements; (jùtǐ), specific, exactly
- 指出zhǐchūto point out
- 于yúat, on, in (written) · spoken: (zài)
- 将jiāngwill (written) · spoken: (huì), (yào)
- 公共交通gōnggòng jiāotōngpublic transport · spoken: (gōngjiāo) usually means the bus
- 据报道jù bàodàoaccording to reports · (bàodào), report; to report
Practise
1.Which reporting verb fits best? ___ (Liú júzhǎng ___, quánshì yǒu sānbǎi duō wàn lǎorén.) He is giving a figure.
2.Match each spoken word with its written partner.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
3.Write the news sentence. Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.The city government announced a new policy yesterday.
4.Which sentence is in news style?
5.Yu Tao reports: (tā hái qiángdiào, zhè bú shì línshí cuòshī). What did Mr Liu do?
0 of 5 exercises done.
Say it out loud
据报道，这项政策将于明年实施。
Jù bàodào, zhè xiàng zhèngcè jiāng yú míngnián shíshī.
According to reports, the policy will come into effect next year.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.