Intermediate - Sensitive Topics (C1975)

A: 罗老师,有两个新学生要从下周一开始上课。
Luó lǎoshī, yǒu liǎng ge xīn xuésheng yào cóng xià zhōuyī kāishǐ shàngkè.
Teacher Luo, there'll be two new students attending class starting Monday.
B: 哦。他们是什么级别的?
ò. tāmen shì shénme jíbié de?
Oh. What level are they?
A: 都是初级的。这两个人比较特殊,所以有些话题最好不要涉及到。
dōu shì chūjí de. zhè liǎng ge rén bǐjiào tèshū, suǒyǐ yǒuxiē huàtí zuì hǎo bù yào shèjí dào.
They're both elementary. These two are a bit special. There're a few topics that are best not to bring up with them.
B: 什么话题?
shénme huàtí?
What topics?
A: 这个男学生是同性恋,所以不要总是问他有没有女朋友,他会觉得这样的问题很烦。
zhè ge nán xuésheng shì tóngxìngliàn, suǒyǐ bù yào zǒngshì wèn tā yǒumeiyǒu nǚpéngyou, tā huì juéde zhèyàng de wèntí hěn fán.
This male student is gay, so you shouldn't always be asking him if he has a girlfriend or not. He'll think that question's really obnoxious.
B: 哦。我知道了。
ò. wǒ zhīdao le.
Ah, I understand.
A: 这个女学生是在KTV上班的,所以最好不要问她在哪里上班啊之类的问题。
zhè ge nǚ xuésheng shì zài KTV shàngbān de, suǒyǐ zuì hǎo bù yào wèn tā zài nǎli shàngbān a zhīlèide wèntí.
This female student works at a KTV place, so it's best if you don't ask her where she works and such.
B: 嗯。谢谢你提醒我。有一次有个学生,他父亲刚去世,我不知道,我还问他父亲节要送什么礼物。
ng4. xièxie nǐ tíxǐng wǒ. yǒuyīcì yǒu ge xuésheng, tā fùqin gāng qùshì, wǒ bù zhīdào, wǒ hái wèn tā fùqin jié yào sòng shénme lǐwù.
OK. Thanks for letting me know. There was a student once whose father had just passed away. I didn't know and asked him what he was getting his father for Father's Day.
A: 啊?那不是很尴尬?
ǎ? nà bù shì hěn gāngà?
What? Wasn't that really awkward?
B: 哎,都怪我没了解清楚,随便乱问问题。
āi, dōu guài wǒ méi liǎojiě qīngchǔ, suíbiàn luàn wèn wèntí.
Agh, it was all because I didn't understand the situation and asked too many random questions.

Key Vocabulary

下周一 xià zhōuyī next Monday
级别 jíbié level
初级 chūjí elementary
特殊 tèshū special
话题 huàtí topic
涉及到 shèjí dào to involve, to touch on
同性恋 tóngxìngliàn homosexual
总是 zǒngshì always
fán annoying
之类的 zhīlèide sort of thing
提醒 tíxǐng to remind
父亲节 fùqin jié Father's Day
尴尬 gāngà awkward
guài to blame
了解 liǎojiě to understand
清楚 qīngchǔ clearly
随便 suíbiàn as one wishes
luàn randomly
问题 wèntí question
wèn to ask

Supplementary Vocabulary

敏感话题 mǐngǎnhuàtí sensitive topic
特殊奥运会 tèshū Aòyùnhuì Special Olympics
特别 tèbié special
中级 zhōngjí mid-grade
高级 gāojí high grade
丢脸 diūliǎn to be embarrassed
种族 zhǒngzú race, ethnic group
堕胎 duòtāi to abort (a pregnancy)
宗教 zōngjiào religion

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