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Words about the post office
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E: Oh. Hi, welcome to Let's Talk. Today you've caught me at home. And I'm writing some checks because that's how I pay my bills. Do you have bills to pay? Maybe if you're in school you don't have bills. But I bet your parents have bills. And I bet they go to the post office because here in China I also go to the post office and sometimes to the bank to pay my bills. But in America and Canada and in other Western countries you receive your bills in the mail and then once you have your bills you have to write a check. And so this morning I'm taking time to sit down and pay my bills.
When I'm done with writing my checks I put the check in an envelope and write the envelope and then I have to go to the post office. So let's have a look. We have a dialogue for you this morning of some people who had to go to the post office.
(Dialogue)
A: Jeanine, here's the stamp machine. How many stamps did you need?
B: I'm not really sure. I need a few to pay some bills and one to send a birthday card to my mom.
A: Well, you really need to decide before you put your money in the machine. If you put your money in, and you wait too long, you won't get your change back.
B: Really? How much time do I have to make a choice?
A: Well, you probably have a few minutes, but it's really better to be ready before you put your money in the machine.
B: I think a book of ten stamps will be fine.
A: Alright, you just put your money right here where it says, "Insert bills face up." Now you just push the button of the corresponding selection that you want.
B: It says 'B-3'. So I press 'B-3'.
A: And your stamps are right here in this bottom tray.
B: Here are my stamps!
E: When our friends went to the post office they needed to get some stamps because they had to pay some bills and they had to send a card. I love to go to the post office. I like to get the kind of stamps that they sell in the machine sometimes. It's very convenient especially if the regular post office is closed you can go to the side and use the machine and get some stamps. I bought these stamps at a stamp machine in a post office.
But my favorite parts are the commemoratives. Do you know that word? It comes from the verb 'to commemorate.'
This is the envelope I use to send my letters and bills in. You see the difference? No red boxes. We also like China, do have a, we call it, a zip code or a postal code. And we just write it here. Do you remember the difference between addresses between China and Canada or America or Europe? The top line is the name, the middle line is the street?? the bottom-line is the city and the state or the province. There is a two-letter abbreviation for the state. And then we have the zip code or postal code. Up here is your return address. It's different, isn't it? It shows the way we think about the world is quite different. In the West we think small to big; person, where they live, country, like that. In China you say city, street, person. That's kind of fun, isn't it? I like being opposite. It makes the world more interesting. Well that's all for now. If you like stamps why don't you sent me a letter. I'd love to hear from you.
(Repeat dialogue)
A: Jeanine, here's the stamp machine. How many stamps did you need?
B: I'm not really sure. I need a few to pay some bills and one to send a birthday card to my mom.
A: Well, you really need to decide before you put your money in the machine. If you put your money in, and you wait too long, you won't get your change back.
B: Really? How much time do I have to make a choice?
A: Well, you probably have a few minutes, but it's really better to be ready before you put your money in the machine.
B: I think a book of ten stamps will be fine.
A: Alright, you just put your money right here where it says, "Insert bills face up." Now you just push the button of the corresponding selection that you want.
B: It says 'B-3'. So I press 'B-3'.
A: And your stamps are right here in this bottom tray.
B: Here are my stamps!
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国外的邮局
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你好，欢迎收看“你说我说”。我正在家里写支票，通过支票来付帐单。你们要付帐单吗？在学校你们可能用不着付帐单，但你们的父母可能会付帐单，而且他们会去邮局付帐单。因为我在中国会去邮局付帐单，有时也去银行付帐单。但在西方国家，帐单是通过邮件寄给你，接到帐单后你得写支票。今天我就在家里写支票。
当我写好支票后，我把它放进信封，然后我就得到邮局去。现在让我们看看发生在邮局的对话。
A：Jeanine，邮票机在这儿。你要买多少邮票？
B：我也吃不准。我要用一些来付帐，再用一张给我妈妈寄张生日卡。
A：那你确实得先想好了再把钱塞进去。要是你把钱塞进去后停的时间太长，你就拿不回找头了。
B：真的吗？我必须在多少时间内作出选择呢？
A：大概有几分钟吧，不过最好还是在你把钱塞进机器之前都准备好。
B：我想买十张一套的应该差不多了。
A：好吧，这儿写着“请将钞票正面朝上塞入”，就把钱放在这儿吧！在你只要按与你的选择相对应的按钮就行了。
B：这儿是B-3，那我就按B-3。
A：瞧，你要的邮票出现在下面这个槽里了。
B：这是我要的邮票。
我们这两位朋友需要在邮局买邮票，因为她们要寄帐单和贺卡。我喜欢邮局，我有时也喜欢邮票机卖的邮票，那非常方便。特别是当邮局关门后，你可以在邮票机买邮票。这些邮票就是我在邮票机上买的。
我特别喜欢纪念邮票，commemorative，它是从动词commemorate变化来的。
我用这种信封来寄信，觉得它有什么不同吗？这里没有写邮政编码的红格子。在中国有邮政编码，叫zip code 或postal code。我们把邮政编码写在这儿。还记得中国与西方不同的地址写法吗？上面一行是收信人姓名，中间一行是街道名，下面一行是城市名，州名或省名。这里有一个两个字母的缩写，它代表州名，然后写下zip code和postal code。寄信人地址写在上角，感觉不太一样吧？这体现了东西方对世界的不同认识。在西方是从小到大，从人名、地址，到国家名。而中国是从城市名、街道名到人名。这很有趣是吗？ 顺序正好相反。这让世界变得更有意思了。今天就说到这里，如果你喜欢邮票，请给我来信。
A：Jeanine，邮票机在这儿。你要买多少邮票？
B：我也吃不准。我要用一些来付帐，再用一张给我妈妈寄张生日卡。
A：那你确实得先想好了再把钱塞进去。要是你把钱塞进去后停的时间太长，你就拿不回找头了。
B：真的吗？我必须在多少时间内作出选择呢？
A：大概有几分钟吧，不过最好还是在你把钱塞进机器之前都准备好。
B：我想买十张一套的应该差不多了。
A：好吧，这儿写着“请将钞票正面朝上塞入”，就把钱放在这儿吧！在你只要按与你的选择相对应的按钮就行了。
B：这儿是B-3，那我就按B-3。
A：瞧，你要的邮票出现在下面这个槽里了。
B：这是我要的邮票。
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