On Tue, May 13, 2008 at 6:14 AM, Jinx <joecolquitt@clear.net.nz> wrote:
> Xiaofan, sometimes when channel-hopping I watch the China
> TV channel for a few minutes
>
> One thing I've noticed, even though I haven't a clue what is
> being talked about, is that nobody ever hesitates. Sentences
> are not punctuated with ums, ers, aaaahs, or mmms. Is this
> generally a characteristic of (the) Chinese ?
>

For Chinese TV news reporters, it is a requirement that they do it
properly and without those pauses. So does most TV programs
which tend to use more standard language.

In everyday life, we do have some similar words. In Singapore,
and some Chinese provinces it is "lah". In the old style
speeches by the Chinese government officials, it was "this"
and "that". You can still occasionally hear "this" and "that"
from the government officials but now it can be deemed as
"low efficiency" and the new officials tend not to do that.


Xiaofan
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