92 Tailor-made qipao dresses 做旗袍
Hi everybody, 大家好, 欢迎收看今天的成长汉语. Thanks for joining us for today’s episode of Growing up with Chinese.
Now Mike’s mom’s tour of 北京 continues although I do believe that some shopping is in order for today. So, let’s now check in with 兰兰 and Mike’s mom Lucy and see what kind of wonderful things they are purchasing today.
Mike妈：兰兰，这家店里的旗袍太漂亮了。
兰兰：是啊。这里的旗袍和唐装都很有名。所以，小明的妈妈才特地让我带您来这里逛逛呀。
Mike妈：兰兰，真是太感谢你们了。处处为我考虑。
兰兰：您别客气，阿姨。您好不容易才来中国一趟，还不做件旗袍？ 多漂亮啊！
Mike妈：是啊，我也是这样想的。
售货员：你们好，欢迎光临！
兰兰：您看，这件旗袍怎么样？ 您穿上肯定好看。
Mike妈：好看是好看，但我觉得这件领子有点高，穿着可能会不舒服。
兰兰：阿姨，您试试看。领子高显得精神。
售货员：是啊，这种款式的旗袍在我们店走得可快了。
Mike妈：走得可快了？ 兰兰，穿旗袍和走得快慢有什么关系？
兰兰：哈哈，阿姨，他说“走得快”，就是“卖得快，卖得好”的意思。
Mike妈：我听你们的。
兰兰：您帮我们拿一件试试吧。Mike妈：你们觉得怎么样？
兰兰：哇，太漂亮了，就像给您订做得一样。您觉得呢？
Mike妈：我觉得，这条旗袍有点儿太正式了吧？
售货员：您要是怕平时穿不出去，就试试这件吧？ 这件也很漂亮。
Mike妈：嗯，是很漂亮。兰兰，这件这么短，也叫旗袍吗？
兰兰：哈哈，这种短的中式上衣，不叫旗袍，叫唐装。
Mike妈：唐装？ 我能试试这件唐装吗？
售货员：没问题，您试试。Mike妈：兰兰，这件旗袍我很喜欢，这件唐装我也很喜欢。你帮我挑一件吧。
兰兰：旗袍有旗袍的特点，唐装有唐装的风格。都很好看啊。哎呀，我也挑花眼了。您说呢？
售货员：我看啊，还是唐装穿的机会多。
兰兰：是啊，阿姨，旗袍只能在正式场合穿。相比之下，还是买唐装更好。
Mike妈：好的，那我就要这件唐装了。
售货员：我们这里可以为顾客量身订做。您看，您请到这边来选料子吧。售货员：我觉得这个颜色最适合您。
兰兰：不错，这个颜色既高贵又漂亮。做唐装得多长时间啊？ 她过几天就要回美国了。
售货员：嗯，五天左右吧。如果提前做好，我给您打电话。
Mike妈：好的，没问题。
售货员：我先帮您量一下尺寸吧。
这种款式的旗袍在我们店走得可快了. It does sound funny does it not to think of 旗袍 walking out of the store quickly.
And that’s why Lucy said 穿旗袍和走得快慢有什么关系? What does wearing a 旗袍 have to do with walking quickly or slowly?
Now thankfully 兰兰 explained what the saleslady*1 meant. 走得快就是卖得快, 卖得好的意思. So in Chinese if something is 走得快 in the context of selling something, it means that it sells quickly or leaves the store quickly. They have a hard time keeping it in stock.
Mike妈：兰兰，这家店里的旗袍太漂亮了。
兰兰：是啊。这里的旗袍和唐装都很有名。所以，小明的妈妈才特地让我带您来这里逛逛呀。
Mike妈：兰兰，真是太感谢你们了。处处为我考虑。
兰兰：您别客气，阿姨。您好不容易才来中国一趟，还不做件旗袍？ 多漂亮啊！
Mike妈：是啊，我也是这样想的。
售货员：你们好，欢迎光临！
兰兰：您看，这件旗袍怎么样？ 您穿上肯定好看。
Mike妈：好看是好看，但我觉得这件领子有点高，穿着可能会不舒服。
兰兰：阿姨，您试试看。领子高显得精神。
售货员：是啊，这种款式的旗袍在我们店走得可快了。
Mike妈：走得可快了？ 兰兰，穿旗袍和走得快慢有什么关系？
兰兰：哈哈，阿姨，他说“走得快”，就是“卖得快，卖得好”的意思。
Mike妈：我听你们的。
Now we were introduced to another traditional Chinese article of clothing today: the 唐装. 兰兰 said 这种短的中式上衣, 不叫旗袍, 叫唐装. Now essentially a 唐装 is a top, a jacket, a 上衣. So the 旗袍 is a dress, be it long or short, and a 唐装 is only a top. It doesn’t come in dress form.
Having looked at so many options both Lucy and 兰兰 seemed like they couldn’t make up their minds. 兰兰 said 我也挑花眼了. We’ve looked at so much my head spinning*2. 花眼 or 眼花 means dazzled or literally your eyes are blurred from too much stimulation. 挑 is our verb to pick or choose. So 挑花眼了 is we’ve picked out so much, we don’t even know what we’re looking at any more.
Mike妈：你们觉得怎么样？
兰兰：哇，太漂亮了，就像给您订做得一样。您觉得呢？
Mike妈：我觉得，这条旗袍有点儿太正式了吧？
售货员：您要是怕平时穿不出去，就试试这件吧？ 这件也很漂亮。
Mike妈：嗯，是很漂亮。兰兰，这件这么短，也叫旗袍吗？
兰兰：哈哈，这种短的中式上衣，不叫旗袍，叫唐装。
Mike妈：唐装？ 我能试试这件唐装吗？
售货员：没问题，您试试。Mike妈：兰兰，这件旗袍我很喜欢，这件唐装我也很喜欢。你帮我挑一件吧。
兰兰：旗袍有旗袍的特点，唐装有唐装的风格。都很好看啊。哎呀，我也挑花眼了。您说呢？
OK everyone it’s time to take a look at today’s vocabulary.
- 旗袍 traditional Chinese women’s dress. Sometimes called the cheongsam. qí páo
- 一趟一趟 means a number of times. So 一趟 means once. yí tàng yí tàng
- 领子 collar specifically on an article of clothing. lǐng zi
- 正式 formal. zhèng shì
Spotlight
We’ve talked about the 旗袍 in some previous episodes. So rather than review that today we are going to talk about tailoring.
Now depending on where you come from, it might not be a common occurrence to have your clothing tailor-made. For one thing, it can be quite pricey. But perhaps in your culture, you make your own clothing.
When I was a little kid, my mom used to make dresses for me and my sister. And as we really started to grow, buying ready-made clothing became a bit easier than making it at home. But going to the tailor in China isn’t an everyday affair but having something tailor-made especially if it’s a 旗袍 or 唐装 is quite common.
Now if you think about it, it makes sense. The modern 旗袍 is supposed to fit quite closely to your body. And bodies come in all shapes and sizes. So finding a ready-made 旗袍 that fits you perfectly, is basically impossible.
Now many stores that sell 旗袍s will have standard sizes for you to try on and then any adjustments that need to be made are done in a day or two. Then the same goes for 唐装 be they for women or for men.
Men will often have suits tailored as 唐装 for men are the traditional Chinese equivalent of the Western suits jacket and many men have them tailor-made as well. Then you can get quite fancy with various auspicious characters either woven into the fabric as a pattern, or embroidered onto the final piece.
Either way though, they’re tailors all over China who can make beautiful 旗袍 and 唐装 creations. So make sure you don’t forget to have something made when you are here.
Primer
OK it’s time to go over today’s language points and to begin with let’s look at 处处.
处处 is an adverb that means everywhere or in all respects. Now it’s similar to 到处 or everywhere at all places, but 处处 can be followed by more abstract words as compared to 到处. For example. I could say 老师处处关心我们. Our teacher shows concern for us in all ways. Now because the point of this sentence is the teacher’s concern, you wouldn’t say 老师到处关心我们. You could say 到处都是人. There’re people everywhere. OK. So today Lucy said to 兰兰 “真是太感谢你们了, 处处为我考虑.” I’m so grateful to all of you for your consideration in all respects.
- 苏州园林太漂亮了，处处是景啊。／是啊，的确很漂亮！
OK, we’ve got a pattern next: A有A的 and B有B的. Now usually the two As are the same and the two Bs are the same. And this pattern expresses that A and B both have their own strong points. So 兰兰 said today 旗袍有旗袍的特点, 唐装有唐装的风格. 旗袍 have their own distinguishing features and 唐装 have their own style. Now you could also say 男孩有男孩的长处, 女孩有女孩的长处. Boys have their own strong points, and girls have their own strong points.
- Mike，北京和上海，你更喜欢哪个城市？／北京有北京的特点，上海有上海的特点，我都很喜欢。
- Mike，京剧和歌剧，你更喜欢哪个？／很难说，我觉得京剧有京剧的特点，歌剧有歌剧的风格。
Finally let’s take a look at 相比之下. 相比之下 means compared with something or someone, or in contrast with something or someone. Now, when you use 相比之下, the following phrase will often have a 更 in it or more 更. Now when comparing buying a 旗袍 or a 唐装, 兰兰 said to Lucy today 相比之下, 还是买唐装更好. If you compare the two, I think buying a 唐装 would be better. Now you could for example say 这两个饭馆, 相比之下, 我跟喜欢这个. Of the two restaurants here, I like this one more.
- 中餐和西餐，你更喜欢吃哪种？／相比之下，我更喜欢吃中餐。
- 兰兰，流行音乐和古典音乐，你更喜欢听哪种？／相比之下，我更喜欢听古典音乐。
好了, 我们今天剩的时间不多了. We’ve just about run out of time, thank you all though for joining us today.
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