Lesson 143 Movie (3) 第一百四十三课 电影（3）

Cam: It’s movie week on Chinese Studio.  Welcome to the show everyone, wo shi Cam.
Yajie:  And wo shi Yajie.  Cam, every year, there are blockbuster movies, those that cost a lot of money to make and are major releases for studios.  Do you know how to say “blockbuster” in Chinese?
Cam:  No…
Yajie: Then let’s start today’s lesson!

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Key Words of the Day 
blockbuster. 大片, box office. 票房 premiere首映, cinema 电影院,Are there any new blockbusters coming out soon? 最近有什么新的大片? All in today’s Chinese Studio.
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YJ: Cam, now you may know the Chinese for blockbuster is…
Cam: 大片 (da4 pian1)   
YJ: Good, 大片  (da4 pian1) , which literally means big film. Here it’s an informal way of calling a large-budget movie with widespread popularity. 
Cam: I see. 大片(da4 pian1). So I can say the latest 大片(da4 pian1) blockbuster , Harry Potter has hit the box office.
YJ: That’s a very good example. Here you just mentioned “box office”, which in Chinese is 票房(piao4 fang2)。
Cam: 票房(piao4 fang2)。
YJ: 票房(piao4 fang2)literally means an office selling tickets. 票(piao4) means ticket.
Cam: 票(piao4)
YJ: 房(fang2), means the room, the office
Cam: 房(fang2)  
YJ: 票房(piao4 fang2) box office.
Cam: Here it means the ability to attract ticket buyers. 票房(piao4 fang2)

Conversation 1:
A:这部大片的票房如何?
B:这部大片的票房不错。

YJ: Cam, you know what, I’m invited to be the emcee for the premiere in a five-star cinema.   
Cam: Really? For which movie’s premiere?
YJ:…I’ll let you know later. First, do you know how to say premiere in Chinese?
Cam: No… and I’d like to know how to say cinema as well. 
YJ: No prob. premiere is 首映 (shou3 ying4)
Cam: 首映( shou3 ying4)
YJ: 首( shou3 ) means the first time, 
Cam:首 ( shou3 )
YJ: 映( ying4) means to show a film
Cam: 映(ying4)
YJ: 首映 ( shou3 ying4), to show a film for the first time. 
Cam: 首映 ( shou3 ying4). Then what’s the Chinese for cinema?
YJ: it’s 电影院 (dian4 ying3 yuan4)。
Cam: 电影院(dian4 ying3 yuan4)。Yajie, now can you tell me which premiere you are going to? 
YJ: … it’s just a short video clip of my friends’ birthday… 
Cam: But you said it’s in a five-star cinema.
YJ: Sorry, it’s just a cinema called “five star”. 
Cam: Yajie!

Conversation 2:
A: 这部大片将在哪里举行首映?
B: 据说将在北京电影院举行首映。

Cam: Yajie, are there any new blockbusters coming out soon? 
YJ: I guess the controversial “Memoirs of a Geisha” will meet the audience pretty soon. It has your favorite movie star in it.
Cam: Yes, Zhang Ziyi is my favorite. And I know she keeps practicing her English, just like I keep practicing my Chinese.
YJ: Two diligent birds. Here is the thing: do you know how to ask your question in Chinese? 
Cam: why don’t you tell me?
YJ: I’m going to. 最近有什么新的大片?(zui4 jin4 you3 shen2me xin1 de da4 pian1)
Cam: 最近有什么新的大片?(zui4 jin4 you3 shen2me xin1 de da4 pian1)
YJ: 最近(zui4 jin4 ) means recently. 
Cam: 最近 (zui4 jin4 ).
YJ: 有什么?(you3 shen2me) Is there anything?
Cam: 有什么(you3 shen2me) 
YJ: 新的 (xin1de ), new
Cam: 新的(xin1de )
YJ: 大片 (da4 pian1), blockbuster
Cam: 大片(da4 pian1)
YJ: 最近有什么新的大片?(zui4 jin4 you3 shen2me xin1 de da4 pian1)
Cam: 最近有什么新的大片?(zui4 jin4 you3 shen2me xin1 de da4 pian1) Are there any new blockbusters coming out soon?

Conversation 3:
A: 最近有什么新的大片?
B:  你可以上网查查。

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Key Words Reminder 
blockbuster. 大片, box office. 票房 premiere首映, cinema 电影院, Are there any new blockbusters coming out soon? 最近有什么新的大片? All in today’s Chinese Studio.
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Yajie: Cam, it’s now time for our question of the day.  
Cam: Right.  How do you say “box office” in Chinese?  See ya tomorrow! 
Cam: Ming tian jian.
Yajie: Zai jian!