Hansheng: Mary, how long were you in Beijing?
Mary: I was in Beijing for 2 1/2 months.
H: Which places did you go?
M: I went to Tiananmen and the Imperial Palace.
H: Was the place interesting?
M: Very interesting.

--Translated by benchannevy@CSLPOD

Hansheng: Hey，Lili。Thank you for coming to pick me up at the airport.
Lili: Don't mention it. Welcome to Guangzhou, the trip has been tiring.
H: No, it's very convenient to fly. It took only 3 hours to fly from Beijing to Guangzhou.
L: It's more and more convenient now. When was the last time you came to Guangzhou?
H: 3 years ago. Guangzhou must have changed a lot?
L: Yes. Long time no see. How have you been lately?
H: Very well. And you?
L: Me too.


--Translated by benchannevy@CSLPOD

Customer Service: Hello, Xiang Shan Hotel.
Customer: Hello, I would like to make some room reservations.
Customer Service: Certainly. Sir, what type of room would you like to reserve? We have single rooms, standard rooms, double rooms, and business rooms.
Customer: I would like to reserve one single room and one standard room. What's the (room) rate?
Customer Service: The rate is 90 yuan per night for the single room and 140 yuan per night for the standard room.
Customer : Is breakfast covered?
Customer Service: Yes, breakfast is covered.
Customer : O.k., then please reserve for me one single room and one standard room.
Customer Service: When are you checking in and for how long?
Customer : 20th of this month, for one week.
Customer Service: I'm sorry sir, I'm afraid there isn't any single rooms available from the 20th onwards. Would you like to switch to a standard room?
Customer : That’s fine. Do you require any deposit?
Customer Service: Not necessary, but you must check in before 6 p.m. on the 20th, otherwise, your reservation will be invalid. Should you expect to arrive after 6 p.m., then please give us a call on the 20th, so that we can extend your reservation.
Customer : O.k., no problem.
Customer Service: Sir, may I know your name and contact number? I'm registering your details.
Customer : My name is Han Sheng, Han as in hanyu and Sheng as in shenghuo. My cell phone number is 17523984567.
Customer Service: May I also have your email? We'll send you a confirmation email two days before the check in date.
Customer : My email is hansheng@cslpod.com
Customer Service: Alright, your registration is complete. You can proceed directly to the reception desk to check in on the 20th. Please remember to bring along your ID.
Customer : O.k. Do you accept credit card?
Customer Service: We accept both credit card and cash.
Customer : O.k., thank you.
Customer Service: You’re welcome. Goodbye.


--Translated by atchooo@CSLPOD

HS: Le Le, any plans for the long Labor Day holidays in May?
LL: It's only March and you're already making plans for the Labor Day holidays? Isn't it a little too early?
HS: We should be prepared for a rainy day! By planning ahead and making preparations, we don't have to be in a fluster when the time comes. If we want to go traveling, we should book our flight tickets early, and if we make our hotel reservation early, it'll be cheaper too, and there will be more choice.
LL: You have a point there, but I haven't decided what to do yet. Although I do want to go traveling, but the May 1st period will be packed with people everywhere, just the thought of it makes me lose interest.
HS: If it's the crowds that you're afraid of, you can always go on a tour abroad. It doesn't cost that much nowadays.
LL: Do you really think that people don't go abroad on tours? What's more, we only have a few days, it's not that long, and it's not that short either, where can we go?
HS: If you really want to go on a tour abroad, you should plan ahead and make some arrangements. There are quite a number of places you can go.
LL: What about you, what plans do you have? Where're you going for vacation?
HS: I'm planning to go to Yunnan.
LL: Yunnan? You must be going to Lijiang right? I've been wanting to go to Lijiang for ages. How're you going there? In a group?
HS: Group? Oh no, I don't like the traveling agency's group tour, there's no freedom, everything's prearranged by them, just some very brief sightseeing at a few famous scenic spots, it's not meaningful at all. I prefer to go backpacking alone.
LL: Although going on a group tour doesn't accord us much freedom, but it's really convenient, we don't have any worries. Going on a vacation is the time when we rest and relax, if we still have to go about booking our flight tickets, making hotel reservations, and going around with a map in our hands, that's just too much hassle, why trouble yourself?
HS: Perhaps going on a group tour will save you some worries, but it will only leave you with regrets. Haven't you heard of how people describe a group tour? "Board the bus and sleep, get off the bus and take pictures." Tell me, what meaning does this hold for rest and relax? Although we have to settle everything ourselves for D.I.Y. style travel, and there seems to be a lot of hassle involved, but you can make arrangements according to your own interests, go anywhere you wish and see sights that delight you. It's not just the freedom, it's also more meaningful, it's your own travels.
LL: It seems backpacking is rather pizzaz and it offers much freedom, but traveling alone is kinda lonely, there's nobody to talk to.
HS: I knew you'd say that! Do you know what is meant by "travel buddies" (lit. donkey friend, note: wordplay here, donkey = lǘ, friend = yoǔ, same sound as lǚyoú in travel/tour). As long as you're willing, traveling alone presents more opportunity to get to know new friends and hear new stories. Last summer, when I went to Dunhuang, I stayed at the local youth hostel. Many of the people there were also independent travelers. During the day a few of us would hang out together; at night, everyone would gather round to play cards, play games, chat, and share some quirky stories from our travels. It's a really great feeling!
LL: After hearing you out, I'm quite tickled to find out.
HS: When you have a chance to backpack and experience it for yourself, then you'll know.
LL: Right! Action speaks louder than words! You might as well count me in for the May 1st D.I.Y. travel. As for the flight tickets, hotel accommodation and what not, I'll leave it to you, Han Sheng!


--Translated by atchooo@CSLPOD

Traffic congestion is an urban problem, its severity increasing as cities become more and more developed. Traffic congestion has become a common problem that is characteristic of modern society, and in particular, of developing nations. It has severely hampered people's work efficiency, quality of life and social development.

So, ultimately, what are the causes of traffic congestion? First, poor urban planning. Some people are of the opinion that this is the main cause of traffic congestion. Let's take Beijing for example. This city has been expanding outwards layer upon layer; Many people who are living outside the city actually earn a living in the city. During the morning rush hours, everyone is rushing towards the city center, and during the evening rush hours, everyone is rushing to leave the city and go home. Second, road designs are lacking in scientific rigor. An expert pointed out that Beijing had failed to account for factors such as the high volume of traffic and the location of entry and exit points when designing Beijing's Ring Roads. This easily gives rise to traffic congestion. Third, public transportation is far from meeting the people's needs. For example, the bus routes were poorly planned. More often than not, the masses waste a lot of time waiting in line for the bus and changing buses. As a result, many people are not willing to use public transportation as their preferred mode of travel. Fourth, increase in the number of private cars. According to a survey, at present, private cars make up 70% of total vehicles on the road, of which 70% are single occupancy vehicles during the morning and evening rush hours. These cars utilize 50% of traffic resources, but only transports not more than 5% of travelers, which is a waste of limited traffic resource. According to some estimates, China's car ownership will exceed 100 million by 2020. Finally, a lack of "road ethics". Statistical data at home and abroad reveal that when on the road, a driver abroad is typically exposed to danger averaging 100 times daily, as compared with an average of 150 times for a driver on the local front. Violation of (traffic) regulations, such as cutting queues, sudden change of lane, etc contribute to 95% of the said dangers. Moreover, just one single traffic accident can cause a traffic jam lasting for hours. Therefore, apart from factors such as transportation infrastructure, etc, the driver's character is also crucial.

Local authorities have unveiled various measures to tackle the problem of urban congestion. Beijing, in its efforts and attempts to counter urban congestion have for example, restricted driving based on the last digit of vehicle registration, improved public transportation, and so on. But as of now, its effectiveness is still low. The latest move by the Beijing Municipal Government is to "limit (new) car registrations". From December 23 2010 onwards, allocation for registration of (new) cars are awarded based on a lottery system. On top of that, a cap has also been placed on the number of qualifying applicants. It is hoped that by limiting (new) car registrations and keeping under control the number of vehicles (on the road), traffic congestion can be eased. However, implementation of this regulation has sparked extensive debate and much criticism. Additionally, its effectiveness in easing congestion is to be reviewed further.

Anyhow, we can safely conclude that "traffic jams" are a reflection of how the people's standard of living have improved, and yet, at the same time, people are still hopeful that their lives will become better and more comfortable. We're all waiting for the time to come when there will be no more congestion on the roads and the traffic will be free-flowing.
--Translated by atchooo@CSLPOD