language learning center · C2 · Lesson 4
Controlling rhetorical nuance
Practice this topic in Chinese: Controlling rhetorical nuance.
Understand and learn
Work from a natural example to useful language, one small pattern, a spoken attempt, and a response that is relevant to your life.
小雨
不是这项提议毫无价值，而是它来得太晚了。
It is not that the proposal lacks merit; it is that it comes too late.
马克
把这称为谨慎，至少可以说是相当宽容的。
Calling it caution is, to say the least, generous.
小雨
表面上的让步实际上加重了批评。
The apparent concession actually intensifies the criticism.
马克
如果想让语气更中性，我会删去这种隐含的讽刺。
If I wanted to neutralise the tone, I would remove that implicit irony.
Notice, try, and speak
Understand a natural example and learn a small set of useful words, phrases, and patterns.
Useful words and phrases
These items were selected by the lesson curriculum for practical use—not extracted as an every-word list.
不是这项提议毫无价值，而是它来得太晚了。
It is not that the proposal lacks merit; it is that it comes too late.
不是这项提议毫无价值，而是它来得太晚了。
把这称为谨慎，至少可以说是相当宽容的。
Calling it caution is, to say the least, generous.
把这称为谨慎，至少可以说是相当宽容的。
表面上的让步实际上加重了批评。
The apparent concession actually intensifies the criticism.
表面上的让步实际上加重了批评。
如果想让语气更中性，我会删去这种隐含的讽刺。
If I wanted to neutralise the tone, I would remove that implicit irony.
如果想让语气更中性，我会删去这种隐含的讽刺。
如果想加强语气，我会保留最后一点之前的停顿。
If I wanted to reinforce it, I would keep the pause before the final point.
如果想加强语气，我会保留最后一点之前的停顿。
Notice, try, and speak
Which Chinese sentence has this meaning: “It is not that the proposal lacks merit; it is that it comes too late.”
Make it yours
Say the five Chinese turns aloud, then connect two of them naturally.
Change one detail so the message is true for your own life or opinion.
Use it with someone
Use this Chinese in a real conversation
- 1. 不是这项提议毫无价值，而是它来得太晚了。
- 2. 把这称为谨慎，至少可以说是相当宽容的。
- 3. 表面上的让步实际上加重了批评。
- 4. 如果想让语气更中性，我会删去这种隐含的讽刺。
- 5. 如果想加强语气，我会保留最后一点之前的停顿。