(#29 was simulposted with #28)
31
travela
Since when was a train a fire vehicle, maybe 50yrs ago? You proved my point, (regardless of how inept my Chinese is, by the way my Chinese flat mate gave me the interpretations and guess what she speaks Mandarin and very good English) and that is that Chinese is cumbersome and inaccurate, although very poetic. "Perfectly clear" fire vehicle stop???? You are kidding yourself aren't you. And if what I'm saying is bullcrap why are so many people learning English, including the Chinese? Which was the point I was trying to make, that you have obviously missed.
No disparaging comments on the flying machine place or is it stop?
32
shilgia
Would you please spend three minutes thinking about the English words "automobile" and "newspaper"? (If I write some news on a paper, is that a newspaper? An airplane moves by itself; is it an automobile?)
<blockquote>Quote
<hr>And if what I'm saying is bullcrap why are so many people learning English, including the Chinese? <hr></blockquote> is a different discussion altogether.
33
alan1972
<blockquote>Quote
<hr>You proved my point,<hr></blockquote>I think not. Sticking with the train theme, what about the units that make up a train (apart from the engine): carriages or wagons? By your criteria these English words seems as hopelessly imprecise as "fire machine": they require a context to make it clear whether or not they refer to horse-drawn transport. And as for your comment that "flying machine place" could refer to a helipad ... how does this not apply to the English word "airport"?
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