Mandarin Monday: 找工作靠什么
For this week’s Mandarin Monday I want to share a recent homework of mine, and essay about why it’s not a good idea to have plastic surgery in order to find a job.
找工作靠什么
在如今的经济情况下好不容易找到合适的工作(在当今的经济情况下是很不容易找到合适的工作)。据报道，很多的人为了得到好工作而通过（经过）整容改善外貌。靠整容找工作是有很多坏处的方法（靠整容找工作是有很多的坏处），最好是靠自己的能力和知识找合适的职业。
第一个坏处是做整容不一定安全，是因为整容是一种手术，而且每个手术（都）有风险。如果整容的结果不理想，那找工作不(就)会更难吗？而且要是身体受到伤害的话，生活的各个方面(都)会有影响。
第二，整容并不便宜，那些钱你做最好投资教育(这些钱最好拿来投资在进修)。学习新的知识根本没有任何坏处，只有很多好处。譬如，掌握新的技能和新的语言在找工作时有很大的帮助。
第三，外貌很容易失去，人老了，有意外等，所以我们不要太重视它。语言技能，工作经验，任何能力不是那么容易失去的。最好的未来的投资是学好学位，学好各种各样的技能，学好外语。具有这些能力，找到合适工作的可能性更大。
第四，做整容不答应(保证)你能找到合适工作，更不答应你能做好工作。在大部分工作上，工作效果跟外貌没有任何关系。做不到工作时，外貌也没有帮助。
提高自己的能力只有好处，不一样的技能和经历在简历上很有用。反过来(说)，整容有可能会带来身体伤害，也说不定找工作时有没有帮助。所以你最好靠自己的能力找工作，就这样你能找到搭配你的学位，技能和希望的工作。
13 Comments
thenakedlistener
I can’t read or write Chinese, so I had to get someone to read it out for me. Since I’m only a Cantonese speaker and not a Mandarin speaker, this still sounds good solid Chinese to me. Good job.
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Jack
Generally, very good writing, but with few major mistakes you need to correct.
The first sentence “在如今的经济情况下好不容易找到合适的工作” by itself is a correct sentence. But it is not correct in this essay’s context. I actually google-translate this to English to try to understand what you were trying to say..and the translation – “In today’s economic situation is not easy to find a suitable job” seems perfect, but is actually quite different to what you wrote in Chinese (the problem with machine translation). The mistake here is your use of “好不容易” – it implies action in the past. What you should use is “是很不容易” – “是” to indicate this is a statement – as in “IS..something”.
“很” means “very”, and a more suitable word to use in this sentence. The crucial mistake here is the word “好” in this – and I think it is worth discussing this with your lecturer/tutor or a more advanced linguist on the use of “好” in this – because the word by itself just meant “good/yes/affirmative”, but it actually implies a lot more than that. I personally think it implies action done in the past – because this word is usually use in personal statement to indicate experience – eg. “这次考试好简单!” or “我好不容易爬上这棵树”. I must say I am not a linguist, nor am I educated in the subject, all I can say is from my background of speaking mandarin as native speaker, I think there is something wrong to use “好” in this context. So check with your lecturers and tutors. :)
Another mistake is the use of “如今”. I personally would use “当今”. There is a very subtle difference. While “如今” means “now” or “nowadays”, it actually sets a different tone compare “当今”.
In baidu’s translation – “如今” means
“now; at present; nowadays; these days”
But, it gives the following examples :
《史记·项羽本纪》：“ 樊哙曰：‘大行不顾细谨，大礼不辞小让。如今人方为刀俎，我为鱼肉，何辞为？’”
唐 杜甫《泛江》诗：“故国流清 渭 ，如今花正多。”
《红楼梦》第七八回：“我这如今是天上的神仙来请，那里捱得时刻呢？”
丁玲 《母亲》三：“ 曼贞 便同她解释，说如今的世界不同了，女人也可以找出路的。”
The word “如” has the implied meaning of “and” and “therefore”, it is most apparently in the 4th example above “便同她解释，说如今的世界不同了，女人也可以找出路的”.
I just think its not quite the right word to use. (And I think your Chinese is getting to pretty advance level I am having difficulties to explain to you ! :D)
So, the whole sentence should be:
“在当今的经济情况下是很不容易找到合适的工作”.
is what I would write.
Next one : “的人为了得到好工作而通过整容改善外貌” – you are missing something crucial in the front of the sentence. “的人” seems incomplete – it would sound like “…is people” in English. What you need is an adjective to complete the sentence. So, I would guess “很多”(a lot of) would be quite suitable in this case. Also, “通过” is not quite right here. It should be “经过” as in “going through a process of”.
“很多的人为了得到好工作而经过整容改善外貌”
“靠整容找工作是有很多坏处的方法” – you can omit “的方法” and add “的” – So it would become “靠整容找工作是有很多的坏处”.
Next one : “而且每个手术有风险” – probably need to add an “都” so it means “they ALL carry a risk”. Chinese love to use “都” in the sentence, and I notice you often omit the use of this word which makes your sentence stands out (as not quite correct). Try to “massage” this word into your sentence more!! :D
“那找工作不会更难吗” – probably crucial to add a “就”. “就” is a bit hard to explain – it is usually use in a procedural sentence – When you are explaining your logic – it therefore becomes a “procedural consequence” – eg. “because….. and therefore……..”
So, it becomes “那找工作不就会更难吗”.
Next up : “，生活的各个方面会有影响” – need to add that “都” as I was saying before.
So it becomes “生活的各个方面都会有影响”. (“As ALL aspect of your life would be affected”)
“那些钱你做最好投资教育” – doesn’t sound right. It probably should be : “这些钱最好拿来投资在教育/进修(probably better word because 教育 implies “standard education” while 进修 means “advanced studies”).
Next one is :”做整容不答应你能找到合适工作，更不答应你能做好工作”. “答应” very wrong to use in this context. “答应” actually means “agree” or “agree upon”, for example : “我答应你的条件”. What
you should use is “保证” (guarantee). So, the sentence should be “做整容不能保证你能找到合适工作，更不能保证你能做好你的工作”.
Next up : “反过来” – needs “说” to be complete. So its “反过来说”.
That’s it! I think you are getting pretty advance now, there are only few glaring mistakes, the rest are subtle mistakes (in meaning and usage) that you need to look out for.
[Reply]
thenakedlistener Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 8:12 am
Jack, I’m in agreement with you here, especially the bit about 好. The whole thing actually sounds okay in Cantonese, but now that you mentioned all these things Mandarin-wise, it just occurred to me that you’re spot-on about 好 vs. 很. I don’t think you’d need to be trained in linguistics because you’ve explained it extremely well. (I reckon a linguist would just confuse and complicate matters for the rest of us without getting down to brass tacks.)
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Sara Reply:
April 25th, 2012 at 7:18 pm
I don’t know how to thank you enough Jake! My own teacher only corrected a few things in my essay, she didn’t pay us much attention as you did! Can I hire you to check my Bachelor thesis when I start writing it after a year or so?
p.s. I will make the corrections to my essay as soon as I have the time.
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Jack Reply:
April 25th, 2012 at 11:03 pm
You are welcome! I am guessing your tutors are probably overwhelm with essays to mark they probably can’t pay much attention for each individual ones. Plus its a pleasure reading yours! And you keep it short and sweet so its not too hard! :D
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Sara Reply:
April 26th, 2012 at 6:04 pm
I’m sure my teacher has other courses to teach as well, but on my writing course there are only 3-4 students.
I’m really grateful for you Jack for your help!
[Reply]
Jack
BTW, I got a question for you! Is it true in Finland you go to Sauna naked?! Even between friends and family??? I was a bit shocked to read about this in another blog – apparently some (or is it all?) finnish family go to sauna together and they all go naked in front of each other (even of opposite sex)..??!
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Sara Reply:
April 25th, 2012 at 7:17 pm
Of course we go to sauna naked! Me personally stopped going to the sauna with men when I turned teenager, but I know many families that still go to sauna together even when they are adults. I think there’s nothing wrong with that if one just feels comfortable in doing so.
If I would go to sauna with my male friends, I would wear a swimming suit, but I know that some wouldn’t.
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ordinary malaysian
我同意。但是有情况整容能帮助一个人得到他的目的。比如说在模特儿的世界。况且最少都会帮助一个人给别人对他好的印象！Excuse my shaky Mandarin.
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Sara Reply:
April 25th, 2012 at 7:11 pm
我可能太naive(?)，但是我希望我们可以有 一个不需要整容的世界。
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ordinary malaysian Reply:
April 25th, 2012 at 11:00 pm
Sara, I actually agree with you. 整容 should be the last resort. But for those really in need of it, well…But as an obsession or as part of a fad just to look better, I think it is extreme and unhealthy.
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Kaiser
我同意你的看法，我们不是应该靠整容找到合适的工作而是应该靠自己的努力和技能。但是事实上起码在美国大胖子都被当作没有自我约束的人，特别是女士。因此很胖的老美不像很瘦的一样那么容易找到合适的工作。更何况那么胖的人几乎总是终于受害高血压及糖尿病。为此原因我不怪极其胖的人要整容，特别是他们的肥胖是由于慢新陈代谢，不是由于吃太多垃圾食品，什么的。
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