John Wa Academic Degrees

YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bni0asvp7g

Traditional Chinese

在中國呢啊常常大家會問一些問題。就譬如說，你在哪里高就啊，您這個從哪里來，您老家在哪里？那更經常碰到的問題就是我們一起坐下來，他就說：哎，您這個是從哪里畢業的，你的學位是什麼啊？您讀的是什麼專業？啊一般來說，中國比較比較會問這些在我們美國來看哦是比較個人的問題，比較隱私的問題。但是中國人沒有什麼壞處，他就是要問，這個打聽一下你的來龍去脈。因為他呢也許第一個他要找一些關係。他說哦原來你是這個交通大學畢業。啊我的一個侄子啊的女朋友她也是在交通大學讀書，所以你們這樣就感覺比較親近。就比較有一些這個這個關係可以拉。或者說呢，他是要打聽一下看你是幾年畢業的啊，他要猜猜你大概是幾歲？啊你老家是哪里？啊他想知道你做生意大概遵循哪一個模式。所以他常常用用這些問題來問，然後呢還有一個原因就是中國現在還是比較相信名牌。你今天如果是名牌出身，比如說，你今天坐下來跟他講哦我這個是在哈佛大學讀的這個博士，我是在斯坦福大學做的研究，他們會肅然起敬。對你很尊敬。那今天講一個沒有名的小學校的話，啊這個這個人我可能不必花太多時間去跟他打交道。所以有這麼一個情形，他會一開始他會來問你，你是從哪里畢業，是讀什麼專業。

Simplified Chinese

在中国呢啊常常大家会问一些问题。就譬如说，你在哪里高就啊，您这个从哪里来，您老家在哪里？那更经常碰到的问题就是我们一起坐下来，他就说：哎，您这个是从哪里毕业的，你的学位是什么啊？您读的是什么专业？啊一般来说，中国比较比较会问这些在我们美国来看哦是比较个人的问题，比较隐私的问题。但是中国人没有什么坏处，他就是要问，这个打听一下你的来龙去脉。因为他呢也许第一个他要找一些关系。他说哦原来你是这个交通大学毕业。啊我的一个侄子啊的女朋友她也是在交通大学读书，所以你们这样就感觉比较亲近。就比较有一些这个这个关系可以拉。或者说呢，他是要打听一下看你是几年毕业的啊，他要猜猜你大概是几岁？啊你老家是哪里？啊他想知道你做生意大概遵循哪一个模式。所以他常常用用这些问题来问，然后呢还有一个原因就是中国现在还是比较相信名牌。你今天如果是名牌出身，比如说，你今天坐下来跟他讲哦我这个是在哈佛大学读的这个博士，我是在斯坦福大学做的研究，他们会肃然起敬。对你很尊敬。那今天讲一个没有名的小学校的话，啊这个这个人我可能不必花太多时间去跟他打交道。所以有这么一个情形，他会一开始他会来问你，你是从哪里毕业，是读什么专业。

Pinyin

Zài zhōngguó ne ah chángcháng dàjiā huì wèn yīxiē wèntí。Jiù pìrúshuō，nǐn zài nǎlǐ gāojiù ah? nín zhègè cóng nǎlǐ lái，nín lǎojiā zài nǎlǐ？nà gèng jīngcháng pèngdào de wèntí jiùshì wǒmén yìqǐ zuòxiàlái，tā jiùshuō：āi，nín zhègè shì cóng nǎlǐ bìyè de，nǐde xuéwèi shì shénme ah？nín dúde shì shénme zhuānyè？Ah yībān láishuō，zhōngguó bǐjiào bǐjiào huì wèn zhèxiē zài wǒmén měiguó láikàn é shì bǐjiào gèrén de wèntí，bǐjiào yǐnsī de wèntí。Dànshì zhōngguórén méiyǒu shénme huàichù，tā jiùshì yàowèn，zhègè dǎtīng yíxià nǐde láilóng qùmài。Yīnwéi tā ne yěxǔ dìyīgè tā yào zhǎo yìxiē guānxì。Tā shuō é yuánlái nǐ shì zhègè jiāotōng dàxué bìyè。Ah wǒde yígè zhízi ah de nǚpéngyǒu tā yěshì zài jiāotōng dàxué dúshū，suǒyǐ nǐmén zhèyàng jiù gǎnjué bǐjiào qīnjìn。Jiù bǐjiào yǒu yìxiē zhègè zhègè guānxì kěyǐ lā。Huòzhě shuō ne，tā shì yào dǎtīng yíxià kàn nǐ shì jǐnián bìyè de ah; tā yào cāicāi nǐ dàgài shì jǐsuì; ah nǐ lǎojiā shì nǎlǐ. ah tā xiǎng zhīdào nǐ zuò shēngyì dàgài zūnxún nǎyígè móshì。Suǒyǐ tā chángcháng yòng yòng zhèxiē wèntí lái wèn，ránhòu ne háiyǒu yígè yuányīn jiùshì zhōngguó xiànzài háishì bǐjiào xiāngxìn míngpái。Nǐ jīntiān rúguǒ shì míngpái chūshēn，bǐrúshuō，nǐ jīntiān zuòxiàlái gēn tā jiǎng é wǒ zhègè shì zài hāfó dàxué dúde zhègè bóshì，wǒ shì zài sītǎnfú dàxué zuòde yánjiù，tāmén huì sùrán qǐjìng。Duì nǐ hěn zūnjìng。Nà jīntiān jiǎng yígè méiyǒu míng de xiǎo xuéxiào de huà，ah zhègè zhègèrén wǒ kěnéng búbì huā tàiduō shíjiān qù gēn tā dǎjiāodào。Suǒyǐ yǒu zhème yígè qíngxíng，tā huì yìkāishǐ tā huì lái wèn nǐ，nǐ shì cóng nǎlǐ bìyè，shì dú shénme zhuānyè。

English

In China, there are a few questions that everybody often asks. For example, where do you work? Where did you get this? Where is your family from? Questions you encounter even more often are, we sit down together and someone asks: “Hey, where did you graduate from? What degree do you have? What was your major?” Generally speaking, China [sic] are more inclined to ask the kinds of questions that we Americans think of as more personal, more private. But Chinese don’t mean any harm by it; they just want to ask, want to hear who you are and how you got here. Maybe they want first to establish a little guanxi. They’ll say, “Oh, so you graduated from Jiao Tong University. I’ve got a nephew whose girlfriend is studying at Jiao Tong.” This brings you a little closer, gives you a little guanxi that you can use. Or they’ll want to hear what year it was that you graduated so they can guess more or less how old you are. “Where’s your family from?” They want to know what business model you use. So they use these kinds of questions to ask, then… another reason is that these days China has more confidence in big-name universities. For example, if you sit down with people and tell them, “I got my PhD at Harvard” or “I did research at Stanford,” they’ll be very respectful, very respectful towards you. These days, if you give somebody the name of some small school, they’ll [think], “I don’t need to waste too much time talking to him.” So, in this situation, they’ll ask you right at the start where you graduated and what you majored in.

Return to General Topic: Academic Degrees

Return to Chinese Topic: Academic Degrees

Authors: LouisPM, h.brinsko, orkelm.