Two Days or Today?

Some years ago, I needed to send an Express mail.   I took the package to our secretary requesting the mail to arrive the next morning.

"No problem!  I will drop in the FedExpress box Tu Day!"

After returned to my office, thinking over the words she spoke "Tu Day", I got a little irritated.  If she sends the package to the FedExpress box in two days, how can the mail arrive tomorrow morning?  I went back to the secretary.

"Did you mean that you will send it today or in two days?"

"Tu day!"

Quickly checked her English grammer in my head.  If she means "Two Days", she missed a "s".  She must mean "Today".  However, since it was such an important mail, I could not afford any mistake.  I had to ensure it to be sent on time.

"Today or in two days?"

"Tu day!", the secretary seemed to get a little irritated too.

At this time, another secretary jumped in the conversation.  "She said today."

"My God!" I said in my mind.

The following sign in front of our school greenhouse reminded me about this old story.  It seems our Chinglish is not that bad after all!

 

所有跟帖： 

• 还算幸运，如果秘书是个aussie, 你就要 Tu Die 了 -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 12:18:32

• Then she must be an ISIS member. -Happyyl- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 12:19:40

• 但我觉得无论什么口音，今天与两天发音节奏都有很大差别， 一个重音在前，另一个在后，还会有单复数区别 -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 12:22:15

• She has some Appalachian accent in which Today is pronounced tha -Happyyl- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 12:26:04

• 你已經同她講要 arrive the next morning, 再蠢的秘書也不會send it in two days吧 -似曾相識- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 13:32:56

• Sometimes, they are lazy. No chance to take. -Happyyl- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 13:54:59

• 你是理科生了，看出来有些语法问题, 譬如After returned to my office -禅心禅意- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 14:00:33

• 艹，理工科的快来灭他，我虽然竟错别字，语法还是杠杠地 -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 14:20:22

• 呃，净~~~表灭偶，偶先闪，去泛个舟儿~~~~~~~~~回见~~ -孤独的千年- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 14:33:26

• 我觉得也未必错，如果认为这个状语是短语，语法就是错误的； 但非要抬杠这是状语从句的省略式它就是对的 -移花接木- ♂ (449 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 14:51:50

• 这个应该去问 冲浪潜水员 -500miles- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 15:09:50

• 留着男的问题去问他， -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 15:10:56

• 套用我们老师的句式：“when I was in america，这是口语，口语” -晒太阳的花栗鼠- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 17:23:35

• O8 called me buddy -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 19:02:52

• 英文不好的飘过~~~ -紫色海洋- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 15:04:53

• 好的好的，我飘飘飘 -麻辣咖啡- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 15:08:44

• 雪花飘飘，北风萧萧 -atravel- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 16:43:22

• 内谁谁，过节啦～～～ -晒太阳的花栗鼠- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 17:23:59

• 啥节？ -atravel- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 17:50:18

• 卡～～～～～～～灰～～～～～～～周末：））））） -晒太阳的花栗鼠- ♀ (220 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 20:25:48

• 你是tu-day飘呢，还是飘tu-day呢？ -500miles- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 15:10:46

• 飘two day~~~ -紫色海洋- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 15:12:32

• 要弄清楚是tǔday 还是tū呃，day -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 15:13:06

• 一般来说，我加手势~~~~ -紫色海洋- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 17:31:22

• 手势？是那样，两手平伸、手心向下、胳膊弯曲、上臂贴身体，然后上下忽闪双手么？～灰呀灰的～ -晒太阳的花栗鼠- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2015 postreply 17:41:51