[asterisk-users] Native Chinese speaker needed

[Steve Underwood]

Steve Hsieh wrote:

>
> John,
>  
>  
>
>     My patch, as it is now, would do:
>
>             two thousand six year nine month ten two day
>             two thousand six year nine month two day
>
>     Is "couple" used instead of "two" anywhere else?  You use it for
>     day and
>     minute.  Is it ever used for year, month, hour, or second?
>
>  
>  
> For year, it should be couple in front of the thousand. In addition, 
> you need to explicity say zero as well:
>  
> 2006 = couple thousand zero six year
>  
> However, it gets interesting at 2010.  I surveyed 5 native Chinese 
> speaking colleagues (from both Taiwan and China) in addition to 
> myself, and there isn't any agreement on what to say to make it sound 
> right. The only agreement I found was to say the digits individually. 
> Everyone felt comfortable with having a voicemail system speak the 
> year as:
>  
> 2006 = two zero zero six year
> 2010 = two zero one zero year
>  
> It's also simpler to implement.
>  
> For month & day, you can use two:
>  
> Feb 2 = two month 2 day
>  
> But it goes back to couple when speaking 2 o'clock:
>  
> 2:22pm = couple time twenty two PM
>  
>  
>
>     How bad is it to say "two" instead of "couple"?  I could probably
>     program
>     it to play "couple" if the recording exists, and fall back to
>     "two" if
>     that is at all acceptable.
>
>  
> It would sound very awkward. People will understand if "two" is said 
> instead, but it sticks out badly.

I agree. Nobody has a problem understanding two. I creates no ambiguity. 
However, when they hear that it sounds like a very Mickey Mouse system.

>   
>
>     Are there any other numbers which might be expressed differently
>     in some
>     circumstances?
>
>  
> I think "2" is the only digit that changes.
>  
>
>     Is a 12-hour or 24-hour clock preferred in chinese?
>
>  
> Civilians generally speak in 12-hr format.
>  
>
>     Asterisk currently uses a 24-hour clock by default (format HM):
>
>          ten four time ten minute
>          ten four time zero two minute
>          zero two time zero zero minute  (02:00am)
>
>     and can add "zero seven second" to that if seconds are requested
>     (HMS).
>     Is the "zero zero minute" very bad? 
>
>  
> If the minutes are zero, you'd drop it and just say the hour (same as 
> English).
> 02:00am = couple time AM
>  
>
>     And how stuffy is "zero two minute"?
>
>  
> This is correct.
>  
>
>     A 12-hour time format (IMP) would be expressed:
>
>          two time ten minute p-m
>          two time zero two minute p-m
>          two time zero zero minute a-m
>
>  
> You'd want to say "couple time" instead of "two time" in front.
>  
> Steve
>  

One thing I think you missed there, abouting saying something like 
2:00PM. In English the PM comes after the time, but in Chinese it comes 
before. It is two words - literally "below lunch" - but it probably best 
handled as a single recording. AM is similar - two words meaning 
literally "above lunch".

Steve