Tom：I heard that the Chinese people are particular over first names, right?

听说中国人的名字都有讲究，是吗?

Han Meimei：Yeah, most Chinese first names express the parents' hopes for the child. For example, the name "Qiang" for men means strong, and "Li" for women means beautiful. But names change a lot these days.

是啊，很多人的名字都有一定的含义，表示一定的愿望。比如男人的名字用“强”表示坚强，女人的名字用“丽”表示美丽。不过现在的名字变化很大。

Tom：Mei, what does your name mean?

梅，你的这个“梅”字有什么含义吗?

Han Meimei：I was born when the plum trees were blossoming, so my father hoped that I would be as beautiful as plum blossoms.

我是梅花盛开的时候生的，爸爸希望我能像梅花那么漂亮。

Tom：I heard that all the children have nicknames, right?

听说孩子都有小名，是吗?

Han Meimei：Yes, most kids have intimate nicknames like "Shi Tou" or "Xiao Hong".

是的，孩子一般都有小名，叫起来亲切一些。比如“石头”、“小红”什么的。