Archive for March 17th, 2008

Learn Chinese Podcast – Happy China 85

Monday, March 17th, 2008

                        Click to Watch Video Podcast

  (12月25日播出)

  韩佳: 快乐学汉语,

  Learn Chinese the fun way!

  王渊源:万里海疆行!

  And enjoy a Happy Journey

  across China!

  韩佳: 大家好,我是快乐的韩佳。

  Hi, I’m Merry Han Jia.

  王渊源:我是快乐的王渊源。

  And I’m Happy Wang Yuanyuan.

  韩佳: 我们现在是在南通的如皋。

  We’re now in Rugao near Nantong.

  来之前,我就听朋友说,

  Before we came here, I heard

  from a friend

  这儿是一座

  that this is a city

  文化底蕴非常深厚的城市,

  with profound cultural traditions,

  有着悠久的历史

  an old history

  和丰富的文化资源。

  and rich cultural resources.

  而且他还特别向我推荐了一个地方。

  He even recommended a place

  to me.

  王渊源:那是哪儿呢?

  What’s that place?

  韩佳: 那就是如皋的水绘园。

  It’s Shuihui Garden in Rugao.

  这是一座私家园林。

  It used to be a private garden.

  园主人是明末清初的才子

  The owners were Mao Pijiang,

  a talented man

  冒辟疆,

  living between late Ming and

  early Qing dynasties,

  和中国古代的美女董小婉。

  and Dong Xiaowan, an ancient

  Chinese beauty.

  园子已经有四百多年历史了。

  The garden has a history of

  more than 400 years.

  可它是中国古典园林中的佼佼者。

  It stands out among classical

  Chinese gardens.

  王渊源:刚才说什么“佼佼者”?

  What do you mean “jiaojiaozhe”?

  韩佳: “佼佼”是一个形容词,

  ”Jiaojiao” is an adjective,

  意思是胜过同类一般水平的。

  meaning above average or outstanding.

  而“佼佼者”则是指胜过同类

  So “jiaojiaozhe” means an

  above average

  一般水平的人或者是物。

  or outstanding person or thing.

  王渊源:“佼佼”意思是胜过同类一般水平的。

  ”Jiaojiao” means above average

  or outstanding.

  而“佼佼者”则是指胜过同类

  So “jiaojiaozhe” means an

  above average

  一般水平的人或者是物。

  or outstanding person or thing.

  Tā shi zhōngguó gǔdiǎn yuánlín zhōng de jiǎojiǎo zhě

  它 是 中国古典园林中的佼佼者。

  It stands out among classical

  Chinese gardens.

  这个水绘园的名字是怎么来的呀?

  Where does the name, Shuihui,

  come from?

  韩佳: 水绘园?这个…

  The name, Shuihui? Well …

  嘉宾: 欢迎你们来到如皋水绘园!

  Welcome to Shuihui Garden!

  韩佳: 你好,你好。

  Hello.

  王渊源:你好。

  Hello.

  韩佳: 请问水绘园这个名字

  Can you tell us where the

  name, Shuihui,

  是怎么来的呀?

  comes from?

  嘉宾: 当时古城南北东西的水

  In ancient times, water

  from all directions

  都汇在启东。

  converged at Qidong here.

  这些水汇在这儿

  These waterways

  就形成一幅美丽的图画。

  formed a picturesque landscape.

  然后,园主人在适当的地方

  Later, the owners of this garden

  修建了一些亭台阁楼,

  built some pavilions, terraces

  and halls here

  使它倒映在水面上。

  with their images reflected

  in the water.

  所以我们把它就叫做水绘园了。

  So people have since called it Shuihui

  Garden (a garden painted by water).

  王渊源:我发现这中国的古典园林

  I find this classical Chinese garden

  不仅景色美,

  is not only beautiful in scenery,

  连起名字都讲究艺术呢。

  but even its name was given

  very artistically.

  嘉宾: 是的。非常美。

  Yes. It’s very beautiful.

  韩佳: 其实何止是起名字,

  But in fact not just its name,

  中国的古典园林

  all classical Chinese gardens

  本身就是一门多种艺术形式

  are a comprehensive form

  of arts.

  相融合而成的边缘艺术,

  The arts involved

  内涵特别丰富,

  include literature,

  包括了文学、绘画、书法、建筑

  painting, calligraphy

  等各方面的内容。

  and architecture.

  其中很多巧妙的设计

  Many of their ingenious designs

  外行人是不容易看出来的。

  are hardly perceivable by laymen.

  王渊源:可是这园林里,

  But in this garden,

  不就是一些亭子呀、树什么的。

  there are just a few pavilions

  and trees.

  我看都大小一样。

  I find them basically the same.

  韩佳: 大小一样?

  ”Da xiao yi yang”?

  你是要说“大同小异”吧?

  You must have meant “da tong

  xiao yi”, right?

  王渊源:哦,对对。

  Oh, yes, yes.

  就是“大同小异”。

  I did mean “da tong xiao yi”.

  “大同小异”就是指大致相同,

  ”Da tong xiao yi” means similar

  但稍有差异。

  with minor differences.

  这个成语挺常用的,对吧?

  It’s a very often used idiom, right?

  韩佳: 嗯,没错儿。

  Yes, exactly.

  “大同小异”就是指大致相同,

  ”Da tong xiao yi” means similar

  但稍有差异。

  with minor differences.

  比如,渊源觉得中国的园林

  For example, Yuanyuan thinks

  classical Chinese

  都是大同小异的。

  gardens are similar to one another.

  王渊源:特色并不怎么明显嘛。

  Their special features are not

  very conspicuous.

  嘉宾: 这您就说错了。

  You are wrong.

  中国的园林只要稍微留心一点,

  As long as you are a bit careful,

  它每个园林都有它不同的特色。

  you’ll find each garden has

  its own special feature.

  王渊源:是吗?

  Really?

  那这个园林的特色是什么呢?

  Then what’s the special feature

  of this garden?

  我怎么没看出来。

  Why, I don’t see it.

  嘉宾: 看这个后面的古城墙。

  Look, there’s an old city wall

  behind us.

  我们整个水绘园

  The entire Shuihui Garden

  就是依着这个古城墙而建的。

  was built by the side of

  this city wall.

  这就是我们水绘园的特点。

  which is the every special

  feature of this garden.

  韩佳: 还真是啊!

  Yes, indeed!

  我去过好多园林,

  Of all the gardens I’ve

  ever visited,

  发现就是这个园林是依城墙而建的。

  this is the only one built by the side

  of a city wall.

  旁白: 水绘园比我想象中的要大很多。

  Shuihui Garden is much larger

  than I thought.

  听工作人员说,

  I heard from the staff here,

  除了冒辟疆的私家园林之外,

  in addition to Mao Pijiang’s

  private garden,

  还包括了周围其他几座

  this garden complex also

  includes several

  小园林和古建筑。

  other small gardens and

  ancient structures.

  我们现在要去的就是景区里

  Now we’re heading to one

  of this scenic area’s

  很有特色的一座建筑——水明楼。

  unique structures-Shuiming Tower.

  嘉宾: 我们现在看到的这个就是水明楼了。

  What we’re seeing is the

  Shuiming Tower.

  它建于乾隆二十三年间,

  It was built in the 23rd year of

  the reign of Emperor Qianlong

  是一个盐商叫王之恒修复的。

  by a salt merchant called

  Wang Zhiheng.

  那当初为什么会修复水绘园呢?

  Why did he rebuild Shuihui Garden?

  是为了纪念和缅怀

  He did it in commemoration

  董小婉和冒辟疆的爱情而建的。

  of the love between Dong Xiaowan

  and Mao Pijiang.

  上海同济大学的,

  Tongji University Professor

  Chen Congzhou,

  古建筑学家陈从周教授

  an expert in ancient Chinese architecture,

  曾经这样评价过它。

  once commented on it.

  说它是徽派袖珍园林的一个孤本。

  He said it was the only Hui-style

  miniature garden in existence.

  王渊源:它的年代也很久远了吧。

  It must be very old, I guess.

  嘉宾: 是的,已经两百多年了离现在。

  Yes, until now it’s already more

  than 200 years old.

  韩佳: 那我们能进去看看吗?

  Can we get in to have a look?

  嘉宾; 去看看。

  Certainly.

  韩佳: 从这里看出去,

  From here

  外面既有湖水,又有小船。

  we can see both a lake and

  some small boats.

  感觉自己走在一艘船里似的。

  We feel as if we were walking

  inside a boat.

  王渊源:还真是。

  Yes, indeed.

  从外面看,

  Seen from the outside,

  这是一座建在水上的建筑。

  it looks like a structure

  built on water.

  而从里面看,

  Seen from its inside,

  好像是在一艘大船里边。

  it looks like a giant boat.

  合: 没错儿,是的。

  Yes, exactly.

  嘉宾: 想不到你们连水明楼

  I didn’t expect that

  这么隐秘的特点都看得出来呀。

  you notice even this hidden

  character of Shuiming Tower.

  韩佳: 刚才那句话里介词“连”

  The preposition “lian” followed

  后面有“都”或者是“也”跟它相呼应,

  by “dou” or “ye”

  就表示强调某一件事情。

  is used for emphasis.

  Méi xiǎng dao nǐ lián zhè ge tèdiǎn dōu kàn chūlai le

  没 想 到 你 连 这 个 特点 都 看 出来 了。

  I didn’t expect that you notice

  even this characteristic..

  嘉宾: 其实,在我们水明楼里面

  Actually here at Shuiming Tower,

  还有水绘三宝。

  there are still three treasures.

  有没有兴趣去看一下呢?

  Are you interested to take

  a look at them?

  韩佳: 好啊,好啊!

  Yes, great!

  “水绘三宝”会是什么东西呢?

  What are the tower’s three treasures?

  观众朋友们,

  Audience friends,

  您先看看我们的赏心悦目,

  please watch the Feast

  for the Eyes

  之后为您揭晓答案。

  before we reveal the answer.

  赏心悦目:

  水绘园 以如诗如画的水景得名

  Shuihui Garden was named after its numerous

  picturesque ponds.

  绿水轻舟 杨柳拂堤

  Taking a boat ride along the willow-lined

  waterways,

  园中美景让人们流连忘返

  the visitor will definitely have

  a good time here.

  年深日久的建筑

  The time-honored buildings,

  精巧别致的陈设

  the exquisitely crafted furnishings

  还有参天的古树

  and these imposing ancient trees

  都在讲述着水绘园的往事

  are all recounting the garden’s history.

  古老的城墙尚有少许残存

  A remnant of the old city wall

  孤单地立在玉带河口

  stands lonely by the side of the Yudai River,

  静静观看这座城市的历史变迁

  watching silently the city’s historical changes.

  韩佳: 观众朋友们,

  Audience friends,

  在刚刚的赏心悦目中

  did you see the tower’s

  three treasures

  您是不是已经看到水绘三宝了呢?

  on the Feast for the Eyes?

  那就是鸡血石,

  They are the bloodstone,

  千年古桧和三绝碑。

  the 1000-year-old Chinese juniper

  and the Stele of Three Wonders.

  王渊源:听工作人员介绍呢,

  The staff here told us

  这“三绝”指的是画绝、刻工绝,

  the three wonders refer to the

  unique picture,

  还有书绝。

  the unique carving skill and

  the unique calligraphy.

  韩佳: 嗯,没错儿。

  Uh huh, exactly.

  那这画绝指的就是

  The picture is a copy of

  Guan Gong’s likeness

  南宋宫廷画家马远的摹本——关公像。

  drawn by Ma Yuan, a court painter

  of the Southern Song Dynasty.

  那这刻工指的就是

  The unique carving skill refers

  碑上的阴阳刻。

  to the excellent concave and

  convex carving skill.

  还有这书指的就是冒辟疆

  And the calligraphy was a

  small-character

  在二十五岁的时候写的小楷。

  script written by Mao Pijiang

  at age 25.

  瞧瞧,都在这上面了。

  Look, they are all on it.

  王渊源:好了,欣赏了园子里的美景,

  Well, having enjoyed the

  scenery of the garden

  又看过了这水绘三宝,

  and seen the garden’s

  three treasures,

  我们也该给大家出

  now it’s time for us

  今天的有奖问答题。

  to set the award-winning

  question for today.

  韩佳: 好。您听好了。

  Okay. Listen carefully.

  今天的题目是这样的。

  Here’s today’s question.

  (问题部分略)

  节目最后还是要提醒您,

  At the end of this program,

  we’d still like

  明天同一时间,

  to remind you not to forget

  to continue to watch

  别忘了继续收看我们的节目。

  our program tomorrow at

  the same time.

  王渊源:也别忘了我们的口号。

  And also don’t forget

  our slogan.

  合: 学说中国话,朋友遍天下!

  Learn Chinese and make friends everywhere!

   (Source: cctv.com)

Children Chinese – The Balloons Flew Away(3)

Monday, March 17th, 2008

Download for Games lesson 5-3

(Source: usa.betterchinese.com)

Chinese Pinyin – Basic rules for writing Hanyu Pinyin (2)

Monday, March 17th, 2008

Nouns:

  1. Monosyllabic prefixes and suffixes are linked with nouns. Prefixes: fù- (vice), zǒng- (general/main/chief), fēi- (non), fǎn- [anti], chāo- (super/surpass), lǎo – (old/venerable), A – (marker of a nickname/endearment), kě (-ble), wú- (non), and so forth. Suffixes: -zǐ, -ér, -tóu (head, nominal ending), -xìng (nature), -zhě/yuán (-ist), -jiā (expert/-ist), -shǒu (hand/person/expert/-ist), -huà (-ized), men (-s/es), and so forth). For example:
    • fù-bùzhǎng (vice-director of a [government] department),
    • zǒng-gōngchéngshī (chief engineer),
    • yìshùjiā (artist [in general]).
  2. Nouns and the directional words/locations after them are separated.
    • mén wài (outside the door)=mén wàimian (/wàibiān/wàitou),
    • huǒchē shàngmian (on the train)

    The syllables of lexical items are linked.

    • hǎiwài (this means “overseas,” not “outside of the sea”)
  3. Surnames and given names (xìngmíng/míngzi) are written separately in the Chinese Han language. The first letters of surnames and the given names are capitalized. Pen names (bǐmíng) and nicknames (biémíng) are written according to the same principles:
    • Wáng Jiànguó,
    • Dōngfāng Shuò,
    • Zhāng Sān

    A personal name and the person’s professional title are separated:

    • Wáng bùzhǎng,
    • Lǐ xiānsheng/xs

    The first letter of personal addresses such as Lǎo, Xiǎo, Dà, Ā, and so forth are capitalized. For example:

    • Xiǎo Liú (Little Liu),
    • Wú Lǎo (honorable Old Wu),
    • ` Sān (The Third [in a family])

    When the surname of historically well-known figures is combined with a respectful or descriptive term by which they are commonly known, the syllables are linked, and the first letter is capitalized. For example:

    • Kǒngzǐ (Confucius),
    • Bāogōng (Grand Judge Bao),
    • Xīshī (Beauty Xishi)
  4. Proper names and general names of places are separated and the first letter of each of the names is capitalized.
    • Běijīng Shì (Beijing City),
    • Dòngtíng Hú (Lake Dongting)

    The monosyllabic prefixes or suffixes of proper names and general names are linked. For examples:

    • Jǐngshān Hòujiē (Back Street of Jingshan),
    • Cháoyángménnèi Nánxiǎojiē (Southern Small Street Inside the Gate Facing the Sun)

    Link the syllables of established names for villages, towns, and other places when it is not necessary to distinguish whether they are proper names or general names (the first letter is capitalized). For example:

    • Wángcūn (Wang Village),
    • Zhōukǒudiàn (a place near Beijing where the fossilized remains of Peking Man were discovered),
    • Sāntányìnyuè (Moon Reflected in Three Ponds)
  5. Personal and place names not in the Chinese Han language, based on the principle of “according with the custom of the person in question (míng cóng zhǔrén),” are written either in the original language or transcribed in Roman letters. For example:
    • Einstein (Ài’īnsītǎn),
    • Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme (Āpèi Āwàng Jìnměi),
    • London (Lúndūn),
    • Washington (Huáshèngdùn)

    Foreign names transcribed in the Chinese Han language are written according to the pronunciation of the corresponding characters. For example:

    • Nánměi (South America),
    • Déguó (Germany),
    • Dōngnányà (Southeast Asia)

(Source: pinyin.info)