Archive for March 29th, 2008
Chinese Character – 目 Eye
Saturday, March 29th, 2008
China Travel – Yueyang Tower
Saturday, March 29th, 2008 |
The Yueyang Tower stands on the west gate of the Yueyang city wall, looking down at the Dongting Lake, facing the Junshan Island in the distance, and linking the Yangtze River to the north and the Xiangjiang River to the south. Standing on the tower, one can gaze at the distant view of the mists and ripples of the Dongting Lake, with boats sailing on the vast lake. Yueyang Tower is listed as one of the Three Great Towers in China, along with the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan and the Prince Teng Pavilion in Nanchang. It has long enjoyed the reputation of being the “first tower under heaven”, as the Dongting Lake is known as the “first water under heaven.”
It is said that the site was originally an inspection platform for the general Lu Su of the Wu Kingdom (222-250AD) to train his naval troops. In the fifth year of Emperor Qingli’s reign in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), Teng Zijing renovated the Yueyang Tower and invited his good friend Fan Zhongyan, a well-known writer, to compose an essay. In Fan’s essay, Remarks of Yueyang Tower , he not only described the wonderful scenery, but also wrote the famous lines of one should be the first to bear hardship, and the last to enjoy comforts, indicating his concerns for the country and people. His words won the tower great fame, and have been deeply rooted in the Chinese people’s mind from generation to generation. After numerous renovations, the current structure was rebuilt in 1867 in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
The Yueyang Tower has its special architectural features. Its main building has three stories and is 15 meters in height, with four huge nanmu pillars supporting the whole building, twelve round log columns supporting the second floor, and another twelve catalpa pillars supporting the roof. Constructed of wood with interlocking brackets that require no nails, the main building is as steady as a monolith. Its roof looks like a general’s helmet, grand and unique. On the right side of the main building is the Thrice Drunken Pavilion, named after a legend describing Immortal Lu Dongbin who got drunk here three times. On the left side is the Fairy Plum Blossom Pavilion. It is said that a flagstone was excavated during the Emperor Chongzhen’s reign of the Ming Dynasty (1368-16440. The lines on the stone resemble withered plum blossoms. Those lines were regarded as hand drawings of immortals and called the pavilion Fairy Plum Blossom Pavilion. The piece of flagstone is still erected in the center of the pavilion. Housed in the tower is a wooden screen written by famous calligrapher Zhang Zhao of the Qing Dynasty. Fan Zhongyan’s Remarks of Yueyang Tower are inscribed on the screen, which remind visitors of his famous lines.
(Source: chinaculture.org)
Cri – Lesson 90
Saturday, March 29th, 2008
M: Dàjiā hǎo. Huānyíng nǐmen dào Xiànzài Xué Hànyǔ. Wǒ shì ML.S: Wǒ shì Stuart. Today we learn Lesson 90.
M: 没错，今天我们学第九十课.
S: ML, jīntiān wǒmen xué shénme?
M. We’ll learn how to get from Xidan to the Foreign Languages Bookstore with things like ‘turn left?and ‘turn right?
S. Good idea. Hǎo zhúyi.
M. I have a map. 我有一张地图 wǒ yǒu yì zhāng dìtú.
S. 我们看一看 wǒmen kàn yi kàn.
M. We’re on South Xidan Street我们在西单南大街 wǒmen zài Xīdān Nán dà Jiē
S. South Xidan Street Xīdān Nán Dàjiē is south of Chang’an Avenue, is less famous than North Xidan Street, Xīdān Běi Dàjiē, which runs from the north side of Chang’an Jie.
M: Wǒmen zěnme zǒu? Go north. 往北走 wǎng běi zǒu. 在长安街往右拐zài Cháng’ān Jiē wǎng yòu guǎi, turn to the right, wǎng yòu guǎi. Then, go straight ahead. 一直走 yì zhí zǒu.
S. At Wángfǔjǐng turn left 在王府井往左拐 zài Wángfǔjǐng wǎng zuǒ guǎi.
M. Walk one kilometer, about, 走一公里左右zǒu yì gōnglǐ zuǒyòu. And the Foreign Languages Bookstore is on the left . 外文书店就在左边 Wàiwén Shūdiàn jiù zài zuǒbiān.
S. Wow! That’s a lot of Chinese. A break, then we’ll have a look at some of the new stuff, and the rest in the next lesson. By the way, if you have been repeating everything with us, even the bits that we don’t explain in this lesson have started to be fixed in your brain.
S. 我们在西单南大街
M. wǒmen zài Xīdān Nán Dàjiē. Nándàjiē. 南 2nd tone, means south, like in Nánjīng, ‘Southern capital,? 大DA dà, means ‘big,?dà. 街JIE jiē, means ‘street,?jiē. So dàjiē, ‘big street,?meaning it’s a broad street.
S. South Xidan Street, Xīdān Nándàjiē Xīdān Nándàjiē, and there’s North Xidan Street, Xīdān Běi Dàjiē, Xīdān Běi Dàjiē.
M. Wǒmen zài Xīdān Nándàjiē. Xiànzài wǒmen zěnme zǒu?
S. Go north. 往北走, 在长安街往右拐.
M. Zài Cháng’ān Jiē wǎng yòu guǎi, 右拐 右 YOU yòu, means ‘right.?拐GUAI guǎi, 3rd tone, means ‘turn.?So what does wǎng yòu guǎi mean? Méi cuò. turn to the right, wǎng yòu guǎi.
S. 然后, 一直走
M. 一直走yì zhí YI ZHI yìzhí means ‘straight,?yì zhí zǒu, go straight ahead, yì zhí zǒu.
S. 在王府井往左拐. What does this mean? zài Wángfǔjǐng wǎng zuǒ guǎi.
M. Duì le. At Wángfǔjǐng turn left. zài Wángfǔjǐng wǎng zuǒ guǎi.
S. And we must be close to the Wàiwén Shūdiàn
4. We’ll see next lesson. Now finish with the dialogue again.
M. 我们要去外文书店 wǒmen yào qù Wàiwén Shūdiàn.
S. 我们在西单南大街women zài Xīdān Nán Dàjiē.
M. 我们怎么走wǒmen zěnme zǒu?
S. 往北走wǎng běi zǒu.
M. 在长安街往右拐 zài Cháng’ān Jiē wǎng yòu guǎi.
S. 然后，一直走 yì zhí zǒu.
M. 在王府井往左拐 zài Wángfǔjǐng wǎng zuò3 guai3.
S. And we’ll get there next lesson. Zai4 jian4
(Source:english.cri.cn)
