Archive for March 29th, 2008

Children Chinese – Buying Stuff (3)

Saturday, March 29th, 2008

Download for Games lesson 9-3

(Source: usa.betterchinese.com)

Chinese Pinyin – Street Sign Styles(3)

Saturday, March 29th, 2008

Nan Jing E. Rd. Sec. 4

Even worse

People who put up such signs are perhaps laboring under the absurd notion that street signs are not for helping communicate locations and directions but for providing foreign drivers with a means to study the pronunciation of individual Chinese characters. There is nothing good to say about this style.

(Source: pinyin.info)

Learn Chinese Podcast – Happy China 97

Saturday, March 29th, 2008

                         Click to Watch Video Podcast

  (1月15日播出)

  旁白: 一大早,

  It was still early morning

  我们又开始了新的行程,

  when we set off again

  前往中国的第三大岛——崇明岛。

  for China’s third largest island,

  Chongming Island.

  这又坐船,又坐车。

  We got there first by boat

  and then by bus.

  经过了几番周折,

  We took so much hassle

  就是为了看看

  just in order to take

  a look at

  这个以原始生态环境而著名的

  this backyard garden of Shanghai,

  上海后花园。

  known for its unspoiled

  ecological environment.

  我很期待,

  I certainly expect it

  希望在这儿能有新的收获。

  to be another rewarding trip.

  韩佳: 快乐学汉语,万里海疆行!

  Learn Chinese the fun way and enjoy

  a Happy Journey across China!

  我是快乐的韩佳。

  I’m Merry Han Jia.

  王渊源:我是快乐的渊源。

  And I’m Happy Yuanyuan.

  我们现在在崇明岛向大家问好。

  We’re saying hello to you on

  Chongming Island.

  韩佳: 这个崇明岛

  Chongming Island

  从形成到现在呢,

  has a long history

  已经有一千三百多年的历史了。

  of more than one thousand and

  three hundreds years.

  王渊源:一千多年的历史!

  A history of over one thousand years!

  那可够长的了!

  That’s a very long history!

  韩佳: 是啊。渊源你看,

  Yes. Look, Yuanyuan,

  那边就是长江。

  over there is the Yangtze River.

  最初,

  At first,

  崇明岛只是长江口的浅海。

  Chongming Island was part of the shallow

  sea area at the mouth of the Yangtze.

  由于长江携带泥沙,不断淤积,

  But by the Tang Dynasty,

  due to the sedimentation

  那到了唐代的时候,

  of silt from the Yangtze River,

  它就渐渐地露出了水面。

  it gradually rose above water.

  于是呢,

  And thus,

  人们就在上面设立了崇明镇。

  people set up a town here

  called Chongming.

  王渊源:那这么说,

  That is to say

  “崇明”这个名字

  the name Chongming

  也就是唐代的时候才有的呀?

  has only existed since the

  Tang Dynasty?

  韩佳: 对啊。

  Yes.

  后来由于江水的不断冲刷,

  Later, due to the constant washing

  of the river water,

  崇明岛的位置一直在改变。

  Chongming Island changed

  its location all the time.

  那到了明代的时候呢,

  By the Ming Dynasty,

  崇明岛才基本稳定在了

  Chongming Island has basically

  现在的这个地方。

  stabilized at the current location.

  王渊源:那这个岛有多大呀?

  How big is this island?

  韩佳: 崇明岛

  Chongming Island

  被称为中国的第三大岛。

  is considered the third

  largest island of China.

  现在啊

  Currently

  全岛面积是1411平方公里。

  the island’s total area is

  1,411 square km.

  但是啊

  But the Yangtze River

  长江不断的会带来新的泥沙,

  constantly brings silt to it,

  所以崇明岛每年

  so its land area increases

  some 20,000 mu

  都会增加土地两万多亩。

  (about 1,400 hectares) each year.

  王渊源:那看来这崇明岛的形成,

  It seems the formation of

  Chongming Island

  和我们去过的东营的形成过程

  was quite similar to that of

  the city Dongying

  很相似。

  that we visited.

  韩佳: 对啊。渊源刚才说的“看来”,

  Yes. Yuanyuan just said “kan lai”

  是用来表示

  to mean it

  说话的人对情况的大概估计。

  seems or it looks as if.

  王渊源:“看来”用来表示

  ”Kan lai” means

  说话的人对情况的大概估计。

  it seems or it looks as if.

  Kànlái tāmen de xíngchéng guòchéng hěn xiāngsì

  看来 它们 的 形成 过程 很 相似。

  It seems that they were formed

  in similar ways.

  旁白: 崇明岛的形成和演变

  The formation and evolution

  of Chongming Island

  与长江有着直接的关系。

  have been directly related

  to the Yangtze River.

  这个由泥沙淤积而成的冲积岛

  This alluvial island

  正处于长江入海的中心位置。

  lies right in the center of

  the Yangtze’s mouth.

  自然的就把长江

  It naturally divides the river into

  分为了南北两个部分。

  the north and south branches.

  韩佳: 观众朋友们,

  Audience friends,

  我们现在呢

  right now we are

  就是在崇明岛的最西端。

  at the westernmost tip of

  Chongming Island.

  王渊源:长江呢

  It is from here that

  the Yangtze River

  就是从这里开始一分为二。

  is divided into two parts.

  韩佳: 对。因为这边的水道

  Yes. As the waterway

  on this side

  要比那边的水道宽很多,

  is a lot wider than the one

  on the other side,

  于是一般的大型货轮、游船

  most big cargo and cruise ships

  就会从这里驶向大海。

  get into the sea from here.

  旁白: 也许是因为崇明岛

  Maybe because of the existence

  位于长江入海口的缘故,

  of Chongming Island,

  这里和黄河入海的地方

  the mouth of the Yangtze River

  is quite similar

  有很多相似的地方。

  to that of the Yellow River.

  它们同样都是因为泥沙的淤积,

  Due to the sedimentation of silt,

  形成了大片的滩涂,

  vast wetlands have been formed,

  从而给芦苇等野生动植物

  giving rise to the growth

  提供了一个广阔的生长空间。

  of reeds and other wild plants.

  韩佳: 渊源,这里就是西沙湿地。

  Yuanyuan, here is the Xisha Wetlands.

  是一片保持着

  It is a stretch of

  自然本色的滩涂湿地。

  unspoiled shallows.

  王渊源:“本色”又是什么意思呀?

  What does “bense” mean?

  韩佳: “本色”就是指本来的面貌啊。

  ”Bense” means true or inherent qualities.

  王渊源:“本色”就是指本来的面貌。

  ”Bense” means true or inherent qualities.

  也就是说

  That means

  这块湿地一直保持着自然的面貌。

  this stretch of wetlands has

  remained intact.

  韩佳: 对啊。所以呢,

  Yes. Naturally,

  就成了候鸟

  it has become a haven

  for migrant birds

  还有各种野生动植物的天堂了。

  and many other species of wildlife.

  王渊源:你看,这边还有很多小螃蟹。

  Look, there are also many

  little crabs over here.

  韩佳: 还真是啊。看到它们啊

  Yes indeed. Seeing them

  倒让我想起了一个地方,

  reminds me of a place,

  那儿的螃蟹呀

  which has a lot more crabs

  可比这儿的要多得多啊。

  than the place here.

  王渊源:是吗?那在哪儿呢?

  Really? Where is that place?

  咱们现在就过去。

  Let’s go over there now.

  韩佳: 好啊。

  Okay.

  旁白: 其实啊,

  In fact,

  我也听当地人介绍才知道,

  I also heard from locals that

  这个岛上有一个蟹种培育示范基地。

  there is a pilot crab cultivation base

  on this island.

  据说,这个基地培育的蟹苗

  They say the baby crabs

  cultivated from here

  已经在中国其他十多个省市的

  have been adopted to

  三十多个湖泊中养殖了。

  over 30 lakes in more than

  ten Chinese provinces.

  韩佳: 像阳澄湖大闸蟹、太湖大闸蟹

  Such as the Dazha Crabs from

  lakes of Yangcheng and Taihu

  都是出自于这里。

  all come from here.

  王渊源:阳澄湖的大闸蟹啊

  Yangcheng Lake’s Dazha Crabs

  那可是鼎鼎有名啊!

  are very famous!

  谁都知道,特好吃。

  Everybody knows such crabs

  are very delicious.

  韩佳: 渊源刚才说的“鼎鼎有名”啊,

  Yuanyuan just said “dingding

  you ming”,

  就是指非常有名气。

  meaning very famous.

  王渊源:“鼎鼎有名”就是指非常有名气。

  ”Dingding you ming” means

  very famous.

  Dǐngdǐngyǒumíng de dàzháxiè jiù chūzi yú zhèli

  鼎鼎有名 的 大闸蟹 就 出自 于 这里。

  The famous Dazha Crabs come from here.

  那韩佳,你说这里这么多蟹苗,

  Han Jia, there are so many

  baby crabs here,

  为什么要搬到别的地方去养殖啊?

  why should they be moved and

  raised elsewhere?

  干吗不就直接在这儿把它们养大呀?

  Why shouldn’t they be kept here?

  韩佳: 也是啊。

  It sounds reasonable.

  这儿都只有小蟹苗。

  But these are all small crabs.

  却看不到大螃蟹。

  We can’t see big crabs.

  我们去问问这里的负责人吧。

  Let’s go ask someone

  responsible here.

  你看,他们好像正在捞蟹苗啊。

  Look, it seems they are netting

  baby crabs there.

  王渊源:是啊,还真是。

  Yes, indeed.

  韩佳: 真是不少啊!

  Really a lot of them!

  请问一下,

  Excuse me,

  既然这里有这么多小蟹苗,

  since there are so many

  baby crabs here,

  为什么还要把它们

  why do you move them

  拿到别的地方去养殖?

  to other places to raise?

  不直接在这儿把它们养大呢?

  Why don’t you let them

  grow up here?

  嘉宾: 螃蟹在繁殖的时候

  During the breeding season,

  它需要咸水。

  crabs require saltwater.

  但是在生长的期间,

  But during their growth period,

  它需要的是淡水生长。

  they need freshwater.

  所以呢

  So the crabs are bred here

  培育在崇明岛,养殖在岛外。

  but kept and raised outside

  the island.

  王渊源:说是蟹苗,可也不小啊!

  Though they are called baby crabs,

  they don’t look small at all!

  嘉宾: 这个已经长大了。

  And this one has already

  grown up.

  最小的时候,

  But when they were small,

  它一斤是在八万个。

  160,000 of them weighed

  only one kilo.

  韩佳: 那我们还能看到那个小的吗?

  Can we still see the smaller ones?

  嘉宾: 没有了。

  No, no more.

  每年的五月份开始有。

  You can see them in May

  every year.

  王渊源:那我刚摸了一下。

  Just now I touched and

  felt it.

  为什么它的壳这么软呢?

  Why is its shell so soft?

  嘉宾: 因为它还在生长过程中。

  Because it is still in the process

  of growth.

  螃蟹从育期到养成大蟹

  Crabs’ growth period

  要一年半的时间。

  lasts one year and a half.

  要蜕十七次到十九次的皮

  A crab has to shed its skin

  17 or 19 times

  才能长成成熟的商品蟹。

  before it becomes a fully-grown

  commercial crab.

  王渊源:那么多次!

  So many times!

  韩佳: 对啊。

  Yes.

  王渊源:还真不容易。

  It’s really not an easy process.

  韩佳: 是啊。观众朋友们,

  Of course, not. Audience friends,

  我们今天啊

  today we’ve really had

  可算是长了见识了。

  an eye-opening experience.

  那您呢

  Now please join us

  现在就让我们到赏心悦目中,

  on the Feast for the Eyes

  再去领略一下

  to get a glimpse of

  崇明岛美丽的风光吧。

  the beautiful Chongming Island.

  赏心悦目:

  崇明岛 中国的第三大岛

  Chongming Island is China’s third largest island.

  它的形成与长江口的演变紧密相关

  Its formation was related to the evolution

  of the mouth of the Yangtze River.

  岛上水土洁净 空气清新

  Because of its unspoiled and quiet environment,

  素有“上海后花园”的美誉

  it is billed as Shanghai’s backyard garden.

  大量的泥沙淤积 不断给这里扩展着新的土地

  The great quantities of silt constantly add

  new land to the island.

  美丽的自然风光 优越的生态环境

  The beautiful scenery and excellent

  ecological environment

  使这里成为国家级生态示范区

  have made it a national-class ecological

  demonstration area.

  这颗长江口的明珠 将更加光彩夺目

  This pearl at the mouth of the Yangtze River

  will shine even brighter.

  韩佳: 好了,观众朋友们,

  Well, audience friends,

  看完了今天的赏心悦目之后呢,

  after the Feast for the Eyes,

  又该给您出有奖问答题喽。

  it’s time again for the day’s

  award-winning question.

  王渊源:好了,

  Okay,

  我们今天的题目是这样的。

  here’s today’s question.

  (问题部分略)

  韩佳: 那明天同一时间,

  We’ll be meeting you same

  time tomorrow

  我们继续与您相约在崇明岛。

  still on Chongming Island.

  王渊源:最后呢,还是要提醒您,

  Before we go, we’d still

  remind you

  别忘了我们的口号。

  not to forget our slogan.

  合: 学说中国话,朋友遍天下!

  Learn Chinese and make friends everywhere!

  韩佳: 怎么了?

  What’s up?

  王渊源:螃蟹!

  A crab!

  韩佳: 啊!

  Oh!

(Source: cctv.com)