Archive for May 8th, 2008

Learn Chinese Podcast – Happy China 137

Thursday, May 8th, 2008
 
 

                           Click to Watch Video Podcast

  (3月26日播出)

  旁白: 定海是中国唯一的

  Dinghai is the only

  海洋历史文化名城,

  historical and cultural island town

  in China,

  有着“舟山群岛之首”的称号。

  billed as the biggest island of

  the Zhoushan Archipelago.

  在这里,

  Here,

  多姿多彩的民俗文化传承已久,

  there are centuries-old fascinating folk

  cultural traditions,

  成为了舟山一道亮丽的风景。

  which constitute the most striking of

  attractions of the Zhoushan Archipelago.

  唱戏: 快乐学汉语,

  Learn Chinese the fun way

  万里海疆行!

  and enjoy a happy journey

  across China!

  我们是快乐的韩佳

  We are Merry Han Jia …

  和快乐的渊源。

  and Happy Yuanyuan respectively.

  韩佳: 都说定海的民俗文化非常有特色。

  All say the folk culture in Dinghai

  is very unique.

  这话真的是一点儿都不假呀!

  It is surely true!

  王渊源:是。我和韩佳刚刚来到这儿,

  Yes. Soon upon our arrival here,

  Han Jia and I

  就被这些精致的小木偶吸引住了。

  became fascinated by these elegant,

  little puppets.

  韩佳: 因为它们实在是太可爱了。

  That’s because they really

  look so cute.

  王渊源:这“实在”怎么讲?

  How do you explain the meaning

  of “shizai”?

  韩佳: 那我刚才说的“实在”呢

  I just said “zhizai”

  在这里就是的确的意思。

  to mean indeed, really or honestly.

  王渊源:哦,“实在”在这里就是的确的意思。

  Oh, “shizai” means indeed, really

  or honestly.

  Tāmen de yàngzi shízài tài kěai le

  它们 的 样子 实在 太 可爱 了。

  They really look so cute.

  那这些可爱的小木偶

  These cute puppets

  又叫做布袋木偶,对吧?

  are also called hand puppets, right?

  韩佳: 嗯。那在舟山呢,

  Yes. Here in Zhoushan,

  把这种用木偶来表演的形式

  the performance of puppets

  称为布袋木偶戏。

  is called hand puppetry.

  王渊源:哦。我听说舟山木偶戏

  Oh. I heard Zhoushan puppetry

  起源于明朝,

  originated from the Ming Dynasty

  是从安徽和福建一带传入的。

  and was introduced from Anhui

  and Fujian.

  至今已经有一百五十多年的历史了。

  It has a history of more than

  150 years.

  旁白: 这个木偶戏的表演

  The puppetry performance

  实在是太精彩了,

  was so wonderful

  令我大开眼界。

  that it broadened my horizons.

  听韩佳说,

  I heard from Han Jia that

  在定海还有一种独特的跳蚤舞。

  Dinghai’s flea dance is also

  very unique.

  这种舞蹈起源于清朝。

  This type of dance originated

  from the Qing Dynasty.

  最初,

  At first,

  是在人们喜庆丰收的时候表演。

  it was danced to celebrate a

  good harvest.

  后来,逐渐发展成一种祭祀的舞蹈。

  Later, it gradually evolved into

  a kind of sacrificial dance.

  它节奏明快,表演诙谐。

  It is characterized with fast beat

  and humorous performance.

  是舟山最有代表性的民间舞蹈。

  It is Zhoushan’s most typical

  folk dance.

  韩佳: 渊源,

  Yuanyuan,

  在舟山众多的民间艺术中啊,

  of Zhoushan’s various folk arts,

  还有一种已经被列入了

  one has been listed among China’s

  第一批中国非物质文化遗产名录。

  first batch of intangible heritage items.

  那就是舟山锣鼓。

  That is the Zhoushan Gong

  and Drum Music.

  它的表演队伍啊

  The contingent of performers

  一直在不断地扩大。

  has always been expanding.

  现在就连小学生都会表演呢。

  Even primary school students

  can perform it.

  王渊源:啊,小学生都会啊!

  What, even primary school

  students can!

  那我可真要见识一下了。

  I should really see the

  performance myself.

  韩佳: 你呀别急。

  You’re always impatient.

  还是我先给你介绍介绍吧。

  Let me give you some

  explanation first.

  王渊源:好啊。

  Okay.

  韩佳: 舟山锣鼓呢

  Zhoushan Gong and Drum

  是过去舟山当地渔民祈求平安的

  used to be a form of folk art

  performed among

  一种民间艺术表演。

  Zhoushan fishermen as a means

  of seeking safety.

  从明清时期起,

  Starting from the Ming and

  Qing dynasties,

  就开始在定海广为流传了。

  it became also popular in Dinghai.

  王渊源:那看来它的历史也很久了。

  It seems to have a very

  long history.

  韩佳: 对啊。

  Yes indeed.

  舟山锣鼓最早是应用于航海。

  At first Zhoushan Gong and Drum was

  performed for seafaring purposes.

  它在不同的情况下表演呢

  It functioned differently

  都会起到不同的作用。

  on different occasions.

  王渊源:那都有哪些作用呢?

  What functions did it have?

  韩佳: 当航船靠岸的时候呢,

  When a boat pulled up ashore,

  这种表演啊

  its performance

  可以招揽顾客来购买海货。

  could attract buyers of marine products.

  那当航船在远行途中的时候呢,

  When it was performed in the course

  of a long voyage,

  这种表演

  the performance

  可以让人们觉得不那么寂寞。

  could make people feel less lonely.

  当航船在航行的途中啊

  When a boat encountered

  a thick fog

  遇到大雾的时候呢,

  in the course of navigation,

  这种表演

  the performance

  又可以起到传递信号的作用。

  could send out signals for help.

  王渊源:想不到

  I never imagined

  这一种表演会有这么多作用。

  the performance had so

  many functions.

  那可真是一举多得。

  That’s really one thing serving

  many purposes.

  韩佳: 嗯,没错儿。

  Yes, exactly.

  “举”呢就是指举动。

  ”Ju” refers to an act.

  “一举多得”

  ”Yi ju duo de”

  就是指做一件事情

  means that something you do

  可以得到很多收获。

  achieves many things.

  王渊源:“一举多得”

  ”Yi ju duo de”

  就是指做一件事情

  means to achieve many things

  可以得到很多收获。

  at one stroke.

  韩佳: 那除此之外呢,

  Besides,

  在一些大户人家婚嫁、

  on weddings of rich families,

  祝寿的喜庆日子,

  during birthday celebrations,

  还有新船下海、

  on the launch of a boat,

  人们搬新家的时候,

  or when a family moved into

  a new home,

  都会表演舟山锣鼓。

  Zhoushan Gong and Drum was

  always performed.

  王渊源:舟山锣鼓有这么多作用。

  Zhoushan Gong and Drum used to

  have so many functions.

  要是我也能学会就好了!

  If only I could also learn it!

  韩佳: 那我带你找师傅去。

  Let me find a teacher for you.

  王渊源:好啊!

  Good!

  这表演的场面够热烈的!

  The performance is so exciting!

  韩佳: 是啊。这舟山锣鼓呢

  Yes. The music is performed mainly

  以锣、鼓、钹及唢呐为基调。

  with gongs, drums, cymbals

  and suona trumpets.

  表演的气氛很热烈,

  The performance is very boisterous

  and exciting,

  具有鲜明的海岛特色。

  showing a significant feature

  of the island.

  王渊源:真是很不错。

  This is very good indeed.

  哎,对了,韩佳,

  Oh yeah, Han Jia,

  你帮我找的老师在哪儿啊?

  where is the teacher you

  found for me?

  韩佳: 就是他们呀。

  These are all exactly your teachers.

  这些学生呢

  These students

  是定海海山小学锣鼓队的成员。

  are members of the Dinghai Haishan

  Primary School Percussion Band.

  你随便找一个

  You can pick out any of them

  都可以当你的老师。

  to be your teacher.

  王渊源:啊,真的呀?

  Oh, really?

  韩佳: 那当然了。

  Of course.

  这个学生锣鼓队的表演水平非常高。

  The level of performance of

  this student band is very high.

  他们已经参加过

  They have participated in

  很多不同规模的比赛,

  a number of contests of

  various kinds

  而且都获得了大奖。

  and won big awards at them.

  前不久啊,

  Not long ago,

  他们还专门到美国

  they went to America specially

  去做了精彩的表演呢。

  and performed wonderfully.

  王渊源:“专门”是什么意思啊?

  What does “zhuanmen” mean?

  韩佳: “专门”呢

  ”Zhuanmen”

  就是指专为某种目的而做某事,

  means specially, or to do something

  for a specific purpose,

  相当于“特地”。

  similar to “tedi”.

  王渊源:“专门”

  ”Zhuanmen”

  就是指专为某种目的而做某事,

  means specially, or to do something

  相当于“特地”。

  for a specific purpose.

  Wǒmen shì zhuānmén lái xué zhōushaān luógǔ de

  我们 是 专门 来 学 舟山 锣鼓 的。

  We came here specially to learn how to

  play Zhoushan percussion instruments.

  韩佳: 小同学,你好。

  Hello, young friend.

  我们两个是专门来

  The two of us came here

  specially to learn

  跟你学舟山锣鼓的。

  how to play Zhoushan percussion

  instruments.

  能教教我们吗?

  Can you teach us?

  嘉宾: 没问题。

  No problem.

  我们舟山锣鼓里面的乐器有很多种,

  There are many kinds of Zhoushan

  percussion instruments,

  如锣、鼓、钹和唢呐。

  such as the gong, the drum,

  the cymbal and the suona.

  你们要学哪种呢?

  Which kind of instrument

  do you want to learn?

  韩佳: 学什么?

  What should we learn?

  王渊源:我要学的话,

  If I learn,

  我就学那个最大的鼓吧。

  I want to learn how to beat the drum,

  the biggest of them all.

  韩佳: 那我就学锣吧。

  Then I want to learn how to

  strike the gong.

  王渊源:好吧,那观众朋友们,

  All right, audience friends,

  我和韩佳就要各自去练习了。

  I and Han Jia are going to

  practice separately now.

  您先休息一下,

  Please take a break

  欣赏一下定海的美景。

  and enjoy the beautiful scenery

  of Dinghai.

  赏心悦目:

  定海是中国海岛历史文化名城

  The island town Dinghai has deep historical

  and cultural traditions.

  有着“舟山群岛之首”的称号

  It is billed as the head of Zhoushan Archipelago.

  跳蚤舞独具地方特色

  Flea Dance is a unique form of folk art,

  节奏明快 表演诙谐

  characterized by fast beat and humorous movements.

  古城要塞 人文定海

  This militarily important ancient town

  多姿多彩的民俗文化传承已久

  has a centuries-old cultural tradition.

  舟山锣鼓

  The Zhoushan Gong and Drum Music

  被列入第一批中国非物质文化遗产名录

  has been listed among the first batch

  Chinese intangible heritage.

  演奏形式独特 极具艺术表现力

  The unique performance forms a bright

  成为舟山亮丽的风景

  attraction of its own for visitors.

  王渊源:韩佳,你说我敲得怎么样啊?

  Han Jia, what do you think of

  my drumbeats?

  韩佳: 还不错啊。

  Not bad.

  我刚才敲得也还行吧?

  Did I strike the gong also

  pretty well?

  王渊源:要不咱们俩换着学?

  How about swapping the

  instruments to learn?

  韩佳: 好是好。不过现在呢

  It’s a good idea. But for

  the present,

  先要给大家出今天的有奖问答题。

  you’d better set today’s award-winning

  question for our audience.

  您听好了。

  Listen carefully.

  (问题部分略)

  节目的最后呢,

  At the end of this program,

  还是要提醒您

  we’d still want to remind you

  我们的口号不能忘。

  not to forget our slogan.

  合: 学说中国话,朋友遍天下!

  Learn Chinese and make friends everywhere!

     (Source: cctv.com)

China Travel – Lingering Garden (1)

Thursday, May 8th, 2008

The Lingering Garden is located at Liuyuan road, outer Lumen Ave., Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province.

 

 

The Lingering Garden is one of the four classical gardens in Suzhou City. In the Jianing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), an official named Xu Jiongqing from the Taipu Temple built two gardens here: one in the east and the other in the west. The one in the east is the predecessor of today’s Lingering Garden. In the later years of the Qianlong reign, Liu Shu got the eastern garden. He rebuilt it and changed its name to “Hanbi Mountain Villa”. Because the owner Liu Shu was quite fond of stones and his surname was Liu, the garden was called the Liu’s Garden accordingly. In the 12th year (1886) of the Guangxu reign, the garden became in the possession of a wealthy comprador Sheng Xuren, and changed its name to the Lingering Garden. After Suzhou City was recovered in the 1911 Revolution, the Lingering Garden and other possessions of Sheng Xuren were confiscated by the revolutionary army. The Lingering Garden experienced several damages in the following years, and became a big staple for Japanese during the War of Resistance against Japan. After new China was founded, Suzhou municipal government set aside a sum of money to repair the Lingering Garden. Since then, the Lingering Garden has taken a new look.

 

Covering an area of 23,310 square meters, today the garden is separated into the eastern, central, northern and western parts.

 

The central part, which has the longest history and is the essence of the Lingering Garden, is the original location of former Hanbi Mountain Villa, which was centered by the Guangchi Pond, with rockeries to its west and north part and buildings to its south. A small Penglai Islet stands in the pond, connecting with the banks by a winding bridge. Those stone steps around the pond are mainly built of yellow stones. Rockeries in the west are covered with green trees. Via the corridor, you can climb to a pavilion on the top of the rockeries. Looking down, you can see all the sceneries: east and south to the pond, Hanbi House, the Mingse Building, the Lüyin Veranda, the Quxi Building and other buildings standing around the pond. Big or small, far or near, high or low, these buildings are changeable with suitable and distinct gradation, showing the ingenuity of the builders.

 

The grand and luxurious the Wufengxian Hall to the east of the Quxi Building is the biggest hall in all the gardens in Suzhou City. It is nicely decorated. In the south part of the Xietiao Hall is the largest rockery of all the classical gardens in Suzhou City. The Jifeng Building and several neighboring yards are in the east part. The central part of the Lingering Garden is surrounded by verdant rockeries and pavilions with corridor as well as and bridges, flowers and trees blooming in four seasons. As meaningful as a poem and as beautiful as a picture, this part presents the main scenic spot of the Lingering Garden.

 

(Source: chinaculture.org)

Chinese Characters: abiding 持久的

Thursday, May 8th, 2008

abiding:

Chinese Pinyin: chi2 jiu3 de

(Source: about.com)