Archive for June 1st, 2008

Cri – Lesson 154

Sunday, June 1st, 2008

M: Péngyǒumen. Nǐmen hǎo! Huānyíng shōutīng Xiànzài Xué Hànyǔ. Wǒ shì ML.

S: Wǒ shì Stuart. Today we’ll learn how to ask and tell someone’s age. Very useful for cutting out underage drinking!

M: There are several ways to ask someone’s age. Here’s a common one. Stuart, 你多大了 nǐ duō dà le?

S: Twenty one 二十一岁 èr shí yī suì.

M: 二十一岁? èr shí yī suì? I don’t believe you 我不相信 wǒ bù xiāngxìn.

S: 你不信吗 nǐ búxìn ma? ok, 二十六岁 èr shí lìu suì.

M: So, the simplest way to ask someone’s age is 你多大了 nǐ duō dà le? The 多DUO duō, here literally means ‘how much’. 多大 ‘how much big?’ and it means ‘how old?’. And we usually put the little le at the end. How old are you 你多大了? Say it, everybody, nǐ duō dà le?

S: Twenty-one 二十一岁 èr shí yī suì.

M: Now, did anyone hear the word for ‘year’ when we’re talking about someone’s age?

S: It’s not 年 nián, as in ‘this year’ 今年 jīn nián.

M: Listen again. Stuart, 你多大了 nǐ duō dà le?

S: Thirty 我三十岁 wǒ sān shí suì.

M: Got it? Duì le. 岁SUI suì.

S: So now everybody ask, How old are you? And then answer, Forty-one.

M: Hěn hǎo. 你多大了 nǐ duō dà le?

S: 四十一岁 sì shí yī suì.

M: Now ask, How old is he? And answer 55.

S: Méi cuò. 他多大了 tā duō dà le?

M: 55. 他五十五岁 tā wǔ shí wǔ suì.

S: Good. Now put in the jīnnián, and ask, How old are you this year?

M: Duìle. 你今年多大了 nǐ jīnnián duō dà le?

S: Now answer with your own age. And be honest!

S: Welcome back! Now, one thing. We’ve learnt ‘nǐ duō dà le’, and ‘nǐ jīn niàn duō dà le’. You would usually use these to ask someone roughly your age or younger.

M: We’ll learn how to ask the age of someone older than you in our next lesson. Now let’s practice asking some women their age.

S: Very dangerous, but we have to learn 女士 NV SHI, which means ‘Ms.’, ‘Mrs.’, or Madam, nǚshì.

M: For example, Mrs. Wang is 王女士 wáng nǚshì.

S: So, repeat with us. 王女士,你多大了 Wáng nǚshì, nǐ duō dà le?

M: Twenty-nine, 二十九岁 èr shí jǐu suì.

S: 张女士,你今年多大了? Zhāng nǚshì, nǐ jīn nián duō dà le?

M: Thirty-two, 三十二岁 sān shí èr suì.

S: 李女士,你今年多大了? Lǐ nǚshì, nǐ jīnnián duō dà le?

M: Forty-two, 四十二岁 sì shí èr suì.

S: 陈女士,你多大了?Chén nǚshì, nǐ jīnnián duō dà le?

M: Forty-seven, 四十七岁 sì shí qī suì.

S: 曼丽,你多大了?Mànlì, nǐ duō dà le?

M: That’s a secret 那是秘密. Zài jiàn.

(Source:english.cri.cn)

Children Chinese – Colours

Sunday, June 1st, 2008

Red
Blue
Green
Yellow
Orange
Purple
Black
White
Topic: Colors in Chinese

Colours in Chinese

(Source: www.chinese4kids.net)

Learn Chinese Podcast – Happy China 161

Sunday, June 1st, 2008

 

 

                               Click to Watch Video Podcast

旁白:中国的四大发明

       China’s four great inventions

       一直是每一个中国人的骄傲。

       always make every Chinese proud.

       造纸术、火药、

       Papermaking, gunpowder

       指南针、活字印刷,

       the compass and removable-

       type printing,

       这几样发明对人类文明的发展

       these inventions have played

       a great propelling

       起到了巨大的推动作用。

       role in the development of

       human civilization.

       今天,我们就要去瑞安的东源村,

       Today we’re going to visit

       Dongyuan Village of Ruian

       见识一下古老的活字印刷术。

       to take a look at the age-old

       removable-type printing technique.

王渊源:好,好。大家别急啊。

       Okay, okay. Take it easy.

       别急啊。肯定会特别好啊。

       Take it easy. It’ll be definitely

       very good.

       别急。要不先让一下。

       But be patient. Allow me

       to pass, please.

       先让一下。好。

       Excuse me. Oh, thanks.

韩佳:    渊源,

       Yuanyuan,

       你今天怎么这么神气呀?

       why are you looking so

       cocky today?

王渊源:什么气?我没生气呀!

       What “qi”? I am not

       angry at all!

韩佳:    我没说你生气。

       I didn’t say you are angry.

       我说你神气。

       I said you are cocky.

       “神气”就是指像渊源现在这样,

       “Shenqi”, just like the way

       Yuanyuan looks,

       自以为优越,而表现出得意

       means to be cocky,

       或者是骄傲的样子来。

       haughty or arrogant.

王渊源:“神气”

       So “shenqi”

       指自以为优越,而表现出得意的样子。

       here means cocky.

韩佳:    那我们举个例子来说吧。

       Let’s explain with an example.

 

    Tā  kàn  shang  qu  tèbié shénqi

                    特别  神气。

       He looks very cocky.

 

王渊源:哎,韩佳,我这不是神气。

       Oh, Han Jia, I am not cocky.

       我这是高兴啊。

       I’m really very happy.

韩佳:    高兴?

       Happy?

       那你为什么高兴啊?

       Why are you so happy?

王渊源:因为我在这个东源村

       Because I’ve learned the removable-type

       学会了活字印刷术。

       printing technique at Dongyuan Village.

       所以他们都在这儿

       That’s why they are all here,

       想看我的表演呢。

       wanting to see my demonstration.

韩佳:    真的啊?那你赶快啊。

       Really? Show us quickly.

王渊源:好,没问题。

       Okay, no problem.

       好,留神啊。看好了啊。

       Well, be attentive. Look clearly.

       先这样。

       First, like this.

       再这样。

       Then, like this.

       再这样。

       And then like this.

       好了。

       All right.

       你看,大功告成了!

       Look, it’s all done!

韩佳:    啊,完了?

       What, all done?

王渊源:对呀。

       Yeah.

韩佳:    那还有排版啊、刻字啊。

       You haven’t shown us typesetting

       and type-cutting yet.

王渊源:这些啊我还没来得及学呢。

       All this I haven’t had a chance

       to learn yet.

韩佳:    那你呀趁今天这个机会

       Then you should take this

       opportunity today

       好好地学一学吧。

       to learn it in real earnest.

       渊源,那你对活字印刷术

       Yuanyuan, how much do

       you know

       又了解多少呢?

       about removable-type printing?

王渊源:我知道它是中国的四大发明之一。

       I know it is one of China’s four

       great inventions.

韩佳;      嗯。那你知道

       Yes. Then do you know

       它是什么时候发明的呀?

       when it was invented?

王渊源:不知道。

       No, I don’t know.

韩佳:    那你知道它是谁发明的呢?

       Do you know who invented it?

王渊源:也不知道。

       No, neither.

韩佳:    那你知道

       Then do you know …

王渊源:韩佳,

       Han Jia,

       我看咱们还是理论联系实际吧。

       I think we should relate theory

       to practice.

       我一边动手做,

       While I work with my hands,

       你一边告诉我这些知识吧?

       could you explain the knowledge

       to me?

韩佳:    那好吧。

       Okay.

       渊源刚才说到的“联系”啊

       Yuanyuan just said “lianxi”.

       在这里是个动词,

       Here it is a verb,

       指事物之间接上关系。

       meaning to relate or link.

王渊源:“联系”指事物之间接上关系。

       So “lianxi” means to integrate,

       relate or link.

韩佳:    举个例子来说吧。

       Let’s explain with an example.

 

   Wǒmen  yīnggāi  lǐlùn  liánxi  shíjì

        我们    应该    理论  联系   实际。

       We should relate theory to practice.

 

       活字印刷术呢,

       Removable-type printing

       是在北宋的时候

       was invented by a man called

       Bi Sheng

       大约九百多年前吧,

       in the Northern Song Dynasty

       由一位叫毕升的人发明的。

       some 900 years ago.

       你看,在这里呢

       Here you can see

       可以看到活字印刷术的全过程。

       the entire removable-type printing technique.

       首先呢,要把木头切成这样的小方块。

       First, cut wood into a small block

       like this.

       然后呢,在上面用毛笔反着写字。

       Then, write on it with brush

       a character in reverse.

       最后再把它刻出来。

       And last cut out the character.

       这样呢一个字模就做好了。

       Thus a type has been made.

王渊源:这看起来也不是很难嘛。

       It doesn’t look very difficult.

韩佳:    谁说的。

       You are wrong.

       光是反着写字这一项

       Just the skill of writing

       in reverse

       就会难倒很多人。

       would baffle a lot of people.

王渊源:这可不一定。你看我的,

       It may not be true. Look,

       倒着刻。

       I can cut in reverse.

       你看怎么样?

       What do you think?

韩佳:    你倒会挑字啊!

       You’re so good at choosing characters!

       挑了个最简单的。

       You chose one of the simplest.

王渊源:看起来还不错呢!

       It doesn’t look bad, eh!

       这回算是真正学会了活字印刷术了。

       Now I’ve really learned the removable-

       type printing technique.

韩佳:    还没完呢。

       That’s not all.

       一篇文章或者是一本书

       A piece of writing or a book

       要用到成千上万个汉字。

       would need tens of thousands

       of Chinese types.

       那你怎么样才能够快速地

       How can you pick out

       very quickly

       找出你想要的字来呢?

       all the types you need?

王渊源:哟,还真是啊!

       Yeah, indeed!

       这么多字模,

       There are so many printing

       types here that

       我的眼睛都看花了。

       they just look blurred to me.

       这怎么挑啊?

       How could I pick out the types

       I need?

韩佳:    别着急嘛。

       Take it easy.

       这东源村的师傅们知道一套口诀。

       Typesetters in Dongyuan all know

       a pithy rhyme.

       只要按照这套口诀去挑字模,

       As long as you pick types

       according to the thyme,

       又快又准。

       you’ll pick both quickly

       and correctly.

王渊源:那这位师傅,

       That gentleman,

       您能不能教我一下呢?

       can you teach me this rhyme?

嘉宾:    这行啊。

       Sure.

王渊源:好。

       Thanks.

嘉宾:    它呢很长。

       The rhyme is very long.

       第一句,

       The first sentence …

       你跟着我。

       follow me, please.

王渊源:好。

       Okay.

嘉宾:    第一句,君王立殿堂。

       The first sentence: “Jun wang

       li dian tang.”

王渊源:君王立殿堂。

       “Jun wang li dian tang.”

嘉宾:    朝辅尽纯良。

       “Chao fu jin chun liang.”

韩佳:    看来啊这渊源是有得学喽!

       It seems Yuanyuan surely

       has a lot to learn!

王渊源:背了半天,

       After a long time,

       总算是把这口诀给背下来了。

       I’ve finally managed to memorize

       this rhyme.

韩佳:    那你现在也算是

       Now you’ve basically

       勉强学会活字印刷术了。

       mastered the removable-type

       printing technique.

王渊源:真是不容易啊!

       It was no easy job!

       哎,对了,韩佳,

       Oh yeah, Han Jia,

       这东源村怎么这么多人

       why are so many people in

       Dongyuan all

       都会活字印刷术呢?

       capable of the removable-type

       printing technique?

韩佳:    东源村的村民啊,

       Dongyuan villagers have been engaged

       很早就开始用活字印刷术

       in removable-type printing since

       an early time,

       帮别人印制家谱了。

       printing genealogical books.

       直到今天啊,

       Till today,

       还有很多人在从事这项工作。

       there are still many engaged

       in this type of work.

       所以呢

       So

       活字印刷术在这里,

       the removable-type printing technique

       就一代一代地流传下来了。

       is able to be passed down from

       generation to generation here.

王渊源:哦,原来是这样的。

       Oh, I see.

       这门技术现在可真是不多见了。

       This type of technique is rarely

       seen nowadays.

韩佳:    嗯。

       Yes.

       而且这里活字印刷术的步骤,

       The removable-type printing

       procedures here

       跟古书上记载的一模一样。

       are exactly the same as those

       recorded in ancient books.

王渊源:哎。韩佳刚才说的“一模一样”

       Yes. Han Jia just said “yi mu

       yi yang”

       就是指完全相同,没什么两样。

       means to be exactly alike.

韩佳:    嗯。“一模一样”呢

       Yes. “Yi mu yi yang”

       就是指完全相同,没什么两样。

       means exactly the same or

       exactly alike.

王渊源:既然是这样,

       That being the case,

       我要再多刻几个字

       I want to cut a few

       more characters

       印出来留个纪念。

       and print them out as

       a souvenir.

韩佳:    嗯。那我们就先来看看

       Yeah. But we’d better take

       a look

       今天的赏心悦目吧。

       at today’s Feast for the Eyes first.

 

 

赏心悦目:

 

       瑞安东源村是著名的活字印刷村

       Dongyuan Village of Rui’an is a removable-type

       printing village.

       中国四大发明之一的活字印刷术

       Removable-type printing, one of China’s four

       great inventions,

       至今在村中保留使用

       is still kept intact in this village.

       古老的木活字制作技术

       The old wooden removable-type making technique

       与传统的印刷工艺

       as well as the traditional printing technique

       在村中代代流传

       has been passed down from generation

       to generation,

       也使这门古老的技术

       making this ancient craft

       成为古代文明的活化石

       a living fossil of ancient civilization.

王渊源:来看看我的作品。

       Come and take a look at

       my work.

韩佳:    嗯。一看就知道是你做的。

       Yeah. At first sight, I know

       it’s yours.

王渊源:你都能看出来啊

       The fact that you can

       tell it’s mine

       那说明我做得还是不错的。

       shows that I did it pretty well.

韩佳:    这上面这些字啊都是反的。

       All these characters are

       printed in reverse.

       能看不出来嘛?

       How can’t I tell it’s yours?

王渊源:啊,不可能吧。

       Ah, it’s impossible.

韩佳:    好了好了,

       Well, well,

       我还是来给大家出今天的有奖问答题吧。

       I’d better set today’s award-winning

       question.

       您听好了。

       Listen carefully.


(问题部分略)

 

       好了,你就别看了。

       Well, don’t look at it any more.

       看看我给你做吧。

       Look how I do it for you.

王渊源:不服不行啊。

       I’m convinced.

 

(Source: cctv.com)