Archive for July 3rd, 2008

Learn Chinese Podcast – Happy China 193

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

   

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    韩佳:快乐学汉语,万里海疆行!

    Learn Chinese the fun way and enjoy

    a happy journey across China!

    大家好,我是快乐的韩佳。

    Hello there! I’m Merry Han Jia.

    王渊源:大家好,我是快乐的渊源。

    Hi! I’m Happy Yuanyuan.

    韩佳:我们现在是在老君岩。

    We’re now at the Lao Jun Rock.

    那我们身后的就是老君像。

    Behind us is the Statue

    of Lao Jun.

    王渊源:哎,韩佳,

    Eh, Han Jia,

    这老君像究竟是谁呀?

    who was Lao Jun?

    韩佳: 这老君啊是道家思想的创始人。

    Lao Jun founded Taoism.

    后来呢人们就尊他为道教的祖师。

    Later he was revered as the

    founder of Taoism.

    王渊源:原来这就是老子呀!

    Oh, actually he was Lao Zi!

    韩佳: 对呀。这尊老君像啊

    Yes. This statue of Lao Zi

    可有“老子天下第一”的美誉。

    is known as the biggest of

    its kind in China.

    建于宋朝,它可是用一整块

    It was carved out a complete

    天然的巨石雕刻而成的。

    huge piece of rock during

    the Song Dynasty.

    泉州是道教传播比较早的地方。

    Quanzhou was one of the places

    where Taoism was propagated.

    早在一千七百多年前的西晋时期呀,

    As early as the Western Jin Dynasty

    1700 years ago,

    泉州就已经有道观了。

    Taoism already existed

    in Quanzhou.

    后来到了唐宋时期呢,

    Later during the Tang and

    Song dynasties,

    道教在泉州就兴盛起来了。

    Taoism begun to flourish

    in Quanzhou.

    对泉州的社会生活各个方面

    It has a widespread influence

    on various

    都产生了非常广泛的影响。

    aspects of social life in Quanzhou.

    王渊源:“广泛”就是指涉及的方面广、

    ”Guangfan” means extensive,

    wide-ranging,

    范围大的意思。

    or widespread.

    韩佳: “广泛”就是指涉及的方面广、

    ”Guangfan” means extensive,

    wide-ranging,

    范围大的意思,

    or widespread,

    比如说,内容广泛、题材广泛。

    for example, extensive content,

    wide-ranging subjects.

    再比如我们刚才说的,

    Another example just as we said,

    Dào jiào duì quánzhōu de shèhuì shēnghuó yǒu guǎngfàn de

    yǐngxiǎng

    道 教 对 泉州 的 社会 生活 有 广泛 的

    影响。

    Taoism has a wide-ranging influence

    on social life in Quanzhou.

    旁白: 在了解了代表本土宗教的代表之后,

    After we’ve learned something about

    the indigenous representative religion,

    我们还是要带您去了解一下

    now we’re going to show you

    外来宗教的代表。

    a representative religion of

    foreign origin.

    那就是伊斯兰教了。

    That is Islam.

    王渊源:我听说在泉州

    I heard there are Islamic

    Holy Tombs

    还有一座伊斯兰教圣墓吧。

    in Quanzhou.

    韩佳: 嗯,没错儿。

    Yes, exactly.

    伊斯兰教的创始人穆罕默德,

    Four disciples of Mohammed,

    the founder

    他的四位门徒曾经到中国来传教。

    of Islam, came to China to

    preach Islam.

    其中有两位就到了泉州。

    Two of them came to Quanzhou.

    那他们死后呢,

    After their death,

    就葬在了这灵山上。

    they were buried on

    Lingshan Hill.

    所以呀就有了这灵山圣墓。

    The tombs are known as

    the Lingshan Holy Tombs.

    王渊源:那这就是灵山圣墓啊?

    Oh, they are Lingshan

    Holy Tombs?

    韩佳: 对啊。

    Yes.

    你看,这墓盖石是花岗岩石雕。

    Look, the tombs are covered

    with carved granite stone.

    底座环刻着莲花花瓣的图案。

    The base of each tomb is decorated

    with patterns of lotus flowers.

    还有这墓后的半月形回廊

    Behind the tombs there is

    环抱着整个墓室。

    a semicircular corridor.

    据说这样呢

    It is said to symbolize

    就象征着伊斯兰像新月一样的纯洁。

    the purity of a crescent moon

    in Islam.

    王渊源:哎,看起来这座圣墓

    Eh, these two Holy Tombs

    保存得还挺完好啊。

    seem to be very well preserved.

    韩佳: 那当然了。

    Of course.

    要知道这是伊斯兰教在中国

    You know they are among

    the oldest and

    现存最古老、最完好的圣墓之一。

    best preserved Islamic holy tombs

    existing in China.

    我们从这几根柱子上面,

    From these pillars,

    就可以确定这座圣墓的建造时间了。

    we can determine the time when

    these tombs were built.

    王渊源:“确定”就是做出符合事实的、

    ”Queding” means to determine,

    真实的判断?

    or to be sure, right?

    韩佳: 嗯。“确定”呢是个动词。

    Yes. “Queding” is a verb.

    就是做出符合事实的、真实的判断。

    It means to determine, or to be sure.

    王渊源:那从几根柱子能看出什么呢?

    What can we tell from these pillars?

    韩佳: 你看,这些柱子都是上下细、中间粗,

    Look, these pillars are all thicker

    in the middle than at the ends,

    样子呢很像一个梭子。

    very much like a shuttle.

    所以呢人们就管它叫梭柱。

    So locals call them shuttle pillars.

    那像这样造型的柱子

    Pillars of this shape

    是唐代所特有的。

    only existed in the Tang Dynasty.

    所以我们由此就可以判断,

    So we can be sure

    这座圣墓的建造时间就是在唐代。

    these Holy Tombs were built

    in the Tang Dynasty.

    旁白: 在泉州的历史上,

    In the history of Quanzhou,

    伊斯兰教作为传入泉州

    Islam has been

    主要的外国宗教。

    a dominant foreign religion.

    曾经建有七座伊斯兰清真寺。

    There have been seven mosques

    in the city.

    不过,现在保留下来的

    But so far only one

    has remained,

    就只有这一座清净寺了。

    the Qingjing Mosque.

    韩佳: 渊源,这里是仿照叙利亚大马士革

    It was built in imitation of

    the mosques

    伊斯兰教的礼拜堂修建的。

    in Damascus of Syria.

    王渊源:那这个清净寺里

    What main structures

    主要都有些什么建筑呢?

    does the Qingjing Mosque have?

    韩佳: 主要的建筑呢

    Its main structures include

    就是这奉天坛和后面的明善堂。

    the Fengtian Hall and the

    Mingshan Hall.

    王渊源:哦,那它们主要是做什么的呢?

    What are their major functions?

    韩佳: 就是穆斯林做礼拜的地方啊。

    They are the places where Muslims

    do their daily prayers.

    不过这奉天坛呢

    But the Fengtian Hall

    在明代的时候倒塌了。

    collapsed in the Ming Dynasty.

    就只剩下这周围的石墙,

    Only the surrounding stone wall

    还有这花岗岩的残柱。

    and remnant marble pillars

    are still remaining.

    那现在这里

    It has become

    已经成为中国和阿拉伯各国人民

    evidence of the friendly and

    cultural exchanges

    友好往来和文化交流的历史见证了。

    between the Chinese and Arab peoples.

    渊源,你看什么呢那么专心?

    What are you looking at

    so intently?

    王渊源:哎,韩佳,你也来看看吧。

    Eh, Han Jia, come and

    also have a look.

    这块石碑太特别了。

    This stone tablet is so special.

    你看,佛像的背后

    Look, there is a pair of

    cherubic wings

    长出一对天使的翅膀,

    growing out of the back of

    the Buddha

    胸前竟然挂着十字架,

    and even a cross on his chest,

    和我们经常看到的不一样。

    which is different from what

    we normally see.

    韩佳: 是啊。这块石碑呢一半是佛教造型,

    Yes. This stone tablet features

    half Buddhism

    一半又是基督教造型。

    and half Christianity.

    能够充分地体现出

    It fully shows the mutual influence

    古代泉州宗教之间的相互影响。

    between religions in ancient Quanzhou.

    王渊源:你别说,

    Sure enough,

    我发现这里的很多石碑

    I find many stone tablets here

    都是这个风格。

    are all of this style.

    韩佳: 对呀。在这个宗教石刻展厅里,

    Yes. Here in this religious stone

    carvings exhibition hall,

    除了有那件石刻之外呢,

    in addition to that stone carving,

    还有伊斯兰教、摩尼教

    there are also Islamic, Manichaean

    和印度教的石刻,

    and Hindu stone carvings,

    它们都融合了多种宗教艺术的特点。

    displaying a fusion of multi-

    religious arts.

    王渊源:嗯。难怪人们说

    Yes. No wonder

    泉州是个多宗教融合的圣地。

    people say Quanzhou is a

    holy land of many religions.

    这些石刻就是最有力的证据了。

    These stone carvings are the most

    powerful evidence.

    韩佳: 嗯,没错儿。

    Yes, exactly.

    “有力”在这里不是指有力气,

    ”Youli” here means strong,

    而是形容所占的分量重。

    forceful or powerful.

    王渊源:“有力”在这里不是指有力气,

    So “youli” means strong,

    而是形容所占的分量重,

    forceful or powerful,

    像有力的证据。

    as in a strong argument.

    Zhè xiē shí kè jiù shi zuì yǒu lì de zhèngju

    这 些 石 刻 就 是 最 有 力 的 证据。

    These stone carvings are the most

    powerful evidence.

    韩佳: 这些石刻

    These stone carvings,

    以其繁多的种类、独特的造型,

    multiple in types and unique

    in style,

    成为了现在

    have become valuable materials

    人们研究宗教艺术的珍贵资料。

    for the research of religious arts.

    王渊源:既然是珍贵的资料,

    Since they are so valuable,

    那我们就更要带着大家

    we’d better take a look together

    with our audience

    一起赏心悦目吧。

    at the Feast for the Eyes.

    赏心悦目:

    泉州被称为宗教的博物馆

    Quanzhou is billed as a museum

    of religions.

    不同地域的宗教文化在这里交融汇合

    Religions of different regions converge here.

    老君岩造像神态祥和

    The rock statue of Lao Zi looks gracious

    and elegant.

    灵山圣墓古老而神奇

    The Holy Tombs on Lingshan Hill

    是中国最完好的伊斯兰教圣迹之一

    are the best preserved Islamic holy sites

    in China.

    清净寺充满异国情调

    The exotic Qingjing Mosque is considered

    成为中国和阿拉伯友谊的象征

    a symbol of the Sino-Arab friendship.

    诸多宗教的遗迹

    The numerous religious sites here

    构成独特的人文景观

    are unique tourist attractions.

    韩佳: 泉州的宗教文化真是太丰富了!

    The religious culture is so

    rich in Quanzhou!

    那我们今天所学的汉语知识

    And the Chinese knowledge

    we’ve learned

    也相当丰富。

    today is also very rich.

    王渊源:下面就由我来出今天的有奖问答题吧。

    Coming up next, I’ll set today’s

    award-winning question.

    (问题部分略)

    韩佳: 明天,我和渊源啊

    Tomorrow, Yuanyuan and I

    将继续带您看泉州

    will continue to show you

    around Quanzhou

    跟您一起“万里海疆快乐行”。

    as part of our Happy Journey

    across China.

    王渊源:节目的最后,还是要提醒您,

    At the end of the program, we

    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)

Cri – Lesson 8

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

Yajie: Perfect Chinese your way, in only five minutes a day. Welcome to Chinese Studio. I’m Yajie.
Cam: Hello, every one. I’m Cam. Time flies. We are already at the end of the week. That means it’s time for us to review what we’ve learned this week.
Yajie: This week we mainly focused on basic and useful sentences for saying thanks and goodbye. Let’s go over Sentences In The week.

 

***************Sentences in the Week
During this week we learnt very basic and useful sentences for saying thanks. Let’s go over them now!
谢谢你。Thank you. 非常感谢。Thank you very much. 不用谢。不客气。You are welcome. All in today’s Chinese Studio. 
****************

Yajie: When you want to thank somebody for doing something for you. For instance, “Thank you for passing the salt.” Just say “谢谢” or “谢谢你”. 谢谢means “thank”, and 你 means “you”. Thank you. 谢谢你.
Cam: 谢谢你(xièxie nǐ).
Yajie: Cam, do you still remember the reply to 谢谢?
Cam: Yep. It’s不用谢. Bù yòng xiè! Or 不谢 (bú xiè).
Yajie: Great!

***************Sentences in the Week
Also we learnt a few popular expressions of saying goodbye. 再见, goodbye. 一会儿见, see you later. 明天见, see you tomorrow. 保重, take care. 我走了/打扰了,我走了。 哪里,您慢走。Time for me to leave./以后再来啊。
 ***************

Yajie: We also learned how to say goodbye.
Cam: Yes, it’s 再见.
Yajie: Right. 再means again, 见means to see. Literally, 再见 means to see you again. 再见 Zàijiàn.
Cam:再见is suitable for any occasion, right?
Y: Yes, totally. But if you know you will see the person again soon, you can just say一会儿见. 一会儿means a while, so一会儿见means see you later.
Cam: 一会儿见. Yíhuìr jiàn.

A: 您好。请问,您是哪国人?
B: 你好。我是英国人。您是哪国人?
A:我是中国人。)
Yajie: Also learned a few more popular expressions of saying goodbye. 我走了。/打扰了,我走了。
Cam: 打扰了,我走了。(Dǎráo le, wǒ zǒu le. )
Yajie:The reply should be哪里,您慢走。哪里 has the meaning of where. Here it means that’s nothing. And this is the reply to your thanks. Usually the Chinese people would repeat by saying “哪里哪里”.
Cam: “哪里哪里”.

Cam: I’ve learned the two basic sentence structures. It’s a good start. Well, every one, you can win a CRI gift by answering the question of the day. This time please make a sentence with 是. (shi)  You might even win CRI prizes!
Yajie: We also need to remind you again about our new email address.  You can send us questions or comments to Chinese@crifm.com.  That’s Chinese@crifm.com.  Or you can visit us on our website at en.chinabroadcast.cn. Click learn Chinese, where you can enjoy other free Chinese-learning programs.
Cam: Well, class is over. This is Cam saying goodbye.
Yajie: This is Yajie, Hope you will join us tomorrow on China Radio International. 再见!

(Source:english.cri.cn)

China Travel – Tower in Youguo Temple

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

The Tower in the Youguo Temple is located in the northeast of Kaifeng City, Henan Province.

 

 

The tower is also called Iron Tower because its body is inlaid with brown glazed tiles, looking like the color of iron. The Iron Tower was first built in the Kaibao Temple. In the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the temple was grand in scale and halls amounted to 280, including 24 monasteries. The imperial examination center was also set here to select the talents from the students recommended from all over the country. The emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) often paid visits to the temple, and therefore the temple was named after the reign of Kaibao. At that time, the Kaibao Temple was eminent and influential, and once became one of the famous temples in the Central Plains.

 

The Youguo Temple, originally made of woods, is octagonal and 120 meters high with 13 storeys. It is said that the mastery artisan Yu Hao was in charge of its construction. The tower was burnt out by a thunder in the 4th year (1044) of the Qingli reign in the Northern Song Dynasty, and rebuilt in the first year (1049) of the Huangtuo reign. In the 21st year (1841) of the Daoguang reign in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the overflow of the Yellow River destroyed all the temples in Kaifeng City, however only the Youguo Temple was safe and sound.

 

The Iron Tower is 55 meters high, octagonal and 13-storeyed. It is a brick tower in the style of a wooden pavilion. The inside is built by laying bricks while the outside is built by wooden structures such as doors and windows, poles, arches, eaves, the base and so on. The whole tower consists of 28 different brick components. The exterior of the tower is inlaid with beautiful glazed tiles, on which are more than 50 patterns such as flying Apsaras, kylins, roaming dragons, valiant lions, sitting Buddha, standing monks, singers and dancers, flowers and plants, and so on. They are rich in contents, and exquisite in techniques, which are the elaborate works of the brick carvings. With upturned eaves and lifted angles, the tower appears elegant and upright. The spiral stone staircase inside closely connects the central pole and the exterior into a whole, which greatly strengthens the anti-seismic capability of the tower. During the past more than 900 years, the Iron Tower went through numerous earthquakes, floods, and wars and still stand there intact. Along the stone steps, one can reach the top of the tower. Leaning on the railings and looking to the distance, he/she will certainly have a panoramic view of the styles and features of the old city. The scenery of clouds floating around the tower has been one of the famous eight scenes in Kaifeng since the Song Dynasty.

(Source: chinaculture.org)