Archive for July 4th, 2008

Chinese Conversation – lesson 127

Friday, July 4th, 2008

世界上的许多地方,一年有四季:春、夏、秋、冬。美国,却只有三季:橄榄球、篮球和棒球季。这并非完全正确,但也差得不远了。每一个季节,美国人都有乐趣。若你想知道此季为何,看看人们正在打什么球就行了。对于多数美国人而言,运动并非只是一旁站的小消遣,它是生活中很重要的一环。
In many parts of the world, there are four seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter. In the U.S., there are only three: football, basketball and baseball. That’s not completely true, but almost. In every season, Americans have a ball. If you want to know what season it is, just look at what people are playing. For many Americans, sports do not just occupy the sidelines. They take center court.

(Source: wwenglish.com)

Chinese Pinyin – an (俺)

Friday, July 4th, 2008

俺: [ ǎn ]  
[ 国标码:B0B3 部首: 笔画:10 笔顺:3213425115 ]

1. I (northern dialects)

(Source: dict.cn)

Children Chinese – Paper Fans

Friday, July 4th, 2008


Ancient Chinese Paper Fans

The ancient Chinese loved fans. The earliest fans were made of feathers. One of my favorite ancient Chinese gods, Zhong-Liquan (the war god), often carried a fan of feathers, although no one knows why. Perhaps he simply liked it.

Over the years, the clever Chinese people made fans from all kinds of materials including straw and wood. But it was not until the Ming Dynasty that the Chinese discovered the art of paper fan folding. They did not invent the folded paper fan. That invention arrived from Japan and Korea on the Ming ships that wandered the earth in search of treasure.

Once the folding paper fan was introduced into ancient Chinese society, it was immediately adopted. Everyone had to have a folded paper fan. Fans were embroidered and painted and decorated and hung. It was more than a fad. It soon became a national activity – nearly everyone made and carried gorgeously decorated folding paper fans.

(Source: ancienthistory.mrdonn.org)