(Source: dict.cn)
Archive for July 28th, 2008
Chinese Conversation – lesson 151
Monday, July 28th, 2008亚里斯多德说：“美是比任何介绍信都要有用的推荐函。”这并不公平，但却是事实。我们就是会对美丽的人比较好。把一位美丽作家的照片贴在作品上，读者就会认为这篇文章较有创意，写得更有智能。完全相同的文章配上相貌平凡的作家照片，评价就会较低。
Aristotle said, “Beauty is a greater recommendation than any letter of introduction.” It’s not fair, but it’s true. We simply treat beautiful people better than we do others. Attach a photograph of a beautiful author to an essay, and people will think that it is more creative and more intelligently written than exactly the same essay accompanied by the photo of a homely author.
(Source: wwenglish.com)
China Travel – Tomb of Wang Jian
Monday, July 28th, 2008 |
The Tomb of Wang Jian is located in the western suburb of Chengdu City in Sichuan Province.
The tomb belonged to Wang Jian, and was called the Yongling Mausoleum. Wang Jian was born in Wuyang County in Henan Province. In early years, he was the Faithful Army general, and in 903 Emperor Zhaozong of the Tang Dynasty granted him the title of King Shu. In 907, the Tang Dynasty (618-907) was destroyed, and Wang Jian ascent to the throne and set up an independent regime, which was called Former Shu in the Chinese history.
The site of Wang Jian’s tomb had been misrepresented as the musical instrument platform of the famous litterateur Sima Xiangru in the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-8AD). During the excavation of bomb shelters on the site in 1942, the Yongling Mausoleum was found, but it had already been robbed empty. Wang Jian’s tomb was first constructed in the 1st year (918) of the Guangtian reign, covering an area of 7 mu (1 mu = 1/15 ha.), with the earthen heap of 45 meters high. The tomb was divided into the front, middle and back chambers, with the total length of 23.6 meters.
The whole grave construction is grand and luxury. The coffin was placed in the middle chamber, and the stone bed was placed in the back chamber with the stone statue of Wang Jian on the bed. The unearthed important cultural relics include mourning brochures, jade belt, jade ring, silver bowls, silver pigs, silver dish, copper and iron wares, pottery and so on. Three groups of refined stone carvings were unearthed from the tomb: the first group in the middle chamber depicts 12 Hercules uplifting and supporting coffin, the second group is 24 pictures about music performances, the third group includes the basso-relievos in the front side of the imperial bed, and the sitting statue of Wang Jian. The three groups of stone carvings are extremely precious materials for the research into the music, dancing and carving art in ancient China.
(Source: chinaculture.org)
