aunt (mother’s sisters):
Chinese Pinyin: yi2 ma1
(Source: about.com)
Archive for September 2nd, 2008
Chinese Characters: aunt (mother’s sisters) 姨妈
Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008Children Chinese – China’s Age of Invention (2)
Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008It was really in the Song Dynasty that tea reached its cult status. It was drunk out of very beautiful, extraordinarily exquisite tea bowls made from porcelain, one of the glories of the Song Dynasty. The word “china” is appropriate for porcelain, because the Chinese developed the technology for its production. The Song Dynasty ceramic industry was basically the first commercialized industry. They produced the pieces in mass quantities for the imperial palace, but also for this newly arisen class of scholar-officials and an urban elite and for these restaurants. Eventually, two of the main products the West wanted in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries were porcelain and tea, so much of the trade between East and West was based on those items.
With restaurants, common folk could eat out very, very cheaply on food such as fried noodles, which, it is said, Marco Polo introduced to the West. Although there’s a lot of debate about that, the idea of spaghetti probably comes from China at about the time of the Song, possibly carried across the ocean by Arab traders, who are known to have established themselves in ports such as Canton by the ninth century.
 Gunpowder was used in Chinese rocket launchers to shoot fireworks – and weapons of |
NOVA: Tea and restaurants are certainly two important gifts the Song people gave to the world. What were some of the other Chinese inventions of this period that had a profound influence on the course of civilization?
Yates: Gunpowder completely transformed the way wars were waged and contributed to the eventual establishment of might over right. In my own research, I have been able to refute the common notion that the Chinese invented gunpowder but only used it for fireworks. I’m sure that they discovered military uses for it. I have found the earliest illustration of a cannon in the world, which dates from the change-over from the Northern Song to the Southern Song around 1127, which was 150 years before the development of the cannon in the West. The Song also used gunpowder to make fire lances – actually flame throwers – and many other gunpowder weapons, such as anti-personnel mines, which are thankfully now being taken out of general use.
Needless to say, the cannon was used by the kings of Europe to fundamentally alter the social structure of the European world. It enabled kings to destroy the castles of the feudal lords. And it enabled, therefore, the centralized nation-state to develop.
By the end of the Song Dynasty, the Chinese invented multiple-stage rockets. If we hadn’t had that, maybe we would not have been able to put a man on the moon. It was that fundamental an idea. Joseph Needham, an historian of Chinese science and technology, also argues that the notion of an explosion in a self-contained cylinder also permitted the development of the internal combustion engine and the steam engine. Our basic modes of transportation would not have been possible without this Chinese invention.
(Source: ancienthistory.mrdonn.org)
Learn Chinese Podcast – Happy China 254
Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008 |
韩佳： 快乐学汉语，
Learning Chinese the fun way
万里海疆行！
and enjoying a happy journey
along the coast!
大家好，我是快乐的韩佳。
Hell there! I’m Merry Han Jia.
王渊源：我是快乐的渊源。
And I’m Happy Yuanyuan.
韩佳： 很久以来啊，
Since a long time ago,
香港给人的感觉呢
Hong Kong has impressed
the world
就是一个国际大都市的形象，
as a cosmopolitan city
生活节奏啊很快。
with a fast pace of life.
王渊源：不过香港也有它质朴、安静
But Hong Kong also has
a pristine, quiet
而悠闲的一面。
and undisturbed side.
韩佳： 没错儿。
Absolutely.
香港西南部的南丫岛呢
Lamma Island, southwest of
Hong Kong,
就是这样一个特别的地方。
is such a special place.
王渊源：那么今天，我们就带着大家
Today, we’re going to take
our audience on a tour
在这个香港的第三大岛屿
of Hong Kong’s third largest island
感受一下别样的乡村风光。
to experience the unique country
scenery there.
这里呢是岛上居民住宅
Most of the houses on
the island
比较集中的地方。
are concentrated here.
所以也比较热闹。
So it looks a bit more bustling.
韩佳： 是啊。街道两旁呢
Yes. On both sides of the street,
有很多精致的小店，
there are many exquisite shops,
别具一格。
each having a unique style.
王渊源：”别具一格”是个成语吧？
Is “bie ju yi ge” an idiom?
韩佳： 对啊。”别”呢就是指另外的；
Yes. “Bie” means special
”格”呢就是指风格。
and “ge” means style.
”别具一格”这个成语啊
The idiom “bie ju yi ge”
就是指另外有一种独特的风格。
means to have a unique style.
王渊源：”别具一格”就是指
So “bie ju yi ge” means
另外有一种独特的风格。
to have a unique style.
韩佳： 比如我们刚才说的，
For example just as we said,
Zhèxiē jīngzhì de xiǎo diàn biéjùyìgé
这些 精致 的 小 店 别具一格。
These exquisite small stores have
unique styles.
这些小店呢各有各的特色。
Each of these small stores has
a unique style of its own.
而我们俩的爱好呢也各有各的不同。
As the things we like are different.
相信在这里啊
I’m sure
我们俩都会有所收获的。
each of us will get what
we want.
王渊源：嗯。
Sure.
这家店看起来挺有意思。
This shop looks very interesting.
进去看看。
Let me take a look inside.
这么多工艺品啊！
Wow, so many handicrafts here!
韩佳： 欢迎光临？
Can I help you?
王渊源：韩佳，怎么是你呀？
Han Jia, why it’s you?
韩佳： 怎么不能是我呀？
Why can’t it be me?
王渊源：难道这家店是你开的？
Is this shop yours?
韩佳： 当然…不是了。
Of course … not.
不过呢我已经在这家店里看了半天了。
But I’ve been looking around here
for quite a while.
而且呢刚才
And the owner of this shop
老板也给我介绍得非常详细。
gave me a detailed explanation
of his wares.
所以现在由我来给你介绍
Now I won’t have any problem
这些小玩意儿呢，
telling you something
是绝对没问题的。
about these knick-knacks.
王渊源：真有你的！
There you go again!
韩佳： 这家店里的工艺品啊
All the art works of this shop
都是纯手工制作的。
are hand-made.
绝对没有完全一样的东西。
And they are absolutely different
from one another.
如果你喜欢个性化的东西，
If you like individualistic things,
在这里挑呢是最合适不过的了。
it’s the best place for you
to choose.
王渊源：好啊。
Good.
像我这么有个性的人，
An individualistic man like me
当然要买有个性的东西！
should certainly buy something
individualistic!
韩佳： 真没想到，
To my surprise,
这么一家小小的西餐厅里，
such a small Western food restaurant
还有这么多书。
has so many books here.
王渊源：让你没想到的还不止这些呢。
What surprise you are not
just these books.
韩佳： 渊源，怎么是你啊？
Yuanyuan, how come it’s you?
王渊源：怎么不能是我呀？
Why can’t it be me?
刚才那家店是因为你喜欢工艺品，
You like handicrafts, so you
know so much
所以才能了解得那么详细。
about that shop.
我呢喜欢看书，
As I enjoy reading
和这儿的老板又聊得很投机，
and I had a most agreeable chat
with the owner of this shop,
所以我对这儿的情况
I learned quite a lot
也已经非常了解了。
about the place here.
韩佳： 那渊源刚才说到的”投机”呢
Just now Yuanyuan said “touji”.
在这里啊就是指见解相同。
It means to get along well or
have similar views.
王渊源：”投机”在这里就是指见解相同。
So “touji” means to get long well
or have similar views.
韩佳： 那你到底又了解了一些什么情况呢？
What did you learn about this shop?
王渊源：这里呢是一个集书店、
This is a multipurpose shop
serving as a bookstore,
咖啡屋、餐厅于一体的多功能小店。
a coffee house and a restaurant
as well.
你可以来到这里看看书、
You can read books
听听音乐，彻底放松心情。
or listen to music to relax here.
韩佳： 渊源，我听说啊这里呢
Yuanyuan, I heard there is
有一家玻璃工作坊。
a glassware workshop around here.
在那儿啊，不仅能够买到
There, not only can you buy
精美的玻璃工艺品，
some exquisite glassware,
而且啊还可以向主人学习
but you can also learn from
the shop owner
玻璃工艺品的制作呢。
how to make glassware.
制作玻璃工艺品，
Glassware-making
王渊源：这个有意思。
sounds interesting.
韩佳： 嗯。
Yes.
王渊源：在哪儿啊？
Where is it?
韩佳： 这不就到了。
Here we are.
我们去看看。
Let’s go take a look.
老板，您好。
Hello.
嘉宾： 您好。
Hello.
王渊源：您就是这里的主人吗？
Are you the owner of this shop?
嘉宾： 对啊。
Yes, I am.
韩佳： 我们听说啊，
We heard that
您这里有很多精美的玻璃工艺品。
you have many exquisite glass
handicrafts here.
所以呢我们俩是慕名而来的。
So the two of us came here in
admiration of your reputation.
嘉宾： 谢谢。
Thank you.
王渊源：这些工艺品都是您亲手做的吗？
Are all these handicrafts made
by yourself?
嘉宾： 大部分都是。
Most of them are.
韩佳： 那制作一件玻璃工艺品
How long does it take
大概需要多长时间呀？
to make a glass handicraft?
嘉宾： 那要看你做哪一类型的。
It depends on what type
of glassware.
韩佳： 比如…
For instance …
王渊源：像这个呢。
Such as this one.
嘉宾： 像这个大概半小时。
It takes about half an hour.
韩佳： 半小时。
Half an hour.
我看这个奖杯好像挺复杂的。
I find this award-cup a bit
more complicated.
做这个要多长时间？
How long does it take to
make it?
嘉宾： 这个制作部分大概要做两个小时。
The production part takes about
two hours.
烧制的时间大概要十个小时。
Firing takes about ten hours.
韩佳： 十个小时。
Ten hours.
王渊源：那您什么时候开始做这种工艺品的？
When did you start making this
type of handicraft?
嘉宾： 大概十年前。
About ten years ago.
王渊源：十年前。
Ten year ago.
嘉宾： 对。
Yes.
韩佳： 那可以教教我们吗？
Can you teach us?
我们也想学学。
We also want to learn.
嘉宾： 好啊。
Okay.
这就是一种比较好看。
This is fairly attractive.
但这个放的是放在这里。
But you should put it here.
韩佳： 就一定要放在这个线下面。
So I must put it below this line.
王渊源：三种颜色。这个是…
Three colors. You’re doing this …
嘉宾： 比较为了清楚一点。
Just to make it clearer.
太多了比较复杂。
Too much will get more complicated.
王渊源：也模糊。
And also more blurred.
嘉宾： 对。
Yes.
韩佳： 这些粉末也都是玻璃粉末吧？
Is this all glass powder?
嘉宾： 对啊。
Yes.
它是大玻璃磨成的。
It is ground from fragmented glass.
韩佳： 哦。
Oh.
王渊源：这个放得慢。
I have to do it slowly.
嘉宾： 可以摇一下。
You can shake it.
韩佳： 您看我这玻璃粉颜色
Do you think the colors of
the glass powder
调配得还可以吗？
mixed properly?
嘉宾： 可以啊。
It’s okay.
作品的颜色自己喜欢就可以了。
The colors of your work will be
okay as long as you like them.
没有关系的。
It matters little.
我们做作品就随心所欲就可以了。
We should create works as
we please.
王渊源：韩佳，Alice刚才说的
Han Jia, Alice just said
”随心所欲”
”sui xin suo yu”.
就是指按照自己的意思去做，对吧？
It means to do as one pleases, right?
韩佳： 嗯。”随心所欲”呢
Yes. “Sui xin suo yu”
就是指一切由自己的心意做，
means to do as one pleases,
想怎么做就怎么做。
or go one’s own way.
王渊源：”随心所欲”就是指一切由自己的心意做。
So “sui xin suo yu” means to do
as one pleases.
Yìshu de chuàngzuò kěyǐ suíxīnsuǒyù
艺术 的 创作 可以 随心所欲。
One can do as one pleases
when creating art.
韩佳： 那我们接下来该做哪一步呢？
What’s the next step we
should follow?
嘉宾： 现在我们可以开火烧了。
Now we can fire it.
韩佳： 可以开始烧了？
We can fire it?
好啊，那我们去吧。
Okay, let’s go.
赏心悦目：
从香港最繁华的商业地带乘船
Aboard a ship at a bustling commercial
district in Hong Kong,
我们渐渐远离了城市的喧嚣
we left the city noise behind
来到了风情独特的南丫岛
for the uniquely scenic Lamma Island.
作为香港第三大岛屿
This third largest island of Hong Kong
这里自然而幽静
has a tranquil natural environment.
岛上的生活和文化融合了东西方特色
Life and culture on the island show a mixture
of Chinese and European elements.
吸引了许多年轻人和外籍人士
It attracts young people including
many foreigners.
精致的特色店铺别具一格
The exquisite specialized shops here are
是人们休闲购物的好去处
ideal places for people to buy their souvenirs.
韩佳： 好。经过一番努力，
Good. After our painstaking efforts
在老师的帮助下，
and with the help of our teacher,
我跟渊源随心所欲创作出来的作品呢
the work Yuanyuan and I created
as we pleased
已经新鲜出炉了。
has finally come out of the kiln.
您瞧。
Look.
王渊源：怎么样？
What do you think?
我们的作品是不是很有个性啊？
Is our work quite unique?
韩佳： 好了，别自夸了。
Okay, don’t be self-praising anymore.
赶快来给大家出今天的有奖问答题。
Come on and set today’s award-
winning question.
王渊源：好。
Okay.
今天的有奖问答题是这样的。
Here’s today’s award-winning question.
好，我们今天的节目就到这里了。
Okay, that’s it for our program today.
希望您明天同一时间，
We hope that tomorrow at
the same time,
继续和我们一起
you will continue to be
with us
”万里海疆快乐行”。
on the Happy Journey along
the Coast.
韩佳： 当然了，也别忘了我们的口号。
Of course, also don’t forget
our slogan.
合： 学说中国话，朋友遍天下！
Learn Chinese and make friends everywhere!
(Source: cctv.com)
