Archive for September 20th, 2008

Chinese Pinyin – ban (半)

Saturday, September 20th, 2008
半    [bàn] 
国标码:B0EB 部首:十 笔画:5 笔顺:43112
semi-
incomplete
(after a number) and a half
half

例句与用法:

  1. 车子毁了一
    Half the car was damaged.
  2. 他花了个小时做完这项工作。
    It took him half an hour to finish the work.
  3. 整个工作只需要个小时。
    The whole job only takes half an hour.
  4. 开往北京的火车将于小时后从三站台开出。
    The train to Beijing will depart from platform 3 in half an hour.
  5. 在希腊和罗马神话中,森林之神是人半羊的样子。
    A satyr is half man and half goat in Greek and Roman mythology.
  6. 数人来了。
    Half of them are here.
  7. 这女孩只做完了一作业。
    The girl left her homework half done.
  8. 你知道这些衬衫都卖价了吗?
    Do you realize that all of these shirts are half off?

(Source: dict.cn)

Learn Chinese Podcast – Happy China 272

Saturday, September 20th, 2008

                        Click to Watch Video Podcast

韩佳:在澳门,人们总能无意中发现许多

  In Macao, people can always unwittingly find sights

  既有中国特色又有葡萄牙特色的景物。

  with both Chinese and Portuguese characteristics.

  王渊源:嗯。用个词语来说,

  Yes. To use a phrase,

  那就是随处可见。

  such sights can be seen everywhere.

  韩佳:说得没错儿。

  Exactly.

  ”随处”就是指不管什么地方,

  ”Suichu” means everywhere

  到处的意思。

  or anywhere.

  王渊源:”随处”就是指不管什么地方,

  So “suichu” means everywhere

  到处的意思。

  or anywhere.

  韩佳:比如说,

  For example,

  Zài zhè li jù yǒu zhōng pú tèsè de jǐngwù suí chù kě jiàn

  在 这 里,具 有 中 葡 特色 的 景物 随 处 可 见。

  Scenery with Sino-Portuguese characteristics

  can be seen everywhere here.

王渊源:那么既然如此,

  If that’s the case,

  咱们就赶紧去找找

  let’s go find out

  最有代表性的景物吧。

  the most representative sights here.

  韩佳:嗯,好,不如我们分头行动吧。

  Okay. I suggest we act separately.

  王渊源:好。

  Good.

  你还别说,

  Sure enough,

  走在这大街上,

  while walking on the street

  看两旁的建筑,

  and looking at the buildings on the sides,

  还真是有点儿时光倒流的感觉。

  I do feel like that time has

  flowed back.

  当时的澳门人

  How did Macao citizens

  是怎么度过他们的一天呢?

  spend their day in the past?

  街上的风景又有些什么不同的呢?

  How different are the street scenes here?

  韩佳:都说这澳门葡国文化最集中的地方

  All says that Portuguese culture is most concentrated

  在议事厅前地。

  at Senate Square.

  可是这议事厅前地在哪儿啊?

  But where is Senate Square?

  渊源,你知道议事厅前地在哪儿吗?

  Yuanyuan, do you know where Senate Square is?

  我找了半天,

  I’ve been looking for it for a long time,

  连一根路标柱都没看见。

  but I have not found even a

  single signpost.

  王渊源:你连路标的事儿还没弄明白?

  You even don’t know about the road signs here?

  你跟我来。

  Come with me.

因为澳门的街道都比较窄小,

  Because the streets here are all very narrow,

  所以在这里根本就没有什么路标柱,

  there is absolutely no road signpost here,

  这也是澳门旧城区的一大特色。

  which is also a big feature of Macao’s old town areas.

  在这里,

  Here,

  路标牌全都嵌在每个路口的

  all the road signs are inlaid in the wall of

  第一座建筑物上。

  the first building at each intersection.

  你瞧。

  Look.

  韩佳:有意思。

  That’s interesting.

  而且这路标

  And the road signs

  还是用蓝白瓷砖烧制成的。

  are made with blue and white tiles.

  王渊源:是啊。

  Yes.

  上面既有中文又有葡萄牙文。

  They are written both in Chinese and Portuguese.

  韩佳:嗯,真的很有特色。

  Yes, this is very unique.

  有了路标,那就好找地方了。

  With road signs, it would be easier for us to find it.

  谢谢你,渊源。

  Thanks, Yuanyuan.

  我就先走一步了,

  I’ll go first

  这路牌差点儿让我闹了个大笑话。

  I nearly made a fool of myself about the road signs here.

  不过还好,

  But fortunately,

  终于找到议事厅前地了。

  I’ve finally found Senate Square.

这议事厅前地可是澳门的心脏地带,

  Senate Square lies in the central area of Macao

  也是最具欧陆风情的地方之一。

  and is also one of the areas here that show a strong European atmosphere.

  王渊源:我们脚下的海浪纹石子路

  The sea-wave-pattered cobblestone pavement under our feet

  也非常具有葡萄牙特色。

  is also very Portuguese in style.

  韩佳:渊源,你怎么也来这儿了?

  Yuanyuan, why did you also come here?

  王渊源:咱们是英雄所见略同嘛。

  Great minds think alike.

  要体验澳门典型的葡式风格,

  If I really want to see something Portuguese,

  非来这里不可。

  I have to come here for sure.

  韩佳:嗯,肚子里的词儿倒是不少!

  Huh, you have a wide vocabulary!

  ”英雄所见略同”

  ”Ying xiong suo jian lue tong”

  就是指彼此在某个事物上达成共识,

  means great minds think alike,

  有相同的观点。

  or “we’ve got the same idea”.

  王渊源:”英雄所见略同”

  So “ying xiong suo jian lue tong”

  就是指彼此在某个事物上达成共识,

  means great minds think alike,

  有相同的观点。

  or “we’ve got the same idea”.

  合:英雄所见略同。

  Great minds think alike.

  韩佳:我现在所在的建筑

  The building here

  是一座真正的葡式私人别墅。

  used to be a genuine private Portuguese villa.

  它建于十八世纪。

  It was built in the 18th century.

  您瞧,它的圆拱式窗,

  Look, its arched windows

  还有百叶窗门

  and shuttered doors

  都充满了南欧风情。

  are all South-European in style.

  在1989年的时候,

  In 1989,

  这里被改为了东方基金会会址。

  this place became the headquarters of the Oriental Foundation.

  东方基金会的使命呢

  The aim of the Oriental Foundation

  就是保障葡萄牙和东方文化

  is to guarantee the development

  of the cultural

  历史关系的发展。

  and historical relations between

  Portugal and the East.

  所以自从它创办以来,

  So ever since it was founded,

  一直担任着支持中葡科学、

  it has undertaken the task of supporting scientific,

  慈善、文化交流的任务。

  welfare and cultural exchanges between China and Portugal.

  可以说它是中葡文化交流的

  It can be said that it bears witness to

  又一个见证。

  the cultural exchanges between China and Portugal.

哟,渊源。

  Oh, Yuanyuan.

  喂,渊源!

  Hello, Yuanyuan!

  王渊源:韩佳,你在哪儿呢?

  Han Jia, where are you?

  快来大三巴这边吧。

  You’d better come over to the Ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

  韩佳:去那儿干吗呀?

  What do I have to go there for?

  王渊源:你先来,来了就知道了。

  Come here first and you’ll know everything.

  韩佳:那好吧。

  Okay.

  王渊源:韩佳,你可来了呀。

  Han Jia, you’re finally here.

  郑重地邀请你当我的舞伴儿。

  I formally invite you to be my dancing partner.

  韩佳:你这是…?

  Are you here …?

  王渊源:看见他们了吗。

  Look at them.

  那可是一支正宗的

  This is a genuine

  葡式土风舞表演团体呀。

  Portuguese Folk Dance Troupe.

  我刚才跟他们讲了半天,

  I talked with them for a long time,

  他们不让我加入。

  but they won’t let me join in them.

  非得让我自己找个舞伴儿。

  They insisted I find a dancing partner for myself.

  韩佳:哦,这么回事儿啊。

  Oh, I see.

  那咱们就去现学现练。

  Let’s dance while we learn the dance.

  王渊源:好。

  Okay.

  韩佳:一起跳跳。

  We’ll dance together.

  走。

  Come on.

其实,这土风舞

  In fact, this folk dance is

  是葡萄牙一种很传统的舞蹈。

  a type of Portugal’s traditional dance.

  王渊源:您可别光看我们俩跳。

  Don’t just watch us dance.

  我们可是跳得比他们差远了。

  They’re dancing much better than us.

  看看这些朋友跳得多好啊!

  Look, how well these friends are dancing!

  他们可真是能歌善舞。

  They are surely skilled at singing and dancing.

  韩佳:嗯,说得好。

  Yes, you put it so well.

  ”能歌善舞”这个词其实不难理解。

  ”Neng ge shan wu” isn’t hard to understand.

  就是指非常擅长唱歌和跳舞。

  It means to be skilled at singing and dancing.

  王渊源:”能歌善舞”

  So “neng ge shan wu”

  就是指非常擅长唱歌和跳舞。

  means to be skilled at singing and dancing.

  Zhè xiē péngyou gè ge dōu nénggēshànwǔ

  这 些 朋友 个 个 都 能歌善舞。

  These friends are all skilled at singing and dancing.

  其实,我也挺能歌善舞的。

  In fact, I’m also skilled at singing and dancing.

  没发现吗?

  Didn’t you realize that?

  没发现就继续跳吧。

  Go on dancing if you didn’t.

  走吧。

  Come on.

澳门是东西方文化交汇的胜地

  Macao is known as a meeting place of Chinese and Western cultures.

  葡萄牙土风舞别具特色

  Portuguese folk dance is unique

  欢快的音乐 热情奔放的舞姿

  for its lively music and energetic movements.

  让你感受浓郁的异域风情 共享欢乐时光

  It allows you to experience an exotic atmosphere and fun at the same time.

  民政事务总署

  The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau is housed

  是澳门最有葡式特色的建筑物之一

  in one of Macao’s most typical Portuguese-style buildings.

  内部装饰宁静 庄重

  Its interior decorations look quiet and solemn.

  万册图书穿越岁月的尘封

  The tens of thousands of books from the past

  讲述古老的历史

  give a detailed account of an old history.

  多色的建筑 瓷制的路标

  The multicolored buildings and ceramic road signs here

  到处都有文化融合的痕迹

  bear witness to the fusion of two cultures.

  王渊源:怎么样,韩佳?

  What do you think, Han Jia?

  这土风舞不错吧?

  Is this Portuguese folk dance pretty good?

  我这舞伴儿表现得如何呀?

  How good was my performance as your partner?

  韩佳:舞倒是真的不错。

  The dance is pretty good indeed.

  不过,你这舞伴儿嘛…

  But you, as my dancing partner …

  王渊源:怎么样?

  What do you want to say?

  韩佳:动作偶尔跳对的时候也挺好看的。

  When you danced correctly occasionally,you did dance pretty well.

  王渊源:那当然。

  That’s for sure.

  你什么意思呀?

  What do you mean?

  韩佳:开个玩笑嘛。

  I was just kidding.

  今天我们这个舞可算是跳得很过瘾。

  Today we danced to our heart’s content.

  不过正事儿不能忘。

  But we mustn’t forget our major task.

  别忘了给大家出今天的有奖问答题。

  Don’t forget to set today’s award-winning question.

  王渊源:你放心吧。

  Rest assured.

  今天的有奖问答题我已经想好了。

  I’ve already doped out today’s award-winning question.

  Absolutely.

  也别忘了明天同一时间

  And don’t forget to continue to be with us

  继续和我们一起

  tomorrow at the same time

  ”万里海疆快乐行”

  for the Happy Journey along the Coast.

  韩佳:当然了 也别忘了我们的口号

  Of course, neither should we forget our slogan.

  合:学说中国话 朋友遍天下

  Learn Chinese and make friends everywhere!

  韩佳:明天见

  See you tomorrow.

 

 (Source: cctv.com)

China Travel – Longmen Grottoes (1)

Saturday, September 20th, 2008

Longmen Grottoes lie 12 kilometers to the south of the Luoyan City, Henan Province.

 

 

Longmen Grottoes are one of the three most famous treasure houses of Chinese grotto art. Here two mountains, namely, East Hill (Mt. Xiangshan) and West Hill (Mt. Longmen), confront each other with the Yi River traversing northward between them, just like a pair of Chinese gate towers. So during the Zhou and Qin dynasties, it was called “Yi Que” (Gate of Yi River). Later, when the Sui established its capital city in Luoyang, the palace gate was just facing Yi Que, hence the name “Longmen” which means “Dragon Gate”. Spanning a length of over 1,000 meters on the hillsides along the Yi River, the Longmen Grottoes were first sculptured and chiseled around 493 when the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) was moved from Datong to Luoyang. The entire construction of the Longmen Grottoes lasted more than four hundred years through the Northern Dynasties (386-581), the Sui Dynasty (581-618), the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and up to the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The extant grottoes include the Qianxi Temple (Hidden Stream Temple), the Binyang Cave, the Lianhua Cave (Lotus Cave), the Fengxian Temple, the Guyang Cave, the Kanjing Temple of the East Hill and so on. In total, there are 2,100 niches, 43 stupas, 3,600 square meters of inscriptions and epigraphs, and 100,000 small or big statues, among which the biggest statue is 17.14 meters high and the smallest is only 2 centimeters high.

 

The Guyang Cave, sculpted between 495 and 575, is regarded as the earliest of the Longmen Grottoes. There are three tiers of niches engraved on either side of the cave. The arch top and the places behind the Buddha statue were sculpted into abundant and colorful designs. The statues of providers look devout and prudent, with the dynamic lines of their clothes. In addition, there is a superb collection of epigraphs of the statues inside the cave, which is really a feast for the eyes because of the simple and natural calligraphies. Nine pieces of what is called Twenty Calligraphic Gem in the Longmen Grottoes are stored in this cave, and are treasures for the research of the calligraphic art.

(Source: chinaculture.org)