Archive for October 12th, 2008

Learn Chinese Podcast – Happy China 294

Sunday, October 12th, 2008

     

                                Click to Watch Video Podcast

  我们今天要去的

    Our destination for today

    是一个叫大芦村的地方。

    is a place called Dalu Village.

    听说这个村子不仅历史悠久,

    We heard this village not only

    has a very long history,

    而且还有一个与众不同的特点,

    but is also very unique,

    这一特点使得大芦村远近闻名。

    which makes Dalu Village known

    to all far and near.

    王渊源:天对地,雨对风。

    ”Tian” pairs with “di” and

    ”yu” pairs with “feng”.

    这大陆对…对…对什么来着?

    And “da lu” pairs with …

    with what?

    韩佳: 渊源,你一个人叨咕什么呢?

    Yuanyuan, what are you

    murmuring about?

    王渊源:大陆对…对对对…

    ”Da lu” pairs, pairs …

    韩佳: 对什么呀?

    What are you talking about?

    王渊源:哎呀,都怪你呀。

    Oh, you’re to blame.

    我都对不起来了。

    Now I can’t form this pair.

    我这是刚刚学会对对联呢。

    I’ve just learned how to

    compose couplets.

    韩佳: 哦,你是在学对对联啊。

    Oh, you’re trying to compose couplets.

    王渊源:我们不是去大芦村嘛?

    Aren’t we going to Dalu Village?

    韩佳: 对呀。

    Yes.

哦,我明白了,

    Oh, now I know

    这大芦村是有名的对联村。

    as Dalu Village is famous

    for couplets.

    怪不得你要学对对联啊。

    No wonder why you wanted to

    learn how to compose couplets.

    王渊源:是啊。

    Yes.

    我是怕到了大芦村之后,

    I was just afraid when we

    get to Dalu,

    对对联一窍不通,

    how awkward it would be

    if they find out

    那该多难堪啊!

    I know nothing about couplet composition!

    韩佳: 原来你这是在临阵磨枪呢。

    Actually, you’re starting to prepare

    only at the last moment.

    王渊源:什么意思?

    What do you mean?

    韩佳: “临阵磨枪,不快也光”啊

    ”Lin zhen mo qiang, bu kuai

    ye guang”

    意思是事到临头了才做准备,

    means to start to prepare

    only at the last moment,

    希望多多少少能起点儿作用。

    hoping to get effective more

    or less.

    王渊源:”临阵磨枪”

    So “lin zhen mo qiang”

    意思是事到临头了才做准备。

    means to start to prepare only

    at the last moment.

    原来你不是夸我呀!

    Actually you were not praising me!

    韩佳: 快走吧。

    Hurry up.

据说在四百多年以前,

    It’s said more than 400

    years ago,

    这一带漫山遍野都是芦苇。

    reeds were growing all over

    the hills and dales.

    后来经过人们不断地辛勤开发,

    Later people developed this

    area continuously

    才形成了现在的这一片村落。

    and built a village as it is today.

    这里有着古老的民宅,

    The village has old houses,

    丰富的文化内容,

    a rich cultural tradition

    以及良好的生态环境。

    and a fine eco-environment.

    王渊源:雨对风,大陆对…

    ”Yu” pairs with “feng” and

    ”da lu” pairs with …

    韩佳: 行了,渊源。

    Oh, stop, Yuanyuan.

    你就别背了。

    Don’t recite any more.

    王渊源:不背不行啊。

    But I have to recite it.

    待会儿村里人出来考我对联,

    In a moment, if some villagers

    test me on couplets

    我对不上来怎么办啊?

    and I can’t answer, what

    would happen?

    韩佳: 不会有人考你的。

    No one will test you.

    王渊源:怎么会呢?

    Why not?

    韩佳: 这里之所以被叫做对联村呢,

    This village is known as

    the home of couplets

    是因为这儿保存了三百零五副古对联。

    because it keeps 305 pairs of

    ancient couplets.

    王渊源:哦,原来我们是来看古对联啊。

    Oh, actually we’re going to

    see ancient couplets.

韩佳: 嗯。你以为呢?

    Yes. What else do you

    expect to see?

    王渊源:那这下我就放心了。

    Now I’m relieved.

    那我们现在就去看看那些古对联吧。

    Let’s go see those ancient couplets.

    韩佳: 可是那些对联因为年代太久远了,

    But as those couplets are all

    very ancient,

    现在被人们细心地保存起来了。

    they are under careful protection.

    王渊源:那就看不见了?

    So we can’t see them?

    韩佳: 那倒也不是。

    Not exactly.

    村民们已经把那些对联重新抄写下来,

    Villagers have copied those couplets

    贴在老房子里了。

    and pasted them on the walls

    of their old houses.

    渊源,

    Yuanyuan,

    这座古宅呢就是大芦村有名的镬耳楼。

    this ancient residence is Dalu Village’s

    renowned Huo’er House.

    王渊源:”武阳世泽,江左家风”?

    ”Wu yang shi ze, jiang zuo jia feng”?

    韩佳: 这副对联就介绍了

    This pair of couplets tells

    这座房子主人的祖籍。

    where the owner of this house

    came from.

    武阳是山东的一个地名。

    Wuyang is a place in Shandong.

    说明这家人的祖先

    It indicates that the ancestors

    of this family

    就是从山东搬过来的。

    came here from Shandong.

    王渊源:有意思。

    It’s interesting.

    一副简单的对联

    A pair of couplets

    就说明了自己家庭的来历。

    can tell the origin of the family.

    韩佳: 是啊。

    Yes.

像这样的对联呢屋里还有不少。

    There are still many more such

    couplets inside the house.

    据说这些对联呢

    It is said that these couplets

    每年都会更换一两次。

    are renewed each year.

    但是在更换的时候,

    But during each renewal,

    内容和张贴位置都是一成不变的。

    the contents and positions of these

    couplets are unchanging.

    王渊源:”一成不变”就是一点儿不变?

    Does “yi cheng bu bian”

    mean unchanging?

    韩佳: 嗯。”一成不变”呢

    Yes. “Yi cheng bu bian” means

    就是指一旦形成了,就不再改变。

    invariable, unalterable or unchanging.

    王渊源:”一成不变”

    So “yi cheng bu bian” means

    就是指一旦形成了,就不再改变。

    invariable, unalterable or unchanging.

    那这些古对联真的是一成不变吗?

    Are these couplets really unchanging?

    韩佳: 那当然了。

    Of course, not.

    就好像我刚才说的,

    Just as I said,

    Zhè xiē duìlián de nèiróng hé wèizhi dōu shi yìchéngbúbiàn de

    这 些 对联 的 内容 和 位置 都 是 一成不变 的。

    The content and position of these

    couplets are unchanging.

    王渊源:看来这些古对联

    It seems these ancient couplets

    have been

    就是这么一代一代流传下来的。

    passed down from generation

    to generation.

    韩佳: 说得没错儿。

    Precisely.

    渊源,你再看看这副对联。

    Also take a look at this pair

    of couplets.

    王渊源:”大家露湛,芦舍云连”。

    ”Da jia lu zhan, lu she yun lian”.

    韩佳: 嗯。不太好懂吧?

    Yes. A bit hard to understand?

    王渊源:是啊。

    Yes.

    韩佳: “大家陆湛”呢

    ”Da jia lu zhan”

    就是指大芦村的村民

    means all Dalu villagers

    个个儿都面带微笑,非常亲切。

    beam with smiles and are friendly.

    ”芦舍云连”呢

    And “lu she yun lian”

    就是指大芦村的房子,

    means the houses in Dalu Village

    像云一样连成一片。

    are all connected to one another.

    王渊源:哦,是这样的。

    Oh, I see.

韩佳: 这副对联还有一个小讲究呢。

    There is something in the couplets

    which needs careful study.

    你看出来了吗?

    Can you tell it?

    王渊源:我看看。

    Let me see.

    看不出来。

    No, I can’t.

    韩佳: 你啊把上联和下联的第一个字连起来读。

    Just put together the first characters

    of the two couplets and read them.

    王渊源:哦,大芦。

    Oh, “da lu”.

    大芦就是村名。

    Dalu is the name of this village.

    韩佳: 嗯。这种对联呢叫藏头联。

    Yes. This type of couplets is

    called acrostic couplets.

    关键就在于上联和下联的第一个字。

    The key lies in connecting the first

    characters of the two couplets.

    王渊源:哦,原来还有这么一个

    Oh, actually a pair of couplets

    文字游戏在里面呢。

    contains a wordplay in it.

    韩佳: 对啊。

    Yes.

    像这样的对联里面还有很多。

    There are still a lot more

    such couplets.

    我们继续看。

    Let’s go on.

    渊源,这里呢就是整座房子的中心,

    Yuanyuan, here’s the center of

    the entire house,

    官厅。

    the drawing room.

    王渊源:看起来好像空荡荡的!

    It looks so empty!

    韩佳: 嗯。渊源刚才说的”空荡荡”是个形容词,

    Yes. Yuanyuan just said “kongdangdang”,

    which is an adjective

    就是形容什么都没有。

    that means empty.

    王渊源:”空荡荡”就是形容什么都没有。

    So “kongdangdang” means empty.

    韩佳: 就好像刚才说的,

    Just as Yuanyuan said,

    Zhè ge fángjiān li kōngkōngdàngdaàng de

    这 个 房间 里 空空荡荡 的。

    This room is empty.

    别看现在这里什么都没有,

    Although there is nothing in it,

    以前这儿可是个重要的地方呢。

    it used to be a very important place.

    是家族的长辈们

    It was the place where the elders

    of the family

    商量问题或者是接待贵宾的地方。

    hold discussions or received guests.

    那作用呢相当于我们现在的会客厅。

    It functioned as today’s living room.

    王渊源:哦,原来是这样。

    Oh, I see.

你看,这边还有一个对联。

    Look, there is also a pair

    of couplets here.

    ”知稼穑之艰难克勤克俭”,

    ”Zhi jia qiang zhi jian nan

    ke qin ke jian”

    还有”守高曾之规矩不衍不忘”。

    and “shou gao zeng zhi gui ju

    bu yan bu wang”.

    韩佳,这是什么意思?

    Han Jia, what does it mean?

    韩佳: 这副对联呢

    This pair of couplets is intended

    是教育子孙后代勤俭持家,

    to admonish the young to be diligent

    and thrifty in running the household

    而且不忘先辈们的训导。

    and not to forget the teachings

    of their ancestors.

    王渊源:看来对联在大芦村真是无处不在。

    It seems couplets can be seen

    everywhere in Dalu Village.

    韩佳: 是啊。

    Yes.

    而且每一副

    And each pair of couplets

    都有深刻的含义和教育意义。

    has deep connotations and

    educative messages.

    看来咱俩也得好好学习学习。

    It seems the two of us should

    also learn earnestly.

    王渊源:有道理。

    It sounds reasonable.

    那观众朋友们,

    Are our viewers

    您是不是也愿意和我们一起学呢?

    also willing to learn with us?

    韩佳: 那就请看我们今天的赏心悦目。

    Now let’s take a look at today’s

    Feast for the Eyes.

赏心悦目:

    对联 中国的传统艺术

    Antithetical couplets are a traditional

    form of Chinese poetry.

    钦州大芦村 难得一见的”对联村”

    Qinzhou’s Dalu Village is home to

    such couplets.

    在这里 家家挂对联 人人写对联

    Here every home puts up couples and

    everyone can write couplets.

    村里至今保存着三百多幅古对联

    More than 300 pairs of ancient couplets

    have been preserved in this village.

    古朴端庄的建筑

    These meaningful couplets

    含义深邃的对联

    on these time-honored houses

    中国传统的道德理念

    pass down traditional Chinese ethics

    就这样一代代传承下来

    from generation to generation.

    王渊源:天对地,雨对风。

    ”Tian” pairs with “di”,

    ”yu” pairs with “feng”.

    这个大陆对…对…

    And “da lu” pairs with …

    韩佳: 大陆对长空。

    ”Da lu” pairs with “chang kong”.

    山花对海树,赤日对苍穹。

    ”Shan hua” pairs with “hai shu”,

    ”chi ri” pairs with “cang qiong”.

    王渊源:韩佳,你都会背了。

    Han Jia, you also know how

    to recite the formula.

    韩佳: 我再不替你背啊,

    If I didn’t recite the formula

    for you,

    你还不知道要念叨到什么时候去呢。

    who knows how much longer you’d

    have continued chattering.

    王渊源:我今天状态不好嘛。

    I’m not in a good state of

    mind today.

    要不然,我早就背下来了。

    Otherwise, I’d have recited

    it with no problem.

    韩佳: 好了,好了。

    Okay, okay.

    不管你状态好不好,

    Whether you’re in a good

    state of mind or not,

    先来给大家出今天的有奖问答题。

    set today’s award-winning

    question first.

    王渊源:好吧,好吧。

    All right, all right.

    今天的有奖问答题是。

    Here’s today’s award-winning question.

节目的最后还是要提醒您,

    At the end of the program,

    we’d still want to

    别忘了我们的口号。

    remind you not to forget

    our slogan.

    合: 学说中国话,朋友遍天下!

    Learn Chinese and make friends everywhere!

    韩佳: 再见。

    Goodbye.

(Source: cctv.com)

Chinese Culture – Dawenkou Site

Sunday, October 12th, 2008

 

Clan cemetery of the Neolithic Age

 

Location: Tai’an, Shandong Province

 

Period: 3500 BC – 2500 BC

 

Excavated in 1959

 

Significance: The Dawenkou Culture is named after the site. It has disclosed the burial systems in the period of the Dawenkou Culture. Dawenkou Culture, based in present-day Shandong Province, overlapped in time with Yangshao culture, and can be considered one of the precursors of the Longshan Culture. 

 

 Introduction

 

Dawenkou Culture distributed in Shandong, the north of Jiangsu, the east of Henan and the northeast of Anhui. Dawenkou site has an area of 820,000 square meters, with an excavated area of 5,400 square meters. It abounds in cultural relics, boasting more than 100 ruins of tombs, house bases and kilns. 

Carved bone pot inlaid with turquoise: ornament (right, height 7.7 cm); Hook-shaped object made of river deer teeth: ornament (left, height 10.5 cm)

 

In the early times it took the red pottery as the main products. In its later phase, it developed a firing technology to make fine undecorated gray and black pottery. At the same time white and egg-shelled pottery appeared. It was mainly made by hand at first and later by wheel. The firing temperature was 900 to 1,000 centigrade. The surface was mostly polished. The decorated pattern was of lineation, curve, basket, circular, triangular and hollow etc.

 

The Dawenkou Neolithic Culture was characterized by the emergence of delicate wheel-made pots of various colors, ornaments of stone, jade, and bone; walled towns, and high-status burials involving ledges for displaying grave goods, coffin chambers, and the burial of animal teeth, pig heads, and pig jawbones.

 

Over 100 tombs have been excavated at Dawenkou. The tombs have many features in common; all are rectangular pit-graves, most are oriented with the dead persons’ heads toward the east, and most of the bodies had deer teeth in their hands. 

Source: chinaculture.org

Chinese Conversation – lesson 227

Sunday, October 12th, 2008

几小时后,卡西垂降而下
阿丹:这已经是你第六次上去了!
卡西:但我还是最喜欢垂降的部分。
阿丹:你的态度一百八十度大转变。
卡西:比我想象中好玩多了。再来一次?
阿丹:不要。我的手没力了。我现在连风筝都拿不动。
卡西:谢谢你带我入门。
阿丹:为了我最爱的女孩,什么都愿意。
卡西:我饿了。
阿丹:既然都已经在海边了,我们可以去吃些海鲜。
卡西:你真了解我

A couple of hours later, Kathy rappels down
Dan: You’ve gone up six times now!
Kathy: And rappelling down is still my favorite part.
Dan: You made a 180-degree change.
Kathy: It’s more fun than I thought. Again?
Dan: No way. My arms are jelly. I couldn’t hold a kite right now.
Kathy: Thanks for showing me the ropes.a
Dan: Anything for my favorite girl.
Kathy: Now I’m starving.
Dan: Since we’ve already on the coast, we could go get some seafood.
Kathy: You read my mind.

(Source: wwenglish.com)