Archive for October 21st, 2008

Chinese Culture – Chengziya Site

Tuesday, October 21st, 2008

 

Site of the primitive town of the Neolithic Age

 

Location: Zhangqiu, Shandong Province

 

Period: 2500-2100 BC

 

Excavated: in 1931

 

Significance: The Longshan Culture is named after the site. It is the first site of prehistoric town ever found in China. It offers abundant important materials to the study of prehistoric culture.

 

 Introduction

 

Chengziya Site is about 5,000 years old with an area of 220,000 square meters. It is the earliest important town of the Neolithic Age in China, and rich in ancient cultural relics such as neolith, pottery and bone-made articles. Chengziya Site was one of the first grade cultural relics sites under State’s protection. Its typical black pottery culture was discovered for the first time in history. 

White pottery gui (pitch with three legs): wine vessel or water vessel (up); Black pottery lei (jar with wide shoulders and narrowing foot): food container or ritual vessel (bottom)

 

 Longshan Culture

 

Longshan Culture represents a civilization in which both stone and bronze tools applied. During the time of Longshan Culture, people were organized in patriarchal clan community.

 

In pottery making, potter wheel were widely used . Painted potteries gave way to black ones. The black earthen wares were carefully polished for much finer quality, some objects even had the outer walls made as thin as eggshell. Longshan Culture, with the highest level of pottery making in Chinese history, is also known as Black Pottery Culture.

 

At the same time, bronze forge appeared. There are two pieces of bronze prick unearthed at Sanlihe village, in Jiaoxian County of Shandong Province, which remained from this transitional period between Stone Age and Bronze Age.

 

In aspect of construction, on the site of Longshan town, there were found ruins of an earth platform, rectangular in shape. It was made of layers of compact earth. This kind of architectural technique prevailed during the Shang Dynasty (16th-11th BC). Furthermore, defensive works was built up in ground structure, evolving from oldest big moat underground. A large number of rammed-earth walls came into being. Around Shandong Province , more than ten vestiges of ancient walls were discovered. Among them, there are seven walls densely located together, forming a wall complex. The appearance of wall marked the emergence of city that heralded the coming of a new era in which human civilization underwent huge improvements.

Source: chinaculture.org

Learn Chinese Podcast – Happy China 303

Tuesday, October 21st, 2008

                                        Click to Watch Video Podcast

   韩佳: 快乐学汉语,

    Learn Chinese the fun way

    万里海疆行。

    and enjoy a happy journey

    across China!

    大家好!

    Hello!

    我是快乐的韩佳。

    I’m Merry Han Jia.

    王渊源:我是快乐的王渊源。

    And I’m Happy Wang Yuanyuan.

    韩佳: 我们现在是在去盘锦的路上。

    Now we are on our way to Panjin.

    渊源,你去过盘锦吗?

    Yuanyuan, have you ever

    been to Panjin?

    王渊源:没有。

    No.

    不过我知道那儿的大米挺出名的。

    But I know the rice there is

    quite famous.

    韩佳: 你刚才说,那里的大米挺出名

    The “ting” in “ting chu ming”

    中的”挺”呢

    about the rice there

    是我们口语中常用的副词。

    is a commonly used adverb

    in spoken Chinese.

    它跟”很”的意思是一样的。

    ”Ting” means the same as

    ”hen” or “very”.

    王渊源:”挺”跟”很”的意思是一样的。

    ”Ting” in Chinese means the

    same as “hen” or “very”.

    比如说,我们可以说

    For instance

    今天的天气挺好。

    today’s weather is pretty good.

    韩佳: 那渊源,

    Then, Yuanyuan,

    你除了知道盘锦大米之外,

    in addition to Panjin’s rice,

    还知道什么呀?

    what else do you know about

    the city?

    王渊源:其他我就不太清楚了。

    I’m not quite clear about other

    things there.

    韩佳: 那看来

    Then it seems necessary

    今天要给你好好补补课了。

    for me to help you make up for

    the missed lessons.

    其实我对盘锦的了解

    But In fact, I don’t know quite a lot

    并不算太多。

    about Panjin either.

    只知道它是一座新兴的石化城市。

    I only know it’s a new

    petrochemical city.

    而且呢,

    And it is also

    还是一座非常注重

    an ecological city, attaching

    great importance

    环境保护的生态城市。

    to environmental protection.

    那至于其他更多更具体的内容呢,

    As for other more concrete details,

就需要我们亲自去观察

    we have to find them out

    去了解了。

    ourselves.

    王渊源:韩佳,

    Han Jia,

    这儿怎么这么多抽油机呢?

    why are there so many oil

    extracting machines here?

    韩佳: 你不知道了吧,

    Perhaps you don’t know

    中国的第三大油田

    the headquarters of China’s

    third largest oilfield,

    辽河油田的总部就在盘锦。

    Liaohe Oilfield, is located

    right in Panjin.

    王渊源:我说呢。

    I see.

    原来辽河油田就在这里!

    The Liaohe Oilfield is actually

    right here!

    韩佳: 对啊。你刚才说的

    Yeah. The “yuan lai” you said

    原来辽河油田的总部

    about the location

    在这儿中的”原来”呢

    of the headquarters of Liaohe Oilfield

    是一个副词,

    is an adverb,

    表示人们发现了以前不知道的情况,

    expressing surprise upon discovering

    有忽然醒悟的意思。

    something that you didn’t know before.

    王渊源:”原来” 是副词,

    ”Yuan lai” is an adverb,

    表示人们发现了以前不知道的情况,

    which is used to express surprise

    upon discovering something

    有忽然醒悟的意思。

    that you didn’t know before.

    比如说,怪不得他没来上班。

    For instance, no wonder he

    didn’t come to work.

    原来他生病了。

    Actually he is sick.

 

    Wǒ zhǎole nǐ bàntiān yuánlái nǐ zài zhèr a

    我 找了 你 半天, 原来 你 在 这儿 啊。

    I’ve been looking for you forever;

    it turns out you’re right here.

 

    韩佳,咱们出来这么久。

    Han Jia, it’s been quite a while

    since we came out.

    到底要去哪儿?

    where exactly are we going?

    韩佳: 我今天要带你去看一个奇观。

    I’m going to take you to see

    a spectacle.

    而且保证你原来肯定没见过。

    I guarantee you’ve never

    seen it before.

    跟我走吧。

    Come with me.

    王渊源:好啊。

    Okay.

    还真被韩佳说中了。

    Han Jia was correct.

    这么大一片红色的海滩!

    What a vast red beach it is!

    我确实从来没见过。

    Sure, I’ve never seen it before.

    站在红海滩码头上

    Standing on this red beach dock

    放眼望去,

    and looking around,

    不管是谁,

    no matter whoever you are,

    都会感叹大自然的神奇。

    you’ll be definitely amazed at

    nature’s magic beauty.

    当然了,

    And of course,

    我也不例外。

    I’m no exception.

    嘉宾: 现在我们已经来到了

    Now we’ve reached

    红海滩的中心地带。

    the central part of this red beach.

    韩佳: 哦,我发现把这里染红的

    Oh, I’ve found what makes

    this place red

    好像是一种小小的植物。

    seems to be a kind of a small plant.

    那是什么呀?

    What’s that?

    嘉宾: 这种草叫做碱蓬草。

    This kind of grass is called sea-blite.

    它的叶片呈翅状,

    As it has wing-shaped leaves,

    所以把它叫做翅碱蓬。

    it is also called winged sea-blite.

    但是当地的百姓

    But locals

    都喜欢把它叫做红碱蓬。

    prefer to call it red sea-blite.

    它是惟一一种

    It is the only plant

    能在盐碱土地上存活的草。

    that can survive in alkaline conditions.

    王渊源:我看它真的是红红的一片!

    What a vast expanse of red!

    韩佳: 是啊。

    Yes, indeed.

    好漂亮啊!

    Very beautiful!

    旁白: 除了红海滩,

    In addition to this red beach,

    盘锦还有着一片

    Panjin also has a vast expanse

    总面积约120万亩的大苇荡。

    of reed marshes totaling

    80,000 hectares.

    这在世界上也是罕见的。

    It is also a rare sight in the world.

    所以离开红海滩之后,

    So after leaving Red Beach,

    我们就开车前往鼎翔生态旅游区,

    we drove toward the Dingxiang

    Eco-Tourist Area

    亲眼看看著名的盘锦大苇荡。

    to see with our own eyes the

    Panjin Reed Marshland.

    嘉宾: 我们盘锦的自然环境

    The beauty of our natural environment

    之所以这么美呢,

    in Panjin

    是和这片大芦苇荡是分不开的。

    is inseparable from this vast

    reed marshland.

    芦苇是挺水植物。

    The reed is a kind of above-water plant.

    根部参与食物链。

    Its roots are part of the

    food chain.

    它有净化空气和净化水质的作用。

    The plant can help purify the

    air and water.

    韩佳: 我以前也听说过

    I also heard before that

    它除了可以净化环境之外,

    apart from environmental purification,

    好像还可以用来造纸、

    reeds can be also used to make paper

    发展养殖等等,对吗?

    and develop the breeding industry.

    嘉宾: 对的。

    That’s right.

    就我们

    The picture

    这片大芦苇荡和抽油机的景色

    of this vast reed marshland

    and these oil extractors

    合在一起呢,

    combined

    我想只有在盘锦是可以看得到的。

    can be seen only in Panjin here.

    韩佳: 哦。

    Oh, I see.

    当我们陶醉在

    While we are mesmerized

    这片大苇荡的壮美时,

    by the vastness of this reed marshland,

    录音师王军发现水里有一只

    audio recording technician

    Wang Jun has found

    受伤的幼鸟。

    a wounded bird falling on the water.

    王渊源:我们把它救了上来。

    Let’s take it out and save it.

    导游说这是国家二级保护动物–

    The tour guide said it belongs to the

    nation’s second-class protected birds,

    夜鹭。

    the Night Heron.

    韩佳: 这地上好烫哦!

    The ground is so hot!

    王渊源:别把它放在地上了。

    Don’t put it on the ground.

    韩佳: 怎么给它抓起来呢?

    How could we catch it?

    最后我们委托当地警察,

    Later, we handed it to the

    local police,

    由他们转送到野生动物鸟类救护站。

    who will hand it over to the

    wildlife protection center.

    王渊源:这回这只受伤的小夜鹭得救了。

    Now this wounded little night

    heron will survive.

    我们也放心了。

    We feel relieved.

    嘉宾: 给。

    Take it.

    王渊源:给我们这个干吗呀?

    What did you give this to us for?

    嘉宾: 钓蟹呀。

    To fish for crabs.

    王渊源:我只听说过钓鱼。

    I’ve heard about fishing

    for fish only.

    这可是我第一次听说钓蟹。

    This is my first time for me to

    hear about fishing for crabs.

    那我们上哪儿去钓啊?

    Where should we go for that?

    嘉宾: 从这边走。

    Go this way.

    王渊源:哦,行。

    Okay, no problem.

    嘉宾: 看,就是这边。

    It’s right here.

    韩佳: 仔细一看,真的好多螃蟹啊。

    If you look carefully, you’ll find

    really many crabs here.

    王渊源:一看?

    ”Yi kan”?

    韩佳: “一看”是一个”一”加动词的结构,

    ”Yi kan”, or “yi” followed

    by a verb,

    表示经过一个短暂的动作之后呢

    can be used to describe a

    short action

    就得出了某种结果。

    that leads to a result.

    王渊源:”一”加动词的结构,

    ”Yi” followed by a verb,

    表示经过一个短暂的动作之后呢

    can be used to describe a

    short action

    就得出了某种结果。

    that leads to a result.

    韩佳: 我们举个例子来说吧。

    Let’s explain with an example.

 

 

    Wǒ yí wèn tā quèshí bú zài jiā

    我 一 问,他 确实 不 在 家。

    I asked and he really wasn’t

    at home.

 

    嘉宾: 好了,好了,咱们钓蟹吧,

    All right, let’s fish for crabs

    就像我这样。

    the way I’m doing now.

    把肉皮放在它的附近。

    Put the meat skin close to it.

    然后它就会过来咬。

    And crabs will come over

    and bite it.

    韩佳: 上来了!上来了!

    Coming up! Coming up!

    您看,您看!

    Look, look!

    钓到了!

    I caught it!

    王渊源:还真钓了一个!

    You really caught one!

    韩佳: 观众朋友们,

    Audience friends,

    您要是有机会来盘锦,

    if you have a chance to visit Panjin,

    一定要来体验一下钓螃蟹的乐趣。

    you better have a try at the fun

    of fishing for crabs.

 

 

    赏心悦目:

 

    盘锦是一座美丽的生态城市

    Panjin is a beautiful ecological city.

    浩瀚的芦苇荡像一个天然的绿色屏障

    The vast reed marshland serves

    as a protective screen.

    田间的抽油机构成了独特的油田景观

    The oil extractors form a unique

    picture of a booming oilfield.

    连片的蟹滩为盘锦生态增添了勃勃生机

    The coastal waters teem with fat crabs.

    特色天成的自然奇观红海滩

    The Red Beach is a spectacle

    of nature.

    覆盖着盐碱地特有的植被–碱蓬草

    The sea-blite plants covering the

    alkaline beach

    一簇簇好似出水的珊瑚

    look like brilliant corals,

    放眼望去 恰如一片红色的海洋

    dyeing the entire beach red.

 

    王渊源:韩佳,刚才钓上来的螃蟹

    Han Jia, why did you release

    你怎么又放回去了?

    the crabs you had caught just now?

    韩佳: 因为它们是受保护的呀。

    Because they are under protection.

    王渊源:我明白。

    Oh, I see.

    只有人和自然和谐共处

    Only when humans and nature

    coexist harmoniously

    才会有今天美丽的盘锦。

    could there have been the

    beautiful Panjin of today.

    是这样的吧?

    Am I right?

    韩佳: 没错儿。

    Absolutely.

    那我们赶紧来给大家

    Let’s hurry to set

    出今天的有奖问答题吧。

    today’s award-winning question

    for our audience.

 

    (问题部分略)

 

    王渊源:好,今天的节目

    Well, we hope today’s program

    我们希望给你带去了很多快乐。

    has brought a lot of fun to you.

    我们明天锦州见。

    We’ll see you tomorrow in Panjin.

    韩佳: 哎,你怎么就说出来了?

    Hey, why did you reveal it?

    我还想明天给大家一个惊喜呢。

    I wanted it to be a surprise for

    our audience.

    王渊源:不小心我就说出来了。

    I revealed it due to my carelessness.

    韩佳: 那还是算了吧。

    It doesn’t matter.

    那观众朋友们,

    Audience friends,

    我们约好了

    let’s make it a deal

    明天同一时间不见不散。

    that we’ll meet tomorrow at

    the same time.

    我们的口号是:

    Our slogan is:

    合: 学说中国话,朋友遍天下。

    Learn Chinese and make friends everywhere!

 

(Source: cctv.com)

Chinese Conversation – lesson 236

Tuesday, October 21st, 2008

一些科学家想用克隆动物的方法,来为人类制造人类使用的皮肤、器官与其它的身体构造。其方法之一是从脑内或血液中提取成熟细胞,把它们培养成新组织。另外一种较为复杂的技术,则是把胚胎细胞培养成各式各样的细胞种类及组织。

Some scientists want to apply the methods used in cloning animals to produce skin, organs, and other body parts for humans. One of these methods involves taking adult cells from the brain or blood and growing them into new tissues. Another, more complex, technique takes embryo cells and develops them into a wide variety of cell types and tissues.

(Source: wwenglish.com)