Archive for November 2nd, 2008

Beijing Olympic – Car plate sales still rising in Shanghai

Sunday, November 2nd, 2008

The average successful bidding price for a car number plate in Shanghai continued to rise this month, despite moves to change the auction system to make it fairer.

But the proposed plan did favor some buyers as the lowest successful bidding saw a sharp decline for the first time since July this year.

At the weekend auction of car plates for private use in Shanghai, the average successful bidding price climbed by 1,725 yuan (234 U.S. dollars) to hit a record high of 56,042 yuan.

However, the minimum payment was auctioned at 50,000 yuan, a drop of 3,800 yuan or seven percent from a month earlier, according to Shanghai International Commodity Auction Co, the organizer of the monthly event.

The local government put 7,500 car plates up for sale this month, the same amount as last month while the number of bidders also remained almost unchanged at 10,356.

In the middle of this month, Chen Qiwei, a spokesman for the city government, said Shanghai will adopt a new car plate auction system early next year that aims to prevent the bidding prices from being manipulated by car dealers.

Car sellers used to give advice on the bidding prices to auto buyers and some deliberately put up higher offers for car plates to seal a successful bid, a move to help them sell cars to buyers.

“The bidding prices have been different this time as we are told not to offer advice on the bidding price,” said a seller surnamed Gong from Jinjiang Toyota Sales Co Ltd.

“But the lowest bidding could be an exception and the price will see a slow boom because of high demand in a long term.”

Other dealers, however, disagreed. “This may be a signal that the price could slide because of the government’s firm intention to stop prices soaring,” another dealer from Shanghai General Motors Co Ltd said. (Source: Shanghai Daily)

(Source: en.beijing2008.cn)

Chinese Pinyin – bao (苞)

Sunday, November 2nd, 2008
 苞 [bāo]  
国标码:B0FA 部首:艹 笔画:8 笔顺:12235515
luxuriant
profuse
flower calyx
(Source: dict.cn)

Learn Chinese Podcast – Happy China 315

Sunday, November 2nd, 2008
 
 

 (6月28日播出)

  大牛:灯光,摄像机,开始。

  Lights, camera, action.

  韩佳:大牛,你够忙活的呀,

  Daniel, you are quite busy,

  趁大伙都不在,又当导演又做场记。

  when we are absent, you took the job

  of both director and script holder.

  只可惜这不是一块真的场记板,

  But this is not a real clip-stick,

  是个雕塑。

  but a statue.

  大牛:我当然知道是个雕塑了。

  Of course I know it is a statue.

  这里不是星光大道嘛,

  This is the Star Boulevard

  是专门为了展示香港电影的成就而建的。

  especially built to display Hong Kong’s

  achievements in film making.

  韩佳:行,还挺明白。

  Good, you are clear about it.

  大牛:那当然了,为了投身电影事业,

  Certainly, to devote myself into

  the film cause,

  我可是下了一番功夫的。

  I have made painstaking efforts.

  韩佳:啊,你要投身电影事业?

  Devote yourself into the film cause?

  大牛:我已经想好了。

  I have thought it over.

  以后我要去演功夫片里的男一号。

  I will act the hero in action movie.

  比如说什么黄飞鸿什么的。

  Such as Hung Feihong, and the like.

  韩佳:就你啊?演黄飞鸿?做梦呢吧。

  You? Act Huang Feihong?

  You are dreaming.

  大牛:总之啊,这《快乐中国》以后就交给你了。

  In a word, I will leave Happy China

  to you alone in the future.

  韩佳:别,不好意思。

  No, I am embarrassed.

  最近我也迷上电影了。

  Recently, I fell in love with movies too.

  大牛:真的?这么巧!

  Really? What a coincident!

  一不留神又成了志趣相…相什么的人了?

  We become people of Zhi Qu Xiang…,

  how to say?

  韩佳:志趣相投。

  Zhi Qu Xiang Tou.

  志趣是指志向和兴趣,

  Zhi Qu means ambition and interest,

  志趣相投是指志向和兴趣爱好都一样。

  and the idiom describes people sharing

  the same ambition and interest.

  大牛:志趣相投是指志向和兴趣爱好都一样。

  Zhi Qu Xiang Tou means to have

  common interests and aspirations.

  志趣相投。

  Zhi Qu Xiang Tou.

  Zhì qù xiāng tóu

  志 趣 相 投

  To have common aspirations

  and interests

  韩佳:香港有东方好莱坞之称。

  Hong Kong is the so-called

  Oriental Hollywood.

  从一九三一年,

  Since 1931,

  when the first movie of Hong Kong

  香港的第一部电影诞生开始,

  was shot,

  许多人都为香港的电影事业

  many people have made

  做出了杰出的贡献。

  outstanding contribution to the

  film cause in Hong Kong.

  大牛:没错儿。这些都是为了表彰他们

  Right. In honor of them,

  而特别设立的手印石牌。

  these handprint stone plates are set.

  大名鼎鼎的导演和大明星。

  hey are all well known

  directors and stars.

  你看,成龙、周星驰。

  Look, Jack Cheng, Stephen Chow.

  从这里以后,

  From here,

  所有的明星我基本上都知道了。

  all the stars I basically know.

  你看,那里有梁朝伟、周润发、刘德华。

  Look, there are Tony Leung, Chow Yun-fat,

  and Andy Lau.

  还有大牛。

  And Daniel.

  韩佳:你说什么呢?真会给自己找地儿。

  What are you saying? You have found

  a good place for your name.

  合: 还有韩佳。别胡说了。

  And Han Jia.

  Stop saying nonsense.

  大牛:反正这些石牌空着也是空着,

  Any way, these stone plates are idle,

  不能浪费了。

  you cannot waste them.

  你说这手印怎么样才能印上去呢?

  Do you know how to carve your

  fingerprint on them?

  韩佳:我真服了你了!

  You have so many strange ideas!

  大牛,你琢磨什么呢?

  Daniel, what are you thinking?

  大牛:我在想,要是真成了电影明星,

  I am thinking, if I become a movie star,

  发给我这么大的一座奖杯,我也扛不动啊。

  such a large cup is too heavy for

  me to carry.

  韩佳:他怎么净想好事啊?

  Why he keeps thinking good things?

  真想要拍电影啊,那得靠真才实学。

  If you want to be an actor,

  You shall rely on Zhen Cai Shi Xue.

  Nǐ yào xiǎng pāi diànyǐng, hái děi kào zhēn cái shí xué.

  你 要 想 拍 电影, 还 得 靠 真 才 实 学。

  If you want to make films, you

  should have real talent.

  大牛:靠什么?

  Rely on what?

  韩佳:真才实学呀。

  Zhen Cai Shi Xue.

  就是指真才能,真本事。

  It means true talent and practical caliber.

  大牛:哦,真才实学就是指真才能,真本事。

  Oh, Zhen Cai Shi Xue means real

  talent and ability.

  真才实学。

  Zhen Cai Shi Xue.

  这一点我知道,

  I know this,

  所以才要去一个地方充充电。

  that’s why I will go to somewhere

  to enrich my knowledge.

  东区的电影资料馆可是香港电影的宝库。

  The film archive in Hong Kong East is a

  treasury of Hong Kong movies.

  一定不能错过。

  You cannot afford missing it.

  韩佳:他还什么都知道。

  He seems to know everything.

  合: 跟我来。走。

  Follow me. Let’s go.

  韩佳:香港电影资料馆启用于两千零一年,

  Hong Kong Film Achieve, opened in 2001,

  短短几年里就对电影的收集、保存、

  has make outstanding contributions

  in these several years

  整理等方面做出了突出的贡献。

  in collecting, storing and sorting

  film information.

  大牛:做到这点可不容易,

  It is not an easy job,

  香港的电影实在是太多了。

  since there are a tremendous amount

  of film here.

  韩佳:说得没错。

  You are right.

  咱俩怎么介绍起香港电影来了?

  Why we start introducing Hong Kong film?

  赶快找资料。

  Harry up to look for the materials.

  大牛:对呀,要不星光大道上没有我们俩的地儿了。

  Yes, otherwise there will be no room

  for us on the Star Boulevard.

  韩佳:快。

  Harry up.

  想当明星就要多下点功夫。

  You have to put your back to it

  before you become a star.

  大牛:马上就要去见导演,

  I’m going to meet the director.

  不知道他会不会出什么难题。

  I wonder if he would test me with

  difficult problems.

  合: 导演,我们来了。导演好。

  We are here. Hello! Director.

  嘉宾:听说你们俩想演电影啊,

  I learned you two want to act in a film,

  听说你们为了演电影还下了不少功夫啊。

  and in order to act in a film,

  you have made unremitting efforts.

  Tīng shuō nǐmen hái xiàle bù shǎo gōngfu.

  听 说 你们 还 下了 不 少 功夫。

  I hear that you have worked really hard.

  那我们试试。

  Let’ s have a try.

  你们俩合作,即兴发挥来一段。

  You two give us an improvisation

  as a pair.

  合: 啊,我跟他?对啊。合作愉快。

  Oh, we are a pair.

  Wish us a pleasant cooperation.

  嘉宾:来!摄影,录音,灯光,开始。

  Ok! Camera, recording and light, action.

  合: 快乐学汉语,轻松又好记。

  Enjoy learning Chinese

  and it is carefree and easy.

  韩佳:大家好,欢迎来到《快乐中国》。

  Hello, everyone!

  Welcome to Happy China.

  我是快乐的韩佳。

  I’m happy Han Jia.

  嘉宾:停!摄影机在那儿呢。

  Cut! The camera is over there.

  你们冲它说干吗?

  Why are you speaking facing

  that direction?

  大牛:咱们还是踏踏实实地干老本行吧。

  Let’s do our own job steadfastly.

  韩佳:接下去请收看赏心悦目。

  Next is the Enjoyable Scenery.

  大牛:别忘了我们的口号:

  Don’t forget our motto.

  合: 学说中国话,朋友遍天下。

  Learn to speak Chinese and

  make friends everywhere.

  大牛:还是这词说着顺。

  This sentence always reads smoothly.

  赏心悦目:

  香港电影在海内外颇具影响

  Hong Kong movies are very influence

  in both China and abroad.

  尖沙咀海滨长廊的星光大道

  Avenue of Stars at the Tsim Sha Tsui

  Waterfront Promenade

  展示着香港电影的突出成就

  exhibits the outstanding achievements

  of Hong Kong film industry.

  香港电影资料馆

  Hong Kong Film Archive

  保存了大量珍贵的电影拷贝及相关资料

  has a rich collection of valuable film copies

  and relevant documents.

  沿海滨而建的星光大道

  The Avenue of Stars along the seashore

  记录着香港电影人的辉煌与荣光

  records the splendor and glory

  of Hong Kong film makers

  昭示着香港电影更美好的希望

  and indicates a better prospect of

  Hong Kong film industry.

(Source: cctv.com)