Archive for February 13th, 2009

Cri – Lesson 233

Friday, February 13th, 2009

(mms://enmms.chinabroadcast.cn/new/lang/ch/studio/Lesson357.wma)

Y: Welcome to Chinese Studio Wo shi Yajie.
R: And Wo Shi Raymond. Today we’re learning how to fly. As it is holiday season for most foreigners, those of you who haven’t taken off to see your loved ones, get to listen to this edition of Chinese Studio!
Y: Well here we are with some ways to help you get some of what you want with Airplane Etiquette.
R: Lets go! Here’re some key words of the day.
 
Key Words of the day
airport 机场 terminal 航站楼。 Please take me to the airport 请送我去机场。I’m going to the terminal one. 我要去一号航站楼。 All in today’s Chinese studio. 

R: rrrrrrrrrrr
Y: What are you doing?
R: rrrrrrrr Pretending to be an airplane.
Y: Why would you ever do that?
R: Well I heard that the best way to teach people languages is to make noises of cars or other motor propelled vehicles.
Y: Um wrong.
R: Ok well then I guess its best to tell me, “Please take me to the airport, taxi driver.”
You can say 请送我去机场。Qing3 song4 wo3 qu4 ji1 chang3.
Qing3: please
Song4: send or deliver
Wo3: me
Qu4: go 
Ji1 chang3: airport

Literally: please deliver me go airport
Please take me to the airport 

 —————

Y: Wow what’s that!
R: I think you mean the terminal. And tell me how to say “I’m going to terminal one” in Chinese, so I can tell the taxi driver. 
Y: wo3 yao4 qu4 yi1 hao4 hang2 zhan4 lou2.
Wo3: I
yao4: need to
Qu4: go
Yi1: one
Hao4: the measure word for terminal
Hang2 zhan4 lou2: terminal
I’m going to terminal one.
R: Well that’s the end of Chinese studio. 
Y: Time for the quiz.
R: Ok. How do you say “Please take me to the airport” in Chinese.
Y: Send your answer to chinese@crifm.com and you could win one of our great prizes.
R: That’s right and don’t forget to check out crienglish.com and click on learn Chinese.
Y: Mingtian Jian

(Source:english.cri.cn)

Learn Chinese Podcast – Happy China 418

Friday, February 13th, 2009
 
 

   韩佳:大家好,这里是《快乐中国》。

  Hello there, welcome to Happy China.

  我是快乐的韩佳。

  I am the happy Han Jia.

  大牛:我是快乐的大牛。

  And I am the happy Daniel.

  韩佳,这么古色古香的地方!

  Han Jia, it looks so antique here!

  这里是哪儿啊?

  What is this place?

  韩佳:忘了告诉你了,

  I forgot to tell you

  这里是富阳市的中国古代

  This is a cultural village in Fuyang,

  造纸印刷文化村。

  showing the ancient Chinese techniques

  of paper making and printing.

  大牛:中国古代的造纸和印刷?

  Ancient Chinese paper making

  and printing?

  这不是中国古代四大发明

  Are they two of China’ s

  其中的两个吗?

  four great inventions?

  韩佳:知道的还真不少。

  You know quite a lot.

  大牛:这两种发明在这里全都能看到?

  I can see both of these two inventions here?

  韩佳:是啊。这里展现了一千六百多年前

  Yes. Here on display are the

  complete processes

  古代中国人造纸和印刷的全套工艺。

  of paper making and printing

  in China 1,600 years ago.

  对了,大牛…哎,

  Oh, Daniel … Hey,

  这么快就跑没影了。

  he’s totally disappeared all of a sudden.

  干吗去了?

  Where’s he gone?

  向二位师傅请教一下,

  Excuse me, you two masters,

  这个池子是干…

  what is this pool used for…

  大牛:韩佳,你想请教我什么?

  Han Jia, you want to consult me?

  韩佳:大牛,

  Daniel,

  嗨,我要请教师傅。

  I want to consult this master.

  师傅,

  Sir,

  这个池子是干什么用的啊?

  what is this pool used for?

  大牛:韩佳,这种简单的问题。

  Han Jia, it’s a simple question.

  就不用劳驾师傅了。

  You don’t have to ask this master.

  由我这个徒弟代劳就行了。

  You may just ask me, his apprentice.

  这个水池中都是纸浆。

  It is all paper pulp in this pool.

  你看那些像棉絮一样的东西是毛竹纤维。

  You see the stuff looking like cotton

  fibers is bamboo fibers.

  韩佳:那怎么用纸浆造纸呢?

  Then how is pulp used to make paper?

  大牛:这个嘛,由我给你演示。

  Let me show you.

  韩佳:你?

  You?

  这才刚学。能行吗?

  You are just learning. Are you sure?

  大牛:你不会是没听说过

  Have you ever heard the proverb

  “青出于蓝而胜于蓝”吧?

  ”Blue is extracted from the indigo plant,

  but is bluer than it”?

  韩佳:当然听说过了。

  Of course, I have.

  这个成语就是说学生可以超过老师,

  It means students may excel their teachers

  后代可以胜过前辈。

  and the younger generation may do

  better than the older generation.

  大牛:所以嘛,你就跟我来。

  So, come with me.

  韩佳:好。

  Okay.

  大牛:让师傅在那边忙,我在这里给你演示。

  Let my master attend to his work while

  I give you a demonstration show.

  韩佳:好

  Okay.

  大牛:先搅一搅,把纸浆搅匀。

  First stir the pulp to make it well mixed.

  一张纸马上就要出来了。

  Now a sheet of paper is about to

  come out.

  韩佳:大牛,这就是你所说的

  Daniel, is this what you said about

  “青出于蓝而胜于蓝”?

  ”qing chu yu lan er sheng yu lan”?

  大牛:刚才不小心我的手抖了一下。

  Just now my hands shook a little bit

  due to my carelessness.

  我再来一遍。

  Let me do it one more time.

  韩佳:哎,算了,算了。

  Hey, that’s enough.

  我们还是看看师傅怎么做的吧。

  Let’s see how our master is doing

  his work.

  Wǒmen háishì kànkan shīfu shì zěnme zuò de ba.

  我们 还是 看看 师傅 是 怎么 做 的 吧。

  I think we should take a look at

  how a master does it.

  大牛:这榨纸太苦了。

  The pulp mixing work is too hard.

  我去看看韩佳怎么样。

  I’m going to see how Han Jia is doing.

  韩佳,你这儿的活有意思吗?

  Han Jia, is the work here interesting?

  韩佳:大牛,你怎么三心二意的?

  Daniel, how come you’re so fickle?

  榨纸榨得怎么样了?

  How is your pulp mixing work going?

  跑我这儿来干什么?

  What did you come here for?

  大牛:实在是不公平啊!

  This is really unfair!

  为什么卖力气的活总是我大牛在干,

  Why do I always have to do the hard job

  韩佳总挑轻松的?

  and Han Jia always picks easy

  ones to do?

  韩佳:你以为这烘干纸的活轻省啊?

  Do you think paper drying is an

  easy job?

  那你来试试!

  Then come try it!

  大牛:试就试?这有什么难的。

  Why not? It isn’t difficult at all.

  你说吧怎么做。我保证一学就会。

  Tell me how to do it. I guarantee you

  I can do it once you tell me how.

  韩佳:那好吧。首先你先揭下一张榨过的纸来。

  Okay. Peel a sheet of the pressed paper.

  大牛:好。

  Alright.

  韩佳:哎呀,大牛,你看看!

  Aha, Daniel, look!

  这么简单的动作你都学不会!

  You can’t even master such a

  simple operation!

  Zhème jiǎndān de dòngzuò nǐ dōu xué bu huì.

  这么 简单 的 动作 你 都 学 不 会。

  You can’t even master the easiest

  of movement.

  大牛:你说得倒轻松。

  You said it so easily.

  你倒是做一遍给我看看!

  You do it for me to see!

  韩佳:好啊。那你可看好了啊。

  Okay. Look carefully.

  怎么样,一气呵成吧!

  Look, it’s all done in one go!

  大牛:韩佳,这不是雕版印刷吗?

  Han Jia, isn’t it woodblock printing?

  韩佳:对啊。我记得你以前

  Yes. I remember

  不是还亲手印过几张呢吗。

  you once made some block prints yourself.

  大牛:对呀。如果让我总结的话,

  Yeah. If you want me to sum up,

  这印刷就是先刷再印。

  it is brushing before printing.

  再刷再印,再刷再印。

  Brushing again and printing again.

  大姐,我也可以试试吗?

  Ma’am, may I try it?

  韩佳:我们还是去看下一道工序吧。

  We’d better go see the next step of

  the process.

  别在这儿耽误时间了。

  Don’t waste time here.

  大牛:好,听你的。

  Okay, I obey you.

  韩佳,过去我一直搞不懂

  Han Jia, in the past I had no idea at all

  古代的书籍是怎么装订的。

  how ancient books were bound.

  Guòqù wǒ yìzhí gǎo bu dǒng shūjí shì zěnme zhuāngdìng de.

  过去 我 一直 搞 不 懂 书籍 是 怎么 装订 的。

  I’ve never really understood how

  books are bound.

  韩佳:这下你可以完完全全地了解了吧。

  Now you have a complete

  understanding about it.

  第一步就是折页。

  The first step is folding the sheets.

  第二步就是把折好的页按次序放好,

  The second step is to put the

  sheets together,

  一页一页地拿起来排成书。

  one page after another like in a book.

  第三步就是把排好的页拉齐。

  The third is to straighten up the sheets.

  第四步就是打纸捻、贴面。

  The fourth is to make the paper thread

  and put on the cover sheet.

  第五步就是把书缝起来了。

  And the fifth step is to sew up the book.

  大牛:这样的一本线装书

  A thread-sewn book

  就是在几位姑娘的巧手之下装订好的。

  has thus been bound by these

  adroit girls.

  韩佳:您现在该了解了吧?

  Now you have understood it?

  大牛:如果没看明白的话没关系。

  If not, it doesn’t’ matter.

  您还可以到赏心悦目中继续观赏。

  You can still find it out in the Feast

  for the Eyes.

  韩佳:一会儿见。

  See you later.

  赏心悦目:

  文化村主要展示中国传统造纸印刷工艺

  The Cultural Village exhibits China’s traditional

  paper making and printing techniques.

  汇聚了各种传统造纸印刷工具

  Also on display are various tools used

  for paper making and printing.

  仿古形式的造纸作坊

  In the traditional-style paper making shop,

  游客既可参观游览 又可亲手操作

  the visitor can also have a hands-on

  experience in this traditional craft.

  精密的雕版印刷

  The intricate woodblock printing technique

  细致的手工装订

  and the adroit book binding skills,

  各类精美的线装书籍

  as well various kinds of thread-bound books,

  展示出中华文明的源远流长

  all help explain the long history

  of Chinese culture.

  韩佳:好了,观众朋友们,

  Well, ladies and gentlemen,

  看完了赏心悦目之后呢,

  after the Feast for the Eyes,

  大牛又该给大家出今天的问题了。

  it’s time now for Daniel to set

  today’s question.

  (问题部分略)

  大牛:最后别忘了我们的口号:

  Lastly, don’t forget our motto-

  合: 学说中国话,朋友遍天下。

  Learn Chinese and have friends everywhere.

(Source: cctv.com)

China Travel – Guandi Temple in Xiezhou

Friday, February 13th, 2009

The Guandi Temple is located in the Zhenxi Pass of Xiezhou in Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province.

 

It is said that Changping Village, located 10 kilometers southeast of Xiezhou, is the hometown of Guan Yu, a famous general of the Shu State during the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280). Hence, the Guandi Temple is the ancestral temple of all the temples enshrining and to Guan. Built in 589 during the reign of Emperor Wendi of the Sui Dynasty (581-618), the Guandi Temple was burnt down in 1702 in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and later went through 10 years of restorations.

 

Covering an area of about 100 mu (1 mu = 1/15 of a hectare), the Guandi Temple can be divided into southern and northern parts. The southern area is centered on Jieyi Garden and comprises a memorial archway, the Gentleman Pavilion, the Three-Sworn-Brothers Pavilion and rockeries. At the Three-Sworn-Brothers Pavilion, an engraved picture from the time of Emperor Qianlong tells the story of Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who swore to be brothers in Taoyuan. The central temple is built in the north with an overall arrangement resembling that of a palace. It consists of a front and a back palace. In the front palace, constructions on the central axis include: the Duan Gate, the Zhi Gate, the Wu Gate, the Imperial Writing Building and the Chongning Hall, including side halls on the east and west sides. The back palace is centered around the Spring and Autumn Building; the Sword and Seal buildings are built symmetrically on the two sides. 

 

The grand Guandi Temple was built with an overall compact arrangement. The south and north groups of constructions are surrounded by side rooms, attributing the temple its reputation of being like a Small Forbidden City.

 

Inside the temple, stretches of tall cypress trees and flowers release a lovely fragrance into the air. The Chongning Hall is the main temple to Guan Yu. The present hall was mainly built in 1718 during the Qing Dynasty. It is five bays wide and four bays deep, with a double-eaved gable and hip roof and a densely distributed dougong (wooden square blocks inserted between the top of a column and a crossbeam). The hall is surrounded by corridors and has 26 columns engraved with patterns of snaking dragons. In the center of the hall is a finely carved niche with a Guan Yu statue dressed like an emperor inside; beams and columns are carved with various patterns. Hanging in the hall are stone tablets with imperial inscriptions by Emperor Kangxi, Emperor Xianfeng and Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty.

 

The Spring and Autumn Building in Guandi Temple was built during the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and rebuilt in 1807 in the Qing Dynasty. The two-storied building is 33 meters high with a gable and hip roof that has three layers of eaves. Each floor has corridors and the eaves are decorated with various patterns beneath, including a dragon, phoenix, floating cloud, flower and human figure. Its roof is covered with color-glazed tiles. Three wooden niches can be found on the first floor with Guan Yu statues inside. In the niche on the upper floor is a standing statue of Guan Yu with seven nevi on his face as described in the legend. A set of 36 steps appears  on either side of the building and the second floor has 108 partition boards. It is said that Guan Yu loved to read the Confucian classic, Spring and Autumn Annals, throughout his life — hence the building’s name, Spring and Autumn Building.

(Source: chinaculture.org)