Archive for February 23rd, 2009

Learn Chinese Podcast – Happy China 428

Monday, February 23rd, 2009
 
 

   合: 快乐学汉语,轻松又好记。

  Learn Chinese with fun.

  It’s much easier to remember.

  韩佳:今天去哪儿?

  What’s our destination for today?

  大牛:临安天目山。

  The Tianmu Mountain in Lin’an.

  韩佳:大牛,咱们去过的名山不少了吧。

  Daniel, we’ve been to so many

  famed mountains.

  大牛:那些名山是各有各的特点。

  And each has its own features.

  韩佳:黄山是奇松怪石传四海。

  The Huangshan Mountain is famous

  for its amazing pines and queer rocks.

  大牛:庐山是匡庐奇秀甲天下。

  The Lushan Mountain is known for

  its superb scenery.

  韩佳:那你知道,这天目山有什么特点吗?

  Do you know the salient features of

  the Tianmu Mountain?

  大牛:还没去呢怎么知道啊?

  We haven’t been there yet, how can

  I know about them?

  韩佳:先给你做个预告,

  Let me tell you in advance that

  大树华盖闻九州。

  it’s well-known in China for its trees.

  大牛,你这是照相呢,还是做体操呢?

  Daniel, are you photographing or

  doing exercise?

  大牛:这棵树太大了,取景取不全。

  This tree is too big for me to get a

  full view of it.

  就这样还凑合,来一张吧。

  This is perhaps the best I could do

  for a picture.

  韩佳,这是什么树呀?

  Han Jia, what kind of tree is it?

  韩佳:柳杉。

  The Chinese cedar.

  它在这山上的大树中排行老二,

  It is the second biggest tree on

  the mountain,

  人称二大王。

  as people call it Second King.

  大牛:这么大的树才排老二?

  Such a huge tree, as it is, is only

  the second biggest?

  可见天目山的树是树大招风。

  It is truly “shu da zhao feng”.

  韩佳:一看你就不知道树大招风是什么意思。

  You obviously don’t understand

  what “shu da zhao feng” means.

  大牛:请多多指教。

  I beg you to teach me.

  韩佳:“树大招风”就是说事物的名气越大

  ”shu da zhao feng” means the

  higher someone’s

  就越被人关注。

  status, the more liable to criticism

  he becomes.

  大牛:“树大招风”直译就是树大就会遭到风的袭击,

  ”shu da zhao feng”, literally a large tree

  catches the wind,

  指事物的名气越大就越被人关注。

  means the higer someone’s status,

  the more liable to criticism they become.

  树大招风。

  ”shu da zhao feng”.

  韩佳:大牛,以后可别胡乱形容了。

  Daniel, don’t use your words indiscreetly.

  大牛:知道。天目山的植物保护得真好。

  I know. Vegetation at the Tianmu Mountain

  is obviously under perfect protection.

  Tiānmù shān de zhíwù bǎohù de zhēn hǎo.

  天目 山 的 植物 保护 得 真 好。

  Tianmu Mountain’s vegetation is well protected.

  韩佳,你看这两棵树长到一块去了。

  Han Jia, look. These two trees have

  grown into one.

  韩佳:它有个很形象的名字叫夫妻树。

  They have a vivid name, the Husband

  & Wife Trees.

  对了。你能分出哪棵是丈夫

  Oh, yeah. Can you tell which one

  is the husband

  哪棵是妻子吗?

  and which is the wife?

  大牛:这个嘛我看看。看出来了

  Let me see. Now I can tell

  左边的是丈夫,右边的是妻子。

  the one on the left is the husband and

  the one on the right is the wife.

  韩佳:你是怎么知道的啊?

  How did you find it out?

  大牛:这个很简单。

  It’s very easy.

  一般女的都长得比男的矮。

  Normally females are shorter than males.

  依次类推,高的那棵是雄树,

  Based on this standard,

  矮的那棵是雌树。

  the short tree is female.

  韩佳:原来你是蒙的呀!

  Actually you made a wild guess!

  大牛:蒙对也算对,这证明我的运气好啊。

  A correct wild guess is also correct,

  proving that I am lucky.

  韩佳:你听好了啊。

  Listen carefully.

  区分雌雄银杏树的方法就是

  The method of telling a female from

  a male ginkgo tree is that

  雌树结果,雄树不结果。

  females bear fruit and males don’t.

  大牛:这两棵老树有多大年纪了?

  How old are these two trees?

  韩佳:不太老,三百五十多岁吧。

  Not very old, about 350 years old.

  大牛:三百五十岁还不算老?

  Is 350 years not an old age?

  按照我们西方人的标准,

  By our Western standards,

  它们已经过了七次金婚纪念日了。

  they must have experienced seven

  gold wedding anniversaries.

  韩佳:真的不算老。

  They are indeed not very old.

  一会儿你看了五世同堂,

  In a while, when you see five generations

  ling under the same roof,

  就相信我的话了。走。

  you’ll believe it’s true. Come on.

  大牛你看。五世同堂!

  Daniel, look. Five generations

  under the same roof!

  它们可都是一家子。

  They are all of the same family.

  大牛:我还是头一次看到这么大的银杏树啊。

  This is my first time to see such a

  huge gingko tree.

  Wǒ háishi tóu yí cì kàndào zhème dà de yínxìngshù .

  我 还是 头 一 次 看到 这么 大 的 银杏树。

  This is the first time I’ve seen such

  a huge gingko tree.

  韩佳:银杏是中生代幸存下来的植物。

  The gingko tree is a survivor from

  the Mesozoic Era.

  是中国特有的树种。

  It is native only to China.

  目前只有在天目山

  And gingko trees living in the wild

  有这种野生状态的银杏。

  can be found only on the Tianmu Mountain.

  据科学工作者推断,

  According to scientists,

  这株繁衍了很多子孙后代的

  this gingko tree with many descendants is

  野银杏为世界银杏之祖。

  the oldest of its kind in existence

  in the world.

  你看,这株银杏树的周围

  You see, this gingko tree is embraced

  簇拥着许多小银杏树。

  by many smaller gingko trees.

  大牛:韩佳,你又把银杏树给拟人化了。

  Han Jia, you are personifying these

  gingko trees.

  我知道,“簇拥”,“簇”读四声,“拥”读一声,

  I understand “cu yong”, 4th tone, 1st tone,

  指很多人紧紧地围绕在一起。

  means to cluster round.

  簇拥。

  ”cu yong”.

  银杏树全身上下都是宝啊。

  Every part of the gingko tree is useful.

  果仁可以吃还可以入药。

  Gingko kernels can be a medicinal material.

  它们繁衍得越多,

  The more they procreate,

  对我们人类的贡献就越大。

  the more they’ll contribute to humans.

  Tāmen fányǎn de yuè duō, duì rénlèi de gòngxiàn jiù yuè dà.

  它们 繁衍 得 越 多,对 人类 的 贡献 就 越 大。

  The more they spread,the greater their

  contribution to mankind.

  有意思。

  It’s interesting.

  没想到树也有财迷的。

  It’s beyond my expectation that there’re

  also money-grubbers among trees.

  你看这树干上长了那么多铜钱。

  You see so many copper coins

  growing on the trunk.

  韩佳:这叫金钱松。

  It’s called the Korean larch.

  树皮就像金钱豹的皮一样。

  Its bark looks like the leopard

  skin patterns.

  大牛:韩佳,这棵树怎么长得这么高啊?

  Han Jia, why is this tree so tall?

  韩佳:它可能是中国同类树种中最高的一株。

  It may be the tallest of its kind in China.

  20多年前就将近有60米高了。

  It was already nearly 60 meters tall

  20 years ago.

  现在还一直在往上长。

  And it is still growing.

  人称冲天树。

  That’s why people also call it

  the sky-soaring tree.

  大牛:可以啊,再这样长下去,

  Wow, if it goes on like this,

  爬树就能上天了。

  people could climb into the sky through it.

  韩佳:你别开玩笑了。

  No more kidding.

  我们现在还是带大家

  I think we’d better take our audience

  去看看天目山的美景吧。

  to see the scenic Tianmu Mountain.

  大牛:好,一起进入今天的赏心悦目。

  Good, let’s move into today’s Feast

  for the Eyes together.

  赏心悦目:

  您是否见过“树”的博物馆

  Have you ever visited a museum of trees?

  来天目山就能看见一座天然树博物馆

  The Tianmu Mountain is virtually

  a natural museum of trees.

  这里能找到姿态各异的树

  A variety of tree species can be found here.

  浑身是铜钱的“金钱松”

  There is the Korean larch featuring coin-like

  patterns on its bark.

  五代相传的“五世同堂”

  There are trees of five generations

  growing together.

  还有喜结连理的“鸳鸯树”

  There are also husband and wife trees

  forming a family of their own.

  在天目山秀美的树海中呼吸自然的清新

  Visitors on the forested Tianmu Mountain

  can certainly feel refreshed.

  大牛:韩佳,关于天目山的树

  Han Jia, I’ve summed up

  我总结出了几个特点。

  the major features of Tiamu trees.

  你听听对不对。

  Listen if I am correct.

  一是古;二是大;

  One, they are ancient. Two,

  they are big.

  三是高;四是稀,稀有的稀;

  Three, they are tall. Four, they are rare.

  韩佳:五是美;六是多。

  Five, they are beautiful. Six, they

  are plentiful

  数量多,种类多。

  both in quantity and varieties.

  大牛:对了。

  Yes, that’ right.

  韩佳:好了,赶紧出今天的问题吧。

  Well, come on, set a question for today.

  (问题部分略)

  合: 学说中国话,朋友遍天下。

  Learn Chinese and have friends everywhere.

(Source: cctv.com)

Beijing Olympic – Chinese vice president praises Hong Kong people for their Olympic spirit

Monday, February 23rd, 2009
Chinese vice president praises Hong Kong people for their Olympic spirit
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (C Front) meets with athletes of the Hong Kong team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and Paralympics, and representatives of volunteers in Hong Kong, south China, July 6, 2008. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)
Chinese vice president praises Hong Kong people for their Olympic spirit
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (R) meets with athletes of the Hong Kong team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and Paralympics, and representatives of volunteers in Hong Kong, south China, July 6, 2008. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

HONG KONG, July 6 (Xinhua) — Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping said here Sunday he is glad to see that the Olympic spirit has won common acknowledgment among the general public in Hong Kong.

He made the remarks when meeting with delegates of Hong Kong athletes and volunteers set to participate or serve in the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics.

“I am very glad to see that you are all in such a good mood and so energetic. This is the spirit we need to stage a high-level Olympic Games with distinctive features,” Xi told the delegates.

Hong Kong athletes have a glorious tradition and produced many world gold medalists for China, Xi said, citing former table tennis player Rong Guotuan and former swimmer Qi Lieyun as examples.

Xi said volunteers devote their love to and promote harmony in the society, which incarnates the Olympic spirit, noting that 15,000 people have signed up to be the equestrian events volunteers in Hong Kong while more than 400 Hong Kong volunteers will work in Beijing during the Olympic Games.

“The Olympic Games is a grand event not only for the athletes, but also for the volunteers. The most important thing is to participate,” Xi said.

Xi encouraged Hong Kong athletes to make full preparations for the Beijing Olympics and the Paralympics to demonstrate their best athletic skills and sportsmanship.

Xi arrived in Hong Kong Sunday morning on a three-day visit.

He met with Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Donald Tsang Yam-kuen Sunday morning.

In the afternoon, Xi inspected the equestrian events venues for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and Paralympics to get firsthand information about Hong Kong’s preparations for the Games.

 

(Source: en.beijing2008.cn)

China Travel – Lingxiao Pagoda

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

The Lingxiao Pagoda sits to the west of Xinglong Temple in Zhengding County, Hebei Province.

 

The Lingxiao Pagoda is commonly known as the Wooden Pagoda among local people since it is entirely made of wood. It is one of the few extant wooden pagodas in China. According to historical records, the pagoda was built in 860 during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and was frequently renovated during the Song (960-1279), Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties. The present pagoda was mainly constructed in the Song-Yuan period.

 

Octagonal in shape, the nine-storied pagoda is 42 meters high. From the first to the fourth floors the pagoda is made of bricks and wooden eaves. From the fifth floor to the top, it is made entirely of wood. The pagoda body rises from the second floor to meet the top, layer by layer. Its most distinct feature is the firm column at its center. This particular construction style has long disappeared. Among the existing wooden pagodas, including the Shijia Pagoda of the Fuguan Temple in Shanxi Province and the Cishi Pagoda of Dunhuang in Gansu Province, such semi-wooden-elements only remain in the Zhangye Wooden Pagoda in Gansu and the Lingxiao Pagoda in Zhengding (the latter is many years older than the former). Hence, the Lingxiao Pagoda is important to the study of ancient Chinese architecture. The Lingxiao Pagoda was partly destroyed during an earthquake in 1966, but was later repaired and opened to the public.

 

(Source: chinaculture.org)