Archive for April 6th, 2009

Cri – Lesson 285

Monday, April 6th, 2009

一衣带水

出自《南史·陈后主纪》隋文帝谓仆射高颖曰:“我为百姓父母,岂可限一衣带水不拯之乎?”

意思是,像一条衣带那样狭窄的水域。原指窄小的水面间隔,后泛指地域相近,仅隔一水。

隋文帝杨坚取代北周称帝,建立了隋朝。隋文帝有志于统一中国,在北方实行了一系列富国强兵的政策,国力大增。而当时长江南岸的陈朝后主陈叔宝却十分荒淫,不理朝政。他虽知道隋文帝有意征伐,却依恃长江天险,并不把这事放在心上。

一次,隋文帝向仆射高颖询问灭陈的计策,高颖回答说:“江南的庄稼比江北成熟得早,我们在他们的收获季节,扬言出兵,他们一定就会放弃农时,屯 兵防守;他们作好了准备,我们便不再出兵。这样来几次,他们便不会相信。等他们不作准备,我们突然真的出兵渡江,便可打得他们措手不及。另外,江南的粮食 不像我们北方屯积在地窖中,而屯积在茅、竹修建的仓库中,我们可暗地差人前去放火烧毁它,如果连烧几年,陈朝的财力就大大削弱了,灭掉它也就容易得多了。 ”

隋文帝采取了高颖的计策,经过七年的准备,在公元588年冬下令伐陈。出发前,他对高额说:“我是天下者百姓的父母,难道能够因为 一条像衣服带子一佯狭窄的长江的阻隔,而不去拯救那里的老百姓吗?”隋文帝志在必得,派晋王杨广为元帅,率领五十万大军渡江南下,向陈朝的都城建康发动猛 烈的进攻,并很快就攻下建康,俘获了陈后 主,灭掉了陈朝。

A Narrow Strip of Water in Between

Today, we’ll learn a phrase describing how close two places are, even though they are separated by a river, a lake, or the sea. It reads “Yi Yi Dai Shui,” literally meaning a strip of water as narrow as a belt. Here is the story behind it.

In ancient times, China was divided into two parts by the Yangtze River for hundreds of years. In 581 AD, the founder of the Sui Dynasty, the Emperor Sui Wen, established his rule in the north. Wanting to reunite the whole country, he implemented a series of policies to make the army and the state powerful.

By contrast, in the south, the ruler lived a debauched life, and totally ignored his duties. Although he knew Emperor Sui Wen desired to reunite the country, he paid little attention to it, depending on an impregnable natural barrier – the Yangtze River.
But the Emperor Sui Wen in the north was busy preparing to achieve his ambition. One of his officials, Gao Jiong contributed a good idea. He said, “The harvest time in the south is earlier than ours in the north. If you threaten to attack the south during their harvest time, the south must hurry to prepare for the upcoming war, and ignore their mature crops. They’ll work hard preparing their defenses, but we’ll do nothing. Then we repeat this ruse several times, until they no longer believe we’ll really attack, and they no longer make any preparations. Then we attack. ”

The Emperor Sui Wen accepted this clever suggestion. After seven years of preparation, he at last sent his troops across the Yangtze River. Before leaving, he told Gao Jiong, “I’m the protector of the whole country. I can’t leave the people in the south in hardship only because of the Yangtze River, which is a strip of water as narrow as a belt.”

With firm determination, the Emperor Sui Wen won the war and took over the rule of the south. Because of his efforts, China was reunited again.

Later, people drew the idiom “Yi Yi Dai Shui” from the Emperor’s words. It can be applied to two places which are very close, although there is water in between. For instance, we usually refer to Japan as China’s “Yi Yi Dai Shui neighbor” to describe the close relation between the two countries.

(Source:english.cri.cn)

Chinese Pinyin – bin (鬓)

Monday, April 6th, 2009

[bìn]

国标码:F7DE 部首:髟 笔画:20 笔顺:12111543334453212134
temples
hair on the temples

例句与用法:

  1. 你可不可以在两处再剪短上点好吗?
    Can you cut a little more off at the temples?
  2. 他长着很重的连胡子。
    He has heavy whiskers.

(Source: dict.cn)


Learn Chinese Podcast – Happy China 470

Monday, April 6th, 2009

韩佳:快乐学汉语,轻松又好记。

Let’s learn Chinese with fun.

It’s much easier to remember.

大家好,欢迎来到《快乐中国》。

Hello, welcome to this edition of Happy China!

我是快乐的韩佳。

I am the happy Han Jia.

您也看到了。今天啊,大牛又不在。

As you may see, Daniel isn’t with me

again today.

据他说呢,是去完成一项秘密任务。

He said he was going to accomplish a secret task.

算了,不说他了。

Oh, forget about him.

我们还是先到绕南陶瓷主题园

Let’s go to the Raonan Ceramics Theme Park

去快乐学汉语吧。

and learn Chinese there first.

大老远的就听见这边的动静了。

I heard from afar something going on here.

观众朋友们,

Audience friends,

您是不是也很想知道我身后

do you also want to know

这些巨大的工具是干什么用的?

what these huge tools are used for?

那我现在呢,就去问个明白。

Now let me find it out.

您好,师傅。

Hello, sir.

不理我。声音不够大。

No answer. Maybe my voice is not loud enough.

那边那位师傅!

Hello, the gentleman over there!

大牛:啊,你不会是在叫我吧?

Oh, are you talking to me?

韩佳:大牛!怎么会是你啊?

Daniel! How could you be here?

大牛:看你这话说的?

What do you mean?

怎么就不会是我呢?

Why should I not be here?

我的秘密任务是要到这里来

My secret task is to come here

当一天学徒。

and be an apprentice for a day.

韩佳:你可真够神出鬼没的呀!

You are really “shen chu gui mo”!

大牛:我不是神,更不是鬼。

No, I am neither a god, nor a devil.

韩佳:我说你是神出鬼没,

I said “shen chu gui mo” to mean that

是说你一会儿出现,一会儿又消失;

you always appear and disappear unexpectedly,

变化快,难以捉摸。

suddenly and elusively.

大牛:哦,原来是这样。

Oh, I see.

“神出鬼没”就是说你一会儿出现,一会儿又消失。

“shen chu gui mo” means to appear and disappear

suddenly, to come and go like a shadow.

神出鬼没。

“shen chu gui mo”.

Shén chū guǐ mò

神 出 鬼 没

to come and go like a shadow

对了,韩佳,你想问我什么啊?

Yeah, Han Jia, what did you want to ask me?

韩佳:我是想问问你

I wanted to ask you

那些工具都是干什么用的呀。

what those tools are used for.

大牛:这个简单。这个是水碓,

That’s a simple question.

This is a trip-hammer,

一种依靠水力来把瓷石粉碎的工具。

a water-powered china-stone grinding tool.

那个呢,是碓杆。

And that is the lever holding the hammer.

小块儿的瓷石就要放在这里被粉碎。

Smaller chunks of china-stone are ground here.

韩佳:那好好的瓷石干吗要弄得那么碎呀?

Why do these chunks of china stone have

to be ground?

大牛:粉碎好的瓷石

The ground chine-stone

要拿到对面的釉果作坊里

is to be taken into the glaze-making mill

加工成釉果。

to be processed into glaze paste.

我听师傅说

Some workers told me that

这座水碓是宋朝的时候修建的。

this trip-hammer was built in the Song Dynasty.

后来又经过很多次维修。

It has been repaired many times later.

你看,现在还保存得很好。

Look, how well it’s been preserved here.

韩佳:没想到,这座水碓

I didn’t expect this trip-hammer

有这么悠久的历史啊。

could have such a long history.

对了。你刚才说的釉果

Oh, yes. What is the glaze paste

又是什么东西啊?

you mentioned just now?

大牛:就让我来给你补上一课吧。

Let me make up the lesson you missed.

我们都知道瓷器上

As we all know that on the surface of porcelain,

有一层像玻璃一样光滑的表层。

there is a layer of glass-like substance.

这就是釉。而釉果就是配制釉的原料。

It is called glaze. And the glaze paste

is a material for making glaze.

韩佳:哦,原来釉果是这么回事啊。

Oh, I see what “you guo” is now.

不知道的人

Those who don’t know

还以为是什么好吃的果子呢!

might think it’s a kind of delicious fruit!

嘉宾:大牛,

Daniel,

大牛:哟,师傅叫我了。

Oh, my Shifu (mentor) is calling me.

我得把刚才粉碎好的瓷石拿到对面去。

I am to take the ground china-stone

to the mill on the other side.

要不,你也跟我来。

You may also come with me.

韩佳:好吧。

OK.

大牛:韩佳,我来给你介绍一下。

Han Jia, let me introduce you to them.

这位就是我的师傅。

This is my mentor.

韩佳:师傅,您好。

“shi fu”, how are you?

我是大牛的搭档,叫韩佳。

I am Han Jia, Daniel’s partner.

嘉宾:您好!

Hello!

韩佳:我想问一下这个制作釉果复杂吗?

Is making the glaze paste very complicated?

嘉宾:不复杂。

No, not at all.

韩佳:一共有几道工序啊?

How many steps are there altogether?

嘉宾:七道。

Seven.

韩佳:那您现在是在做什么?

What are you doing now?

嘉宾:打釉果。

I’m making beating the glaze paste.

大牛:我们要把粉碎好的瓷石

We have to filter the ground china-stone and

一层一层过滤沉淀。

let the powered substance settle to the bottom.

最后留下来的细粉

Only the very fine substance

就可以加工成釉果了。

can be processed into glaze paste.

韩佳:嗬,大牛,没想到就这么

Ha, Daniel, I didn’t expect to see that

半天工夫你已经不像个生手了。

only in half a day, you are not longer

like a “sheng shou” (rookie).

Jiù bàntiān gōngfu, nǐ yǐjīng bú xiàng ge shēngshǒu le.

就 半天 工夫, 你 已经 不 像 个 生手 了。

It’s only been a while and already you’re

looking like an expert.

大牛:“生手”?你的意思是初学者?

“sheng shou”? You mean a beginner?

韩佳:对。它的意思呢

Yes. It refers to

就是说新从事某项工作

someone who is doing a job

对这项工作还不熟悉的人。

only as a beginner.

它的反义词呢,就是熟手。

Its antonym is “shu shou” (skilled worker).

大牛:韩佳,你看看这个。

Han Jia, look at this.

这个就是釉果。

This is the so-called glaze paste.

是用那样的模子做成的。

It is made using that kind of mould.

当地俗称墩子。

Locals call it “dun zi”.

韩佳:哦,对了,大牛,

Oh, yeah, Daniel,

你有没有听说这里有一个

did you hear there is

什么什么遗址来着?

some sort of a historical site around here?

大牛:你是说龙窑遗址吧?

You mean the site of the Dragon Kiln?

韩佳:对对对。就是龙窑遗址。

Yes, yes. It’s the site of the Dragon Kiln.

你去看过了吗?

Have you visited it yet?

大牛:还没呢。

No, not yet.

要不,我跟师傅请个假,

Would it be better for me to ask my “shi fu”

for leave

我们一起去看看?

so that we can go take a look together?

韩佳:好!

Great!

大牛:师傅,我先走了。

Shifu, I’m leaving.

嘉宾:好吧。

OK.

大牛:这边。

This way.

观众朋友们请看,

Ladies and gentlemen,

这就是南宋时期的龙窑遗址。

this is the site of the Dragon Kiln

of the Song Dynasty.

韩佳:怎么样,您是不是也觉得

Well, do you think

这个名字起得很形象啊?

the name is very figurative?

大牛:龙窑,龙窑,

The Dragon Kiln

就像是一条要下山的巨龙。

is like a huge dragon ready to get down the mountain.

Lóngkū jiù xiàngshì yì tiáo yào xià shān de jùlóng.

龙窑 就 像是 一 条 要 下 山 的 巨龙。

The Dragon Kiln looks like a giant dragon

climbing downhill.

韩佳:说得没错。这龙头就是火膛。

Absolutely. The dragon’s head is the furnace.

龙身就是窑床。

The dragon’s body is the kiln floor.

烟囱则设在它的尾巴上。

And the chimney is its tail.

大牛:嗯,我跟师傅打听过,

Uh-huh. I heard from my mentor that

他说这座龙窑可以算是瑶里境内

of all the kilns ever discovered in Yaoli,

已经发现的使用时间最长的瓷窑了。

this kiln was used for the longest period of time.

韩佳:嗬,知道的可真不少啊!

Huh, you know quite a lot!

大牛:既然是来当学徒的,

Since I am an apprentice here,

就得多看、多问。

I have to see more and ask more.

这样自然也就知道的比较多了。

Only this way, can I get to know more about the job.

韩佳:嗯,够牛气的!好了。

Ha, sound so self-assured! OK.

接下来呢

Next

就让我们看看今天的赏心悦目。

let’s watch today’s Feast for the Eyes.

一会儿见。

We’ll be right back.

赏心悦目:

韩佳:好了,看完了今天的赏心悦目,

Well, after today’s Feast for the Eyes,

又到了给您出题的时间了。

now time again for you to set a question

for today.

大牛:观众朋友们听好了。

Audience friends, listen carefully.

今天的问题是这样的。

Here’s today’s question.

(问题部分略)

韩佳:知道答案的朋友,

If you know the answer,

可以按照屏幕上的方式

please use the method given onscreen

发送给我们。

to send it to us.

大牛:只要您参与,

As long as you participate,

我们就有精美的纪念品送给您。

we’ll send a beautiful souvenir to you.

韩佳:节目的最后,提醒您

Before we wrap up, we’d like to remind you

别忘了我们的口号:

not to forget our slogan—

合: 学说中国话,朋友遍天下。

Learn Chinese and have friends everywhere.

(Source: cctv.com)