Archive for May 29th, 2009

Chinese Character – Dragon Boat Festival:端午节

Friday, May 29th, 2009

Dragon Boat Festival:

Chinese Pinyin: duan1 wu3 jie2

(Source: about.com)

Learn Chinese Podcast – Happy China 523

Friday, May 29th, 2009

Click to Watch Video Podcast

大牛:韩佳,节目都开始了。

Han Jia, our program has started.

发什么呆呀?

Why do you look so absent-minded here?

韩佳:大牛,我问你个问题啊。

Daniel, I have a question for you.

你知道这八月十五

Do you know what kind of folk activities

there are on the 15th day

都有什么民间活动吗?

of the eighth lunar month?

大牛:八月十五是中秋节呀。

The 15th day of the eighth lunar month

is the Mid Autumn Festival.

当然要吃月饼了。

People would eat moon-cakes,

of course.

韩佳:其实没问你,

In fact, before I asked you,

我就知道你会这么说了。

I knew you would say so.

大牛:我的意思是说,

I mean,

我首先想到的是吃月饼。

in addition to eating moon-cakes,

其次我还能想到别的呢。

I may also have thought of something else.

韩佳:别的?还有什么别的呀?

Something else? What else?

大牛:那可就太高雅了!

It would be quite high-brow!

明月几时有,把酒问青天。

“Win a cup of wine in my hand,

I ask the blue sky.”

韩佳:我是想问你,在八月十五的时候

Actually I wanted to ask you

if you’ve ever

你有没有看见过人家集体跳火狗舞的呀。

seen people dance together the Fire

Dog Dance on the Moon Festival.

大牛:火狗舞?没听说过。

The Fired Dog Dance? No,

I’ve never heard of it.

这是哪个地方哪个民族的风俗啊?

Which ethnic minority and which place

does this custom belong to?

Zhè shì nǎge dìfāng nǎge mínzú de fēngsú a?

这 是 哪个 地方 哪个 民族 的 风俗 啊?

Which ethnic minority and which place

does this custom belong to?

韩佳:惠州蓝田瑶族的传统风俗啊。

It’s the custom of the ethnic Yao

minority in Lantian of Huizhou.

传说中瑶族的祖先

It is said the mother of the ancestor

of the Yao people

幼年丧母。

died soon after his birth.

他的父亲就用狗的奶水把他喂养长大。

His father feed him dog milk

to bring him up.

狗对瑶族有育人之恩,

So Yao people regard dogs as

a human-fostering

所以瑶族朋友

animal and

就把狗作为崇拜的图腾。

revere them as their totem of worship.

大牛:韩佳,这里不是惠州蓝田嘛?

Han Jia, isn’t this place Lantian

of Huizhou?

你该不是想带我…

Do you want to take me to …

韩佳:我就是想带你去看看

Yeah, I want to take you to

take a look

瑶族朋友跳的火狗舞。

at the Yao Fire Dog Dance.

来得还真巧。

We came here in good time.

虽然表演还没有开始。

The performance hasn’t started yet.

不过她们已经在排练了。

But they’ve already started

rehearsing it.

我们可以先睹为快!

What a pleasure to have a glimpse

of it first!

对吧,大牛?

Don’t you think so, Daniel?

大牛:应该说一显身手。

I should say let’s see them

“yi xian shenshou”.

“一显身手”就是充分显露自己的本领。

“yi xian shenshou” means to display

one’s talents.

一显身手。

“Yi xian shenshou”.

韩佳:大牛,你没发现

Daniel, did you find that

你站在那里特别不协调嘛!

it’s quite out of place for

you to stand there!

大牛:没有啊!

No, not at all!

韩佳:那里可都是女孩子。

It’s all girls there.

大牛:还真是。

Yes indeed.

韩佳:你看你瞎凑热闹了吧。

So you joined the fun inappropriately.

大牛:怎么回事啊?

What is it all about?

韩佳:八月十五的晚上,

On the night of the 15th day

of the eighth month,

各村的未婚女子就头戴草笠,

the girls of various villages would

all wear a straw hat

用藤条、黄姜叶组成树叶衣裙。

and a skirt made with rattan shoots

and ginger leaves.

再插上点燃的香火,

After offering a bundle of lit

joss sticks

叩拜完了峒主爷之后,

and kowtowing to the Cave God,

最后才是列队歌舞,

they’ll eventually line up

and sing and dance

来到村边的小溪旁。

toward the little stream

in the village.

这时,女孩子们就把饰物、香火

Then the girls will throw their

adornments and joss sticks

都扔在水里表示弃除邪恶。

into the water in the hope of getting

rid of the evil spirits.

这样整个火狗舞就完成了。

And with that the Fire Dog Dance

comes to an end.

大牛:真是有意思。

It’s so interesting.

不过说了半天都是女孩子的事情。

But all you said is about what

girls should do.

我们小伙子要干点儿什么呢?

What should we young guys do?

韩佳:小伙子啊?

You young guys?

就在旁边放放鞭炮助助威吧。

Just set off firecrackers to cheer for us.

Xiǎohuǒzi jiù fàng biānpào zhùwēi ba.

小伙子 就 放 鞭炮 助威 吧。

You young guys just set off firecrackers

to cheer for us.

嘉宾:大牛,韩佳,辛苦了,

Daniel and Han Jia, how nice of you

来尝尝我们瑶家传统食品。

to come and have a taste of our

Yao traditional food.

韩佳:谢谢您啊。谢谢谢谢,

Thank you. Many thanks

这么多吃的哪。

for offering us so much delicious

food here.

大牛:这个舞蹈什么都好,

The dance is good in every respect,

就是男孩子们的用武之地太少了。

except that there is little opportunity

for boys to demonstrate their skills.

韩佳:“用武之地”是指能用兵打仗

“Yongwu zhi di”, literally a place

for soldiers

或使用武力的地方。

to fight or a battleground.

现在常常用这个成语

Now the phrase is often used

as a metaphor

来比喻能施展才能的地方。

for an opportunity to demonstrate

one’s skills.

大牛:“用武之地”比喻能施展才能的地方

“yongwu zhi di” is a metaphor for an

opportunity to demonstrate one’s skills.

用武之地。

“yongwu zhi di”.

嘉宾:难得大牛这么好学。

It’s admirable of Daniel to be

so eager to learn.

其实我们除了火狗舞之外,

Actually, in addition to the

Fire Dog Dance,

还有一项活动就是男女对唱。

there is another activity, singing in

an antiphonal style between boys and girls.

这项活动男孩子、女孩子

There is an equal opportunity

参与的机会是一样的。

for both boys and girls.

要不大牛,咱们趁她们休息好好练练?

Let’s have a good practice while

they are taking a rest, okay?

Zánmen chèn tāmen xiūxi hǎohāo liànliàn.

咱们 趁 她们 休息 好好 练练。

Let’s have a good practice while

they are taking a rest.

大牛:跑马溜溜的山上,一朵溜溜的云呦!

Horses are galloping on the mountain.

Flying overhead is a white cloud!

为什么,

Why is it that

韩佳跳舞的时候,没我的份儿;

I was not to get involved when

Han Jia danced

韩佳吃东西的时候,

and when Han Jia is eating now,

也没我的份儿?

I’m not supposed to join her either?

算了,您别看我在这里受罪了。

Oh, you better not see me suffering here.

您还是欣赏我们今天的赏心悦目吧。

Please enjoy today’s Feast

for the Eyes.

我要继续加油。

I’ll have to work even harder.

赏心悦目:

清晨 当细长的竹杆划过清澈的水面

When a slender pole glides through

the clear water

当洁白的薄云飘过半岭瑶寨

and the white clouds float past in

the blue sky,

恬静而淳朴的生活气息

this tranquil Yao village

便流向四周泛着新绿的田野

springs to life in the surrounding green fields

清脆的山歌 欢快的舞蹈

Sonorous folk songs and sprightly dances

把春天的快乐带进瑶家

send the happiness of spring into

the Yao homes.

沐浴夕阳晚霞 细看竹林流水

Seeing bamboos and clear water

in the sunset glow,

青山秀水中 蕴涵着古朴浓郁的瑶族风情

the visitor can best savor the local

scenery of the Yao people.

大牛:他怎么老能对上呢?

Why does he always respond

so correctly?

看来这次到瑶寨里来,

It seems during my stay here

in this Yao village,

真是无用武之地了。

there won’t be any opportunity for

me to demonstrate my skills.

这样吧,我先给你们出一道题。

How about my assigning you a

question now?

等出完题了,

After the question,

估计也该轮到我对歌了。

I guess it would be my turn

to sing antiphonally.

(问题部分略)

韩佳:大牛,你把题都已经出完啦?

Daniel, you’ve already assigned

today’s question?

大牛:出完啦。

Yes, I have.

韩佳:啊?那今天的节目要结束啦。

Really? Today’s program is about

to end here.

太可惜了!

What a pity!

大牛:今天的节目终于结束啦。

Oh, today’s program has finally

come to an end.

观众朋友们,我们明天再见吧。

Audience friends, see you tomorrow.

别忘了我们的口号:

But don’t forget our slogan-

合: 学说中国话,朋友遍天下。

Learn Chinese and make friends everywhere!

大牛:现在可以轮到我对歌了吧?

Is it about my turn to sing an

antiphonal song?

韩佳:对歌?你跟谁对啊?

And antiphonal song? Whom are

you going to sing with?

他们已经走了!

They are all gone!

(Source: cctv.com)

Chinese Conversation – lesson 456

Friday, May 29th, 2009

小秀:你觉得我们可以吗?
玛莉:当然!那样会帮你们省下一些旅费。
小秀:我等不及要去参观城里最棒的文化景点。
玛莉:我会带你们去市区到处参观的。
小秀:喔,玛莉,我们不想太麻烦你。
玛莉:你在开什么玩笑?我最喜欢带人观光了。
小秀:罗浮宫、圣母院……
玛莉:除了那些,还有最棒的夜店。
小秀:哈,你听起来跟小莉一模一样。

Sho: Do you think we could?
Marie: Of course! That will save you some travel money.
Sho: I can’t wait to visit all the best cultural spots in the city.
Marie: And I’ll show you around the town.
Sho: Oh, Marie, we don’t want to put you out too much.
Marie: Are you kidding? I love to show people the sights.
Sho: The Louvre, Notre Dame…
Marie: All that, and the best nightspots.
Sho: Hah, you sound just like Li.

(Source: wwenglish.com)