Archive for June 7th, 2009

Learn Chinese Podcast – Happy China 532

Sunday, June 7th, 2009

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大牛:快乐学汉语,轻松又好记。

Learn Chinese the fun way.

It’s easy to remember.

观众朋友们,

Audience friends,

我听说这丽江的

I heard the old town, Shuhe near Lijiang,

束河古镇特别好玩。

is a nice place to visit.

这不,我背着韩佳

That’s why I sneaked out

偷偷地跑了出来。

without Han Jia’s knowledge.

韩佳:大牛!

Daniel!

大牛:韩佳的声音。

It’s Han Jia’s voice.

韩佳:你怎么连声招呼都不打就出来了呀?

Why did you come out without a word?

找你半天。

I was looking for you for quite a while.

大牛:韩佳,我听说这束河古镇

Han Jia, I heard there are a

lot of fun things

可好玩啊。

in the old town of Shuhe.

这不,我准备先探探路,

So I decided to go there first to get some

advance information

然后带你一块儿过来。

before I take you along.

韩佳:你什么时候变得这么勤快了呀?

How could you have become so

diligent so soon?

大牛:我一向都是这样的。

I’m always diligent like this.

不过既然你都来了,

But since you are also here,

我们一块儿去吧。

we’d better go together.

韩佳:好。走!

Okay. Let’s go!

大牛,你不是要先来探路的吗,

Daniel, since you said you wanted

to get some advance information,

那你对束河又有些什么了解呢?

then how much do you know

about Shuhe?

大牛:我在家里可是做足了

I did a lot of homework at the hotel

功课才出来的嘛。

before I came out here.

我知道束河在纳西语中,

I know Shuhe, in the Naxi language,

就是“高峰之下的村寨”的意思。

means “a village below a high mountain”.

我还知道这里是茶马古道上

I also know it is an important town

比较重要的一个集镇。

on the ancient Tea-Horse Road.

韩佳:知道得还挺多。

You know quite a lot!

看来你真是做足了准备。

It seems you have made full preparations.

大牛:那是。韩佳,

Sure. Han Jia,

你又知道一些什么呢?

how much do you know?

韩佳:我呀?我听说这束河古镇,

Me? I heard the ancient town, Shuhe,

是纳西族在丽江的最早聚居地之一。

was the earliest Naxi community in Lijiang.

也是纳西族从农耕文明

The town is also regarded as a

living specimen of the transition

向商业文明过渡的活标本。

from an agrarian culture into

a commercial culture.

大牛:你知道得也不少嘛。

You also know quite a lot.

看来这个古镇的历史

It seems that this ancient town

还真够悠久的。

surely has a very long history.

Kàn lái zhè zuò gǔzhèn de lìshǐ hái zhēn gòu yōujiǔ de

看 来 这 座 古镇 的 历史 还 真 够 悠久 的。

It seems that this ancient village

certainly has a long history.

我发现这里

But I found it has many similarities

跟大研古城有很多相似的地方。

with the ancient town of Dayan.

韩佳:你观察得够仔细呀。

Your have observed so meticulously.

你看看,前面那是什么地方?

Look, what is that place ahead of us?

大牛:四方街啊。

Sifang Street.

韩佳,四方街

Han Jia, is it that there is Sifang Street

不是只有大研古城才有吗?

only in Dayan?

这里怎么也有啊?

But there is also one here, why?

韩佳:你别忘了呀,

Don’t forget

这束河的历史比大研古城要久。

Shuhe has a longer history than Dayan.

所以这儿有四方街,

So it is not at all strange that

一点儿也不奇怪。

there is Sifang Street here.

大牛:说得也是。

Yes, indeed.

不过我发现这个四方街的布置,

But I found the “buzhi” of Sifang Street

和大研古城那个四方街的布置还挺像。

is quite similar to that of Dayan.

韩佳:这儿用“布置”不合适吧。

The word “buzhi” should not

be used here.

“布置”是指为了某种需要,

“Buzhi” means to arrange

在一个地方安排

things at a certain place

或者是陈列各种物件。

or put things on display.

在这里呢,

Here,

我们用一个名词“布局”比较恰当。

we should better use the noun “buju”.

“布局”就是指在一个地方的

“Buju” means an

全面安排。

overall arrangement or layout.

大牛:那韩佳,四方街的名字

Han Jia, why is the street

是怎么来的呢?

named Sifang?

韩佳:有的人说是因为这四方街的形状

Some say the shape of Sifang Street

像一个方形的知府大印。

resembles the square-shaped official seal.

意思就是权镇四方。

The name also implies that the rule

reached all parts of the region.

另一种说法就是说,

Another interpretation is that

这四方街的道路通向四面八方。

the street reaches all directions.

大牛:嗨,我找个当地人问问不就知道了嘛。

Hey, wouldn’t we become much clearer

about it if we ask a local resident?

韩佳:哎,等等。

Hey, wait a minute.

旁白:放水冲街啦!

Washing the street!

大牛:别把我也冲跑了呀!

I can’t let the water wash me away, too!

韩佳:大牛,怎么了?

Daniel, what’s wrong?

大牛:韩佳,好悬哪!

Han Jia, it was horrible!

刚才不知道谁喊了一声:

Just now someone yelled out:

“放水冲街了!”

“Washing the street!”

结果街上到处都是水。

Thus it was water all over on the street.

幸亏我跑得快,

Fortunately, I ran very fast,

要不然肯定湿透了。

or I’d be wet through.

韩佳:“放水冲街”是四方街的一个老传统。

“Washing the street” is an

old tradition here.

Fáng shuǐ chōng jiē shì zhè li de yí ge lǎo chuántǒng

“放 水 冲 街”是 这 里 的 一 个 老 传统。

“Washing the street” is an

old tradition here.

四方街是一个热闹的集市。

Sifang Street is a very busy marketplace.

每天商贩们回家之后,

Every day, after the peddlers go home,

广场上到处都是垃圾。

there’d be garbage everywhere

in the square.

又没有人打扫。

But few people would sweep

away the garbage.

所以,纳西人就想出了一个巧妙的办法。

Therefore, local Naxi people came

up with an ingenious idea.

他们把河水引到街上来,

They divert water from the river

to the street

河水流过街道

and let it flow down the street

就把街道冲干净啦。

to flush it clean.

大牛:这个办法好啊。

It’s a good idea.

你怎么不早告诉我?

But why didn’t you tell me sooner?

害得我差一点儿被水冲走了!

I was nearly washed away by the water!

韩佳:你也得给我时间让我说呀。

You didn’t give me any time

to tell you that.

咱们逆着这水走,

Now let’s walk upstream

去看看古镇的起点怎么样?

and take a look at the town’s

far end, okay?

大牛:啊!还得跟着水走?

What! We still have to follow the water?

刚才是我跑到哪儿,

Just now, wherever I ran,

水就追到哪儿。

there was water chasing me.

韩佳:这儿就是九鼎龙潭了。

Here’s Jiuding Dragon Pond.

大牛:潭里的水清澈见底。

The water in the pond is crystal-clear.

里面还有鱼呢。

There are also fish down there.

韩佳:这种鱼的俗名叫面鱼。

Locals call them mian fish.

学名叫高原裂腹鱼。

Its scientific name is alpine schizothorax.

大牛:红烧高原裂腹鱼,

The fish braised in soy sauce

听着就觉得香啊!

would be delicious!

韩佳:这个嘛。

I’m not sure.

我听说这些

But I heard all the fish

可都是龙潭里的神鱼啊。

in the Dragon Pond are divine fish.

谁要是偷吃了它们,

If anyone ate them secretly,

会遭雷劈的。

they would be struck by thunderbolt.

大牛:啊!我可没想吃它们。

What! I didn’t want to eat them.

绝对没有!

Absolutely not!

韩佳:瞧把你吓成那样。

Look how scared you are.

其实那些灾祸都是自然现象。

Actually, those calamities are all

natural phenomena.

这个传说是要告诉人们,

This legend merely reminds people

要尊重自然、保护生态。

to respect Mother Nature and

protect the ecosystem.

Zhè ge chuánshuō shì gàosu rénmen yào zūnzhòng zìrán bǎohù shēngtài

这 个 传说 是 告诉 人们 要 尊重 自然、保护 生态。

This legend reminds people to respect

Mother Nature and protect the ecosystem.

大牛:我大牛可是一贯

I, Daniel, have always

尊重自然和生态的。

respected Mother Nature and

the ecosystem.

不会吃它们的。

I won’t eat them.

韩佳:行行行。

Okay, okay.

我知道你大牛是好样的。

I know you are a nice guy.

吃不到鱼没关系。

It doesn’t matter if we can’t the fish here.

咱们不是还有…

We still have…

大牛:哦,我知道了《赏心悦目》。

Yeah, I know it’s the Feast for the Eyes.

赏心悦目:

束河古镇

The ancient town Shuhe

曾经是茶马古道上的重要集镇

was once an important city on the

ancient Tea-Horse Road.

古镇布局分明

The ancient town has a distinct layout

房屋错落有致

with houses and streets built in

a neat order.

九鼎龙潭清澈见底

The Jiuding Dragon Pond is crystal-clear,

无数鱼儿畅游其中

with countless fish swimming in it.

古朴的建筑

The pristine structures

宁静的街道

and the quiet streets

衬托出古镇的古朴安详

set off this old town’s peaceful way of life.

大牛:观众朋友们,

Audience friends,

今天的赏心悦目还满意吗?

are you satisfied with today’s

Feast for the Eyes?

韩佳:现在大牛就要把今天的问题

Now Daniel is going to give you

告诉您了。

question for today.

大牛:没错,今天的问题是。

Exactly, here’s today’s question.

(问题部分略)

韩佳:好了,最后还是那句老话,

Lastly, still that old slogan

别忘了我们的口号:

and don’t forget it-

合: 学说中国话,朋友遍天下。

Learn Chinese and make friends everywhere!

(Source: cctv.com)

Chinese Conversation – lesson 465

Sunday, June 7th, 2009

有工程天才的参与吗?是的,有。比如,当你要把一个石块放在顶端时,你该如何把一个几吨重的石块提升到480英尺的高度呢?应该怎样做?怎么做才不至于在 塔身留下刮痕?把几吨重的石块提举到480英尺的高处又需要多少人力呢?为了建造大金字塔,人们切割、运输、垒砌了大约230万块石头。

Was there engineering genius involved? Yes, there was. For example, when you’re putting the block right at the top, how are you going to lug a block of stone that weighs several tons 480 feet up a structure? How are you going to do it, and how are you going to do it without leaving scratches on all the rest of the structure? And how many people does it take to drag a block weighing several tons 480 feet up into the sky? Approximately, 2.3 million blocks of stone were cut, transported and assembled to create the Great Pyramid.

(Source: wwenglish.com)

Cri – Lesson 347

Sunday, June 7th, 2009

Shou Sui
守岁(守歲) (Shou Sui) occurs when members of the family gather around throughout the night after the reunion dinner and reminisce about the year that has passed while welcoming the year that has arrived. Some believe that children who Shou Sui will increase the longevity of the parents.

Fish
The Koi fish is usually seen in paintings. Decorated food depicting the fish can also be found. It symbolizes surplus or having additional savings so as to have more than enough to live throughout the remaining year. It coheres with the Chinese idiom (Pinyin: niánnián youyú)

Lanterns
These lanterns differ from those of Mid Autumn Festival in general. They will be red in colour and tend to be oval in shape. These are the traditional Chinese paper lanterns. Those lanterns, used on the fifteenth day of the Chinese New Year for the Lantern Festival, are bright, colourful, and in many different sizes and shapes.

Decorations Decorations generally convey a New Year greeting. They are not advertisements. Chinese calligraphy posters show Chinese idioms. Other decorations include a New year picture, Chinese knots, and papercutting and couplets.

Dragon dance and Lion dance Dragon and lion dances are common during Chinese New Year. It is believed that the loud beats of the drum and the deafening sounds of the cymbals together with the face of the dragon or lion dancing aggressively can evict bad or evil spirits. Lion dances are also popular for opening of businesses in Hong Kong.

(Source: bjchinese.bjedu.cn)