Archive for June 12th, 2009

Learn Chinese Podcast – Happy China 537

Friday, June 12th, 2009

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大牛:哎,韩佳,你在干吗呢?

Eh, Han Jia, what are you doing?

韩佳:嘘!安静。

Sh! Be quiet.

大牛:那,那位东巴在做什么呢?

What is that Dongba doing?

韩佳:他正在准备祈祷呢。

He is making preparations for

a prayer.

大牛:哦,我知道

Oh, I know

这是东巴一项很重要的工作。

it is an important task for a Dongba.

咦,他怎么走过来了?

Gee, why is he coming toward us?

韩佳:别动。

Don’t move.

大牛:哎,没事啊!

Oh, it’s nothing to be afraid of!

韩佳:是啊,瞧把你吓成那样!

Yeah, look how scared you are!

这位东巴是在为我们祈祷平安呢。

This Dongba is praying for peace

for us.

大牛:哦,原来是这样。

Oh, I see.

Tā zài wèi wǒmen qǐtǎo píngān

他 在 为 我们 祈祷 平安。

He is praying for peace for us.

哎,韩佳,

Eh, Han Jia,

我发现这个地方的名字很奇怪。

I find the place’s name very strange.

这里为什么叫万神园呢?

Why is it called Wanshen Park?

韩佳:因为这里再现了东巴神话中

This park is so named because

it brings to life

数以万计的神灵。

“shu yi wan ji” deities

所以才有了这个名字

in Dongba mythology.

大牛:什么叫“数以万计”啊?

What does “shu yi wan ji” mean?

韩佳:“数以万计”就是

“Shu yi wan ji”, literally to count

用万做单位来计算,

by the ten thousand,

形容数量极多。

means countless.

大牛:“数以万计”就是无数的、数不尽的。

“shu yi wan ji” means countless.

数以万计。

“Shu yi wan ji”.

那周围的这些木雕也和神灵有关系吗?

Are these wooden sculptures around

us also related to the deities?

韩佳:纳西人认为,

Naxi people believe that

这里的每一尊木雕

each of the wooden sculptures here

都代表了自然界中的一位神灵。

represents a deity on earth.

大牛:哇,这儿的木雕这么多!

Wow, there are so many wooden

sculptures here!

果然不愧是万神园。

No wonder it’s called Wanshen Park.

哎,韩佳,这个我认识。

Eh, Han Jia, I know what this is.

这个就是东巴教里的青蛙八格图。

This is a Dongba Qingwa

Bage Diagram.

韩佳:记性还不错嘛!

Wonderful memory!

大牛:不过

But I think

这个跟我们上次看到的不一样。

it is different from the one we

saw the other day.

是铜做的,好像还能转动。

It is made of bronze and seems

able to revolve.

韩佳:它也有自己的名字,

It has its own name,

叫轮回盘。

called transmigration plate.

大牛:轮回盘?有什么讲究吗?

Transmigration plate? How does it work?

韩佳:你按着自己的属相,

Hold the bronze handle symbolizing

your zodiac animal

然后用右手握着铜杆,转一圈。

and turn it around with your right hand.

就能祝福自己吉祥幸福啦。

It’s a way for people to wish themselves

good luck and happiness.

Zhè yang jiù néng zhùfú zìjǐ jíxióng xìngfú le

这 样 就 能 祝福 自己 吉祥、 幸福 了。

It’s a way for people to wish themselves

good luck and happiness.

在天与地产生时,

“When heaven and earth came

into existence,

出现了日、月、星、辰、

there also appeared the Sun,

the Moon, stars,

山、沟、木、石。

mountains, gullies, trees and rocks.

此时生命之蛋从天而降。

Meanwhile, the eggs of life fell

from heaven.

由大地孵化,孵化出生物。

They were hatched by earth and

living things came into existence.

生物做变化,

The evolution of these living things

产生了人类的祖先。

gave birth to the ancestors of

human beings.”

大牛:嘿,韩佳,

Hey, Han Jia,

太不可思议了!

incredible!

这东巴教传内不传外,

Dongba doctrines

传男不传女。

are not to be taught to girls.

你也能看懂啊?

You certainly understand what’s

written there?

韩佳:大牛,学东西不能那么教条。

Daniel, we mustn’t learn things

dogmatically.

那只是古时候的传统。

What you said was only an

old practice.

现在我们每个人

Now everyone

都可以来研究东巴文啊。

can study the Dongba script.

大牛:其实我也想学习东巴文。

Actually, I also want to learn

the Dongba script.

韩佳:你呢,先学好汉语。

You’d better learn Chinese well first.

然后再学东巴文吧。

Then you can go on to learn the

Dongba script.

大牛:谁都知道我大牛的汉语

Everybody knows my Chinese

可是顶呱呱的。

is excellent.

再怎么学也不会用力。

It’s never “yongli” for me to learn anything.

韩佳:你看,又犯错儿了吧。

Look, you made another mistake.

得用“吃力”。

You should say “chili” here.

“吃力”是指做事情很费力气,

“Chili” means to do something strenuous

疲劳的意思。

or tiring.

大牛:吃力,“吃”读一声,“力”读四声,

“chili”, first tone, fourth tone,

指做事情很费力气,疲劳的意思。

literally to eat power, means tiring.

吃力。

“Chili”.

哎呀,不好意思。

Oh, I’m sorry.

看来我还需要努力。

It shows I need to work still harder.

韩佳:大牛,又好奇了吧!

Daniel, you must be curious again!

大牛:韩佳,

Han Jia,

这里怎么会有这么多风铃啊?

why are there so many wind-bells here?

韩佳:这里就是爱神林。

Here is the Goddess of Love Forest.

据说每一对相爱的男女

It is said that every couple of lovers

都会到这儿来挂上一只风铃的。

would hang a wind bell here.

大牛:看来纳西族也是一个

It seems that the Naxi are also

很浪漫的民族啊!

a very romantic ethnicity!

Kàn lái nàxī zú yě shì yí ge hěn làngmàn de mínzú

看 来 纳西 族 也 是 一 个 很 浪漫 的 民族。

It seems that the Naxi are also

a very romantic ethnicity.

看来纳西族也是一个

It seems that the Naxi are also

很浪漫的民族啊!

a very romantic ethnicity!

韩佳:对啊。

Yes.

你看,前面还有个小屋子。

Look, there is also a little cabin

over there.

那就是爱神小屋了。

That is the Cabin of Goddess

of Love.

大牛:哎,这个爱神小屋显得很古朴啊!

Yeah, but it looks very old and simple!

韩佳:那当然了。

Sure.

要知道这间小屋1894年的时候

It was built there as early

就已经建在这儿了。

as 1894.

大牛:1894年?

1894?

那已经有一百多年的历史了。

Then it is already more than

100 years old.

韩佳:对啊。

Yes.

很多相爱的男女都会到这里面

Many young lovers would come here

去请教老东巴,

to seek counsel from an old Dongba

祈求爱神的成全。

and pray for the blessing of

Goddess of Love.

大牛:但愿爱神会满足每对恋人的愿望吧!

May Goddess of Love bless

every couple of lovers!

韩佳:希望如此。

I hope so, too.

好了,接下来就来看看

Okay, now let’s watch

我们今天的赏心悦目。

today’s Feast for the Eyes.

赏心悦目:

万神园是纳西族神灵安息的场所

The Dongba Park is the resting

place of Naxi deities.

原始图腾神秘粗犷

The mysterious primitive totems

密布在园中各处

are scattered all over the park.

老东巴舞动着法器

A Dongba shaman wields an instrument

仿佛在安抚祖先的灵魂

as if to soothe the souls of

the ancestors.

铜铃在风中轻轻作响

The bronze bells are sounding

in the breeze,

述说着爱神对纳西男女的眷顾

sending out the Goddess of Love’s

blessings for Naxi lovers.

世俗的纷扰

All worldly anxieties

都在万神园中均被驱散

are believed to be dispelled in

the Dongba Park.

大牛:节目的最后,

At the end of the program,

别忘了参与我们的有奖问答。

please don’t forget to join in our

prize-giving quiz.

韩佳:今天的问题是这样的。

Here’s today’s question.

(问题部分略)

哎,大牛,你去哪儿啊?

Hey, Daniel, where are you going?

大牛:我也要去爱神林

I also want to go to the Goddess

of Love Forest

挂上一个风铃。

to hang a wind bell there.

韩佳:可是口号还没说呢。

But we haven’t said our slogan yet.

大牛:学说中国话,朋友遍天下。

Learn Chinese and make friends everywhere!

韩佳:哎,好了,好了。

Yeah, okay, okay.

还是让我们明天再见吧!

See you tomorrow!

(Source: cctv.com)

Chinese Conversation – lesson 470

Friday, June 12th, 2009

看几尊雕像
曼蒂:这些都是常放在坟墓里的东西——模仿仆人、马跟马车等等造型的陶瓷器。
莫理:所以他们会在嘴巴里放玉蝉,然后在坟墓里放这些东西吗?
曼蒂:是的。汉朝人相信死后需要些东西。这些陶瓷器就是要给死后的灵魂。
莫理:听起来很像现在的烧纸钱。
曼蒂:那是一个很好的联想。

Looking at some figures
Maddie: These are common items that would go in the grave-ceramic replicas of servants, horses and carts, and so on.
Morley: So they’d have jade cicadas in their mouths and these inside their tombs?
Maddie: Yup. The Han believed you needed things in the afterlife. These ceramic pieces were for the spirit in the afterlife.
Morley: Sounds a lot like the burning of ghost money in these days.
Maddie: That’s a good connection.

(Source: wwenglish.com)

Cri – Lesson 352

Friday, June 12th, 2009

1.Brief Introduction to Chinese Visa

A Chinese visa is a permit issued by the Chinese visa authorities to foreign citizens for entry into, exit from or transit throughChina. Diplomatic and Official Passport holders of Pakistan are exempted from Chinese visa and may stay up to 30 days in Mainland China and 14 days in Hong Kong.

Ordinary Chinese Mainland Visa is divided into eight types as follows:

D Visa: Issued to those who are going to reside permanently inChina.

Z Visa: Issued to those who are going toChina for a post or employment, and to their accompanying family members.

X Visa: Issued to those who are going toChina for study, furthering studies or intern practice longer than six months.

F Visa: Issued to those who are invited toChina for a business visit, an investigation, a lecture, scientific-technological& cultural exchanges, short-term furthering studies or intern practice less than six months.

L Visa: Issued to those who are going toChina for tourism, family visiting or other private reasons.

G Visa: Issued to those who are going to a third country in transit ofChina.

C Visa: Issued to crewmembers involving international-based transportation by trains, airway and ships and their accompanying family members.

J Visa: Issued to foreign journalists for the purpose of reporting fromChina


2.How to apply for ordinary Mainland Chinese Visa

Visa for business or attending conference (F visa)

You should submit:

(I) Original Visa Notice Sheet from an authorized governmental apparatus /organization inChina prescribing the visa validity, number of entries and stay period;

(II) Fully completed Visa Application Form in Chinese or English, attached with one of the applicant’s recent color photograph (30mm X 40mm)

(III) Original passport with validity more than six months and minimum 2 blank visa pages;

(IV) Photocopy of the first 2 pages (personal information) of the passport and the recent Chinese visa page if there is any;

(V) Invitation letter from the company/organization/institution you want to visit inChina;

If this is your first visit to China, it is recommended that following documents are also prepared in case of necessity:

(VI) Your income certificate/up-to-date Personal Bank Statement

(VII) Your company’s Registration Certificate (photocopy)

(VIII) A recommendation letter from your company/organization/ institution

(IX) A recommendation letter from Chamber of Commerce& Industry

(X) Your Tax Payment Receipt for last year (photocopy)

(XI) Your Character Certificate/Police Clearance Certificate

(Source: bjchinese.bjedu.cn)