Archive for September 2nd, 2009

Chinese Culture – Chinese Lang and Ting(1)

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

The Chinese Lang (covered corridor) and Ting (pavilion or kiosk) represent two typical architectural styles in Chinese landscape gardening.

Lang: Covered Corridor

A long, belt-like structure, Lang, the covered corridor is a roofed passage usually with low railings and long side benches. It not only adds beauty of the surrounding scenery but also plays a useful role by providing people with shade from the sun and protection from the rain,

The Chinese Lang can be divided into You Lang which links two or more buildings, Hui Lang (the winding corridor), Qu Lang (the zigzag corridor), Hua Lang which is used for the display of potted flowers, and Shui Lang which borders on lakes or goes over ponds.

Among all the classical corridors in China, Chang Lang (the Long Corridor) in Beijing‘s Summer Palace is one of the most distinguished and a unique treasure in the art of gardening arrangement. An exquisite winding structure of 728 meters, it stretches its 273 bays between the hill and the lake, broken at intervals by four double-eaved octagonal pavilions, which represent the four seasons of the year. All its beams are painted with colored pictures of landscapes, human figures, flowers, birds and scenes of historical and popular stories. These paintings total more than 40,000 in number, and the visitor would need eight hours just to linger two seconds before each picture.

As history records, the Long Corridor was built by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in order that his mother might safely enjoy the scenes of rain or snow over the lake.

Famous private Chinese gardens, located mostly in the southern province, are often ornamented with corridors. In Suzhou‘s Zhuozheng Garden (The Humble Administrator’s Garden), part of the winding corridor is erected over a pond and has been described as a “rainbow over water”. With its reflection in the water, sometimes ruffled by a breeze, it is a favorite spot for visitors to take snapshots of themselves. In Liu Garden (The Lingering Garden), another well-known garden of Suzhou, the buildings, pavilion, terrace, hall and tower are linked by a 600-meter-long corridor. Its wooden walls have fancy cut-through window through which visitors can enjoy the surrounding scenes, and they are also inset with 300 stone-engravings of calligraphy works and poems by famous ancient masters; both the windows and the engravings are regarded as masterpieces of their respective kinds.

Source: chinaculture.org

Chinese Character – eternity:永恒

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

eternity:

Chinese Pinyin: yong3 heng2

(Source: about.com)

Learn Chinese Podcast – Happy China 619

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

旁白: 我们今天要去的

Our destination for today

是嘉兴桐乡的乌镇。

is the town of Wuzhen, Tongxiang

County, Jiaxing City.

对于我来说,

For me,

应该算是故地重游了。

it’s a place to be revisited.

上次去乌镇还是在两年前。

I came to Wuzhen two years ago.

听说现在那里

I heard it has opened a

new scenic site,

又开发了一处西栅景区。

the Xizha Scenic Area.

真想快点儿看看

I just can’t wait to see

那儿又有什么样的变化呢。

what kind of change has

taken place there.

韩佳: 快乐学汉语!

Learn Chinese the fun way!

王渊源:万里海疆行!

And enjoy a Happy Journey

across China!

韩佳: 大家好,我是快乐的韩佳。

Hi there! I’m Merry Han Jia.

王渊源:我是快乐的渊源。

And I’m Happy Yuanyuan.

韩佳: 乌镇的西栅景区

Wuzhen’s Xizha Scenic Area

和我们以前去过的东栅景区相比啊,

is really different from Dongzha

Scenic Area

确实变化很大。

that we visited before.

王渊源:”确实”

“Queshi”

指对客观情况的真实性表示肯定。

means certainly or really.

韩佳: “确实”是个副词。

“Queshi” is an adverb.

对客观情况的真实性表示肯定。

It means certainly or really.

王渊源:说起这变化嘛,

As for differences and changes,

我还真没有发言权,

I have no right to say anythig

因为我没来过乌镇的东栅景区。

because I’ve never been to Wuzhen’s

Dongzha Scenic Area before.

韩佳: 哦,对。

Oh, right.

这西栅景区跟东栅景区相比啊,

In comparison with the Dongzha

Scenic Area,

它的水域更宽阔了。

the Xizha Scenic Area has

a much wider water area,

而且水里面多了很多

in which there are more

绿色的野生植物。

green wild plants.

原生态的味道更加浓了。

It gives a much stronger sense

of the wild.

王渊源:虽然我没来过,

Although I’ve never been

here before,

不过我已经开始感受到

I have already got the feel

这里原始的纯朴的风貌。

of primitive simplicity.

而且我已经开始喜欢上这座古镇。

And I’ve begun to like this

ancient town.

韩佳: 是吗?那就好好欣赏欣赏。

Really? Then enjoy yourself.

旁白: 据说,现在的乌镇西栅景区

They say Wuzhen’s Xizha

Scenic Area

比东栅景区整整大了三倍。

is three times bigger than the

Dongzha Scenic Area.

这里与古老的京杭运河相连,

There are crisscrossing waterways

connected to

河道纵横交错。

the old Beijing-Hangzhou

Grand Canal.

古石桥数量之多

The town has more ancient

stone bridges

都称得上是中国的古镇之最了。

than any other ancient Chinese towns.

韩佳: 渊源,你知道这乌镇里

Yuanyuan, do you know

存留着多少座古桥吗?

how many ancient bridges

still exist in Wuzhen?

王渊源:这个我说不太清楚。

I’m not quite clear about that.

不过我倒是知道

But I do know

这里有两座桥非常特别。

there are two very special

bridges here.

韩佳: 哪两座?

What are they?

王渊源:就是那边通济桥和仁济桥。

They are the Tongji Bridge and

the Renji Bridge over there.

韩佳: 我知道了。

I know them.

你是说那两座桥相邻成直角。

You mean the two perpendicular

to each other.

从任何一座桥的桥洞呢,

Under the arch of one bridge,

都可以看到另外一座桥是吧。

you can always see the

other bridge.

王渊源:是啊。

Yes indeed.

当地人把它们称为”桥里桥”。

So locals call them the “Bridge

inside a Bridge”.

韩佳,都说乌镇,乌镇的。

Han Jia, you’ve talked so

much about Wuzhen.

那乌镇这个名字

Where did the name Wuzhen

到底是怎么得来的呀?

come from?

韩佳: 关于”乌镇”这个镇名

There are many versions

of history

有很多种说法。

about the town’s name, Wuzhen.

那更多的人认为

But most people believe

乌镇是为了纪念

the town was so named

唐代的一位乌赞将军而得名的。

in memory of General Wu Zan.

你看,这就是乌将军庙。

Look, this is the General

Wu Temple.

王渊源:那这个乌赞将军又是谁呀?

Who was General Wu Zan?

韩佳: 乌赞将军

General Wu Zan

是唐代一位忠臣,

was a loyal, brave and

非常的勇猛善战。

skillful general of the Tang Dynasty.

他在这里镇压叛乱的时候,

When he was here putting

down an insurgency,

被叛军设计陷害了。

he was framed and killed

by insurgents.

最终埋葬在这里。

He was buried here.

那当地的老百姓为了纪念他,

To commemorate him,

就把这儿取名叫乌镇。

local people named the

place Wuzhen.

王渊源:原来乌镇名字的由来

That’s why the town

是这么回事啊。

was named Wuzhen.

旁白: 听当地人说,

I heard from locals that

乌镇西栅景区里面

in the Xizha Scenic Area,

除了乌将军庙,

apart from the General

Wu Temple,

还有很多的历史遗迹。

there are also many other

historical sites.

其中,有一座

One of them, the archway

in commemoration

昭明太子读书的牌坊,

of Crown Prince Zhaoming’s

studies here,

吸引了我们的目光。

which attracts our attention.

韩佳: 昭明太子是南北朝时期

Crown Prince Zaoming was

the son of Emperor

梁武帝的儿子萧统。

Liang Wudi in the Northern

and Southern Dynasties.

他编辑整理了

He compiled

中国的第一部诗歌散文选集,

China’s first collection of poems,

命名为《昭明文选》。

called “Zhaoming Anthology”.

王渊源:那他作为太子,

As crown prince,

为什么要在这儿学习呢?

why did he study here?

韩佳: 是这样的。

Oh, it’s like this.

昭明太子的老师是乌镇人,

Prince Zhaoming’s teacher

came from Wuzhen

而且他的父亲就葬在这里。

and his father was buried

in here.

这位老师非常的孝顺。

This teacher was a dutiful son.

所以每年都有这么几个月,

For several months each year,

要回到这儿来守墓。

he would come here to

keep vigil at the tomb.

那昭明太子不想荒废学业。

Crown Prince Zhaoming didn’t

want to neglect his studies.

总是跟随老师一块到乌镇来读书。

So he always followed his teacher

to Wuzhen to continue his studies.

王渊源:”荒废”就是浪费的意思吧?

Does “huangfei” mean to waste?

韩佳: 不不不。

No, it doesn’t.

“荒废”和”浪费”是不一样的。

“Huangfei” is different from

“langfei”.

“浪费”是指无节制的、不恰当的

“Langfei” means to waste

使用财务、人力、时间等等。

financial resources, manpower

or time.

而”荒废”是指学业、技术等不练习,

And “huangfei” means to neglect

时间长了就都不会了。

as a neglect a skill or be

out of practice.

王渊源:”浪费”是指消耗、耗损。

“Langfei” means to waste.

而”荒废”是指学业、技术等不练习,

And “huangfei” means to neglect

时间长了就都不会了。

as a neglect a skill or be

out of practice.

Tā bù xiǎng huāngfèi xuéyè

他 不 想 荒废 学业。

He didn’t want to neglect

his studies.

旁白: 昭明太子读书

Though Crown Prince Zhaoming

studied here

虽然已经是一千多年前的事了,

more than 1,000 years ago,

但是人们一直把这段故事

the story has remained

作为佳话传颂着。

on everybody’s lips.

其实,在这里

In fact, the town

还诞生了不少的名人名著。

has been home to many famous

persons and famous works.

其中有一个人我们可不能不提,

The man we must mention

那就是…

is …

合: 茅盾。

Mao Dun.

韩佳: 你也知道啊?

You also know about him?

王渊源:是啊。

Yes, I do.

茅盾的童年和少年时代

Mao Dun spent his childhood

and teenage

都是在这里度过的。

years here.

韩佳: 对对对。

Yes, yes.

你看,后面就是茅盾纪念馆了。

Look, that is the Mao Dun

Memorial Hall.

我们一起进去看一看。

Let’s take a look inside together.

渊源,你读过茅盾先生的作品吗?

Have you ever read works

by Mao Dun?

王渊源:没有。

No.

不过《子夜》是他写的吧?

But did he write the novel

“Midnight”?

韩佳: 对对对。这座纪念堂

Yes, yes. This memorial hall

就和他的代表作《子夜》有关。

has something to do with his

signature work, “Midnight”.

刚才我听导游介绍,

I just heard from the

tour guide that

说通往茅盾先生陵园的这条路呢

this road leading to the Mao Dun

Mausoleum

就是按照”子”字的形状铺设的。

was laid in the shape of

the character “zi”.

整条路一共有八十五级台阶,

The entire road consists

of 85 steps,

代表了茅盾先生

representing Mr. Mao Dun’s

一生走过的八十五个春秋。

85 years of life.

王渊源:”春秋”就是春季和秋季是吧?

Does “chunqiu” mean spring

and autumn?

韩佳: “春秋”在这里呢

“Chunqiu” here

是指人的年岁,也泛指光阴。

refers to a person’s age

or time spent.

Tā yìshēng zǒu guò le bāshi wǔ ge chūnqiū

他 一生 走 过 了 八十 五 个 春秋。

He lived for 85 years.

那这纪念堂里面,

The memorial hall

展出了茅盾先生的一些遗物

exhibits some of Mr. Mao

Dun’s belongings

以及一些跟他有关的图片,

and pictures of him,

展现了茅盾先生丰富多彩的一生。

displaying Mr. Mao Dun’s

colorful lifetime.

王渊源:你看,那边有座塔呀。

Look, there is a pagoda

over there.

韩佳: 那是白莲塔,高五十一米。

That is Bailian Pagoda,

51 meters tall.

要是站在塔顶,

If you stand on top

of the pagoda,

可以把乌镇的美景尽收眼底。

you’ll have a panoramic view

of the entire town of Wuzhen.

王渊源:那你还有没有力气?

Do you still have strength?

待会儿咱们爬上去。

We’ll climb it in a moment.

韩佳: 好啊。

Okay.

站在高处视野开阔。

A high place commands a

much wider view.

那就让我们一起赏心悦目吧。

Let’s enjoy the Feast for

the Eyes.

赏心悦目:

走入乌镇

Entering the town of Wuzhen,

眼前展现出一幅古老的画卷

the visitor will see a picture of the old,

古庙 古街 古宅

old temples, old streets and old houses.

岁月在这里洗去了铅华

Their former splendor has been washed away

by time.

给人以无尽的回味

But their charm has remained unchanged.

乌镇自古名人辈出

Wuzhen has been home to famous people

since ancient times,

为后人留下了宝贵的精神财富

who left valuable spiritual wealth for posterity.

轻舟浆影 水色空蒙

Visitors may take a boat ride to get

a feel for the serene environment.

落日余晖勾勒出的

Under the sunset glow,

是乌镇不变的宁静与质朴

Wuzhen appears more quiet and unassuming.

王渊源:这乌镇西栅景区真是太大了。

Wuzhen’s Xizha Scenic Area

is so large.

我们今天是看不完了。

We can’t see all of

it today.

韩佳: 是啊。这里的内容十分丰富。

Of course not. There is

so much to see.

不过没有关系。

But that doesn’t matter.

明天我们会继续带着您游乌镇。

Tomorrow we’ll continue to

show you around Wuzhen.

王渊源:这个安排不错。

It’s a very nice arrangement.

我举双手赞成。

I am all for it.

韩佳: 好吧。

Good.

那接下来呢,

Up next,

我要给大家

I’m going to set

出今天的有奖问答题了。

today’s award-winning question.

您听好了。

Listen carefully.

(问题部分略)

口号不能忘。

Don’t forget our slogan.

合: 学说中国话,朋友遍天下!

Learn Chinese and make friends everywhere!

韩佳: 明天见。

See you tomorrow.

(Source: cctv.com)