Archive for September 10th, 2009

Chinese Culture – U Shape Houses in South China

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

Small yard houses are popular in the south. So-called Small Yards are, in fact, also open-air courtyards, but their area is smaller, since the southern regions are hot, rainy and wet, and there are many mountain areas and hills. The regions are densely populated but narrow in area, so residences pay attention to sunshine prevention and to ventilation as well as to fireproofing. The layout is dense and teeming with bui1dings that, therefore, are mostly small yard houses. Their basic unit takes horizontal, long and square small yard as the core. Surrounded by buildings on all sides, or three sides — left, right and back — sunshine seldom comes in. The narrow and tall small yards play the role of breaking the wind and facilitate ventilation. The principal room faces the small yard and is completely open. All houses drain water out of the small yards, and geomancy says this is preventing money from flowing out. Corbie gables often appear in the periphery, which is helpful to preventing the spread of fire.

Corbie gable, also called fire-sealing gable, is a major molding characteristic of south Chinese architecture. The wall stands above the roof, and the outline is in the setback type, varied and rich. The wall surface is plastered with lime powder, and the wall top is covered with gray tile wall eaves, so that the white wall and gray tile make it bright, plain and elegant.

Small yard houses are most typical in southern Anhui Province (especially Huizhou Prefecture) and northern Jiangxi Province. The basic plane is in the or shape; if a small yard is added behind the principal house, then the layout will become a “U” or “H” shape; if buildings are added to the rear part of the back small yard, then the layout will be in the “” or “A” shape.

To sum up, the main characteristics of Huizhou residences are as follows:

1. Great attention is paid to the location of the village, usually at the foot of mountains or along the rivers.

2. The layout is well handled, usually with 2 to 3 small yards, or sometimes 36 small yards at the most. Small yard houses feature white wall, black tile, Corbie gables, engraved brick gate tower and wooden doors and windows, etc.

Source: chinaculture.org

Chinese Character – exchange rate:汇率

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

exchange rate:

Chinese Pinyin: hui4 lv4

(Source: about.com)

Learn Chinese Podcast – Happy China 627

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

Click to Watch Video Podcast

旁白: 今天我们要去的地方

The place we’re going to visit today

是中国海洋大学。

is Ocean University of China.

踏上万里海疆以来,

Since our Happy Journey across

China started,

我们还是第一次走访高校呢。

this is the first time we’ve ever

visited a university.

听说,这是中国的第一所

We heard it is China’s first

海洋科学教育学院呢。

educational institute of ocean science.

王渊源:快乐学汉语,万里海疆行。

Learn Chinese the fun way and enjoy

a Happy Journey across China!

我是快乐的王渊源。

I’m Happy Wang Yuanyuan.

韩佳: 我是大家的老朋友,

And I’m your old friend

快乐的韩佳。

Merry Han Jia.

王渊源:哎,韩佳,带上录音笔呀。

Eh, Han Jia, take a recording pen

with you.

韩佳: 啊,为什么?

Ah, why?

王渊源:中国海洋大学嘛,

Ocean University of China

据说这可是一所以海洋学

is said to be a university

of oceanology

和水产学为特色的高校啊。

and aquaculture.

还不趁机学习学习,

Why don’t you take the chance

to learn something

了解点儿海洋学的知识啊?

about oceanology?

韩佳: 哟,还挺好学。

Oh, you are quite fond of learning.

“好学”就是指爱好学习,勤于学习。

“Haoxue” means to be studious

and fond of learning.

王渊源:”好学”就是指爱好学习,勤于学习。

“Haoxue” means to be studious

and fond of learning.

韩佳: 如果我们看到某人很爱学习呢,

If we find someone fond of learning,

就可以说,

you may say,

(你可真是个好学的人。

You really love to learn.)

嗯。渊源你知道吗,

Sure. Yuanyuan, do you know

联合国教科文组织的

the UNESCO

海洋生物工程中心啊,

Marine Biological Engineering Center

就设在海洋大学。

is affiliated right to Ocean University?

而且中国的第一位

And China’s first doctor

海洋学科、水产学科的博士呢,

of oceanology and first doctor

of aquaculture

也都出自这里。

were both graduated from here.

所以啊,这回你有得学喽。

So there’s a lot you can learn.

旁白: 粗犷的花岗石墙壁,

The rough granite walls,

红色的瓦片铺顶,

the red-tile roofs,

狭长的窗口

the long windows

饰以美丽的西式图案浮雕,

decorated with Western relief carvings

楼内布局至今完好保留原有格局。

and the layout of the buildings have

all remained unchanged.

显得既古朴典雅,

They look elegant

又颇具异国情调。

and a bit exotic.

韩佳: 哎,你怎么停住了?

Hey, why did you stop?

王渊源:简直就像走到

I feel as if I was walking

西方的高校里一样啊。

inside a university in the West.

韩佳: 哦,原来你是被欧式的

Oh, you’re actually fascinated

建筑风格吸引了呀!

by the European architectural

style here!

王渊源:是啊。

Yes.

韩佳: 这栋楼建于1903年。

This building was constructed

in 1903.

王渊源:那它到现在已经有一个世纪了。

So today it is already one century old.

韩佳: 对啊。

Yes.

知道德国的俾斯麦吧?

You know Germany’s Bismarck?

曾经这幢楼

This building was once

就以他的名字命名过。

named after him.

王渊源:哦。

Oh.

难怪具有德国的建筑风格呢。

No wonder its architectural style

looks so German.

韩佳: 不过,现在已经是

But today, it has become

学生们学习的场所了。

a place where students take classes.

王渊源:哎,韩佳,

Eh, Han Jia,

这应该怎么读呢?

how do you read these words?

韩佳: “海纳百川,

“Hai na bai chuan,

取则行远。”

qu ze xing yuan.”

这是海洋大学的校训啊。

It is the maxim of Ocean University.

王渊源:哦,”海纳百川”什么意思呢?

Oh, “hai na bai chuan”. What

does it mean?

韩佳: 哎哟,这可得说得细一点儿了。

Oh, I have to be a bit more detailed.

“纳”就是容纳的意思;

“Na” means to contain

“川”就是指河流。

and “chuan” refers to rivers.

“海纳百川”

“Hai na bai chuan”

就是指大海能够容纳很多很多河流。

means the sea can contain the flows

of many rivers.

形容气度、度量、胸怀非常宽广。

It is used to describe containing

or accepting many things.

王渊源:哦。”海纳百川”

Oh. “Hai na bai chuan”

就是指大海能够容纳很多很多河流。

literally means that the sea can

contain the flows of many rivers.

形容气度、度量、胸怀非常宽广。

It is used to describe containing

or accepting many things.

韩佳: 嗯。

Yes.

海洋大学把”海纳百川”

Ocean University adopts this phrase

作为自己的校训啊,

as their school maxim

正好体现了海洋大学

to show that the university

能够容纳各种类型的人才,

accepts all types of talented people

各种学术思想。

and tolerate all sorts of

academic thoughts.

王渊源:嗯,说得一点儿也没错。

Yes, you’re absolutely right.

你看,他们不就是从世界各地

Look, these students come

汇聚到这里来的嘛。

from all parts of the world.

你们好!

Hi!

韩佳: 你们好!

Hello!

你们都是这个学校的吗?

Are you all students of this university?

嘉宾: 是的,我们是这个学校的留学生。

Yes, we are international students.

韩佳: 哦。

Oh.

那你们都是哪个国家的呀?

Which countries are you from?

嘉宾: 我是哥伦比亚的。

I’m from Colombia.

我是乌克兰的。

I’m from Ukraine.

我是纳米比亚的。

I’m from Namibia.

王渊源:那你们是哪个专业的?

Which program are you studying in?

嘉宾: 我是环境工程的。

I’m studying environmental engineering.

我是汉语专业。

I’m studying in the Chinese program.

我是海洋工程的。

I’m in the marine engineering program.

王渊源:我正好想听听你们的课。

I happen to want to attend

some of your classes.

能不能帮个忙啊?

Can you do me a favor?

嘉宾: 没问题啊。跟我走吧。

No problem. Come with me.

韩佳: 好好好。

That’s great.

旁白: 本想进教室听听他们的课,

We expected to attend some of

their classes,

没想到,热情的同学们

but to our surprise,

带我们登上了这艘船。

these friendly students took us

aboard this ship.

他们骄傲地告诉我们,

They proudly told us

这艘船可是属于海洋大学的。

this ship belongs to Ocean University.

专供学生们出海

It is used by students to

conduct all kinds

进行各种远洋试验。

of marine experiments.

韩佳: 渊源,我找你半天了。

Yuanyuan, I was looking for you

for a long time.

王渊源:嘘!已经开始上课了。

Sh! Class has begun.

韩佳: 哦。

Oh.

王渊源:你看,实验课。

Look, it’s an experiment class.

韩佳; 你还真上上课了?

Are you really taking a class here?

王渊源:是啊。我听老师讲,

Yes. A teacher told me

在这艘船上

students can carry out

学生们可以做很多实验,

many kinds of experiments

on board this ship,

包括测水深、

including the surveys of

water depth

盐度测量什么的。

and the salinity of seawater.

韩佳: 你说得倒是热闹。

You are talking with so much relish.

大家都在做实验,那你?

They are all doing experiments

and you?

王渊源:我参观见习嘛,

Just looking around as a visitor

以听为主。

and listening mainly.

不过,我好像也听不太明白。

But I don’t seem to quite understand

what they said.

韩佳: 哎,渊源,

Eh, Yuanyuan,

这海洋学的实验课

this is my first time

我还真是第一次看到啊。

to attend an oceanology

experiment class.

王渊源:太特别了,在船上做实验。

It’s really special to do experiments

aboard a ship.

长见识吧?

Is it a learning experience?

王渊源:长见识了。

Sure it is.

哎,他们怎么也出来了呀?

Eh, where are they also out?

嘉宾: 我们想给你介绍介绍这门课。

Because we want to tell you something

about this class.

只是我看好像你刚才听不懂啊。

It seems you didn’t quite understand

what you heard.

韩佳: 是这样子的。

That’s true.

王渊源:你也太不给面子了。

You made me lose face.

韩佳: 你说什么呢?

What did you say?

王渊源:我是说嘛,

I said

他说得太对了呀。

he was absolutely right.

我们对海洋学都是门外汉。

We are both laymen in the

field oceanology.

刚好可以请他们

So we should ask them

给我们讲解一下嘛。

to tell us something about it.

对了,”门外汉”这个词你知道吧?

Oh yeah, do you understand

what “menwaihan” is?

嘉宾: 我不知道。

No, I don’t.

王渊源:你看,我们也是一个

You see, this is a learning experience

互相学习的过程嘛。

for all of us.

“门外汉”指的是

“Menwaihan”

对某种事物完全不了解的人。

means layman.

嘉宾: “门外汉”指的是

“Menwaihan”

对某种事物完全不了解的人。

means layman.

比如说,你在海洋学方面

For example, You are a layman

是一个门外汉,对吗?

in the field of oceanology, right?

韩佳: 嗯,没错儿。

Yes, absolutely.

对吧,渊源?

Do you think so, Yuanyuan?

王渊源:还真是不给面子!

You showed no regard for

my sensitivities!

韩佳: 你叨咕什么呢?

What are you murmuring about?

(你在海洋学方面是个门外汉。

You are a layman in the field

of oceanology.)

合: 真是太不给面子喽!

We surely showed no regard

for your sensitivities!

王渊源:导演,这个

Director, is it that

赏心悦目的时间快到了吧?

it’s about time for the Feast

for the Eyes?

韩佳: 好吧,好吧,

OK, OK,

那我们就请观众朋友们

let our audience

到赏心悦目中,

enjoy the scenery

去饱览一下美丽的风光吧。

from the Feast for the Eyes.

嘉宾: 我啊正好给你补补课。

And I’d like to make use of the time

to give you two some tutorial help.

韩佳: 哦。

Oh, please.

赏心悦目:

中国海洋大学坐落在青岛市南区

Ocean University of China in southern Qingdao

这是一所以海洋学

is a university offering such programs

和水产学为特色的综合性大学

as oceanology and aquaculture.

校舍多为欧式建筑

Many of the school buildings are

European in style.

严谨的治学态度和完备的教学设施

Strict educational standards and

sound facilities

为热爱海洋事业的莘莘学子

provide broad prospects

提供了探索海洋奥秘的广阔天地

for the students to probe the mysterious ocean.

韩佳: 怎么样,观众朋友们,

Well, audience friends,

今天的赏心悦目还不错吧?

do you find today’s Feast for

the Eyes attractive?

那渊源,

Eh, Yuanyuan,

你学习得又怎么样了呢?

how is your learning going?

王渊源:还挺好的。

Pretty good.

他们讲得可清楚呢。

They spoke so clearly.

韩佳: 那你给我们讲讲。

Then tell me something.

王渊源:这个,

But

要不节目之后再给你说吧。

I’d like to talk to you after

the program.

现在最重要的是

The most important thing for now

出今天的有奖问答题。

is today’s award-winning question.

韩佳: 那好吧。你来。

OK. Go ahead, please.

王渊源:今天的题目是这样的。

Here’s today’s question.

(问题部分略)

韩佳: 当然了,也别忘了

Of course, don’t forget

到新浪网上去看看

to log on to www.sina.com.cn

我们《快乐中国-学汉语》的博客啊,

to check out our Happy China blog

给我们留言。

and leave a message there.

王渊源:也别忘了我们的口号:

And neither should we forget

our slogan:

合: 学说中国话,朋友遍天下。

Learn Chinese and make friends everywhere!

韩佳: 再见。

Bye-bye.

(Source: cctv.com)