Archive for April, 2010

China Travel – Yulong Snow Mountain

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

Yulong Snow Mountain stands beside the Jinshajiang River, northwest of the Lijiang Naxi Autonomous County, Yunnan Province. Shanzidou, the main peak of the mountain, clad in white snow all year round, rises 5,596 meters above sea level. The 13 peaks, distributed from the south to the north, with the south-north length of 35 km and the east-west width of 12 km, are like a silver white jade dragon lying in the clouds, hence the name Yulong (jade dragon) Snow Mountain. Numerous species of plants grow in the mountain, and are distributed vertically in accordance with height and climate. The mountain enjoys the fame of the Treasure House of Plants.

Her beauty stems not only from the grand mountains and silver white snow, but also from the fast-changing climate with the alternation of day and night and the shifting of the four seasons. There are many other scenic attractions atop the mountain. Because of the steep cliff of the main peak, the mountain is yet to be conquered, albeit mountaineering teams from home and abroad have tried.

In the Yufeng Temple, there is a world famous camellia tree. Though it is only about 3 meters tall, 20,000-odd flowers blossom every year. As legend goes, the tree was planted in the Chenghua reign of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). From the roots, the tree is identified as a silk tree combined by two. With twisted roots and gnarled branches, the two are closely connected. As a result, the leaves appear in two shapes, and the flowers have two kinds, the rosy red and the pink.

(Source: chinaculture.org)

Chinese Conversation – lesson 788

Monday, April 26th, 2010

珍珠港

司令:麦考利和沃尔克在哪?

学员:他们还在训练,长官。

雷夫:好吧,丹尼,我要给他们看看什么叫飞行。我们来玩捉小鸡。准备好了吗?

丹尼∶这儿不是在农场,这些人也不是农夫。我才不和你玩捉小鸡。

雷夫∶好了,别小孩子气了。我跟你说……

丹尼:我不做,雷夫。

雷夫∶我正朝你撞过来了。如果你不转弯就会撞上。你决定吧!

司令:这是……噢,天啊!

学员:啊,天啊!

丹尼:你为什么总和我过不去,雷夫?你要走哪边?

雷夫∶我想是右边。不,左边,我走左边。

丹尼∶好,我们走左边。对吗?

雷夫∶对。右边?

丹尼∶是“好的,我们走右边”还是“好的,我们走左边”?

雷夫∶这下你把我弄糊涂了。我不知道,你来决定吧。

丹尼∶雷夫,我们走右边!对吗?

雷夫∶抓紧了!

学员∶真是王牌飞行员啊!

司令:你说什么?我告诉你,这些农村娃娃会给停飞!

学员:是的,长官!军机完全不允许做……这样的飞行,长官。

司令:给我帽子。

学员:长官。

司令:把这些做低空飞行的家伙叫到多利特的办公室去。

(在办公室。)

多利特少校:在经过两年的训练后,你以为价值四万五千美元的飞机放在那里是让你玩的吗?

雷夫:不,长官。我只是想保持锐气,少校。

多利特:那上周你做的户外翻圈飞行呢,你以为那是什么?磨练飞行技巧吗?那不叫训练,麦考利,那叫卖弄!我个人认为这种行为是不顾后果而且不负责任的!

雷夫∶少校,怎么那么说,你自己曾率先做过而且名声在外。

多利特:别跟我耍聪明,小子。

雷夫:没有,长官。我无意要失礼。我只是想激励别人,长官,正如你曾激励过我那样。我想法国人有个词形容人们聚在一块儿对领导表示敬仰。他们称之为“敬意”,长官。

多利特:一个什么词?

雷夫:敬意,长官。

多利特∶胡说八道,麦考利!不过胡说得非常、非常好。

雷夫:谢谢长官。

pearl harbor

Commander: Where are McCauley and Walker?

Trainee: They’ re still training, sir.

Rafe: All right, Danny, I’m going to show them how to fly. We’re going to play chicken. You ready?

Danny: This ain’t the farm and these ain’t no crop dusters. I’m not playing chicken with you.

Rafe: Now, don’t be a baby. I’ll tell you what…

Danny: I’m not doing it, Rafe.

Rafe: Well I’m coming right at you. You can turn or you can hit me. It’s up to you!

Commander: What the…Oh God!

Trainee: Oh boy!

Danny: Why are you always busting my ass, Rafe? Which way are you going?

Rafe: I guess Ill go right. No, left, I’ll go left.

Danny: OK, were going left, right?

Rafe: Right. Right?

Danny: Right, like we’re going right? Or right, like we’re going left?

Rafe: Well now, you got me all mixed up. I don’t know, make up your mind.

Danny: Rafe, we’re going right! Right?

Rafe: Hang tight!

Trainee: Those are some smooth 40)aces!

Commander: Did you say something? Cause let me tell you those farm boys are 41)grounded!

Trainee: Yes, sir! An entirely unacceptable use of… military aircraft, sir.

Commander: Get my hat.

Trainee: Sir.

Commander: Get those 42)hedgehoppers in Dolittle’s office.

(In the office.)

Major Dolittle: After two years of training, you believe that a $45,000 airplane is there for your amusement?

Rafe: No, sir. I was just trying to keep my edge, Major.

Dolittle: And when you did the outside 43)loop last week, what did youthink that was? 44)Honing your skills? That’s not training, MacCauley, that’s a 45)stunt! And I personally consider it to be 46)reckless and irresponsible!

Rafe: Major, how can that be when you’re famous for being the first man in the world ever to do it?

Dolittle: Don’t get cute with me, son.

Rafe: No, sir. I don’t mean to be disrespectful. I just think that I was doing it to try to inspire the men, sir, in the way that you’ve inspired me. I believe the French even have a word for that when the men get together to honor their leaders. They call it an homage, sir.

Dolittle: A what?

Rafe: An homage, sir.

Dolittle: That’s bullshit, McCauley! But it’s very, very good bullshit.

Rafe: Thank you, sir.

(Source: wwenglish.com)

Learn Chinese Podcast – Lei Sha Yuan

Monday, April 26th, 2010
Lei Sha Yuan
Lei Sha Yuan

“Lei sha yuan” is one of the most famous snacks at the Shanghai Qiaojiazha Snacks Store, which has been open for more than 70 years. It is said that at the end of Qing Dynasty, an old woman named Lei invented a new way of rolling boiled sweet dumplings in powder to them easier to store and carry. To commemorate her contribution, the dumplings were named “Lei sha yuan.”

Their main ingredient is dahongpao red bean, which is boiled and ground into powder and left in the sun until it turns purple. Finally, the sweet dumplings are wrapped with meat, sweet bean paste or sesame are boiled, dried, and rolled in the purple power. This kind of sweet dumpling is popular because of its appearance, fragrance and flavor and because it is easy to carry.

(Source: culture.chinese.cn)