Archive for September 5th, 2011

Chinese Reading -Part III Getting to Know Each Other – Learn Chinese Class

Monday, September 5th, 2011

Part III Getting to Know Each Other 相互认识

PAULA: Seems colder today, or is it just me?

MARIA:Er… I’m not sure.

PAULA:Peter should be here soon… There was a very good French film on TV last night. Did you see it?

MARIA: No, no I didn’t.

PAULA: So, are you settling in?

MARIA: Yes, fine, thank you.

PAULA: That’s good. You’ve got a company flat, haven’t you?

MARIA: Yes, I’m very lucky.

PAULA: Yes, you know they’re like gold dust. I tried to get one when I first started working here, but they wouldn’t give me one. It’s a very odd system because some people have had a company flat for years and they pay peanuts in rent for them.

MARIA: Oh, look, there’s Mr O’Donnell.

PETER: Sorry I’m late.

PAULA: Good. We can order now.

PETER: Still, it’s given you girls a chance to get to know each other. What shall we have?

波拉: 今天有点冷,还是只有我觉得冷?

玛丽亚: 嗯……我没有太大感觉。

波拉: 彼得马上就到了……昨晚有一部很好看的法国电视,你看了吗?

玛丽亚: 没看。

波拉: 那么,你安顿好了吗?

玛丽亚: 是的,安顿好了,谢谢。

波拉: 太好了。公司给你提供了房子,是吗?

玛丽亚: 是的,我很幸运。

波拉: 是的,这样的机会太宝贵了。当初我刚来这儿的时候也想让公司提供一套房子,但公司没有给我提供。公司的住房分配体系很奇怪,有些人住了很长时间,却只需交很少的房租。

玛丽亚: 噢,看,彼得来了。

彼得: 对不起,我迟到了。

波拉: 好了,我们可以点菜了。

彼得: 还好,让你们俩好好认识认识。想吃什么?

PAULA: Seems colder today, or is it just me?

MARIA: It is colder. It was on the weather forecast.

PAULA: Was it? I’m sure it’s not normally this cold.

MARIA: Still, it’s warmer than I expected!

PAULA: Really? I suppose it’s still pretty hot in Spain at this time of year.

MARIA: Yes, especially where I come from.

PAULA: Where’s that?

波拉: 今天有点冷,还是只有我觉得冷?

玛丽亚: 嗯……我没有太大感觉。

波拉: 彼得马上就到了……昨晚有一部很好看的法国电视,你看了吗?

玛丽亚: 没看。

波拉: 那么,你安顿好了吗?

玛丽亚: 是的,安顿好了,谢谢。

波拉: 太好了。公司给你提供了房子,是吗?

玛丽亚: 是的,我很幸运。

波拉: 是的,这样的机会太宝贵了。当初我刚来这儿的时候也想让公司提供一套房子,但公司没有给我提供。公司的住房分配体系很奇怪,有些人住了很长时间,却只需交很少的房租。

玛丽亚: 噢,看,彼得来了。

彼得: 对不起,我迟到了。

波拉: 好了,我们可以点菜了。

彼得: 还好,让你们俩好好认识认识。想吃什么?

PAULA: Seems colder today, or is it just me?

MARIA: It is colder. It was on the weather forecast.

PAULA: Was it? I’m sure it’s not normally this cold.

MARIA: Still, it’s warmer than I expected!

PAULA: Really? I suppose it’s still pretty hot in Spain at this time of year.

MARIA: Yes, especially where I come from.

PAULA: Where’s that?

波拉: 今天有点冷,还是只有我觉得冷?

玛丽亚: 是有点冷,天气预报也说了。

波拉: 是吗?这种冷有点不寻常。

玛丽亚: 不过,可比我预想的要暖和多了!

波拉: 真的吗?这个时候在西班牙应该还是挺热的。

玛丽亚: 是的,特别是在我那儿。

波拉: 哪儿?

Chinese Culture -Making musical instruments in Suzhou- Study Chinese

Monday, September 5th, 2011

Making musical instrumentsMaking musical instruments

Suzhou, a city located in the south of Jiangsu province, has a long history of making musical instruments. Its techniques and the local characteristics of the instruments have made them famous at home and abroad. In 2008, the making of musical instruments in Suzhou was selected as one of China’s national intangible cultural heritages.

The manufacture of musical instruments in Suzhou dates back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), when bronze melting techniques in Wu State progressed. This led to production of bronze musical instruments. In 1964, nine chime-bells were excavated from Chenqiao Western Zhou Tomb in Jiangsu province. They are the earliest musical instruments in Wu discovered so far.

The making of musical instruments in Suzhou combines unique skills of several traditional handicrafts.

There are dozens of steps required, including wood cuts, wood working, polishing, carving, lacquering, inlay and tuning. Although today some processes are done by machine, most still are done by hand.

In every step, the makers try to achieve perfection. Each instrument must have a good quality of sound, as well as decorations pertaining to ethnic heritage.

The representative works of this cultural heritage include Erhu, Ruan, Guzheng, Pipa, Konghou and Bianzhong, as well as instruments with “Su” (abbreviation of Suzhou) in their names like Su Di, Su Xiao, Su Gong, Su Drum.

Suzhou’s musical instruments contain much cultural and artistic significance, as well as priceless historical value.