It is said that there was a monster called 年（nian 2）in the ancient time of china. The年（nian 2） monster was huge in size and with antenna in his head. Usually, it lived in the deep bottom of ocean, but in the New Year Eve, it will come out into villages to devour livestock and lives. However, people found that the年（nian 2）monster was afraid of red color, bright light and slam-bang after they were hurt many years. So in the New Year Eve (which is called 除（chu 2）夕(xi 1)in china), Chinese people put up couplets written on red paper on their gate, hung red lantern on gate beam, set off fireworks and stay up all night , which was called 守（shou 2）岁(sui 4) in china and people still stick to this tradition now. 守（shou 2）岁(sui 4) tradition tells the deep lingering about the passing old year and the nice longing for the coming new year. If you are living china now or going to spend the new year 2008 together with your Chinese friends, you can experience守（shou 2）岁(sui 4) by yourself.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Chinese idiom - Kong zhong lou ge (A Castle in the Air or a Mirage)
kōnɡ zhōnɡ lóu ɡé
空 中 楼 阁
典 故：
这个成语来源于《百喻经.三重楼喻》，愚人见其垒墼作舍，犹怀疑惑，不能了知，而问之言：“欲作何等？”木匠答言：“作三重屋。”愚人复言：“我不欲下二重之屋，先可为我作最上屋。”
在很久以前，山村里有一位财主。他非常富有，但生性愚钝，尽做傻事，所以常遭到村人的嘲笑。
有一天，傻财主到邻村的一位财主家作客。他看到一幢三层楼高的新屋，宽敞明亮，高大壮丽，心里非常羡慕，心想：我也有钱，而且并不比他的少。他有这样一幢楼，而我没有，这像什么话呢？一回到家，他马上派人把工匠找来，问道：“邻村新造的那幢楼，你们知道是谁造的吗？”
工匠们回答道：“知道，那幢楼是我们几个造的。”
傻财主一听，非常高兴，说：“好极了，你们照样子再给我盖一次。记住要三层楼的房子，要和那幢一模一样。”
工匠们一边答应，心里一边嘀咕；不知这次他又会做出什么傻事来。可是不管怎样，还得照吩咐去做，大家便各自忙开了。
一天，财主来到工地，东瞅瞅，西瞧瞧，心里十分纳闷，便问正在打地基的工匠：“你们这是在干什么？”
“造一幢三层楼高的屋子呀，是照您吩咐干的。”
“不对，不对。我要你们造的是那第三层楼的屋子。我只要最上面的那层，下面那二层我不要，快拆掉。先造最上面的那层。”
工匠们听后哈哈大笑，说：“只要最上面那层，我们不会造，你自己造吧！”
工匠们走了，傻财主望着房基发愣。他不知道，只要最上面一层，不要下面两层，那是再高明的工匠也造不出来的。
The Story:
Long long ago, there was a stupid rich man. One day, he visited a friend and saw his friend's 3-storey building. He liked it very much. When he came back to his own home, he called a carpenter and asked him to build the same kind of house for him.
The carpenter began to dig the foundations and make the vallum. When the rich man saw this, he asked: "What kind of house are you going to construct?"
"A three-storey building," replied the carpenter.
"Oh, I do not want the 2 floors under it, I just want the third floor," said the rich man.
"But how can we build the 3rd floor if we do not have the 2 floors under it?" the carpenter asked.
No matter how the carpenter explained this concept to the rich man, the rich man just insisted on his own opinion of 'only the 3rd floor'.
Talk to eChineselearning's best Chinese teacher, learn to use the Chinese idiom.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Fu Wa - Beijing huan ying ni! Welcome to Beijing!
Title: Welcome to Beijing.
Brief: 2008 is coming. Learn how the names of the five mascots were chosen.
课文：
A:Zhè Shì Nín Dì Yī Cì Lái Běi Jīnɡ Ma ？
这 是 您 第 一 次 来 北 京 吗 ？
B:Shì De 。
是 的 。
A:Běi Jīnɡ Huān Yínɡ Nín 。
北 京 欢 迎 您 。
B:Xiè Xiè 。
谢 谢 。
Text ：
A: Is this the first time that you come to Beijing?
B: Yes.
A: Welcome to Beijing.
B: Thank you.
listen the lesson here:http://www.echineselearning.com/recording/chinesecast/beginner/learn%20chinese%20online%20-%20Welcome%20to%20beijing!.mp3
