Script

大家好！欢迎收听Digmandarin Podcast.
每年农历的五月初五是端午节，又叫龙舟节。这是中国的传统节日。这一天，我们有很多活动，比如，吃粽子，赛龙舟，喝雄黄酒等等。
端午节有很多传说，但是最有名的说法是为了纪念屈原。屈原是中国古代很有名的诗人，在他跳江以后，老百姓就向水里扔粽子、在水上划龙舟，驱散水里的鱼，这样就可以保护屈原的身体。从此以后，每年的农历五月初五我们都会做这些活动纪念屈原。
今年的端午节就要到了，祝大家端午节快乐！

(Dàjiā hǎo! Huānyíng shōutīng Digmandarin Podcast. 
Měinián nónglì de wǔ yuè chū wǔ shì Duānwǔ jié, yòu jiào Lóngzhōu jié. Zhè shì zhōngguó de chuántǒng jiérì. Zhè yītiān, wǒmen yǒu hěnduō huódòng, bǐrú, chī zòngzi, sài lóngzhōu, hē xiónghuángjiǔ děng děng.
Duānwǔ jié yǒu hěnduō chuánshuō, dànshì zuì yǒumíng de shuōfǎ shì wèile jìniàn qūyuán. Qūyuán shì zhōngguó gǔdài hěn yǒumíng de shīrén, zài tā tiào jiāng yǐhòu, lǎobǎixìng jiù xiàng shuǐ lǐ rēng zòngzi, zài shuǐshàng huá lóngzhōu, qūsàn shuǐ lǐ de yú, zhèyàng jiù kěyǐ bǎohù Qūyuán de shēntǐ. Cóngcǐ yǐhòu, měinián de nónglì wǔ yuè chū wǔ wǒmen dōu huì zuò zhèxiē huódòng jìniàn Qūyuán.
Jīnnián de duānwǔ jié jiù yào dàole, zhù dàjiā Duānwǔ jié kuàilè!)

English Translation

Hi everyone! Welcome to Digmandarin Podcast.

The fifth day of each May in the Lunar calendar is the Duanwu Festival, which is also called the Dragon Boat Festival. On this day, we have many  traditions, such as eating Zongzi, racing Dragon Boats, drinking Realgar wine, and  other activities.

There are many legends about the Duanwu Festival. The most famous story commemorates Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan was very famous traditional Chinese poet. After he jumped into the river, the civilians threw Zongzi into the river and raced Dragon Boats on the river to disperse the fish. In this way, they could preserve Quyuan`s body. Since then, we started to do these activities to memorialize Quyuan on May fifth of the Lunar calendar every year.

This year`s Duanwu Festival is coming soon; we wish you a happy Duanwu Festival!

Vocabulary

每年 [měinián] yearly, annually

农历 [nónglì] the lunar calendar

端午节 [duānwǔ jié] the Duanwu Festival; the Dragon Boat Festival

龙舟 [lóngzhōu] dragon boat

赛龙舟 [sài lóngzhōu] Dragon Boat Race

传统 [chuántǒng] tradition, convention

节日 [jiérì] festival

活动 [huódòng] activity

粽子 [zòngzi] zongzi; traditional Chinese rice-pudding

雄黄酒 [xiónghuángjiǔ] Realgar wine

传说 [chuánshuō] legend, tradition

说法 [shuōfǎ] way of saying a thing, version

纪念 [jìniàn] commemorate, memorialize

古代 [gǔdài] ancient, ancient times

诗人 [shīrén] poet

驱散 [qūsàn] disperse, blow away

从此以后 [cóngcǐ yǐhòu] since then, ever after, ever since

屈原 [qūyuán] Qu Yuan (famous ancient Chinese poet)

Practice

1. What do Chinese people often eat during the Dragon Boat Festival?

2. What day is the Dragon Boat Festival this year?

3. Do you know any other traditional Chinese festivals?

The post Podcast #005: 端午节 Traditions of the Dragon Boat Festival appeared first on .

Script

大家好！欢迎收听Dig Mandarin Podcast.

如果你的朋友结婚，你会对他们说什么？今天我们要学习一个祝福的词语：天作之合。“天作之合”的意思是他们好像是上天的安排，很完美地配合到一起，是祝人婚姻美满的话。所以如果你的朋友结婚，你可以对他们说：你们真的是天作之合！祝你们幸福！

这就是这次的内容，希望你喜欢！

(Dàjiā hǎo! Huānyíng shōutīng Dig Mandarin Podcast. 
Rúguǒ nǐ de péngyǒu jiéhūn, nǐ huì duì tāmen shuō shénme? Jīntiān wǒmen yào xuéxí yīgè zhùfú de cíyǔ: Tiānzuòzhīhé. “Tiānzuòzhīhé” de yìsi shì tāmen hǎoxiàng shì shàngtiān de ānpái, hěn wánměi de pèihé dào yīqǐ, shì zhù rén hūnyīn měimǎn dehuà. Suǒyǐ rúguǒ nǐ de péngyǒu jiéhūn, nǐ kěyǐ duì tāmen shuō: Nǐmen zhēn de shì tiānzuòzhīhé! Zhù nǐmen xìngfú!
Zhè jiùshì zhè cì de nèiróng, xīwàng nǐ xǐhuān!)

English Translation

Hi everyone! Welcome to Dig Mandarin Podcast.

When your friends are getting married, what do you say to them? Today, we will learn a blessing phrase: 天作之合(Tiānzuòzhīhé). It means they are just like the god`s arrangement, a perfect match with each other, which is the words to bless their marriage perfectly. So if your friends are getting married, you can say to them: “you are such a heavenly-made match! I wish you happiness.”

That`s today’s new saying, I hope you enjoyed it!

Vocabulary

收听 [shōu tīng] listen in, tune in

结婚 [jié hūn] get married

祝福 [zhù fú] blessing, wish happiness to

天作之合 [tiān zuò zhī hé] a heaven-made match

好像 [hǎo xiàng] seem, be like

安排 [ān pái] arrangement

配合 [pèi hé] coordinate, cooperate

美满 [měi mǎn] happy, perfectly satisfactory

Practice

1. Do you know other blessing words in Chinese? Share with us.

2. How to say this kind of blessing words for couples in your language?

The post Podcast #004: 天作之合a heavenly-made match appeared first on .

Script

大家好！今天我们要学习一个很有意思的说法：拍马屁。生活中我们一般用“拍马屁”来形容奉承、讨好别人的行为，也就是flatter，lick somebody`s boots or to suck up somebody.
例如：
他为了升职，正在想方设法地拍老板的马屁。(He is working hard to flatter the boss to get that promotion.)
拍马屁的字面意思是Clap horse butt。但为什么呢？
中国元朝的时候，蒙古族人都养马，当他们牵着马相遇时，常要拍拍对方马的屁股，表示尊敬。如果碰到好马，总喜欢拍着马屁股称赞一番。但是有的时候，有的人不论马好不好，都只说好话，奉承马的主人。后来人们就把这种奉承的行为称为“拍马屁”。
我们叫这些喜欢拍马屁的人“马屁精”。
好，这些就是这一次的内容。希望你喜欢！

Dàjiā hǎo! Jīntiān wǒmen yào xuéxí yīgè hěn yǒuyìsi de shuōfǎ: Pāimǎpì. Shēnghuó zhōng wǒmen yībān yòng “pāimǎpì” lái xíngróng fèngchéng, tǎohǎo biérén de xíngwéi, yě jiùshì flatter, lick somebody`s boots or suck up somebody. Lìrú:
Tā wèile shēng zhí, zhèngzài xiǎngfāngshèfǎ de pāi lǎobǎn de mǎ pì.(He is working hard to flatter the boss to get that promotion.)
Pāimǎpì de zìmiàn yìsi shì Clap horse butt. Dàn wèishéme ne?
Zhōngguó Yuáncháo de shíhòu, Ménggǔ zú rén dōu yǎng mǎ, dāng tāmen qiānzhe mǎ xiāngyù shí, cháng yào pāi pāi duìfāng mǎ de pìgu, biǎoshì zūnjìng. Rúguǒ pèng dào hǎo mǎ, zǒng xǐhuān pāizhe mǎ pìgu chēngzàn yī fān. Dànshì yǒu de shíhòu, yǒu de rén búlùn mǎ hǎobù hǎo, dōu zhǐ shuō hǎohuà, fèngchéng mǎ de zhǔrén. Hòulái rénmen jiù bǎ zhè zhǒng fèngchéng de xíngwéi chēng wéi “pāimǎpì”.
Wǒmen jiào zhèxiē xǐhuān pāimǎpì de rén “mǎpìjīng”.
Hǎo, zhèxiē jiùshì zhè yīcì de nèiróng. Xīwàng nǐ xǐhuān!

English Translation

Hi everyone! Today, we will learn a very interesting saying: “Pāimǎpì”. In daily life, we normally use Pāimǎpì to describe flattering behavior and means flatter，lick somebody`s boots or to suck up somebody. For example:
Tā wèile shēng zhí, zhèngzài xiǎngfāngshèfǎ de pāi lǎobǎn de mǎ pì. (He is working hard to flatter the boss to get that promotion.)
Literally Pāimǎpì means ‘clap a horse butt’, but why?
In Yuan dynasty of China, the Mongolians bred horses. When they met each other with their own horses, they often claps the other`s horse butt to show the respect. If they encountered good horses, always clapped horse`s butt and praised it. But sometimes, some people just said good words to flatter the owner of horse no matter it were good or not. After this idea became common knowledge, people call this kind of flattering behavior as ‘Pāimǎpì’.
We call this kind of person who likes to flatter others as mǎpìjīng (lickspittle).
Well, that`s today’s content for this time. I hope you like it!

Vocabulary

拍马屁 [Pāimǎpì] flatter, lick somebody`s boots, suck up someone

形容 [xíngróng] deascribe

奉承 [fèngchéng] flatter, adulate

讨好 [tǎohǎo] ingratiate oneself with

升职 [shēng zhí] get promotion

想方设法 [xiǎng fang shè fǎ] do everything possible to

元朝 [Yuán cháo] Yuan dynasty

蒙古族 [Ménggǔ zú] Mongolia

尊敬 [zūn jìng] respect

称赞 [chēng zàn] praise

Practice

1. How to say 拍马屁 in your language?

2. Choose the correct answer:

Don`t flatter me! Translation: (   )

1. 别拍马屁我
2. 我别拍马屁
3. 别拍我马屁
4. 别我拍马屁

The post Podcast #003: 拍马屁 Flattering in Chinese appeared first on .

Script

这个周末，5月8号，是今年的母亲节。其实，母亲节最早并不是中国的节日，而是来自希腊。现在，每年五月的第二个星期日是我们的母亲节。有的人会给妈妈送礼物，比如一束花，一瓶香水，一张卡片，或是一顿大餐。如果送花，我们喜欢送康乃馨，因为这种花代表对母亲的爱和尊敬。今年，你会送什么给你的妈妈？希望所有的妈妈节日快乐！

(Zhège zhōumò, 5 yuè 8 hào, shì jīnnián de mǔqīn jié. Qíshí, mǔqīn jié zuìzǎo bìng bùshì Zhōngguó de jiérì, ér shì láizì Xīlà. Xiànzài, měinián wǔ yuè de dì èr gè xīngqīrì shì wǒmen de mǔqīn jié. Yǒu de rén huì gěi māma sòng lǐwù, bǐrú yī shù huā, yī píng xiāngshuǐ, yī zhāng kǎpiàn, huò shì yī dùn dà cān. Rúguǒ sòng huā, wǒmen xǐhuān sòng kāngnǎixīn, yīnwèi zhè zhǒng huā dàibiǎo duì mǔqīn de ài hé zūnjìng. Jīnnián, nǐ huì sòng shénme gěi nǐ de māma? Xīwàng suǒyǒu de māma jiérì kuàilè!)

English Translation

This weekend, 8^th May, is this year’s Mother`s Day. Mother`s Day was not a Chinese festival in ancient times, but actually was originated from Greece. Nowadays, every second Sunday of May is our Mother`s Day. Some people would give their mothers gifts, like a bouquet of flowers, a bottle of fragrance, a card or a great meal, and etc. When flowers are being given, we prefer carnations as it represents our love and respect to our mothers. So this year, what do you want to give your mother? I hope all mothers have a pleasant holiday.

Vocabulary

1. 母亲节 (mǔ qīn jié) Mother`s Day
2. 希腊 (Xī là) Greece
3. 礼物 (lǐ wù) gift
4. 束 (shù) (measure word) bundle of, bunch of
5. 瓶 (píng) (measure word) bottle of
6. 张 (zhāng) (measure word) piece of
7. 顿 (dùn) (measure word) meal
8. 香水 (xiāng shuǐ) fragrance
9. 大餐 (dà cān) big meal, feast
10. 康乃馨 (kāng nǎi xīn) carnation
11. 代表 (dài biǎo) represent
12. 尊敬 (zūn jìng) respect

Practice

1. 今年中国的母亲节是什么时候？

When is Chinese Mother`s Day this year?

2. 你们国家的母亲节是什么时候？

When is Mother`s Day in your country?

3. 你想送什么给你的妈妈？

What do you want to give your mother as a gift?

The post Podcast #002: 母亲节 Mother`s Day appeared first on .

Script

中国在亚洲，面积是九百六十万平方公里，只比俄罗斯、加拿大小，是世界第三大国。中国有十三亿人口，是世界上人口最多的国家，据说地球上每五个人中就有一个是中国人。中国面积大、人口多，历史也很长，已经有几千年的历史了。因为中国的历史很长，所以名胜古迹也非常多，最有名的就是长城。有人说：“不到长城非好汉，不吃烤鸭真遗憾。”意思就是说，来中国一定要去看看伟大的长城，一定要去吃北京烤鸭，当然更应该学好汉语，这对留学生来说才是最重要的。

(Zhōngguó zài yàzhōu, miànjī shì jiǔbǎi liùshí wàn píngfāng gōnglǐ, zhǐ bǐ éluósī, jiānádà xiǎo, shì shìjiè dì sān dàguó. Zhōngguó yǒu shísān yì rénkǒu, shì shìjiè shàng rénkǒu zuìduō de guójiā, jùshuō dìqiú shàng měi wǔ gè rén zhōng jiù yǒu yīgè shì zhōngguó rén. Zhōngguó miànjī dà, rénkǒu duō, lìshǐ yě hěn cháng, yǐjīng yǒu jǐ qiān nián de lìshǐle. Yīn wéi zhōngguó de lìshǐ hěn cháng, suǒyǐ míngshèng gǔjì yě fēicháng duō, zuì yǒumíng de jiùshì chángchéng. Yǒurén shuō:“bú dào chángchéng fēi hǎohàn, bù chī kǎoyā zhēn yíhàn.” Yìsi jiùshì shuō, lái zhōngguó yīdìng yào qù kàn kàn wěidà de chángchéng, yīdìng yào qù chī běijīng kǎoyā, dāngrán gèng yīnggāi xuéhǎo hànyǔ, zhè duì liúxuéshēng lái shuō cái shì zuì zhòngyào de.)

English Translation

China is in Asia. It`s the 3rd biggest country in the world and covers an area of 960 million square kilometers, which is only smaller than Russia and Canada.. The population in China is 13 hundred million, the largest population of the world. It is said, one of every five individual on earth is Chinese. With China`s area and population being so large, the country has a long history. Given the thousands year history, there are also many scenic spots and historic sites in China. The Great Wall is the most famous one. People say: “One who fails to reach the Great Wall is not a hero, it`s regretful if you don`t eat the roast duck.” It means if you come to China, you must visit the Great Wall and eat Beijing roast duck in the capital of China. And of course you should learn Chinese, which is the most important thing to overseas students.

Vocabulary

1. 亚洲 (yà zhōu) Asia
2. 面积 (miàn jī) area
3. 平方公里 (píng fāng gōng lǐ) square kilometre
4. 俄罗斯 (é luó sī) Russia
5. 加拿大 (jiā ná dà) Canada
6. 地球 (dì qiú) earth
7. 人口 (rén kǒu) population
8. 历史 (lì shǐ) history
9. 名胜古迹 (míng shèng gǔ jì) scenic spots and historic sites
10. 不到长城非好汉 (bú dào cháng chéng fēi hǎo hàn) One who fails to reach the Great Wall is not a hero.
11. 据说 (jù shuō) it is said
12. 遗憾 (yí hàn) regret, pity

Practice

1. 中国的面积是（ ），人口有（   ）。
2. 中国已经有（ ）年历史了。
3. “不到长城非好汉，不吃烤鸭真遗憾”是什么意思？
4. 对留学生来说，最重要的是什么？

The post Podcast #001: 中国 China Overview appeared first on .