Lesson 8 A Wedding
Conversation
珍妮: 卡洛琳, 我 的 中国 朋友要 举行 婚礼,我们 一起 去吧｡
Zhēnnī: Kǎluòlín, wǒde Zhōngguó péngyou yào jǔxíng hūnlǐ, wǒmen yìqǐ qùba.
Jenny: Caroline, my Chinese friends are holding their wedding ceremony. Let's go together.
卡洛琳:好｡是 哪一天?
Kǎluòlín: Hăo. Shì năyìtiān?
Caroline: Sure. When is it?
珍妮: 八月六日,星期六｡
Zhēnnī : Bāyuè liùrì, xīngqīliù.
Jenny: Saturday August 6.
卡洛琳:我 听说 中国人 结婚 喜欢 选 双数的日期｡
Kǎluòlín: Wǒ tīngshuō Zhōngguórén jiéhūn xǐhuan xuăn shuāngshùde rìqī.
Caroline: I've heard that Chinese people like to hold wedding ceremonies on dates of an even number.
珍妮: 是的, 这天 是 农历 六月 十八,是个 良辰吉日｡
Zhēnnī : Shìde, zhètiān shì nónglì liùyuè shíbā, shìge liángchénjírì.
Jenny: Yes, that day is June 18 of the Chinese lunar calendar, an auspicious day.
卡洛琳: 咱们 是不是 应该 送给 新郎 新娘 红包?
Kǎluòlín: Zánmen shìbúshì yīnggāi sònggěi xīnláng xīnniáng hóngbāo?
Caroline: Should we give cash gifts to the bride and bridegroom?
珍妮: 旧的 习俗 是 送 红包, 但是 现在 也 可以 送 一份 有意义的 礼物｡
Zhēnnī : Jiùde xísú shì sòng hóngbāo, dànshì xiànzài yě kěyǐ sòng yífèn yǒuyìyì de lǐwù.
Jenny: The old custom was to give cash gifts, but these days we can give them a meaningful present.
卡洛琳:我 还 没有 在 中国 参加过 婚礼呢｡中国 的婚礼 什么样?
Kǎluòlín: Wǒ hái méiyǒu zài Zhōngguó cānjiā guo hūnlǐ ne. Zhōngguó de hūnlǐ shénmeyàng?
Caroline: I've never been to a wedding in China. What are they like?
珍妮: 通常 是 先 举行 结婚 仪式,然后 新郎 新娘 宴请
亲朋好友, 又 热闹 又 温馨｡
Zhēnnī: Tōngcháng shì xiān jǔxíng jiéhūn yíshì, ránhòu xīnláng xīnniáng yànqǐng qīnpénghăoyǒu, yòu rènao yòu wēnxīn.
Jenny: Usually the ceremony comes first. After that, relatives and friends are invited to a banquet. A wedding is both festive and joyful.
New Words
1. 婚礼 hūnlǐ wedding
2. 双数 shuāngshù even number
3. 农历 nónglì lunar calendar
4. 良辰吉日 liángchénjírì auspicious day
5. 新郎 xīnláng bridegroom
6. 新娘 xīnniáng bride
7. 红包 hóngbāo cash gift in a red envelope
8. 热闹 rènao festive
9. 温馨 wēnxīn joyful
又⋯ 又⋯coordinates verbs (verbal phrases) or adjectives (adjectival phrases) to underline that two situations or characteristics exist simultaneously.
For example:
中国的婚礼又热闹又温馨｡
Zhōngguó de hūnlǐ yòu rènao yòu wēnxīn.
A Chinese wedding is both festive and joyful.
Exercise: make sentences with 又⋯ 又⋯
For example:
珍妮 房间 干净 漂亮
Zhēnnī fángjiān gānjìng piàoliang
Jenny room clean attractive
珍妮的房间又干净又漂亮｡
Zhēnnī de fángjiān yòu gānjìng yòu piàoliang.
Jenny's room is both clean and attractive.
1. 孩子们 唱歌 跳舞 联欢会
Háizǐmen chànggē tiàowǔ liánhuānhuì
Children sing dance gala
2.马克 快 好 写 汉字
Mǎkè kuài hǎo xiě Hànzì
Mark fast well write Chinese
Chinese Idioms
相敬如宾
Xiāngjìngrúbīn
春秋时期,晋国有个官员看见一个农夫在田里干完活,他的妻子很恭敬地给他端上午饭｡夫妻之间就像客人一样,非常客气｡这位官员很受感动｡他把农夫带到晋王面前,请晋王给他封官｡他对晋王说: "互相尊重是一种美德｡一个品德高尚的人才会待人有礼貌｡我们应该鼓励臣民养成这种美德｡"晋王说: "他的父亲是个罪人,我们给他封官合适吗?" 这位官员答道:"管仲曾是齐王的敌人,但齐王后来让他做了齐国的相国,帮助他完成了霸业｡当年舜放逐了鲧,却重用了鲧的儿子禹｡我们只要利用他的优点和长处就可以了｡"晋王听从了他的话,重用了这个农夫｡后来,人们用"相敬如宾"来表示夫妻之间互相尊重,以礼相待｡
Chūnqiū shíqī, Jìnguó yǒuge guānyuán kànjiàn yíge nóngfū zài tiánlǐ gànwánhuó, tāde qīzǐ hěn gōngjìngde gěitā duānshàng wǔfàn. Fūqī zhījiān jiùxiàng kèrén yíyàng, fēicháng kèqi. Zhèwèi guānyuán hěnshòu gǎndòng. Tā bǎ nóngfū dàidào Jìnwáng miànqián, qǐng Jìnwáng gěitā fēngguān. Tā duì Jìnwáng shuō: "Hùxiāng zūnzhòng shì yìzhǒng měidé. Yíge pǐndé gāoshàngde rén cáihuì dàirén yǒu lǐmào. Wǒmen yīnggāi gǔlì chénmín yǎngchéng zhèzhǒng měidé." Jìnwáng shuō: "Tāde fùqin shìge zuìrén, wǒmen gěitā fēngguān héshì ma?" Zhèwèi guānyuán dádào: "Guǎn Zhòng céng shì Qíwáng de dírén, dàn Qíwáng hòulái ràng tā zuòle Qíguó de xiàngguó, bāngzhù tā wánchéngle bàyè. Dāngnián Shùn fàngzhú le Gǔn, què zhòngyòng le Gǔnde érzi Yǔ. Wǒmen zhǐyào lìyòng tāde yōudiǎn hé chángchù jiù kěyǐle." Jìnwáng tīngcóngle tādehuà, zhòngyòng le zhège nóngfū. Hòulái, rénmen yòng "xiāngjìngrúbīn" lái biǎoshì fūqī zhījiān hùxiāng zūnzhòng, yǐlǐxiāngdài.
A high official of the State of Jin during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.) once observed how a farmer's wife respectfully offered him his lunch after he had finished his labors in the field. The husband and wife behaved as courteously to each other as they might to guests. The official found this very moving. He took the farmer to meet the King of Jin and recommended him for an official post, saying, "Respect is a virtue, and a virtuous man is always respectful. We should educate our people in this virtue." The king, however, was unconvinced of the wisdom of this move because the farmer's father was an ex-convict. The official then reminded him, "Guan Zhong was an enemy of the King of the State of Qi, but the king appointed him prime minister and with Guan's help eventually achieved hegemony. And after Shun exiled Gun he promoted Gun's son Yu to a position of trust. We should make use of a person's advantages and strong points." The king took the official's advice and gave the farmer an important posting. This idiom denotes mutual respect between husband and wife.
