1/28/2009

Transcription 音译


Ningbo, 7/1998

过年时收到的短信,大概是祝『唵嘛呢叭咪吽,看不懂没关系,跟着念就行:All money go my home(所有钱都到我家)』。没想到唵嘛呢叭咪吽再音译一下也是句不错的话嘛~可是,原本的梵文ॐ मणि पद्मे हूँ的音,其实更像All money pay my home(所有钱都付我房产)吧……
说到音译,其实中文中音译来的梵文,对我们了解古音是很有帮助的。因为梵文是拼音文字,并且梵文的语音变化,由于宗教的缘故而比较小。同样的例子还有日文的和语部分,比如汉朝时『邪马台』读音应该近于やまと(Ya ma to)。

Here is a short message I received this lunar calendar new year: wish u 唵嘛呢叭咪吽, reads: All money go my home. But 唵嘛呢叭咪吽 is actually a transcription of Sanskrit ॐ मणि पद्मे हूँ, which sounds more likely All money pay my home...
To be serious, transcriptions in Chinese is a great help on studying ancient pronunciation. This is because Chinese has a logographic writing system which doesn't keep pronunciation with characters. However, there are many transcriptions from Sanskrit, which is a phonetic writing system and keeps pronunciation seriously for religious reasons. There is also a part of Japanese called wa-go helps, e.g. 邪马台 must be pronounced like やまと/Yamato in Han dynasty, rather than Xiematai/ɕiɛmɑtaɪ now.

1/27/2009

Beautiful China 美哉中华 - 9


三江口, 5/5/2007

宁波。所谓的三江口,乃是余姚江、奉化江汇合成甬江的地方。

Ningbo. Sanjiangkou/Three Rivers' Mouth is the delta where Yuyao River and Fenghua River flows into Yong River.



保国寺 大殿, 5/2/2007

保国寺保存了宋以来诸多时代的建筑样式。其大殿,更有『鸟不栖,鼠不入,蛛不结网,尘不上梁』之神奇。

With the main hall built nearly a millennium ago, the Baoguo Temple is of buildings from a wide era of history. The main hall is also famous for it is completely out of the trouble of nest, rat, web and dust.



江北教堂, 5/4/2007


鼓楼, 5/5/2007

近百年来,变化翻天覆地。比如外马路上的西洋建筑,再比如鼓楼上的西式钟。

As the history in the recent century, the city changes a lot too. For example, the western buildings on the northern bond, the western clock on the traditional drum-tower.



灵桥, 5/3/2007

还有桥。(众:这么说上海篇也太偷工减料了吧?桥呢? 作者:外白渡拆的时候不是很多人去照了嘛……)

And, moreover, the Ling Bridge.

1/25/2009

Beautiful China 美哉中华 - 8


8/1998

奉化溪口(小溪的河口么?拖……),老蒋的故乡。记得吃周家的千层饼。

Fenghua Hsikou, hometown of Chiang Kai-shek.



8/1998

1/20/2009

Beautiful China 美哉中华 - 7


乌镇, 10/1/2007

江南水乡。榻坐乌蓬船上,泛舟石板拱桥之间。

Jiangnan Water Towns. Shed boat.



乌镇, 10/1/2007

1/15/2009

Beautiful China 美哉中华 - 6


西湖, 4/18/2007

上有天堂,下有苏杭。杭州以西湖文明。其实西湖的美不在于一时,『淡妆浓抹总相宜』。大概只有住在周围,闲暇时便穿过梧桐覆盖的街道,来西湖边逛逛,才能领会吧。

Up there is paradise, down here is Su and Hang. Hang(Hangzhou) is famous for its West Lake. One cannot get the art of West Lake in a short time, as it is always alluring weather in plain or gorgeous. Maybe, if I can, walk through those plane-covered streets, rest by the lake side, I will know what paradise looks like.



西湖, 4/18/2007

龙井,最有名的绿茶之一,就是这样炒出来的。靠的是感觉,而非计量。

Longjing, one of the most famous green teas, is produced like this. Everything is based upon masters' feeling, not quantity.



龙井村, 4/19/2007

1/13/2009

Beautiful China 美哉中华 - 5


豫园, 9/30/2007

上海也有园林。当然,老城区里更为有特色的是,在石库门之中的新天地。欧洲式的搞法,怪不得外国人都喜欢。当然多数的老建筑还是按中式典型做法——抹消处理。为什么说抹消是中式做法呢?可能是因为我国文物丰富吧,那些不好的,脏、乱、差的,直接铲平了多干净……

There are also gardens in Shanghai. But the most beautiful thing in the ancient city is the Xintiandi built upon Shikumens. This is a typical European urban construction mind, also one of the causes of that many foreigners like living here. Of course the large amount of remains are just cleaned from the map, by the typical Chinese way. Why call this typical Chinese way? Just because we have so many relics, much more than anywhere else in this world. So we have to choose, which one is not worth to keep...



新天地, 4/3/2007

1/10/2009

Be Continued 还没完


Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, 8/2007

还没完,美哉中华。下一站该是上海。上海我似乎也没什么照片,而且似乎更难表达。这是一种人文上的特殊——如果我没记错的话,这种防盗锁链就是源自上海的吧。

It will be continued, Beautiful China series. Our next stop is Shanghai, where I only have few pictures. And Shanghai is even harder to show: It is something soft, something in culture. If I recall correctly, the cable lock showed here was first introduced in the restaurants of Shanghai.