Upper Inter - The Monkey King

zhenlijiang
November 21, 2010, 05:51 AM posted in Transcripts with Tal

One of the earliest Upper Intermediate lessons ...

0151   Upper Intermediate - The Monkey King

Jenny:             Hello, welcome to Chinesepod--Mandarin on your terms.  I'm Jenny.
John:              And I'm John.
Jenny:             今天我们是什么级别 John?
John:               啊中高级, Upper Intermediate.
Jenny:              欸,没错。所以呢,我们就要分享一个很有意思的,但是有一些深度的题目,对吧。
John:              有深度吗?
Jenny:              我觉得很有深度,是不是。
John:               为什么?
Jenny:              我们中国一部很有名的书——《西游记》。
John:               Ah the Journey to the West.
Jenny:              是的。《西游记》。
John:               A classic.
Jenny:              嗯,那其实这个书里面啊,有几个很有趣的人物,对吧。
John:               啊对,孙悟空,是吗。
Jenny:              欸,有几个都很有趣,孙悟空是一个很主要的啊。除了孙悟空以外呢,还有唐僧。唐僧。
John:               Uh huh.
Jenny:              然后还有——你觉得很无聊的,沙和尚。
John:              [呵呵]
Jenny:              沙和尚。然后最后还有一个主要的人物,就是猪八戒。猪八戒。
John:               OK let me get this straight.  孙悟空 is the Monkey King--
Jenny:              是的。
John:              --with the magic powers;
Jenny:              是的。
John:               唐僧 is the leader, the special monk;
Jenny:              是是是 [呵呵],special monk。 他是这几个人的师傅。
John:               Ah OK.
Jenny:              啊。然后他是惟一一个就是真正的人,是吧。
John:               So 沙和尚, what is he if he's not a person?
01:20
Jenny:              他,也是从这个天上,然后做了一些错的事被惩罚到地下的一个人。
John:               哦,这个人物比较无聊,对吧。不是很特别?
Jenny:              这是一个老好人我们说的,对吧。
John:               还有一只猪。
Jenny:              欸,这个很可爱了,一半猪一半人,有点恐怖啊。叫做猪八戒。猪八戒。
John:               OK just 四个人物,对吧。
Jenny:              很有意思。那么到底这个《西游记》讲的是什么呢,为什么我们中国人那么喜欢它呢,我们赶快听对话了解一下。
John:                好的。
01:55
[Dialogue]

04:01
Jenny:              欸 John,今天的课文啊,对话有一点长,但是我觉得啊呀,《西游记》太有意思了,还是想写更长一点,让大家了解。
John:               啊,你们特别喜欢,所以我们外国人应该,应该学习。
Jenny:              是是是,我觉得《西游记》,整个就是有点像,比如国外的《魔戒》,对吧——Lord of the Rings
John:               Ahh.
Jenny:              就是有很多幻想的东西,啊。
John:               而且历史比较长。
Jenny:              嗯,是的。好,那我们赶快看今天的语言。那我们第一个要看呢,一个动词叫做重播。重播。
John:               重播就是 re-broadcast ...
Jenny:              嗯,是的。重新 ...
John:              ... re-run.
Jenny:              对对对,重新播,对吧。那现在呢,我们再来看一个量词啊,叫做几百遍。遍。
John:              So that means like time.  Times.
Jenny:              嗯,对的,对的。比如说我们经常说的‘一遍对话’,对吧。‘三遍对话’。
John:              Oh.
Jenny:              嗯。这是这样来使用。
John:              《西游记》 的确是这样吧。
Jenny:             《西游记》电视重播 ...
John:              打开电视,[哈哈] 都是西游记。
Jenny:              ... 重播过几百遍,而且像对话说的,特别是学生放假的时候。
John:              Ahh.
Jenny:             就会重播了。好,那我们再来看一个啊。连环画。连环画。
John:              这个是 picture book,还是怎么样?
Jenny:             是是是。
John:              是 comic book,还是 picture book,还是 ...?
Jenny:             Um 应该是 picture book。现在 comic book 我们有一个 ...
John:              有字有画,是吧。
Jenny:             是的是的,而且都是连着的吗,那个感觉啊,像一个连续剧。
05:34
John:              这个连环,意思就是情节的每部分有一幅画,对吧。
Jenny:             连续——欸,对的,对的。
John:              所以不看字也可以看得懂,是吗。
Jenny:             没错。连环画,啊。 那我们再来看一个跟《西游记》特别有关的说法: 去西天取经。去西天取经。
John:              西天是地方吧。
Jenny:             嗯,对,就是西方。
John:              这个西方应该是印度吧。
Jenny:             嗯,所以也不是很西,哈。[哈哈]   但是因为古代的时候交通没有那么发达嘛。
John:              [哈哈]
Jenny:             所以要到印度已经觉得很远很西边了,对吧。
06:12
John:              好,然后他们去干嘛?
Jenny:             去取经。取经。
John:              这个‘经’就是佛教的 ...
Jenny:             经书,对吧。或者经文。 ... Scriptures,嗯。
John:              Scriptures.  Not the first Buddhist scriptures.
Jenny:             欸,不是的。
John:              就是一些,还没有 ...
Jenny:             ??还没有到中国来的,对吧。还没有传到中国来的。那‘取’呢,就是动词。就是取拿的意思。
John:              Get.
Jenny:             对。 取经。好,接下来咱们再来看一个成语:天马行空。天马行空。
John:              那这个什么意思?
06:48
Jenny:             这个就是说非常地有想象力,啊。然后呢想象力不受到约束,不受到拘束的意思。
John:              Extremely imaginative; unrestrained ... imagination.
Jenny:             对对对。
John:              那在你们中国人脑子里,这个 unrestrained imagination 就是 "sky-horse flying in the sky"。
Jenny:             没错,你不觉得这个非常地有想象力嘛。[哈哈]
John:              所有想象力都是就是 "flying horse"。
Jenny:             啊,这个有点像你们美国的什么 ... my fairy pony, 是不是呀,那只小马。 [哈哈]
John:              [哈哈] My fairy pony, what's that?  My little pony?
Jenny:             My Little Pony,对。[哈哈]  就是,也许有想象力的啦,因为马不会飞嘛。 好,那我们赶快看下一个四个字的说法啊,叫做妖魔鬼怪。妖魔鬼怪。
John:              那这个什么意思?我知道‘妖怪’是 monster。
Jenny:             嗯,对。那其实 ... 说的都是 ...
John:             ‘鬼’好像也是 monster。
Jenny:             ghost,鬼,确切地说就是鬼魂,对吧。
John:              Ghosts——?这样子。
Jenny:             对对对,啊。然后‘妖魔’呢就是,特别坏的那种。应该说像 demons 一样吧,我觉得。
John:              Ah, like 妖魔是一个东西,
Jenny:             对。
John:              鬼怪也是一个东西。
Jenny:             没错。确切地说,整四个字,每一个字都是一样东西。‘妖’是一样东西,[哈哈]‘魔’是一样东西。
John:              或者各种各样的 monsters!
Jenny:             欸,对对对!叫做妖魔鬼怪。
John:              Monsters, ghosts and demons.
Jenny:             Monsters Inc.  妖魔鬼怪。[呵呵]
John:              OK.
Jenny:             大家在一起,啊。
John:              那接下来这个‘八十一难’是什么东西?
Jenny:             啊,八十一难就是在《西游记》里面。唐僧,他们几个人经过了八十一种困难,苦难,啊。确切地说就是苦难,第四声。
John:              So, eighty-one challenges;
Jenny:             对对对。
John:              Eighty-one hardships.
Jenny:             嗯,是的。苦难,啊。
John:              So 每一难就是一个 adventure,是吗。
Jenny:             欸,没错。然后都是孙悟空把大家救出来。
John:              真的有八十一吗?
Jenny:             有,有,非常地多。
John:              Oh.
Jenny:             嗯,所以这本书很长,啊。想象力也很丰富。 好,那接下来我们看一个动词: 激励。激励。
John:              Ah 激励 is like encouraging, inspiring.
09:09
Jenny:             欸,对对对。这个意思。 好,那现在 John 给我们挑一个成语吧。
John:              好,他们在形容孙悟空,是吧。
Jenny:             没错。
John:              说的是 ... 是什么?
Jenny:             忠心耿耿。忠心耿耿。
John:              忠心,好像是 loyal?
Jenny:             啊,对的。
John:             ‘耿耿’什么意思?
Jenny:             那其实耿耿呢,没有特别的意思。他就是,也是形容忠诚,啊。所以强调了,非常非常地忠心,非常地忠诚。
John:              好,我明白了。
Jenny:             嗯,好。那接下来我们再看一个——唐僧经常会让孙悟空吃苦的东西。叫做念紧箍咒。念紧箍咒。
John:              是‘念咒’对吧。
Jenny:             嗯,对的。
John:              念咒是 recite a curse,  ...
Jenny:             啊,没错。
John:              ... or cast a, curse,
Jenny:             Spell ...
John:              Cast a spell?
Jenny:             欸,是的。然后这个‘咒’呢,是‘紧箍咒’。紧箍就是 ...
John:              紧 means "tight", right?
Jenny:             对。
John:              然后‘箍’...
Jenny:             就戴在头上的一个,像,像一个圈子。
John:              It's kind of like a crown ...
Jenny:             啊,是,a ring。
John:              ... a metal thing and it goes around his head.
Jenny:             对对对。对。
John:              It's not just for decoration.
Jenny:             不是的。[哈哈] 这个其实呢,是唐僧,如果觉得孙悟空他犯了一个错误,要惩罚他,那么就是会念咒。那然后呢这个——他头上戴的这个箍——就会变得很紧。那当然他就很难受,头会很疼嘛。
John:              Aah.
Jenny:             所以就是一种 ...
John:              这样唐僧有一点坏吧,有一点 ... 残忍。
Jenny:             所以——残酷——对对对,所以就像我们对话中说的,好多朋友啊,都很不喜欢唐僧。因为他经常冤枉孙悟空嘛。然后念紧箍咒,孙悟空就头疼了。好吧。
10:58
John:              明白了。很可怜。
Jenny:             这个道理,对对对。 那,我们再来看一个很有意思的说法啊,叫做上西天。上西天。
John:              啊这个‘西天’是不是《西游记》里面的西 ...?
Jenny:             去——这个西方取经哈,西天取经。
John:              是一个地方吗?
Jenny:             欸,不是。那刚刚我们说道的‘去西天取经’是一个,就是比较,确切的 ...
11:23
John:              就是佛教的来源?
Jenny:             对对对,真正的一个地理位置,对吧。因为印度在中国的西边嘛。
John:              [呵呵]  可以这么说,好。
Jenny:             [哈哈] 那然后,这里的西天呢,是一个概念。就是西方的天堂。我们认为天堂在西方。
John:              就是一种宗教概念,是吧。
Jenny:             对对对。
John:              不是一个地理 ...
Jenny:             欸,不是的。所以上西天的意思呢,在中文里面就是‘死掉了’。去世了。
John:              Oh--heaven.
Jenny:             欸,上西天。所以大家不要随便用这个说法。你不能看到谁就说你上西天了——这样就说你要死了。
John:              噢,我知道。
Jenny:             好吧,嗯。
John:              那我还有个问题。这个六小龄童,是六个人,还是 ... 什么意思?
Jenny:             [哈哈] 它就是一个演员的名字。就是演孙悟空的那个演员。
12:17
John:              那?怎么会有四个字? ??
Jenny:             而且有个六,啊。其实这是一个艺名。艺名。
John:              是不是复姓?——六小。
Jenny:             不是![哈哈] 这个复姓比较有创意,啊。 其实 John,这个六小龄童是一个 stage name,欸。
John:              Oh.
Jenny:             或者我们中文说艺名,就是你的艺术上的名字。
John:              啊,我知道。
Jenny:             是吧。六小龄童。好,那这样说到演员嘛,我们再来看一个,演活了。演活了。 那这也有意思呢,就是演得非常非常地好。就好像,像现实生活中发生一样。
John:              这是那种 make the role come to life。
Jenny:             欸,对对对。活了,对吧。这也和英文倒很像,是。
John:              这个很清楚。
Jenny:             那我们再看今天最后几个词。有一个是从广东话传过来的词,叫做,叫做无厘头。无厘头。
John:              这个,我不太明白是什么意思。[呵呵]
Jenny:             那我跟你说,周星驰,他电影的风格你应该就明白了。
John:              Like silly.
13:19
Jenny:             对对对。就是 ,比较 ... 怎么说呢 slapstick 对吧,英文可以这样说吧,啊。无厘头。
John:              好像很多香港片都这样。
Jenny:             都是这样。很无厘头的啊,没有什么道理。那这种形式呢,也算是一种搞笑,对吧。搞笑。
John:              Ah. 那还有颠覆这个词,啊  ... 是不是 to subvert,这里我不太明白是什么意思。
Jenny:             Ah 颠覆简单地说呢,就是把一样东西倒过来。
John:              Like, turn it over on its head.
Jenny:             啊,是的。那么就是说,把原有的意思推翻了,对吧。
John:              Ah, so it's kind of like spoofing it.
Jenny:             嗯,是。好的。那我们今天的最后一个词语呢,叫做糟蹋。糟蹋。糟蹋就是有点破坏的那种意思,啊。
John:              Ruin?
Jenny:             对对对,很不真实的,糟蹋,这个算一个 ...
John:              有一点像 insult?
Jenny:             对对对,比较严重的词。
John:              Ah.
Jenny:             嗯,好的。那么《西游记》是一部很好的作品,当然我们不能糟蹋它,对吧。我们要去再来听一遍,欣赏它。
John:              好的。
14:25
[Dialogue]

16:31
Jenny:             John, 今天我特别喜欢这篇对话。
John:              是吗?
Jenny:             因为是我写的。[哈哈]  没有没有。
John:              啊,写得很好。
Jenny:             啊,没有没有。其实主要的原因就是让大家听到啊,我们那么有名的一部很好玩儿的,很丰富的 《西游记》。
John:              而且我觉得外国人一开始不太懂,为什么中国人那么喜欢《西游记》...
16:51
Jenny:             对,这个有一点像 ...
John:              ... 这个值得研究。
Jenny:             是,这个有一点像好多中国人不懂,为什么外国人那么爱看科幻片, 《星球大战》。
John:              好看啊!
Jenny:             《西游记》也好看啊!
John:              啊,好哇。
Jenny:             嗯。那不管我们的听众有什么意见或者想法,或者你对《西游记》想了解更多,多请到 ...
John:              或者是有批评什么的也可以。
Jenny:             啊,是是是。或者你对《西游记》的了解比我们的还多,请到 Chinesepod.com 来告诉我们。
John:              Yes, please do.
Jenny:             嗯,好,那今天时间又到了。我们下次再见。
John:              再见。
17:23


鸣谢
 
  Tal
  沈娅瑾 (Helen Shen) 老师

I've already received a lot of help from Tal and Helen Shen on this (not easy! but enjoyable) lesson. If anyone can offer tips to make the transcript still closer to perfect I'd appreciate it very much.  谢谢

Profile picture
zhenlijiang
August 24, 2009, 12:18 AM

Bababardwan 早上好! I still have the chunk fm approximately 11:20 to 13:00 to do till the transcript is finished.  Won't be able to work on it during the day though, very sorry!  Will upload as soon as I can tonight.

Profile picture
zhenlijiang
September 02, 2009, 05:27 PM

Here's the latest, greatly-improved draft with revisions 20090902.

Profile picture
zhenlijiang
August 25, 2009, 02:58 AM

Bababardwan 又让你久等了, sorry it's later than I said it would be--here's the first draft.
Not very clean yet I'm afraid; esp around the section explaining 上西天 unfortunately.

Help, feedback and suggestions from anyone are very welcome!

Profile picture
bababardwan
August 25, 2009, 03:29 AM

zhenlijiang,

whoa,that's huge! I didn't realise it at the time but that was a very big lesson at 17m36secs.Fantastic effort.Was it harder than the media lesson in the end? Even the expansion on this lesson was longer than usual.非常感谢。

Profile picture
Tal
August 25, 2009, 04:16 AM

Great effort 真, many thanks. I'm looking forward to having time and energy to enjoy your work, (currently 又累死了!当爸爸太难过了。) 

I did go through this lesson once months ago. I'm glad to have a new reason to study it.

Profile picture
bababardwan
August 25, 2009, 04:21 AM

Hey tal,great to see you'll soon be onboard with this one.I thought it must interest you.I gather you must have been a fan [like me] of the old Japanese series[hilarious].Did you ever see the Chinese series? If so,你觉得吗?

Profile picture
Tal
August 25, 2009, 09:25 AM

hey baba, you know me! I saw that wonderful Japanese series as a child, dubbed into English of course, in a way I suspect would now be considered corny and non-PC. I remember feeling both bafflement and fascination, and the characters became part of my mental universe.

There were so many things to enjoy about it, I particularly loved the humour though. "Wait a minute... do I really want to be immortal? Outlast the universe?" wonders Monkey as he gulps down the sacred peaches of immortality from the Jade Emperor's garden. "Bah! Of course I do, too late now anyway," he decides, and continues to feast!

There have been several Chinese versions of the story I think. The only one I've seen though is the classic CCTV one referred to in the lesson. It's pretty faithful to the original book I'd say. It's heresy to say so, but I don't greatly care for it. Perhaps it comes down to first impressions, I think many Chinese people love it because they grew up with it. My (Chinese) wife was most unimpressed by the Japanese show, couldn't understand why I ever liked it!

There's much to admire in this great story I have to say, much to learn and appreciate. Here's to 孙悟空, the Monkey King, who is in many ways a poignant metaphor for humanity I sometimes think.

Profile picture
bababardwan
August 25, 2009, 09:43 AM

hehe,thanks tal.Great to hear your views on it.Yeah,I was only ever exposed to the Japanese version of it as a kid and share your enthusiasm for it.Recently I went to a dinner party and the mate had purchased the entire collection.I hadn't seen it in ages but we watched some of it while our wives watched on with an expression conveying they found it [or more to the point,our appreciation of it] 莫名其妙 !! I still found it hilarious and could happily watch the whole series again.I think you're right.There are some underlying truths to be discovered when observing human folly.

btw. For some reason your avatar made me laugh.I really don't know for sure why or what it's meant to signify.I think however it made me think this [and I'm probably way off track here].It reminded me a tad of your old avatar with monkeys one finger up.I wondered if this was in fact your real finger [or at least meant to represent it] and that it was a small symbol harking back to those drivelly days.Perhaps all we have left is the finger as the old drivel ship finally sinks to the bottom of the ocean.hehe,probably way off..but it did get me wondering.Now come on mate,fess up,what's this new avatar all about? [At the same time it did remind me of course of the original avatar for the transcripts with tal which was of course from the monkey episode where he went and wrote on the pillars at the edge of the world...buddha's fingers]

Profile picture
Tal
August 25, 2009, 10:49 AM

Maybe I'm just going through a transitional stage mate!

Could be that finger is pointing at the moon!

Profile picture
bababardwan
August 25, 2009, 11:05 AM

tal,

Oh right,yeah.I think I came across that concept when studying one of Pete's PWP lessons.I think it was the seeing off a monk one.Very good.

Profile picture
bababardwan
August 24, 2009, 04:59 AM

Thanks zhenlijiang.You're a champ.Looking forward to it.Sorry I couldn't find time to chip in myself this month.

Profile picture
Tal
August 26, 2009, 08:19 AM

姐妹,你打字错了,应该是 Mieko Takamine. 你的背景知识真有趣。这样吧?你给我们讲讲你对西游记的看法,怎么样。问题不具体,如果你愿意回答的话,你随便谈。

你关于我的地位 (lol) 的意见我挺喜欢,我在想想!

Profile picture
zhenlijiang
August 26, 2009, 10:23 AM

Duh--you're right bro! There was another actress of the same generation Hideko Takamine and I kept thinking I shouldn't get her name mixed up in here. Thank you for the correct reference and nice photo (hm, doesn't look really like body paint--I guess I dreamed that up?!).

那好,我有时间回来跟你们谈谈我们最爱的 《西游记》。

Profile picture
Tal
August 30, 2009, 01:35 AM

Hi 真,

I think at 01.20 onwards the text should be:

Jenny: 他,也是从这个天上,然后做了错的一些事被惩罚到地下的一个人。

John: 这个人物比较无聊,对吧。不是很特别?

 

Profile picture
zhenlijiang
August 31, 2009, 08:02 AM

Hey Tal 谢谢你给我提意见!

I did give up early on this patch spoken fast by Jenny.

John still sounds to me like he's saying at the end (有)什么特别?
Mind if I go take that up, among other bits, on the lesson thread?

Thanks again bro.

Profile picture
Tal
August 31, 2009, 08:16 AM

*bows* 我听你的,过一会儿我要继续校稿。

Profile picture
zhenlijiang
September 01, 2009, 11:05 PM

早上好 Tal,

我刚才重听了这个部分;还是朱琦老师说的是不是:

他,也是从这个天上,然后做了一些错的事被惩罚到地下的一个人。

那我要去请老师们的指教。谢谢你啊。

Profile picture
zhenlijiang
September 02, 2009, 05:39 AM

Hey Tal, you were right about what John was saying--not that that's any surprise.

I am wondering now just how many more mistakes my transcripts contain ... am making the corrections Shenyajin made for me and will upload the revised transcript when ready.

Profile picture
Tal
September 02, 2009, 07:00 AM

Hi 真, there has been many a time when your ears have been sharper than mine! And I always appreciate it when you help me 'iron out the wrinkles' ;)

I'd say your accuracy level is very high. It's all about the journey though right? :)

Looks this will be a great transcript now, I'm looking forward to learning from it.

Profile picture
zhenlijiang
August 25, 2009, 04:50 PM

哎呀,你那个头像活着!
活到老,变到老,是吗?

Hey of course we Japanese loved that series too.
I've said before, an incredible all-star cast. When you think about it now the producer who persuaded the eminent Mineko Takamine to agree to all that body paint and wig to play Buddha is probably a legend in Japanese TV--but you kind of need to know about her I guess. They don't make TV like that anymore.

Tal--the artist formerly known as Raygo (that's what your "status" should say)--your accurate recollection of so many details never ceases to amaze me.
Baba, I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to study this lesson (to be truthful, this oldie wasn't exactly near the top of my list)!

Hm I do think the Media 无性婚姻 lesson was harder to transcribe mainly because of the readings, and also because they were discussing newer, not-hi-frequency terms. But like I said Jenny and David speak slowly enough and their banter is manageable even for an Intermediate learner like myself to follow.
Most of the Advanced and Media lessons with Jenny and Jiaojie or one of the other girls--they'll really speed up the banter and not so much wait politely for the other to finish as enjoy chatting. More natural I guess. I think those will be the most challenging of all.

be seeing you guys around, 886   ☆彡