Travel in Chinese Lesson 73 The Stone Forest

雪梅：唉，累死了，没想到世博园这么大，我已经没有力气再多走一步了。

人豪：谁让你每一个馆区都要进去看，国际馆、中国馆、科技馆，尤其是国际馆区，逛了一遍不够还要逛第二遍。

雪梅：哈哈，我当然要好好看看啦，这都是参展的国家修建的，多有特色啊，就好象你亲自去过这些国家一样，这就叫，就叫……

人豪：叫身临其境。

雪梅：对，对，还是你了解我。哎，老公，我们明天去哪儿玩？

人豪：我想啊，我们明天先去石林，下午回来的时候去一趟滇池。

雪梅：电池，那是什么地方？

人豪：这哪儿跟哪儿啊，是“滇”，不是“电”。滇是其实云南省的简称。滇池是昆明西山旁边的一个大湖。你看，在这儿。

雪梅：哦，我想起来了。在来昆明的飞机上，快到的时候，可以看到一片很大的湖泊，我猜一定是这儿。

人豪：恩，有可能。据说这滇池方圆有五百里呢。

雪梅：你怎么知道，你量过啊？

人豪：这可不是我量的。清代有一个人写了一首关于滇池的对联，有180个字呢，第一句就是“五百里滇池，奔来眼底”。

雪梅：那我可一定要去看看这幅对联。老公，我饿了。我们现在去吃饭，早点儿休息吧。

雪梅：真神奇，这里竟然是完全由石头组成的森林。

黄：要不怎么叫它石林呢？别说是在中国，即使在全世界也都少见。

雪梅：我觉得挺奇怪的，这里为什么会有那么多的石头呢？

黄：这是一种比较特殊的地理现象，据说是“喀斯特”地貌。我也不是很清楚。

雪梅：人豪，你看，那象一头大象。

人豪：好玩儿吧。雪梅，你来，你看那象什么？

雪梅：我看看，有点儿象一个人。

人豪：眼力不错嘛，你看象不象一个女孩背着一个背篓？

雪梅：你还别说，还真象那么回事儿。

黄：传说中啊，这就是撒尼族姑娘阿诗玛。

雪梅：阿诗玛？这个石头原来还有名字啊，有意思。

黄：这阿诗玛的意思就是金子。传说她长得又聪明又漂亮。

雪梅：传说？还有故事呐，快给我讲讲。

黄：传说她爱上了一个叫阿黑的人，但遇到了很多困难，最后她没能嫁给心爱的人，变成了现在的样子，天天在这儿等着她的阿黑哥。

雪梅：好美啊。我恰巧要写一篇关于少数民族文化的文章，看来，这回我可是来着了。

当地人：您二位要不要穿着阿诗玛、阿黑哥的衣服照张像？机会难得啊。

雪梅：我们照一张吧。

雪梅：我们再去那边看看吧

黄：我们还没换衣服呢，再说下午还得去滇池呢，不走该晚了。

雪梅：晚点儿就晚点儿吧，明天再去也行啊。

黄：那哪儿成啊，明天我们就要坐飞机回北京了。

雪梅：哦，对了，我差点儿忘了。

黄：瞧你…….
 

Translation:

Xuemei：Oh，I’m exhausted. I had no idea the World Expo Garden was so huge. I can hardly take another step.

Renhao：That’s because you went into every area; the international garden, the Chinese garden, the science and technology garden. Especially the international garden-once wasn’t enough, you had to see it twice.

Xuemei： Haha, of course I have to see it properly. They were all built by the exhibiting countries, each and every one is different. It’s like personally visiting the countries. This is called, it’s called…

Renhao：It’s called “being there”.

Xuemei：Right, right. So, dear, what’s the plan for tomorrow?

Renhao： I think, tomorrow we can go to the Stone Forest first，then visit Dianchi on the way back in the afternoon.

Xuemei：Dianchi (battery), what’s that?

Renhao：Now you’re confusing the “dian”. It doesn’t mean electricity. “Dian” is actually the abbreviation for Yunnan province. Dianchi is a huge lake next to the western hills of Kunming.（指着地图）Look, here.

Xuemei：Oh, I remember, on the flight to Kunming，when we were nearly here, we could see a large lake. I think that must be it.

Renhao：Hmm, that’s possible. They say Dianchi takes up about 500 square miles.

Xuemei：How do you know, have you measured it?

Renhao：I didn’t measure it. Someone wrote a couplet about Dianchi in the Qing dynasty that had 180 words. The first sentence was, “five hundred square miles of Dianchi, rushing into one’s vision”.

Xuemei：Well I have to have a look at that couplet. But now I’m hungry, dear. Let’s go to eat. We have two places to go tomorrow. And let’s get to bed early.

Xuemei：It’s amazing. This is really a forest of stones.

Huang：Why else would they call it a stone forest? It’s not just rare in China, you seldom see this sort of rock formation anywher in the world.

Xuemei：I think it’s pretty strange. Why would there be so many stones here?

Huang：It’s a very special topography called Karst. I’m not exactly sure either.

Xuemei：Look Renhao，that looks like an elephant.

Renhao：Funny, huh? Xuemei，what does that look like?

Xuemei：Let me see. It looks a bit like a person.

Renhao： Well spotted. Doesn’t it look like a girl carrying a basket on her back?

Xuemei：You don’t say. That’s really what it looks like.

Huang：Legend has it that’s Ashima, who was a girl from the Sani ethnic group.

Xuemei：Ashima? This stone actually has a name? How fascinating!

Huang：Ashima means gold. Legend has it she was beautiful and clever.

Xuemei：Legend? Quick, tell me the story.

Huang： Legend has it she fell in love with a man named A-hei, but they couldn’t be together. That’s why she turned into this stone, forever waiting for her A-hei.

Xuemei：That’s so beautiful. Just as well I’m writing a story about ethnic minority cultures. Looks like I’ve come to the right place.

Would you like to have a photo taken in the costumes of Ashima and A-hei? It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Xuemei：Let’s have a photo taken.

Xuemei： We should go over there and have a look.

Huang：We haven’t even changed. Besides, we have to go to Dianchi in the afternoon. We’ll be late if we don’t leave now.

Xuemei：So what if we’re late, we can go there tomorrow.

Huang：That won’t work. Tomorrow we’re flying back to Beijing.

Xuemei：Oh right, I nearly forgot.

Huang：You…….
 

Bookmarks

1、其实 actually, on the contrary

（例）这里的饭菜虽然很贵，其实一点儿也不好吃。

The food here is really expensive.But actually it doesn't taste good at all.

（例）听口音像一个北京人，其实他是广州人。

Listening to his accent, you think he was a Beijing native. But actually he's from Guangzhou.

2、竟然 unexpected

（例）找了你半天，没想到竟然在这儿碰上了。

I've been looking for you for a long time. I never expected I'd run into you here.

（例）他竟然把自己的电话号码给忘了。

He actually forgot his phone number.

Sign Posts

The Stone Forest

The Stone Forest is approximately 120 kilometers (or 75 miles) from Kunming along a modern expressway built in recent years. This is considered a national-level scenic resorts in China, and one of the best places in the world to see what is known as karst formations. These are large, limestone pillars, some as tall as 30m, that have been split and eroded by wind and rain into their present formation. Marine fossils found in the area indicate that this area was under the sea approximately 270 million years ago. Gradual shifting of the earth’s crust pushed this area up, leading to the unique process of erosion that gave us the present-day Stone Forest.

There are several sections of the karst topography that you can see, including the large & small stone forest and the Nai3gu3 stone forest, about 8 km away. The whole area covers approximately 400 square kilometers (or 96,000 acres). You can walk through the pathways left between the tall pillars, and spend a whole day simply exploring different paths in this labyrinth of limestone.

This area is mainly inhabited by the Yi2 and Sani ethnic groups. Many beautiful legends originate in this magical place, passed along by the native people. One popular story, mentioned in today’s dialogue, tells of the undying love of Ashima, a Sani girl. The Sani people celebrate their national festival - the Torch Festival - every lunar year on June 24. During this time, the Stone Forest is alive with a particularly joyful, festive atmosphere, making the area even more attractive than usual. This is perhaps the best time to visit the Stone Forest.

Substitution and Extension

1、Adj+就+Adj even though, regardless of how much

（例）热就热点吧，别脱衣服了，or else免得一会儿感冒了。

So what it is hot, it doesn't matter how hot it is. Don't take your clothes off, otherwise you might catch a cold.