Travel in Chinese Lesson 77 Mount Taishan

同事：雪梅，我们休息一会儿再爬吧。我有点儿爬不动了。你累吗？（停下来）

雪梅：我还好。在北京的时候，我就经常和我老公一起去爬香山锻炼身体。

同事：是吗？怪不得你刚才走得飞快。不过泰山可比香山高多了。

雪梅：而且我还听说中国历史上的很多名人都爬过泰山呢。你说现在咱们离山顶还有多远？

同事：我也不知道，不过刚才听别人说前边马上就是泰山的中天门了，大概已经爬了有一半了吧。

雪梅：真的吗？那我们别休息了，一鼓作气爬上去吧。

雪梅：中天门。

同事：中天门？刚才我们在山脚的时候看到一个一天门。

雪梅：一天门，中天门。这个天门的意思是不是可以一直通到天上的门呢？

同事：恩，我觉得古人觉得这座山太高了，和天都连着呢。

雪梅：我今天倒要看看这座通天的山到底有多高。小李，咱们走！（二人边说边离开）

雪梅：五大（dai4）夫松？小李，你来看，这几棵松树还是大夫呢。

同事：这不读大夫，是大（da4）夫。

雪梅：是吗？难道这不是医生的意思吗？以前我老把这个字的音读错。

同事：这里可不是医生的意思。五大夫在古代是一个官职的名称。这松树呢也不是医生，不过却相当于当官的人。

雪梅：哈，这可真有创意。可是谁会让松树来当官呢？

同事：秦始皇啊！

雪梅：是吗？他也来过泰山？

同事：对，他有一次到泰山上来祭天，谁知突然下起了大雨，他正好躲在松树下没有被淋湿。后来为了感谢这棵松树，他就封它为五大夫松。

雪梅：看来，泰山的故事还真不少呢。我已经想好回去以后该写一篇什么样的报道了。

同事：你这个工作狂，总是忘不了你的工作。

同事：雪梅，我们终于爬到山顶了，看，已经到南天门了。

雪梅：这次我需要休息一下。我可真的再也走不动了。

同事：看，我说你刚才爬得太快了吧，还不听（开玩笑的口吻）
 

Translation:

Colleague：Xuemei，let’s take a break. I’m a bit tired. Are you tired? Xuemei：I’m alright. In Beijing, I climb the Fragrant Hills with my husband as exercise all the time.

Colleague：Really? No wonder you were going so fast. But Mount Taishan is a lot higher than the Fragrant Hills.

Xuemei：I’ve heard that many famous people in Chinese history have climbed Mount Taishan. How far do you think we are from the top?

Colleague：I don’t know either，but I heard that we’re just about at Zhongtian Gate on Mount Taishan，which means we’re almost halfway up.

Xuemei：Really? Then let’s forget about a break and just climb up in one go.

Xuemei：Zhongtian Gate. I remember at the foot of the mountain there was a Yitian Gate. Tianmen – heaven gate. Hmm, does that mean a gate that goes all the way up to heaven?

Colleague：Hmm, that’s possible. Maybe our ancestors felt the mountain was so high，it was almost connected to heaven.

Xuemei：Well I’m going to find out just how high this heaven-connected mountain is. Xiao Li，let’s go！

Xuemei：Wu Daifu Song or Five-Doctor Pines? Xiao Li，look，these pine trees are doctors.

Colleague：This is not pronounced “Dai fu”, but “Da Fu”.

Xuemei：Is it? Doesn’t it mean doctor? I get the pronunciation for this word wrong all the time.

Colleague：Here it doesn’t mean doctor. Dafu was an official title in ancient times. These pines aren’t doctors，but they have the same status as officials.

Xuemei：Ha，that’s interesting. But who would appoint pine trees as officials?

Colleague：The first Qin emperor！

Xuemei：Really? He’s been to Mount Taishan as well?

Colleague：Yes，once he came to Mount Taishan to offer a sacrifice to heaven, but there was a sudden downpour. He took shelter underneath the five pines and didn’t get wet. Later he conferred on them the title of Dafu in gratitude.

Xuemei：Looks like Mount Taishan is full of stories. I’ve already decided what sort of story to write when I go home.

Colleague：You workaholic, always thinking about your work.

Colleague：Xuemei，we’re finally at the top. Look, that’s Nantian Gate.

Xuemei：Now I really need a break. I can’t walk anymore.

Colleague：See，I told you you were going too fast just now. But you didn’t listen.

Oh, Nantian Gate, here we are.
 

Bookmarks

1）一口气 didn’t stop in the middle

例）我一口气爬到了七楼。

I walked up to the seventh floor without stopping.

例）他渴坏了，一口气把整瓶水都喝了。

He was dying of thirst. He drank a whole bottle of water in one breath.

2）连连 repeatedly, over and over

例）他们看了京剧《三岔口》后，连连叫好。

After watching the Peking Opera called “Sanchakou”, they repeatedly appraised it.

例）他咬了一口狗不理包子后，连连说好吃。

After having a bite of the Goubuli baozi, he repeatedly said that they were really tasty.

3）大体 in general

例）我们的看法大体相同。

Our viewpoint is largely the same.

例）颐和园可以大体分为三个部分。

The Summer Palace in general can be divided into three parts.

Sign Posts

Mount Taishan, with its main peak rising 1,545 meters above sea level, in central Shandong Province, has, since ancient times, been a mountain held in high esteem by the Chinese people. It is known as the “First of the Five Sacred Mountains”, all situated on the Central Plains of the country. It ranks third among the five mountains in terms of height, so its reputation comes mainly from its cultural significance. According to historical records, Mount Taishan became a sacred place frequented by emperors to offer sacrifices and meditate in the Zhou Dynasty over 1,000 BC. Since that time, a total of 72 emperors have been recorded as visiting it. Scholars and poets also came to gain inspiration, write poetry and essays, paint and take pictures. Through this process, a great many cultural relics were gradually created or left on the mountain.

Taishan Temple at the foot of the mountain is one of several major palace architectural complexes in China. The Azure Clouds Temple 碧霞祠 near the top of the mountain is another grand building complex, a temple in the clouds. From the Taishan Temple to the Azure Clouds Temple there are numerous stone tablets and inscriptions and ancient buildings on the way, and several alternate routes you can choose from. Visitors derive much pleasure from climbing Mount Taishan. From the red gate at the foot of the mountain to the South Heaven Gate 南天门 at the top are some 7,000 stone steps, which wind their way up the mountain slopes, each step offering a different view. Many local people come to give offerings at various locations along the way and to pray for good fortune. And some people even climb during the night to reach the peak just before dawn. According to tradition, Taishan is wher the sun first appears to make its daily journey westward across the sky.

Mount Taishan was included in the UN’s world cultural heritage list in 1987.

Substitution and Extension

1) 不得＋V not allowed, forbidden

例）对不起，不得在这儿吸烟。

I’m sorry. You’re not allowed to smoke here.

例）不得在这儿拍照。

Photography is not allowed here.