Travel in Chinese Lesson 85 West Lake

西 湖 游

（雪梅和同事一起游西湖）

同事男：到了，这就是西湖了。

雪梅：真漂亮，简直让人难以置信!

同事女：那当然了，不都说“上有天堂，下有苏杭”吗？

雪梅：有人说西湖好像个美女，果然如此。

同事男：我非常喜欢这个地方，已经来过三次了。

同事女：哎，你们看，那边有租船的，咱们也租一条，坐船游西湖吧。

同事男：好啊，走。

同事女：西湖的景色真是名不虚传，处处是景啊。

同事男：如果我们再晚来一个月的话，我们就能看到“平湖秋月”了。

同事女：哎，那不是西湖十景之一吗？

雪梅：那“西湖十景”你一定都看过吧？

同事男：说来遗憾，我每次差不多都是这个时候来，西湖十景一直都没看完。

雪梅：西湖十景和时间有关系吗？

同事女：可不是，“断桥残雪”就一定得冬天看，而“平湖秋月”呢，又得到秋天才能看到。

雪梅：这样一来，西湖十景想要看全未免太难了。

同事男：你们来看，看那条堤坝，那就是苏堤。

雪梅：我看书上介绍过，说是一个很有名的人修的。

同事女：是宋朝的大诗人苏轼主持修建的。

雪梅：好像他在杭州住过很长时间，在这儿当官。

同事男：对，他就是在杭州工作期间修了这条堤坝。

雪梅：好像中国文人格外喜欢西湖。

同事女：没错儿，西湖深受中国文人的宠爱，西湖边上也有很多浪漫的故事。

（看到有游客模样的人骑自行车）

雪梅：我看骑自行车游西湖也很浪漫，你看那几个人，一定是游客。

同事女：我听说这儿有出租自行车的，过去问问他们，哪儿租的自行车。

同事男：对不起，请问，你们的自行车是租来的吗？

游人：是，在那边的饭店租的。

雪梅：那个饭店远不远？

游人：不远，就在那边。

同事女：怎么租的？

游人：按时间算，一个小时15块，要押金。

同事女：谢谢！

同事男：我们一会儿也租去一辆，来一个环湖游，怎么样？

同事女/雪梅：好啊！
 

Translation:

Colleague1: Here we are! This is West Lake.

Xuemei: It’s so pretty…it’s simply unbelievable!

Colleague2: Of course! Haven’t you heard the saying, “above, there is heaven; on Earth, there is Su-Hang”?

Xuemei: Some have said that West Lake is like a beautiful woman, and in fact it is!

Colleague1: I really do like this place. This is my third time here.

Colleague2: Hey! There is a place over there to rent boats. Let’s get one, too, and see West Lake by boat!

Xuemei: Alright, let’s go!

Colleague2: Look! West Lake’s scenery truly deserves its reputation. Each and every view is scenic.

Colleague1: You’re right. If we had come a month later, we could have seen the “Placid Lake under an Autumn Moon.”

Colleague2: “Placid Lake under an Autumn Moon”? Isn’t that one of the Ten Must-See Views of West Lake?

I bet you’ve seen all ten of them!

Colleague1: I hate to say it, but each time I come, it’s always around this time of year. I’ve never had the chance to catch all ten of the views.

Xuemei: Oh? Do the“Ten Views” have something to do with time of year?

Of course! The “Broken Bridge and Remnant Snow” must be viewed in the winter. But “Placid Lake under an Autumn Moon” can only be seen in the fall.

Xuemei: In that case, it seems impossible to get to see all ten views!

Colleague1: Do you all see that dyke over there? It’s the Su Dyke.

Xuemei: Oh, that’s the Su Dyke? I’ve read about it. It’s said to have been built by a famous person.

Colleague2: That’s right. Su Shi, a major poet of the Song Dynasty, was responsible for its construction.

Xuemei: He lived in Hangzhou for a long time, and was a government official here, right?

Colleague1: Right. It was precisely during the time he worked in Hangzhou that he built this dyke.

Xuemei: It seems like Chinese literati really like West Lake.

Colleague2: Yes, West Lake has been on the receiving end of much of their doting affection. Oh, Xuemei, do you know how many romantic stories have taken place on the banks of West Lake?

Xuemei: I think taking a bicycle tour of West Lake would be pretty romantic. Look at those people; they must be tourists!

Colleague2: Oh, I’ve heard that there are bicycles for rent here. Let’s go ask them wher we can rent some.

Colleague1: Excuse me, is your bike a rental?

Visitor1：Yes, it is. I got it over there.

Xuemei: Is that far from here?

Visitor2: No, just right over there.

Colleague2: Then may I ask how one goes about renting?

Visitor1: There is a deposit, and then 10 kuai per hour.

Colleague2: Thank you!

Colleague1: Let’s go rent one too, then. How about a trip around the lake?

Xuemei: Good idea! Let’s go!
 

Bookmarks

1、果然 confirming sth said before, actually

（例）听说这部电影很不错，看了之后果然不错。

I heard that this movie is really good. After seeing it, I think it really is.

（例）杭州菜果然很好吃 really。

Hangzhou food really is tasty.

2、未免 indicate sth negative, but in a softern tone

（例）连个转身的地方都没有，这个房间未免也太小了一点儿吧.

There is no place to turn around even. Perhaps this room is a little small.

（例）我觉得你的想法未免有些简单.

I think that your idea is perhaps a little too simple。

3、期间 during some period of time

（例）在中国留学期间，他认识了他现在的太太。

He met his current wife while studying in China.

（例）近几年，很多人都在春节期间外出旅游。

The last few years, many people have gone out travelling during the Spring Festival period.

Sign Posts

Hangzhou

We learned the popular saying 上有天堂下有苏杭 ‘Above there is Paradise, below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou’. Earlier we explored around Suzhou. Now we get a glimpse of her sister city, Hangzhou.

Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejing province and is the southern end of the Grand Canal 大运河 that once stretched almost 1800km to Beijing.

With a history of over 2,200 years, Hangzhou is one of the seven ancient capital cities of China. When the Song dynasty’s capital of Kaifeng was captured by invaders in 1126, most of the imperial court fled to Hangzhou to establish the southern Song Dynasty. Hangzhou for a time then became the main hub of the Chinese state. Later, in the Yuan Dynasty, Hangzhou remained a principle commercial centre. In the 13th century, Italian traveler Marco Polo praised Hangzhou as ‘the most beautiful and splendid city in the world’.

Today, this is one of the top tourist destinations for domestic Chinese tourists.

West Lake, lying to the west of Hangzhou, is said to be the most beautiful lake in China. once a small bay at the mouth of the Qiantang River, it was separated from the sea by river sediment to become a lake of approximately six square kilometers. Dozen’s of historical sites are scattered about the scenic area around the lake. The wooded hills enriching the lake are studded with pavilions, towers and pagodas. Springs, steams, and pools are scattering among peaks, rocks, caves, and gullies. Simply listing the ‘ten scenic wonders’ of West Lake sounds quite poetic: Spring Dawn at the Su Causeway, Viewing Fish at Flower Harbor, Autumn Moon on Calm Lake, Listening to Orioles Singing in the Willows, Twin Peaks Piercing the Clouds, Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, Sunset Glow over Leifeng Pagoda, Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill, Lotus in the Breeze at Crooked Courtyard, and Melting Snow at Broken Bridge.

Substitution and Extension

难以...... hard to adj or v

（例）九寨沟的风景太美了，让人难以用语言表达。

The scenery at Jiu Zhai Gou is too beautiful. It's hard to use language to express it.