Travel in Chinese Lesson 91 Flaming Mountain

新疆（一）

（火焰山）

小杰：爸爸，你带我来的是什么地方啊，热死人了，我都快喘不过气来了。

人豪：是啊，这里真热。小杰啊，喝口水，咱们歇会儿吧。

小杰：谢谢，我都快渴死了。

人豪：是啊，看来火焰山真是名不虚传啊。

小杰：啊，火焰山？当年孙悟空去西天取经经过的就是这座山哪。

人豪：小杰，那只是民间的传说而已。这火焰山不是真的着火了，是因为这里的石头本来就是红色的，远远看去，就和着火了一样，所以才叫它火焰山。

小杰：爸爸，你看，这就是孙悟空当年用的葫芦呢，谁说是传说，火焰山就是因《西游记》而得名的。

人豪：哈哈，你别在这儿瞎找出处了。哎，宝贝儿，你是不是饿了，爸爸带你去吃煮鸡蛋好不好？

小杰：煮鸡蛋？这里连棵树都没有，哪里有餐馆呀？

人豪：你呀，别瞎琢磨了。走，跟我来。

小杰：这里的沙子好热。

人好：你知道吗？ 这里的沙子有60多度呢。来，咱们找找有没有熟了的鸡蛋。经常有游客把鸡蛋埋了以后就走了。

小杰：原来是在沙子里“煮”鸡蛋呀，真能煮熟吗？

人豪：那当然了，这里真有一个。来，把它剥开看看是不是熟的？

小杰：哎，还真是熟的。

人豪：小杰，我们上车去吃吧，这里太热了。走。

（坐车）

小杰：爸爸，我们现在去哪儿？

人豪：爸爸现在带你吃葡萄去。

小杰：太好了，我又热又渴，正想吃水果呢。妈妈说吐鲁番的葡萄最甜了。

人豪：。不仅甜，还新鲜呢。我们可以在葡萄沟边摘边吃。

小杰： 太好了，我还没摘过葡萄呢。

人豪：是吗。

（葡萄沟）

小杰：啊，这葡萄好香啊。爸爸，这葡萄真好吃。你尝一个。

人豪：恩，好吃。

人杰：特别甜。

小杰：爸爸，外边那么热，怎么里边却藏着这么一条葡萄沟？

人豪：据说，这是因为这条沟里有天山流下来的雪水经过，所以就形成了山里山外不同的景色。

小杰：嗯，和外边的火焰山比起来，里边真是……那个词怎么说来着？别有洞天！要我说啊，不仅是别有洞天，简直是“亚克西”——棒极了！

人豪：呦，什么时候还学了句新疆话啦？

小杰：跟古兰丹姆姐姐学的。

人豪：古兰丹姆姐姐？噢，就是昨天你认识的那个新疆小女孩儿吧。
 

Translation:

Xiaojei: Dad, what is this place? I’m burning up, and can barely catch my breath!

Renhao: Yes, it is really hot here. Xiaojie, have some water. Let’s rest for awhile.

Xiaojei: Thanks, I was so thirsty!

Renhao: I bet! It looks like Flaming Mountain really lives up to its reputation!

Xiaojei: Whoa, Flaming Mountain?! When Sun Wukong made his journey west, he crossed this mountain!

Renhao: Xiaojie, that’s just a folk tale. Flaming Mountain didn’t really catch on fire; but because the stone here is red, if you look at it from far away, it looks like it’s on fire, so it is called Flaming Mountain.

Xiaojei: But Dad, look: this is the gourd that Sun Wukong used back then. Who says it’s just a folk tale!? Flaming Mountain became famous because of Journey to the West.

Renhao: Haha, it’s not a good idea to just guess the etymology. Sweetheart, are you hungry? Why don’t we go have some boiled eggs?

Xiaojei: Boiled eggs? There aren’t even any trees here; how could there be any restaurants?

Renhao: Well, you don’t have to just wonder. Come on, I’ll take you.

Xiaojei: The sand here is so hot.

Renhao: Did you know the sand here is over 60 degrees? Come on, let’s go see if we can find any eggs that have been cooked. Lots of tourists come here and bury an egg, and then just leave.

Xiaojei: Oh, you mean they’re “boiled” in sand! Can they be cooked that way?

Renhao: Of course! There’s one right here. Crack it open, and see whether or not it’s cooked.

Xiaojei: Wow, it really is!

Renhao: Xiaojie, let’s go back to the car to eat. It’s too hot here, come on.

Xiaojei: Dad, wher are we going next?

Renhao: I’m going to take you to try some grapes.

Xiaojei: Great! I’m hot and thirsty, and was just thinking how good some fruit sounds. Mom says Turpan’s grapes are the sweetest.

Renhao: Not only are they sweet, they’re also fresh. We can go to a vineyard and eat grapes as we pick them.
 

Bookmarks

1、瞎+V blindly, pointlessly

（例）待在这儿很安全，你就别瞎想了.

It's very safe here. Don't panic or think any crazy things

（例）你别瞎说了，他根本不是那种小心眼儿的人。

Don't be ridiculous, he's not that kind of petty person.

Sign Posts

Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region

Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region is located in the northwest part of China, and covers fully one sixth of China’s land area. It has magnificent natural scenery, from snow-topped mountains, to vast grasslands and deserts, and lush green valleys. As a part of the famous Silk Road, Xinjiang also boasts a great deal of cultural relics, Buddhist caves, tombs, and ruined towns. Combined with the rich culture of the Uygur and other minority peoples of Xinjiang, this all makes this region a very fascinating tour destination.

Its geographical position makes Xingjiang’s climate typically dry and continental, with short warm summers and long, cold winters. There is a sharp difference in temperature between day and night, abundant sunshine in the day with intense evaporation and thus little precipitation.

The Flaming Mountain, in the middle of the Turpan Basin, never fails to charm those who come to this mystical land. The highest peak is about 40 kilometers east of the city of Turpan and 832 meters above sea level. It was made very popular thanks to a classical novel--The Journey to the West, which is, in effect, an account of the adventures of the Monkey King 孙悟空. According to the fable, it is said the Monkey King stirred up trouble in Heaven and kicked over the oven on which the gods made immortal pills. Burning charcoal fell from the sky to wher the Flaming Mountain now lies. The Flaming Mountains are so hot and so dry that, according to one saying, "flying birds 500 kilometers away dare not come". Under the blazing sun, the red rock glows and hot air curls up like smoke as though it were on fire, giving the Flaming Mountains their name.

Substitution and Extension

1、Adj+死 extremely

（例）今天走了那么长时间的路，我都快累死了。

We've walked so far today. I'm exhausted. I'm almost dying.

2、因......得名 be named after/for

（例）日月潭因湖水的形状而得名。

The Sun-Moon Lake is named that way because of the shape of that lake.