Lesson 154 Happy New Year ! (2)

Cam: It’s time to perfect Chinese your way in only five minutes a day.  Welcome to Chinese Studio, wo shi Cam.
YJ:  And wo shi Yajie.  We are learning all about New Years this week… so Cam, how will you celebrate it?
Cam:  Well, back at home I used to head down to the inner harbour and watch the fireworks.  How do I say that in Chinese?
Yajie:  Listen up!

Key Words of the Day
countdown倒数，Fireworks烟花，Auld Lang Syne友谊地久天长, New Year’s Day元旦Happy New Year!新年快乐 All in today’s Chinese Studio.

Cam:  When you are at a party on New Year’s Eve, you will countdown to the New Year.  Countdown in Chinese is what, Yajie?
YJ: it’s dao4 shu3.
Cam: dao4 shu3.
YJ: dao4 means backwards,
Cam: dao4
YJ: shu3 means to count,
Cam: shu3 
YJ: dao4 shu3.
Cam: dao4 shu3, countdown. Then after the countdown we will watch some fireworks. How do you say fireworks in Chinese, Yajie?
YJ: You can say yan1 hua1.
Cam: yan1 hua1.
YJ: yan1 means the smoke.
Cam: yan1.
YJ: hua1 means flower, since fireworks usually shape like flowers,
Cam: right, hua1
YJ: yan1 hua1.
Cam: yan1 hua1, fireworks.
YJ: then watch the fireworks would be “kan4 yan1 hua1”
Cam: kan4 yan1 hua1. kan4 means to watch, right?
YJ: yes, kan4 yan1 hua1
Cam: kan4 yan1 hua1, watch fireworks.

Conversation1:
A：准备好，快要倒数了。
B：好的好的。
A：新年的时候会放烟花吗？
B：会放烟花。

Cam: You know Yajie, to mark the New Year, sometimes people sing Auld Lang Syne… I know it’s very popular in China.
YJ: You bet. We have the Chinese name for the song. We call it “友谊地久天长”
Cam: what does it mean?
YJ: It means “everlasting friendship”. You3yi4 means friendship,
Cam: you3yi4, right, like the Friendship Hotel wher foreigners used to live.
YJ: di4 jiu3 tian1 chang2, means as long and enduring as heaven and earth,
Cam: it is everlasting. di4 jiu3 tian1 chang2,
YJ: di4 means earth,
Cam: di4,
YJ:  tian1 means heaven,
Cam: tian1
YJ:  jiu3 and chang2 both means everlasting,
Cam: jiu3, chang2.
YJ: di4 jiu3 tian1 chang2,
Cam: di4 jiu3 tian1 chang2, as long and enduring as heaven and earth,
YJ: so the Chinese name for Auld Lang Syne is you3 yi4 di4 jiu3 tian1 chang2.
Cam: you3 yi4 di4 jiu3 tian1 chang2，everlasting friendship.

Conversation2:
（1）A:你知道《友谊地久天长》这首歌吗？
B: 知道啊。新年的时候经常会唱。

Cam: And finally, after all the festivities, we reach New Year’s Day,
YJ: Get ready to say goodbye to the old and hello to the new!
Cam: Alrighty, Yajie, the first new Chinese word I want to learn is how to say “New Year’s Day”
YJ: it’s yuan2 dan4. 元旦。
Cam: yuan2 dan4.
YJ: yuan2 means the first,
Cam: yuan2
YJ: dan4 means the day,
Cam: dan4,
YJ: yuan2 dan4.
Cam: yuan2 dan4. New Year’s day. Then how do you say Happy New Year?
YJ: it’s “xin1 nian2 kuai4 le4”
Cam: xin1 nian2 kuai4 le4
YJ: xin1 means new ,
Cam: xin1
YJ: nian2 means year,
Cam: nian2,
YJ: kuai4 le4 means happy,
Cam: kuai4 le4,
YJ: xin1 nian2 kuai4 le4
Cam: xin1 nian2 kuai4 le4, Happy New Year!

Conversation3:
A: 今天是元旦，祝你新年快乐！
B: 也祝你新年快乐！

Key Words Reminder
countdown倒数，Fireworks烟花，Auld Lang Syne友谊地久天长, New Year’s Day元旦Happy New Year!新年快乐 All in today’s Chinese Studio.