December 2010 ~ nihaohello

知足常乐 zhī zú cháng lè

知足常乐 zhī zú cháng lè

Meaning: 知道满足，就总是快乐。形容安于已经得到的利益、地位。

Context: 知足常乐语出《老子-俭欲第四十六: “罪莫大于可欲,祸莫大于不知足; 咎莫大于欲得。故知足之足, 常足。”

意思是说 : 罪恶没有大过放纵欲望的了, 祸患没有大过不知满足的了;过失没有大过贪得无厌的了。所以知道满足的人, 永远是觉得快乐的。一个快乐主义者首先得有知足的修养，就是古训所谓‘知足常乐’。王西彦《古屋》第一部

你是不是一个快乐主义者呢?

Antonym: 贪得无厌

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Do you want.....

Some examples of how you can use '要不要' in a question.

你的咖啡要不要加糖？

Do you want your coffee with sugar?

他要不要这份表格？

Does he want this form?

她们要不要参加明年的旅行团？

Do they want to join the tour next year?

The following are some examples of answering the 要不要 questions:-

要加糖。谢谢！

Yes, add sugar please. Thank you.

不要加糖。谢谢！

Without sugar please. Thank you.

他要这份表格。

He wants this form.

他不要这份表格。

He does not want this form.

If you want the PINYIN pronunciation of this post, drop me an email to nihaojodee@gmail.com with your email address.

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Is it?

Originally uploaded by zannnielim

这是不是给我的圣诞礼物？
zhè shì bù shì gĕi wŏ de Shèng dàn lĭ wù

Is this a christmas gift for me?

今年是不是2010年？
jīn nián shì bù shì èr líng yī líng nián

Is it 2010 this year?

布达佩斯是不是匈牙利的首都？
bù dá pèi sī shì bù shì xiōng yá lì de shŏu dū

Is Budapest the capital of Hungary?

你是不是匈牙利人？
nĭ shì bù shì xiōng yá lì rén

Are you a Hungarian?

是的，我是匈牙利人？

shì de wŏ shì xiōng yá lì rén

Yes, I am a Hungarian.

OR

不是的，我是美国人。
bù shì de wŏ shì mĕi guó rén
No, I am an American.

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The Harmonious Gate of Interest: Chinatown, Victoria B.C

Originally uploaded by Brandon Godfrey

The Gate of Harmonious Interest, or Tong Ji Men, was erected in 1981. It was built in China and is modeled after typical gates there. Both the Chinese and non-Chinese communities worked together to have this gate installed over Fisgard Street. Two inscriptions allude to this cooperative effort: "To work together with one heart" and "To help each other achieve harmony."

It is a most interesting structure in terms of Chinese cultural symbolism. It's overall theme is Unity in Duality. This theme is seen in the Gate's treatment of the Golden Dragon, a Yang element, and the Red Phoenix, a Yin element. Red symbolizes joy and festivity while gold symbolizes wealth and prosperity. These colours-together with touches of Qing (a blue-green colour), which is symbolic of growth and peace-represents the harmony of the elements. In particular, the red and gold represent the union of heaven and earth.

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Ferienwohnungen Costa Brava

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Overcoming Procrastination: 今日事，今日毕 jīn rì shì, jīn rì bì

Originally uploaded by Michael Paul Young

今日事，今日毕
jīn rì shì, jīn rì bì

Literally: Today's task, today's job to complete.

Meaning: Don't put off until tomorrow what can be done today.

One of the Chinese idioms that I like very much is 今日事，今日毕. This is also one of the secrets of learning Chinese Mandarin. Many times, someone have the problem of completing a task because of procrastination.

The good news is, procrastination can be overcome. There are strategies that can be learn to help yourself through and overcome procrastination.

Here's a video to share:

If a woman is sufficiently ambitious, determined and gifted -- there is practically nothing she can't do. -Helen Lawrenson

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Ferienwohnungen Costa Brava
Ferries to France

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Bǎn miàn 板面 Flat Noodles

Bǎn miàn is a Hokkien-style egg noodle soup common in parts of China's Fujian province, and also in Singapore and Malaysia. Some forms of ban mian comprise hand-kneaded pieces of dough, while others use regular strips of noodles.

Ban mian (literally "board noodles") is so named due to the characteristic flat shape of its noodles.

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Ferienwohnungen Costa Brava
Ferries to France

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兵马俑 - Terracotta Warriors

Originally uploaded by R-Nesto

The figures vary in height 1.83–1.95 metres (6.0–6.4 ft), according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits.

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Ferienwohnungen Costa Brava
Ferries to France

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Terracotta Army 兵马俑 bīngmǎ yǒng

Terracotta Army
兵马俑
bīngmǎ yǒng

The Terracotta Army is a form of funerary art buried with the First Emperor of Qin 秦始皇 (Qin Shi Huang, Shi Huang means the first emperor) in 210-209 BCE . Their purpose was to help rule another empire with Shi Huang Di in the afterlife. If you are interested to know more about the First Emperor of Qin, click here to watch the interesting video.

公元前246年至公元前208年
中国秦朝皇帝秦始皇的陵墓
世界遗产=World Heritage

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Ferienwohnungen Costa Brava

www.uniqueworldhotels.com

Ferries to France

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庄子说＝Zhuangzi shuo

Originally uploaded by Arcthur

庄子说

Zhuangzi 庄子, Zi is an honorific suffix literally meaning "Master Zhuang", Zhuangzi is the title of the book by the influential Chinese philosopher, Zhuang Zhou who lived around the 4th century BCE during the Warring States Period, a period corresponding to the philosophical summit of Chinese thought — the Hundred Schools of Thought, and is credited with writing -- in part or in whole -- a work known by his name, the Zhuangzi.