Advanced - A: B: A: B
Advanced - 水与五 行 A:
(E)
小周，研究甚麼呢？ ˇ Zhou, ´ ¯ y´anjiu¯ shenme Xiao ne? Hey Xiao Zhou, what are you researching?
B:
哦，我快買房子了，正在看關於風水的書。 ` mai ˇ f´angzi le, zhengz ` ` kan ` guany ¯ u´ f¯engshuˇı de o, woˇ kuai ai shu. ¯ Oh, I’m going to buy a house soon. Right now I’m reading some books about fengshui.
A:
你還真信這玩意兒？風水都是古人的迷信，沒什 麼科學依據。換了是我，我肯定更看重房子的結 構、地段、配套設施和升值空間。 ´ zhen ´ de m´ı¯ x`ın zhe` w´any`ır? f¯engshuˇı dou ¯ sh`ı gur nˇı hai ˇ en ´ enme ´ ` le sh`ı wo, ˇ woˇ kˇend`ıng x`ın, meish k¯exue´ y¯ıju. ` huan ` ` ` ´ ou, ` d`ıduan, ` peit ` ao ` shesh¯ ` ı he´ geng kanzh ong f´angzi de jieg ¯ ¯ shengzh´ ı k¯ongjian. You still believe in that stuff? Fengshui is ancient superstition. There’s no scientific proof for it. If it were me, I’d think even more about the house’s construction, location, facilities and room for appreciation in value.
B:
你看看你，忘本啊。風水可是我們老祖宗依據 世間萬物、宇宙能量、環境等方方面面總結出來 的。風水好，就代表這些因素和人達到了陰陽平 衡，很有道理的。要想住得舒服、運勢好，好風 水肯定是前提。
Visit the Online Review and Discussion (text version).
c
2008 Praxis Language Ltd.
` ˇ a. f¯engshuˇı kˇesh`ı women ˇ ˇ zuz¯ nˇı kankan nˇı, w`angben lao ˇ ong ` nengli ´ ` ´ ıng deng ˇ ¯ w`anwu, y¯ıju` sh`ıjian ang, huanj` f¯ang` yuzh ˇ ou ` ` zˇongjie´ chul ´ de. f¯engshuˇı hao, ˇ jiu` daibi ` ao ˇ f¯angmianmi an ¯ ai ` e¯ y¯ınsu` he´ ren ´ dad ´ ao ` le y¯ıny´ang p´ıngheng, ´ ˇ yˇou zhexi hen ` ı de. y`aoxiang ˇ ˇ hao ˇ f¯engshuˇı daolˇ zhu` de shufu, yunsh` ı hao, ` ¯ ´ ı. kˇend`ıng sh`ı qiant´ Look at you– forgetting your roots! Fengshui is great. It comes from our ancestors’ summation of the world, the power of the universe, and every aspect of the environment. It represents how these factors and people have reached a balance of yinyang. It makes a lot of sense. If you want to live comfortably, and have good fortune, good fengshui is absolutely necessary.
A:
那麻煩就大了。我有個朋友，風水師硬叫他把廁 所安到原先的書房裏。書房哪有管道啊，這不是 瞎搞嘛？ ´ ´ na` mafan jiu` da` le. woˇ yˇou ge pengyou, f¯engshuˇısh¯ı y`ıng ` ta¯ baˇ cesu ` oˇ and ` yuanxi ´ an ¯ ao ¯ de shuf´ jiao ¯ ang lˇı. shuf´ ¯ ang ˇ ou guand ˇ ao ` a, zhe` b`u sh`ı xiag ˇ ma? ¯ ao nayˇ Ah, then that’s a big hassle. I have a friend– a fengshui master insisted that he should move his bathroom to where his study was originally supposed to be. Isn’t that just blindly stirring up trouble, putting pipes in the study?
Visit the Online Review and Discussion (text version).
c
2008 Praxis Language Ltd.
B:
不否認是有些風水師瞎說。正統的風水要遵五行 相生又相克的基本原則。也就是說，你房子附近 的金、木、水、火、土要儘可能地平衡。比如， 最好有水流過，但水太 多也不行，要用土去克 水。 ` sh`ı yˇouxie¯ f¯engshuˇısh¯ı xiashu ` ˇ ¯ ¯ zhengt b`u fˇouren o. ong de ¯ ¯ ¯ f¯engshuˇı y`ao zunx eng y`ou xiangk` e de j¯ı´ wux´ ˇ ıng xiangsh ¯ un ˇ ´ e. yˇejiush` ¯ nˇı f´angzi fuj` benyu anz´ ` ıshuo, ` ın de j¯ın, mu, ` shuˇı, ˇ tuˇ y`ao jˇın kˇeneng ´ ´ ˇ yˇou shuˇı huo, de p´ıngheng. bˇıru, ´ zu`ıhao ` shuˇı tai ` duo¯ yˇe b`ux´ıng, y`ao y`ong tuˇ qu` k`e shuˇı. liugu ´ o` , dan There’s no denying that some fengshui masters will say anything. Traditional fengshui respects the principles of mutual creation and destruction among the five elements. That is to say, as much as possible, you should balance the metal, wood, water, fire and earth near your house. For example, it’s best if you have some water flowing nearby. But it’s no good to have too much. You need to use earth to cancel out water.
A:
那土太多呢？ ` duo¯ ne? na` tuˇ tai What if there’s too much earth?
B:
就要用木來協調，多種點花草。你看，風水多環 保啊！ ´ xieti ´ ao, ´ duo¯ zhong ` ˇ huahu ˇ ao. ˇ ¯ a¯ caoc jiuy` dian ` ao y`ong mu` lai ` f¯engshuˇı duo¯ huanb ´ ao ˇ a! nˇı kan,
Visit the Online Review and Discussion (text version).
c
2008 Praxis Language Ltd.
Then you use wood to put them in harmony. Plant some more flowers and grass. Look, fengshui is so good for the environment!
A:
但是現在地皮那麼貴，房子怎麼可能有山有水？ 要麼你腰纏萬貫，買塊地，自己蓋房子。 ` ` ai ` d`ıp´ı name ` ´ dansh` ı xianz gu`ı, f´angzi zˇenme kˇeneng yˇou ´ anguan, ` mai ˇ kuai ` d`ı, ¯ yˇou shuˇı? y`aome nˇı y¯aochanw` shan ` f´angzi. z`ıjˇı gai But land is so expensive these days. How is it possible for a house to have both mountains and water, unless you’re loaded, and you can buy a piece of land, and build your own house.
B:
大環境不行，可以從小環境上改啊！房子先天不 足就靠後天來調整。比如房子不靠水，那就在家 裏放個水族箱。房子周圍沒有樹，那就在陽臺上 養點花唄。 ` anj` ´ ıng b`ux´ıng, kˇeyˇı cong ´ ˇ ´ ıng shang gai ˇ a! dahu xiaohu anj` ` houti ` an ´ tiaozh ´ ˇ ¯ an ¯ b`uzu´ jiu` kao ¯ lai f´angzi xianti eng. bˇıru´ f´ang` shuˇı, na` jiu` zai ` jialˇ ¯ ı f`ang ge shuˇızuxi ¯ zi b`u kao f´angzi ´ ang. ´ meiyˇ ´ ou shu, ` y´angtai ´ shang ` ˇ ¯ ei zhouw yˇang dian ` na` jiu` zai hua¯ bei. If the overall environment is no good, you can change the small details of the environment. If the house is no good you can change it later on. For example, if the house isn’t near water, you can put an aquarium inside. If there are no trees near the house, you can raise some flowers on your balcony.
Visit the Online Review and Discussion (text version).
c
2008 Praxis Language Ltd.
A:
我看這些都是心理作用。如果風水真那麼靈，那 大家還不都成了百萬富翁、長生不老了？ ` zhexi ` e¯ dou ` ong. rugu ¯ sh`ı x¯ınlˇızuoy` ¯ woˇ kan ´ oˇ f¯engshuˇı zhen ` ` a¯ hai ´ b`u dou ´ ˇ anfuw ¯ cheng ¯ name l´ıng, na` daji le baiw` ` eng, ´ ˇ le? ¯ changsh engb` ulao It looks to me like that’s all psychological. If fengshui really works that well, why hasn’t everyone become a millionaire who lives to a ripe old age?
B:
哎，只可惜有你這種打死也不信的人，一輩子沒 錢沒福氣。 ` ong ˇ ˇ ı yˇe b`ux`ın de ren, ´ y¯ıbeizi ` ¯ zhˇı kˇex¯ı yˇou nˇı zhezh ai, dasˇ ´ qian ´ mei ´ fuq` mei ´ ı. Ah, what a pity, you’re one of these people that just won’t believe. You’ll never have money or good fortune.
Key Vocabulary
風水
f¯engshuˇı
fengshui （Chinese geomancy)
玩意兒
w´any`ır
plaything
迷信
m´ıx`ın
superstition
忘本
ˇ w`angben
to forget one’s roots
運勢
yunsh` ı `
fortune
Visit the Online Review and Discussion (text version).
c
2008 Praxis Language Ltd.
前提
´ ı qiant´
premise
管道
ˇ ao ` guand
pipeline
瞎搞
ˇ ¯ ao xiag
to act without a plan
遵
zunx ´ ¯ un
to abide by
五行
wux´ ˇ ıng
the five elements
相生
¯ ¯ xiangsh eng
to reciprocally generate
相克
¯ xiangk` e
to reciprocally destroy
腰纏萬貫
´ any¯aochanw` ` guan
extremely rich
先天
¯ an ¯ xianti
congenital
不足
b`uzu´
inadequate
水族箱
¯ shuˇızuxi ´ ang
aquarium
心理作用
` ong x¯ınlˇızuoy`
placebo effect
長生不老
´ ¯ changsh engb` uˇ lao
eternal youth
Supplementary Vocabulary
Visit the Online Review and Discussion (text version).
c
2008 Praxis Language Ltd.
面相
` ang ` mianxi
face-reading
手相
ˇ ang ` shouxi
palm-reading
命運
m`ıngyun `
destiny
算卦
` suangu a`
fortune-telling
風水寶地
ˇ ı f¯engshuˇıbaod`
a place fengshui
Visit the Online Review and Discussion (text version).
with
good
c
2008 Praxis Language Ltd.
(E)
小周，研究甚麼呢？ ˇ Zhou, ´ ¯ y´anjiu¯ shenme Xiao ne? Hey Xiao Zhou, what are you researching?
B:
哦，我快買房子了，正在看關於風水的書。 ` mai ˇ f´angzi le, zhengz ` ` kan ` guany ¯ u´ f¯engshuˇı de o, woˇ kuai ai shu. ¯ Oh, I’m going to buy a house soon. Right now I’m reading some books about fengshui.
A:
你還真信這玩意兒？風水都是古人的迷信，沒什 麼科學依據。換了是我，我肯定更看重房子的結 構、地段、配套設施和升值空間。 ´ zhen ´ de m´ı¯ x`ın zhe` w´any`ır? f¯engshuˇı dou ¯ sh`ı gur nˇı hai ˇ en ´ enme ´ ` le sh`ı wo, ˇ woˇ kˇend`ıng x`ın, meish k¯exue´ y¯ıju. ` huan ` ` ` ´ ou, ` d`ıduan, ` peit ` ao ` shesh¯ ` ı he´ geng kanzh ong f´angzi de jieg ¯ ¯ shengzh´ ı k¯ongjian. You still believe in that stuff? Fengshui is ancient superstition. There’s no scientific proof for it. If it were me, I’d think even more about the house’s construction, location, facilities and room for appreciation in value.
B:
你看看你，忘本啊。風水可是我們老祖宗依據 世間萬物、宇宙能量、環境等方方面面總結出來 的。風水好，就代表這些因素和人達到了陰陽平 衡，很有道理的。要想住得舒服、運勢好，好風 水肯定是前提。
Visit the Online Review and Discussion (text version).
c
2008 Praxis Language Ltd.
` ˇ a. f¯engshuˇı kˇesh`ı women ˇ ˇ zuz¯ nˇı kankan nˇı, w`angben lao ˇ ong ` nengli ´ ` ´ ıng deng ˇ ¯ w`anwu, y¯ıju` sh`ıjian ang, huanj` f¯ang` yuzh ˇ ou ` ` zˇongjie´ chul ´ de. f¯engshuˇı hao, ˇ jiu` daibi ` ao ˇ f¯angmianmi an ¯ ai ` e¯ y¯ınsu` he´ ren ´ dad ´ ao ` le y¯ıny´ang p´ıngheng, ´ ˇ yˇou zhexi hen ` ı de. y`aoxiang ˇ ˇ hao ˇ f¯engshuˇı daolˇ zhu` de shufu, yunsh` ı hao, ` ¯ ´ ı. kˇend`ıng sh`ı qiant´ Look at you– forgetting your roots! Fengshui is great. It comes from our ancestors’ summation of the world, the power of the universe, and every aspect of the environment. It represents how these factors and people have reached a balance of yinyang. It makes a lot of sense. If you want to live comfortably, and have good fortune, good fengshui is absolutely necessary.
A:
那麻煩就大了。我有個朋友，風水師硬叫他把廁 所安到原先的書房裏。書房哪有管道啊，這不是 瞎搞嘛？ ´ ´ na` mafan jiu` da` le. woˇ yˇou ge pengyou, f¯engshuˇısh¯ı y`ıng ` ta¯ baˇ cesu ` oˇ and ` yuanxi ´ an ¯ ao ¯ de shuf´ jiao ¯ ang lˇı. shuf´ ¯ ang ˇ ou guand ˇ ao ` a, zhe` b`u sh`ı xiag ˇ ma? ¯ ao nayˇ Ah, then that’s a big hassle. I have a friend– a fengshui master insisted that he should move his bathroom to where his study was originally supposed to be. Isn’t that just blindly stirring up trouble, putting pipes in the study?
Visit the Online Review and Discussion (text version).
c
2008 Praxis Language Ltd.
B:
不否認是有些風水師瞎說。正統的風水要遵五行 相生又相克的基本原則。也就是說，你房子附近 的金、木、水、火、土要儘可能地平衡。比如， 最好有水流過，但水太 多也不行，要用土去克 水。 ` sh`ı yˇouxie¯ f¯engshuˇısh¯ı xiashu ` ˇ ¯ ¯ zhengt b`u fˇouren o. ong de ¯ ¯ ¯ f¯engshuˇı y`ao zunx eng y`ou xiangk` e de j¯ı´ wux´ ˇ ıng xiangsh ¯ un ˇ ´ e. yˇejiush` ¯ nˇı f´angzi fuj` benyu anz´ ` ıshuo, ` ın de j¯ın, mu, ` shuˇı, ˇ tuˇ y`ao jˇın kˇeneng ´ ´ ˇ yˇou shuˇı huo, de p´ıngheng. bˇıru, ´ zu`ıhao ` shuˇı tai ` duo¯ yˇe b`ux´ıng, y`ao y`ong tuˇ qu` k`e shuˇı. liugu ´ o` , dan There’s no denying that some fengshui masters will say anything. Traditional fengshui respects the principles of mutual creation and destruction among the five elements. That is to say, as much as possible, you should balance the metal, wood, water, fire and earth near your house. For example, it’s best if you have some water flowing nearby. But it’s no good to have too much. You need to use earth to cancel out water.
A:
那土太多呢？ ` duo¯ ne? na` tuˇ tai What if there’s too much earth?
B:
就要用木來協調，多種點花草。你看，風水多環 保啊！ ´ xieti ´ ao, ´ duo¯ zhong ` ˇ huahu ˇ ao. ˇ ¯ a¯ caoc jiuy` dian ` ao y`ong mu` lai ` f¯engshuˇı duo¯ huanb ´ ao ˇ a! nˇı kan,
Visit the Online Review and Discussion (text version).
c
2008 Praxis Language Ltd.
Then you use wood to put them in harmony. Plant some more flowers and grass. Look, fengshui is so good for the environment!
A:
但是現在地皮那麼貴，房子怎麼可能有山有水？ 要麼你腰纏萬貫，買塊地，自己蓋房子。 ` ` ai ` d`ıp´ı name ` ´ dansh` ı xianz gu`ı, f´angzi zˇenme kˇeneng yˇou ´ anguan, ` mai ˇ kuai ` d`ı, ¯ yˇou shuˇı? y`aome nˇı y¯aochanw` shan ` f´angzi. z`ıjˇı gai But land is so expensive these days. How is it possible for a house to have both mountains and water, unless you’re loaded, and you can buy a piece of land, and build your own house.
B:
大環境不行，可以從小環境上改啊！房子先天不 足就靠後天來調整。比如房子不靠水，那就在家 裏放個水族箱。房子周圍沒有樹，那就在陽臺上 養點花唄。 ` anj` ´ ıng b`ux´ıng, kˇeyˇı cong ´ ˇ ´ ıng shang gai ˇ a! dahu xiaohu anj` ` houti ` an ´ tiaozh ´ ˇ ¯ an ¯ b`uzu´ jiu` kao ¯ lai f´angzi xianti eng. bˇıru´ f´ang` shuˇı, na` jiu` zai ` jialˇ ¯ ı f`ang ge shuˇızuxi ¯ zi b`u kao f´angzi ´ ang. ´ meiyˇ ´ ou shu, ` y´angtai ´ shang ` ˇ ¯ ei zhouw yˇang dian ` na` jiu` zai hua¯ bei. If the overall environment is no good, you can change the small details of the environment. If the house is no good you can change it later on. For example, if the house isn’t near water, you can put an aquarium inside. If there are no trees near the house, you can raise some flowers on your balcony.
Visit the Online Review and Discussion (text version).
c
2008 Praxis Language Ltd.
A:
我看這些都是心理作用。如果風水真那麼靈，那 大家還不都成了百萬富翁、長生不老了？ ` zhexi ` e¯ dou ` ong. rugu ¯ sh`ı x¯ınlˇızuoy` ¯ woˇ kan ´ oˇ f¯engshuˇı zhen ` ` a¯ hai ´ b`u dou ´ ˇ anfuw ¯ cheng ¯ name l´ıng, na` daji le baiw` ` eng, ´ ˇ le? ¯ changsh engb` ulao It looks to me like that’s all psychological. If fengshui really works that well, why hasn’t everyone become a millionaire who lives to a ripe old age?
B:
哎，只可惜有你這種打死也不信的人，一輩子沒 錢沒福氣。 ` ong ˇ ˇ ı yˇe b`ux`ın de ren, ´ y¯ıbeizi ` ¯ zhˇı kˇex¯ı yˇou nˇı zhezh ai, dasˇ ´ qian ´ mei ´ fuq` mei ´ ı. Ah, what a pity, you’re one of these people that just won’t believe. You’ll never have money or good fortune.
Key Vocabulary
風水
f¯engshuˇı
fengshui （Chinese geomancy)
玩意兒
w´any`ır
plaything
迷信
m´ıx`ın
superstition
忘本
ˇ w`angben
to forget one’s roots
運勢
yunsh` ı `
fortune
Visit the Online Review and Discussion (text version).
c
2008 Praxis Language Ltd.
前提
´ ı qiant´
premise
管道
ˇ ao ` guand
pipeline
瞎搞
ˇ ¯ ao xiag
to act without a plan
遵
zunx ´ ¯ un
to abide by
五行
wux´ ˇ ıng
the five elements
相生
¯ ¯ xiangsh eng
to reciprocally generate
相克
¯ xiangk` e
to reciprocally destroy
腰纏萬貫
´ any¯aochanw` ` guan
extremely rich
先天
¯ an ¯ xianti
congenital
不足
b`uzu´
inadequate
水族箱
¯ shuˇızuxi ´ ang
aquarium
心理作用
` ong x¯ınlˇızuoy`
placebo effect
長生不老
´ ¯ changsh engb` uˇ lao
eternal youth
Supplementary Vocabulary
Visit the Online Review and Discussion (text version).
c
2008 Praxis Language Ltd.
面相
` ang ` mianxi
face-reading
手相
ˇ ang ` shouxi
palm-reading
命運
m`ıngyun `
destiny
算卦
` suangu a`
fortune-telling
風水寶地
ˇ ı f¯engshuˇıbaod`
a place fengshui
Visit the Online Review and Discussion (text version).
with
good
c
2008 Praxis Language Ltd.
