Ancient Confucianism books to be translated into 9 foreign languages
A team of international experts is to translate the essential books of Confucianism studies, “Five Classics,” into nine foreign languages.
The “Five Classics,” or “Wujing” in Chinese, is a body of five ancient books about Confucianism studies.
The five books are: Yijing (Classic of Changes), Shijing (Classic of Poetry), Liji (Classic of Rites), Shujing (Classic of History) and Chunqiu (Spring and Autumn Annals). The last one is said to be written by the great philosopher and educator Confucius himself.
Until now, there have been no comprehensive foreign language translations of these books.
Experts said only parts of the work had been translated into French, English and German, but these versions were very dated and scarce outside professional libraries of Chinese culture.
”A translation of the ‘Wujing’ is urgently needed. Only by translating a complete set of the work will the essence of Chinese culture be fully recognized and accepted by the international community,” said Xu Lin, director of the Office of
Chinese Language Council International, in Beijing on Monday at a meeting on the study and translation of the Five Classics.
The project was first launched by the office in 2008 after suggestions from international experts and scholars.
The translation committee consists of more than 30 experts and scholars from China, the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Italy and Israel.
The committee is currently mapping a detailed schedule for the translation.
The experts will first spend three and a half years completing the Chinese-to-English version on which the translations into French, German, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi and Malay will be based.
Each foreign language version will have a preface, notes and explanations to guide foreign readers, Xu said.
It is estimated that the “Wujing,” with around 700,000 Chinese characters, will translate into about a million English words.
Hao Ping, vice minister of education, said the “Wujing” would make clear how the ancient Chinese people thought of the relationship between human beings and nature, and enable them to understand why modern Chinese cherish harmony and peace.
The project comes amid booming interest in Chinese culture as 256 Confucius Institutes for Chinese language study have been set up in 81 countries as of March.
The government’s goal is to establish 500 institutes by 2010, said the Office of Chinese Language Council International.
Statistics show at the end of 2008, more than 40 million foreigners around the world were learning Chinese in 3,000 schools in 100 countries.
Accepting apologies in Chinese
1.
bié dān xīn
别担心。
Don’t worry about it.
2.
wàng le tā bɑ。
忘了它吧。
Let’s forget it.
3.
méi guān xì 。
没关系。
It doesn’t matter.
4.
zhè shì kě néng fā shēng zài rèn hé rén shēn shàng 。
这事可能发生在任何人身上。
It could have happened to anyone.
5.
wǒ men dōu huì fàn cuò wù 。
我们都会犯错误。
We all make mistakes.
6.
zhè zhēn de bù zhòng yào 。
这真的不重要。
It’s really of no important.
7.
nǐ què shí méi shén me kě yǐ dào qiàn de 。
你确实没什么可以道歉的。
You really don’t have anything to apologize for.
Candidates from over 60 countries attend Chinese Proficiency Competition
A total of 113 candidates from over 60 countries are attending the semi-final and final rounds of the 8th Chinese Bridge–Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students, the Office of Chinese Language Council International (OCLCI) said Friday.
Deputy Director of the office Wang Yongli said the competition this year will be held in Changsha, capital of central China’s Hunan Province from July 9 to August 7.
Competitors will be required to give lectures in the Chinese language, answer questions on Chinese culture and other knowledge. They will contest for six top prizes, six second prizes and 18 third prizes.
Apart from competitions, candidates will also have tours in Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao to experience local customs and lives. Prize winners will receive scholarships sponsored by the Chinese government to allow further study in China, according to Wang.
Demand for learning the Chinese language has seen a quick rise in recent years, as China deepens its opening up policies and makes economic achievements.
Statistics from the OCLCI show that more than 40 million people overseas are learning Chinese.
”The competition not only offered a platform for young foreign learners to show their language talent, but also allowed more foreign people know about China”, Wang said.
The annual competition was initiated in 2002 and has brought 593 candidates from 50 countries to China.
Malaysia to set up its first Confucius Institute
China and Malaysia signed an agreement here Wednesday to establish the first Confucius Institute in Malaysia.
Ghauth Jasmon, vice president of University of Malaya (UM), and Ma Jianfei, deputy director-general of the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban), signed the agreement on setting up the institute at the university.
Hao Ping, Chinese Vice Minister of Education, and Hou Kok Chung, Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of Higher Education, also attended the signing ceremony.
As the exchanges between China and Malaysia has been increasingly intensified, more and more Malaysians are interested in learning the Chinese language and many Chinese students are also interested in learning the Malay language, Hao said.
The establishment of the Confucius Institute will have a positive influence on the Chinese-language learning in Malaysia and further enhance the understanding and friendship between the peoples of the two countries, he said.
Hao also said the renowned University of Malaya has vast contacts with various universities in China and it has contributed significantly to the friendly exchanges between Malaysia and China.
Hou said the university has close academic and research cooperation with some outstanding universities in China, including the Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU).
Hou said in a speech that the Confucius Institute is a non-profit public institute which promotes the Chinese language to everyone, who are interested in it, in an organized and proper manner.
”I am confident that the Confucius Institute will become a benchmark for the teaching of Chinese language in Malaysia,” he said.
The establishment of the institute will provide a new platform for Malaysians with different ethic backgrounds to learn Chinese, Hou noted.
Jasmon also noted that the collaboration was another milestone in Malaysia-China’s strong relationship.
China’s Ambassador to Malaysia Liu Jian was present at the signing ceremony.
According to the agreement, UM and BFSU will jointly manage the Confucius Institute that will be set up at the City Campus of UM.
Rwanda: Confucius Institute Unveiled in Kigali
Kigali — The Confucius Institute, a Chinese teaching institute was unveiled at Kigali Institute of Education last week.
Guests who attended the unveiling ceremony included the Vice Secretary General of the People’s Municipal Government of Chongqing, China, and Chinese envoy Sun Shuzhong.
Last year, before the institute formally started, a pact establishing it was signed between KIE and China’s Chongqing Normal University (CNU).
In his speech, KIE Rector – Prof. George Njoroge hailed Rwanda-China cooperation, a cooperation which he noted, led to the establishment of the institute.
Njoroge outlined the goals of the institution and the importance of teaching Chinese language and culture and stressed that language was a vehicle and promoter of shared understanding and development among people.
The first class – 32 KIE students, started on April 17 but the number has steadily increased, compelling the institute which has been dubbed CIKIE, to conduct two classes weekly.
Chinese is also taught at Riviera High School in Gasabo district.
CIKIE is a non-profit institute promoting Chinese language and culture in Rwanda.
北京大学09年在职汉语国际教育硕士招生简章
为提高我国汉语国际推广能力，加快汉语走向世界，培养适应汉语国际推广新形势需要的国内外从事汉语作为第二语言/外语教学和传播中华文化的专门人才，“汉语国际教育”是指面向海外母语非汉语者的汉语教学。汉语国际教育硕士专业学位英文名称为“Master of Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages”，简称MTCSOL。
根据国务院学位委员会《关于2009年招收在职人员攻读硕士学位工作的通知》(学位办［2009］33号)的精神和要求，我校2009年继续招收在职攻读汉语国际教育硕士(MTCSOL)专业学位学生。
一、报名条件及招生对象
2009年7月31日前国民教育序列大学本科或本科以上毕业并取得学历证书(一般应有学士学位)，热爱汉语国际推广事业，外语水平高，普通话标准，从事对外汉语教学或有志于从事汉语国际推广工作的在职人员。重点招收各级各类学校教师、外语专业毕业的在职人员、国际汉语教师志愿者。
符合报考条件的人员，资格审查表由所在单位人事部门填写推荐意见。
我校2009年计划招生30人。
二、报名方式、时间、地点
采取网上报名与现场确认相结合的方式。
网上报名时间为7月上旬。各省级学位与研究生教育主管部门确定所辖考区网上报名具体时间和网址，由教育部学位与研究生教育发展中心(以下简称“学位中心”)汇总后于6月25日前在学位中心网址(http：//www.cdgdc.edu.cn/zz09.html)公布。考生在网报的规定时间内，通过互联网登录有关省级主管部门指定网站，按照要求填写、提交报考信息。考生网上报名成功，系统将自动生成《2009年在职人员攻读硕士学位资格审查表》。
现场确认时间为7月中旬，应于7月20日前完成。由各省级主管部门将根据本地区情况作具体安排，并在网上报名阶段告知考生。
考生在规定的现场确认时间内，到指定现场报名点照相、确认报名信息。考生在现场确认时，应提供相关材料证明其符合报考汉语国际教育硕士的条件，供现场确认点工作人员审验，同时现场打印资格审查表并由考生本人签字确认。报名信息一经签字确认，今后一律不得更改，由此造成的一切后果由考生自负。
考生既可在招生单位所在地指定地点报名、考试，也可在考生工作地指定地点报名、考试。
三、资格审查
报考者在网上填写报名信息前，须进行报考资格自审，请认真阅读本简章上的报名条件，确定自己是否符合报考资格。
考生须将现场打印的资格审查表交所在单位人事部门(或档案管理部门)，核准表中内容、填写推荐意见，并在电子照片上加盖公章。如考生持境外学历、学位报考，须经教育部留学服务中心认证，资格审查时须提交认证报告。
报考资格审查将在复试阶段由北京大学对外汉语教育学院负责组织。届时报考者须出示以下材料：
1。资格审查表。
2。身份证原件及复印件。
3。大学本科毕业证书、学士学位证书原件及复印件。
4. 境外学历、学位的相关认证报告原件及复印件。
对于不符合报考条件或提供虚假信息的报考者不予录取，责任由考生自负。
四、考试科目
初试为全国联考，即硕士学位研究生入学资格考试(GCT)。联考考试大纲为《硕士学位研究生入学资格考试指南》(科学技术文献出版社)。考生自选GCT考试外语语种，取得的GCT成绩当年有效。国家汉语国际推广领导小组办公室将根据汉语国际推广工作对师资人才的需求情况，指定部分培养院校的培养语种，具体事宜由国家汉语国际推广领导小组办公室另行通知。
复试为政治理论、专业知识与技能考试(包括笔试与面试)、外语听说水平考试。专业知识与技能考试侧重汉语言文字学专业知识、汉语或外语教学技能、教师潜质考核，具体由北京大学对外汉语教育学院负责组织。
五、考试时间及地点
在职人员攻读硕士学位入学考试全国联考的时间为2009年11月1日上午8：30-11：30。考生入场时将核验准考证、身份证件。
政治理论及专业知识与技能复试时间，将于GCT考试成绩公布后两周内在北京大学对外汉语教育学院网页(http://hanyu.pku.edu.cn)公布。届时达到北京大学复试分数线的考生请携带复试通知书、准考证和资格审查资料参加。
六、录取与入学
根据初试和复试成绩择优录取。2010年初公布录取结果并发放录取通知书，2010年春季入学，并在学校规定的时间内办理报到注册手续。办理报到注册手续时，我校将再次审查本科毕业证书和学位证书原件。
七、学制与培养方式
1。学制：一般为3年，含授课时间、论文写作和论文答辩时间。
2。学分：总学分不低于32学分。
3。学习方式：非全日制在职攻读；主要利用周末或晚上授课。
4。培养目标：
根据国务院学位办有关MTCSOL培养方案的要求和北京大学的特色优势，我们将以培养高层次、应用型、复合型汉语国际教育专门人才为目标，以培养学生的汉语教学实践技能为主，同时注重培养学生外语能力和中华文化传播能力等。
北京大学还将突出自身多学科综合优势，着重培养学生掌握较先进的教育教学理念及对教学实践的反思能力，培养学生在教学实践方面的自我发展能力，以及和汉语言文学、中外文化、教育教学相关的综合素质能力等。
5。培养方法：采用课堂教学与国内外教学实习相结合的方式进行。
6. 课程安排：入学后1年半～2年，修完培养方案规定的必修课、相关选修课，修满规定学分，进入论文撰写、开题及最后答辩阶段。相关必修课和选修课程有：(1)公共必修课(北京大学研究生院统一安排课程和上课时间)：政治、外语；(2)专业必修课：汉语语言学导论(2学分)、汉语作为第二语言教学法(2学分)、第二语言习得概论(2学分)、中华文化与跨文化交际(2学分)、课堂教学研究(2学分)；(3)部分选修课(包括四大门类)：语言类(汉语语音概说、汉语语法概说、汉语词汇概说)、教学类(汉语教材分析与编写、现代技术与语言教学、汉语教学实践课堂)、教育类和文化类(教师发展概论、国别与地域文化)。学生所选修的课程至少涵盖其中3大类，学分至少修满12学分。每学期专业必修课和选修课课程会根据当年学期的任课教师情况做出具体安排。
八、学位授予
学位论文应与汉语国际教育或推广紧密结合。论文类型包括理论研究、调查分析报告、个案研究、毕业设计等多种形式。
在职学生在规定年限之内修满学分，课程考试与教学实习合格，并通过学位论文答辩者，经校学位评定委员会审核批准后，授予汉语国际教育硕士(MTCSOL)专业学位。
九、学费
学费为42000元人民币。分两次交清，其中第一学年交纳25000元，第二学年交纳17000元。
学生食宿及医疗费自理。
十、招生咨询
1。北京大学对外汉语教育学院
电话：010-62751916(仪文兰、王戎老师)
地址：北京大学勺园2号楼四层对外汉语教育学院办公室(2－412室)
邮编：100871
网址：http://hanyu.pku.edu.cn
2。北京大学研究生招生办公室，电话：010－62751354,010－62756913
地址：北京大学红二楼一层2102房间 ，邮编：100871
网址：http://grs.pku.edu.cn/
北京大学研究生招生办公室
二〇〇九年六月
One of My Summer Activities
美国的大学通常都会对学生参加的课外活动感兴趣，比如志愿者、实习生、工作经历、或者学校组织的不属于学习课程范畴的项目等。因为中国高考并不看重这方便的内容，所以很多学生会问我们怎么参加课外活动，课外活动为什么很重要。下面我就和你们分享一下我的一段暑期经历。
当我15岁的时候，也就是我在高中一年级的暑假(相当于中国制度的初三)，我在《达拉斯早报》(《达拉斯早报》在美国是一份大报纸，但是因为我从小在达拉斯长大，这个报纸对于我来说更像一个地方报纸)中浏览一个关于最近一部电影的评论，准备计划我的周末活动。那段评论是关于一部有点粗制滥造的喜剧，如果我没有记错的话，是Adam Sandler主演的一部美国式幽默。评论的作者对于这部喜剧电影的评价很低。虽然评论员对于影片的评价是正确的，但是我在想，一个资深评论员却要去评论一个很傻的片子，真是一种浪费，这种简单的幽默影片一般是为了青少年人拍摄的。
思考之外，我给报纸的主编写了一封邮件。我尝试着向她仔细说明为什么我认为让资深评论员写这样的评论既是浪费他自己的时间，也是在浪费读者的时间。资深评论员和他的读者可能没有任何的共同点。毕竟我才只有15岁，我并不期待我的邮件有多大的说服力，但是，出乎我的意料，我收到了主编的回复，她说她也多次思考过我提出来的问题，并且很有兴趣和我面谈一次。一两周之后，我和主编见面了，那次见面结果变成了一个不正是的面试。因为我从来没有发表过文章，所以她决定让我试着写一些文章来证明我写作的实力。
主编希望我能写一些在娱乐方面年轻人感兴趣的话题。我非常地激动，几天之后，我就写完了一个关于我刚参加的摇滚音乐会。几年之后再次读到我当时写的文章，真觉得我写得巨烂无比，不过，又有什么关系呢？我的激情显而易见，后来主编让我写了一个电影评论，15岁，我成为了一个记者。
至少，我认为我成为了一个记者。有一些作家反对在报纸上刊登我的文章，因为报纸的版面是有限的，哪些四五十岁的作家可不愿意和一个15岁的孩子竞争。当时，我也不算一个很伟大的作家，u也不太有希望给记者世界带去什么变革。最终，我一共写了(参与到)10篇文章，也可能更少。有一些文章是关于电影的，有一些是关于学生们反对对伊战争的，有一些是青少年对性的态度，有一写是学生们关于2004年总统大选的观点。
作为报纸的一个小小的部分，我却学到了记者界的很多东西。工作和学习的差别真的太大了，虽然后来我没有兴趣成为一名记者，但是这段经历让我思考了更多以后想做的事情。同时，它也教会我，机会是要去争取的。当申请大学的时候，我觉得这段短期的记者经历教会我的东西比我写的文章更有价值。它不光展现了我的好奇心和课堂之外的执著，它更让我明白我在大学和生活中想要什么东西。继续学习吧。杰生
College applications often look at a student’s performance outside of class in so-called extracurricular activities: volunteer positions, internships, employment, or projects and clubs organized by school but not part of a class. Because this is not an aspect necessary for admission to Chinese universities, many students ask us how to begin becoming involved in such activities and why it is important. Below is a story from one of my own summer vacations。
When I was 15, I read a review for a recent movie release in The Dallas Morning News. It is a somewhat large newspaper in the US, but I had spent most of my life in Dallas, so The Dallas Morning News was my “local” newspaper. It was the summer after my freshman year in high school, roughly equivalent to 初三 in the Chinese system, and I was flipping through [1] the movie review section to make plans for the weekend。
This article reviewed a crude [2], immature comedy–if I remember correctly, a comedy starring Adam Sandler–that was just the sort of silly humor that many people around the world tease Americans for enjoying. The writer, of course, gave the movie a terrible rating. While he may have been correct in his criticism, it seemed odd to me that a critic who probably considered film a profound art form [3] would waste his time writing a review about a silly, thoughtless movie that targeted young adults。
Rather than just think about it, though, I wrote a letter–okay, an e-mail–to the newspaper editor. I attempted to clearly and reasonably explain why I thought the writer was wasting both his and his readers’ time: he probably had nothing in common [4] with the audience that would be interested in the topic of his article。
Since I was only 15, I imagine my letter was not very convincing, but, to my surprise, I received a response from the editor saying that she had often thought about many of the points I raised and that she was interested in talking to me more about it. A week or two later, the editor and I met, and our discussion quickly became an informal interview. I had no experience with published writing, so she decided to assign me a couple of trial articles to demonstrate my abilities。
The editor wanted me to focus on topics that were primarily interesting to young people, especially topics in the entertainment industry. I was excited, and within a few days I had written a piece about a rock concert I had attended. I remember reading it again a few years after I had written it and thinking how terrible it was, but I’m not sure how much it mattered [5]. My enthusiasm was apparent, so the editor assigned me to a movie review, and, at the age of 15, I had become a journalist。
At least, I believed I had. The other writers largely resisted the inclusion of my writing in the newspaper. Newspapers have a limited amount of available space on which to publish, and writers in their 40s and 50s were not very excited about the possibility of having to compete with a 15-year-old. I was also not a great writer at the time, and it was unlikely that I would bring progress to the world of journalism. In the end, I wrote or was a major contributor to only ten articles, maybe less. Among them were articles about movies, student protests against the Iraq War, teenage sexuality, and young student voters’ perspectives on the 2004 Presidential Election。
Simply by being a small part of a newspaper, however, I learned an enormous amount about the journalism industry. Working was also very different from studying, and while I did not have an interest in pursuing journalism in the future, it helped me think much more about what I wanted to do in life. The experience also taught me that opportunities were there for those who pursued them. When I applied to college, I think the experience and perspective I gained from my short life as a journalist were far more valuable than the actual articles I wrote, not simply because they showed my intellectual curiosity [6] and commitment beyond the classroom [7], but because they taught me more about what I wanted from college and life。
Keep learning,
Jason 杰生
Apologies conversation in Chinese 1
A：请进，麦克。见到你很高兴。
Come in, Mike. Nice to meet you.
B：晚上好。很抱歉我来晚了。
Good evening, i’m very sorry to be late.
A：没关系。你能来，我很高兴。
It’s OK. I’m very glad you could come.
B：你知道，我差点找不到你的房子。我没有记清楚你房间的号码。
You know, i couldn’t find your house. I mean, i didn’t quite remember the number of the house.
A：也许是因为我自己没有说清楚。
Maybe i didn’t make myself clear.
B：不，是我的错误，我记忆力很差。
No, it was my fault. I’ve got a bad memory.
A：好了，没事了。请脱下你的外套放松放松。
Well, it’s perfectly all right. Take off you coat and make youself comfortable.
B：谢谢。
Thanks.
Expressing apologies in Chinese
1. 我确实得为我所做的事道歉。
I do apologize for all that i’ve done.
2.我得为我说的话道歉。
I must apologize for what i’ve said.
3.我无法向您表示我的歉意。
I cann’t tell you how sorry i am.
4.请原谅我打碎了你的花瓶。
Please forgive me for breaking your vase.
5.我对这事故十分抱歉。
I’m awfully sorry about the accident.
6.请原谅我的鲁莽。
Please overlook my rudeness.
7.抱歉，我来迟了。
I’m sorry i am late.
8.请接收我的歉意。
Please accept my apologizes.
9.对不起，让您久等了。
Sorry to have kept you wating.
10.我非常非常抱歉。
I am extramelly sorry.
Lesson 010 Numbers: 6 7 8 9 10
Y: Perfect Chinese your way, in only five minutes a day. Hi, everyone, glad to have you with us again on Chinese Studio. I’m Yajie.
C: Good morning, I’m Cam. Last time we learned some numbers. 0 líng, 1 yī, 2 èr, 3 sān, 4 sì, 5 wǔ, and what’s the topic this time?
Y: Today will learn the remaining numbers! Let’s check the Key words of the day!
*****************Key words of the day
This time we’ll learn five more numbers, and they are: 6 7 8 9 10. All in today’s Chinese Studio.
****************
C: Yajie, how do you say 6 and 7 in Chinese?
Y: 6 is liù, forth tone, liù. And 7 is qī, first tone. (starting to imitate the sound sent by a pan when the food’s boiling. )
C: liù, qī.
Y: Right, for example, you can say “六本书” or “七本书”。Běn is a measure word for books, and shū means book. So “六本书” “七本书”
C: 六本书 七本书。
C: Good, then what’s 8 and 9 in Chinese?
Y: 8 is bā. And 9 is jiǔ, third tone. bā , jiǔ.
C: bā, jiǔ. And what happens if we put these two the other way around, as in, jiu ba?
Y: That means bar! It’s a totally different word!
C: I will have to remember that!
Y: And you might go to the bar at 8 o’clock or 9 o’clock. 八点，九点。Diǎn means o’clock. 八点，eight o’clock 九点 nine o’clock。
C: 八点，九点．
C: OK, we have only 10 left. What’s 10?
Y: 10 is shí, second tone. Shí.
C: shí.
Y: Yeah, then how do you say “10 books” and “10 o’clock” in Chinese?
C: I see. It’s “十本书” and “十点”.
Y: Right, “十本书” “ 十点 ”.
****************Key words reminder
6 7 8 9 10，六本书， 七本书，八点，十点。
****************
Y: Now let’s review. Today we learned how to say another five more numbers in Chinese. And they are 6 7 8 9 10 (liù qī bā jiǔ shí).
C: 6 7 8…(liù qī bā). Sorry, I can’t follow you. 6 (liù) is six, and 7(qī) is seven, 8 (bā) is eight. How do you say nine and ten again?
Y: nine is 9 (jiǔ) in Chinese. 9 (jiǔ).
C: 9 (jiǔ).
Y: And ten is 10 (shí). The second tone, 10 (shí).
C: 10 (shí).
Y: Right. We also learned some phrases. How do you say six books?
C: Let me see. Is it六本书(liù běn shū)?
Y: Well done. It is 六本书. Then how do you say eight o’clock?
C: It’s八点(bā diǎn). 点(diǎn) here means o’clock.
Y: And nine o’clock is?
C: It’s九点. (jiǔ diǎn)
Y: What about ten o’clock?
C: Is it十点 (shí diǎn)?
Y: Yes. OK, that’s it for today. You can win a CRI gift by answering the question of the day: What time is it?
C: Yep, that’s quite easy. You can send us questions or comments to Chinese@crifm.com. That’s Chinese@crifm.com. Or you can visit us on our website at en.chinabroadcast.cn. Click learn Chinese, where you can enjoy other free Chinese-learning programs.
Y: Well class is over. 再见!
C: 再见!