A：张先生，你的英语讲得很好。
Mr.Zhang, you speak excellent English.
B：谢谢。
Thank you.
A：你在哪学的？
Then where did you learn it?
B：就在中国。
Just in China.
A：你到过英语国家吗？
Have you ever been to any English-speaking country?
B：还没有。可我们有很多很好的老师，而且我们也从英国聘请了一些老师和教学专家。
No, not yet. But we have a lot of good teachers and we also invite teachers and teaching experts from English-speaking country.
A：真了不起。你的英语讲得真棒。
It’s indeed amaing. Your English is certainly superb.
B：谢谢。
Thanks。
1.你真幸运！
You’re a lucky man!
2.你看起来真棒！
You look very smart!
3.太美了！
You’re so beautiful!
4.对于你的成功我很钦佩。
I must express my admiration for your success.
5.这件衣服非常适合你。
The dress is absolutely made for you.
6.你的确很难干，祝贺你。
You’re really very capable, my compliment to you.
7.我认为你应该得到最高的赞赏。
I think you deserve the hightest praise.
I am Jean, a student from South Korea studying at BISS Nanxiang. I have six subjects this term, and almost everyday I have Mandarin lessons. I have already learnt Mandarin for two years and I will take the Mandarin IGCSE test in 2010. At the beginning, I couldn’t speak Chinese at all. I felt Chinese was very difficult to learn. My teacher spoke Mandarin in class and I couldn’t understand. I worried that I couldn’t keep up but my teacher, Ms Jin, said that listening could help cultivate our listening comprehension. When I couldn’t understand sometimes, Jin would give us some clues to help us understand. Gradually, from basic phrases and dialogues, I began to understand what my teacher was saying. Chinese characters for many students are a little hard to write and to remember, but writing for me is not a problem. I felt my great achievement in Mandarin lessons is to speak out bravely. During class, we practised speaking a lot. We went over dialogue, we made sentences, we answered reading comprehension questions and we did a survey. At first, I could only say words and speak in simple sentences. Even though I still can’t speak fluently and I am a little shy when I speak, because I practiced and had encouragement from my teacher and classmates, I can speak in front of other students. I always listen to my teacher’s articulation and pronunciation. In my homeroom class, there are some native Chinese speakers and when I meet some words that I don’t know, I ask them without hesitation. Now, I can easily introduce my school, friends and my life in Shanghai. I have many ideas in my mind and I want to share them with my teacher and other students. I am proud that I can express myself properly. Being able to speak Chinese is very convenient in my daily life in China and I can also make more Chinese friends. I love this feeling! Now, I think I can speak Chinese better than before, but in the future I know I will be a great Chinese speaker! (Shanghai Daily June 17, 2009)
很久很久以前，楚国有一个商人，一天他到市场上去卖自己制造的矛和盾。 他大声的叫卖，有很多人围过来看，他举起盾说：“我的盾是世界上最坚固的，无论怎样锋利的东西也不能刺穿它!” 接着，他又拿起一支矛，得意地说：“我的矛是世界上最锋利的，无论怎样坚固的东西也能刺穿!”这时一位围观的人上前拿起他的一支矛和一面盾问道：“如果用这支矛去刺这面盾，结果会怎样呢?” 这个人一下子回答不出来，最后只好灰溜溜地扛着矛和盾走了。
Once upon a time, there was a businessman in Chu Kingdom. One day, he sold his spear and shield in the market. He told people, “My spear is the sharpest spear in the world. It can pierce everything. And my shield is the solidest in the world. Nothing can destroy it.” Then somebody asked him, “If we use your spear to pierce your shield, what will happen?” The businessman didn’t know how to reply.
词语注释:
楚国：(chǔ guó) n. Chu state; 中国的春秋战国时代（公元前770-公元前256）的一个诸侯国。
商人：(shāng rén) n. businessman; merchant; dealer.
矛：(máo) n. lancer; 古代兵器，长柄，装有金属枪头，用以刺杀敌人。
盾：(dùn) n. shield; 古代兵器，用来保护自己、抵档敌人刺杀。
坚固：(jiān gù) adj. firm; solid; cast-iron.
锋利：(fēng lì) adj. sharp; knife-edged.
刺穿：(cì chuān) v. cut through; impale; pierce; transpierce.
得意：(dé yì) adj. complacent.
围观：(wéi guān) v. look surround
扛：(káng) v. lift with hands
意义:
自相矛盾：Be self-contradictory
比喻语言、行动前后不一致或互相抵触。
例句:
你说手机没电了，却刚给他打了电话，这不是自相矛盾吗？
You said his cell phone ran off power but you called him just now. Isn’t it contradictory?
你刚才的话前后自相矛盾，别人不知道该怎么理解。
What you said is self-contradictory. People don’t know how to understand it.
从前，有个著名的音乐家公明仪。他的筝弹得非常好，但有时会作些傻事。
有天，他看到一头牛在他家附近的田里吃草。他一下子有了灵感，就跑出去为这头牛弹琴。公明仪弹的曲子非常优美，他自己也陶醉在音乐之中。可是那头牛根本不理会那美妙的音乐，只顾着吃草。公明仪感到十分奇怪，不明白为什么牛对他的演奏无动于衷。很明显，牛不理会他并不是因为他的演奏很糟糕。而是因为牛听不懂也欣赏不了这种高深的曲调。
“对牛弹琴”这个成语就是从上述故事演化而来的，指那些说话或写东西不考虑到听众的人。 一般来说，是说话人或作者高估了听众或读者，所以，这则成语嘲讽的主要是听众或观众，而不是说话者。
In ancient time, there lived a musician named Gong Mingyi. He was very good at playing the Zheng, a plucked string instrument. But he also behaved foolishly sometimes.
One day, he saw a cow eating grass in the field near his house. He was inspired by the scene and ran outside to play a tune for the cow. Gong Mingyi played beautifully and he himself was intoxicated by the music. But the cow paid no heed to the elegant sounds. It simply focused its attention on eating the grass. Gong Mingyi was surprised to see that. He couldn’t understand why the cow was so indifferent to his performance. Obviously, it is not because his performance is poor. But the cow neither understood nor appreciated his elegant music!
From that story comes the idiom “Play the lute to a cow”, which implies that someone speaks or writes without considering his audience. In general speaking, the speaker or writer has over-estimated his listeners or readers. In these cases, the idiom mocks the audience rather than the speaker
Notes:
音乐家 musician
陶醉 intoxicate
演奏 performance
糟糕 poor
欣赏 appreciate
嘲讽 mock
HSK考试大纲
1、考试用途
汉语水平考试(HSK)是专门为测量外国人等母语非汉语者的汉语水平而设立的一种标准化考试，是国家教育委员会委托北京语言文化大学设计的。这种考试适用于测量下列人员的实际汉语水平：
(1)国外来华直接入我国高等院校(理工科院校和文科院校)学习的留学生。
(2)有一定汉语水平并希望获取《汉语水平证书》(初等证书和中等证书》的外国人和华侨子女。
(3)国内母语非汉语的少数民族中希望入高校学习或获取《汉语水平证书》的人员。
2、考试依据
HSK的主要依据是中国对外汉语教学学会“汉语水平等级标准研究小组”编制、国家对外汉语教学领导小组办公室编制的《汉语水平等级标准和等级大纲》和《汉语水平词汇与汉字等级大纲》。
其词汇范围(等级)分为三级：甲级词(1033个)、乙级词(2018个)和丙级词(2202个)，共5253个；汉字范围分为三级：甲级字(800个)、乙级字(804个)、丙级字(601个)，共2205个；语法范围与词汇、汉字范围相对应，也分为三级：甲级语法(133项)、乙级语法(249点)和丙级语法(207点)，共589项、点。
3、试卷构成
HSK试卷共有四项，其试题内容、数量和比重如下表所示：
|
考试内容
|
试题数量
|
试题比重
|
答时时间
|
|
听力理解
|
50题
|
29.4%
|
约35分钟
|
|
语法结构
|
30题
|
17.7%
|
20分钟
|
|
阅读理解
|
50题
|
29.4%
|
60分钟
|
|
综合填空
|
40题
|
23.5%
|
30分钟
|
|
共计
|
170题
|
100%
|
145分钟
|
第一项：听力理解
(50题，约35分钟)
这一项试题由三部分组成：
第一部分(15题)：这部分试题，都是一个人说一句话，第二个人根据这句话提一个问题，听完后考生应在试卷上的四个选择项上选择最恰当的答案(在答卷上划出相应的字母)。
第二部分(20题)：这部分试题，都是两个人的简短对话，第三个人根据对话提出一个问题，听完后考生应在试卷上的四个选择项中选择最恰当的答案(在答卷上划出相应的字母)。
第三部分(15题)：这部分试题，是几段较长的对话或讲话。每段话之后，第二个人或第三个人根据对话或讲话提若干个问题，每听完一个问题，考生应在试卷上的四个选择项中选择最恰当的答案(在答卷上划出相应的字母)。
听力理解这项试题，主要测试考生能否听懂正常语速的句子、对话和一般性题材的讲话。具体要求是：
(1)了解所听到的句子、简要的对话和讲话的基本大意。
(2)跳跃障碍，抓住其中的主要信息或某些重要细节。
(3)根据所听到的材料进行推理和判断。
(4)理解说话人的目的和态度。
这项试题的考试方法是：首先听基本为正常语速(170-220字/分钟)的录音材料(注意：只听一遍)；每一问题后有15-20秒的答题时间，要求考生迅速在试卷上提供的四个选择项中选择最恰当的答案，然后在答卷上找到相应的题号并划出代表最恰当答案的字母。
第二项：语法结构
(30题，20分钟)
这一项试题由两部分组成：
第一部分(10题)：这部分试题，每题是一个不完整的句子，在每一个句子下面都有一个“指定词语”，句中ABCD是供选择的四个不同位置，要求考生判断上述“指定词语”放在句中哪个位置上最恰当。
第二部分(20题)：这部分试题，每一个句子中有一个或两个空儿，要求考生在下边的四个选择项中挑选一个最恰当的填空(在答卷上划出字母)。
语法结构这项试题，主要测试考生对汉语普通话语法结构的掌握程度。测试重点是：
(1)常见的量词、方位词、能愿动词、副词、介词、连词、助词等的用法。
(2)动词、形容词和名词重迭。
(3)几种主要补语、定语、状语的用法。
(4)语序。
(5)比较的方式。
(6)提问的方式。
(7)常用词组和习用语。
(8)常用复句。
请考生注意，这项试题每一道题的平均答题时间为40秒左右。
第三项：阅读理解
(50题，60分钟)
这一部分试题，每题为一个句子，每一个句子中都有一个划线的词语，要求考生从句子下面的四个选择项中挑选最接近该划线词语的一种解释(在答卷上划出字母)。
这部分试题主要考查考生的词义(包括一部分词组和习用语)的掌握程度，同时也考查其词汇量能否适应阅读一定难度文章的需要。
第二部分：阅读(30题)
第一部分试题，分别选择若干篇题材、体裁、长度、难易程度不同的阅读材料，每一篇材料后提出若干个问题，每题有四个选择项，要求考生选择最恰当的答案。
这部分试题，主要测试考生的阅读能力和速度。具体要求是：
(1)掌握所读材料的主要用意和大意。
(2)了解所读材料的主要事实和信息。
(3)跳跃障碍，捕捉所需的某些细节。
(4)根据所读材料进行引伸和推断。
(5)领会作者的态度和情绪。
请考生注意这部分试题的阅读速度，一般性文章150字/分钟，较为复杂的文章120字/分钟。
阅读理解是这一项试题每题的平均答题时间为70秒左右。
第四项：综合填空
(40题，30分钟)
第一部分：词语填空(24题)
这一部分试题，选择多种不同用途的综合材料，每段材料中都留有若干个空儿(空儿中标有题目序号)，每个空儿右边都有四个供选择的词语，要求考生根据上下文的意思从中选择最恰当的词语(在答卷上划出字母)。
这部分试题，主要测试考生综合运用语言的能力。
&nsp; 第二部分：汉语填空(16题)
这一部分试题，主要从考生常见的应用文中选取语料；每段语料中都有若干个空儿(空儿中标有题目序号)，要求考生根据上下文的意思在答卷上的每一空格中各填写一个最恰当的汉字(请注意：每个空格中只能写一个汉字)。
这部分试题，主要测试考生在理解语篇的基础上，书写汉字的能力。
综合填空这一项试题，每题的答题时间为45秒左右。
Little Stumpy Mobbs charges me like a wounded bull, swinging his arms, kicking his legs and screaming “Ah yaaaa!” I duck from his crazy moves before striking back. He tumbles, but rebounds taunting me with the sign of the praying mantis – a sign of certain death.
”Ah Grasshopper,” my 8-year-old schoolmate replies.
”I have taught you a lot, but now the student must submit to the master.”
In the mid 1970s, millions of kids like me were hooked on the genre breaking martial arts/western TV show Kung Fu, starring the recently departed David Carradine.
May he rest in peace.
Kung Fu was one of the most influential English-language TV shows to reveal the mysteries of old China. At that time, China was still caught in the fog of the “cultural revolution” (1966-76), and was not widely accessible to the rest of the world.
Kung Fu transported me, and countless millions of other children, into the world of Chinese culture for the very first time, a world of ancient wisdom and roundhouse sidekicks.
These first impressions were long lasting, and on reflection, I packed many of these boyhood memories into my suitcase when I moved to China three years ago.
Carradine played a Shaolin monk by the name of Kwai Chang Kaine (aka Grasshopper), who escaped to America’s wild west in the 1800s after killing the Chinese emperor’s nephew.
Grasshopper’s daily routine was beating up bad cowboys and passing on his Buddhist philosophy to those in need. “Ah Grasshopper!” was a phrase bandied around school grounds before you clobbered your classmate before ending up in detention.
Each Kung Fu episode contained a flashback to the Shaolin Temple where Kaine would recall a pearl of wisdom from the old Buddhist master Po.
”Patience, Grasshopper. An angry man is only a fearful man. Conquer your fears and you can conquer everything.”
Kaine would pass this knowledge to a farmer being terrorized by the bad guys. Kaine would then systematically kick all their butts.
For most people under 30, Carradine is best known for his role of Bill in Quentin Tarrantino’s Kill Bill movies, in which he makes fun of his Kung Fu persona. The flute-playing scene where he tells the story of the five-finger death punch is a classic example.
Carradine appeared in more than 200 movies but for me, the 72-year-old American will always be Kung Fu, one of the most influential ambassadors of Chinese culture to the West.
Grasshopper was a nice guy and tried to help people whenever he could in between opening a can of whoop ass. The fact he wasn’t Chinese makes this role a little strange.
I came to China with many preconceptions, which began with Kung Fu, but have developed a much fuller understanding, discovering so much diversity in view points, customs and even physical appearances.
But I’ve only scratched the surface, and the Middle Kingdom, as the old China hands will tell you, is always a work in progress.
夹在电价上涨和全球变暖恶果之间的美国消费者在是否应关掉冷气的问题上很是挣扎。不知道他们会不会从玛丽莲·梦露的电影《七年之痒》里找到灵感，把内衣裤装在冰盒里，好随时给自己降降温；不过，其它所有能想到的办法都被他们拿来一试了。
In Thousand Oaks, Calif., Adina Nack keeps the thermostat at 28– and lets her toddler dance around the house in a bathing suit, spritzing herself with cool water from a spray bottle. Cara Cummins, in Atlanta, turns on the air conditioner only when she’s expecting guests. Otherwise, she makes do by snacking on watermelon cubes soaked in chilled bourbon.
在加州的千橡树镇，艾蒂娜·奈克把空调温度调到28度，并让自己蹒跚学步的小孩穿着泳衣在家里乱走，还用喷水瓶给自己洒凉水降温。亚特兰大市的卡拉·库明斯只有在客人来家里时才把空调打开，其他时候，她靠吃几块泡在冰镇波旁威士忌里的西瓜块来抵御酷暑。
Because many power plants run on natural gas, which has shot way up in price, utilities in every region of the nation have imposed — or are planning — big rate increases this year, some approaching 30%.
由于美国许多发电站都靠天然气发电，而随着燃气价格暴涨，今年全美各地电价要么已然大幅上调，要么正在筹划涨价，有的地方电价涨幅甚至逼近了30%。
In response, nearly two-thirds of families are cutting back on air conditioning, according to a recent Associated Press-Yahoo News poll. They’re buying ceiling fans and programmable thermostats; burning up hot afternoons in malls and movie theaters; and bombarding blogger Erin Huffstetler, who writes about frugal living, with questions about the merits of tinting their windows dark to block the sun.
据美联社和雅虎新闻的最新联合调查显示，将近三分之二的美国家庭都因此减少了空调的使用。他们添置了吊扇和可编程控温器，去商场和电影院度过炎热的夏日午后，并向撰写博客介绍如何勤俭持家的艾琳·哈弗斯泰德勒提出了一大堆问题，比如怎么把窗户染黑，减少阳光的照射等。
The wealthy are even putting windmills in their backyards. Southwest Windpower in Flagstaff, Ariz., installs residential turbines that can supply a third or more of a typical household’s electricity. The cost: At least $13,000.
有钱人甚至在自家后院安装了风力发电机。亚利桑那州Flagstaff市的美国西南风力公司为住户安装这种发电机，它可以满足一个家庭三分之一或更多的日常用电需求，而其成本至少要1.3万美元。
In Arizona, 50,000 customers of the Salt River Project utility have cut energy use by an average of 13%, thanks to a gizmo that lets them monitor their daily bill, so they can see exactly how much they save by bumping up the thermostat a few degrees. In Texas, Reliant Energy reports an 8% drop in per-customer energy use since 2005.
在亚利桑那州，盐河项目的5万名用户已平均减少了13%的用电量，原因是他们安装了一个能实时显示每日用电量的小仪器，这样他们可以清楚地看到如果把室温调高几度，那么能少用多少电。能源企业Reliant Energy表示，德克萨斯州的人均用电量自2005年以来减少了8%。
The Department of Energy calculates that heating and cooling account for nearly half the energy used in a typical home. That’s more than all the light bulbs, the dishwasher, the refrigerator, the hot-water heater and the washer and dryer — combined.
美国能源部做过计算，一栋普通住宅供暖和冷风的用电成本在总电费占去了将近一半，比一个家庭中灯泡、洗碗机、冰箱、热水器、洗衣机和烘干机全部加起来的耗电都要多。
Replacing a standard air conditioner set at 22 degrees with an energy-efficient model set at 25.5 can cut your cooling costs in half, though savings vary by climate, according to Xcel Energy Inc., a regional utility based in Minneapolis. A programmable thermostat can save as much as 12%. A ceiling fan can lower a room’s temperature by several degrees. Even something as simple as switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs can make a big difference in electricity bills.
明尼阿波利斯市地方公用事业企业埃克西尔能源公司表示，如果把标准的22摄氏度室内空调温度改为25.5度的节电模式，大约能够节省一半的电费；当然，具体程度根据外界温度而有所不同。安装一个室内温控器可以节省12%的电费，在天花板上安装吊扇可以降低几度室温，甚至使用节能灯泡都有助于显著减少电费。
Micki Wehmeier offers another tip: Marry a man who likes it hot.
梅琪·韦麦尔还有一个小窍门：嫁给一个不怕热的老公。
Ms. Wehmeier and her husband, Gary, are renting a modest apartment this summer while they fix up a house they just bought in Des Peres, Mo. To save money, they resolved to keep the thermostat at 24.
今年夏天，梅琪和她丈夫盖瑞要给刚在密苏里州Des Peres买的房子装修，于是租了一个小房子过渡一下。为了省钱，他们决心把室内温度调到24度。
‘He’s got more willpower,’ his wife says.
“他的意志力比我坚定。”梅琪说道。
And Reba Kennedy, who turned off her central air altogether?
那么，关掉中央空调的瑞芭?肯尼迪境况如何呢？
Ms. Kennedy now cools just the three rooms she uses most in her San Antonio home, with window units set at 25.5 degrees. To her surprise, she has found it pleasurable. With her downstairs windows open, she can smell the honeysuckle in her yard. She loves the look of her sheer curtains blowing in the breeze.
现在，住在圣安东尼奥的瑞芭只在最常用的三个房间使用窗式空调，温度调为25.5度。令她没想到的是，这种降温方法能让人过得很舒服。她把楼下的窗户打开，院子里金银花的香味阵阵飘来，而且她还喜欢看到微风撩起窗帘的样子。
Last week, though, when she reviewed her electric bills, Ms. Kennedy found that her sacrifices haven’t translated into savings. In June of 2006 — with the central air on full blast — she used an average of 26 kilowatt hours a day. Last month? An average of 44.
然而，上周她收到电费帐单时，发现自己的牺牲没有得到应有的回报。2006年6月份──中央空调完全打开的那个月──家里每天的平均耗电量是26度；但2008年6月份呢？每天的平均耗电量是44度。
Harvey Sachs, a senior fellow at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, says that isn’t surprising, because window units are notoriously inefficient.
美国节能经济委员会的资深成员哈维·萨奇说，这并不奇怪，因为窗式空调非常费电。
Her advice to middle-class families: Pull the plug.
她对中产阶级家庭的建议是：拔掉电源插头。
‘You’ll be hot,’ Ms. Boylan said. ‘Put a little cold water on your face and get on with your life.’
“你会觉得很热，”凯茜说，“那就往脸上泼点凉水降温，你会发现日子能照过不误。”
Nepali Chinese-learning students gathered in Kathmandu University on Saturday to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the Confucius Institute at the university.
The enthusiastic Nepali students, eager to learn Chinese, attended the Confucius Institute for cultural exchange with the neighboring country.
”Chinese is one of the important languages spoken by a large number of people in the world, so to understand such a language is worthwhile,” said Rajiv Ranjit, a student told Xinhua during the celebration.
Aware of language barrier between two countries amid diverse opportunities, most of the students were attracted by the Confucius Institute.
”To be able to communicate with Chinese people is beneficial for cultural exchange,” said Ranjit who has done Master’s Degree in Anthropology from the Nepali University.
Not only students like Ranjit, more than 600 regular students and 30 teachers have been trained at different levels, including business programs, tour guide programs, professor programs, university programs and 16 Chinese-interest programs, which involved 600 students in middle schools and primary schools.
Confucius Institute was established at the university with an agreement signed between the university authority and the Office of Chinese Language Council International in February 2007 with the objectives of strengthening educational cooperation between Nepal and China, supporting and promoting the development between the two peoples.
”Students enjoy learning Chinese. Whenever we enter college, students run toward us and say ‘Ni Hao’,” said Yin Wei, a volunteer Chinese teacher who came to Nepal in April this year.
Along with Yin, another 30 volunteer Chinese teachers have worked in Nepal with the purpose of teaching Nepalese students in various places such as Kathmandu, Pokhara and Biratnagar.
”Some of them are teaching in high schools, some in primary schools and some others teaching adults in various institutes,” Yin said.
”I like Nepali students very much, they are very warm-hearted,” she added.
Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Qiu Guohong said, “Over the past two years, the directors and teachers from both China and Nepal have made positive and valuable contributions for the healthy growth of the Institute.”
According to him, Institute has turned into a venue for Nepalese people to study Chinese language and understand Chinese culture, a platform for China-Nepal cultural exchanges and bridge to enhance China-Nepal friendship and cooperation.
The teachers at the Confucius Institute offered Chinese courses and held cultural activities in local communities.
HAMBURG, June 13 (Xinhua) — “Four is four, ten is ten, 14 is 14, 40 is 40…”, which pronounced in Chinese like “si shi si, shi shi shi, shisi shi shisi, sishi shi sishi,” is a widely-known tongue twister in China, and a few locals in Germany’s Hamburg have found fun in articulating it.
On Friday evening in a Chinese Teahouse in downtown Hamburg, a tongue twister contest was staged, alluring dozens of local people to participate in the language game.
The contest, hosted by the Confucius Institute of the Hamburg University, is part of the Chinese Festival presented by the Chinese Teahouse, a mini replica of the Yuyuan Garden, an architectural masterpiece located in east China’s Shanghai municipality.
Five pairs were selected randomly from the audiences, and in each pair, one, from Germany, was to speak a Chinese tongue twister, while the other, from China, to speak a German one.
Later on, five versions of “si shi si” were heard in the traditional Chinese-style hall, igniting waves of laughter and applause from the audience.
Ulla Ruckpaul, a clerk from a local company, was one contestant at Friday’s language game. Although she had never spoken a single Chinese word, the Chinese tongue twister intrigued the German lady.
”I think the Chinese intonations are very interesting. I’ve never heard about it before, I’ve never practiced it before,” she told Xinhua.
In the process of the interview, Ruckpaul could not help speaking the tongue twister again, “si shi si….”
Prior to the contest, Dr. Geog Winter, a tongue twister writer for the German language, briefed the audience on how he wrote the German twisters, while Avid Storch and Zhang Wei from the Confucius
Institute of The Hamburg University taught the audience how to learn the Chinese intonations and the Chinese tongue twister.
The audience, in high spirits, followed Storch and Zhang in learning the Chinese intonations.
Dr. Carsten Krause, Dean of the Confucius Institute of The Hamburg University, told Xinhua that such a contest would encourage local people to learn the Chinese language.
”Some have learned a little bit Chinese from the contest,” he said.
”I find they are willing to participate, that’s good. Although their pronunciation is not good, they have done well,” he added.
Krause himself started learning Chinese 21 years ago when only few Germans were interested in learning the oriental language.
But now learning Chinese has become quite popular in Germany, which is China’s biggest trading partner in Europe and boasts frequent contacts and exchanges with China.
At present, a total of nine Confucius institutes have been set up across Germany, and Chinese-learning classes have been opened in as many as 80 German universities and 300 high schools. Official statistics show that at least 30,000 Germans are learning Chinese.
”The tongue twister contest can better increase the communication between the Chinese and German people,” Krause said.
”By learning Chinese tongue twisters, Germans may think it is not difficult to speak Chinese, and they may also think it is interesting to learn it,” he added.