LESSON XVIII More Verbal Idioms
Reading edition
Siang (相) is often placed before transitive verbs and usually gives the idea of mutual or reciprocal. In some cases it is reflexive. As instances of reciprocal action we have siang-°tang (相打), “to fight with one another.” Siang-mo° (相駡), “to revile one another.” siang-lien (相聯), “to be connected together.” Siang-paung (相幫), “to help one another.”
Khe (開) or Khe-le (開來) is used with many verbs to give the idea of spreading wide open. Thus Than-khe-le (攤開來) means “to unroll a bundle.” Hyih-khe-le (揭開來) means “to open a box.” Fung-khe (分開), “to divide,” san°-khe (散開), “to scatter wide cast.” Tshih-khe (切開) or tshih-khe-le (切開來) means “to cut open, etc.”
Not inclined to do a thing is expressed by the phrase ’veh kau-hyung° (勿高興). Thus ’Veh kau-hyung° chi° (勿高興去), “not inclined to go.”
VOCABULARY
To follow, kung 跟.
To tie, vok 縛.
To tie firmly, vok-lau 縛牢, or vok lau-dzu° 縛牢住.
To desire, to expect, maung° 望, or po-maung° 把望.
To bite, °ngau 咬.
To bark, kyau 叫.
To blow, tsh 吹.
To blow out, to extinguish, tsh °iung 吹隱.
To blow into a blaze or flame, tsh yaung° 吹旺.
To fly, fi 飛.
To explain, °ka-seh 解釋.
To forsake, desert, depart from, li-khe 離開.
To permit, °hyui 許.
To allow, nyang° 讓.
Colour, ngan-suh 顏色.
Variegated colours, °ng-ngan-loh-suh 五顏六色.
Thought or meaning, i°-s° 意思.
A thief, ih kuh zuk 一個賊.
Mien° (面) is used as the classifier for flat objects.
A drum, ih mien° koo 一面鼓.
Hope, maung°-deu 望頭.
Wind, foong 風.
Wine, °tsieu 酒.
Rope, ih diau zung, 一條繩 or ih kung zung 一根繩.
Tsung (尊) is the classifier denoting idols or cannon.
A Buddhist idol, ih tsung veh 一尊佛, or ih tsung boo-sah 一尊菩薩.
A Taoist god or idol, ih tsung zung-dau° 一尊神道.
A piece of bread, ih kwhe° men-deu 一塊饅頭.
A piece of meat, ih khwe° nyok 一塊肉.
Khoo (顆) is the classifier used with plants, trees and flowers.
A tree, ih khoo zu° 一顆樹.
A flowering plant, ih khoo hwo 一顆花.
Cotton seed, hwo-°ts 花子.
A Chinese mile, ih °li 一里, or ih °li-loo° 一里路.
To regret, to be placed in an embarrassing position, nan-we-dzing 難爲情.
EXERCISES
(Translate into English)
(1) Di°-kuh °liang kuh ‘auh-sang-°ts °ngoo ’veh °hyui tsheh chi° beh-siang° we°-ts la° ‘auh-daung °li siang mo° °lau.
(2) Di° kyui° seh-wo° kuh i°-s° °ngoo ’veh °toong °tshing sien-sang °ka-seh.
(3) Di°-tsak °tiau fi le kau-le-°si.
(4) Tsauh-dzak-°ts i-kuh zuh iau° yoong° ih kung zung vok-lau-°ts.
(5) Di° khoo hwo kuh ngan suh ’man tshui°.
(6) Ya°-°li kwhung° kuh z-‘eu° tung iau° tsh °iung.
(7) °Ngoo faung° la° tshaung-°kheu laung° kuh ih tsang °ts-deu peh foong tsh-theh tse.
(8) Zak-zen °tshing khak °lau m-meh °tsieu °z nan-we-dzing kuh.
(9) ’Veh iau° pho°, di°-tsak °keu ’veh °ngau kuh.
(10) °Ngoo tau° miau° °li khoen°-kyien° ih tsung veh °lau too-°hau boo-sah.
(11) °Ngoo thing-tuh °yeu nyung la° khau °koo.
(12) Di°-deu tau° °Zaung-°he °yeu °so-°ng °li-loo°.
(13) Soe-zen di° khoo zu° ’man °hau khoen°, zen-r ’veh khe hwo kuh.
(14) Zak-zen noong° iau° tau° san laung°, nyang° °ngoo kung noong° chi°.
(15) Men-deu °tshing noong° tshih-khe-le peh ih kwhe° la° °ngoo chuh.
(16) Bing° sang le ’man °dzoong, yien°-°dze i-sung m-meh maung°-deu.
(17) Tsoong°-dien-nyung nau hwo-°ts san°-khe-le.
(18) ‘Auh-sang-°ts beh-siang° ’man kau-hyung°, dok su ’veh da° kau-hyung°.
(19) Li-khe-ts °Zaung-°he nan-meh °ngoo tau° Soo-tseu chi° tse.
(20) °Ngoo po-maung° yi le, ’veh hyau°-tuh yi na°-nung wan ’veh zung le.
(一) 第個兩個學生子我勿許出去勃相爲之拉學堂裏相駡佬.
(二) 第句說話個意思我勿懂請先生解釋.
(三) 第隻鳥飛來高來死.
(四) 捉着之一個賊要用一根繩縛牢之.
(五) 第顆花個顔色蠻趣.
(六) 夜裏睏個時候燈要吹隱.
(七) 我放拉窗口上個一張紙頭撥風吹脫哉.
(八) 若然請客佬無沒酒是難爲情個.
(九) 勿要怕第隻狗勿咬個.
(十) 我到廟裏看見一尊佛佬多化菩薩.
(十一) 我聽得有人拉敲鼓.
(十二) 第頭到上海有十五里路.
(十三) 雖然第顆樹蠻好看然而勿開花個.
(十四) 若然儂要到山上讓我跟儂去.
(十五) 饅頭請儂切開來撥一塊拉我吃.
(十六) 病生來蠻重現在醫生無沒望頭.
(十七) 種田人拿花子散開來.
(十八) 學生子勃相蠻高興讀書勿大高興.
(十九) 離開之上海難末我到蘇州去哉.
(二十) 我把望伊來勿曉得伊那能還勿曾來.
(Translate into Chinese)
(1) The dog bit the sheep two or three times; it will probably die.
(2) To-day there is no wind, and so it is not cold.
(3) Men ought not to drink too much wine.
(4) I have eaten a slice of meat and drunk a cup of tea, and now am able to walk.
(5) Men can walk, only birds can fly.
(6) There are many trees and flowers on the hill.
(7) Many Chinese worship Buddhist and Taoist idols.
(8) I wanted to follow you, but the teacher would not permit me.
(9) Let me go and tell him that you have already returned.
(10) I will use my knife and cut open the pear.
(11) I heard the dogs barking in the night and so could not sleep.
(12) Children like to play at beating the drum.
(13) These flowers are of many different colours.
(14) How many miles is it to Soochow?
(15) When the pupils take an advanced lesson, the teacher should first explain it to them.
(一) 狗咬之羊兩三回恐怕要死脫.
(二) 今朝無沒風所以勿冷.
(三) 人勿應該多吃酒.
(四) 我已經吃之一塊肉佬一碗茶佬現在走得動哉.
(五) 人會走必過鳥會飛.
(六) 山上有多化樹佬花.
(七) 多化中國人拜菩薩佬神道.
(八) 我要跟儂但是先生勿許我去.
(九) 讓我去告訴伊儂已輕轉來哉.
(十) 我要用我個刀切開第隻生梨.
(十一) 夜裏我聽得狗垃拉叫所以睏勿着.
(十二) 小囝歡喜敲鼓做勃相.
(十三) 第顆花是五顔六色個.
(十四) 到蘇州有幾化里路.
(十五) 學生子要上書先生應該先對伊拉解釋.
Notes.
(1) In the Buddhist religion in China a Buddha or one of his manifestations is known as a ’veh, the bodhisattvas are known as Boo-sah.
(2) A Chinese mile is about one-third of an English mile.
(3) In the sixteenth sentence of the First Exercise notice the expression ’man °dzoong, “very heavy.” This is the way the Chinese speak of a serious illness. They also speak of a disease being light, chung, just as we do.
(4) In the eighteenth sentence of the First Exercise ’veh da° means “not very,” This is a very frequent expression.
(5) In the seventh sentence of the First Exercise, tshaung-°kheu laung° means “on the window sill.”