〈渥太華〉“Ottawa”
This work-in-progress page aims to help you learn the lesson text. An audio recording is now added, and more stuff like stroke order (筆順) will be added later this week, hopefully? 😄
渥太華
渥太華是加拿大的首都。
它有國會大廈，是總理和國會議員
討論國家大事的地方。
市中心的麗都運河，景色如畫；
春天河岸上開滿了鬱金香；
夏天可以在那裏划船和釣魚；
冬天它是世界上最長的溜冰場。
渥太華真是一個美麗的城市，
吸引很多遊客來觀光。
錄音 Audio Recording
男聲 Male voice
女聲 Female voice (courtesy of Google Translate)
Faster:
Slower:
Study Aid: CantoDict
Note: A Chinese learner-turned-educator from the U.K. created a website called CantoDict which provides a very useful resource that parses any Chinese text and gives the corresponding meaning and pronunciation (Jyutping) of the text.
Our own literal translation
(逐詞、逐字翻譯 word-by-word, and sometimes character-by-character)
渥太華 是
Moisten(渥)-highest(太)-flowery/magnificient(華) ak1-taai3-waa4 (= Ottawa) is
加拿大 的 首都。
Add(加)-take(拿)-grand(大) gaa1-naa4-daai6 (= Canada) ’s
head(首)-city(都) (= capital, from Latin caput = head).
它 有 國會大廈，
It has (the) National(國) Assembly(會) (Parliament) Buildings(大廈),
(“Parliament” comes from the French word Parlement, where parle means “speaking”.)
是 總理
is (where) (the) all/general/chief(總)-manage(理) (= Prime(首) Minister(相))
(The Prime Minister of the U.K. is called 首相, whereas
the Prime Minister of Canada is called 總理.
See the article on 總理 on Chinese Wikipedia for more information.)
和 國會議員
and National(國) Assembly(會) Debating(議) Members(員) (= Members of Parliament)
(In Hong Kong, 議員 are known as “legislators”, or Members of the Legislative Council.)
討論 國家 大事 的 地方。
discuss nation(國)-home(家) (country) major affairs ’s place.
市中心 的
market/town(市)-centre(中心) (= downtown) ’s
麗都 運河，
beautiful(麗)-major-city(都)
(Cantonese: lai6 dou1, Mandarin: Lìdōu, sounds like “Rideau”)
transport(運)-river(河) (= Canal ⇒ human-made channels for water conveyance (supply), or to service water transport vehicles.)
景色 如 畫；
(the) scenery(景)-colour(色) (= scenery) (is) like(如) picture(畫) (= picturesque)
春天 河岸 上 開滿 了
(in) spring river banks on open full “-ed”
鬱金香；
feeling-depressed(鬱)-golden(金)-fragrant(香) (= tulips);
夏天 可以 在 那裏 划船 和 釣魚；
(in) summer (people) can in/on there row(划)-boat(船) and hook/“fish for”(釣) fishes(魚);
冬天 它 是 世界 上 最長 的
(in) winter it is (in/above the) world (the) most(最) long(長) (= longest)
溜冰場。
glide(溜)-ice(冰) (= skating) field/rink.
渥太華 真 是 一個 美麗 的 城市，
Ottawa really is a beautiful city,
吸引 很多 遊客
inhale(吸)-lead(引) (= attracting) very many travelling(遊)-guests(客) (= tourists)
來 觀光。
(to) come (to) view(觀)-light(光) (= sightsee).
筆順 Stroke order
Courtesy of the Hong Kong Education Bureau. Coming soon! From http://www.edbchinese.hk/lexlist_en/
More to come, hopefully?