http://622000306.qzone.qq.com Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:49:37 GMT Qzone zh-cn Copyright (C), 2005-2008, Tencent Tech. Co., Ltd. Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:58:49 GMT http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1259247529

Thank you very much for your comments. 雨嘉, I can't really recommend you a dictionary because I work for the BBC. The BBC has very strict rules about promoting 宣传 different products. However, most of the major publishers produce very good English-English Learners' dictionaries. My point was that you should use one of those in tandem with 与...同步 your Chinese-English dictionary.


You go on to say:

　　
“I can't agree with you more that a better way to remember new words is to put them into use, which brings up a question here i am raising. The point is that how to get them practised in daily life in proper ways. It is well known that, for English learners, we don't have an English speaking environment. You may say we can speak to ourselves, nevertheless, who help you correct when you don't speak idiomatically. What's more, we won't be inspired to speak as much as we can when there are no good partners being reached. Somebody once suggested my writing diary in English, but for those who are not students on campus anymore, who can help you check diaries and give you advice following.”

　　
This is a very good question indeed, and some other QQ members asked similar questions. I'm not sure I can give you a satisfactory answer, but let me try.

　　
A few years ago I read a very touching 感人的 article in a magazine. (I think it was by the well-known sinologist 汉学家 Simon Winchester, but I might be wrong.) The article was about a trip he had made deep into rural 农村的 China many years before. On this trip he didn't meet anyone who could speak English and some people had never seen Europeans before.

　　
Then one day this sinologist got off a train at a very isolated spot 非常偏远的地方, and a beautiful young Chinese woman approached him and began to speak in fluent English about great English writers: Austen, Dickens, the Brontes, Swift, Shakespeare. She had taught herself to read English over many years and was desperate for an outlet 出路，使用英语的机会.

　　
After this brief encounter 《相见恨晚》是一部著名的英国爱情片，讲述了两个陌生人无意间邂逅产生的爱情故事 the writer of this article and the young woman wrote to each other for many years before losing touch. It was impossible for them to be together: she was already married.

Yunnan Province. It can be difficult to learn English in an isolated place


I'm telling you this story because I want to show that it is possible to become really good at a language without being able to practise it with native speakers every day. However, I do also think that this young woman must have had a really astonishing 惊人的 natural ability for language – something most of us don't have.

　　
Somebody who does have an such an ability is my colleague here at the BBC, Feifei Feng. Feifei arrived in England speaking near-perfect English and is one of the most impressive language learners I know. She seems the person best-placed 最合适的 to answer your question, 雨嘉. So here are her tips:

　　
Learn how to think in English. This is undoubtedly the best way to improve your fluency. When you are thinking about a topic, try to make English sentences in your head. This will also make you aware of what vocabulary you still need to learn in order to express yourself 表达自己.

　　
You also need to work very hard on your pronunciation. Unlike the young Chinese woman in the story above, you have access to lots of recordings of native English speakers. Go to our website – bbcukchina.com. We have downloadable 可下载的 audio programmes and we make the scripts 文字稿 available. Use your pause button and repeat sentences that you hear, trying to match the pronunciation. If you prefer movies, watch DVDs. This will improve your listening ability too. The message is: expose yourself 给自己接触某事的机会 to as much audio of native English speakers as possible.

　　
I would also add something to Feifei's advice. I don't think it's a coincidence 巧合 that in the story I tell above, the young lady loved to read books. I think that reading can do wonders for 对...产生奇效 your vocabulary and also for your grammar and fluency since books are, after all, full of examples of perfect English sentences. Instead of interacting with English speakers, do the next best thing: interact with English-language books, radio programmes and films.

　　
But you should also try hard to meet English speakers, and remember that this doesn't need to be face-to-face. It's great that all of you come to this blog but remember that there are thousands of other English language blogs too. Maybe it’s time to try out your English skills in 'public'?!


One last thought. Some of my friends work out 锻炼 in the gym. They put a lot of time and energy into developing amazing muscles. I have to say I've never really understood that. Just by leading my normal life, my body develops all the muscles it needs. (It doesn't need many – I have a very sedentary 久坐不动的 lifestyle!) So, I ask my friends, if you don't need muscles, why go to the gym?

　　
If you really don't have any contact with English speakers, why learn English?

　　
I'll leave you with that question.

　　
Have a great weekend

　　
William
]]> http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1259247529#comment 134218241 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:58:49 GMT http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1259247529 http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258997895 Dear all

Hello again. I hope everyone had a great weekend. Martin, thanks for your comment. I did indeed promise to give you some language tips this week, so I'll address your question about vocabulary.

You wrote,"Day after day, year to year, I found my vocabularies are more and more limited to express my thoughts and ideas that I want express to others."

First of all, I think that just in that sentence you have used some very nice, very interesting turns of phrase 短语, so I'm not sure that I completely believe what you say! Note that 'vocabulary' is a non-count noun, so we don't say vocabularies.

Secondly, it is a good sign that you feel dissatisfied and restricted 限制 by your vocabulary. The fact that you feel you have things to say that reach beyond your current vocabulary means that you are more likely to do something about it.

Very often what happens is that people get to an intermediate level and their English vocabulary plateaus 缓近停滞. That's because they have all the words and phrases they need for everyday intercourse 每日交流 and aren't being pushed by frustrated communication 令人感到沮丧的交流 to learn more.

A lack of practice will also lead your English to go rusty. Don't worry though, the words and phrases you learned over the years won't disappear completely. If you start to practise English again, they will probably come back.

Ok, so here are my tips.

1. One of the best ways to expand 扩大 your vocabulary is to read, since English-speaking people have a much wider vocabulary on the page 书面 than we do when we talk. In fact, in conversation most English speakers have quite a narrow vocabulary.

A notebook is an invaluable tool for learning vocabulary

1. English has a larger vocabulary than Chinese. This means that if you just rely on your English-Chinese dictionary you will find many words have the 'same' meaning. Invest 投资 in a really good English-English leaners' dictionary. This will give you example sentences using the vocabulary, allowing you to see the subtle differences between words. It will also point you towards synonyms 同义词.

1. When you come across new words, make a note of them in a notebook, and make a note of the sentence you see the word in too. Then use your dictionary and the internet to find more examples of that word in use and note those sentences down as well.

1. It is usually best to learn words in groups of topic. Take especial notice of collocations 搭配 and how prepositions 介词 are used with words. It is things like this that can turn you from being a good English speaker to a more natural English speaker. [For example, looking at what I've written above, you will notice that 'expand' and 'wide' and 'narrow' all collocate with 'vocabulary'. I've used the preposition 'down' with 'note', and 'towards' with 'point'.]

1. In order to remember new words you need to use them. Your brain will not waste energy on language that it doesn't think is useful! If you use the words in phrases in conversation, however, linkages 联系 will be made in your brain and the words will become embedded in the language 留在自己每日使用的语言词汇中 that you actually use. At the very least, speak the words out loud as you are learning them.

1. I sense Martin is frustrated that he can''t express his opinions and ideas. It's worth making a particular effort to learn words and phrases that help you give your opinion, e.g. 'I really think that…' 'I'm just not sure that…' 'In my opinion…'. Remember that in the West no-one is ever shy of 缺乏 giving you their opinion so you need to be ready to respond with your own!

Martin, I do hope that is useful. Good luck in your future studies! Does anyone else have any questions about learning English? I will choose another question to answer from the comments when I write this blog on Wednesday.

All the very best

William
]]> http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258997895#comment 134218241 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:38:15 GMT http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258997895 http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258739261
Unfortunately, I can't reply to your comments and questions today because my computer isn't working properly. It's not loading 没有显示 the comments!

Let me just do what I promised and write briefly about Shakespeare's connection with the English vocabulary.

Shakespeare coined 发明创造 around 1,400 English words. Well, to be a little more accurate he has the first recorded use of around 1,400 words, but it could be that some of these words were already being used by other people, but no other record has survived.

This list features some very common English words, including upstairs, hint, bandit, assassination, advertising, generous and lonely.

　　
There are also some 300 words that crop up 出现 in Shakespeare's works 作品 that have never been used by anyone else, before or since. These include, for example, the word unsex. Lady Macbeth says at one point,

Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here


She is praying to be made stronger, crueller and have all of her maternal 母亲的, feminine 女性的 characteristics removed. So we can see Shakespeare playing with the language. He is a poet and he is using English creatively.

　　
Perhaps you already know that English is very open-minded about new words. Every year the dictionaries get revised 修版 to include new words that have been invented by journalists and scientists.

　　
But the thing that is most striking 显著的 about Shakespeare's influence on English is the number of common phrases that can be traced to him. I’ll give you five examples, with an outline definition and an example.

Love is blind
爱情使人盲目。
I don't know why I was with him. It's true what they say, love is blind.

The Queen's English
女王英语，也就是所谓的“正确的”英语，因为女王是这样说话的。在莎士比亚的那个年代，在位的是伊丽莎白一世，现在在位的是伊丽莎白二世。
I don't just want to learn English. I want to speak the Queen's English!

An actress playing Elizabeth I in a BBC production

There's method in my madness
这句话的意思就是，我的混乱是有法则的。我做事看起来有点儿奇怪，但是其实都是有原因的。
I know this seems really odd, but there is method in my madness. It will all make sense tomorrow.

Lie low.
这句话的字面意思就是平躺，也就是表达隐匿，不参与某事。
Mum is still really angry with me. I'm just planning to lie low for the rest of today.

I have not slept one wink
这句话的意思是我很久已经没合眼了，就是说好久没有睡过觉了
I'm shattered. I couldn't sleep a wink last night.

Notice the simplicity and the humour of these phrases. Say them out loud; they sound good – there is the lovely alliteration 头韵 of lie and low, method and madness. And of course there are many more examples.

What amazes me about these phrases is that I had no idea until today when I researched this that Shakespeare invented them. And yet these are very common English sayings. What this means is that when most native speakers quote Shakespeare, they don't even know they are doing it!

Anyway, that's enough about Shakespeare. I do hope that it has been interesting.

Next week, hopefully I'll have access to the comments again. I thought maybe I would spend next week giving you some language learning tips 建议. About a month ago I gave some advice about how to improve listening comprehension. If you have an English language question, please ask me in the comments below.

I won't answer every question; I will just pick my favourite questions to answer. So have a think and ask a really nice, interesting, juicy 有趣的 question!

Have a great weekend

William ]]> http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258739261#comment 134218241 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:47:41 GMT http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258739261 http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258648302 Hi all

Sorry I'm publishing this on Thursday, not Wednesday as promised. As we say in English, 'Better late than never'.

Many thanks for your comments. It's really interesting to hear your thoughts and it will be very helpful for when we start to put the series together.

ty小恬倪, it's interesting that you mention Shakespeare's four great tragedies as being Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello and Macbeth. I think we often think about King Lear as one of the great tragedies instead of Romeo and Juliet.

Of course, Romeo and Juliet is very popular, maybe Shakespeare's most popular play of all. But Romeo and Juliet die because of an accident, whereas （转折）而 in the other tragedies the bad things befall 降临于 the characters because of failings in themselves 自身的失败.

Qzone用户, I think you put it well 说得好 when you said Macbeth lost everything including himself. You're right, they highlight human fragility 脆弱, and they show how close human beings always are to madness, violence and death. At the end of King Lear, the eponymous 名字被用来命名作品 character says "unaccommodated man is no more but such a poor, bare, fork'd animal".

You ask, what is the core of Shakespeare's works? We might say, what makes Shakespeare great?

It's not an easy question to answer because for many people the Bard 莎士比亚的别名 scores ten out of ten in every respect. His storylines are gripping 扣人心弦的 and at times, very unusual.

The poetry is beautiful and often styled in a way that makes it memorable. To give you an example, 莜‰姒々阢 quoted the famous line from Hamlet, but he got it very slightly wrong. It is not, "To be or not to be that's a question" but "To be, or not to be: that is the question". Shakespeare says 'the' not 'a' to indicate 表示 that this is the only question that matters to Hamlet, that he can think of nothing else.

Nowadays, many people love this phrase "To be or not to be" because when you read it by itself it seems to express something very profound 深刻的 but using very simple language.

莜‰姒々阢 asks if Shakespeare was a very knowledgeable man. He had a poet's mastery of language, and was able to say something complex and true with very pithy 言简意赅的 language. He certainly understood human motivation very well too. However, he was not a philosopher like Confucius.

What else was great about Shakespeare?

His characters are very realistic and lifelike 生动的. Shakespeare was interested in both men and women, and characters with both 'high' and 'low' backgrounds. So while Henry V tells the story of a king, it also tells the story of normal fighting men, thieves and their wives. This means that there is something in his plays for everyone and also that the stories have amazing breadth 宽度/广度.

One of the distinctive things about English literature is that we don't have a tradition of 'high art'. Our greatest writers, such as Shakespeare and Chaucer, saw themselves as entertainers, not artists. If you read any Shakespeare play you will find lots of dirty jokes 淫秽的笑话 sitting alongside some of the more philosophical and poetic passages.

Liliane mentions that she found Shakespeare funny. I think the comedy in his plays is one reason why Shakespeare is still popular in Britain and Hollywood.

Blitzballer, you mention that you studied Shakespeare at school. Did you read him in Chinese? Or did you have to read him in English?

班渠, you asked about whether Shakespeare had any patrons 赞助人. That's a really good question. Shakespeare was sponsored by a small band of aristocrats 贵族 who were very interested in literature. They are not famous now in the same way as the Medici in Italy. But because his plays were commercially successful he didn't need a patron in quite the same way as a great renaissance painter.

So I've mentioned his stories, his poetry, his characters and his comedy. But what else makes Shakespeare great?

Well I think Jeva is right to mention Shakespeare's vocabulary and his use of words. But this is an interesting topic so I will write about Shakespeare's language properly next time.

Before then, can you tell me about a great Chinese writer? What did he or she write and why do you consider it great literature now? Is it difficult to read? I haven't read much Chinese literature so I really look forward to finding out more.

All the best

William ]]> http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258648302#comment 134218241 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:31:42 GMT http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258648302 http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258381992
If you asked most British people to name a famous Chinese person from history, I think most people would say Confucius 孔子. I wonder who the most famous English person is in the world? I'm not sure, but I have a strong hunch 猜测 that it's Shakespeare 莎士比亚.

This week I'm starting work on a special series of radio programmes about Shakespeare which will be published on our site bbcukchina.com in the new year 新年. I'm working on the series with my colleague 同事 Yang Li .杨莉 got the idea for the series after lots of people on this blog said that they were interested in Shakespeare.

We want to make this a useful and interesting resource 资源 for people in China. And I thought that maybe you could help us by answering some questions.


Please don't do lots of research to answer these questions. We just want to get an idea 听听大家的想法 of how much you already know and what you want to know about Shakespeare.

Do you know when Shakespeare was alive?
Can you name any of his plays 戏剧?
Can you name any of his characters人物?
Have you ever seen a Shakespeare film adaptation 改编的影片or maybe seen a translated Shakespeare play on stage 舞台上 in China? Did you like it? Why / why not?
When it comes to 谈到莎士比亚的时候 Shakespeare, what would you like to know more about? Do you have any questions about him?

So let us know your thoughts! I will tell you a bit more about Shakespeare next time I write this column, on Wednesday.


All the best


William ]]> http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258381992#comment 136315393 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:33:12 GMT http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258381992 http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258129059 Hi everyone I will continue with the topic of Remembrance Day阵亡者纪念日, the 11th of November.
Remembrance Day is also known as Poppy Day罂粟花日. Although different countries have different names for this day such as Armistice Day停战日 or Veterans Day老兵日, they all use poppy flowers to commemorate the war dead.
Why poppy?
During the First World War a lot flowers were destroy and the battle fields were bare荒芜的. However some people spotted 看到了red poppies growing on the barren war torn 被战争蹂躏的fields around the bodies of fallen soldiers.
We have all seen war films where there is hardly any sight of flowers, so you can imagine the impact 震动和冲击of those flowers.
In 1915, Canadian war surgeon加拿大外科军医, John McCrae wrote a poem called ‘In Flanders Field’ in which the poppy came to represent the sacrifice 牺牲of the lives of his comrades.
The red poppy then became a memorial symbol 象征to the fallen of war and is still worn佩带着 with pride by many soldiers, ex-soldiers 退役军人and civilians. It signifies that even in the bloodiest 血腥的battlefields 战场flowers can bloom 开花and the red colour is a symbol of the blood spilt 挥洒的鲜血in battle.

Poppy appeal 募捐
Each year the nation expresses its unequivocal support for The Royal British Legion's charity work through the Poppy Appeal.
As you see in this picture there are lots of volunteers working for the poppy appeal during the months of Oct and Nov each year.

In case you don’t understand the English text here’s a short paragraph in Chinese to help you.

人们胸前的罂粟花，源于在一战期间在法国和比利时的战地坟墓间盛开的小红花。那时一位加拿大的军医约翰·麦基（ John McCrae）中校在战地救护伤员，并掩埋阵亡将士的遗体时，亲眼目睹了战场的惨状和红透半边天的罂粟花。一九一五年麦基中校亲手掩埋了自己的好友，怀着悲伤和激动在一张碎纸片上，写下了著名的诗句《In Flanders Field》。

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below…
Hope you’ve learned a little about an important day in the British calendar.
All the best,
Yang Li 杨莉
]]> http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258129059#comment 136315392 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:17:39 GMT http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1258129059 http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1257880599
Here in the UK we are having a very important day coming on the 11th of November and that’s the Remembrance Day 阵亡将士纪念日。
If you are interested in learning about British culture this is something you should know.
Remembrance Day is observed each Sunday nearest to the 11 November to commemorate 纪念the sacrifice 牺牲of veterans 老兵and civilians 平民of World War I, The Second World War and other wars and conflicts冲突.

Why the 11th of November? Well that’s because the de is It is also observed on November 11 to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918 at 11 am - the eleventh hour, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month. It is traditionally传统上 marked with a two minute silence 两分钟默哀。

This event comes with a nation wide, month long appeal. It’s called The Poppy Appeal.


You can’t fail to notice this event as everyone (most people anyway) is wearing a red poppy flower 罂粟花。 It’s a small paper poppy that you pin it onto your jacket or suit like a badge.

Instead of buying them from shops you can get it from the poppy appeal volunteers 志愿者 standing on the streets or at train stations. When you drop some money, say a pound or two into their boxes they will give you a poppy with a pin.


As you can see from this picture that it’s pretty and I really like it. But you may wonder why people commemorate their war time heroes with poppy flower.

I will tell you all about it on Thursday with more pictures.

All the best,
Yang Li 杨莉
]]> http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1257880599#comment 136315393 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:16:39 GMT http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1257880599 http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1257440792
　　Just a quick message to let you know that BBC China Team's Alison, Finn and Feifei were in Beijing last week. They were at QQ's head office and did a webcast with the host there. Please come and have a look.

　　http://edu.qq.com/a/20091102/000172.htm

Best wishes

　 Helen ]]> http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1257440792#comment 134218240 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:06:32 GMT http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1257440792 http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1257355434 Hello,

Thanks for all your comments about Halloween. It's a big festival in the US, but it's definitely gaining popularity 越来越流行了 in the UK too.

The sun came out today and I took the opportunity to show you a few things I walk past every morning on my way to work. My home is about 20 minutes away from my office on foot 步行. Some of my colleagues have to travel for two hours to get into work. So my short journey is considered a real luxury by many of them.

And I thoroughly enjoy my walk every day, I hope you'll like these pictures too.


This shop has some special hand-crafted dolls 洋娃娃 on display. Very unusual designs 设计很独特。
　　

This giant Christmas decoration was put up yesterday by a team of five men, using a big crane 大吊车 to hoist it up 吊起来. I think it's a very traditional piece of art, reminding people of the good old days 让大家回想起过去的好时光。
　　

If you don't fancy putting up a Christmas tree at home, these cardboard penguin sculptures 企鹅塑像 would do nicely.
　　

A fabulous jewellery shop in Covent Garden. I love this necklace, not sure I'll be able to afford the price tag -- a cool 499 pounds 真是贵死了!
　　

The red phone boothes 电话亭 are disappearing fast from the street, so it's a delight to find a group of them together near the Royal Opera House.
　　

When I was a kid, I loved these flying saucer sweets 飞船糖. They're made with hard rice parcels 米纸做的 and when you bite into one, the fizzy 有汽的 powder inside bursts 爆开 and releases a mixture of sweet and sour flavours.　　

While in China, most restaurants would have fish tanks with live fish and shellfish swimming in them, in the UK, they'll never be displayed live. The customers won't be able to stomach it 顾客承受不了看到活的食品. Here we see a selection of crayfish 小龙虾, lobsters 龙虾, sea crabs and tiger prawns.

It's nearly 5pm now and pitch black outside. I'll take more snaps on my way back, London in the evening can look quite different.

　　All the best.
Helen
]]> http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1257355434#comment 136315393 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:23:54 GMT http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1257355434 http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1256925953 Hello.

It's Halloween tomorrow and people are getting prepared for some seriously scary business.

On my way to work, there's a shop specialises in costumes 戏剧服装, it's called Angels and you can buy or rent anything fancy costumes you can think of. And this morning, I saw people queuing 排长队 to get their Halloween looks right.

The key to any Halloween look is to look spine-chilling 背上汗毛倒立and gory 超级血腥. That usually means fake blood 假血and heavy make up.

What do you think of the looks in these pictures?


She's putting on frightening pose, but I think she still looks very cute 可爱. Need a bit more blood or a bleeding scar. Not scary enough for me.

This skeleton 骷髅look is more dramatic. Halloween does offer men the opportunity to put on some make up. It's great fun for them and their girlfriends too.

Masks 面具 are always popular. But you can get pretty hot inside and it's not very convenient 方便 if you're hoping to have a drink as well.


If these two turned up at my house at night, I would definitely be frightened. There's something terrifying about these masks and lighting 灯光效应.


Sadly I'm not going to any Halloween parties this year, but I have got cult films 经典电影 Carrie and Halloween on DVD, so I'll be scaring myself witless 吓得半死 in front of my TV.

Any plans for you back in China for Halloween?

Have a great weekend.

Helen
]]> http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1256925953#comment 136315393 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:05:53 GMT http://622000306.qzone.qq.com/blog/1256925953