About Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils
The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils(天龙八部Tiānlóng Bābù) is a famous and long Wuxia novel by Louis Cha.
Chinese grammar: Saying a lot with 有的是youdeshi
In Chinese, there are "a lot" of ways to say "a lot." “有的是” (yǒudeshì) is one of those ways. However, we need to be very clear: "有的是" is not the same as "有的+是". Unfortunately, these two phrases are extremely close, but their meanings are not the same at all! "有的是" indicates that the amount or quantity of something is very large, and it can sometimes indicate a mood of exaggeration.
About the Wuxia (Martial Arts) Novels
Wuxia novel(武侠小说wǔxiá xiăoshuō) is a Chinese novel genre, which features martial arts heroes, i.e. swordsmen and those related to them, with the plot dedicating to the intricate(you use intricate to describe something that has many small parts or details) relationships of honor, loyalty, love and hatred between individuals in the world of martial arts. There's usually a thread of martial arts practice and demonstration running through the plot.
Chinese phrase translation: 打车 (dǎ chē) take a taxi
打车 (dǎ chē) take a taxi Usage: “打车”是指租用出租汽车；乘坐出租汽车。“打车(dǎ chē)” means taking a taxi.
Martial Art and Chinese Literature
Earliest literature work(文学作品wénxué zuòpĭn) on the martial art or chivalrous(a chivalrous man is polite, kind, and unselfish, especially towards women) characters was Records of the Grand Historian, a masterpiece from Sima Qian, the great historian in Western Han Dynasty. In the book, the sections such as Biographies of Knights-errant and Biographies of Assassins recorded the legendary characters including Jing Ke, Zhu Jia and Guo Jie in the form of historical biography.
Chinese grammar: Expressing a bit too into 了一点儿
了一点儿(le yīdiǎnr), can be added after an adjective to mean "a little bit too". It is softer in tone than using 太, and so is often used when the speaker doesn't want to insult the listener by speaking too directly.
About Jianghu: The World of Martial Arts
Jianghu(江湖jiānghú) is a shared world and an alternate universe. It consists of several martial artists and pugilists gathered in the Wulin(武林wǔlín), who are usually congregated in clans, sects(a sect is a group of people that has separated from a larger group and has a particular set of religious or political beliefs), disciplines and various schools of martial arts(武术wǔshù). It is also inhabited by others such as "Youxia" (wandering heroes), nobles, thieves, beggars, priests, healers, merchants and craftsmen. The best Wuxia writers draw a vivid picture of the intricate themes of honour, loyalty, love and hatred between the individuals and communities within this milieu.
Chinese phrase translation: 嚼舌头 (jiáo shétou) tittle-tattle
嚼舌头 (jiáo shétou) tittle-tattle Usage: “嚼舌头”的字面意义是咀嚼舌头。比喻说是非或者说废话。也说“嚼舌根”。常用作贬义词。“嚼舌头” literally means to chew one’s tongue. It metaphorically means tittle-tattle or to say some nonsense words. It is also said as “嚼舌根”which is used as a derogatory term.
Stringed and Woodwind Music in China
The Stringed and woodwind music(丝竹音乐sīzhú yīnyuè) of Jiangnan is the umbrella name of the stringed and woodwind music popular in the southern part of Jiangsu, the western part of Zhejiang and Shanghai City. The name is originated from the fact that the band mainly uses stringed and woodwind musical instruments such as urheen (erhu), dulcime (yangqin), lute, sanxian, qinqin, bamboo flute, Xiao and so on. The stringed and woodwind music had been popular among the people no latter than the Qing. It was closely integrated with folk activities, which brought about pervasive(something, especially something bad, that is pervasive is present or felt throughout a place or thing) mass foundation for the music of this kind.
Chinese grammar: Challenging an adjective with 什么shenme
Adding 什么(shénme) to the end of an adjective (or less frequently a verb) can be used to form a rhetorical question. In the phrase 你急什么？"what are you worried about?", the speaker is implying that there is no need to be worried.
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