Thursday, January 2, 2014

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

How to access free movies and tv shows on computer and phones

If you're a thrifty guy like watching videos, then this post is for you.

Install Chrome browser;
Open Chrome web store, click Extensions, type 'unblock youku' in web store search box;
There will be a list of add-on's that bypass Chinese website IP blocking - knowing Chinese language helps, or use 'Translate this page' from Google.

With these add-on's installed in Chrome browser, you can access Chinese video websites.


What about turning my smartphone into a little portable TV?
Most video websites support access from a handset now. But if you like it free, here it is how:

Install 'Baidu player' to your phone - you can get it free from Google Play Store, or from http://player.baidu.com .
Then visit http://www.51alading.com/ from your phone - need to understand Chinese language to browse the content, or install 'Web Translator Lite' to your phone.



Enjoy!

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Bollywood movie - 3 idots

http://youtu.be/JHJCU86SK9E
Turn the 'CC' on and Enjoy!

Chinese language - fable - 黔驴技穷

    过去贵州(黔)这个地方没有驴。有个多事的人用船运来了一头驴,运来后却没有什么用处,就把驴放到山脚下。
    一只老虎看见了驴,以为这个躯体高大的家伙一定很神奇,就躲在树林里偷偷观察着,后来又悄悄走出来,小心翼翼地接近驴,不知道驴子的底细。
    有一天,驴叫了一声, 老虎大吃一惊,远远躲开,以为驴要咬自己了,非常恐惧。然而,老虎反复观察以后,觉得驴并没有什么特殊本领,而且越来越熟悉驴的叫声了。
    老虎开始走到驴的前后,转来转去,还不敢上去攻击驴。以后,老虎慢慢逼近驴,越来越放肆,或者碰它一下,或者靠它一下,不断冒犯它。驴非常恼怒,就用蹄子去踢老虎。
    老虎心里盘算着:“你的本事也不过如此罢了!”非常高兴。于是老虎腾空扑去,大吼一声,咬断了驴的喉管,啃完了驴的肉,才离去了。
    唉!那驴的躯体高大,好像有德行;声音洪亮,好像有本事。假如不显出那有限的本事,老虎虽然凶猛,也会存有疑虑畏惧的心理,终究不敢攻击它。现在落得如此下场,不是很可悲吗?



Notes:

    过去(in the past)贵州(黔)(a province in China)这个地方(this place)没有(doesn't have)驴(donkey)。有个(there's)多事的(meddlesome)人(person)用船运(ship by boat)来了一头驴,运来后(after arrival)却(but)没有什么用处(no use whatsoever),就(so, and)把驴放到(put donkey to)山脚下(at the foot of a mountain)。
    In the past there's no donkey in Guizhou (old name Qian) area. Some meddlesome guy shipped in one donkey by boat, but found no use of it after arrival, so put it at the foot of a mountain.


    一只老虎(a tiger)看见了(see, spot)驴,以为(think)这个躯体(body)高大(big and tall)的家伙(guy)一定(must)很(very)神奇(miraculous),就躲(hide)在树林里偷偷(stealthily)观察着(observing),后来又悄悄(quietly)走出来,小心翼翼(carefully)地接近驴,不知道驴子的底细(exact details)。
    A tiger spotted donkey, believed this big tall guy must be miraculous, hid itself in the woods observing in secret. Then came out quietly, approach donkey cautiously, not knowing its exact details.

观察(observe)  观察着(observing)  ...着 (in the process of ...)

    有一天(one day),驴叫了一声,老虎大吃一惊(startled),远远躲开,以为驴要(bite)自己了,非常恐惧(scared)。然而,老虎反复观察以后,觉得(think, feel)驴并没有什么特殊(special)本领(capability),而且(and)越来越(more and more)熟悉(be familiar with)驴的叫声了。
    One day, donkey brayed. Tiger was startled, and ran far way to hide, fearing donkey was going to bite. However, after repeated observations, tigers didn't think donkey got any special capabilities, and was more and more used to its brays.

    老虎开始(begin)走到驴的前后(front and back),转来转去,还不(dare)上去攻击(attack)驴。以后(later),老虎慢慢逼近(close in on)驴,越来越放肆(impudent, disrespectful),或者(or)碰(touch, bump)它一下,或者(lean on to)它一下,不断(nonstop)冒犯(offend)它。驴非常恼怒(angry),就用蹄子(hoof)去(kick)老虎。
    Tiger began to walk to the front and back of donkey, circling around, not daring to attack donkey yet. Later, tiger closed in on donkey slowly, more and more disrespectful. Either touch it, or lean onto it a little bit, tiger offended donkey continuously. Donkey got raged, kicked tiger with hoof.
    
    老虎心里(in mind)盘算(calculate)着:“你的本事(skills)也不过如此罢了!”非常高兴。于是老虎腾空(get in the air)扑去(jump onto),大吼(roar)一声,咬断了(cut with bite)驴的喉管(throat),啃(gnaw, eat)完了驴的肉,才离去(leave)了。
    "Your skills are so-so", tiger calculated in his mind, cheerfully. Thus tiger jumped onto donkey, with a big roar, snapped donkey's throat, gnawed all its meat, then left.
    唉(Alas)!那驴的躯体高大,好像(seems)有德行(virtuous);声音(sound, voice)洪亮(resonant),好像有本事。假如(if)不显出(show)那有限的(limited)本事,老虎虽然凶猛(fierce),也会存有疑虑(hesitation)畏惧(fear)的心理(mentality),终究(after all)不敢攻击它。现在落得如此下场(end),不是很可悲(lamentable)吗?
    Alas! That donkey had huge body, seemed virtuous; got resonant voice, seemed capable. If it hadn't shown out limited skills, tiger would still be hesitated and feared, though fierce itself, and dared not to attack after all. Now donkey got such an ending, isn't it lamentable?

落得如此下场 got such a bad ending   (a popular phrase in story telling)

Please feel free to post questions!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Chinese language - short story - 羊披虎皮

羊披虎皮 sheep wearing tiger skin

Sentence by sentence reading:
http://edu.ocac.gov.tw/biweekly/animation3/431_d3/index.htm
Text, pinyin and English translation

Text in above links is in traditional Chinese, here is the simplified version:
有一只羊披着老虎的皮, 大摇大摆在深林里走来走去。
但是羊一看到豺狼过来,害怕的全身颤抖起来,为什么羊会害怕?
这是因为它知道自己是羊,而忘了自己已经披上老虎的皮。

寓意:
虚有外表却没有实力的人,是经不起考验的,一旦碰到凶猛的对手,自己胆小的本性全都会表露无遗。

A sheep covered itself in tiger’s skin and strutted among the other animals in a forest. However, when the sheep saw a wolf, it was still shaken with fear. Why was that? It was because beneath its disguise, the sheep was still just a sheep, and when it saw the wolf, it was so stricken with fear that it forgot that it was supposed to be a tiger.
The moral of the story is that a person who appears impressive but does not have real substance will fail in a real test. Once faced with a strong opponent or a difficult challenge, the person’s weakness will be exposed for all to see.


Please check useful tools at http://daytodaychinese.net/ToolsLink.aspx
e.g. Text annotation http://www.chinese-tools.com/tools/annotation.html

Notes:

(there is/are)一只羊(one sheep) 披着(wearing)老虎(tiger)的(skin), 大摇大摆(swaggering)在深林(forest)(inside)走来走去(walking around, walk back and forth)。

羊 one sheep  一鸡 one chick 一鸭 one duck  一船 one boat
只 measure word for animals, ships, etc


深林 inside a forest    
在...里 inside of ...

但是(but, however)羊(once)看到(see)豺狼(wolf)过来(coming over),害怕的全身(whole body)颤抖(shiver)起来,为什么(why)羊(would)害怕(be afraid, dread)?
这是(this is)因为(because)(it)知道(know)自己(itself)是羊,(but)忘了(forget)自己已经(already)披上老虎的皮。

寓意(moral):
虚有外表(exterior / appearance)(but)没有实力(real strength)的人,是经不起(cannot stand)考验(trial / test)的,一旦(once)碰到(meet)凶猛的(ferocious)对手,自己胆小的(cowardly)本性(nature)全都会表露(reveal)无遗(completely)。



Please feel free to post questions!

Friday, May 25, 2012

Chinese language - simple sentences - Expressing Thanks & Appreciation

Let's learn how to say thanks in this lesson: http://www.chineselearner.com/speaking/thanks.htm

Sentences annotation tool: http://www.chinese-tools.com/tools/annotation.html
Online dictionary http://www.nciku.com/

Lesson notes:

非常感谢 非常(very, extremely)感谢(thank)-> Thank you very much
非常's synonyms: 很 (very), 太(too, extremely)
so 很感谢您 = 非常感谢您 =太感谢您了Thank you very much


太...了 is a common pattern in sentences. 了 has no meaning here, just put at the end of sentence.
E.g. 太好了 (very good)

spoken variations: 
多谢   多(many)谢(thanks)
谢谢   Thanks

When someone say this to you, it's polite to say back:
不用谢  不用(need not)-> No need to thank me
别客气  别(don't)客气(be polite)-> Don't mention it
没什么  没(not have)什么(anything)-> It's nothing

都是朋友,还这么客气干吗?
都(all)是(are)朋友(friends),这么(so)客气(polite)干吗(for what)?->We are friends. Please do not mention it.
还...干吗?is a common pattern in speaking, meaning (Please don't ...) / (no need to ...)




谢谢你给我的帮助  谢谢(thank)你给我的(you gave me...)帮助(help) -> thank you for the help you gave me.

谢谢您,让您受累了  谢谢您(thank you),让(make, let)您受累(be implicated, get into trouble)了  -> Thank you for going through such trouble [for me].


辛苦(working hard)了,谢谢您。 Thank you for the hard work.

给您添麻烦了,真不好意思!   给您(add)麻烦(trouble)了,真(really)不好意思(embarrassed, sorry) -> Sorry for putting you into trouble [to help me out].




If you have questions, just put them in comments. I'll try my best to answer them.
For complete list of lessons, please visit http://daytodaychinese.net/Default.aspx?Level=1.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Korean movie - Bedevilled (adults only)

I used to think Korean movie is all about cool guy and good-looking girl falling in love, and someone dies at the end. But this one changed my mind, because it vividly recreated these people I know are many on earth.

Warning: can be bloody, no kids around.

Bedevilled 2010 clip0
Bedevilled 2010 clip1
Bedevilled 2010 clip2
Bedevilled 2010 clip3
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Bedevilled 2010 clip7