EASY-TO-READ MANDARIN CHINESE
玩水的节日——泼水节
怎么做木须肉？
Water-Sprinkling Festival| 07
How to Make Moo Shu Pork? | 27
MAY 01, 2023 | $8.24
The Mimir Magazine
火车跑得这么快，为什 么蚊子可以在里面飞？ Why Can Mosquitoes Fly in Tains?| 19
Editor's Note In this issue we explore a variety of cultural experiences and traditions in China. From the Songkran Festival, to different Chinese dishes, to stories about travel, and even about the unexpected difficulties of being a sleep tester. You are sure to find something that piques your interest in this issue. To understand more about Chinese culture, take a look at the first article where it introduces us to the Water-Splashing Festival, also known as the Songkran Festival, which takes place in the middle of April. You can also learn more about relationship dynamics in Chinese culture in the second article. Food is important to all of us so head over to the third and fourth articles to learn about the interesting history behind the popular Chinese dish, sweet and sour pork. Then move on to the story of a man who is reminded of his mothers Mu Shu while he is traveling. If you’re looking for a new profession, the fifth article goes over what responsibilities a sleep tester may have. However, be warned that it’s not all counting sheep and cozy beds! There are some complexities that come with the job. Article seven is a personal reflection of a 25-year-old studying abroad in the United States. The author reflects on how their experiences in America have changed them over the years. Overall, these passages offer a glimpse into the diverse and rich culture of China, from traditional festivals to popular dishes and the intricacies of different jobs. They also offer a personal perspective on the experiences of those from China in America, highlighting the unique challenges and reflections that come with being an international student. Happy reading and we know you will find something that will interest you. Abigail English Editor of TMM English Editor of TMM May. 1, 2023
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t e e Mditors E
Our E
Abigail was raised a small town girl in Wyoming. She loves being outside which makes her current home in Utah the perfect place for her to camp, hike, and kayak in the Summer and hit the ski slopes in the Winter. She loves her family more than anything and spends as much time with her husband and son as she can. Writing has come naturally to Abigail since she was young and she enjoys writing about a variety of topics such as language learning, parenting, personal finance, and business.
She
graduated
from
university
in
communications with an emphasis in public relations and a minor in business. Learning is a passion of hers and is one of the biggest reasons she loves writing because it always pushes her to learn more about many different things.
Hello, my name is Ren Yue and I am in Xi 'an, China. I am a professional teacher of Chinese as a foreign language and a TV presenter. I have been teaching for five years. I have taught Chinese and Mandarin to students from many countries. At the same time, I also participated in many Chinese learning seminars. I like to teach while chatting, find out what students are interested in and start learning. I also like to share the fun of life with my students to keep learning. Follow me into the world of Chinese, you will feel very interesting, you will not only gain a good Mandarin, but also find that you can become a Chinese culture sharing in a short time. VOL0 | 02
CONTENT TRENDS
Three Things to Know Before Becoming a Hotel Sleep Tester
成为宾馆试睡员前要知道的三件事 The First Person I Spoke to in America
在美国第一个跟我讲话的人
11
35
FOOD IS EVERYTHING The Story of Sweet Sour Pork and Emperor Qin
糖醋里脊和秦始皇的故事 How to Make Moo Shu Pork?
怎么做木须肉？
15
27
ASIAN CULTURE
玩水的节日——泼水节 Straight Man V.S. Sweet Boy 直男和暖男 Water-Sprinkling Festival
07 23
LIFE & SCIENCE Why Can Mosquitoes Fly in Tains?
19
火车跑得这么快，为什么蚊子可以在里面飞？ SHORT STIRY Can And Cannot
可以和不可以
Click here to listen to the audio recording of this issue.
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42
Embracing other languages feels beautiful... www.themimir.com VOL0 | 04
friends 莉莉
艾米 Amy is a high school exchange student from the U.S. She likes traveling and is curious about ancient cultures. She thinks Dada is very knowledgeable.
Lily is a student in the same high school as Amy. Her mom is Chinese and her Dad is from Ireland. Like her mom, Lily enjoys reading and cooking.
达达
凯文
Dada is a high school straight-A student from China. He loves science, the universe, and everything about aliens.
Kevin is an exchange student from Australia. He likes sports and cars. He thinks Amy is the cutest girl ever.
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What it feels like when I finally understand what they are saying...
Standard Mandarin Weekly is a happy brand under The Mimir
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ASIAN CULTURE
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL 5 MINS Have you heard of the Water-Splashing Festival of the Dai people? It’s also known as the Songkran Festival, which takes place in China in the middle of April. The festival involves pouring water on others as a way to wash away bad luck and bring blessings. In addition to water-splashing, the festival also includes traditional activities such as singing, dancing, and dragon boat racing. Other countries, such as Ukraine, have similar water-splashing festivals with unique cultural traditions. If you ever get the chance, experiencing this festival would be a wonderful. Editor Abigail
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ASIAN CULTURE
玩水的节日——泼水节 ：泼水节是每年的哪几天？ ：泼水节时，人们会做哪些事情？
Q1 Q2
你喜欢玩水吗？ 我很喜欢玩水，我经常去游泳。你知道吗，中国还有一个关于玩水的 节日！ 这个节日是傣族的泼水节。在泼水节的那几天里，人们会把水泼到别 人身上。除了好玩，还因为人们觉得水可以洗去过去一年的不顺利， 这是一种祝福。 中国的泼水节在四月的中间，有四到七天的时间。傣族人生活在中国 的南部，那里的四月很暖和。在泼水节的早上，大家会先到佛寺把佛 像洗干净。还要把花和绿叶拿到佛寺，放在佛像旁边。做完这些，大 家就可以去泼水了。在每个街道，不管是认识还是不认识的人，你都 可以向他泼水。人们都说，谁身体上的水越多，就表示谁的祝福就越 多。 泼水节除了泼水，还可以做其他事情，比如唱歌、跳舞和赛龙舟。傣 族人穿上他们民族的衣服一边唱歌一边跳舞。你还会看到有几十个年 轻人，坐在几个像龙一样的船上比赛。哪个船划得快，哪个船就赢 了。河两边看比赛的人也很多。人们都在为他们加油！ 不只是中国，其他国家也有泼水节，乌克兰的泼水节比傣族泼水节还 要疯狂。乌克兰是一个女人多男人少的国家。泼水节这天，乌克兰男 人们会向自己喜欢的女人泼水。越漂亮的女人会被泼得越多，这表示 大家很喜欢这个女人。 你喜欢泼水节吗？如果有机会，也希望你可以和朋友们去泼水节玩一 玩！ 作者：醒醒 VOL0 | 08
VOCAB! 泼
Buddhist temple
民族
pō to splash / to spill / rough and coarse / brutish
mín zú nationality / ethnic group
顺利
龙
shùn lì smoothly / without a hitch
Lóng surname Long
祝福
加油
zhù fú blessings / to wish sb well
jiā yóu to add oil / to top up with gas / to refuel / to accelerate / to step on the gas / (fig.) to make an extra effort / to cheer sb on
佛像
fó xiàng Buddhist image / statue of Buddha or Bodhisattva
疯狂
fēng kuáng crazy; frenzied; wild
佛寺
Fó sì TEACHE'S NOTE
这篇文章共分为三个部分，泼水节的介绍、泼水节会做得事情、哪些国家会过泼水节。可以和朋 友之间模仿过泼水节的经过，跳跳孔雀舞，唱唱歌，气温允许的话，也可以互相泼水，来表达祝 福。 文章运用了“除了....还.....”、“不只是...也有....”等句型，在表达除了本身的例子外，还有更多相同 的事物时，可以多多来运用这类句型，丰富事物的举例表达。 This article is divided into three parts: the introduction of the Water-sprinkling Festival, what will be done in the Water-sprinkling Festival and which countries will celebrate the Water-sprinkling Festival. You can imitate the Water Splashing Festival with your friends, dancing peacock and singing songs. If the temperature permits, you can also pour water on each other to express your blessings. The article uses the phrase "except.... return to....." ", "not just... there is also....." Such sentence patterns can be used to express more of the same things besides their own examples, so as to enrich the example expression of things. VOL0 | 05 VOL0 | 09
r e m m gra ew br 语法：“除了...还...” 除了 还 在中文里，表达有更多、更进一步的意思，和英语里的 用法相同。 除了 还
“ ... ...” there is...besides... / there is...in addition to... / there is...apart from. “ ... ...”In Chinese, the expression has a more advanced meaning, and the English expression there is... besides... / there is... in addition to... / there is... apart from. Same usage.You can use this sentence pattern when you want to express something or something more than you already have
。
Structure: + have sth./ do sth.....
除了
还+have sth./ do sth
Exanple:
除了会说英语，他还会说法语。 Besides speaking English, he can also speak French. 我除了有苹果，还有香蕉。 Besides apples, I have bananas.
：
Editor Ren Yue
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TRENDS
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL 5 MINS
The job of a sleep tester may seem like an easy one - stay in a hotel, take some photos, and write an article. However, the reality is that it is much more complex than it appears. Sleep testers have to do extensive research on different hotels, make preparations before going to bed, and document every detail of their experience during the sleep test. They also have to deal with potential discomfort and poor sleep due to the nature of their job. So, the next time you think the job of a sleep tester is easy, remember that it requires a lot more effort and dedication than you might expect! Editor Abigail
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TRENDS
成为宾馆试睡员前要知道的三件事
在很多人看来，试睡员的工作就是到宾馆睡觉，然后拍几张照片，再写一 篇文章就可以了。工作简单，工资还高。 其实，这个工作没有那么简单。如果想成为一个宾馆试睡员，你除了会拍 照片、会写文章，还要知道下面这几件事情。 试睡前，试睡员要做很多准备。他们要收集很多宾馆的信息。比如最近大 家都很喜欢去哪里度假、新开的宾馆有哪些，也要知道很多宾馆的新闻。 这些都需要花很多时间去收集。 试睡那天他们也需要做很多工作。住进宾馆以后，他们要记下宾馆的很多 细节。比如房间里有几条毛巾、房间每个地方是不是干净、服务员的态度 怎么样等等。然后，再给照片加上文字，或者用视频记下来。
：试睡员在试 睡前需要做哪些 准备？ Q1
：试睡员为什 么很容易睡不 好？ Q2
试睡员很容易睡不好。对于大部分人来说，睡觉是休息。但对试睡员来 说，睡觉也是他们工作的一部分。所以他们不能很放松地睡。有时候，他 们还需要去一些刚建好的宾馆体验，这些宾馆的空气里可能有对身体不好 的气味。这也会让他们睡不好。 看到这儿，你还觉得试睡员的工作很简单吗？
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作者：思昀
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