EASY-TO-READ MANDARIN CHINESE
NOV.15,2023 | $8.24
The Mimir Magazine
藏在枣糕里的智慧
阿那亚——都市人群的精神出口
掉进沼泽地怎么办？
The Wisdom Hidden in Jujube Cake | 18
Anaya——the Spiritual Outlet of Urban People | 39
What to do if You Fall into the Swamp? | 10
Editor's Note Welcome back to another exciting issue of our magazine! We hope that you’ve had a fantastic summer, and that you’re ready to start your autumn months off with some great reads, and more fascinating information about Chinese culture and customs. In this issue, you’ll learn about the Chinese custom of wearing Long Johns, a delicious recipe for cabbage pork pot, and you’ll even have your cake and get to eat it too with the wisdom heavy tale “The Wisdom Hidden in Jujube Cake.” This issue is relaxing, and exciting all in one. It offers stories for beginners and those who have a more advanced understanding of English. No matter your level, you’re likely to enjoy every story, but much like that cabbage pork pot recipe, be sure to take your time and savor each bit! As a learner, I’d start with the first story about Chinese long johns, and then would move to the Jujube Cake story, switching then to Zoom’s Story, and so on. Of course, you’re also welcome to read each page as they come, marking where you’d like to come back and read later on. Don’t get discouraged if you struggle reading a story, as this issue is full of them. As the Chinese proverb says, “judge not the horse by his saddle.” Be careful not to judge your reading level, or this entire magazine, by your experience with just one story. Most importantly, take your time to enjoy this issue, as there are a lot of great gems here. To help your Chinese, take each story and read it slowly, read it outloud if you can. This helps your brain with retention. Take some time to write down notes about the stories, and share them with your friends. Alternatively, you can read one with a friend, a spouse, or even your child every night before bed. Some believe that information taken in right before bed sticks better than other parts of the day. Chinese is a beautiful language, much like a wildflower, and should be taken in slowly, and with appreciation all the same. What are you hoping to read about? We love to hear from our readers! Ted Wilson English Editor for TMW Vol.18 Nov.15, 2023 TMM | 01
t e e Mditors E
Our E
Ted Wilson is a writer, marketing specialist, and squirrel feeder with over 14 years of experience. When he’s not working or writing, he enjoys playing tennis, creating art, working out, and looking at raccoons. He currently lives in Michigan with his fiancée, two spiders, and a fish. He hopes to relocate to Washington State soon. He is a language lover, currently speaking English, German, some Polish, and is also learning Chinese. My name is Hermione Xu. I am a senior teacher of Chinese as a foreign language. I graduated with Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language as my major and have 15 years of teaching experience. I have previously taught at Suzhou University. After leaving the university, I have also worked as a manager in training institutions and as an influencer. I am currently dedicated to nurturing young teachers. I have developed introductory courses for new teachers and published the first ever book introducing teaching Chinese as a foreign language to those outside the industry: "How to teach Chinese, in a non-amateur way." I am also committed to the development and promotion of material and methods to learn Chinese language. I believe that people have diverse learning needs that should be met. Good material and methods such as applications, courses and magazines need to reach more people who need them. I am someone who is eager to explore the unknown. I welcome fresh ideas and concepts and I am open to making new friends. If you have any thoughts or would like to exchange ideas on Chinese language learning and teaching, feel free to reach out. TMM | 02
CONTENT TRENDS Let's Zoom! Zoom
的故事
27
Anaya——the Spiritual Outlet of Urban People
39
阿那亚——都市人群的精神出口 FOOD IS EVERYTHING The Wisdom Hidden in Jujube Cake
18
藏在枣糕里的智慧 Japanese Cabbage Pork Pot, Delicious!
31
日式白菜猪肉锅，美味！ ASIAN CULTURE Are Chinese the Only People Who Wear Long Johns?
6
只有中国人穿秋裤吗？ Mencius's Mother Moving Three Times
14
孟子的故事---孟母三迁 LIFE & SCIENCE Say Goodbye to a Stiff Neck?
23
怎么和落枕说再见？ What to do if You Fall into the Swamp?
掉进沼泽地怎么办？ Click here to listen to audio recordings of this issue on YouTube
TMM | 03
10
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.
TMM | 05
ASIAN CULTURE
Intermediate level Min 5
Are Chinese the Only People Who Wear Long Johns?
This story has some challenging words and phrases, but it still works great as a warmup. To help yourself, try to translate each to the proper pinyin, and repeat it to yourself a few times over. This may help you associate the character with the proper sound, and will help you remember both much more easily. Otherwise, this story is interesting, and is the perfect topic as the leaves start to fall off the trees. Are you excited for winter? What’s your favorite part of the cooler seasons, if you live somewhere that experiences them? For extra learning, discuss with your family and friends about their long johns opinions, but try to do so in Chinese. Editor: Ted
TMM | 06
ASIAN CULTURE
只有中国人 穿秋裤吗？ ： 秋裤”最早出现在哪里？ Q2：什么样的人被叫做“秋裤党”？ Q1 “
如果你问一个中国人，在冬天，一定要穿的 东西是什么？我觉得他一定会说：秋裤。但 是，很多中国人都觉得全世界只有中国人才穿 秋裤，外国人都不穿秋裤。真的是这样吗？ 其实，除了中国，北朝鲜的人也喜欢穿秋 裤。但是，最早的秋裤却不是出现在这两个国 家，而是在北美大陆。所以，秋裤可能是从外 国传到中国的呢！ 在北美大陆，最早出现的秋裤和我们现在穿 的秋裤是不一样的。那时候的秋裤看起来和连 体裤一样，大多数是白色的，穿上以后会和身 体紧紧地贴在一起。后来为了方便，就把上面 的衣服和下面的裤子分开了。当时很多人都喜 欢穿秋裤。而且，人们还会把秋裤穿在外面。 因为他们觉得这样又暖和又好看。
又过了几十年，中国才有了秋裤。特别是在中 国的北方，人们非常喜欢穿秋裤。穿上秋裤，再 穿上其他的裤子，即使在冬天也不会觉得很冷。 中国的妈妈们经常对他们的孩子说：“记得穿秋 裤！”有时候我们觉得穿秋裤会让自己看起来很 胖，所以不愿意穿。但是因为要听妈妈的话，也 不得不穿。有人会开玩笑说：“有一种冷，是你 妈觉得你冷”。其实，妈妈让我们穿秋裤也是因 为关心我们。 现在的秋裤已经越来越好看了，有很多的颜 色，虽然薄但是很暖和。还有一种说法是秋裤能 让腿变瘦。这是因为天气冷的时候，如果不穿秋 裤，腿上会更容易长脂肪。脂肪想保护你的腿。 所以天气冷的时候，还是穿好秋裤吧！ 作者：春夏 TMM | 07
ASIAN CULTURE
VOCAB! 当然
不得不
only natural / as it should be / certainly
have no choice or option but to / cannot
dāng rán
bù dé bù
除了
but / have to / can't help it / can't avoid
时尚
chú le besides / apart from (... also...) / in
shí shàng
addition to / except (for)
fashion / fad / fashionable
ér qiě
chǒu
而且
丑
(not only ...) but also / moreover / in
ugly
addition / furthermore
紧身
jǐn shēn skintight
受到
shòu dào to
receive
(praise,
an
education,
punishment etc) / to be ...ed (praised, educated, punished etc)
竟然
jìng rán unexpectedly / to one's surprise / in spite of everything / in that crazy way / actually / to go as far as to
甚至
shèn zhì even; so much so that
TMM | 08