EASY-TO-READ MANDARIN CHINESE
SEPT.01,2023 | $8.24
The Mimir Magazine
世界上最贵的土竟然要90亿美元
日本人和豆腐
沙漠中的卢浮宫—敦煌莫高窟
$9 BILLION: The Most Expensive Dirt | 25
Japanese and Tofu | 29
The Louvre in the Desert: Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes |6
Editor's Note In this issue you’ll meet a fantastic collection of stories, some short, some long, and all of them just as entertaining as the last. For an easy start, I recommend reading the piece about Mars first, and I recommend that you finish with the poem last, as it’s such a sweet send off. In this issue, you’ll learn about the Mogao Caves, Japanese Tofu, friendship, fate and love, and so much more. You’ll even learn how to cook an amazing bowl of chicken noodle soup! I recommend reading the noodle soup and the tofu pieces before you’re due to eat, as you may find yourself craving some chicken noodle soup or some tofu afterwards. This issue is a wonderful collection, with stories that both challenge and entertain. There is a story for every level, from easy to moderately difficult. Students of all levels should be able to get through this issue, even if some pieces may take some extra time and practice. Every story is well worth the read, and we hope that you enjoy them as much as we’ve enjoyed them. My personal favorites are the poem and the story about the Moon Man. Discuss which pieces are your favorite among your friends. What would you like to read about next? We love hearing from you!
Ted Wilson English Editor of TMM Sept.01, 2023 TMM | 01
t e e Mditors E
Our E
Hello everyone, my name is Bo Zai, a Chinese teacher who has taught in the UK, China, Spain, and the United States. I have been working as a teacher for eight years, and my students come from all over the world, aging from 7 – 21 years old. I have taught courses such as HSK, Basic Chinese, and AP Chinese. 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. TMM | 02
When I'm in my spare time, I love reading, hiking, traveling, learning new languages, and learning about various histories and cultures. I tell myself everyday that I should still keep the curiosity about the world and love of life, remain true to my original aspiration, keep sincere and work earnestly.
CONTENT TRENDS People I met in America (2)
我在美国遇到的那些人（二）
33
FOOD IS EVERYTHING
怎么做鸡汤面？
How to Make Chicken Noodle Soup? Japanese and Tofu
日本人和豆腐
15 29
ASIAN CULTURE The Louvre in the Desert: Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes
6
沙漠中的卢浮宫—敦煌莫高窟 Chinese Cupid：The Story of Matchmaker 中国的丘比特——月老的故事
20
LIFE & SCIENCE $9 BILLION: The Most Expensive Dirt
25
世界上最贵的土竟然要90亿美元 Knowing This, No More Insomnia
11
知道这些，不再失眠 SHORT STORY What I Learn
我学习
38
Click here to listen to audio recordings of this issue on YouTube
TMM | 03
，
Learn Chinese from Pinyin So easy
豆腐
！
dòu fu
Tofu
www.eventbrite.com/e/learning-mandarinchinese-beginner-tickets-690588537907? aff=oddtdtcreator TMM | 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.
TMM | 05
ASIAN CULTURE
THE LOUVRE IN THE DESERT: DUNHUANG MOGAO GROTTOES
沙漠中的卢浮宫 — 敦煌莫高窟 Intermediate level 6 Mins
TMM | 06
This piece is an excellent introduction to the Mogao Caves. Did you know that these are also often referred to as The Thousand
Buddha
Grottoes?
Or
sometimes even the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas? Studying Buddhism in my teens, this location is special to me, even if I’m not quite Buddhist as an adult. I do believe that everyone should spend some time understanding Buddhism and visiting the caves if they can. These are outstanding structures given their age, and they truly are a marvel of China. This piece is entertaining, but does feature a few
challenges
linguistically.
I
recommend that you wait to read this one until you’ve warmed up for the day. Discuss the caves with your friends and see what they think about these ancient wonders, then read this piece together, practcining your Chinese as you do! -Ted
TMM | 07
为什么很多人说敦煌的莫高窟就是中国的卢浮宫？ Q2: 敦煌的莫高窟有多久的历史？ Q1:
在中国，有这样一个民间故事。 很久以前，有一个和尚。他为了找到一个能修行的地方，一直向西走。有一天，他走到了敦煌 的一座山下。这里附近都是沙石，时间也不早了，没有东西吃，也没有地方睡觉。 太阳慢慢下山，和尚正在低着头走路。他突然抬头，发现前面的山上出现了金色的光。在金色 的光下，好像有千万个佛。和尚看到这些，觉得太神奇了！ 他想，这应该是佛祖给他的提示。 于是，他停了下来，准备在金光出现的地方开凿佛窟。 后来，中国的历史上，出现了很多信佛的皇帝。他们找了很多人来开凿佛窟。但是，也有很多 时候，佛窟的开凿是停了的。就这样，开了又停，停了又开。过了一千年，这个佛窟终于完成 了。这里，就是莫高窟。 莫高窟跟卢浮宫一样，都保存了很多非常重要的文化遗产。卢浮宫主要保存的是西方的文化遗 产，而莫高窟主要保存的是东方的文化遗产。所以，很多人说，敦煌莫高窟就是中国的卢浮 宫。它其实已经有1600多年的历史了，比卢浮宫早很多年，是世界上最大的佛教圣地。 莫高窟在中国西北的沙漠中，它里面有很多漂亮的壁画和佛像。壁画中的人和动物，就像是真 的一样。每一个画都有自己的故事，每一个佛像也是。 很多去过莫高窟的人，都能感觉到心里非常平静。很多人看到很多佛像以后，都会突然哭起 来。他们好像能看到以前人们的想法，能感觉到他们想的东西。很多人去过一次，都还想再去 一次。 如果你有机会来中国西北，一定要到莫高窟看看！ 作者：鱼柒
TMM | 08