Appreciating Modern Chinese Beauty (Advanced)
Chinese Name: 中国式美丽 (Zhōngguó shì měilì)
Key Learning Points (Preview):
美丽 (měilì): n. beauty
传统的 (chuántǒng de): adj. traditional
展示 (zhǎnshì): v. to show/to display
People of China in China’s National Image Promotional Video (Chinese name: 中国国家形象宣传篇之人物篇 Zhōngguó guójiā xíngxiàng xuānchuán piān zhī rénwù piān) was shown on Jan. 17th in New York Times Square. This video showcased outstanding Chinese individuals in various fields such as culture, science, sports and so on. The opening section was called Stunning Chinese Beauty (Chinese name: 令人惊艳的美丽 Lìng rén jīngyàn de měilì). Five famous Chinese female stars showcased distinct Chinese beauty by wearing clothes of diversified styles. The name of the five Chinese beauties are 范冰冰 (Fàn Bīngbīng) Fan Bingbing, 章子怡 (Zhāng Zǐyí) Zhang Ziyi, 周迅 (Zhōu Xùn) Zhou Xun, 张梓琳 (Zhāng Zǐlín) Zhang Zilin and 杨丽萍 (Yáng Lìpíng) Yang Liping.
Fan Bingbing appeared in a dress that was covered in a traditional Chinese porcelain design. Blue and white porcelain has a very long history in China, and its design is very distinctive. Zhang Ziyi was wearing a green dress. The designer integrated unassertiveness into a “传统的 (chuántǒng de) traditional” style, which represented the beauty of modern Chinese female—confident and individualistic. Zhou Xun expressed the charm of intellectualism with a short white dress. It “展示 (zhǎnshì) showed “the liveliness and intelligence of Chinese people. Zhang Zilin displayed the magical inner beauty of the Chinese nation by wearing a long black dress. Yan Liping, dressing in the clothing of some of China’s ethnic minorities, and interpreted through dance the natural and simple beauty of China’s ethnic minorities.
Example:
Zhēnzhèng de měilì bìng bù zhǐshì wàibiǎo de měilì.
真正 的 美丽 并 不 只是 外表 的 美丽。
True beauty comes from within.
传统的 (chuántǒngde): adj. traditional
Example:
Chūnjié shì Zhōngguó chuántǒng de jiérì zhī yī.
春节 是 中国 传统 的 节日之 一。
Spring Festival is one of China’s traditional festivals.
展示 (zhǎnshì): v. to show/to display
Example:
Zhōngguó guójiā xíngxiàng xuānchuán piān xiàng quán shìjiè zhǎnshì le
中国 国家 形象 宣传 片 向 全 世界 展示 了
yí gè quánxīn de Zhōngguó.
一个 全新 的 中国。
China’s National Image Promotional Videoshowcased the new China to the whole world.
“鲜艳的 xiānyàn de” means bright-colored.
Chinese names normally consist of the family name and the given name. What is different from foreign names is that the family name comes before the given name. For example, in the Chinese name周迅, “周”is the family name and “迅” is the given name.
“惊艳的” means stunning. How about “鲜艳的?”
Can you tell me about the construction of Chinese names?
Very nice! I want to know more. Please let me know your contact info and I will contact you.