Chinese Ears

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Many Chinese characters seem to sound the same but they actually mean different things. Chinese ears amazingly are able to detect their difference in tones. A text in Chinese can be written using just one sound but pronounced with different tones. A Chinese linguist, Zhao Yuanren in fact, wrote the Story of Shi Eating the Lions using nothing but the sound shi. Log in http://www.yellowbridge.com/onlinelit/stonelion.html for a sample if you are able to read Chinese. Coming back to life in our beautiful world, do you ever wonder why some people say something and mean another? And many times, we don't really listen to another. We hear the words but we never really grasp their true meanings. Life would be more peaceful indeed if we have Chinese ears!

Comments

Liudmila said…
It's so interesting! To read a book using only one word! It's something completly new for me. I wonder in italian language there are so many meenings for one word: with the word "ferro" (metal) they speak about sooo many different things."Metal for this", "metal for that"
But this chinese word is the most incredible of all.
October 12, 2007 at 8:39 AM
footiam said…
And I do think it's very hard to study Chinese. Need a lot of hard work to remember all those characters. The characters had been simplified but I still find it difficult.
October 12, 2007 at 9:38 AM
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