FSI-Chinese/Audio-Transcripts/Standard Chinese/Resource Module/FSI - Standard Chinese - Resource Module - P&R - Tape 1.mp3.tsv

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0	4000	Standard Chinese A Modular Approach
4000	8000	Resource Module on Pronunciation and Romanization, Tape 1
8000	12000	This first tape in the Pronunciation and Romanization series
12000	15000	introduces the four tones of standard Chinese.
15000	21000	To help you focus on the tones, which will probably strike you as one of the most exotic features of Chinese,
21000	25000	this tapes makes use of only the simplest and most obvious consonants and vowels.
25000	29000	The trickier sounds and spellings will be covered systematically in the next four tapes.
29000	33000	Then the sixth tape will take up sequences of tones.
33000	37000	Listen to the four Chinese words which appear in display 1.
37000	40000	They are presented in the traditional order of the four tones.
40000	46000	Ma, Ma, Ma, Ma
46000	48000	Again
48000	54000	Ma, Ma, Ma, Ma
54000	57000	The overwhelming impression to a speaker of English
57000	60000	is that these must be the same words said four different ways.
60000	63000	After all in English we can say Ma
63000	66000	meaning is that you mother or Ma
66000	68000	meaning perhaps it's you mother.
68000	72000	But notice that we'd say that it's the same word in both utterances.
72000	76000	We can make different utterances with different patterns of intonation,
76000	78000	but not different words.
78000	82000	Now listen again to what we said are four different words in Chinese.
82000	86000	Ma, Ma, Ma, Ma
86000	88000	Ma
88000	89000	Again
89000	94000	Ma, Ma, Ma, Ma
94000	96000	To a speaker of Chinese
96000	100000	each of these words is perfectly distinguishable from the others.
100000	103000	The different tones keep them apart just as effectively as in English
103000	106000	different consonants set off Ma from Pa
106000	109000	and different vowels set off Ma from me.
109000	112000	So giving a word a wrong tone can be just as disastrous
112000	114000	as giving it a wrong consonant of all.
114000	118000	If you say Ma when what you meant was Ma
118000	121000	you've said horse instead of mother.
121000	125000	If you look at the display you'll see a visual representation of each tone.
125000	128000	The vertical scale covers about an octave.
128000	132000	Just which octave it is of course depends on the speaker's voice.
132000	136000	This is a somewhat greater range than you normally use in speaking English.
136000	139000	The top of the range will seem slightly too high for comfort
139000	141000	and the bottom slightly too low.
141000	144000	The first tone or high tone word mother
144000	147000	and the third tone or low tone word horse
147000	149000	will let you locate the extremes.
149000	150000	Listen
150000	154000	Ma, Ma
154000	158000	Again mother and horse high versus low
158000	161000	Ma, Ma
161000	163000	The popular notion of the Chinese tones
163000	166000	is that they are like notes on the musical scale
166000	169000	and indeed the distinctive difference between the two tones you just heard
169000	171000	is that one is high and one is low.
171000	175000	But you may have noticed that while the high tone was like a single steady high note
175000	179000	the low tone was lower in the middle than at either end.
179000	182000	For a more dramatic example of such a difference in contour
182000	185000	listen to the second tone or rising tone word hemp
185000	189000	and the fourth tone or falling tone word to scold.
189000	192000	Ma, Ma
192000	195000	Again hemp and to scold.
195000	197000	Rising versus falling
197000	200000	Ma, Ma
200000	203000	You can see the distinctive contours of the tones
203000	205000	and the diagrams of display one
205000	208000	and you can see them suggested in the accent marks
208000	210000	used to indicate the tones of the romanization.
210000	214000	The diagrams also show that the tones differ in length
214000	216000	with the third tone longer than the first and second
216000	218000	and the fourth tone shorter
218000	221000	and that they differ also in their patterns of loudness
221000	225000	as indicated by the varying width of the curves.
225000	228000	Now we're going to take up the tones in their traditional order
228000	231000	by the time we finish we'll have contrasted each tone
231000	233000	with every other tone.
233000	235000	The first tone is called the high tone.
235000	237000	It's pitch is near the top of the speaker's range
237000	239000	and it's contours level
239000	241000	as you can see in the display.
241000	245000	Listen to the high tone word which means mother.
245000	251000	Ma, Ma, Ma
251000	254000	Actually this is not an independent word
254000	257000	it's an element in words such as mama
257000	259000	which means mommy.
259000	261000	By the way the weak second syllable in mama
261000	264000	is not in one of the four tones.
264000	267000	It's said to be toneless or in the neutral tone.
267000	269000	We'll take this up in the sixth tape.
269000	272000	Since we seldom use high level intonation in English
272000	276000	the high tone may strike you as sung rather than spoken.
276000	278000	Try repeating mother after the speaker
278000	282000	taking care to stay on the same high note throughout.
282000	288000	Ma, Ma, Ma
288000	291000	If you're getting it right high and level
291000	293000	it should feel somewhat unnatural.
293000	295000	Try saying the high tone word mother
295000	299000	and then repeat after the speaker.
299000	302000	Ma
302000	304000	Notice that the tone mark in the romanization
304000	306000	suggests the level contour at least
306000	308000	if not the high pitch.
308000	310000	Try saying mother again
310000	313000	and repeat after the speaker.
313000	316000	Ma
316000	319000	The second tone is called the rising tone.
319000	321000	It starts in the middle of your range and almost immediately
321000	323000	rises sharply to the top of your range
323000	325000	as shown in the display.
325000	329000	Listen to the rising tone word which means hemp.
329000	336000	Ma, Ma, Ma
336000	338000	In English if you want to ask
338000	340000	that you mother you can ask
340000	343000	Ma with a rising intonation.
343000	345000	Think of the question Ma
345000	347000	and it may help you pronounce
347000	349000	the rising tone word which means hemp.
349000	351000	But you must remember that it's not a question
351000	353000	and has nothing to do with mother.
353000	356000	Try repeating hemp after the speaker.
356000	363000	Ma, Ma, Ma
363000	365000	Now try saying the rising tone word
365000	369000	to hemp yourself and to repeat.
369000	373000	Ma
373000	375000	Notice that the tone mark in the romanization
375000	377000	rises from left to right in the direction
377000	379000	your eyes are moving as you read.
379000	384000	Try saying hemp again and repeat.
384000	388000	Ma
388000	391000	Now let's compare the high tone with the rising tone.
391000	393000	Both are in the upper part of the pitch range
393000	394000	but the high tone stays level
394000	396000	while the rising tone climbs sharply
396000	398000	starting slightly below the high tone
398000	400000	and reaching the top of the range.
400000	403000	Listen to mother followed by hemp.
403000	406000	Ma, Ma
406000	409000	Again high tone rising tone.
409000	413000	Ma, Ma
413000	414000	Let's turn them around.
414000	416000	Hemp followed by mother.
416000	419000	Ma, Ma
419000	422000	Again rising tone high tone.
422000	426000	Ma, Ma
426000	428000	At the top of exercise one in your workbook
428000	431000	you'll see two romanized surnames.
431000	433000	The high tone surname fang
433000	435000	and the rising tone surname fang.
435000	437000	Remember that these are as distinct
437000	439000	as our Peterson and Patterson.
439000	441000	For each of the numbered items
441000	444000	the speaker will say either fang or fang.
444000	446000	You are to add the appropriate tone mark
446000	448000	to the romanization repeating the name
448000	449000	as you do so.
449000	451000	Then I'll give you the correct answer.
451000	453000	Don't worry if you miss if you at first.
453000	455000	You'll learn as much by being wrong
455000	457000	and finding out that you were wrong
457000	458000	as by being right
458000	460000	and finding out that you were right.
460000	461000	Here we go.
461000	463000	One
463000	465000	Fang
465000	466000	High
466000	467000	Two
467000	470000	Fang
470000	471000	Rising
471000	473000	Three
473000	475000	Fang
475000	476000	Rising
476000	478000	Four
478000	480000	Fang
480000	481000	High
481000	483000	Five
483000	485000	Fang
485000	487000	High
487000	489000	Six
489000	491000	Fang
491000	493000	Rising
493000	494000	Seven
494000	497000	Fang
497000	498000	High
498000	499000	Eight
499000	502000	Fang
502000	503000	High
503000	504000	Nine
504000	507000	Fang
507000	508000	Rising
508000	509000	Ten
509000	511000	Fang
511000	513000	Rising
513000	516000	The third tone is called the low tone.
516000	518000	As you can see in the display
518000	520000	it has a slightly dipping contour.
520000	521000	Starting fairly low
521000	523000	it dips to the very bottom of your range.
523000	526000	You can almost feel and hear its great bottom.
526000	528000	Then it swoops up a bit.
528000	529000	The most important part,
529000	530000	the part to listen for
530000	531000	and the part to emphasize
531000	533000	is the low part in the middle.
533000	536000	Remember also that this is the longest tone.
536000	538000	Listen to the low tone word
538000	540000	which means horse.
540000	542000	Ma
542000	544000	Ma
544000	547000	Ma
547000	550000	This also happens to be a common surname.
550000	551000	Try repeating horse
551000	554000	concentrating on getting as low as you can.
554000	557000	Ma
557000	559000	Ma
559000	562000	Ma
562000	564000	Now try saying the low tone word
564000	568000	or horse yourself and repeat.
568000	571000	Ma
571000	572000	Notice that the tone mark
572000	574000	captures at least the dipping contour
574000	576000	if not the low pitch.
576000	580000	Try saying horse again and repeat.
580000	584000	Ma
584000	586000	It's relatively easy to distinguish between
586000	588000	the high tone and the low tone
588000	589000	since they contrast in contour
589000	591000	as well as in pitch.
591000	592000	The high tone is level
592000	593000	as well as high
593000	594000	and the low tone is dipping
594000	596000	as well as low.
596000	597000	Listen to mother
597000	599000	followed by horse.
599000	602000	Ma
602000	605000	Again high tone low tone.
605000	609000	Ma
609000	611000	Now we'll turn them around.
611000	613000	Horse followed by mother.
613000	617000	Ma
617000	620000	Again low tone high tone.
620000	622000	Ma
622000	624000	Exercise 2
624000	625000	involves distinguishing
625000	626000	the high tone surname
626000	627000	Wei
627000	628000	from the low tone surname
628000	629000	Wei.
629000	630000	You'll see them correctly
630000	632000	romanized above the exercise
632000	633000	with the tone marks
633000	634000	over the vowel e.
634000	636000	Fill in the appropriate tone
636000	638000	marks and repeat as you do so.
638000	639000	One
639000	643000	Wei
643000	644000	Low
644000	645000	Two
645000	648000	Wei
648000	649000	High
649000	650000	Three
650000	651000	Wei
651000	653000	Low
653000	655000	Four
655000	658000	Wei
658000	659000	Low
659000	661000	Five
661000	663000	Wei
663000	664000	High
664000	665000	Six
665000	668000	Wei
668000	669000	Low
669000	670000	Seven
670000	673000	Wei
673000	674000	High
674000	675000	Eight
675000	678000	Wei
678000	679000	High
679000	680000	Nine
680000	681000	Wei
682000	683000	Low
683000	684000	Ten
684000	686000	Wei
686000	688000	High
689000	691000	The contrast between the rising tone
691000	693000	and the low tone is somewhat harder.
693000	696000	In fact, most students find it hardest of all.
696000	698000	One reason is that their starting points
698000	700000	are not too far apart.
700000	703000	And another is that both are rising at the end.
703000	705000	If you start a low tone a bit too high,
705000	707000	then fail to get down to the bottom of the range
707000	709000	and then exaggerate the rising tail,
709000	711000	you've got a rising tone,
711000	713000	and vice versa of course.
713000	715000	The way to keep them straight is to keep your mind fixed
715000	717000	on the features which give them their names.
717000	720000	For the rising tone,think rising.
720000	723000	All the energy goes into reaching the ceiling.
723000	726000	The tone actually gets louder as it rises.
726000	728000	For the low tone,think low.
728000	730000	All the energy goes into reaching the floor.
730000	732000	The rising tail is a tailing off in effort,
732000	734000	if not in loudness.
734000	737000	In fact,the rising tail is completely lost
737000	739000	in certain circumstances
739000	741000	as we'll see in the sixth tape.
741000	744000	Listen to hemp,followed by horse.
744000	748000	Ma.Ma.
748000	751000	Again,rising tone,low tone.
751000	754000	Ma.Ma.
754000	756000	Now the other way around,
756000	758000	horse followed by hemp.
758000	762000	Ma.Ma.
762000	765000	Again,low tone,rising tone.
765000	769000	Ma.Ma.
769000	771000	Now try adding the appropriate tone marks
771000	773000	in exercise three,
773000	775000	which contrasts the rising tone surname
775000	779000	me,with the low tone surname me.
779000	781000	Ask yourself as you repeat each surname
781000	784000	whether your effort is going into making it rise
784000	786000	or into getting it low,
786000	788000	and mark the tone accordingly.
788000	789000	One.
789000	791000	Me.
791000	792000	Low.
792000	793000	Two.
793000	796000	Me.
796000	797000	Rising.
797000	798000	Three.
798000	801000	Me.
801000	802000	Low.
802000	803000	Four.
803000	806000	Me.
806000	807000	Rising.
807000	808000	Five.
808000	811000	Me.
811000	812000	Low.
812000	813000	Six.
813000	816000	Me.
816000	817000	Rising.
817000	818000	Seven.
818000	821000	Me.
821000	823000	Rising.
823000	824000	Eight.
824000	827000	Me.
827000	828000	Low.
828000	829000	Nine.
829000	832000	Me.
832000	833000	Low.
833000	834000	Ten.
834000	837000	Me.
837000	840000	Rising.
840000	842000	You may not have scored so well on this.
842000	844000	Exercise four gives you another crack
844000	846000	at the rising verses low distinction,
846000	849000	with the rising tone surname woo,
849000	851000	the low tone surname woo.
851000	854000	You might find the supplementary clue of length useful.
854000	856000	The low tone is longer.
856000	859000	Mark the tones and repeat as you do so.
859000	860000	One.
860000	863000	Me.
863000	864000	Rising.
864000	866000	Two.
866000	869000	Me.
869000	870000	Rising.
870000	871000	Three.
871000	874000	Me.
874000	875000	Low.
875000	876000	Four.
876000	878000	Me.
878000	879000	Rising.
879000	880000	Five.
880000	883000	Me.
883000	884000	Low.
884000	885000	Six.
885000	888000	Me.
888000	889000	Low.
889000	890000	Seven.
890000	893000	Me.
893000	894000	Low.
894000	895000	Eight.
895000	898000	Me.
898000	899000	Rising.
899000	900000	Nine.
900000	903000	Me.
903000	904000	Rising.
904000	905000	Ten.
905000	907000	Me.
907000	910000	Low.
910000	912000	The fourth tone is called the falling tone.
912000	917000	It is an abrupt drop from the top of your range to the bottom,as the display shows.
917000	921000	Listen to the falling tone word,which means to scold.
921000	923000	Ma.
923000	925000	Ma.
925000	927000	Ma.
927000	932000	Since in English we use a falling intonation at the end of statements and exclamations,
932000	936000	the falling tone sounds declarative or emphatic to us.
936000	939000	Listen to the answers in this English conversation.
939000	941000	Who's mowing the lawn?Ma.
941000	944000	Who is?Ma.
944000	950000	Try repeating the verb to scold,sliding all the way down the scale as fast as you can.
950000	957000	Ma.Ma.Ma.
957000	964000	Now try saying the falling tone word to scold yourself and repeat.
964000	965000	Ma.
965000	971000	Notice that the tone mark drops from left to right in the direction your eyes are moving.
971000	978000	Try saying to scold again and repeat.Ma.
978000	987000	The contrast between the high tone and the falling tone should be clear,since one stays high and one starts high but drops sharply to the bottom.
987000	993000	Exercise five contrast the high tone surname Yin and the falling tone surname Yin.
993000	996000	Repeat the appropriate tone marks and repeat.
996000	998000	One.
998000	1000000	Yin.
1000000	1001000	High.
1001000	1003000	Two.
1003000	1005000	Yin.
1005000	1006000	Falling.
1006000	1008000	Three.
1008000	1010000	Yin.
1010000	1011000	Falling.
1011000	1013000	Four.
1013000	1016000	Yin.
1016000	1017000	Falling.
1017000	1018000	Five.
1018000	1021000	Yin.
1021000	1022000	High.
1022000	1025000	Yin.
1025000	1026000	High.
1026000	1027000	Seven.
1027000	1030000	Yin.
1030000	1031000	Falling.
1031000	1032000	Eight.
1032000	1034000	Yin.
1034000	1035000	High.
1035000	1037000	Nine.
1037000	1040000	Yin.
1040000	1041000	High.
1041000	1042000	Ten.
1042000	1044000	Yin.
1044000	1046000	Falling.
1046000	1057000	As you can see in the display,the rising tone is a mirror image of the falling tone except that the rising tone rises from the middle of your range to the top while the falling tone falls the whole way from top to bottom.
1057000	1062000	The easiest way to tell them apart is to think of the English question and statement intonations.
1062000	1068000	But remember that the rising tone has nothing to do with questions and the falling tone has nothing to do with statements.
1068000	1075000	Exercise six contrast the rising tone surname Lai with the falling tone surname Lai.
1075000	1079000	Out the appropriate tone marks over the A and repeat.
1079000	1080000	One.
1080000	1083000	Lai.
1083000	1084000	Rising.
1084000	1086000	Two.
1086000	1088000	Lai.
1088000	1090000	Falling.
1090000	1091000	Three.
1091000	1094000	Lai.
1094000	1095000	Falling.
1095000	1097000	Four.
1097000	1099000	Lai.
1099000	1101000	Rising.
1101000	1103000	Five.
1103000	1104000	Lai.
1104000	1106000	Rising.
1106000	1108000	Six.
1108000	1110000	Lai.
1110000	1112000	Falling.
1112000	1113000	Seven.
1113000	1115000	Lai.
1115000	1116000	Rising.
1116000	1118000	Eight.
1118000	1120000	Lai.
1120000	1121000	Falling.
1121000	1123000	Nine.
1123000	1125000	Lai.
1125000	1126000	Falling.
1126000	1128000	Ten.
1128000	1130000	Lai.
1130000	1132000	Rising.
1132000	1137000	The contrast between the low and falling tones shouldn't present any difficulty.
1137000	1144000	Just remember that the falling tone drops sharply through your full range while the low tone spends most of its time at the bottom.
1144000	1149000	It helps that the falling tone is the shortest tone and the low tone is the longest.
1149000	1155000	Exercise seven contrast the low tone surname Hao with the falling tone surname Hao.
1155000	1159000	Out the appropriate tone marks over the A and repeat.
1159000	1160000	One.
1160000	1162000	Hao.
1162000	1163000	Low.
1163000	1164000	Two.
1164000	1167000	Hao.
1167000	1168000	Falling.
1168000	1169000	Three.
1169000	1172000	Hao.
1172000	1173000	Falling.
1173000	1174000	Four.
1174000	1177000	Hao.
1177000	1178000	Low.
1178000	1179000	Five.
1179000	1182000	Hao.
1182000	1183000	Falling.
1183000	1184000	Six.
1184000	1187000	Hao.
1187000	1188000	Low.
1188000	1189000	Seven.
1189000	1191000	Hao.
1191000	1192000	Low.
1192000	1194000	Eight.
1194000	1196000	Hao.
1196000	1198000	Falling.
1198000	1210000	Exercise eight contrast all four tones with the high tone surname Yi,the rising tone surname Yi,the low tone surname Yi,and the falling tone surname Yi.
1210000	1214000	Fill in the appropriate tone marks and repeat.
1214000	1215000	One.
1215000	1218000	Yi.
1218000	1220000	Two.
1220000	1223000	Yi.
1223000	1224000	Rising.
1224000	1225000	Three.
1225000	1228000	Yi.
1228000	1229000	Low.
1229000	1230000	Four.
1230000	1233000	Yi.
1233000	1234000	Falling.
1234000	1235000	Five.
1235000	1238000	Yi.
1238000	1239000	Rising.
1239000	1240000	Six.
1240000	1243000	Yi.
1243000	1244000	Falling.
1244000	1245000	Seven.
1245000	1247000	Yi.
1247000	1248000	High.
1248000	1249000	Eight.
1249000	1252000	Yi.
1252000	1253000	Low.
1253000	1254000	Nine.
1254000	1256000	Yi.
1256000	1257000	Low.
1257000	1258000	Ten.
1258000	1261000	Yi.
1261000	1262000	Rising.
1262000	1264000	Eleven.
1264000	1266000	Yi.
1266000	1267000	Falling.
1267000	1268000	Twelve.
1268000	1270000	Yi.
1270000	1271000	High.
1271000	1273000	Thirteen.
1273000	1275000	Yi.
1275000	1277000	Rising.
1277000	1278000	Fourteen.
1278000	1280000	Yi.
1280000	1281000	High.
1281000	1282000	Fifteen.
1282000	1285000	Yi.
1285000	1286000	Low.
1286000	1287000	Sixteen.
1287000	1290000	Yi.
1290000	1291000	Low.
1291000	1292000	Seventeen.
1292000	1294000	Yi.
1294000	1295000	Falling.
1295000	1297000	Eighteen.
1297000	1299000	Yi.
1299000	1300000	Rising.
1300000	1301000	Nineteen.
1301000	1304000	Yi.
1304000	1305000	Twenty.
1305000	1307000	Yi.
1307000	1309000	High.
1309000	1318000	If you have particular difficulty with any of the exercises, you may want to rewind and redo the exercises, writing your tone marks on a blank sheet of paper.
1318000	1331000	Also, since the tones are often identified by number rather than by descriptive names we've been using, you might want to go back to the presentation of tones in the traditional order at the beginning of the tape and learn them as a tune.
1331000	1336000	This is the end of tape one of the resource module on pronunciation and romanization.