среда, 8 мая 2013 г.

Chinese Learning Software: Best online Chinese reader - MDBG Chinese Reader

MDBG Chinese Reader 5 & 6.6

Download from: http://mdbg.loqu8.com/

         Reading and understanding emails, chat conversations, websites and office documents written in Chinese can be a challenge for many people. Now with MDBG Chinese Reader, just glide your mouse over the Chinese text and a pop-up window shows English translations and Mandarin pronunciations. Learn Chinese while using it! Using language course books allows you to study Chinese in a structured manner. These books however never seem to teach you exactly those words which you run into while browsing through websites, chatting with friends online or reading an email. The MDBG Chinese Reader can assist you in Learning Chinese while using it, learning the words which you want to learn! Features: - Instant Chinese-English translations - Listen to Mandarin Chinese pronunciations - Built-in offline dictionary featuring the same extensive content as the MDBG Chinese-English dictionary website - Supports most Microsoft Windows applications, including Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office, MSN, Gtalk, QQ, ICQ, etc. 

           New! MDBG Chinese Reader 6 is faster than copy+paste to Google or Bing online services. MDBG's LiveScan and HighlightScan works your favorite websites--even Adobe PDF and Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint) files and new Windows 8 (desktop). MDBG users in 179 countries are excited about how Chinese Reader is helping them understand and learn Chinese.

New! Version 6.6 adds support for Google Chrome 26 and Adobe Reader XI--plus a larger dictionary with over 105,000 entries.






среда, 1 мая 2013 г.

"We are the descendents of the Dragon"



For the fans of Might&Magic like me!



Chinese Dragon

Chinese Dragon, this mythological symbol dates back to 3000 BC and stands for happiness, immortality, procreation, fertility and activity. Chinese Dragons were believed to ward off evil spirits. Take a look at a Chinese city and you will see dragons decorating ancient monuments and buildings, sometimes playing with a pearl or thunder-ball. One can also see dragons on the garments of ancient Chinese generals. The Emperor alone had nine of them on his brocade.

In ancient days the dragon was regarded as a most sacred animal, and used to be the imperial emblem of Chinese emperors. It is the first of the four Divine Creatures to Chinese-the others being the unicorn, the phoenix and the tortoise. Unlike the evil dragon the West, the Chinese Dragon is a beneficent and gracious creature and is worshipped as the divine ruler of Lakes, Rivers and Seas. It is the powerful yet gentle "Long" that brings rain to the earth, hastens the crops and cools the toiling framer. It is one of the most popular of Chinese art motifs, being sculptured on stone pillars of Chinese temples and embroidered on beautiful gold and silk tapestries.

Chinese Dragon is also the symbol of the Chinese race. Chinese proclaim themselves "Long De Chuan Ren" (Descendents of the Dragon). Chinese emperors think they are the real dragons and the sons of heaven. Thus the beds they sleep on are called the dragon beds, the throne called the dragon seat, and the emperor's ceremonial dresses called the dragon robes.




What's the dragon look like?

According to Chinese mythology, dragons lived under the surface of the Earth and only visited the world in the second month of the Chinese calendar to cause rain and thunder. They looked like snakes and had no wings. Each one of its four short legs had five toes. Even though depicted without wings the Chinese dragon is believed to fly and is usually painted against the clouds and the sun or moon.

Nobody really knows where the dragon comes from. The dragon looks like a combination of many animals. For the Chinese people, Dragons were described visually as a composite of parts from nine animals: The horns of a deer; the head of a camel; the eyes of a devil; the neck of a snake; the abdomen of a large cockle; the scales of a carp; the claws of an eagle; the paws of a tiger; and the ears of an ox. The Chinese word for Dragon is spelled out in roman characters as either lung or long. In China, the Dragon was credited with having great powers that allowed them to make rain and to control floods (by striking the river with its tail, causing it to open and thus divert the floodwaters) also Dragons are credited for transportation of humans to the celestial realms after death. Also, in China, Dragons are symbols of the natural world, adaptability, and transformation. When two dragons are placed together but turned away, they symbolize eternity via the famous Yin-Yang. 

Chinese Dragon and Chinese festival

The Chinese Spring Festival, the Chinese dragon is seen parading in the streets. The Day of the Lanterns is another celebration where dragons are seen parading. In parade appearance, the dragon performs its gyrations in pursuits of a costumed figure who holds aloft a pole with a ball on the end called the "Precious Pearl." The creature's movement and tempo are controlled by this leader who manipulated the "pearl" according to plan, accompanied by drums and gongs.

In China the dragon is known as the ruler of spring that positively influences natural growth. In the area of wealth the same principle applies and so wealth will not be achieved in a dragon year if one's motivation is greed. A balanced attitude towards life is required.


среда, 24 апреля 2013 г.

Discover your Chinese zodiac sign!






Animal Personality Traits

  • Rat: quick-witted, smart, charming, and persuasive
  • Ox: patient, kind, stubborn, and conservative
  • Tiger: authoritative, emotional, courageous, and intense
  • Rabbit: popular, compassionate, and sincere
  • Dragon: energetic, fearless, warm-hearted, and charismatic
  • Snake: charming, gregarious, introverted, generous, and smart
  • Horse: energetic, independent, impatient, and enjoy traveling
  • Sheep: mild-mannered, shy, kind, and peace-loving
  • Monkey: fun, energetic, and active
  • Rooster: independent, practical, hard-working, and observant
  • Dog: patient, diligent, generous, faithful, and kind
  • Pig: loving, tolerant, honest, and appreciative of luxury
Don't know which sign you are? Want to learn more about your sign? Put your date below and find out!



четверг, 18 апреля 2013 г.

More books on Chinese absolutely free!

How to remember Chinese characters?


Learn & Remember 2,718 characters and their meanings by ALAN HOENIG

A systematic, building block-style plan for mastering the most daunting aspect of learning Chinese—how to remember the meaning of more than 2,000 of the most common characters — is provided in this handbook. Beginning with the simplest of strokes, such as those for numbers, scepter, and earth, and progressing to the extremely complex, such as destroy, insert, and mouse, this manual presents a methodology employing memory techniques to associate meanings with the characters’ visual components.
A sequence of numbered panels displays each character in two font styles, and a notation in the adjacent margin describes the character’s pinyin pronunciation. Graphics that identify the components or characters from which the featured characters are drawn, and a listing of both the names of these root components, and the panel numbers that cite their location in the book augment the presentation.
Beginners will be best served by using this guide in conjunction with the development of language skills, while those who are familiar with the language will find this book to be a comprehensive reference and refresher.




Fun with Chinese Characters

 (Straits Times Collection)



Fun with Chinese Characters (in three volumes) makes learning Chinese characters entertaining and memorable! Every page contains all the information you need to learn a Chinese character: the origin (etymology) of a character, its description and an entertaining illustration by cartoonist Tan Huay Peng

Knowing the origin greatly simplify the recognition the characters. The cartoons which accompany each character are often comical and clever. Examples of how the character is used in compound phrases are offered. 

First volume contains an in-depth introduction on the genesis of the characters. The third volume contains index of all 480 characters and their location. The series does not have to be used in sequence.