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Alaskan Grizzly Bears and Salmon Bones 阿拉斯加灰熊和鮭魚骨頭 in Chinese

July 29, 2018 by Laura Blodgett

My husband is an adventurer and he likes to fish. Seriously, I’m glad that he has the chance to go off into the wild and I know he is experienced and smart about being out there. Still, I like to express my concerns. He makes me laugh with his responses. Here is the type of conversation we have about these things.

First, some vocabulary to help tune your ear to the conversation:

阿拉斯加           ㄚ ㄌㄚ ㄙ ㄐㄧㄚ      Alaska

灰熊                    ㄏㄨㄟ ㄒㄩㄥˊ          grizzly bear

鮭魚                    ㄍㄨㄟ ㄩˊ                 salmon

骨頭                    ㄍㄨˇ ㄊㄡˊ               bone[s]

釣                        ㄉㄧㄠˋ                       to fish with hook and bait

捉                        ㄓㄨㄛ                        to grab, to capture

堅持地               ㄐㄧㄢ ㄔˊ ㄉㄜ˙       insistently

打包票               ㄉㄚˇ ㄅㄠ ㄆㄧㄠˋ   to guarantee

再一次               ㄗㄞˋ ㄧˊ ㄘˋ              again one time, one more time

記得                    ㄐㄧˋ ㄉㄜˊ               to remember

建議                   ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄧˋ                 to recommend

答應                    ㄉㄚ ㄧㄥ˙                to promise, to agree, to reply

唯一的                ㄨㄟˊ ㄧ ㄉㄜ˙         only, sole

 

Now, my thoughts on fishing in bear country –

 

 

我的老公跟朋友要去阿拉斯加釣鮭魚。

(我的)(老公)(跟)(朋友)(要)(去)(阿拉斯加)(釣)❶(鮭魚)

(ㄨㄛˇ ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄌㄠˇ ㄍㄨㄥ)(ㄍㄣ)(ㄆㄥˊ ㄧㄡˇ)(ㄧㄠˋ)(ㄑㄩˋ)(ㄚ ㄌㄚ ㄙ ㄐㄧㄚ)(ㄉㄧㄠˋ)(ㄍㄨㄟ ㄩˊ)

(wǒ de.)(lǎo gōng)(gēn)(péng yǒu)(yào)(qù)(ā lā sī jiā)(diào)(guī yú)

(I/me + adjective marker = my)(husband)(with)(friend)(to want)(to go)(Alaska)(to fish with hook and bait)(salmon)

My husband and his friend want to go to Alaska to fish for salmon.

 

阿拉斯加的灰熊也愛捉鮭魚吃。

(阿拉斯加)(的)❷(灰熊)(也)(愛)(捉)(鮭魚)(吃)

(ㄚ ㄌㄚ ㄙ ㄐㄧㄚ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄏㄨㄟ ㄒㄩㄥˊ)(ㄧㄝˇ)(ㄞˋ)(ㄓㄨㄛ)(ㄍㄨㄟ ㄩˊ)(ㄔ)

(ā lā sī jiā)(de.)(huī xióng)(yě)(ài)(zhuō)(guī yú)(chī)

(Alaska)(adjective marker)(grizzly bear)(also)(to love, to like, to be fond of)(to grab, to capture)(salmon)(to eat)

Alaskan grizzly bears also love to catch salmon to eat.

 

我告訴我老公:請你不要被灰熊吃了!

(我)(告訴)(我)(老公):

(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄍㄠˋ ㄙㄨˋ)(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄌㄠˇ ㄍㄨㄥ):

(wǒ)(gào sù)(wǒ)(lǎo gōng):

(I)(to tell)(my)(husband):

……(請)(你)(不)(要)(被)❸(灰熊)(吃)(了)

……(ㄑㄥˇ)(ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄅㄨˊ)(ㄧㄠˋ)(ㄅㄟˋ)(ㄏㄨㄟ ㄒㄩㄥˊ)(ㄔ)(ㄌㄜ˙)

……(qǐng)(nǐ)(bú)(yào)(bèi)(huī xióng)(chī)(le.)

……(please)(you)(not)(to want, going to)(by)(grizzly bear)(to eat)(emphasis)

I told my husband: Please, don’t get eaten by a grizzly bear!

 

他回答:為什麼不?

(他)(回答):(為什麼)(不)

(ㄊㄚ)(ㄏㄨㄟˊ ㄉㄚˊ): (ㄨㄟˋ ㄕㄣˊ ㄇㄜ˙)(ㄅㄨˋ)

(tā)(huí dá): (wèi shén me.)(bù)

(he)(to reply, to answer): (why)(not)

He answered, “Why not?”

 

我堅持地說:如果灰熊來了, 只要給牠魚就好了!

(我)(堅持)(地)(說):

(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄐㄧㄢ ㄔˊ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄕㄨㄛ):

(wǒ)(jiān chí)(de.)(shuō):

(I)(insist)(adds -ly to previous verb)(to say):

……(如果)(灰熊)(來)(了),

……(ㄖㄨˊ ㄍㄨㄛˇ)(ㄏㄨㄟ ㄒㄩㄥˊ)(ㄌㄞˊ)(ㄌㄜ˙),

……(rú guǒ)(huī xióng)(lái)(le.)

……(if)(grizzly bear)(to come)(emphasis)

…………(只要)(給)(牠)(魚)(就)(好)(了)

…………(ㄓˇ ㄧㄠˋ)(ㄍㄟ)(ㄊㄚ)(ㄩˊ)(ㄐㄧㄡˋ)(ㄏㄠˇ)(ㄌㄜ˙)

…………(zhǐ yào)(gēi)(tā)(yú)(jiù)(hǎo)(le.)

…………(only want, that’s it, all one has to do)(to give)(it)(fish)(just, at once)(good)(emphasis)

I insistently said, “If a grizzly bear comes, all you need to do is just give it the fish!”

 

他打包票地說:為了讓牠不吃我,我會跑得很快!

(他)(打包票)(地)❹(說):

(ㄊㄚ)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄅㄠ ㄆㄧㄠˋ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄕㄨㄛ):

(tā)(dǎ bāo piào)(de.)(shuō):

(he)(to guarantee)(-ly, turns previous word into an adverb for the following verb)

……(為了)(讓)(牠)(不)(吃)(我),

……(ㄨㄟ ㄌㄜ˙)(ㄖㄤˋ)(ㄊㄚ)(ㄅㄨˋ)(ㄔ)(ㄨㄛˇ),

……(wèi le.)(ràng)(tā)(bù)(chī)(wǒ),

……(in order to, for the purpose of)(to let)(it)(not)(to eat)(me)

…………(我)(會)(跑)(得)(很)(快)

…………(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄏㄨㄟˋ)(ㄆㄠˇ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄏㄣˇ)(ㄎㄨㄞˋ)

…………(wǒ)(huì)(pǎo)(de.)(hěn)(kuài)

…………(I)(will)(to run)(particle attaching adverbs to previous verb)(very)(fast)

He assuredly said, “In order to not let it eat me, I will run very fast!”

 

我再一次建議他:記得!你只要丟魚給牠就好!

(我)(再)(一)(次)(建議)(他):

(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄗㄞˋ)(ㄧˊ)(ㄘˋ)(ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄧˋ)(ㄊㄚ):

(wǒ)(zài)(yí)(cì)(jiàn yì)(tā):

(I)(again)(one)(time)(to recommend)(him)

……(記得)!(你)(只要)(丟)(魚)(給)(牠)(就)(好)

……(ㄐㄧˋ ㄉㄜˊ): (ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄓˇ ㄧㄠˋ)(ㄉㄧㄡ)(ㄩˊ)(ㄍㄟ)(ㄊㄚ)(ㄐㄧㄡˋ)(ㄏㄠˇ)

……(jì de.): (nǐ)(zhǐ yào)(diū)(yú)(gēi)(tā)(jiù)(hǎo)

……(to remember): (you)(all that is needed)(to throw, to lose)(fish)(to give)(it)(emphasis)(good)

One more time I recommended to him: Remember! All you need to do is throw the fish to it, that will take care of it!

 

你一邊釣鮭魚,一邊還要小心注意看有沒有灰熊過來。

(你)(一邊)(釣)(鮭魚),

(ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄧˋ ㄅㄧㄢ)(ㄉㄧㄠˋ)(ㄍㄨㄟ  ㄩˊ),

(nǐ)(yì biān)(diào)(guī yú),

(you)(on one side, while)(to fish)(salmon)

……(一邊)(還)(要)(小心)(注意)

……(ㄧˋ ㄅㄧㄢ)(ㄏㄞˊ)(ㄧㄠˋ)(ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄒㄧㄣ)(ㄓㄨˋ ㄧˋ)

……(yì biān)(hái)(yào)(xiǎo xīn)(zhù yì)

……(on one side, while)(still)(to want, must, vital)(to be careful)(to pay attention)

…………(看)(有)(沒)(有)(灰熊)(過)(來)

…………(ㄎㄢˋ)(ㄧㄡˇ)(ㄇㄟˊ)(ㄧㄡˇ)(ㄏㄨㄟ ㄒㄩㄥˊ)(ㄍㄨㄛˋ)(ㄌㄞˊ)

…………(kàn)(yǒu)(méi)(yǒu)(huī xióng)(guò)(lái)

…………(to look)(to have)(not)(to have)(grizzly bear)(to pass through, to go over)(to come)

While you are fishing for salmon, you still need to be careful and pay attention to look for a grizzly bear that has come over.

 

他答應我他會很小心。

(他)(答應)(我)(他)(會)(很)(小心)

(ㄊㄚ)(ㄉㄚ ㄧㄥ˙)(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄊㄚ)(ㄏㄨㄟˋ)(ㄏㄣˇ)(ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄒㄧㄣ)

(tā)(dā ying.)(wǒ)(tā)(huì)(hěn)(xiǎo xīn)

(he)(to promise, to agree, to reply)(me)(he)(will)(very)(to be careful)

He promised me he will be very careful.

 

我還是覺得有些擔心,所以我說:

(我)(還是)(覺得)(有些)(擔心),

(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄏㄞˊ ㄕˋ)(ㄐㄩㄝˊ ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄧㄡˇ ㄒㄧㄝ)(ㄉㄢ ㄒㄧㄣ),

(wǒ)(hái shì)(jué de.)(yǒu xiē)(dān xīn)

(I)(still)(to feel, to think)(some, somewhat)(worry, unease)

……(所以)(我)(說):

……(ㄙㄨㄛˇ ㄧˇ)(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄕㄨㄛ):

……(suǒ yǐ)(wǒ)(shuō):

……(so)(I)(to say):

I still felt a bit worried, so I said:

 

我不要到阿拉斯加找你的骨頭。

(我)(不)(要)(到)(阿拉斯加)(找)(你的)(骨頭)

(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄅㄨˋ)(ㄧㄠˋ)(ㄉㄠˋ)(ㄚ ㄌㄚ ㄙ ㄐㄧㄚ)(ㄓㄠˇ)(ㄋㄧˇ ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄍㄨˇ ㄊㄡˊ)

(wǒ)(bú)(yào)(dào)(ā lā sī jiā)(zhǎo)(nǐ de.)(gǔ tóu)

(I)(not)(to want)(to go, to arrive)(Alaska)(to look for)(your)(bone[s])

I don’t want to go to Alaska to look for your bones.

 

他回答說:唯一的骨頭妳可以找得到,就是鮭魚骨頭而已。

(他)(回答)(說):

(ㄊㄚ)(ㄏㄨㄟˊ ㄉㄚˊ)(ㄕㄨㄛ):

(tā)(huí dá)(shuō):

(he)(to answer, to reply)(to say):

……(唯一的)❺(骨頭)(妳)(可以)(找)(得到),

……(ㄨㄟˊ ㄧ ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄍㄨˇ ㄊㄡˊ)(ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄎㄧˇ ㄧˇ)(ㄓㄠˇ)(ㄉㄜˊ ㄉㄠˋ),

……(wéi yī de.)(gǔ tóu)(nǐ)(kě yǐ)(zhǎo)(dé dào),

……(only, sole)(bones)(you)(can, able to)(to find)(to get, to obtain)

…………(就)(是)(鮭魚)(骨頭)(而已)

…………(ㄐㄧㄡˋ)(ㄕˋ)(ㄍㄨㄟ ㄩˊ)(ㄍㄨˇ ㄊㄡˊ)(ㄦˊ ㄧˇ)

…………(just)(to be)(salmon)(bone)(that’s all, nothing more)

He answered and said, “The only bones you will be able to find will be salmon bones, nothing more.”

 

Hopefully there will not be anything more exciting to add to the story!

 


Notes:

 

❶ Even though this word for “to fish” is very specific to fishing with a pole, hook, and bait (not with nets), it is still used metaphorically, as in “fishing for a girlfriend or babe.” 釣馬子。

 

❷ You may have noticed that there is an adjective marker in this sentence, but not in the title. My tutor says that in the title it becomes more of a term, so doesn’t need the adjective marker, even though it is translated the same way in English. For more on this, try reading The Grammar of Chinese Color: When to Use 藍色的 or 藍色.

 

❸ Just like the English word by, the Chinese 被 indicates a passive voice. In this sentence, I am speaking to my husband about something that he would be on the receiving end of, not an action he would be taking himself.

 

❹ Even though guarantee is not a verb we normally add an -ly to, the grammar of it in Chinese allows that. However, it sounds better to translate it assuredly, since assure is a synonym of guarantee.

 

❺ 唯一 will always be an adjective referring to something so it will always have the after it 的 after it.

 

Filed Under: My Lessons, Story Lessons Tagged With: animals, body parts, food

Learn and practice the Chinese language with a picture book story about a little girl and a blue fish. The book is designed specifically for English speakers who are studying Chinese.

Practice Chinese while exploring a rocky beach with two adorable twin girls!

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