I will go almost anywhere with my husband
I have told my husband I will go with him anywhere … except the Amazon jungle. Our vacation in Belize has confirmed to me that this is a good decision on my part! Here is some vocabulary that I use to talk about fishing in the swamps there.
(edit: my tutor realized she mispronounced 沼澤! It is not a word she has said a lot, even as a native speaker, and her keyboard app has it in there wrong. So she was misdirected by that just before the recording. In fact, some people do say it with a first tone, especially on TV. Ha. But we have all pronounced our own language at times! We will fix it soon!)
伯利茲❶ ㄅㄛˊ ㄌㄧˋ ㄗ bó lì zī Belize
明確地說 ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄑㄩㄝˋ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄕㄨㄛ míng què de. shuō to say specifically
島嶼 ㄉㄠˇ ㄩˇ dǎo yǔ island
沙洲 ㄕㄚ ㄓㄡ shā zhōu sandbar, cay
岸 ㄢˋ àn shore, beach, bank, coast
風景明媚 ㄈㄥ ㄐㄧㄥˇ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄇㄟˋ fēng jǐng míng mèi beautiful scenery
海洋 ㄏㄞˇ ㄧㄤˊ hǎi yáng seas, ocean
碩大 ㄕㄨㄛˋ ㄉㄚˋ shuò dà huge, massive
沼澤 ㄓㄠˇ ㄗㄜˊ zhǎo zé swamp, marsh, wetlands
鱷魚 ㄜˋ ㄩˊ è yú crocodile, alligator
釣魚 ㄉㄧㄠˋ ㄩˊ diào yú to fish (with line and hook)
奮戰 ㄈㄣˋ ㄓㄢˋ fèn zhàn to fight (bravely), to struggle
一場 ㄧˋ ㄔㄤˊ yì cháng measure word for an event
才 ㄘㄞˊ cái just, only
丟回 ㄉㄧㄡ ㄏㄨㄟˊ diū huí to throw to return
涉險 ㄕㄜˋ ㄒㄧㄢˇ shè xiǎn to take risks, to wade in
咬住 ㄧㄠˇ ㄓㄨˋ yǎo zhù to bite and hold on
淺 ㄑㄧㄢˇ qiǎn shallow, light
滑行而過 ㄏㄨㄚˊ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄦˊ ㄍㄨㄛˋ huá xíng ér guò to slide and pass through
許多 ㄒㄩˇ ㄉㄨㄛ xǔ duō many, numerous
捕捉 ㄅㄨˇ ㄓㄨㄛ bǔ zhuō to capture, to seize, to catch
來吃 ㄌㄞˊ ㄔ lái chī come to eat
看夠了 ㄎㄢˋ ㄍㄡˋ ㄌㄜ˙ kàn gòu le. to see enough
滿足 ㄇㄢˇ ㄗㄨˊ mǎn zú satisfy, to be satisfied
Should you wade in the swamp?
Now, picture us driving around in the dark on narrow dirt roads right next to the swamp in a golf cart, checking out the swamp, discussing fishing, and looking for crocodiles. Yeah. I was not having a good time that night. But I stayed home when they really went
最近我們到伯利茲[Belize]旅行。
(最近)(我們)(到)(伯利茲)[Belize]❷(旅行)
(ㄗㄠㄟˋ ㄐㄧㄣˋ)(ㄨㄛˇ ㄇㄣ˙)(ㄉㄠˋ)(ㄅㄛˊ ㄌㄧˋ ㄗ)[Belize](ㄌㄩˇ ㄒㄧㄥˊ)
(zuì jìn)(wǒ men.)(dào)(bó lì zī)[Belize](lǚ xíng)
(recently)(we)(to arrive, to go)(Belize)[Belize](to travel)
We recently traveled to Belize.
明確地說，我們是去了一個非常小的島嶼或沙洲叫Ambergris Cay。
[(明確)(地)(說)]，(我們)(是)(去)(了)(一個)(非常)(小)(的)
[(ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄑㄩㄝˋ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄕㄨㄛ)], (ㄨㄛˇ ㄇㄣ˙)(ㄕˋ)(ㄑㄩˋ)(ㄌㄜ˙)(ㄧ ㄍㄜ˙)(ㄈㄟ ㄔㄤˊ)(ㄒㄧㄠˇ)(ㄉㄜ˙)
[(míng què)(de.)(shuō)], (wǒ men.)(shì)(qù)(le.)(yī ge.)(fēi cháng)(xiǎo)(de.)
[(to specify, to clarify)(-ly)(to say)], (we)(to be)(to go)(emphasis)(one + MW)(very much, unusual)(small)(adjective marker)
…..(島嶼)(或)(沙洲)(叫)[Ambergris Cay]❸
……(ㄉㄠˇ ㄩˇ)(ㄏㄨㄛˋ)(ㄕㄚ ㄓㄡ)(ㄐㄧㄠˋ)[Ambergris Cay]
……(dǎo yǔ)(huò)(shā zhōu)(jiào)[Ambergris Cay]
……(island)(or)(sandbar, cay)(to be called)[Ambergris Cay]
Specifically, we went to a very small island called Ambergris Cay.
沙洲的兩岸都是風景明媚的海洋。
(沙洲)(的)(兩)(岸)(都)(是)(風景)(明媚)(的)(海洋)
(ㄕㄚ ㄓㄡ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄌㄧㄤˇ)(ㄢˋ)(ㄉㄡ)(ㄕˋ)(ㄈㄥ ㄐㄧㄥˇ)(ㄇㄥˊ ㄇㄟˋ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄏㄞˇ ㄧㄤˊ)
(shā zhōu)(de.)(liǎng)(àn)(dōu)(shì)(fēng jǐng)(míng mèi)(de.)(hǎi yáng)
(sandbar, cay)(two)(bank, shore, coast)(both)(is)(scenic)(bright and beautiful)(adjective marker)(ocean)
It has beautiful ocean on both sides of it.
不過沙洲中有很多很多碩大的沼澤。
(不過)(沙洲)(中)(有)(很)(多)(很)(多)(碩大)(的)(沼澤)
(ㄅㄨˊ ㄍㄨㄛˋ)(ㄕㄚ ㄓㄡ)(ㄓㄨㄥ)(ㄧㄡˇ)(ㄏㄣˇ)(ㄉㄨㄛ)(ㄏㄣˇ)(ㄉㄨㄛ)(ㄕㄨㄛˋ ㄉㄚˋ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄓㄠˇ ㄗㄜˊ)
(bú guò)(shā zhōu)(zhōng)(yǒu)(hěn)(duō)(hěn)(duō)(shuò dà)(de.)(zhǎo zé)
(however)(cay)(middle)(to have)(very)(many)(very)(many)(huge)(adjective marker)(swamp)
However, in the middle of the little island there are huge swamps.
而且，沒錯！鱷魚就住在這些沼澤裡。
(而且)，(沒錯)❹！(鱷魚)(就)(住在)(這些)(沼澤)❺(裡)
(ㄦˊ ㄑㄧㄝˇ), (ㄇㄟˊ ㄘㄨㄛˋ)! (ㄜˋ ㄩˊ)(ㄐㄧㄡˋ)(ㄓㄨˋ ㄗㄞˋ)(ㄓㄜˋ ㄒㄧㄝ)(ㄓㄠˇ ㄗㄜˊ)(ㄌㄧˇ)
(ér qiě), (méi cuò)! (è yú)(jiù)(zhù zài)(zhè xiē)(zhǎo zé)(lǐ)
(moreover, furthermore), (that’s right, rest assured)! (crocodile)(emphasis)(to live)(those)(swamp)(in)
And, yes, crocodiles live in those swamps.
在沼澤釣它裡面的魚是很好玩的！
(在)(沼澤)(釣)(它)❻(裡面)(的)(魚)(是)(很)(好)(玩)(的)
(ㄗㄞˋ)(ㄓㄠˇ ㄗㄜˊ)(ㄉㄧㄠˋ)(ㄊㄚ)(ㄌㄧˇ ㄇㄧㄢˋ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄩˊ)(ㄕˋ)(ㄏㄣˇ)(ㄏㄠˇ)(ㄨㄢˊ)(ㄉㄜ˙)
(zài)(zhǎo zé)(diào)(tā)(lǐ miàn)(de.)(yú)(shì)(hěn)(hǎo)(wán)(de.)
(at)(swamp)(to fish)(it)(inside)(adjective marker)(fish)(to be)(very)(good)(to play, to have fun)(adjective marker)
There are also fish in the swamps that are fun to catch！
我老公跟他的朋友花很多時間在那裡釣魚。
(我)(老公)(跟)(他)(的)(朋友)
(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄌㄠˇ ㄍㄨㄥ)(ㄍㄣ)(ㄊㄚ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄆㄥˊ ㄧㄡˇ)
(wǒ)(lǎo gōng)(gēn)(tā)(de.)(péng yǒu)
(my)(husband)(with)(his)(adjective marker)(friend)
…..(花)(很)(多)(時間)(在)(那裡)(釣魚)❼
……(ㄏㄨㄚ)(ㄏㄣˇ)(ㄉㄨㄛ)(ㄕˊ ㄐㄧㄢ)(ㄗㄞˋ)(ㄋㄚˋ ㄌㄧˋ)(ㄉㄧㄠˋ ㄩˊ)
……(huā)(hěn)(duō)(shí jiān)(zài)(nà lì)(diào yú)
……(to spend)(very)(much)(time)(at)(there)(to fish with bait and hook)
My husband and his friend spent much time fishing there.
他們釣到幾條跟他們奮戰一場才釣起來的魚！
(他們)[(釣)(到)]
(ㄊㄚ ㄇㄣ˙)[(ㄉㄧㄠˋ)(ㄉㄠˋ)]
(tā men.)[(diào)(dào)]
(they)[(to fish with bait and hook)(to arrive, denotes sense of completion)]
…..[(幾)(條)(跟)(他們)(奮戰)(一場)(才)❽(釣)(起來)]❾
……[(ㄐㄧˇ)(ㄊㄧㄠˊ)(ㄍㄣ)(ㄊㄚ ㄇㄣ˙)(ㄈㄣˋ ㄓㄢˋ)(ㄧˋ ㄔㄤˊ)(ㄗㄞˊ)(ㄉㄧㄠˋ)(ㄑㄧˇ ㄌㄞˊ)]
……[(jǐ)(tiáo)(gēn)(tā men.)(fèn zhàn)(yì cháng)(cái)(diào)(qǐ lái)]
……[(a few)(MW for fish)(with)(them)(to fight bravely)(MW for an event)(just, only)(to fish)(indicates continuation of action)]
……….(的)(魚)
…………(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄩˊ)
…………(de.)(yú)
…………(adjective marker)(fish)
They caught a few fish that put up a good fight.
他們把釣到的魚丟回去沼澤裡。
(他們)(把)(釣到)(的)(魚)[(丟)(回)(去)](沼澤)(裡)
(ㄊㄚ ㄇㄣ˙)(ㄅㄚˇ)(ㄉㄧㄠˋ ㄉㄠˋ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄩˊ)[(ㄉㄧㄡ)(ㄏㄨㄟˊ)(ㄑㄩˋ)](ㄓㄠˇ ㄗㄜˊ)(ㄌㄧˇ)
(tā men.)(bǎ)(diào dào)(de.)(yú)[(diū)(huí)(qù)](zhǎo zé)(lǐ)
(they)(particle positioning direct object before verb)(to fish for and catch)(adjective marker)(fish)[(to throw)(to return)(to go)](swamp)(in)
They threw the fish (that they had caught) back into the swamp.
他們涉險走在泥沼裡，不過還好沒有鱷魚咬住他們的腿。
(他們)(涉險)❿(走)(在)(泥沼)(裡)，
(ㄊㄚ ㄇㄣ˙)(ㄕㄜˋ ㄒㄧㄢˇ)(ㄗㄡˇ)(ㄗㄞˋ)(ㄓㄠˇ ㄗㄜˊ)(ㄌㄧˇ)
(tā men.)(shè xiǎn)(zǒu)(zài)(zhǎo zé)(lǐ)
(they)(to take risk involved in adventure)(to walk)(at)(swamp)(in)
…..(不過)(還好)(沒)(有)(鱷魚)
……(ㄅㄨˊ ㄍㄨㄛˋ)(ㄏㄞˊ ㄏㄠˇ)(ㄇㄟˊ)(ㄧㄡˇ)(ㄜˋ ㄩˊ)
……(bú guò)(hái hǎo)(méi)(yǒu)(è yú)
……(however)(not bad, fortunately)(not)(to have)(crocodile)
……….(咬住)⓫(他們)(的)(腿)
…………(ㄧㄠˇ ㄓㄨˋ)(ㄊㄚ ㄇㄣ˙)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄊㄨㄟˇ)
…………(yǎo zhù)(tā men.)(de.)(tuǐ)
…………(to bite and hold on, to bite into, to grip)(them)(adjective marker)(leg)
They waded into the mud, but fortunately no crocodiles caught them by the leg.
不總是容易看到在沼澤裡的鱷魚。
(不)(總是)(容易)(看)(到)(在)(沼澤)(裡)(的)(鱷魚)
(ㄅㄨˋ)(ㄗㄨㄥˇ ㄕˋ)(ㄖㄨㄥˊ ㄧˋ)(ㄎㄢˋ)(ㄉㄠˋ)(ㄗㄞˋ)(ㄓㄠˇ ㄗㄜˊ)(ㄌㄧˇ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄜˋ ㄩˊ)
(bù)(zǒng shì)(róng yì)(kàn)(dào)(zài)(zhǎo zé)(lǐ)(de.)(è yú)
(not)(always)(easy)(to see)(adds sense of completion to verb)(at)(swamp)(in)(adjective marker)(crocodile)
It is not always easy to see the crocodiles in the swamp.
有一些地方的水很淺。
(有)(一些)(地方)(的)(水)(很)(淺)
(ㄧㄡˇ)(ㄧˋ ㄒㄧㄝ)(ㄉㄧˋ ㄈㄤ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄕㄨㄟˇ)(ㄏㄣˇ)(ㄑㄧㄢˇ)
(yǒu)(yì xiē)(dì fāng)(de.)(shuǐ)(hěn)(qiǎn)
(to have)(some)(place, area)(adjective marker)(water)(very)( shallow)
In some places the water is very shallow.
我們開車時看見鱷魚就從旁邊滑行而過。
(我們)(開車)(時)(看見)
(ㄨㄛˇ ㄇㄣ˙)(ㄎㄞ ㄔㄜ)(ㄕˊ)(ㄎㄢˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ)
(wǒ men.)(kāi chē)(shí)(kàn jiàn)
(we)(to drive car)(time, when)(to see, to catch sight of)
…..(鱷魚)(就)(從)(旁邊)(滑行而過)
……(ㄜˋ ㄩˊ)(ㄐㄧㄡˋ)(ㄘㄨㄥˊ)(ㄆㄤˊ ㄅㄧㄢ)(ㄏㄨㄚˊ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄦˊ ㄍㄨㄛˋ)
……(è yú)(jiù)(cóng)(páng biān)(huá xíng ér guò)
……(crocodile)(right way, at once)(from)(beside)(to slide through and pass)
We saw crocodile slides⓬ as we drove by.
在沼澤裡也有許多鳥，想必牠們也試試看要捕捉魚來吃。
(在)(沼澤)(裡)(也)(有)(許多)(鳥)，
(ㄗㄞˋ)(ㄓㄠˇ ㄗㄜˊ)(ㄌㄧˇ)(ㄧㄝˇ)(ㄧㄡˇ)(ㄒㄩˇ ㄉㄨㄛ)(ㄋㄧㄠˇ)
(zài)(zhǎo zé)(lǐ)(yě)(yǒu)(xǔ duō)(niǎo)
(at)(swamp)(in)(also)(to have)(many, numerous)(bird)
…..(想必)(牠們)(也)(試試看)
……(ㄒㄧㄤˇ ㄅㄧˋ)(ㄊㄚ ㄇㄣ˙)(ㄧㄝˇ)(ㄕˋ ㄕˋ ㄎㄢˋ)
……(xiǎng bì)(tā men.)(yě)(shì shì kàn)
……(probably, in all likelihood)(they)(also)(to try and see)
……….(要)(捕捉)(魚)(來)⓭(吃)
…………(ㄧㄠˋ)(ㄅㄨˇ ㄓㄨㄛ)(ㄩˊ)(ㄌㄞˊ)(ㄔ)
…………(yào)(bǔ zhuō)(yú)(lái)(chī)
…………(to want)(to catch)(fish)(to come)(to eat)
There are also many birds in the swamp, probably also trying to catch fish to eat.
可能鱷魚會吃這些鳥。
(可能)(鱷魚)(會)(吃)(這些)(鳥)
(ㄎㄜˇ ㄋㄥˊ)(ㄜˋ ㄩˋ)(ㄏㄨㄟˋ)(ㄔ)(ㄓㄜˋ ㄒㄧㄝ)(ㄋㄧㄠˇ)
(kě néng)(è yú)(huì)(chī)(zhè xiē)(niǎo)
(maybe, possible)(crocodile)(will)(to eat)(those)(bird)
Maybe the crocodiles eat the birds.
希望這次旅行我老公已經看夠了鱷魚讓他感覺滿足快樂！
(希望)(這)(次)(旅行)(我)(老公)
(ㄒㄧ ㄨㄤˋ)(ㄓㄜˋ)(ㄘˋ)(ㄌㄩˇ ㄒㄧㄥˊ)(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄌㄠˇ ㄍㄨㄥ)
(xī wàng)(zhè)(cì)(lǚ xíng)(wǒ)(lǎo gōng)
(to hope)(this)(time)(to travel)(my)(husband)
…..(已經)(看)(夠)(了)(鱷魚)
……(ㄧˇ ㄐㄧㄥ)(ㄎㄢˋ)(ㄍㄡˋ)(ㄌㄜ˙)(ㄜˋ ㄩˊ)
……(yǐ jīng)(kàn)(gòu)(le.)(è yú)
……(already)(to see)(enough)(emphasize)(crocodile)
……….(讓)(他)(感覺)(滿足)(快樂)
…………(ㄖㄤˋ)(ㄊㄚ)(ㄍㄢˇ ㄐㄩㄝˊ)(ㄇㄢˇ ㄗㄨˊ)(ㄎㄨㄞˋ ㄌㄜˋ)
…………(ràng)(tā)(gǎn jué)(mǎn zú)(kuài lè)
…………(to make, to let)(him)(to feel, sense)(to satisfy)(happy)
Hopefully, after this trip my husband has seen enough crocodiles to keep him happy now.
Notes:
❶ This is just a sound word and can also be written as 伯里茲. Only the middle character is different and the only difference in how it is said is that it is a 3rd tone instead of a 4th tone.
❷ This is not a well known country and my tutor said the English name would actually help clarify it even for many Chinese speakers.
❸ This is such an obscure name that it wasn’t worth translating into characters.
❹ When I have answered something correctly, my tutor frequently says 沒錯 “not wrong.” That is the same sense used it. It is setting up the following statement as something you can be sure of.
❺ When I first wrote the sentences, I used the word 泥沼 ㄋㄧˊ ㄓㄠˇ (ní zhǎo), but my tutor says that indicates more of a muddy area, whereas 沼澤 gives the picture of more water, thus it could be translated swamp, marsh, or wetlands.
❻ This is the it (它) for inanimate things. Here it is referring back to the swamp. Everything in front of the character for fish (魚) in this sentence is describing the fish, but the 它 is a pronoun for swamp (沼澤). It is sort of like saying in English, “It is so much fun fishing for the fish that are in the swamp.”
(在)(沼澤)(釣)(它)(裡面)(的)(魚)…
❼ This is a case of understanding that even though 魚 by itself would be a noun, when it is combined with 釣 the two together 釣魚 are a verb.
❽ There is an important difference of implication between 才ㄘㄞˊ and 就 ㄐㄧㄡˋ. Here are 3 sources that clarify it nicely. The first one is a 15 minute video, so also is good listening practice. Be aware that they all use simplified characters. In my sentence, 才 is used to indicate that “finally after a good fight during fishing” the fish was caught.
The difference between 才 and 就
Comparing “cai” and “jiu”
The difference between 就 jiù and 才 cái.
❾ I have placed in the second set of brackets [] everything that is describing the fish. Figuring out just how much is included in the use of the adjective marker (in this case placed just before 魚) , is important. It does not always include so much of everything in front of it, but in this case in includes everything except the subject of the sentence, 他們, and the verb 釣到.
It may also be helpful to note that while the main verb (right after the subject) is a verb of completion, the verb in the brackets describing the fish uses a verb + 起來, because the brave fight was occurring during the act of fishing in progress.
❿ This word, 涉險, is interesting to me. The first character, 涉, means to wade. But by adding 險 it also becomes a word meaning risky adventure! If you click on the word in the sentence, I have linked it to a funny blog I wrote about a “dangerous” foot…
⓫ The second character in this word, 住, is the same one used in the word meaning to reside, or to live someplace. So when added to 咬, it means the teeth stay there and hold on or “reside” in the thing that was bitten. Ewww.
⓬ A crocodile “slide” is the mark crocodiles leave because their body is so low and heavy as to drag through the mud when they move along the bottom of the waterway.
⓭ Using 來吃 after a verb means that action took place so that they could get to eating.
