The history of trains in China is fascinating. Xiao Ming goes on a field trip with his dad and learns about the evolution of trains in his homeland.
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火车的故事
小明和爸爸去郊游。他们看到一列火车飞驰而过。
这么长的火车车厢,一节连着一节,靠什么带动呢?小明感到很奇怪。爸爸鼓励他自己弄明白。
小明查了好几本书。原来,一节一节的车厢是由机车带动的。最早的机车是蒸汽机车。后来,人们把内燃机装到火车上,制成了内燃机车。再后来,又发明了电力火车、磁悬浮火车。这样的火车速度快,污染小,真称得上是“绿色环保型”火车了。
爸爸告诉小明,我国的火车不断提速。现在从北京到上海,可以夕发朝至。
听爸爸讲,世界上海拔最高的铁路——青藏铁路已经在2006年修建完工。现在,火车可以开到“世界屋脊”上了,这真是一个了不起的创举!
这天晚上,小明梦见自己成了一名火车司机,驾着新型的高速火车,在祖国的大地上飞驰。
火车 = train
故事 = story
小明 = a young boy’s name
郊游 = a fieldtrip
列 =(measure word for trains)
飞驰 = 很快;fast, quickly
飞驰而过 = to pass by quickly, to fly by
车厢 = train cars
节 = measure word for nodes (train cars)
一节连着一节 = one connected to another
靠 = 依靠;to rely on, depend on
带动 = 启动;to cause to move, drive
感到 = 感觉;to feel (emotion)
奇怪 = strange, curious
鼓励 = to encourage
弄明白 = 了解;to figure out, understand
查 = to look up (dictionaries, books, reference)
由 = by, due to
机车 = engine
蒸汽 = steam
发明 = to invent
电力 = electric powered
磁悬浮火车 = magnetic levitation train
污染 = pollution
称得上 = able to be called, referred to as
环保 = 保护环境;environmentally friendly
Let’s take a closer look.
The English translation shows the characters following English, arranged by meaning.
Xiao Ming 小明 researched 查了 many 好几 books 本书。It turned out 原来 the train cars 一节一节的车厢 were 是 moved 带动的 by 由 an engine 机车. The earliest 最早的 engine 机车 was 是 a steam 蒸汽 engine 机车. Later 后来, they 人们 installed 装 an internal combustion engine 内燃机 onto trains 到火车上, which became 制成了 the internal combustion train engine 内燃机车. Even later 再后来, also 又 invented 发明了 the electric train 电力火车 and magnetic levitation train 磁悬浮火车. These kinds of 这样的 trains 火车 are fast 速度快, have little pollution 污染小, and can truly be called 真称得上是 “environmentally friendly green” “绿色环保型” trains 火车.
不断 = continually
提速 = to increase speed
夕发朝至 = (lit.) evening departure, morning arrival
海拔 = sea level, elevation
青藏铁路 = The Qinghai-Tibet Railway
修建 = to construct
完工 = to finish work
世界屋脊 = 青藏高原; the top of the world (the Tibetan plateau)
了不起 = amazing, awesome
创举 = a feat, creation
梦见 = to see in a dream
成 = to become
一名 = 一个; (measure word for people in professions etc.)
司机 = driver, conductor, pilot
驾 = to drive a vehicle or maneuver a horse
新型 = new or updated model
祖国 = 我国; the motherland
Character Radical:
日= This is the “sun” radical,日字旁 (rì zì páng). 日 (rì) means “sun.” The “sun” radical is common in characters that relate to time, or clarity.
Examples that appear in the reading are the characters 明 (míng), 早 (zǎo), 是 (shì), and 晚 (wǎn).
Yin-yang Character Groups:
水火 (shuǐ huǒ) = water-fire; two opposing things, extreme suffering
昼夜 (zhòu yè) = day-night; without stop, continuously
动静 (dòng jìng) = movement-stillness; movement, activity
Also, check out my other Substack: Heart Of China Journal!
And the Master Mandarin YouTube channel!