What are you reading?

[skylee]

I've heard an Argentinian and an Italian talk to each other in their own languages without much trouble,

Is it really possible?

I have seen a Putonghua speaker and a Cantonese talk to each other in their own languages (this is actually not uncommon, happens very frequently in our office lifts).

I am reading a book called "Fallen". Not recommended.

[Gleaves]

I finished up 猫城记, am still working on 家 (it's good, but feels like high school summer reading), and am about 80 pages into 射雕英雄传.

[imron]

Finished book 2 of 《平凡的世界》and have started on book 3. This is definitely one of my favourite Chinese books so far. Well worth the read. Will write something longer about it once I finish the third and final volume.

[Lu]

I've heard an Argentinian and an Italian talk to each other in their own languages without much trouble,

Is it really possible?

Well, yeah, since I saw them do it.

I would never have thought Cantonese and Mandarin would be mutually intelligible. Or would that be for people who understand the language (either through exposure or studying) but just prefer speaking their own?

[skylee]

Yeah you're probably right. Those people work in P&G and the mandarin speakers' accents usually sound Taiwan + USA.

[Guest realmayo]

I have just started 书剑恩仇录, inspired by Renzhe reading 射雕英雄传 a few years ago. I'm trying to be very thorough and not skip through bits I only half-understand. I chose this book because I have the English translation to read after each few pages of Chinese, and I've got a TV version too.

Lighter fare is a book I picked up on body language, translated from an English original I guess, which is simple enough to skim through without really needing a dictionary.

[imron]

I had a look at the English translation of that (or least the English translation that exists online) and it leaves out many good bits, including one of my favourite parts in the whole novel when the motley gang of heros first visit 铁胆庄 to avenge their 4th "brother" who they mistakenly think was betrayed by the residents and master of 铁胆庄.

If you want to start a separate thread about the book (vocab, chapter synopsis etc), I'd probably participate in it with my thoughts.

[Guest realmayo]

I have it as a hardback book translated by Graham Earnshaw.

I going to be slow going, a few pages a day by the looks of it. I know nothing of the plot, but watched the Condor trilogy on TV so I guess I kind of know what I'm getting myself in for. Strikes me that these novels have a touch of the JRR Tolkein to them.

- Imron your suggestion of a separate thread: once I get through the first chapter I may well do that. I'm currently typing up most vocab, and names of the people, so it'll be easy to upload that material to the forums in case others find it useful.

[renzhe]

Having an English translation to consult every 3-5 pages was really really useful for me when reading the Condor Heroes. The reading speed picked up after a few hundred pages, so keep up with it. Eventually you will get used to the language.

I'm still waiting for this to happen with Water Margin, though

[imron]

That's the same author as the online translation I saw - which also leaves out a big fight at the beginning that is useful for explaining some events that happen later, e.g. why the remaining 关东六魔 are chasing after 陈家洛 (who they incorrectly assume is responsible for the death of the 第三魔), and also explains why 陆菲青 accepts 李沅芷 as his student. I'm not sure if the hardback has stuff that the online version left out.

[Lu]

I have just started 书剑恩仇录, inspired by Renzhe reading 射雕英雄传 a few years ago. I'm trying to be very thorough and not skip through bits I only half-understand.

加油! I started on this one a few years ago and gave up after about 100 pages. I agree with Renzhe that it gets easier the further in you get, it just takes perseverance, which I was lacking at the time. (I only managed those 100 pages because I was on the Transsiberian, with literally almost nothing else to do than persevere with Jin Yong.)

[Guest realmayo]

hehe, maybe I need a train journey. Started, and finished (and really enjoyed!) War and Peace on a two-nighter train trip in China some years ago.

[imron]

Just finished reading book 3 of 《平凡的世界》(see write up here). And am about to begin on 《色戒》， which will be my first book in traditional characters.

[muirm]

I finally started reading 多情剑客无情剑 by 古龙 (I've had it for months now). It's also my first 武侠小说 so I'm hoping I love it and get into the genre (and I do love it so far).

[skylee]

I am reading Jane Eyre. But I will soon quit it.

[Gleaves]

Well played, muirm. 多情剑客无情剑 was my first kung fu novel and I have since found myself more and more entertained by the genre.

I'm reading 斗破苍穹 right now off of a douban suggestion. It is a fantasy novel about a young warrior wizard guy that loses his powers and has to slowly gain them back. I am enjoying it, but I am also highly tolerant of cheesy scifi/fantasy, which this is.

[优汉什么]

I read 航海往 (One Piece) :-) Perfect for learning a heavy load of onomatopoei-something ... I learned yesterday that cows says 哞

[Lu]

Just finished Hermit of Peking, Hugh Trevor-Roper's taking-down of Backhouse. Damn it's fun. Some scholarly detective work, taking apart decades of rumours and hushed-up deceit, to find a whole string of con operations. He can be forgiven for not using any Chinese sources as he was doing his research in the early seventies, but it's still a pity you only get one side of the story.

Only at the end T-R gets a bit mean, and while I doubt Backhouse slept with the Empress Dowager, I see no reason to doubt he slept with a whole string of men. I now also wonder whether he slept with Morrison. Apparently they were both unmarried and B worked for M for free for years...

[Peter2010]

I've finished <洛阳伽蓝记> (The Record of Buddhist Monasteries in Luoyang) by杨炫之. Here is the profile of the author I find in wiki.

By detailing the location, architecture and relevant Buddhist activities of the Buddhist temples distributed in Luoyang, the capital of the North Wei dynasty, Yang provided a fascinating and enjoyable insight into the life/society of that period. The writing style is so concise and graceful that I am kind of addicted to it. I know little history of North Wei dynasty before, but now I feel that is touchable.

PS: This book has also been viewed as an important Buddhist classic due to its description of the popularity of Buddhism in Luoyang.

[muirm]

Yay, finished 多情剑客无情剑! My interest faded a bit trudging through the second half (not enough fighting) but I still enjoyed it overall. I was waving my iphone around a lot for the first third, but then less and less, and by the end I was hardly looking up anything. Part of it obviously was that I learned some new words, but I also think the author's language level cooled off as the book progressed. Next I'm looking at 欢乐英雄; I figure I'll do one more by 古龙 before manning up to some 金庸.