Xing Taiji《星太奇》upper beginner/lower intermediate Chinese comic

[mouse]

I've found the comic resources here on the forums really useful, so I thought I'd give back a bit by recommending this comic. Like a lot of people, I've found finding material that isn't too difficult a bit of a struggle, especially early on. On ay last year I went to the big Xinhua in Guangzhou and looked around at the various groups of people standing around reading comics. Noticing that kids of different ages were clustered around different shelves, I went over to one with a few ten year olds near by and just picked up a random comic from the shelf.

 

That was Xing Taiji《星太奇》, which is a slim comic about a class of schoolchildren. It's a bit like The Bash Street Kids, Beano fans. The book's mostly split up into one or two-page strips, mostly structured around a gag, with a few story archs thrown in. The humour is pretty childish to be honest, but I find it hilarious. The character 奋豆 in particular is great fun, and is the real star, with Xing Taiji himself often fading into the background a bit.

 

It's not too difficult to read, and it's structured in a such a way that makes it perfectly suited to reading just a couple of pages at a time. Also, for me it was a bonus to find a Chinese comic that I was able to read, as I get a bit tired of only sticking to translated Japanese stuff. If you're in China, you can see these comics and others from the same publishers (Manhua Party 漫画派对) in any magazine kiosk. Normally I see the more popular《阿衰on line》but I haven't got round to reading that one yet.

 

Anyway, here's some words from the first page proper. You can read it online here: http://www.073.cc/mmm/XingTaiJi/390951.html

or 

http://www.52guoman.com/xingtaiqi/1ce.html 

 

(page 2 in the paper copy)

身为／身為 shēn wéi being, as, acting in capacity of

故事 gùshì story

主角 zhǔjué lead role

帅／帥 shuài handsome

呕／嘔 ǒu vomit

的话／的話 dehuà if

同学／同學 tóngxué classmate

青春 qīngchūn youth, youthfulness

痘痘 dòudòu acne, spots

班长／班長 bānzhǎng class monitor

人称／人稱 rénchēng person

魔王 mówáng demon king, fiend

邻居／鄰居 línjū neighbour

家养／家養 jiāyǎng domestic (animal)

霸王 bàwáng despot

沙皮狗 shāpígǒu Shar Pei dog

 

Story two: 早间新闻 (next page)

早间新闻／早間新聞 zǎojiān xīnwén morning news

班级／班級 bānjí grade or form

版 bǎn edition

支持 zhīchí support

爷爷／爺爺 yéye grandad, old man

经过／經過 jīngguò go through

康复／康復 kāngfù to recover

治拄／治療 zhìliáo cure

拄 zhǔ lean on (a stick)

枴杖 guǎizhàng walking stick

年级／年級 niánjí year/grade

直接 zhíjiē direct

轮椅／輪椅 lúnyǐ wheelchair

厕所／廁所 cèsuǒ toilet

捡／撿 jiǎn pick up

手机／手機 shǒujī mobile phone

关键／關鍵 guānjiàn crux

鸡蛋／雞蛋 jīdàn egg

饼／餠 bǐng pancake-style cake

突然 tūrán suddenly

发现／发現 fāxiàn discover

脸／臉 liǎn face

形状／形狀 xíngzhuàng shape

印记／印記 yìnjì seal, trace

后来／後來 hòulái afterwards

知道 zhīdào know

平底锅／平底鍋 píngdǐguō pan

胡说八道／胡說八道 húshuōbādào talk nonsense

扣／釦 kòu deduct [also has lots of other meanings]

学分／學分 xuéfēn credit

今日 jīnrì today

观察／觀察 guānchá observe

学校／學校 xuéxiào school

秃／禿 tū bald, barren

班主任 bānzhǔrèn a teacher in charge of a class (in a primary or middle school)

年轻／年輕 niánqīng young

照片 zhàopiàn photograph

[deathtrap]

Is anyone else able to read the comic? it's not loading here. Anyone able to provide a mirror?

[mouse]

Couldn't find a mirror, but this is a collection of strips from the first book, to give you an idea: http://ac.qq.com/ComicView/index/id/508164/cid/1

 

Doesn't seem to have the stories I added the vocab for, unfortunately.

[roddy]

This is great stuff, mouse, many thanks. 

 

If I could just add, regarding

"I've found the comic resources here on the forums really useful, so I thought I'd give back a bit by recommending this comic."

Say so in those topics - that lets the people know posting those resources that they're useful, so they might post more (or at least get a warm fuzzy feeling) and it bumps the resource for more people to find. 

[mouse]

 

Say so in those topics - that lets the people know posting those resources that they're useful, so they might post more (or at least get a warm fuzzy feeling) and it bumps the resource for more people to find.

 

That's a good point, I should get on that. I've been meaning to lurk less for that reason.

[roddy]

That'd be great. Even a 'Thanks, this was useful' is worth posting, but questions or talking about the stuff you found easy / difficult / amusing helps people engage. 

[Ruben von Zwack]

I've been trying for days, but encountering a problem, like deathtrap: the pages show up, including their navigation and all, but the comic pictures itself are not there.

 

Anyone know why this is?

[roddy]

If you can't get the pictures to  load, try changing server - look for the 联通 - 电信 links at the top. Also, it's in some kind of flash / javascript wrapper, so maybe adblockers might be getting in the way?

 

Or here's an alternative link (will add to first post)

http://www.52guoman.com/xingtaiqi/1ce.html

[Ruben von Zwack]

Ah, I'm guilty of adblockers

Thanks!