Audio file: please criticise my pronunciation

[gato]

A few comments about carlo's nice reading:

Here's Quest's earlier transcription again as a reference:

打开世界地图，你可以看到中华人民共和国在亚洲东部，太平洋的西岸。她是一个有几千年历史的文明古国，面积跟欧洲差不多。在这么大的一个国家里，到处都有美丽的山水，迷人的景色。她深深地吸引着世界各国的旅游者。中国的山水不但很美，而且[总是跟]中国的古老文化的文化，紧紧结合在一起。在游览名胜古迹的时候，你可以听到很多神话传说和历史故事，还可以看到古代文学家留下的诗和文章，欣赏他们的书法艺术。在风景最美的地方，还常常有很多古代的园林，建筑和文物。旅游者就像走进了一座座文化艺术的宝库，不但欣赏了那里的景色，而也了解了中国古老的文化。

In "跟中国的古老文化," 古老sounds gu1lao3, should be gu3lao3 or gu2lao3 (if gu is shortened).

紧紧 sounds like two short jin1's for some reason, should be jin3jin3.

古代文学家 sounds like wen4hua4jia1, should be wen2hua4jia1.

The last two instances of 文化 sound like wen3hua4, should be wen2hua4.

The rest sounds peachy keen. Doesn't sound like Al Pacino at all.

[Quest]

打开世界地图，你可以看到中华人民共和国在亚洲东部，太平洋的西岸。她是一个有几千年历史的文明古国，面积跟欧洲差不多。在这么大的一个国家里，到处都有美丽的山水，迷人的景色。她深深地吸引着世界各国的旅游者。中国的山水不但很美，而且[总是跟]中国的古老文化的文化，紧紧结合在一起。在游览名胜古迹的时候，你可以听到很多神话传说和历史故事，还可以看到古代文学家留下的诗和文章，欣赏他们的书法艺术。在风景最美的地方，还常常有很多古代的园林，建筑和文物。旅游者就像走进了一座座文化艺术的宝库，不但欣赏了那里的景色，而也了解了中国古老的文化。

Just a small problem with the 2nd tone, otherwise excellent

古代文学家 sounds like wen4hua4jia1, should be wen2hua4jia1.

wen2xue2jia1 =)

[fenlan]

Carlo, I just had chance to listen to your audio file. I thought I was listening to a Chinese person! Wow!

[shibo77]

To analyse speech into graphs, you can use cheap softwares like praat or miniSpeechLab, also universities usually have more expensive speech analyser machines, they put them in a special sound room like a radio broadcasting room, and let the subjects talk into microphones.

I typed different characters for different sentences because they had incorrect tones, and therefore it was easier for me to think with other characters. They don't mean anything special.

The first sentence is the correct word-for-word pronunciation so it is forced. The second, third, and fourth sentences were normal, with different emphasises. The last four were probably incorrect, but were given as correct in the past replies and therefore were forced.

-Shìbó

[carlo]

Gato, Quest, very helpful comments, thanks a lot. I can hear what's wrong now after you've pointed it out. It seems when speaking faster my second tones have a tendency to flatten out and become either first or third, they don't 'glide' as they should. In 文学家 there are even falling slightly. 风景的景 is also slightly off, like, not low enough. Cool, something to work on.

Fenlan, as they say you can fool someone some of the time, but it's too easy to get complacent. If we only had more time to practice...

[fenlan]

Shibo do you have a link to the electronic analysis software?

CArlo, as they say you can fool someone some of the time-->"as they say, you can fool some of the people some of the time"

[xiaocai]

Words like 你好、再见、认识你，我很高兴、太太、夫人、先生、小姐 and 谢谢 are designed by the chinese in dealing with foreigners.

I have to say I don't agree with that. At least I use there words with other chinese especially those I'm not very familiar with.