A letter (An audio recording by yours truly!)

[nipponman]

Here is a recording of yi1 feng1 xin4. I need a lot of improvement in this area so, let me have it!

nipponman

[Quest]

一封信

亲爱的爸爸妈妈

你们好：

最近你们身体好吗？工作忙不忙？我们快要考试了，所以我现在特别忙。从星期一到星期五，每天上午都去学校上课。星期二和星期四的下午我还有（辅导？）。别的下午我常常去（图书馆看报？）。我只看杂志。今天是星期六，我有空给你【们】写信。这儿的老师和同学都很好。我现在有很多朋友。（爸我？？）是我的新朋友，他是上个月从英国来的。他会说法文，以前也学过一点儿中文。我住的地方很不错，不仅有很多商店和（饭馆？），离汽车站也很近。吃饭，坐车，买东西都非常方便。房东对我们很好，常常请我们一起吃饭。房东太太做的中国菜好吃极了。我特别喜欢吃她做的（虾？）。到这以后我每天都锻炼身体，所以我身体很好，也没有病过。请爸爸妈妈放心。现在已经8点20了（26?），我该去上课了。请常常给我来信。

祝你们健康！

[shibo77]

«一封信longer»

亲爱的爸爸、妈妈，你们好third！最近你们身体好third吗neutral？工作忙不忙？我third们快要考试了，所以third我现在特别忙。从c-(z-)星期一到星期五，每m-(n-)天上午都去学xu-(si-)校xiao上课fourth(neutral)；星期二和星期四的下午third我还有辅导；别的下午我常常ch-(ts-)去图twu书shwu馆看报fourth或fourth者看杂志fourth。今天是星期六，我有空儿kongr给你们写third信fourth(neutral)。这儿zhar(zher)的老师和同学second(too weak)都很好，我现在有很多朋友third(too weak, replace with 有 if it helps)。保third(fourth)罗是我的新朋友third(too weak, replace with 有 if it helps)。他是上个月从c-(z-)英first(emphasise)国neutral or third 来third(lengthen and emphasise)的。他会说法文，以third(fourth)前也学过一点儿中文。我住得地方儿很不错(tones correct but rhythm wrong, 不 should be emphasized)，附third近有很多商店和饭馆儿。离着unstressed zh(q)车站也很third(second)近。吃饭、坐车、买东西都非常方便。房东对我们很好，常常请我们一起吃饭。房东太太做的中国菜c-(z-)好吃极了！我特别喜欢first (too weak)她做得虾first(second)。到这儿zhar(zher)以后，我每天都锻fourth炼fourth身体，所以(emphasise所unstress以)我身体很好，也没有病过。请爸爸妈妈放心！现在已经八点二十了，我该去上课了。请常常给我来信！祝你们健康！

Third often mistaken as other tones, but said as 214 like a check mark, lengthen and emphasise more;

Fourth not emphasized enough;

是too forced "shhhh", say it short and swift "sh", it is just a function word;

儿colourised words are unstressed do not emphasise it, it is just a function word;

c- said as z-;

来-ai sound very forced, it's a second tone, don't emphasise it too much;

好-ao sound very forced, it's a third tone so emphasise it;

In total, it sounded very forced and unnatural, but nevertheless pretty good because I still got the meaning to almost all of the characters.

How do you convert .wav or .wma into .mp3?

-Shìbó

[gato]

Shibo, try this free audio converter if you're using Windows.

http://www.dbpoweramp.com/dmc.htm

dBpowerAMP Music Converter

Convert from one format to another, just about every audio type is supported: mp3, mp4, Windows Media Audio (wma), Ogg Vorbis, AAC, Monkeys Audio, FLAC and many others [Codec downloads], whilst preserving ID Tags,

[tongyang]

Here is a recording of yi1 feng1 xin4. I need a lot of improvement in this area so' date=' let me have it!

nipponman[/quote']

oh ,,.....let me down .可不可以不用您的儿话音!

in fact , i don't think " BeiJing hua " represent the pure Chinese tone

it's not quite pure enough . beacuse of there are too many "儿" in it.

[nipponman]

Third often mistaken as other tones, but said as 214 like a check mark, lengthen and emphasise more;

Fourth not emphasized enough;

是too forced "shhhh", say it short and swift "sh", it is just a function word;

儿colourised words are unstressed do not emphasise it, it is just a function word;

c- said as z-;

来-ai sound very forced, it's a second tone, don't emphasise it too much;

好-ao sound very forced, it's a third tone so emphasise it;

In total, it sounded very forced and unnatural, but nevertheless pretty good because I still got the meaning to almost all of the characters.

Thanks shibo, that good feedback. Though, I have to admit, I don't know how to pronounce a word like " 214." I don't know what that means.

午third我

The wu3 is before wo3, I though it becomes a second tone here.

附third近

Shibo, my dictionary lists as 附 fourth tone, is there something I'm missing?

And finally, I don't understand your use of the terms "rhythm, and "stress", could you expound on those?

Thanks again for the corrections! I appreciate all this assistance .

nipponman

[shibo77]

下午third我还有辅导

The third tones changes to a second tone only when it is in the same word group; "下午" is one word group meaning "afternoon", and "我" is another word group meaning "I". Therefore both remains third tone pronunciations.

附third近

Embarrasing, sorry I got it wrong, it is a fourth tone character like you said.

214 is the contour of the third tone; 1 being the lowest pitch and 5 being the highest pitch;

When drawn it looks like a check mark, lengthening the final serif, however yours looked like an inverted check mark, lengthening the beginning and an abrupt short ending;.

Thanks gato for the audio converter, very useful!

-Shìbó

[nipponman]

The third tones changes to a second tone only when it is in the same word group; "下午" is one word group meaning "afternoon", and "我" is another word group meaning "I". Therefore both remains third tone pronunciations.

Thanks, I'll have to remember that.

214 is the contour of the third tone; 1 being the lowest pitch and 5 being the highest pitch;

When drawn it looks like a check mark, lengthening the final serif, however yours looked like an inverted check mark, lengthening the beginning and an abrupt short ending;.

Oh:shock:, I get it. I'm glad it wasn't what I thought it was. Thanks for clearing that up Shibo.

nipponman

[atitarev]

I ripped the audio file from the site Nipponman has provided. You know that you have to be online to listen to those files.

This path has audio files, which are .mov but they are just links to the server.

http://faculty.virginia.edu/cll/chinese_reading/audio/

Total Recorder helps you record averything you hear in your speakers, even if you don't have the audio file:

http://www.highcriteria.com/productfr_tr.htm

I find this very useful 'cause now I can have more audio files on my laptop or I can copy them onto an MP3 player and listen on the way to work.

Note: I didn't install its driver, just the software and the unregistered program puts a light beep in every 60 seconds.

Attached is the "A Letter" audio file I produced that way, transformed to mp3.