image: traditional Tujia brocade


Play All)Formal story texts: Introduction

Contents

1.1.1: Self-Introduction
1.1.2: My Childhood

1.1.1: Self-Introduction

Tian Jinggui, Dianfang Township, Longshan County
recorded on 30 May 2002

Mr Tian briefly introduces himself in this text. This is a prepared text, written down using Chinese characters as phonetic aide-memoires to indicate Tujia words.

01 nga2 tian3jing1gui2 jie3-la1, bi2zi1ka3, long3sang1 xian2 dian2huan3 zeng2-nie3 luo4, long3bei3 nie3 hi2 nie1 se1tong1.
My name is Tian Jinggui. I am Tujia, from Dianfang Township in Longshan County. I am now 72.
02 la2 ge1 ong1 long1 sa3 ri1-lie3, yi2si1 long3cun1-nie3 sa3 ri1-la1, xian2wei1 su1ji1, xian2zang1, hu2zou1zang1, zeng2xie3 hu2zu1xi3 la1 dang1-lie3.
From 1950 onwards I was engaged in village work. I served as the County Party Secretary, County Governor, Vice-Governor of Xiangxi Prefecture, and Vice-Chairman of the Prefectural Chinese People's Political Consultative Committee.
03 la2 ge1 ge1 la2 long1 tui2xiu1, me3-lie1 bi2zi1ka3 ze2-la1: "zong1guai3 bi2zi1ka3 xing2-nie3-xi2", "zong1guai3 bi2zi1ka3 di1ga3-nie3 luo4", "hu3lang3 seng1 zi2 ming3cu3 zi2 bi2zi1ka3-nie3 ci1pu1" zu2-lie3;
I retired in 1991, and have been engaged in Tujia research, publishing 'The Customs of the Tujia People of China', 'Historical Figures among the Tujia People of China', and the Tujia section of 'Hunan Province Records: Ethnic Records'.
04 "bi2zi1ka3-nie3 geng1ba1 lun2weng3", "bai1sou1 guo1wu1 jian4gai2" zi1liao2 dian2 a2-lie3. xia2mian1 jian1 yi3xie1 si2qing3...
I also wrote 'A Discussion of Tujia Origins' and 'A Brief Introduction to the Tujia Baishou Songs and Dances'. I'm going to talk about some other things below...

1.1.2: My Childhood

Tian Jinggui, Dianfang Township, Longshan County
recorded on 30 May 2002

In this text the speaker describes the rigours of his childhood, when he was growing up in Zhongxin village of Dianfang Township in Longshan County. This is a prepared text, written down using Chinese characters as phonetic aide-memoires to indicate Tujia words.

01 nga2 bo1li3, nga2 bo1li3-die1-zu2, nga2 bi2kui1-zu2, ang2 cu1 se3ke1 pe2ti1 tai2,
When I was a child, during my childhood, when I was small, our family had no land.
02 a1nie3, a1nie3 a3ba1 luo4die1 bo3 hu3ri1, luo4-nie3 se3ke1 pe2ti1 ri1, tuo2ga1 a3bu3 di3 mo3 nie4ka1.
My parents had to work for others, renting and planting other people's fields, and digging bracken and kudzu vine to get by.
03 nga2 ong1 se1tong1-zu2, nie3ba3 da4xi4 mo3 zi3 luo2, ha1ce1 luo2, qie3bi2 bu1zi1 wo1, cuo4-nie3 ye3 ri1.
When I was five, I began helping my parents with the cooking, washing-up, and other household chores.
04 ta1nie1, rong4 ang1ngai4 lao4 xiao2, la2 cuo4 luo4 ong1 la1hu3 zi3 ga2, nie4ka1-xi2 lang1.
Later, my younger brother and sister arrived, and with five mouths to feed, life was very hard.
05 nie3ba3 la2 long1 duo3 ji3ku3 da2, nga2, ang1ngai4, rong4 yi2si1 cuo3xie2 qi2la1 cai2 da2-bo3-da2.
My parents wore straw sandals all year round, and my brother, sister and I never wore good shoes or socks.
06 sa4-zu2 ye4-lie3, jie2 ji3 sa4 mo3 la1be1 mian1jie1 da4ze3. nie3ba3 hang2la3 me2di1, zi3 cu3ga3la2 ga2, kang3ku1-nie3 ha1ce1 ga2 mo3 li2a4-bo3-da2.
In cold weather, our hands and feet turned the colour of carrots. My parents worked hard, so although we ate coarse food and wild vegetables, we never starved.
07 nie3ba3 ci1ci1 ha1tai2, qian2la2bu1 qi2kui1-bo3-la1.
As my parents were illiterate, they were often at a disadvantage and suffered many hardships.
08 nga2 wo3 se1tong1-zu2, a3ba1 li3-xi2 xi4: "nga2 zi3 guo2-duo3 luo4bi3 duo3 ci1tu1."
When I was six, my father told me he decided that even if he had to beg for food, he would still pay to send me to school.
09 nga2 nie3 se1tong1-zu2, a3ba1 nga2 si1su1 wo2tu1 si2-alie3 ci1tu1, nga2 nie3ba3-nie3, po2ga1-nie3 sa3 ru3-xi2 ca2, xie1qi1 si4-bo3 ci1tu1.
When I was seven, he sent me to a private school. I was very obedient to my parents and my teacher, and studied hard.
10 zi1ge1 la2 long1 sang1zi2jing1 be2jia1xing2 tu1-ji2-liao3, hi2 se1tong1-zu2, si2su1wu1jing1, zeng1guan1xian3weng3 tu1-ji2-lie3.
In the first year I read through the Sanzijing primer and the '100 Surnames'. When I was ten, I went on to read some of the classics.
11 bao1xiao3 zong1xing1xiao3xiao2 ci1pu1 a2si1 tu1, ci1tu1 ca2 xie1 luo4-nie3 zi1ge1.
I went to the Baoguomin and Central schools to study, and came top of my class.
12 nga2 zang4jing3 ci1tu1 mo3 la2 si3 nie1 se1tong1-zu2, ming2xing1lang1, a3ba1 se2-liao3, ci1tu1-dao2.
I studied really hard until I was twelve, when unfortunately my father died and I had to abandon school.
13 se3ke1 pe2ti1 qie3-xi2 a2hhi1, jie2ri1-nie3 du4zi3zi2 ke4-diu2. jie2ri1-zu2, jie2ri1; jie2ri1-da2-zu2, ce3 lu3 ka3 lu3 mo3 nie4ka1.
Instead, I learned to till the land, carrying the heavy burden of the farmer. In the busy season I worked on the land; in the slack season I sold firewood and water to make ends meet.
14 bo1li3-die1-zu2 nie4ka1-xi2 mu2la1 die2-za3lie3 lei4 da4ze3, la2bie1 duo3 si1ma3-da2.
Even now, I have vivid and unforgettable memories of my childhood.

 

 

 

 

 


Copyright (C) 2004 Philip & Cecilia Brassett