image: traditional Tujia brocade


(Play All)Descriptive texts: Describing Photos

In these texts, photographs which were taken at the shebajie cultural festival held in Pojiao rural township in the summer of 2001 are described. Some of the speakers had attended the actual festival.

Contents

4.1.1: Describing a Daliuzi Photo
4.1.2: Describing a Maogusi Photo
4.1.3: Describing a Baishouwu Photo

4.1.1: Describing a Daliuzi Photo

Tian Yuying, Xiang Peihua, Peng Cai'e & Tian Wucui, Pojiao Rural Township, Longshan County
recorded on 19 July 2002

In this text a photo of a daliuzi performance at the cultural festival is being described. Daliuzi involves four participants, who engage in mimed sequences to the rhythmic beats on gongs and cymbals. On some occasions, a suona trumpet is also played. The photo archive includes two photos of daliuzi.

01 A: ge4ze1 eng1ge1, eng1ge1, ai1di1 liu1zi1, ai1di1 lai1xi3 jie3 la? luo2 ha3 ao, luo2 ha3-nie3-xi2, ge4ze1, ge4ze1 eng1ge1 si3ti3-suo1 ba, ha1 ha1tai2 ou? B: eng1ge1-suo1, bao2ge3-suo1.
A: The ones over there, over there, that's 'daliuzi' [musical entertainment], what do you call that? They are striking gongs, the ones striking gongs. They are from Shidi, don't you know? B: Yes, they are from there, and from Baoge.
02 A: gai3di1 ha1 ha1tai2? ni2 liu1... gai3di1 luo2 ha3-nie3-xi2 qian2la1 ha3 ba, ni2 guo2 ai1 lian2-ta1ti1 ma o, lian2-ci1hhe1 ma. bao2ge3-suo1 luo2 ha3-nie3-xi2, ang jiu1 gai3di1, gai3di1 me ha3-xi2 ca2 ang.
A: Do you know how to ['daliuzi']? You try striking the gong, try it, you can't do it, you don't know how to do it. The one from Baoge on the gong, that's this one here. He plays well.
03 ge2wai1 ni2 ai1 li3-ci3 tai2, ni2 ai1di1 nian2-hhe1 ga4 ze2 nian2, nian2-ci1hhe1, ge2wai1 li3-ci3 tao2, bie2di1 mei3you1 jian1-di la, ta1 jiu2si2 da1liu1zi1, mei3you1 jian1-di la!
If you don't have anything more to say, and you know [the rhythm for 'daliuzi'], then beat us a few bars. I don't know how to, I have nothing else to say now, nothing more to say. That's 'daliuzi', there's nothing more to say!
04 luo2 ha3-nie3-xi2 dai1dai1... dang3dang3... dang3 dang3... hang2 ha3-nie3-xi2, ang... dai1dai1... dang3 dang3...
The ones on the gongs go... (sound of gongs) like this ... (sound of gongs)

4.1.2: Describing a Maogusi Photo

Tian Yuying, Xiang Peihua, Peng Cai'e & Tian Wucui, Pojiao Rural Township, Longshan County
recorded on 19 July 2002

In this text a photo of a maogusi performance at the cultural festival is being described. Maogusi is a very ancient dance form in which the dancers dress in costumes made from cogongrass and perform dances with farming, hunting and fertility themes. See the photo in the photo archive.

01 ai1di1 jiu1 si1 wan1tian3 mao3gu3si1 ri1-nie3-xi2, guo2 jiu1 si1 be2 eng1ge1 luo4-die1, mu2la1 ye3 ri1-nie3-xi2 da4ze3 ang. ai! ai1 si3hou3, jiu1 wan1tian3 yan3si1 se2hui1 luo4 die3, luo4 die3 bian2-bo3-xi2, luan2-nie3 si3hou3-lie1 gao1-nie3-xi2.
They are performers of the ancient 'maogusi' dance, that is, the people [in the photos] are performing actions similar to the way we work nowadays. Ah! In the past, people living in primitive communities used to do this, they started these dances during times of conflict.
02 ai1lie1 me ge4ze1 jiu1 be2 eng1ge1 ye3 ga2-duo3 le, nie4ka1-duo3, ge4ze3 jiu1 ai1lie1 jiu1 huan2 kang3ku1 ye3 ri1 a, ai1di1 eng1ge1 ye4 za2, ye3 ri1, hhi3 tie2, ai1lie1 eng1ge1 jiu1,
Then they have to go there and eat; in order to live, they have to go and work in the mountains. There they open up wasteland and farm; they harvest millet.
03 eng1ge1 ai1lie1 hhi3 tie2 me, ta1nie1 jiu1 eng1ge1, ai1lie1 tie2-lie3 me cu1 ye4-liao3 jiu1 hhi3 ha3, ha3-lie3 meng jiu1 ba1ba1 bu2,
Later, they harvest millet there, then having harvested it, they go home and thresh it and make it into glutinous 'baba' cakes.
04 ba1ba1 bu2-lie3 meng jiu1 da4pi3 mo3 ga2 ang, ga2-liao3 meng ai1lie1 me ga2 mo3 me3jie2-liao3 meng, jiu1 si1 luo4die1 hang2la3, luo4die1 eng1ge1, ai1di1 eng1ge1.
When they've prepared the 'baba' cakes, they share them round and eat together. After they've eaten, then they're full. That's what they're doing [in the photos] in the 'maogusi' dance.
05 guo2 be2 ye1 zuo4 si1lie3-nie3-xi2, guo2 be2 ye1 eng1ge1 luo4ba1-die1 ma3ma1-die1 xie2 ang. hhi2-lie3 jiu1 ma3ma1-die1 ni1 mo3 ni1-lie3 jiu1 zuo4 ni1 mo3 si1lie3-nie3-xi2.
They also look for brides, there are both men and women. They're looking for women as they go, when they've found some, those women will become their daughters-in-law.
06 ai1lie1 meng jiu1, ta1nie1 meng jiu1 da4ha3 ma3ma1-die1 a4yi3-nie3-xi2 ang, jiu1 hang2la3, gai3di1 ta1nie1 li3-nie3-xi2 die3 gei4di3 gei1.
After that, they are the ones who are grabbing the women [in the photos]. Well, that's what they do, there's a lot more to say [about 'maogusi'].

4.1.3: Describing a Baishouwu Photo

Tian Yuying, Xiang Peihua, Peng Cai'e & Tian Wucui, Pojiao Rural Township, Longshan County
recorded on 19 July 2002

In this text a photo of a baishouwu performance at the cultural festival is being described. Baishouwu, literally 'hand-waving dance', is the focal point of the traditional shebajie festival, which is held in early Spring. The dance, which has a large-scale form involving up to a thousand dancers, contains actions representing farming activities and other aspects of daily life, but in much more formalised forms than in maogusi. Some historians believe the dance to be directly descended from the war dances of the ancient Ba people, who are generally thought to be the ancestors of the Tujia. See the photo in the photo archive.

01 A: gai3di1 ye3 ri1-nie3-xi2 mang. B: cai3mo1 li3, nga2 li3-ci1hhe1, hui2hui1. A: ang ni2 jiu1 ye3 ri1 mang, ye3 ri1-nie3-xi2. B: li2bu1 ha3 ang.
A: These ones are working [in the photos]. B: You speak, Huihui, I don't know what to say. A: These are farming actions, these are farming actions. B: Threshing grain.
02 A: ai1me1 bai1sou1wu1 gai2 nie4 ti3, xian1 ye4 za2, eng1ge1 ye4 za2-lie3 me jiu1 si1 ye4, ye4 za2-lie3 me jiu1 hhi3, hhi3 ri1 ang. ye3 ri1-lie3 me, jiu1 eng1ge1 li4 huo qie3, li4hong1 ga4, bao1bu1 ri1.
A: Well, we've started doing the 'baishouwu' dance in recent years. In the past, they just got on with clearing the land, they broke up the soil, broke up waste ground, and grew millet. After this, they plough, dig the fields, and plant maize.
03 bao1bu1 ri1-lie3 meng jiu1, bao1bu1 ri1-lie3 meng jiu1 bao1bu1 pu2 ang, bao1bu1 pu2-lie3 meng jiu1 yan1 se1, yan1 se1-lie3 meng jiu1, eng1ge1 yan1 se1-lie3 meng jiu1, yan1 si3 ang.
When they've planted maize, planted maize, then they hoe between the maize. Once they've finished hoeing, then they plant tobacco. After planting tobacco, planting tobacco there, it grows.
04 ai1lie1 meng jiu1 bao1bu1 wo4, li2bu1 ha3, li2bu1 ha3-lie3 meng jiu1 jie3-xi2 da4ha3, ai1lie1 jiu1 eng1ge1 li2bu1 ke4-lie3 jiu1... B: bian1dang3 huo3lie3 ke4.
Later, they harvest the maize and thresh the grain. After threshing the grain, everybody together, they then carry the grain there, then ... B They're using shoulder poles.
05 A: li2bu1 ke4-lie3 jiu1 cu1-bo3 song1kuo1-nie3-xi2, gai2 da4ze3 jiu1... ca2! qie3-pie3, lei4 jiu1 ang bian4dong3... jiu1 na2me1...
A: After carrying the grain, they go home, like this ... Right! Plough first, then today... (sound of ploughing) then...

 

 

 

 

 


Copyright (C) 2004 Philip & Cecilia Brassett