Fifty ways to prove (II) (Chop suey)

Another headache for the Mandarin learners would be the 四聲(si4 sheng), Four Tones. I’ve seen how foreigners struggling strenuously trying to pronounce the right tone. The combination of the same vowel and consonant but with different tone will make another word. A confusion of the tones might lead to a big misunderstanding.

For example, rain,雨(yu3), becomes fish,魚(yu2). Someone ordered a 轎子(jiao4 zhi), litter vehicle, instead of 餃子(jiao3 zhi), dumpling, at a Chinese restaurant. When receiving a compliment, we sometimes show our modesty by saying過獎(guo4 jiang3), literally meaning you’re over-praising me, or I’m flattered. But a mispronunciation of the tone could turn it into果醬(guo3 jiang4), jam. We’re often amused by this kind of mistakes.

Not to mention that we have so many homophones, which has been a basic element for jokes and play of words such as puns. These days 聖人(sheng4 ren2), saint, is often interpreted as 剩人(sheng4 ren2), the one left over; 賢人(xian2 ren2), sage as 閒人(xian2 ren2), idle man. 玉女(yu4 nu3), Pretty and pure girls like Meg Ryan, could turn to 慾女(yu4 nu3), girl of lust.

趙元任(zhao4 yuan2 ren4) (1892-1982), a Chinese American linguist, once composed a 92-character constrained writing in classical Chinese, all with the shi sound in different tones when read in Mandarin. This is the renowned The Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den, 施氏食獅史(shi shi4 shi2 shi shi3)

《施氏食獅史》  

石室詩士施氏，嗜獅，誓食十獅。

shi2 shi4 shi shi4 shi shi4// shi4 shi// shi 4 shi2 shi2 shi//

There lives in a stone den a poet with the surname shi, who loves to eat lions and resolves to eat ten of them.

施氏時時適市視獅。

shi shi4 shi2 shi2 shi4 shi4 shi4 shi

He often goes to the market in search of lions.

十時，適十獅適市。是時，適施氏適市。

shi2 shi2// shi4 shi2 shi shi4 shi4// shi4 shi2// shi4 shi shi4 shi4 shi4//

One day at ten, ten lions were sent in when shi was in the market.

氏視是十獅，恃矢勢，使是十獅逝世。

shi4 shi4 shi4 shi2 shi// shi4 shi3 shi4// shi3 shi4 shi2 shi shi4 shi4//

Seeing the ten lions, shi shot his arrows to kill them.

氏拾是十獅屍，適石室。

shi4 shi2 shi4 shi2 shi shi// shi4 shi2 shi4//

He picked up the corpses of the lions and brought them to the stone den.

石室濕，氏使侍拭石室。

shi2 shi4 shi// shi4 shi3 shi4 shi4 shi2 shi4//

The stone den was damp and Shi ordered his servant to wipe it.

石室拭，氏始試食是十獅。

shi2 shi4 shi4// shi4 shi 3 shi4 shi4 shi2 shi//

After the den was wiped clean, shi began to eat the lions.

食時，始識是十獅，實十石獅屍 。

shi2 shi2// shi3 shi4 shi4 shi2 shi// shi2 sh2i shi2 shi shi//

Not until Shi tasted the ten lions did they find out that they were the corpses of ten stone lions.

試釋是事。

shi4 shi4 shi4 shi4.

Please try to explain this incident.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

Simplified

四聲=四声

魚=鱼

轎子=轿子

餃子=饺子

果醬=果酱

過獎=过奖

聖人=圣人

賢人=贤人

閒人=闲人

慾女=欲女

《施氏食狮史》赵元任

石室诗士施氏，嗜狮，誓食十狮。施氏时时适市视狮。十时，适十狮适市。是时，适施氏适市。氏视是十狮，恃矢势，使是十狮逝世。氏拾是十狮尸，适石室。石室湿，氏使侍拭石室。石室拭，氏始试食是十狮。食时，始识是十狮，实十石狮尸 。试释是事。