- (1) In cold countries the swallows fly away in the winter and return in the spring.
- (2) To have a lawsuit is a miserable affair, for you must use as much money.
- (3) My clothes were very dirty, so I told my servant to brush them well.
- (4) In the summer when it is warm you do not need a quilt, but in the winter you do.
- (5) The mandarin gave orders to cut off the robber’s head.
- (6) Some wicked people do not fear shame.
- (7) Has the school bell rung? If so I am late.
- (8) What is the matter with your foot? It was scalded by hot water.
- (9) When the tide rises the boat can travel very fast.
- (10) In front of my house I want to erect a fence.
- (11) Put some coal in the grate; probably to-night I will want to light a fire.
- (12) When you have split the fuel, tie it up in a bundle.
- (13) At the beginning the boys were only fooling, but afterwards they began to fight, and one of them was hurt.
- (14) A hammer, a saw, a plane, and a file are useful implements.
- (15) These pears and apples are unripe; if you eat them you will become ill.
- (16) At the end of the month the man goes out to collect his accounts.
- (17) Every one should do his duty.
- (一) 拉冷個地方到之冬天燕子飛出去到之春上末轉來.
- (二) 打官司是苦腦個事體因爲儂總要用多化銅錢.
- (三) 我個衣裳齷齪來死所以我叫我個用人刷刷好.
- (四) 夏天熱個辰光儂勿要用被頭到之冬天末要個.
- (五) 官府分付殺脫第個強盗個頭.
- (六) 有個惡人勿怕坍銃.
- (七) 鐘敲好末? 若然已經敲好之末我晚哉.
- (八) 儂個脚那能? 是撥滾水燙之佬.
- (九) 潮漲末船可以行來快來死.
- (十) 拉我個房子個門前我要打笆.
- (十一) 火匟裏要擺煤, 今夜頭恐怕我要生火.
- (十二) 柴劈好之末要紮之一梱一梱.
- (十三) 起頭個辰光小囝必過拉打棚但是後來末就相打一個末受傷.
- (十四) 一個榔頭一把鋸子一隻刨一把銼刀是有用頭個傢生.
- (十五) 第個生梨佬蘋果是生個, 吃之要生病.
- (十六) 拉月底一個人要去收帳.
- (十七) 各人應該盡伊個名分.
Notes.
- (1) In the ninth sentence of the First Exercise, notice the expression °zoo-ding° (坐定), “to sit quiet.”
- (2) In the eleventh sentence of the First Exercise Khe zen (開船) means “to start the boat.” Literally it is “to open the boat.” In the same sentence bing °s (平水) means “slack water.”
- (3). In the eighteenth sentence of the First Exercise zau-yau-yien (造謠言) means “to start a rumor.”
- (4) In the twenty-fifth sentence of the First Exercise dih-’veh-dzu° (敵勿住) means “unable to oppose.”
- (5) In the fifth sentence of the Second Exercise, “to cut off the robber’s head,” is sah-theh °di-kuh °jang-dau° kuh deu (殺脫第個強盗個頭).
- (6) In the ninth sentence of the Second Exercise “to travel” is ’ang (行).
- (7) In the tenth sentence of the Second Exercise “to erect a fence,” is °tang-po (打笆).
LESSON XXVIII
Abstract Nouns formed from two Adjectives of opposite meaning
Very often two adjectives of opposite meaning are joined together to form an abstract noun of quality. Naturally the Chinese language is defective in abstract nouns, and their lack is partially supplied is this way. Thus Too-°sau (多少), “Much-little,” means “quantity.”
Dzang-°toen (長短), “Long-short,” means “length.” °Yoen-°jung (遠近), “Far-near,” means “distance.” Kau-ti° (高低), “High-low,” means “height.” °‘Eu-bok (厚薄), “Thick-thin,” means “thickness.” Kwheh-‘ah (關狹), “Broad-narrow,” means “breadth.” °Lang-nyih (冷熱), “Cold-hot,” means “temperature.” Sung-°tshien (深淺), “Deep-shallow,” means “depth.” Chung-°dzoong (輕重), “Light-heavy,” means “weight.” Tshoo-si° (粗細), “Coarse-fine,” means “texture” (of cloth).
Verbs are also used in much the same way. Thus we have Le-°waung (來往). “Come-go,” meaning “intercourse,” or Le-chi° (來去), “Come-go,” meaning, “going back and forth.” It generally occurs as Le-le-chi°-chi°. °Ma-ma° (買賣), “Buy-sell,” means “business.”