ChinesePod

1 lit. the other mountain's stone can polish jade (idiom); to improve oneself by accepting criticism from outside
2 to borrow talent from abroad to develop the nation effectively

以卵击石

yǐ luǎn jī shí

1 lit. to strike a stone with egg (idiom); to attempt the impossible
2 to invite disaster by overreaching oneself

坚如磐石

jiān rú pán shí

1 solid as a boulder (idiom); absolutely secure
2 rock-firm and unyielding

安如磐石

ān rú pán shí

1 as solid as rock (idiom); as sure as houses

Sample Sentences

石库门

shíkùmén

Stone gate house.

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哦，对了，我怎么把上海的石库门给忘了。不过一提起石库门，人们就会与上海的新天地划等号，干脆我带他去逛逛新天地好了。

o ，duìle ，wǒ zěnme bǎ Shànghǎi de shíkùmén gěi wàng le 。bùguò yī tíqǐ shíkùmén ，rénmen jiù huì yǔ Shànghǎi de Xīntiāndì huà děnghào ，gāncuì wǒ dài tā qù guàngguang Xīntiāndì hǎo le 。

Oh, yes! How could I forget Shanghai's shikumen? But as soon as you mention shikumen, people equate them with Xin Tian Di. I should just take him directly for a stroll around Xin Tian Di.

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那当然，不少人都称赞东方明珠的建筑造型新颖别致，有着深厚的东方韵味。明珠塔上的球体观光层也是鸟瞰全市景观的最佳场所。不过如果他对现代建筑不感兴趣，还可以去看看上海的老式建筑啊，石库门，城隍庙什么的，不都很有特色吗？

nà dāngrán ，bùshǎo rén dōu chēngzàn Dōngfāngmíngzhū de jiànzhù zàoxíng xīnyǐng biézhì ，yǒu zhe shēnhòu de dōngfāng yùnwèi 。Míngzhūtǎ shang de qiútǐ guānguāngcéng yě shì niǎokàn quánshì jǐngguān de zuìjiā chǎngsuǒ 。bùguò rúguǒ tā duì xiàndàijiànzhú bùgǎnxīngqù ，hái kěyǐ qù kànkan Shànghǎi de lǎoshì jiànzhù a ，shíkùmén ，Chénghuángmiào shénmede ，bù dōu hěnyǒu tèsè ma ？

Well, of course. A lot of people call the Pearl Tower's architecture new and innovative, with a strong Oriental charm. And the observation deck at the top of the tower is the best place to get a bird's eye view of the whole city. But if he's not too interested in modern architecture, you could still go check out Shanghai's old-style buildings. There are the shikumen, the temple of the town god, and so on. Aren't those distinctive?

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哎，我觉得新天地这种利用上海的老式石库门建筑来构造的娱乐场所，虽然很有特色，但却少了石库门作为一种民居而包含的人文情怀。不过那些斑驳的墙，生锈的栅栏，黑漆的木门，磨去油漆的石柱，凹凸不平的路面，还是能让人体会到一些石库门弄堂的沧桑的。

āi ，wǒ juéde Xīntiāndì zhèzhǒng lìyòng Shànghǎi de lǎoshì shíkùmén jiànzhù lái gòuzào de yúlè chǎngsuǒ ，suīrán hěnyǒu tèsè ，dàn què shǎo le shíkùmén zuòwéi yīzhǒng mínjū ér bāohán de rénwén qínghuái 。bùguò nàxiē bānbó de qiáng ，shēngxiù de zhàlan ，hēiqī de mùmén ，mó qù yóuqī de shízhù ，āotūbùpíng de lùmiàn ，háishì néng ràng rén tǐhuì dào yīxiē shíkùmén lòngtáng de cāngsāng de 。

Oh, I think that though it's very distinctive, architecture like Xin Tian Di that uses old-style shikumen to create entertainment venues loses some of the spirit of humanity that comes from having people living in a place. But those mottled walls, rusty railings, black-lacquered wooden doors, black-painted stone pillars and uneven roads still give you a sense of the big changes in the shikumen.

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你真不愧是上海人，了解这么多上海的文化。老实说，对于上海的石库门我一直没有什么很清楚的概念，也不知道为什么它被称作上海特有的老式弄堂建筑，这次我也要顺便去好好体会一下。对了，你说我要不要带他去逛下外滩？

nǐ zhēn bùkuì shì shànghǎirén ，liǎojiě zhème duō Shànghǎi de wénhuà 。lǎoshí shuō ，duìyú Shànghǎi de shíkùmén wǒ yīzhí méiyǒu shénme hěn qīngchu de gàiniàn ，yě bù zhīdào wèishénme tā bèi chēngzuò Shànghǎi tèyǒu de lǎoshì lòngtáng jiànzhù ，zhècì wǒ yě yào shùnbiàn qù hǎohāo tǐhuì yīxià 。duìle ，nǐ shuō wǒ yàobuyào dài tā qù guàng xià Wàitān ？

You really deserve to be called a Shanghainese person. You understand so much about Shanghainese culture. To tell you the truth, I've never been really clear about Shanghai's shikumen, and never knew why they were called a uniquely Shanghainese style of alley architecture. This time, while we're at it, I also want to experience it a bit. Oh, right-- tell me, do you think I should take him for a stroll on the Bund?

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可惜，这几年四合院和石库门被拆了很多。现在，许多人都强烈要求保护这些建筑。否则，城市会失去自己宝贵的历史回忆和个性。

kěxī ，zhèjǐnián sìhéyuàn hé shíkùmén bèi chāi le hěn duō 。xiànzài ，xǔduō rén dōu qiángliè yāoqiú bǎohù zhèxiē jiànzhù 。fǒuzé ，chéngshì huì shīqù zìjǐ bǎoguì de lìshǐ huíyì hé gèxìng 。

What a pity that many siheyuan and shikumen have been torn down in the past few years. A lot of people are strongly urging their protection and conservation. A city could lose its invaluable historical memory and identity without them.

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嗯，我去上海的时候听过。石库门出现于十九世纪中。当时大批难民因为打仗逃难到上海租界里，必须很多人挤在一所小房子里。久而久之，就形成了石库门这种两层楼的石质房屋。家门里面有一个很小的花园，叫天井。石库门中间细长的街道叫弄堂。以前，北京和上海的大多数居民都住在这些传统民居里。

ng4 ，wǒ qù Shànghǎi de shíhou tīng guo 。shíkùmén chūxiàn yú shíjiǔ shìjì zhōng 。dāngshí dàpī nànmín yīnwèi dǎzhàng táonàn dào Shànghǎi zūjiè lǐ ，bìxū hěn duō rén jǐ zài yī suǒ xiǎo fángzǐ lǐ 。jiǔ'érjiǔzhī ，jiù xíngchéng le shíkùmén zhèzhǒng liǎng céng lóu de shízhì fángwū 。jiāmén lǐmiàn yǒu yī ge hěn xiǎo de huāyuán ，jiào tiānjǐng 。shíkùmén zhōngjiān xìcháng de jiēdào jiào lòngtáng 。yǐqián ，Běijīng hé Shànghǎi de dàduōshù jūmín dōu zhùzài zhèxiē chuántǒng mínjū lǐ 。

Yes, I heard about it when I was in Shanghai. Shikumen came into existence in the mid-19th century. There was an influx of war refugees fleeing to the concessions in Shanghai. They had to cram into small houses. Over time, these evolved into a type of two-story house made from stone known as shikumen. There is a tiny garden inside the house called a tianjing. The long narrow lanes between shikumen houses are known as longtang. Most of the people in Beijing and Shanghai used to live in these traditional residences.

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嗯，我见过。和你有一样的感觉。不过四合院的起源比石库门早很多。我看书上说，四合院元朝就有了。它之所以叫四合院，是因为房屋是由东西南北四面包围，呈口字形，中间是花园。大片的四合院中间的通道叫胡同。唉，你知道石库门的起源吗？

ng4 ，wǒ jiàn guo 。hé nǐ yǒu yíyàng de gǎnjué 。bùguò sìhéyuàn de qǐyuán bǐ shíkùmén zǎo hěn duō 。wǒ kàn shūshàng shuō ，sìhéyuàn Yuáncháo jiù yǒu le 。tā zhīsuǒyǐ jiào sìhéyuàn ，shì yīnwèi fángwū shì yóu dōngxīnánběi sìmiàn bāowéi ，chéng kǒu zì xíng ， zhōngjiān shì huāyuán 。dàpiàn de sìhéyuàn zhōngjiàn de tōngdào jiào hútòng 。āi ，nǐ zhīdao shíkùmén de qǐyuán ma ？

Yes, I’ve seen those. I agree with you. Siheyuan have a much older origin than shikumen. According to a book that I read, they date back to the Yuan Dynasty. They got their name because the rooms are surrounded on four sides by walls, forming a square shape. The garden is in the center. The lanes running through blocks of siheyuan are called hutong. Do you know the origin of shikumen?

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是啊。每个城市都有自己的特色民居。它就像城市的脸。你知道吗上海也有类似四合院的建筑，叫石库门。胡同在上海叫弄堂。像北京的建筑一样，别有韵味。

shì ā 。měige chéngshì dōu yǒu zìjǐde tèsè mínjū 。tā jiùxiàng chéngshì de liǎn 。nǐ zhīdao ma Shànghǎi yě yǒu lèisì sìhéyuàn de jiànzhù ，jiào shíkùmén 。hútòng zài Shànghǎi jiào lòngtáng 。xiàng Běijīng de jiànzhù yíyàng ，bié yǒu yùnwèi 。

That’s true. Every city has its own distinct style of residence, which is like the face of the city. Do you know that Shanghai has its own version of the siheyuan, called shikumen. The hutong is known as a longtang there. They have their own unique beauty just like their counterparts in Beijing.

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