嫦娥 (Cháng’é) the goddess of the moon in Chinese folklore
Know About a Chinese Legend: 嫦娥奔月 (Cháng’é BēnYuè) Chang’e Flies to the Moon
The Chang’e 4 Lunar Probe’s First Soft Landing
The universe is a very mysterious place for which all human beings are full of infinite yearning, and the moon is the nearest satellite from Earth, so people all over the world, from earliest times to now, have never stopped desiring to explore it.
In ancient China, there was the folklore that Chang’e ran away to the moon. A few decades ago, there was yet another well-known trip the US astronauts took to the moon, and now, specifically on January 3, 2019, China’s Probe Chang’e 4 officially landed on the back of the moon.
Following continuous economic, scientific, and technological advancements in China, yesterday they accomplished the feat of landing on the backside of the moon “月球的背面 (yuèqiú de bèimiàn).” 60 years ago when the American spacecraft Apollo “阿波罗 (ābōluó)” landed on the moon, the entire world looked at America with envy. The successful landing on the moon made it clear that the US had a large and thriving economy that fostered high achievements.
Many countries were hesitant to send their astronauts to the moon because that meant “冒险 (màoxiǎn) risking” their lives to do so. Only if the aeronautical technology was advanced enough could they dream of succeeding in such a feat.
One thing was certain, American astronauts had never seen the back side of the moon, but a few days ago, China succeeded! And what would they find? Was it even true that America had landed there in the first place? All of this was to be found out as the Chinese probe landed on the moon for the first time.
Following the successful landing on the far side of the moon, Chinese astronauts found that America had in fact been on the surface of the moon. And of course, there was no “嫦娥 (cháng’é)” to be found. No matter what, no one can look down on a country that has landed on the moon’s far side. So let’s all celebrate “嫦娥四号 (cháng’é sì hào) the Chang’e 4 lunar probe’s” first landing!
The Chang’e 4 Lunar Probe’s First Soft Landing on the Moon’s Far Side
The Chang’e 4 lunar probe landed successfully on the moon’s far side and then sent back a picture of the landing site shot by the “鹊桥 (quèqiáo) Que Qiao” relay communication equipment, marking the world’s first image taken on the moon’s far side.
To Learn a Chinese Poem “鹊桥仙 (Què Qiáo Xiān)” – A Love Poem About Qi Xi
The Chang’e 4 Lunar Probe’s First “生物实验 (Shēngwù shíyàn) Biological Experiment” on Moon.
According to CCTV reports, Chang ‘e 4 sent back the newest test photos showing that cotton seeds have sprouted “发芽 (fāyá),” becoming the first “绿色风景 (lǜsè fēngjǐng) green scenery” to emerge on the moon.
As we celebrate this success, we look at what we can learn and how we can grow, just like you can in your studying of Chinese! What have you learned from today’s news? What are your thoughts about landing on the far side of the moon? Can you create a sentence from the new vocabulary words? We look forward to your comments and sentences! As always, “加油 (jiāyóu) cheer on!”
New Words:
1. 月球 (Yuèqiú) moon
Cháng’é sì hào chénggōng dēnglù yuèqiú.
嫦娥四号成功登陆月球。
The Chang’e 4 lunar probe landed on the moon successfully.
2. 正面 (Zhèngmiàn) front; frontage; the front side
Dàlóu de zhèngmiàn yǒu bā gēn zhùzi.
大楼的正面有八根柱子。
There are eight pillars on the front side of the building.
3. 背面 (Bèimiàn) the back; the reverse side
Qíng zài biǎogé de bèimiàn xiě shàng nǐ de xìnxi.
请在表格的背面写上你的信息。
Please write your information on the back of the form.
Note:
“正面 (Zhèngmiàn)” and “背面 (bèimiàn)” are antonyms. They have opposite meanings.
4. 冒险 (Màoxiǎn) take a risk; take chances
Wǒ xiǎng hé nǐ yìqǐ qù màoxiǎn.
我想和你一起去冒险。
I want to take an adventure with you.
5. 实验 (Shíyàn) experiment
Lǎoshī jīngcháng dàilǐng wǒmen zuò yìxiē yǒuqù de shíyàn.
老师经常带领我们做一些有趣的实验。
The teacher often leads us to some interesting experiments.
6. 发芽 (Fāyá) sprout, germinate
Chūntiān dào le, zhǒngzi dōu fāyá le.
春天到了，种子都发芽了。
Spring has come and the seeds have sprouted.
7. 风景 (Fēngjǐng) landscape, scenery
Zhèlǐ de fēngjǐng hěn měi.
这里的风景很美。
The scenery here is very beautiful.
8. 加油 (Jiāyóu)
Ràng wǒmen yìqǐ wèi yùndòngyuán men jiāyóu.
让我们一起为运动员们加油。
Let’s cheer on the players.
1. Read the dialogue and answer the questions below.
Xiǎo Míng: Zhòng bàng xiāoxi! Zhòng bàng xiāoxi!
小明：重磅消息！重磅消息!
Xiǎo Hóng: Zěnmele?
小红：怎么了？
Xiǎo Míng: Cháng’é sì hào chénggōng dēnglù yuèqiú la!
小明：嫦娥四号成功登陆月球啦。
(1) What does the Chinese phrase “重磅消息 (zhòng bàng xiāoxi)” mean?
A. Titbit
B. Tabloid news and entertainment
C. Political scandal
D. Big news
A. The Chang’e 4 lunar probe succeeded in carrying out man to the moon.
B. The Chang ‘e 4 lunar probe landed on the moon successfully.
C. The Chang’e 4 lunar probe was successfully launched.
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