Chinese Without a Teacher (1922)/The Sailor

by Herbert Allen Giles

THE SAILOR.

This is a steamer	這個是輪船	Chayka shirt loon ch‘wahn.
That is a sailing vessel	那個是𦩀板船	Nahka shirt cheeahpahn ch‘wahn.
Is this a screw or a paddle steamer?	這個船是暗輪是明輪	Chayka ch‘wahn shirt ahn-loon, shirt ming loon?
Steamers don't need sails	輪船不用打蓬	Loon ch‘wahn poo yoong tah p‘ung.
Where is the steersman	舵工在那兒	Taw-koong pzi nar?
He's in the hold or down below	在艙裏頭	Dzi ts‘ahng-leet‘o.
How much coal do you burn in a day?	一天要燒多少煤	Yee t‘e-enn show taw-show may?
We go 10 knots an hour	一點鐘走三十里	Yee t‘e-enn joong dzo sahnshirt lee.
That's not very fast	不算狠快	Poo swahn hun k‘wi.
The steamer's aground	輪船淺住了	Loon ch‘wahn ch‘e-enn-joola.
That doesn't matter	不要緊	Poo yow cheen.
Is it flood-tide or ebb-tide now?	現在是漲潮是落潮	Shendzishirt chahng-ch‘ow shirt low-ch‘ow?
Where's the bar?	攔江沙在那兒	Lahn-cheeang-shah dzi nar?
This ship has three masts	這個船有三枚桅杆	Chayka ch‘wahn yo sahn chirp waykahn.
Chinese junks are clumsy things	中國船笨	Choongkwo ch‘wahn pun.
Foreign ships are made of iron	外國船是鐵做的	Wi-kwo ch‘wahn shirt t‘eeay dzawty.
There are ships both of iron and wood	有鐵做的有木頭的	Yo t‘eeay dzawty yo moot‘o dzawty.
What's this?	這個是甚麼	Chayka shirt shummo?
This is the compass	這個是定南針	Chayka shirt ting-nahn-chun.
The saloon is here	客艙在這兒	K‘aw-ts‘ahng dzi cher.
Don't you find it clean?	乾淨不乾淨	Kahnching poo kahn-ching.
Are you sea-sick?	暈船不暈船	Yün-ch‘wahn poo yün-ch‘wahn?
We shall get into port to-morrow	明天進口	Mingt‘e-enn cheen k‘o.
Have you had chow-chow?	吃了飯沒有	Ch‘irpla-fahn mayo?
This telescope is mine	這個千里眼是我的	Chayka ch‘e-en-leeyenn shirt wawty.
This is a thermometer	這個是寒暑表	Chayka shirt ha-hushoo-peeow.
I want to get this line out	這個繩子要拋開	Chayka shung dza yow p‘ow-k‘i.
Don't let go the anchor	不要下錨	Poo yow seeah mow.
Make fast!	繞住	Row choo!
Let go!	鬆 or 鬆手	Soong or soong sho!
These bends are not easy to go round	這個河灣不好轉	Chayka haw-wahn poo how chooahn.
There's a junk in the middle of the river	當河有一個中國船	Tahng-haw yo yeeka chaoong-kwo-ch‘wahn.