וְשֵׁ֨ם הַנָּהָ֤ר הַשְּׁלִישִׁי֙ חִדֶּ֔קֶל ה֥וּא הַֽהֹלֵ֖ךְ קִדְמַ֣ת אַשּׁ֑וּר וְהַנָּהָ֥ר הָֽרְבִיעִ֖י ה֥וּא פְרָֽת׃
第三条河的名字叫底格里斯河，流向亚述东边；第四条河是幼发拉底河。
第三条河的名字叫底格里斯河，流向亚述东边；第四条河是幼发拉底河。
Dì sān tiáo hé de míng zì jiào Dǐ gé lǐ sī hé, liú xiàng Yà shù dōng biān; dì sì tiáo hé shì Yòu fā lā dì hé.
The name of the third river is Tigris; it flows east of Assyria. The fourth river is Euphrates.
1. Vocabulary Breakdown
| Chinese Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Grammar Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 第三条 | Dì sān tiáo | Third (measure word for river) | Numeral + measure word |
| 河 | hé | River | Noun |
| 名字 | míng zì | Name | Noun |
| 叫 | jiào | To be called | Verb |
| 底格里斯河 | Dǐ gé lǐ sī hé | Tigris River | Proper noun |
| 流向 | liú xiàng | Flow towards | Verb phrase |
| 亚述 / 亞述 | Yà shù | Assyria | Proper noun |
| 东边 / 東邊 | dōng biān | East | Directional noun |
| 第四条 | Dì sì tiáo | Fourth (measure word for river) | Numeral + measure word |
| 幼发拉底河 / 幼發拉底河 | Yòu fā lā dì hé | Euphrates River | Proper noun |
2. Grammar Explanation
Sentence Structure:
- 第三条河的名字叫底格里斯河 (Dì sān tiáo hé de míng zì jiào Dǐ gé lǐ sī hé): Introduces the third river and its name, Tigris.
- 流向亚述东边 (liú xiàng Yà shù dōng biān): Describes the river flowing east of Assyria.
- 第四条河是幼发拉底河 (Dì sì tiáo hé shì Yòu fā lā dì hé): Introduces the fourth river, Euphrates.
Key Grammar Points:
- 叫 (jiào): A verb meaning “to be called” or “to be named.”
- 流向 (liú xiàng): Indicates the direction of flow, meaning “to flow towards.”
3. Pronunciation Practice
Pinyin: Dì sān tiáo hé de míng zì jiào Dǐ gé lǐ sī hé, liú xiàng Yà shù dōng biān; dì sì tiáo hé shì Yòu fā lā dì hé.
Tone Practice:
- 第三条 (Dì sān tiáo): 4th tone (falling) + 1st tone (flat) + 2nd tone (rising)
- 河 (hé): 2nd tone (rising)
- 名字 (míng zì): 2nd tone (rising) + 4th tone (falling)
- 叫 (jiào): 4th tone (falling)
- 底格里斯河 (Dǐ gé lǐ sī hé): 3rd tone (falling-rising) + 2nd tone (rising) + 3rd tone (falling-rising) + 1st tone (flat) + 2nd tone (rising)
- 流向 (liú xiàng): 2nd tone (rising) + 4th tone (falling)
- 亚述 / 亞述 (Yà shù): 4th tone (falling) + 4th tone (falling)
- 东边 / 東邊 (dōng biān): 1st tone (flat) + 1st tone (flat)
- 第四条 (Dì sì tiáo): 4th tone (falling) + 4th tone (falling) + 2nd tone (rising)
- 幼发拉底河 / 幼發拉底河 (Yòu fā lā dì hé): 4th tone (falling) + 1st tone (flat) + 1st tone (flat) + 4th tone (falling) + 2nd tone (rising)
4. Character Learning
Key Characters:
- 底格里斯河 (Dǐ gé lǐ sī hé): Refers to the Tigris River, an important waterway in Mesopotamian history.
- 流向 (liú xiàng): Describes the direction of a river’s flow.
- 亚述 / 亞述 (Yà shù): Refers to Assyria, a major ancient kingdom.
- 幼发拉底河 / 幼發拉底河 (Yòu fā lā dì hé): Refers to the Euphrates River, another critical river in the ancient Near East.
5. Cultural Insights
- Rivers and Civilization: Both the Tigris and Euphrates rivers were central to Mesopotamian civilization, known as the cradle of civilization, similar to the Yellow River’s importance in Chinese history.
- Geographical Significance: The mention of these rivers highlights their role in trade, agriculture, and cultural exchange, a theme common to ancient cultures.
- Directional References: The description of the Tigris as flowing east of Assyria reflects a practice of anchoring locations geographically, similar to Chinese mapping conventions.
6. Mnemonics for Retention
- 底格里斯河 (Dǐ gé lǐ sī hé): Visualize the Tigris River flowing swiftly through fertile Mesopotamian plains.
- 亚述 (Yà shù): Picture the ancient Assyrian kingdom east of the river, bustling with trade and culture.
- 幼发拉底河 (Yòu fā lā dì hé): Imagine the Euphrates as a majestic river winding through the cradle of civilization.
7. Comparative Studies
- Comparison with Hebrew:
- וְשֵׁ֨ם הַנָּהָ֤ר הַשְּׁלִישִׁי֙ חִדֶּ֔קֶל (VeShem HaNahar HaShlishi Chiddekel): → 第三条河的名字叫底格里斯河 (Dì sān tiáo hé de míng zì jiào Dǐ gé lǐ sī hé): Both describe the third river as Tigris.
- ה֥וּא הַֽהֹלֵ֖ךְ קִדְמַ֣ת אַשּׁ֑וּר (Hu HaHolech Kidmat Ashur): → 流向亚述东边 (liú xiàng Yà shù dōng biān): Both describe the river flowing east of Assyria.
- וְהַנָּהָ֥ר הָֽרְבִיעִ֖י ה֥וּא פְרָֽת (VeHaNahar HaRevi’i Hu Perat): → 第四条河是幼发拉底河 (Dì sì tiáo hé shì Yòu fā lā dì hé): Both identify the fourth river as Euphrates.
- Comparison with English:
- “The name of the third river is Tigris; it flows east of Assyria” matches 第三条河的名字叫底格里斯河，流向亚述东边 (Dì sān tiáo hé de míng zì jiào Dǐ gé lǐ sī hé, liú xiàng Yà shù dōng biān): Both highlight the name and direction of the third river.
- “The fourth river is Euphrates” corresponds to 第四条河是幼发拉底河 (Dì sì tiáo hé shì Yòu fā lā dì hé): Both mention the Euphrates as the fourth river.
- Comparison with Chinese Cultural Concepts:
- Rivers as Vital to Civilization: The significance of the Tigris and Euphrates parallels the importance of the Yellow and Yangtze rivers in Chinese culture.
- Geographical Naming: The directional reference east of Assyria is similar to the Chinese tradition of describing geographical locations based on orientation and landmarks.
