Sunday 29 December 2013

Shalee lhaih 2013: Shiaghtin 52

Jerrey nah hiaghtin jeih as daeed ny Shallee Lhaih. Shoh ny lhiah mee yn çhiaghtin shoh chaie:

China's Traditional Kunqu Opera (Zheng Lei)

Ghow mee y lioar nastee shoh ayns thie çhaghteraght Heenagh Vanchuin bleeantyn er dy henney. She coontey jeh drama tradishoonagh "kunqu" t'ayn. Cha nel monney anaase aym er opera as y lheid, shegin dou gra, agh ghow mee beggan soylley jee. T'ee gaa-insh reddyn, er lhiam, as ta beggan ourys aym mychione kuse dy aggyrtyn t'aynjee: "gyn scansh da'n ynsaght oc, ny vuitçhoor ny ny eirinagh, dod cagh goaill arraneyn Kunqu dys y notey hene" as y lheid, wahll cha noddym credjal shen er chor erbee, gyn çheet er ny caghlaaghyn cultoor as çhengey t'ayn 'sy Çheen. Agh t'ee mie dy liooar.

Trysor o'r Dyfnder (Geraint W. Parry)

Rere aght Alastair Mclean, aght gyn blass ard-haghyrtys James Bond hug blass aitt er kuse dy lioaryn liorishyn. She skeeal so-chredjal contoyrtyssyn t'ayn, as son y chooid smoo t'eh croghey er aigh falleil deiney tra t'ad scapail gaue. She karracteyryn neuchramp v'ayn, agh shen yn aght cadjin ayns lheid y skeeal. Va'n skeeal hene as ny haghyr baghtal dy liooar, as ga dy dynsee mee y Vretnish (as ta mee foast gynsaghey) va'n aght screeuee fondagh as baghtal dy liooar nagh by ghoillee dou eh toiggal y skeeal. Lioar 'ondagh trooid as trooid.

Va daa ayrn ayn nagh by vie lhiam. Hoshiaght, hie yn ard-charracteyr er keishtey dy broutagh ec y reiltys Goaldagh as cha hirr eh cooilleen erbee son shen, dy jarroo, ren eh co-obbraghey maroo gyn scuirr erbee choud's hoig mee y skeeal. As eisht, va gaue egin er y ven gyn feme. Ta mee toiggal dy vel shen cadjin, agh va gaue baaish mie dy liooar hannah, er lhiam. Bare lhiam gyn y lheid.

Ga dy dug ad dou daa lioar noa myr gioot Nollick, er lhiam dy vel mee sauçhey nish!


The end of week fifty-two of the Reading Project. Here's what I've read this week:

China's Traditional Kunqu Opera (Zheng Lei)

I picked this up in the Chinese embassy in Manchester a few years back. It's an account of traditional "kunqu" opera. I'm not really into opera and stuff, but theatre is a bit interesting, and I had a reasonable time flicking through this. It feels a bit repetitive at times, and I'm a bit sceptical of some of their claims, like "everyone from butchers to farmers, regardless of their level of education, could sing famous Kunqu arias note for note" which just seems highly unlikely, especially given the massive cultural variance across what is now China. But it's alright.

Trysor o'r Dyfnder (Geraint W. Parry)

In the Alastair Mclean line, but without the touches of James Bond melodrama that made some of those ridiculous. A relatively plausible thriller tale, relying mostly on chance and human error for the close escapes, and with a pretty believable plotline. The characters were two-dimensional but adequate, the plot and events were clear, and the writing was efficient and clear enough even for a learner like me. A perfectly decent book on the whole. There were two sections I didn't especially care for: the protagonist being brutally interrogated by the British, and the love interest threatened with rape. The first is entirely likely, but I'd have liked some comeback rather than continued loyalty to those same officials. The second just felt unnecessary, as it basically always does - the death threats were fine, thanks.

Despite getting two books for Christmas, I should still be in the clear.

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