非物质文化遗产 Intangible Cultural Heritage — HSK 5 Reading

你nǐ听说tīngshuō过guo“非物质fēiwùzhì文化wénhuà遗产yíchǎn”吗ma？

Have you ever heard of "intangible cultural heritage"?

它tā指zhǐ的de是shì那些nàxiē看不见kànbujiàn、摸不着mōbuzháo，却què一代一代yí dài yí dài传下来chuánxiàlai的de文化wénhuà，比如bǐrú剪纸jiǎnzhǐ、皮影戏píyǐngxì和hé传统chuántǒng节日jiérì。

It refers to culture that cannot be seen or touched, yet has been passed down generation after generation, such as paper cutting, shadow puppetry, and traditional festivals.

2001年èr líng líng yī nián，中国Zhōngguó的de昆曲Kūnqǔ被bèi联合国Liánhéguó列入lièrù了le世界shìjiè非物质fēiwùzhì文化wénhuà遗产yíchǎn名单míngdān。

In 2001, China's Kunqu opera was placed by the United Nations on the world intangible cultural heritage list.

后来hòulái，端午节Duānwǔjié、京剧jīngjù和hé中医zhōngyī针灸zhēnjiǔ也yě先后xiānhòu成为chéngwéi世界级shìjièjí的de文化wénhuà遗产yíchǎn。

Later, the Dragon Boat Festival, Peking opera, and Chinese acupuncture also became world-level cultural heritage one after another.

之所以zhīsuǒyǐ要yào保护bǎohù这些zhèxiē文化wénhuà，是shì因为yīnwèi它们tāmen一旦yídàn消失xiāoshī，就jiù永远yǒngyuǎn无法wúfǎ恢复huīfù。

The reason these cultures must be protected is that once they disappear, they can never be recovered.

在zài南方nánfāng的de一yí个gè小镇xiǎozhèn上shang，我wǒ看kàn过guo一yí位wèi老人lǎorén表演biǎoyǎn皮影戏píyǐngxì。

In a small town in the south, I once watched an old man perform shadow puppetry.

灯光dēngguāng下xià，他tā用yòng一yì双shuāng手shǒu让ràng影子yǐngzi在zài白布báibù上shang唱歌chànggē、跳舞tiàowǔ，观众guānzhòng看kàn得de入迷rùmí。

Under the lamplight, with just a pair of hands he made the shadows sing and dance on a white cloth, and the audience watched, entranced.

现在xiànzài，很多hěn duō学校xuéxiào邀请yāoqǐng民间mínjiān艺人yìrén给gěi孩子们háizimen上课shàngkè，让ràng他们tāmen从小cóngxiǎo接触jiēchù这些zhèxiē传统chuántǒng。

Now, many schools invite folk performers to give lessons, letting children come into contact with these traditions from a young age.

保护bǎohù遗产yíchǎn不bù等于děngyú把bǎ它们tāmen放进fàngjìn博物馆bówùguǎn，而是érshì让ràng它们tāmen继续jìxù活huó在zài人们rénmen的de生活shēnghuó中zhōng。

Protecting heritage does not mean putting it into a museum, but rather letting it continue to live in people's daily lives.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

遗产yíchǎnheritage; legacy

剪纸jiǎnzhǐpaper cutting

皮影戏píyǐngxìshadow puppetry

昆曲KūnqǔKunqu opera

针灸zhēnjiǔacupuncture

民间mínjiānfolk; among the people

Grammar note 语法点

之所以…是因为… (the reason why… is that…)

States a result first, then its cause: 之所以要保护这些文化，是因为它们一旦消失，就永远无法恢复。

他之所以成功，是因为他从来不放弃。 — The reason he succeeded is that he never gives up.

一旦…就… (once…, then…)

一旦 marks a condition whose result follows immediately and often irreversibly: 它们一旦消失，就永远无法恢复。

一旦开始，就不能停下来。 — Once you start, you cannot stop.

不等于…而是… (does not mean…, but rather…)

Rejects one interpretation and gives the correct one: 保护遗产不等于把它们放进博物馆，而是让它们继续活在人们的生活中。

安静不等于同意，而是他还在考虑。 — Staying silent does not mean agreement; rather, he is still thinking it over.

Check yourself 小测验

1. According to the text, why must intangible cultural heritage be protected?

2. What happened to Kunqu opera in 2001?

3. What does the writer say real protection of heritage means?

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