Vocabulary
- 大頭佛 daai6 tau4 fat6 "Big-Headed Buddha" (a character in traditional lion dance performances); a mess
- 佛山 fat6 saan1 Foshan (city in Guangdong, China)
- 非物質 fei1 mat6 zat1 intangible
- 文化遺產 man4 faa3 wai4 caan2 cultural heritage
- 嶺南 ling5 naam4 Lingnan (region in southern China, including Guangdong and Guangxi); lit., "south of the five ridges"
- 舞獅 mou5 si1 lion dance
- 和尚 wo4 soeng2 Buddhist monk
- 葵扇 kwai4 sin3 palm-leaf fan
- 逗弄 dau6 lung6 to tease; provoke
- 清末 cing1 mut6 late-Qing dynasty (turn of the 20th century)
- 套路 tou3 lou6 a sequence of movements (esp., in martial arts)
- 靈芝 ling4 zi1 Lingzhi (a traditional Chinese medicinal mushroom)
- 搏鬥 bok3 dau3 to fight; wrestle
- 引路 jan5 lou6 to guide; lead the way
- 敲鑼 haau1 lo4 to bang a gong
- 打鼓 daa2 gu2 to beat a drum
- 引申 jan5 san1 to extend the meaning (of a word)
- 接二連三 zip3 ji6 lin4 saam1 one after another; in succession
- 黑仔事件 haak1 zai2 si6 gin2 unfortunate event
- 頹廢 teoi4 fai3 dispirited; dejected
Dialogue
「大頭佛」啦，係一項廣東傳統藝術嚟㗎，被列入咗佛山市第二批非物質文化遺產保護名錄當中。
"daai6 tau4 fat6" laa1, hai6 jat1 hong6 gwong2 dung1 cyun4 tung2 ngai6 seot6 lei4 gaa3, bei6 lit6 jap6 zo2 fat6 saan1 si5 dai6 ji6 pai1 fei1 mat6 zat1 man4 faa3 wai4 caan2 bou2 wu6 ming4 luk6 dong1 zung1
"Big-Head Buddha" is a traditional Cantonese art form, listed in the second batch of Foshan City's Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection List.
噉最早嘅「大頭佛」啦，係指嶺南地區喺過節舞獅嘅時候，戴住和尚面具，着住長衫，手執葵扇，喺前面逗弄獅子嘅人。
gam2 zeoi3 zou2 ge3 "daai6 tau4 fat6" laa1, hai6 zi2 ling5 naam4 dei6 keoi1 hai2 gwo3 zit3 mou5 si1 ge3 si4 hau6, daai3 zyu6 wo4 soeng2 min6 geoi6, zoek6 zyu6 coeng4 saam1, sau2 zap1 kwai4 sin3, hai2 cin4 min6 dau6 lung6 si1 zi2 ge3 jan4
The earliest "Big-Headed Buddha" refers to a person in the Lingnan region who, during festive lion dances, would wear a monk's mask, a long robe, and carry a palm-leaf fan to playfully tease the lion in front.
噉「大頭佛」嘅表演呢，係始於清末㗎。
gam2 "daai6 tau4 fat6" ge3 biu2 jin2 ne1, hai6 ci2 jyu1 cing1 mut6 gaa3
The "Big-Headed Buddha" performance itself originated in the late Qing Dynasty.
傳統嘅「大頭佛」啦，有四個套路㗎。
cyun4 tung2 ge3 "daai6 tau4 fat6" laa1, jau5 sei3 go3 tou3 lou6 gaa3
Traditionally, the "Big-Headed Buddha" consists of four distinct routines.
噉喺第四套呢，就係講大頭佛上山採靈芝嘅時候啊，遇到獅子喎，然之後就同獅子搏鬥嘅情景。
gam2 hai2 dai6 sei3 tou3 ne1, zau6 hai6 gong2 daai6 tau4 fat6 soeng5 saan1 coi2 ling4 zi1 ge3 si4 hau6 aa3, jyu6 dou2 si1 zi2 wo3, jin4 zi1 hau6 zau6 tung4 si1 zi2 bok3 dau3 ge3 cing4 ging2
The fourth routine depicts Big-Headed Buddha encountering a lion while collecting lingzhi mushrooms on a mountain, leading to a struggle between them.
舞獅出現嘅時候啦，由「大頭佛」喺前面引路啊，後便就跟住出現舞獅啦，同埋敲鑼打鼓嘅一大班人。
mou5 si1 ceot1 jin6 ge3 si4 hau6 laa1, jau4 "daai6 tau4 fat6" hai2 cin4 min6 jan5 lou6 aa3, hau6 bin6 zau6 gan1 zyu6 ceot1 jin6 mou5 si1 laa1, tung4 maai4 haau1 lo4 daa2 gu2 ge3 jat1 daai6 baan1 jan4
When the lion dance begins, "Big-Headed Buddha" leads the procession, followed by the lion dancers and a large group of people playing gongs and drums.
而呢班人睇起身啦，都由「大頭佛」吸引嚟㗎。
ji4 ni1 baan1 jan4 tai2 hei2 san1 laa1, dou1 jau4 "daai6 tau4 fat6" kap1 jan5 lei4 gaa3
These people appear to have been attracted by the "Big-Headed Buddha."
由呢度啦，引申出，用「大頭佛」啦，嚟形容帶嚟一大堆麻煩。
jau4 ni1 dou6 laa1, jan5 san1 ceot1, jung6 "daai6 tau4 fat6" laa1, lei4 jing4 jung4 daai3 lei4 jat1 daai6 deoi1 maa4 faan4
From this, the term "Big-Headed Buddha" has come to describe something that brings a lot of trouble.
啲人啦，喺遇到接二連三嘅黑仔事件之後啦，成日都會好頹廢噉講：「哎呀，真係搞出個大頭佛嘞！」
di1 jan4 laa1, hai2 jyu6 dou2 zip3 ji6 lin4 saam1 ge3 haak1 zai2 si6 gin2 zi1 hau6 laa1, seng4 jat6 dou1 wui5 hou2 teoi4 fai3 gam2 gong2: "aai1 aa1, zan1 hai6 gaau2 ceot1 go3 daai6 tau4 fat6 laak3!"
People, after experiencing a series of unfortunate events, often say in a dejected tone, "Oh dear, I’ve really created a Big-Headed Buddha!" (meaning "I've really gotten myself into a mess!")
粵文化，永相傳。
jyut6 man4 faa3, wing5 soeng1 cyun4,
Cantonese culture, passed down forever.
自己友，點我讚啦！
zi6 gei2 jau2, dim2 ngo5 zaan3 laa1!
My friends, please give me a thumbs up!
