Tuesday, March 23, 2010

2010-03-23 Links File Update Released

The 2010-03-23 Links file update has been released. Those of you who are on the list to receive email updates have been sent an email with directions on how to obtain this updated file. If you have not received this email update and would like to, email me about receiving the update and getting added to the mailing list, providing information such as what group or congregation you’re with, who referred you to this site, etc.


If you haven’t already done so, I recommend that you read the included directions.html file before proceeding to use the Links file. Besides including instructions and examples on how to use the Links file, the directions.html file also discusses the redistribution of the Links file.


The Links file is used by downloading its zip file from the web page linked to in the email, extracting it with the supplied password, saving it to a drive, and opening it in a modern web browser like Firefox, Safari, Chrome, Opera, or Internet Explorer. After you open it, you may want to bookmark it or add it to your Favorites for easy retrieval later on.


One significant change is the addition at the top of the file of Launchpads, which act as big buttons that take one directly to certain key headings in the Index.


New and updated resources are listed under the *** NEW *** and *** UPDATED *** Index headings.


The *** NEW *** resources this time around are:

  • How Do You Say That in Chinese?
    • “Dear friends, This blog was born when a great story just had to be told. It need not end there. You may also have heard of one (make sure it’s verifiable). Well, here is where we use new technologies to get the message out. Invite friends so there can be an ‘interchange of encouragement’ (Ro 1:12) - and above all, bring praise not to any one person, but to Jehovah.”

  • Mandarin Course from Long Island
    • These are the course materials for the Long Island Chinese Language Course in theo. Mandarin held in 2010.

  • Mandarin Memorial Songsheets—2010
    • These files can be used to print out extra copies of the songs to be sung at the 2010 Memorial. The types of information they contain (hanzi, pinyin, etc.) are listed in the filenames. The files can help to enable all in attendance at Mandarin Memorials to sing in Mandarin together, thus emphasizing our unity and resulting in more harmonious praise being offered at these special meetings.
    • Of note is the inclusion in these files of jianpu, or numbered musical notation. Many Chinese people are familiar with this type of musical notation, and find it easier to follow than the “standard” musical notation that uses a five-line staff.

  • PDF Link Navigation
    • It appears that more and more, the 3-line and pinyin PDF files will be used on mobile devices such as the iPhone, the iPod touch, and the iPad rather than printed out on paper. So, bookmarks and links have been added to some of these PDF files in order to take advantage of the computing power of mobile devices, and to reduce the amount of scrolling around needed while using the PDFs on them.
    • This page contains information and instructions (including a video screen recording) regarding the PDF files named with “LinkNav” (“Link Navigation”), which have been enriched and fortified with PDF bookmarks and links.

  • Referenced Theo. Expressions (Chinese + JP/Yale Cant. Rom. + English)
    • This material consists of relatively extensive lists of theo. expressions as they have been found to be rendered in the Chinese publications. This page links to the Cantonese romanisation versions, which are intended to replace the Cantonese Basic Theo. Expressions files, which were last updated way back in Feb. 2004 and contain expressions that are now out of date. Files are available with the expressions sorted by English or by Jyutping/Yale romanisation. Thanks to the one who made these files available.

  • Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses (www.jw.org)
    • The official download site of the organization, from which some official Chinese audio files and PDF files are now available for download.

The *** UPDATED *** resources this time around are:

  • 3-Line Material on the iPhone and the iPod touch

  • 3lines.org

  • Chinese Links File

  • Creator Book (Chinese + Pinyin + English)

  • “God’s Love” Book (Chinese + Cantonese Rom. + English)

  • “God’s Love” Book (Chinese + Pinyin + English)

  • Links News

  • Mandarin Public Talks Audio & Video

  • Oriental Language Studies

  • Referenced Theo. Expressions (Chinese + Pinyin + English)

  • Songbook—Romanised Material

  • tiandi.info

The following resources are no longer listed in the Links file:

  • Basic Theo. Expressions (Chinese + Yale Cant. Rom. + English)
    • This has been replaced by the Referenced Theo. Expressions (Chinese + JP/Yale Cant. Rom. + English) page mentioned above.

  • CaenChina
    • This resource no longer exists.

  • PandaGator
    • This resource no longer exists.

In addition to the above-mentioned items, several other changes, updates, and refinements were also made compared to the previous version of the Links file, dated 2009-11-28. So don’t hesitate to avail yourself of the current version, dated 2010-03-23.