Seeing as how I just got back from a trip to the Wall myself, I figured I’d stay on that theme. This traditional and very famous story, called 孟姜女哭长城 mèng jiāng nǚ kū cháng chéng, is set in the Qin Dynasty, and is super sad in the way that only East Asian stories can be […]
秦朝时候，有个善良美丽的女子，名叫孟姜女。一天，她正在自家的院子里做家务，突然发现葡萄架下藏了一个人，吓了她一大跳，正要叫喊，只见那个人连连摆手，恳求道：“别喊别喊，救救我吧！我叫范喜良，是来逃难的。”原来这时秦始皇为了造长城，正到处抓人做劳工，已经饿死、累死了不知多少人！孟姜女把范喜良救了下来，见他知书达理，眉清目秀，对他产生了爱慕之情，而范喜良也喜欢上了孟姜女。他俩儿心心相印，征得了父母的同意后，就准备结为夫妻。
成亲那天，孟家张灯结彩，宾客满堂，一派喜气洋洋的情景。眼看天快黑了，喝喜酒的人也都渐渐散了，新郎新娘正要入洞房，忽然只听见鸡飞狗叫，随后闯进来一队恶狠狠的官兵，不容分说，用铁链一锁，硬把范喜良抓到长城去做工了。好端端的喜事变成了一场空，孟姜女悲愤交加，日夜思念着丈夫。她想：我与其坐在家里干着急，还不如自己到长城去找他。对！就这么办！孟姜女立刻收拾收拾行装，上路了。
一路上，也不知经历了多少风霜雨雪，跋涉过多少险山恶水，孟姜女没有喊过一声苦，没有掉过一滴泪，终于，凭着顽强的毅力，凭着对丈夫深深的爱，她到达了长城。这时的长城已经是由一个个工地组成的一道很长很长的城墙了，孟姜女一个工地一个工地地找过来，却始终不见丈夫的踪影。最后，她鼓起勇气，向一队正要上工的民工询问：“你们这儿有个范喜良吗？”民工说：“有这么个人，新来的。”孟姜女一听，甭提多开心了！她连忙再问：“他在哪儿呢？”民工说：“已经死了，尸首都已经填了城脚了！”
猛地听到这个噩耗，真好似晴天霹雳一般，孟姜女只觉眼前一黑，一阵心酸，大哭起来。整整哭了三天三夜，哭得天昏地暗，连天地都感动了。天越来越阴沉，风越来越猛烈，只听“哗啦”一声，一段长城被哭倒了，露出来的正是范喜良的尸首，孟姜女的眼泪滴在了他血肉模糊的脸上。她终于见到了自己心爱的丈夫，但他却再也看不到她了，因为他已经被残暴的秦始皇害死了。
Hover a word for its pinyin & meaning; click to pin it.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 秦 | qīn | surname Qin; short name for 陝西|陕西[Shan3 xi1] |
| 朝 | Cháo | abbr. for 朝鮮|朝鲜[Chao2 xian3] Korea |
| 时 | shí | old variant of 時|时[shi2]; surname Shi |
| 候 | hòu | to wait; to inquire after; to watch; season; climate; (old) period of five days |
| 有 | yǒu | to have; there is; (bound form) having; with; -ful; -ed; -al (as in 有意[you3 yi4] intentional) |
| 个 | gě | used in 自個兒|自个儿[zi4 ge3 r5]; variant of 個|个[ge4] |
| 善良 | shàn liáng | good and honest; kindhearted |
| 美 | Měi | (bound form) the Americas (abbr. for 美洲[Mei3 zhou1]); (bound form) USA (abbr. for 美國|美国[Mei3 guo2]) |
| 丽 | lǐ | used in place names, notably 高麗|高丽[Gao1 li2] and 麗水|丽水[Li2 shui3] |
| 的 | de | of; ~'s (possessive particle); (used after an attribute when it modifies a noun); (used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis); (used after a noun, verb or adjective to… |
| 女子 | nu:3 zǐ | woman; female |
| 名叫 | míng jiào | called; named |
| 孟 | ||
| 姜 | jiang | ginger; surname Jiang |
| 女 | nu:3 | female; woman; daughter |
| 一 | yī | one; single; a (article); as soon as; entire; whole; all; throughout; "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1); also pr. [yao1] for greater clarity when spelling out … |
| 天 | tiān | day; sky; heaven |
| 她 | tā | she |
| 正 | zhēng | first month of the lunar year |
| 在 | zài | to exist; to be alive; (of sb or sth) to be (located) at; (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress) |
| 自家 | zì jiā | oneself; one's own family |
| 院子 | yuàn zi | courtyard; garden; yard; patio; CL:個|个[ge4]; (old) servant |
| 里 | lǐ | variant of 裡|里[li3]; lining; interior; inside; internal; also written 裏|里[li3]; surname Li |
| 做 | zuò | to make; to produce; to write; to compose; to do; to engage in; to hold (a party etc); (of a person) to be (an intermediary, a good student etc); to become (husband and wife, frien… |
| 家务 | jiā wù | household duties; housework |
| 突然 | tū rán | sudden; abrupt; unexpected |
| 发现 | fā xiàn | to notice; to become aware of; to discover; to find; to detect; a discovery |
| 葡 | pū | Portugal; abbr. for 葡萄牙[Pu2 tao2 ya2] |
| 萄 | tāo | used in 葡萄[pu2 tao5] |
| 架 | jiǎ | to support; rack; classifier for planes, large vehicles, radios etc |
| 下 | xià | down; downwards; below; lower; later; next (week etc); second (of two parts); to decline; to go down; to arrive at (a decision, conclusion etc); measure word to show the frequency … |
| 藏 | Zàng | Tibetan ethnic group; Tibet Autonomous Region (short name for 西藏自治區|西藏自治区[Xi1 zang4 Zi4 zhi4 qu1]) |
| 了 | le | (completed action marker); (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now); (modal particle intensifying preceding clause); (bound form) clear in one's mind; to understand clearly |
| 一个人 | yī gè rén | by oneself (without assistance); alone (without company) |
| 吓 | xiǎ | to scare; to threaten; (interjection showing astonishment) |
| 大 | dà | big; large; great; older (than another person); eldest (as in 大姐[da4 jie3]); greatly; freely; fully; (dialect) father; (dialect) uncle (father's brother) |
| 跳 | tiào | to jump; to hop; to skip over; to bounce; to palpitate |
| 正要 | zhèng yào | to be just about to; to be on the point of |
| 叫 | jiào | to shout; to call; to order; to ask; to be called; by (indicates agent in the passive mood); variant of 叫[jiao4] |
| 喊 | hǎn | to yell; to shout; to call out for (a person) |
| 只见 | zhǐ jiàn | to see (the same thing) over and over again; to see, to one's surprise, (sth happen suddenly) |
| 那个人 | nà gè rén | lit. that person; fig. the person you have been looking for; Mr Right; the girl of one's dreams |
| 连连 | lián lián | repeatedly; again and again |
| 摆 | bǎi | to arrange; to exhibit; to move to and fro; a pendulum; hem (at the bottom of a garment) |
| 手 | shǒu | hand; (formal) to hold; person engaged in certain types of work; person skilled in certain types of work; personal(ly); convenient; classifier for skill; CL:雙|双[shuang1],隻|只[zhi1] |
| 恳 | kén | earnest |
| 求 | qíu | to seek; to look for; to request; to demand; to beseech |
| 道 | dào | road; path (CL:條|条[tiao2],股[gu3]); (bound form) way; reason; principle; (bound form) a skill; an art; a specialization; (Daoism) the Way; the Dao; to say (introducing a direct quot… |
| 别 | Bié | surname Bie; to make sb change their ways, opinions etc |
| 救 | jìu | variant of 救[jiu4]; to save; to assist; to rescue |
| 我 | wǒ | I; me; my |
| 吧 | bā | bar (loanword) (serving drinks, or providing Internet access etc); to puff (on a pipe etc); (onom.) bang; abbr. for 貼吧|贴吧[tie1 ba1] |
| 范 | fǎn | pattern; example |
| 喜 | xǐ | to be fond of; to like; to enjoy; to be happy; to feel pleased; happiness; delight; glad |
| 良 | liáng | good; very; very much |
| 是 | shì | to be (followed by substantives only); correct; right; true; (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well; (adverb for emphatic assertion); variant of 是[shi4] |
| 来 | lái | to come; (used as a substitute for a more specific verb); hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回來|回来[hui2 lai5]); ever since (as in 自古以來|自古以来[zi4 gu3… |
| 逃 | tāo | to escape; to flee |
| 难 | nán | difficult (to...); problem; difficulty; difficult; not good |
| 原 | Yuán | surname Yuan; (Japanese surname) Hara |
| 这时 | zhè shí | at this time; at this moment |
| 始 | shǐ | to begin; to start; then; only then |
| 皇 | Huáng | surname Huang |
| 为了 | wèi le | for; for the purpose of; in order to |
| 造 | zǎo | to make; to manufacture; to fabricate; party (in a lawsuit or legal agreement); classifier for crops |
| 长城 | Cháng chéng | the Great Wall |
| 到处 | dào chù | everywhere |
| 抓 | zhua | to grab; to arrest; to scratch |
| 人 | rén | person; people; CL:個|个[ge4],位[wei4],名[ming2] |
| 劳工 | láo gōng | labor; laborer |
| 已经 | yǐ jīng | already |
| 饿死 | è sǐ | to starve to death; to be very hungry |
| 累 | lěi | to accumulate; to involve or implicate (Taiwan pr. [lei4]); continuous; repeated; rope; to bind together; to twist around |
| 死 | sǐ | to die; impassable; uncrossable; inflexible; rigid; extremely; damned |
| 不知 | bù zhī | not to know; unaware; unknowingly; fig. not to admit (defeat, hardships, tiredness etc) |
| 多少 | duō shǎo | number; amount; somewhat |
| 把 | bǎ | to hold; to grasp; to hold a baby in position to help it urinate or defecate; handlebar; classifier: handful, bundle, bunch; classifier for things with handles; (used to put the ob… |
| 见 | jiàn | to see; to meet; to appear (to be sth); to interview; opinion; view |
| 他 | tā | (third-person singular) (since the early 20th century, usu. male) he; him; his; (bound form) other; another; some other (as in 他日[ta1 ri4] and 他人[ta1 ren2]) |
| 知 | zhī | to know; to be aware |
| 书 | Shū | abbr. for 書經|书经[Shu1 jing1] |
| 达 | Dá | surname Da |
| 理 | lǐ | texture; grain (of wood); inner essence; intrinsic order; reason; logic; truth; science; natural science (esp. physics); to manage; to pay attention to; to run (affairs); to handle… |
| 眉 | méi | eyebrow; upper margin |
| 清 | Qīng | Qing (Wade-Giles: Ch'ing) dynasty of China (1644–1911); surname Qing |
| 目 | mù | eye; (literary) to look; to regard; eye (of a net); mesh; mesh size; grit size (abbr. for 目數|目数[mu4 shu4]); item; section; list; catalogue; (taxonomy) order; name; title |
| 秀 | xìu | (bound form) refined; elegant; graceful; beautiful; (bound form) superior; excellent; (loanword) show (as in 時裝秀|时装秀[shi2 zhuang1 xiu4]); (loanword) to show off; to flaunt (as in 秀… |
| 对 | duì | right; correct; towards; at; for; concerning; regarding; to treat (sb a certain way); to face; (bound form) opposite; facing; matching; to match together; to adjust; to fit; to sui… |
| 产生 | chǎn shēng | to arise; to come into being; to come about; to give rise to; to bring into being; to bring about; to produce; to engender; to generate |
| 爱慕 | ài mù | to adore; to admire |
| 之 | zhī | (possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de5]); him; her; it |
| 情 | qíng | (bound form) feelings; emotion; sentiment; passion; (bound form) situation; condition |
| 而 | ér | and; as well as; and so; but (not); yet (not); (indicates causal relation); (indicates change of state); (indicates contrast) |
| 也 | Yě | surname Ye |
| 喜欢 | xǐ huan | to like; to be fond of |
| 上 | shǎng | used in 上聲|上声[shang3 sheng1] |
| 俩 | liǎ | two (colloquial equivalent of 兩個|两个); both; some |
| 儿 | ér | child; son |
| 心 | xīn | heart; mind; intention; center; core; CL:顆|颗[ke1],個|个[ge4] |
| 相 | Xiāng | surname Xiang |
| 印 | Yìn | surname Yin; abbr. for 印度[Yin4 du4], India |
| 征得 | zhēng dé | to obtain (permission etc) |
| 父母 | fù mǔ | father and mother; parents |
| 同意 | tóng yì | to agree; to consent; to approve |
| 后 | Hòu | surname Hou; back; behind; rear; afterwards; after; later; post- |
| 就 | jìu | (after a suppositional clause) in that case; then; (after a clause of action) as soon as; immediately after; (same as 就是[jiu4 shi4]) merely; nothing else but; simply; just; precise… |
| 准备 | zhǔn bèi | preparation; to prepare; to intend; to be about to; reserve (fund) |
| 结 | jiē | (of a plant) to produce (fruit or seeds); Taiwan pr. [jie2] |
| 为夫 | wéi fū | (archaic) term used by a husband to refer to himself when speaking to his wife |
| 妻 | qī | (bound form) wife |
| 成亲 | chéng qīn | to get married |
| 那天 | nà tiān | that day; the other day |
| 家 | jiā | used in 傢伙|家伙[jia1 huo5] and 傢俱|家俱[jia1 ju4]; home; family; (polite) my (sister, uncle etc); classifier for families or businesses; refers to the philosophical schools of pre-Han China; noun suffix for a specialist in some act… |
| 张 | Zhāng | surname Zhang |
| 灯 | dēng | lamp; light; lantern; CL:盞|盏[zhan3] |
| 结彩 | jié cǎi | to adorn; to festoon |
| 宾 | bin | visitor; object (in grammar) |
| 客 | kè | customer; visitor; guest; classifier for servings or portions (when ordering food) |
| 满 | Mǎn | Manchu ethnic group |
| 堂 | táng | (main) hall; large room for a specific purpose; CL:間|间[jian1]; relationship between cousins etc on the paternal side of a family; of the same clan; classifier for classes, lectures… |
| 派 | pā | used in 派司[pa1 si5] |
| 喜气 | xǐ qì | hilarity; cheerful atmosphere |
| 洋洋 | yáng yáng | vast; impressive; self-satisfied; immensely pleased with oneself |
| 景 | Jǐng | surname Jing |
| 眼看 | yǎn kàn | soon; in a moment; to look on as sth happens |
| 快 | kuài | rapid; quick; speed; rate; soon; almost; to make haste; clever; sharp (of knives or wits); forthright; plainspoken; gratified; pleased; pleasant |
| 黑 | Hēi | short name for Heilongjiang 黑龍江|黑龙江[Hei1 long2 jiang1] |
| 喝 | hē | to drink; variant of 嗬[he1] |
| 喜酒 | xǐ jǐu | wedding feast; liquor drunk at a wedding feast |
| 都 | Dū | surname Du |
| 渐 | jiǎn | to imbue |
| 散 | sàn | variant of 散[san4]; scattered; loose; to come loose; to fall apart; leisurely; powdered medicine |
| 新郎 | xīn láng | bridegroom; groom |
| 新娘 | xīn niáng | bride |
| 入 | rù | to enter; to go into; to join; to become a member of; (bound form) to conform to (as in 入時|入时[ru4 shi2]); abbr. for 入聲|入声[ru4 sheng1]; (on product packaging, after {number n} + {cl… |
| 洞 | dǒng | cave; zero (unambiguous spoken form when spelling out numbers) |
| 房 | Fáng | surname Fang |
| 忽然 | hū rán | suddenly; all of a sudden |
| 只 | zhī | variant of 隻|只[zhi1]; variant of 只[zhi3]; grain that has begun to ripen; classifier for birds and certain animals, one of a pair, some utensils, vessels etc |
| 听见 | tīng jiàn | to hear |
| 鸡 | jī | fowl; chicken; CL:隻|只[zhi1]; (slang) prostitute; variant of 雞|鸡[ji1] |
| 飞 | fēi | to fly |
| 狗 | gǒu | dog; CL:隻|只[zhi1],條|条[tiao2] |
| 随 | Suí | surname Sui |
| 闯 | chuáng | to rush; to dash; to temper oneself (through battling hardships) |
| 进 | jìn | to go forward; to advance; to go in; to enter; to put in; to submit; to take in; to admit; (math.) base of a number system; classifier for sections in a building or residential com… |
| 队 | duì | squadron; team; group; CL:個|个[ge4] |
| 恶 | ě | used in 惡心|恶心[e3 xin1] |
| 狠狠 | hěn hěn | resolutely; firmly; ferociously; ruthlessly |
| 官 | Guān | surname Guan |
| 兵 | bing | soldiers; an army; arms; warlike |
| 不容 | bù róng | must not; cannot; to not allow; cannot tolerate |
| 分说 | fēn shuō | to explain (the difference) |
| 用 | yòng | to use; to make use of; to employ; (coverb) with; using; to need; to have to (usu. used in the negative or in questions); usefulness; utility; (bound form) expense; outlay; (courte… |
| 铁 | Tiě | surname Tie |
| 链 | liǎn | chain; chain (unit of length: 66 feet, about 20 m); to enchain |
| 锁 | suǒ | to lock; to lock up; a lock (CL:把[ba3]); old variant of 鎖|锁[suo3] |
| 硬 | yìng | hard; stiff; solid; (fig.) strong; firm; resolutely; uncompromisingly; laboriously; with great difficulty; good (quality); able (person); (of food) filling; substantial |
| 到 | dào | to reach; to arrive; to leave for; to go to; to (a place); until (a time); up to (a point); (verb complement indicating arriving at a place or reaching a point); considerate; thoug… |
| 去 | qù | to go; to go to (a place); (of a time etc) last; just passed; to send; to remove; to get rid of; to reduce; to be apart from in space or time; to die (euphemism); to play (a part);… |
| 工 | gōng | work; worker; skill; profession; trade; craft; labor |
| 好端端 | hǎo duān duān | perfectly all right; without rhyme or reason |
| 喜事 | xǐ shì | happy occasion; wedding |
| 变成 | biàn chéng | to change into; to turn into; to become |
| 一场空 | yī cháng kōng | all in vain; futile |
| 悲 | bēi | sad; sadness; sorrow; grief |
| 愤 | fěn | indignant; resentment |
| 交 | jiāo | to hand over; to deliver; to pay (money); to turn over; to make friends; (of lines) to intersect; variant of 跤[jiao1] |
| 加 | Jiā | Canada (abbr. for 加拿大[Jia1 na2 da4]); surname Jia |
| 日夜 | rì yè | day and night; around the clock |
| 思念 | sī niàn | to think of; to long for; to miss |
| 着 | zhāo | variant of 著|着[zhao1]; a move in chess (Taiwan pr. [zhuo2]); trick; tactic; (dialect) okay; all right; (dialect) to put in; to add |
| 丈 | zhǎng | measure of length, ten Chinese feet (3.3 m); husband |
| 夫 | fū | husband; man; manual worker; conscripted laborer (old) |
| 想 | xiǎng | to think (about); to think of; to devise; to think (that); to believe (that); to desire; to want (to); to miss (feel wistful about the absence of) |
| 与其 | yǔ qí | rather than... (used in expressions of the form 與其|与其[yu3 qi2] + {verb1} + 不如[bu4 ru2] + {verb2} "rather than {verb1}, better to {verb2}") |
| 坐 | Zuò | surname Zuo |
| 家里 | jiā lǐ | home |
| 干着急 | gān zháo jí | to worry helplessly |
| 还不如 | hái bù rú | to be better off ...; might as well ... |
| 自己 | zì jǐ | oneself; (attributive) one's own |
| 找 | zhǎo | to try to find; to look for; to call on sb; to find; to seek; to return; to give change |
| 这么 | zhè me | so much; this much; how much?; this way; like this |
| 办 | bàn | to take care of (a matter); to deal with (a task, procedure etc); to organize (an event); to establish; to set up; to manage; to run (an enterprise); (law) to handle; to investigat… |
| 立刻 | lì kè | immediately; at once; right away |
| 收 | shōu | to receive; to accept; to collect; to put away; to restrain; to stop; in care of (used on address line after name) |
| 拾 | shè | to ascend in light steps |
| 行装 | xíng zhuāng | clothes and other items packed for traveling; baggage; luggage |
| 上路 | shàng lù | to start on a journey; to be on one's way |
| 一路上 | yī lù shàng | along the way; the whole way; (fig.) the whole time |
| 经历 | jīng lì | to experience; to go through; experience (CL:段[duan4],次[ci4]) |
| 风霜 | fēng shuāng | wind and frost; fig. hardships |
| 雨 | yǔ | rain; CL:陣|阵[zhen4],場|场[chang2] |
| 雪 | Xuě | surname Xue |
| 跋 | ||
| 涉 | shě | (literary) to wade across a body of water; to undergo; to concern |
| 过多 | guò duō | too many; excessive |
| 少 | shǎo | few; less; to lack; to be missing; to stop (doing sth); seldom |
| 险 | xiǎn | danger; dangerous; rugged |
| 山 | Shān | surname Shan |
| 水 | Shuǐ | surname Shui; Shui ethnic group |
| 没有 | méi yǒu | haven't; hasn't; doesn't exist; to not have; to not be |
| 过 | Guō | surname Guo |
| 一声 | yī shēng | first tone in Mandarin (high, level tone) |
| 苦 | kǔ | bitter; hardship; pain; to suffer; to bring suffering to; painstakingly |
| 掉 | diào | to fall; to drop; to lag behind; to lose; to go missing; to reduce; fall (in prices); to lose (value, weight etc); to wag; to swing; to turn; to change; to exchange; to swap; to sh… |
| 滴 | dī | to drip; to let drip; to apply (eye drops etc); (bound form) a drop (of liquid); classifier for drops of liquid |
| 泪 | lěi | (bound form) tears; teardrops |
| 终 | zhong | end |
| 于 | Yú | surname Yu; (of time or place) in; at; on; (indicating any indirect relation) to; toward; vis-à-vis; with regard to; for; (indicating a source) from; out of; (used in comparison) than; (used i… |
| 凭着 | píng zhe | relying on; on the basis of |
| 顽 | wán | mischievous; obstinate; to play; stupid; stubborn; naughty |
| 强 | qiāng | strong; powerful; vigorous; better; to force (qiang3); stubborn (jiang4); surname Qiang |
| 毅力 | yì lì | perseverance; willpower |
| 深 | shēn | old variant of 深[shen1]; (lit. and fig.) deep |
| 爱 | ài | to love; to be fond of; to like; affection; to be inclined (to do sth); to tend to (happen) |
| 到达 | dào dá | to reach; to arrive |
| 由 | yóu | to follow; from; because of; due to; by; via; through; (before a noun and a verb) it is for ... to ... |
| 一个个 | yī gè gè | a number of; each and every one; one by one; one after another |
| 工地 | gōng dì | construction site |
| 组成 | zǔ chéng | to form; to make up; to constitute |
| 一道 | yī dào | together |
| 很 | hěn | very; quite; (also, often used before an adjective without intensifying its meaning, i.e. as a meaningless syntactic element) |
| 长 | cháng | long; (bound form) length; (bound form) strong point; forte; (bound form) to be good at; (literary) surplus; spare (Taiwan pr. [zhang4]) |
| 城 | chéng | city walls; city; town; CL:座[zuo4],道[dao4],個|个[ge4] |
| 墙 | qiáng | variant of 牆|墙[qiang2]; wall (CL:面[mian4],堵[du3]); (slang) to block (a website) (usu. in the passive: 被牆|被墙[bei4 qiang2]) |
| 一个 | yī ge | a; an; one; the whole (afternoon, summer vacation etc) |
| 地 | de | -ly; structural particle: used before a verb or adjective, linking it to preceding modifying adverbial adjunct |
| 却 | què | old variant of 卻|却[que4]; but; yet; however; while; to go back; to decline; to retreat; nevertheless; even though |
| 不见 | bù jiàn | not to see; not to meet; to have disappeared; to be missing |
| 踪影 | zōng yǐng | trace; vestige; presence |
| 最 | zuì | variant of 最[zui4]; old variant of 最[zui4]; (before an adjective or verb) to the highest degree; (the) most ...; -est; (after 之[zhi1]) best or most extreme example (e.g. 世界之最[shi4 jie4 zhi1 zui4] "the greatest in the world") |
| 鼓起 | gǔ qǐ | to summon one's (courage, faith etc); to puff up (one's cheeks etc); to bulge; to swell out |
| 勇气 | yǒng qì | courage |
| 向 | Xiàng | surname Xiang; to tend toward; to guide; variant of 向[xiang4]; variant of 向[xiang4]; direction; orientation; to face; to turn toward; to; towards; shortly before; formerly |
| 上工 | shàng gōng | to go to work; to start work |
| 民工 | mín gōng | migrant worker (who moved from a rural area of China to a city to find work); temporary worker enlisted on a public project |
| 询 | xūn | to ask about |
| 问 | wèn | to ask; to inquire |
| 你 | nǐ | you (informal, as opposed to courteous 您[nin2]); you (Note: In Taiwan, 妳 is used to address females, but in mainland China, it is not commonly used. Instead, 你 is used to address both males and females.) |
| 们 | men | plural marker for pronouns, and nouns referring to individuals |
| 这儿 | zhè r | here |
| 吗 | má | (coll.) what? |
| 说 | shuì | to persuade; variant of 說|说[shuo1] |
| 个人 | gè rén | an individual; oneself; (attributive) personal; one's own |
| 新 | Xīn | abbr. for Xinjiang 新疆[Xin1 jiang1]; abbr. for Singapore 新加坡[Xin1 jia1 po1]; surname Xin |
| 听 | yǐn | smile (archaic); to listen to; to hear; to heed; to obey; a can (loanword from English "tin"); classifier for canned beverages; to let be; to allow (Taiwan pr. [ting4]); (literary) to administer; t… |
| 甭 | béng | contracted form of 不用[bu4 yong4] |
| 提多 | Tí duō | Titus (1st century AD), Christian missionary, disciple of St. Paul |
| 开心 | kāi xīn | to feel happy; to rejoice; to have a great time; to make fun of sb |
| 连忙 | lián máng | promptly; at once |
| 再 | zài | again; once more; re-; further; beyond this point of time; (before an adjective) more; then (after sth, and not until then); no matter how ... (followed by an adjective or verb, an… |
| 哪 | nǎ | how; which |
| 呢 | ne | (sentence-final particle) used in questions to link back to prior discourse or context ("what about...?", "and...?"); (sentence-final particle) indicating that a state or situation… |
| 尸首 | shī shou | dead body; corpse (Note: In expressions like 屍首分離|尸首分离[shi1 shou5 fen1 li2] or 屍首異處|尸首异处[shi1 shou5 yi4 chu4], decapitation is implied.) |
| 填 | tiān | to fill or stuff |
| 脚 | jiǎo | foot; leg (of an animal or an object); base (of an object); CL:雙|双[shuang1],隻|只[zhi1]; classifier for kicks |
| 猛地 | měng de | suddenly |
| 听到 | tīng dào | to hear |
| 这个 | zhè ge | (pronoun) this; (adjective) this |
| 噩 | ě | startling |
| 耗 | hào | to waste; to spend; to consume; to squander; news; (coll.) to delay; to dilly-dally |
| 真 | zhēn | really; truly; indeed; real; true; genuine |
| 好 | hǎo | good; appropriate; proper; all right!; (before a verb) easy to; (before a verb) good to; (before an adjective for exclamatory effect) so; (verb complement indicating completion); (… |
| 似 | shǐ | used in 似的[shi4 de5] |
| 晴天 | qíng tiān | clear sky; sunny day |
| 霹 | ||
| 雳 | ||
| 一般 | yī bān | same; ordinary; so-so; common; general; generally; in general |
| 觉 | jiào | a nap; a sleep; CL:場|场[chang2] |
| 眼前 | yǎn qián | before one's eyes; now; at present |
| 一阵 | yī zhèn | a burst; a fit; a peal; a spell (period of time) |
| 心酸 | xīn suān | to feel sad |
| 哭 | kū | to cry; to weep |
| 起 | qǐ | to rise; to raise; to get up; to set out; to start; to appear; to launch; to initiate (action); to draft; to establish; to get (from a depot or counter); verb suffix, to start; sta… |
| 整 | zhěng | (bound form) whole; complete; entire; (before a measure word) whole; (before or after number + measure word) exactly; (bound form) in good order; tidy; neat; (bound form) to put in… |
| 三 | Sān | surname San |
| 夜 | yè | variant of 夜[ye4]; night |
| 得 | dé | to obtain; to get; to gain; to catch (a disease); proper; suitable; proud; contented; to allow; to permit; ready; finished |
| 昏 | hūn | muddle-headed; twilight; to faint; to lose consciousness; old variant of 昏[hun1] |
| 暗 | àn | variant of 暗[an4]; dark; to turn dark; secret; hidden; (literary) confused; ignorant; (literary) to close (a door); to eclipse; confused; ignorant (variant of 暗[an4]); dark (variant of 暗[an4]) |
| 连天 | lián tiān | reaching the sky; for days on end; incessantly |
| 感 | gǎn | to feel; to move; to touch; to affect; feeling; emotion; (suffix) sense of ~ |
| 动 | dòng | (of sth) to move; to set in movement; to displace; to touch; to make use of; to stir (emotions); to alter; abbr. for 動詞|动词[dong4 ci2], verb |
| 越 | Yuè | generic word for peoples or states of south China or south Asia at different historical periods; abbr. for Vietnam 越南 |
| 阴 | Yīn | surname Yin; variant of 陰|阴[yin1] |
| 沉 | chēn | to sink; heavy; deep; to immerse; to keep down |
| 风 | fēng | wind; news; style; custom; manner; CL:陣|阵[zhen4],絲|丝[si1] |
| 猛 | měng | ferocious; fierce; violent; brave; suddenly; abrupt; (slang) awesome |
| 烈 | liě | ardent; fierce; upright; exploits |
| 哗 | hua | (onom.) bang; sound of gurgling, splashing or flowing water |
| 啦 | lā | (onom.) sound of singing, cheering etc; (phonetic); (dialect) to chat |
| 段 | Duàn | surname Duan |
| 被 | bèi | quilt; to cover (with); (literary) to suffer (a misfortune); used to indicate passive voice (placed before the doer of the action like "by" in English passive-voice sentences, or, … |
| 倒 | dǎo | to fall; to collapse; to lie horizontally; to fail; to go bankrupt; to overthrow; to change (trains or buses); to move around; to resell at a profit |
| 露出 | lù chū | to expose; to show; also pr. [lou4 chu1] |
| 正是 | zhèng shì | is precisely |
| 女的 | nu:3 de | woman |
| 眼 | yǎn | eye (CL:隻|只[zhi1],雙|双[shuang1]); (often used with 一[yi1]) a look; a glance; small hole; (bound form) salient point; classifier for wells, cave-dwellings etc |
| 血肉 | xuè ròu | flesh |
| 模 | mō | to imitate; norm |
| 糊 | hū | to paste; to stick; paste; muddled; scorched (in 糊了) |
| 脸 | liǎn | face; CL:張|张[zhang1],個|个[ge4] |
| 见到 | jiàn dào | to see |
| 心爱 | xīn ài | beloved |
| 但 | dàn | but; yet; however; still; merely; only; just |
| 看 | kān | to look after; to take care of; to watch; to guard |
| 不到 | bù dào | not to arrive; not reaching; insufficient; less than |
| 因为 | yīn wèi | because; owing to; on account of |
| 残 | cán | to destroy; to spoil; to ruin; to injure; cruel; oppressive; savage; brutal; incomplete; disabled; to remain; to survive; remnant; surplus |
| 暴 | bǎo | violent; fierce; sudden; cruel; to expose; to spoil (bao4); to expose to the sun (pu4) |
| 害死 | hài sǐ | to kill; to cause death; to do sb to death |
During the Qin dynasty, there was a kind and beautify woman, called Meng JiangNv. One day, she was in her garden doing housework, when she suddenly realized that someone was hiding in the grape arbor. She was hugely startled, and was about to call out, when she saw the person repeatedly wave his hands, and begged her, “Don’t call out, don’t call out, save me! I am Fan XiLiang, and I’m running away from trouble.” Well, during this time, [Emperor] Qin Shi Huang, in order to build the great wall, was seizing people from everywhere to [force them to] do labor, and he’d already worked and starved countless people to death! Meng JiangNv rescued Fan XiLiang, and when she saw that he was well educated and sensible, and good looking with delicate features as well, she began to love him, and Fan XiLiang also liked Meng JiangNv. Their two hearts beat as one, and after seeking the approval of their parents, prepared to become husband and wife.
On the wedding day, the Meng house was lit with lanterns and colored banners, and was jam-packed with guests – it was a joyous scene. When it was almost dark out, and those that had come to drink the marriage wine slowly scattered, the bride and groom prepared to enter the marriage chamber, suddenly came the sounds of birds crying and dogs barking, and soon after a company of fierce officers and soldiers charged in, and without listening to any explanation, locked up Fan XiLiang in iron chains and hauled him off to the Great Wall to work. The lovely wedding had come to nothing, and Meng JiangNv felt both grief and indignation, and she longed for her husband day and night. She thought: Instead of sitting here worrying hopelessly, it’s better if I go to the Great Wall and search for him. Yes! That’s what I’ll do! So Meng JiangNv immediately prepared her traveling clothes and set out on the road.
On the road, though she couldn’t count how many times she endured wind, frost, rain and snow, trudged across dangerous mountains and treacherous rapids, Meng JiangNv never spoke one word of complaint, never spilled one tear, and finally, drawing strength from her tenacious willpower, and drawing strength from her deep love for her husband, she reached the Great Wall. The Great Wall at this time was made up of many small construction sites that had been strung together to form a long city wall, and Meng JiangNv went from each construction site to the next, but she never saw a trace of her husband. Finally, she drummed up her courage, and asked a group of workers who were just about to begin work: “Do any of you know a Fan XiLiang?” The workers said, “Yes, there was a man like that, he’d just arrived.” When Meng JiangNv heard that, she was indescribably happy! She immediately asked, “Where is he?” The worker said, “He’s dead, his corpse has already been tossed into the wall.”
When Meng JiangNv heard this grievous news, it was like a clap of thunder from a clear sky, Meng’s eyes went dark, and [she felt] a burst of sadness, and began to sob. She cried for a full three days and three nights, she cried until the sky was twilight and the earth was dark, [until] even Heaven and Earth were moved. The sky became more and more gloomy, the wind more and more fierce, and then there was a great “crash”, and a section of the Wall had been cried down, and Fan XiLiang’s corpse was revealed; Meng JiangNv’s tears dripped on his badly mutilated face. She finally was able to see the husband she loved, but he wasn’t able to see her, because he had already been killed by the cruel Qin ShiHuang.