Read Now! >>> 中国式青春 - Short Story for 2014

[Meng Lelan]

中国式青春 Roddy’s pick so pick on him for this one. All I know is it features some superhero or some sort. I haven't even started reading this one. So, uh, anyone want to kick this one around?

[roddy]

Ok, let's get started on this one. Here's the intro:  

没有人会想到，地球的命运，会因为十二个小时而改变。
当氪星球面临毁灭，他们把这个孩子装入太空舱，送向宇宙。
这小小的太空舱在宇宙中漂流，穿越一个又一个星云，那在宇宙中飘动了万年的光流风暴和物质云把这个孩子推向他的终点，太阳系——地球——北美洲——美国——堪萨斯州——莫维尔小镇。
如果一切都没有偏差，如果每一颗恒星的引力都恰到好处，他会变成美国英雄、传奇的超人。
但是，宇宙间一颗计算外的只有三万之分一立方厘米的小小尘埃擦过太空舱的表面，使它的速度降低了六亿万分之一。
结果是它到达地球的时间推迟了十二小时

So here are some questions: 

1) What length of time changed the world's fate? 

2) Why was the child put in the spaceship? 

3) What was the spaceship's original destination

4) What had to be just right (恰到好处) for all to go well? 

5) What changed - the spaceship's direction, velocity, or payload?

6) Where do you think the spaceship will land now?

 

I'm very fond of this story. How much of that is because it's genuinely good (I suspect it is) and how much is because it was one of the earlier stories I read and so it's tied up with the sense of achievement, I don't know. 

 

We have the full text in a .doc format from way back, click here. Hopefully no errors in it. 11,500 characters, and I'd have to say it's at least intermediate. 

[Lu]

At least one mistake so far in the word doc - 把这个孩子他推向他的终点. But the story looks fun. Leaving the questions for someone else as they are too easy :-p

[roddy]

There's another version to read on Douban, but it does have edits - that sentence is corrected, but uses 目的地. 

[Meng Lelan]

Good way to kick off this story thread, the way the introduction is placed in a quote box followed by some insightful questions. 

[Meng Lelan]

适者生存。——Herbert Spencer.《生物学原理》

 

　　深蓝色大幕上，一颗流星划过。几秒钟后，巨响震动了大地。

　　高梁地里，一个黑汉子抬起头来，看着远处照亮半个天穹的红光。他愣了愣，然后大喊：“帝国主义用导弹进攻了！他们空袭了公社的猪圈！”

　　当当当的锣声响起，社员们从四面八方迎向那火光熊熊之处。

 

Is it my turn to read the next few lines? Here it is. 

1. What was seen streaking through the sky?

2. And a few seconds after that sight, what event happens on ground?

3. Who takes notice of these events and what does he cry out?

4. And after he shouts, what does everyone else do?

5. Think about the quote from Herbert Spencer. Why do you think it was put there?

6. Bonus points for those who will say who this story's author is and some things about the author?

[michaelS]

1. What was seen streaking through the sky?

 

 

A shooting star (流星)

 

2. And a few seconds after that sight, what event happens on ground?

 

 

There comes a loud boom and the earth shakes

 

 

3. Who takes notice of these events and what does he cry out?

 

 

"The Nationalists are attacking! There's been an air raid on the communal pig pen!"

 

4. And after he shouts, what does everyone else do?

 

 

Run towards the site of the impact

 

5. Think about the quote from Herbert Spencer. Why do you think it was put there?

 

 

适者生存 --> Survival of the fittest

 

Because someone pretty fit has just landed...

 

6. Bonus points for those who will say who this story's author is and some things about the author?

 

 

I'd also like to know a bit more about this. I guess I'm too lazy to get the bonus point for myself.

 

This is a great story. I'm less than a quarter of the way through, but it's keeping me entertained.

[Meng Lelan]

omg you did great. A green rep point to you. I have to get going on this story too but been busy running around with the beginning stories. 

[Meng Lelan]

Back in here to clean this up and finish this out before I ship off to my summer internship, two more months!

 

 

忙乱的现场上，大家一边悲愤的抢救着集体的猪，一边唾骂着帝国主义们一看到公社盖了新猪圈就嫉妒到无法容忍的疯狂心态。二十二岁的社员王二丫却好奇的走向了那爆炸的中心，浓雾与尘烟包裹之处。

 

　　透过尘雾，她看见自己正站在一个直径十数米，深六米的大坑边上，坑中心的岩石似乎仍没有凝固，象许多道长长血痕正闪亮着怪异的光芒。

 

 

王二丫有些害怕，紧捏了捏自己的衣角，但她是妇女民女队的骨干，这姑娘心里想着，要是捡到帝国主义的导弹弹片，然后献给国家大炼钢铁那该多好啊。于是她鼓起勇气，顶着炽热，磕磕碰碰走向那大坑的中心。

 

　　焦土的中央突然发出了清脆的一声，象是什么弹了起来，王二丫吓了一跳，差点摔倒在滚烫的地面上。这时，随着嘶——的长声，象是什么漏气了似的响动，在王二丫的前方，泥土中几片巨大的金属片缓缓展开，如巨大的暗色花朵绽放。

　　王二丫吓得转身就跑，但刚跑几步她又停住了。

　　因为她听见了婴儿的哭声。

 

 

1. What is everyone doing in this commotion?

2. Who is this 王二丫?

3. What is she standing on/by?

4. How does she feel and think?

5. Is she going to flee this thing or what?

6. But now what does she hear?

7. Where is this “leaking air” sound coming from?

8. And now what does she want to do? Looks like she is indeed going to flee but now there is a different sound, what is it?

[Meng Lelan]

很快，所有的村民都聚到村委会，围在了这个婴孩身边。

　　“你说这是从那个铁东西里出来的？这帝国主义太可恶了，没有炸药，把小孩都扔下来了。”村宣传干事鲁大嘴说。

村长于得草说，“这也许是帝国主义派来的间谍，想从小就让他偷偷潜伏在我们周围。”

　　“把他送到县委去审迅吧，如果……他会说话的话。”武装干事杨育才说。

　　那小东西看看这帮人，眨眨眼，哇的一声哭了起来。

“妇女同志们，请速把你们家这些二百五领回家去教管！”王二丫把那婴孩抱了起来，“这可怜的小家伙，他只是饿了，只是饿了。对不对，小家伙？”

 

The villagers are discussing this child’s origin, what are they thinking and do they say why the child was sent over there? How does the child react to the villagers’ commotion? So what does 王二丫do?

[Meng Lelan]

王二丫把孩子抱回了家，后面跟着浩浩荡荡的看热闹大队，还有大嘴婆姨向全村进行现场直播。

　　“看啊，王二丫把孩子抱回家咧，王二丫他男人瞧见咧，他男人举鞋底子想抽王二丫……双方激烈搏斗……现在王二丫他男人跪在炕下头求饶咧……王二丫挤了羊奶把那小外国崽子喂饱咧，然后还打算给他起名字咧。”

　　王二丫他男人姓李，于是从村长到猪倌，都开动脑筋。

　　“叫李为红。”“李跃进！”“李拥军！”“李全忠！”“李抗美！”“李向阳！”

　　“嗯，嗯，李向阳好！”所有人都点头，“就是有点耳熟。”

 

Where does王二丫 take the child? Who is giving some kind of on site real time report of what is going on with 王二丫? Who is wanting to use a shoe  to whack her? Why do you think the guy wants to whack her and what does he do instead? Would be interesting to be an invisible fly on the wall to hear what they are saying. What names are they considering? And what name do they decide on?

[Meng Lelan]

有人在吗，有谁来找我说你好，你说打扰不晚不早，千里迢迢，来得正好

　　——王菲《新房客》

 

 

　　那天，王二丫背着刚呀呀学语的小向阳去田里劳动，听科技员讲解亩产万斤的方法。

“火车跑得快，全靠铁轨道，植物长得快，基本靠灯炮。经科学实验证明，保证二十四小时光照是亩产万斤的重要原因。另外光的谱系也很重要，这就是县科学站发明的高频谱波灯，只要从晚上照到天明，产量就能几十倍的增长。”

 

 

Who is王菲, why is this quote from王菲 put in here?

王二丫takes the child to what event and what does the scientist expound on during this event?

[tysond]

I like some of the suggested names :-)  Why does one 挤 the 羊奶？  Is the goat directly involved in this process?

[Meng Lelan]

I think she milked a goat instead of a cow. Goat's milk is all the rage here by the way. 

[tysond]

Ok so that's the verb for milking, so literally she milked a goat and then fed the baby with (fresh) goat's milk?   

 

BTW I like this story quite a bit.  

[Meng Lelan]

于是那夜吃过晚饭，所有人都没回家，全在田里忙着拉电灯架灯炮，为了保证麦田照明，全村的照明电都掐了，连村长那大收音机的电池都捐出来了。

 

 

So what do the villagers do to increase agriculture productivity?

 

王二丫一直忙着天蒙蒙亮，灯终于关了，她擦擦汗，望着天边的一丝微红，清凉的风吹来，把刚才灯照的高热驱走，可王二丫恨不得太阳快一点出来，这样庄稼才能接着快长啊。仔细看看麦苗，好象是比下午长得大些了的样子，看来科学这东西就是管用啊。

 

 

What does she observe on the grain fields?

 

 

突然，她想起孩子还在田边放着呢，虽说高频谱灯下连蚊子都跑光了，可快十个小时没喂奶了，这还不饿得哭都没力气了啊。她心痛的跑到田边，突然呆站在那不动了。

 

 

 

Then she realizes something, what does she remember now?

 

眼前，一岁大的小向阳正在田边小道上踱步，你说这么屁大点小孩，踱步就踱步吧，头上还顶着一拖拉机。小家伙晃晃悠悠来到田边，哗的把拖拉机箱斗里不知啥时装得水倒进地里。

王二丫一直呆到小向阳拎了三趟水了，才重新想起中国话咋说。

　　“小……向阳……你这是在作啥啊？”

　　小向阳转过头，嘴一张，吃力的说：“它……它们……说……渴……我……我……浇水……”

　　王二丫往地上一蹲，哇一下就哭了。这什么孩子啊，才一岁大就知道给公社的地浇水，这是什么觉悟啊，自己怎么比啊，还当人家妈呢，这太羞愧了。

 

 

How old is the child and what is he doing to a tractor? What explanation/reason does 小向阳 give? How does 王二丫 react?

　　

[Meng Lelan]

 

 

社员们听说了，全跑来看热闹。小向阳胆小，一看人多了，吓得举起一边吃草的大黄牛，就把自己挡上了。

　　那天九岁的小学生林学大在他的日记里写：“农村变化日新月异，每天都有新鲜事。一切都在向着多快好省发展，这不，小李村李勇叔家的小向阳，才一岁大，就响应人人出把力，不在家里吃闲饭的号召，代替拖拉机下地干活了。”

　　这作文交上去，立马得了好大一红叉再加一零饼并附赠一批语：“把老师当白痴是违法行为！”

　　但后来老师实地调查回来，羞愧的重新给了林学大一个一百分，并说：“这时代变化太快了，报纸上说靠给猪吃酵母粉一个月养出两千斤的大肥猪我还不信，现在我算是服了，再有啥奇迹我都信了。”

　　县科技员也特地来看望了小向阳，在穿破屋顶飞到天上转体一千二百度又被牢牢接住之后，他飞旋的脑袋得出结论，是因为高频谱灯的照射使人体的生长 速度和身体素质也象麦苗的一样成倍增加了，他要立刻写信向上级汇报，并准备向全国儿童推广高频谱灯照谢催长法，这样可以在短短几个月内为国家培养几千万壮 劳力啊，那超英赶美还不是跟玩似的。

亩产万斤目标实现的日子，大家敲锣打鼓，通宵欢庆，还把小向阳放到象挤得地毯一样紧密的麦穗顶上，给他拍了一张照片，这张照片现在还保存在国家历史档案馆里，题名就叫做：“见证。”

 

 

 

1.When the villagers run over to see the commotion, what does 小向阳 do to a cow?

2. What does 9 year old 林学大 say in a composition about this 1 year old child's superpowers?

3. And what did the teacher think of that composition at first? And then later…?

4. What did the technicians witness of小向阳?

5. When the agricultural target was attained how did everyone celebrate?

[Lu]

I liked this story, it's funny and seems to gently mock pretty much everything. I probably missed out on some of the humor and some of the details because I couldn't be bothered looking up any words, but overall I enjoyed it. Not sure what was up with that 'other' 李向阳 though. And the ending made me a bit sad.

[Meng Lelan]

Ah, I should be making vocab lists for each section but haven't...you can try to copy and paste unknown words into MDBG and find out the definitions. Anyway I will try to continue this story in May, then take off three or four months for the internship. 

[Lu]

I have no lack of dictionaries, fortunately :-) I just couldn't be bothered, I wanted to get on with the story. Perhaps I'll revisit it sometime and be more diligent.