Short stories with audio, vocab lists and English translations - perfect for upper-intermediate learners looking to get into reading native material.

[StChris]

This is part of a project by Leeds University called Writing Chinese ( http://writingchinese.leeds.ac.uk/ ). They basically release a new short story by a contemporary Chinese author every month, complete with English translation and audio (usually read by the author). It was actually pointed out by Roddy last year ( http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/46439-university-of-leeds-writing-chinese-project/ ). I didn't have the time to properly delve into it at the time, but now I'm going to go through each story one by one and publish the vocab lists here.

 

Here's why I think these are great for the upper-intermediate learner looking to make the leap from textbook articles to real Chinese material written by and for Chinese people:

 

1. They're short. 

It can be intimidating trying to tackle a 200 page book when all you've been used to so far are 2 page textbook articles.These short stories are a good intermediate step between the two.

 

2. Manageable difficulty level.

Although the transition from textbook to real Chinese is always going to be a little painful, these seem to be pretty straightforward and written in modern Chinese, with no detailed knowledge of Chinese culture and history required to enjoy them. (I've only read through the first three so far, hopefully we won't be encountering anything nasty such as classical Chinese in the later stories)

 

3. They have audio.

So you can improve both your reading and listening at the same time (in fact I've found they tend to have a synergistic effect)

 

4. They're free!

 

5. They have English translations (and audio)

Although I generally try to just understand whatever I read in Chinese terms, it's good to have a back up like this to check your understanding of the story, or to help when you really get stuck. I haven't had any serious problems so far, but it's still fun to listen to the English version after having studied the Chinese one to see how the translator interpreted certain aspects of the story.

 

6. They're already chosen for you, so no excuses for procrastination.

You can waste a lot of time mincing about trying to find the perfect book to start your Chinese reading career (I know I did). But here you have a selection of short stories chosen by the experts at the university, which will hopefully guarantee their quality. Plus you have the English translations, audio and now the vocab lists too. So what are you waiting for?

[StChris]

1st Story

 

The Man With the Knife by Chen Xiwo 

带刀的男人      陈希我

 

http://writingchinese.leeds.ac.uk/book-club/chen-xiwo-%E9%99%88%E5%B8%8C%E6%88%91/

 

(click on the links on the left hand side to read the Chinese and English versions)

 

An aspiring female poet takes a famous male poet/poetry critic to dinner. His influence could give her her big break. She might have something that he wants too The story begins after she invites him back to her place for some "tea". 

 

Just a quick warning here that the story does get fairly explicit. It was chosen by the university, so it's not too 黄色, but for those of a sensitive disposition, don't say you weren't warned! Still, it makes for an interesting vocab list  

 

斜靠            xie2kao4              to recline

叶芝            ye4zhi                  Yeats (poet)

里尔克        li3er3ke4              Rilker (poet)

乃至福克     nai3zhi4fu2ke4     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Foucault

詹明信        zhan1ming2xin4    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredric_Jameson

但前            dang1qian2           currently, at present

吭气            keng1qi4               utter a sound or word

底朝天        di3chao2tian1        upside down

化身            hua4shen1            embodiment

顺从            shun4cong2           submit, yield to

欣喜            xin1xi3                   happy

微弱            wei1ruo4               weak, feeble

顽皮            wan2pi2                 naughty

倒胃           dao3wei4                spoil one's appetite

驮               tuo2                        carry on the back

撂               liao4                        put down, throw down

搂               lou3                         embrace, hold in one's arms

捋               lv3                           to smooth out using your fingers

弱智            ruo4zhi4                 mentally retarded

饭局            fan4ju2                    feast

黄段子        huang2duan4zi0      dirty joke

脖颈           bo2geng3                 back of the neck

荡               dang4                       to jerk (move sharply)

羞臊            xiu1sao4                  embarrassment, bashfulness

不由分说     bu4you2fen1shuo1  without giving an explanation, without a word

拽               zhuai4                      fling, throw

相觑            xiang1qu4               to look at each other

蓦然            mo4ran2                  suddenly

相框            xiang4kuang4          photo frame

茶几            cha2ji1                     tea table

扒                ba1                         strip, take off

揪                jiu1                          hold tight, hold firmly 

裤头            ku4tou2                   underwear

张力            zhang1li4                 tension

抗拒            kang4ju4                  resist, defy

哼哼            heng1heng1            to mumble or grunt

敷衍            fu1yan0                   go through the motions, do something in a perfunctory manner

缓冲            huan3chong1          a buffer, breathing space

竭力            jie2li4                       do one's upmost, try every possible means

何苦            he2ku3                    why bother (go to the trouble)

赖皮            lai4pi2                     rascally, shameless

名誉            ming2yu4                fame, reputation

剥               bao1                        to peel, to skin

镂空            lou4kong1               fretwork

绣花            xiu4hua1                 embroidery

裤衩            ku4cha3                  underwear

壁橱            bi4chu2                   a built-in cupboard

草草            cao3cao3                 hastily

展望            zhang3wang4           look forward to

阳具            yang2ju4                  penis

嘟哝            du1nong0                mutter to oneself

乳房            ru3fang2                  breast

磨蹭            mo2ceng0                to stroke gently

接应            jie1ying4                  supply

臀部            tun2bu4                   buttocks

愣                leng4                       dumbfounded, stupified

懵懵懂懂     meng3meng3dong3dong3     confused

弓               gong1                       to bend, to arch (eg your back)

喝令            he4ling4                   shout an order or command

快感            kuai4gan3                 pleasant sensation

观赏            guan1shang3zhe3   an onlooker

清晰            qing1xi1                   distinct clear

弧线            hu2xian4                  a pitched arch (in this story it's used to indicate rising pleasure)

业绩            ye4ji4                        performance

慢条斯理    man4tiao2si1li3         unhurriedly, slowly and deliberately

肢体           zhi1ti3                       limbs

包皮           bao1pi2                     foreskin

缩              suo1                          shrink, contract

伏              fu2                             lean over, bend over

含              han2                          hold in the mouth

惊愕          jing1 e4                       stunned, stupified

昂首          ang2shou3                 to raise one's head

耍花招      shua3hua1zhao1        play tricks (it has a more specific meaning here, check the English translation if youcan't work it out ;0) )

延缓         yan2huan3                 delay, put off

催             cui1                            to urge, to hurry (someone)

掀             xian1                          to lift (something that's hanging down)

慌             huang1                       flustered

千锤把脸  qian1chui2bai3lian4    finely honed, polished (of literary works)

战战兢兢  zhan4zhan4jing1jing1  with fear and trepidation

隔膜         ge2mo2                       be unfamiliar with

掴            guai1                           to slap

糟践        zao1jian4                     to violate (a woman), to ruin

凫            fu2                               to swim

剧烈        ju4lie4                          violent, fierce

肆无忌惮  si4wu2ji4dan4              unbridled, unscrupulous

乞丐         qi3gai4                         a beggar

穷涂抹楼  qiong2tu2mo4lu          be at an impasse or dead end

挟持         xie2chi2                       hold someone under duress

泵            beng4                           pump

阀门         fa2men2                      valve 

排泄物      pai3xie4wu4                excreta

穿戴         chuan1dai4                  apparel, dress

停当         ting2dang0                   sorted, ready

猝然         cu4ran2                        suddenly, unexpectedly

快活         kuai4huo0                     happy

救命稻草  jiu4ming4dao4cao3      a straw to clutch at

嘟囔         du1nang0                     mutter to oneself

苏醒         su1xing3                       revive, regain consciousness

贪婪         tan1lan2                       greedy, rapacious

利害关系  li4hai4guan1xi0            vital interest, concern, stake

蹿            cuan1                            leap up

探头         tan4tou2                       crane one's neck (eg to look at something)

[StChris]

2nd Story

 

Dad's Not Dead by Yan Ge

(the first chapter from her latest novel 我们家)

 

http://writingchinese.leeds.ac.uk/book-club/yan-ge-%E9%A2%9C%E6%AD%8C/    (you can access the Chinese and English versions of the piece by clicking on the links on the left)

 

The narrator speaks about her father in this piece. Her dad obviously has a stressful life, looking after an elderly relative while juggling the responsibilities of keeping both a wife and an increasingly demanding mistress happy. The story also delves into experiences of his youth (first job working in a factory and losing his virginity).

 

Vocab

 

不合时宜        bu4heshi2yi2             inappropriate, inopportune (moment)

烟熏火燎        yan1xun1huo3liao4   smoky atmosphere
酣畅               han1chang4              happy and merry

茉莉花           mo4li0hua1                jasmine

确凿               que4zao2                  irrefutable

私情               si1qing2                    personal relationships

铺盖               pu1gai0                     bedding, bed clothes

屁眼               pi4yan3                     anus

龟儿子           gui1er2zi0                 son of a bitch

黑漆漆           hei1qi1qi1                 pitch black

滴溜溜           di1liu2liu2                  to spin, to weave in and out (think of how Chinese taxi drivers drive)

歪瓜裂枣       wai1gua1lie4zao3     ugly, repulsive 

每况愈下       mei3kuang4yu4xia4  go from bad to worse

大前年          da4qian2nian2           three years ago

严严实实       yan2yan2shi2shi2      tightly, closely

称心              chen4xin1                 find something satisfactory

藤椅              teng2yi3                    rattan chair

一丝不苟       yi1si1bu4gou3          meticulous

短袜              duan3wa4                socks

皱                 zhou4                       crease, wrinkle

心不在焉      xin1bu2zai4yan1       preoccupied, absent-minded

半晌             ban4shang3              a long time, half a day

孤零零         gu1ling1ling1             all alone?????????????????????????????

郁                yu4                            strongly fragrant

直溜溜         zhi2liu1liu1                perfectly straight

反扑鬼神     fan3pu2gui1zhen1     (drop all affectation and) return to an original purity and simplicity

顺当            shun4dang1               smoothly, without a hitch

神来之笔     shen2lai2zhi1bi3        a stroke of genius

撅                jue3                           to stick out

实至名归      shi2zhi4ming2gui1    fame follows merit (the translator seems to translate it as like living up to one's reputation)

手势             shou3shi1                  gesture, signal

晒场             shai4chang2              sunning ground (for drying grain etc)

横行             heng2xing2               run amuck, go on a rampage

缸                 gang1                       vat, jar

汩汩             gu3gu3                      to gurgle

叼                diao1                         hold in the mouth

呛                qiang4                       to choke, irritate respiratory organs

红彤彤         hong2tong1tong1      bright red

示范            shi4fan4                     to demonstrate

呻吟            shen1yin1                  moan, groan

销魂            xiao1hun2                  feel transported, feel overwhelmed by sorrow or joy

狗日            gou3yi4                      bloody, damn, fucking

涔涔            cen2cen2                   dripping (eg with sweat)

凉席            liang2xi2                    summer sleeping mat

手淫            shou3yin2                  masturbate

理智            li3zhi4                        the intellect

抽丝剥茧     chou1si1bao1jian3    conduct a painstaking investigation

勾搭            gou1da0                    have an affair

暗号            an4hao4                    a secret signal

稀稀拉拉     xi1xi1la1la1               sparse, thinly scattered

铤而走险     ting3er2zou3xian3    make a reckless move

雄赳赳，气昂昂  xiong2jiu1jiu1,qi4ang2ang2    valiant and spirited, full of mettle, with head held high

神功            shen2gong1              miraculous

轻描淡写     qing1miao2dan4xie3   mention casually

醉醺醺         zui4xun1xun1            drunk, tipsy

捂                wu3                            to cover, to muffle

收敛            shou1lian3                  restrain oneself

破天荒        po4tian1huang1         unprecedented, occur for the first time

防盗门        fang2dao4men2         front door of an apartment

期期艾艾    qi1qi1ai4ai4                stutter, stammer

徐娘半老    xu2niang2ban4lao3    refers to a middle age woman who is still attractive

和睦           he2mu4                       harmony

瞟               piao3                           sideways glance

发痴            fa1chi1                        go crazy

撒泼            sa1po1                        be unreasonable and make a scene

蔫               nian1                           to wilt, to droop

捏               nie1                             to pinch

分外            fen4wai4                     especially, particularly

披星戴月     pi1xing1dai4yue4       work through the night

云雨            yun2yu3                     make love

哼哼唧唧    heng1heng0ji1ji1        moan and groan

[StChris]

The trickiest part of this story for me was when the narrator describes the father's work in the bean paste factory. There are lots of words describing the appearance and smells of the paste in the big vat, as well as various adjectives describing the movements made and sensations experienced when doing the work. You also have a whole other layer of meaning layed on top as his boss does the whole classic "doing this task is much like making love to a woman" shtick.

 

Overall, I think this was a bit more difficult than the first one (and longer too).

[StChris]

Rather annoyingly, the authors of both the English and Chinese versions only read a part of the piece (around a quarter), so the audio isn't so useful for this one.

[tysond]

Hi StChris,

 

As always, your resource links and breakdown is excellent.  I hope you are making good progress on your Chinese.

Good to have stories dealing in adult content.  

 

带刀的男人  by  陈希我 has been very interesting (I made slow progress on it last night, but only about 15% through).  Disappointing that on this one the audio quality is so poor.

 

For Dad's not Dead I listened to the audio and the quality is good - but didn't notice it's not complete.  I think partial audio still has some use but helpful to know in advance.

I am embarrassed to say that of your word list for Dad's Not Dead, I didn't know any of the 生词 until I reached 屁眼.    

 

Having the English translation is super useful especially for native texts (they tend to be harder to understand than translated books/stories).  I have been reading a few science fiction short stories lately and it's been sometimes a little unclear if I got the meaning right for the more complex concepts.  For these ones I've been reading a paragraph, then checking my understanding. 

 

Thanks again!

[StChris]

3rd Story

 

Wheels Are Round by Xu Zechen

轮子是圆的     徐则臣

 

This story's about a simple man called Xian Mingliang who's only ambition is to work with and drive cars. His fatalistic philosophy  (summed up by the phrase "wheels are round" ) helps him get through the bad patches in life (including death, prison, and marriage break-up).

 

Introduction to the author:

http://writingchinese.leeds.ac.uk/book-club/december-xu-zechen-%E5%BE%90%E5%88%99%E8%87%A3/

 

Chinese version:

http://writingchinese.leeds.ac.uk/book-club/december-xu-zechen-%E5%BE%90%E5%88%99%E8%87%A3/%E8%BD%AE%E5%AD%90%E6%98%AF%E5%9C%86%E7%9A%84/

 

English translation:

http://writingchinese.leeds.ac.uk/book-club/december-xu-zechen-%E5%BE%90%E5%88%99%E8%87%A3/wheels-are-round/

 

 

Vocab

 

口头禅            kou3tou2chan2                pet phrase

慢悠悠            man4you1you1                unhurried, leisurely

倒插门            dao4cha1men2               (of a man) to marry into the wife's family

鹤                   he4                                  crane

女婿                nv3xu0                            son-in-law

仓                    cang1                             below deck, storehouse

捞                   lao1                                 dredge up

传宗接代         chuan2zong1jie1dai4      produce a male heir to continue the family line

瞌睡                ke1shui4                         to sleep

晃荡                huang4dang0                 to rock and sway

胯                   kua4                                hip

单调                dan1diao4                       monotonous, drab

灵验                ling2yan4                        accurate (of a prediction)

身世                shen1shi4                       one's lot in life, fate

屠夫                tu2fu1                             a butcher

道行                dao4heng2                     skill

障眼法            zhang4yan3fa3               cover-up

分明               fen1ming2                       evidently, clearly

马脚               ma3jiao3                          something that gives the game away (that reveals a deception)

蔓延               man4yan2                       to spread, extend

肚脐眼           du4qi2yan3                      belly button, navel

兮兮               xi1xi1                               used after an adjective for extra emphasis

鹌鹑蛋           an1chun0dan4                 quail's eggs

入赘               ru4zhui4                           to marry and move in with the bride's family

坐镇               zuo4zhen4                       assume personal command

岂止               qi3zhi3                             not only...

衰弱               shuai1ruo4                       weak, feeble

独木桥           du2mu4qiao2                  a difficult path

局外人           ju2wai4ren2                     an outsider

清闲              qing1xian2                        at leisure, idle

海淀区           hai3dian4qu1                   (place in Beijing)

浩瀚              hao4han4                         vast

霓虹              ni2hong2                          neon (lamp)

乌黑              wu1hei1                            pitch black

分头               fen1tou2                          a parting in the hair

耷                  da1                                   big eared

招揽              zhao1lan3                         solicit (for customers or business)

捎带              shao1dai4                         incidentally, in passing    

轧                  ya4                                   to run over, to roll over

一概              yi1gai4                              all, without exception

温顺              wen1shun4                       weak, docile

成人之美       cheng2ren2zhi1mei3       do a good deed by helping something fulfill their wish

岔                 cha4                                 forked (like in a road)

安徽              an1hui1                            Anhui province

暮色              mu4se4                            dusk, twilight

瘸子              que2zi0                            a cripple

木拐              mu4guai3                         a wooden crutch (for walking)

辗                 nian3                                to grind

揣摩              chuai3mo4                       try to fathom, try to work out

匕首              bi3shou3                          dagger, knife

鳖                 bie1                                  soft shelled turtle (part of a swear word here)

号子              hao4zi0                            prison cell

幕天席地      mu4tian1xi2di4                  sleep out in the open

登高望远       deng1gao1wang4yuan3   take a long and broad view

预支              yu4zhi1                             receive payment in advance

席子              xi2zi0                                a mat

松弛              song1chi2                         slack, limp

弹性              tan2xing4                         elasticity

松紧带           song1jin3dai4                  elastic cord

伸缩              shen1suo1                       stretch out and draw back

精确              jing1que4                         accurate, precise

图纸              tu2zhi3                             a blueprint

抒情              shu1qing2                        to express one's emotions

峡谷              xia2gu3                            canyon

疲惫              pi2bei4                             tied, exhausted

颐养天年       yi2yang3tian1nian2          take good care of yourself (esp of old people in retirement)

难为情           nan2wei2qing2                embarrassing

重峦叠嶂       chong2luan2die2zhang4  peaks rising one upon another

滑翔              hua2xiang2                       to glide

凉飕飕          liang2sou1sou1                 chilly (of wind)

缝隙              feng4xi4                            crack, crevice

屋檐              wu1yan2                           eaves (of a roof)

棚                 peng2                                canopy of mats etc

胸有成竹      xiong1you3cheng2zhu2     have a well thought out plan

锈                 xiu4                                    to become rusty

焊                 han4                                  to weld, solder

原始             yuan2shi3                          primitive

敞篷车         chang3peng2che1             open top car

嗷嗷            ao1ao1                               sound of crying or shouting

抵御            di3yu4                                 resist, withstand

熄火            xi1huo3                               stop working (of an engine)

捣鼓            dao3gu0                             to fiddle with

砖头            zhuan1tou0                         brick

悍               han4                                    brave, bold

一声不吭     yi1sheng1bu4keng1           not utter a word

油门            you2men2                           accelerator (car)

苫               shan4                                  to cover with a map or tarp

螺丝            luo2si1                                screw

死守            si3shou3                             defend to the death

肋骨            lei4gu3                                rib

绷带            beng1dai4                           bandage

[StChris]

Hi tysond, glad you're finding these useful.

 

The audio on the second story is good quality, it's just that she only reads the first 20% of the story. Fortunately the audio for this third story is both complete and high quality.

 

I only started reading actual books (not textbooks) earlier this year. So far I've tried to concentrate on improving my reading speed and stamina, only looking up words when I really feel I'm lose the thread of the story. For this series of short stories I decided to drill down a bit and look up any word I'm not entirely familiar with (even if it's fairly easy for me to guess the meaning, for example 欣喜, 顽皮 etc). Once I've finished these I'm going to start on some 韩寒 books. I've decided to try a 25/75 technique, which means I'm going to meticulously go through the first quarter of each book looking up all unfamiliar words that I come across, and then speeding through the last 75%, only pausing to look up words when absolutely necessary. I'm hoping that this way I can maintain a good balance between learning new grammar/vocab and improving my reading fluency (as well as not driving myself crazy by always 钻牛角尖ing).

 

I agree with you regarding the content. It makes a nice change from reading textbook articles involving the  留学生 discovering the delights of Beijing opera from his Chinese classmates.

[StChris]

Oh and if anyone else is going through one of those "grind" stages of Chinese learning like I am right now, then I have a good motivational video for you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuPLxQD4akQ

 

Although it's more of a sports motivational piece, I'm finding it quite inspiring all the time. A lot of the words are quite appropriate to Chinese learning too (until the bit when he starts to talk about being a "lion in a field of lions", unless you're about to take the HSK 6 and the other lions are your Korean classmates    )

 

Welcome to the grind!

[StChris]

4th Story

 

Galloping Horses by Xu Zechen

奔马     徐则臣

 

A simple story about two boys who dream of riding horses and do a deal with two neighbouring boys to borrow theirs for the afternoon.

 

Information on the author:

http://writingchinese.leeds.ac.uk/book-club/december-xu-zechen-%E5%BE%90%E5%88%99%E8%87%A3/

 

Chinese:

http://writingchinese.leeds.ac.uk/book-club/december-xu-zechen-%E5%BE%90%E5%88%99%E8%87%A3/%E5%A5%94%E9%A9%AC/

 

English:

http://writingchinese.leeds.ac.uk/book-club/december-xu-zechen-%E5%BE%90%E5%88%99%E8%87%A3/galloping-horses/

 

 

蹄                ti2                                hoof

蓬松            peng2son1                  fluffy, puffy

细密            xi4mi4                         fine

懒洋洋        lan3yang2yang2          languid

棚               peng2                          a shack, a shed

鱼塘            yu2tang2                     fish pond

夕阳            xi1yang2                      evening sun

笨重            ben4zhong4                 heavy, cumbersome, unweildy

繁盛            fan2sheng4                  flourishing

过头            guo4tou2                      overdo

朦胧            meng2long2                 hazy, dim

苍茫            cang1mang2                vast, boundless

平坦            ping2tan3                     (of land) even smooth

光溜溜        guang1liu1liu1              smooth, naked

马鬃            ma3zong1                    horse's mane

马鞭            ma3bian1                     horse's whip

纽扣            niu3kou4                      button

旗帜            qi2zhi4                         banner, flag

枣红            zao3hong2                   claret, purplish red

舒展            shu1zhan3                   unfold, extend

劲               jing4                              strong, powerful

打谷场        da3gu3chang2              threshing ground

蓄               xu4                               save, store up

僵直           jiang1zhi2                     stiff

木棍           mu4gun4                       wooden stick

颠               dian1                            to fall, topple

稻草           dao4cao3                      rice straw

大元帅        da4yuan4shuai4           generalissimo

坟地           fen2di4                          cemetery

凑               cou4                              move closer to, move near

转悠           zhuan4you0                   wander about

尥蹶子        lia4jue3zi0                     give a back kick (of horses)

坚持不懈    jian1chi2bu2xie4           unremitting, persistent

眉目           mei2mu0                       sign of a positive outcome, prospect of a good solution

搪塞           tang2se4                        to dodge, fob somebody off

桑葚           sang1shen4                   mulberry

檐               yan2                              eaves (of a roof)

熟透           shu2tou4                        ripe

吞咽           tun1yan4                        swallow, gulp down

源源不断    yuan2yuan2bu2duan4   constantly, without stopping, one after another

提心吊胆    ti2xin1diao4dan3           be on tenterhooks

葫芦           hu2lu0                           bottle gourd

威风凛凛    wei1feng1lin3lin3           have a commanding presence

拴               shuan1                          fasten, tie

簇               cu4                                pile, cluster

树荫            shu4yin4                       shade of a tree

咧嘴            lie3zui3                          grin, smile

缰绳            jiang1sheng0                reins

屁颠屁颠     pi4dian1pi4dian1          eager

不时            bu4shi2                         often

纵身             zong4shen1                 jump up

侧身             ce4shen1                     turn or move sideways

堤                 di1                               dyke, embankment

火烧云          huo3shao1yun1           red clouds

庄稼地          zhuang1jia0di4             cropland, fields

树桩             shu4zhuang1               tree stump

踹                 chuai4                          to kick

四分五裂      si4fen1wu3lie4              all split, in bits and pieces

瓜瓤             gua1rang2                   flesh of the watermelon

吆喝             yao1he0                       loudly urge (an animal)

混浊             hun2zhuo2                   muddy

拎                 lin1                               carry, lift

捏                 nie1                              to pinch, grab

青紫             qing1zi3                        purple

淤血             yu1xue4                        clotted blood, bruising

[StChris]

5th Story

 

The Stone Ox That Grazed by Sun Yisheng

牛得草   孙一圣

 

Info on the author:

http://writingchinese.leeds.ac.uk/book-club/january-sun-yisheng-%E5%AD%99%E4%B8%80%E5%9C%A3/

 

Chinese:

http://writingchinese.leeds.ac.uk/book-club/january-sun-yisheng-%E5%AD%99%E4%B8%80%E5%9C%A3/%E7%89%9B%E5%BE%97%E8%8D%89/

 

English:

http://writingchinese.leeds.ac.uk/book-club/january-sun-yisheng-%E5%AD%99%E4%B8%80%E5%9C%A3/the-stone-ox-that-grazed/

 

I began this one by reading through the Chinese version as usual. After getting about a third of the way through I felt I wasn't really understanding the story, so I went straight ahead and read the English version. Unfortunately, having now read the English version I'm still none the wiser about what the hell this story is about! Maybe my brain is just fried from a long days studying. I've supplied the vocab for the first 4 paragraphs for those who want to have a try. Good luck! (and please come back and explain the story to this thicko if you get the time)

 

 

Vocab

 

蹲伏            dun1fu4                     squat, crouch

嚼舌            jiao2she2                   argue meaninglessly, gossip

敦促            dun1cu4                    urge, press

尚武            shang4wu2                not yet

挂碍            gua4ai4                     worries

拂晓            fu2xiao3                    dawn

卧                wo4                           crouch, sit (of animals)            

经年累月     jing1nian2lei3yue4    year in year out, for years and years

迁徙            qian1xi3                    migrate

滔滔            tao1tao1                   torrential, surging

石板            shi2ban3                   slabstone

缝                feng4                        seam, crack

叠                die2                           pile up                     

反复            fan3fu4                      repeatedly

甘蔗            gan1zhe0                  sugarcane

斜坡            xie2po1                     slope

尘埃            chen2ai1                    dust

撸                lu1                             give someone a dressing down

灰                hui1                           discouraged

即刻             ji2ke4                        immediately

啼                ti2                              cry, weep

蒺藜             ji2li0                          puncture vine (botany)

截                jie1                            classifier for length of sugar cane

拽                zhuai4                       fling, hurl / drag, pull

衔                xian2                         hold in the mouth, harbour/bear

茂盛            mao4sheng4             (of plants) luxuriant, flourishing

蒿                hao1                          wormwood artemisia

蓬                peng2                        fleabane (botany)

 

遍                bian4                         all over, everywhere

揣度             chuai3duo2               guess, conjecture

晨光             chen2guang1            the light of the early morning sun

田垄             tian2long3                 ridge between fields

瞥见             pie1jian4                    catch a glimpse of

拴                shuan1                       fasten

赤膊             chi4bo2                      barebacked

褥子             ru4zi0                         cotton-padded mattress

搡                 sang3                        push violently

反刍             fan3chu2                    chew the cud

响鼻             xiang3bi2                   snort (of a horse etc)

啪嗒             pa1da1                       sound of walking through mud

碎嘴(子)       sui4zui3                      a chatterbox

慌神             huang1shen2             become agitated

枝杈             zhi1cha4                     branch, twig

现眼             xian4yan3                  make a spectacle of oneself

薄暮             bo2mu4                     dusk, twilight

揉                rou2                            knead, twist

皱                zhou4                          wrinkle

冥冥             ming2min2                 dark, dusky

翌日             yi4ri4                          the next day

唏嘘             xi1xu1                        sob, cry

晾晒             liang4shai4                 air something out in the sun

休憩             xiu1qi4                        have a rest

莽莽             mang3mang3             lush (of plant growth), vast (of field, plains etc)

霞光             xia2guang1                rays of morning or evening sunlight

浇                jiao1                            sprinkle

驱散             qu1san4                     disperse

盘旋             pan2xuan2                 linger, stay 

 

睃                suo1                           look askance at

戳                chuo1                         poke

辱没             ru3mo4                      bring disgrace to

劳乏             lao2fa2                      tired, weary

癫                 dian1                         mentally deranged

跛                 bo3                            lame

拭                 shi1                            wipe away

泪花             lei3hua1                     tears

迢迢             tiao4tiao4                   far away, remote

踌蹰             chou2chu2                 to hesitate

漏                lou4                             leak

 

黯                an4                            dark

篱笆            li2ba0                         bamboo or twig fence

凿                zao2                           chisel, cut a hole

悬                xuan2                        hang, suspend

俯身            fu3shen1                    bend down

遁                dun4                           escape, flee

蜷                quan2                         huddle up

棉袄            mian2ai3                     cotton-padded coat

切身            qie4shen1                  personally

侔                mou1                          "moo" sound of a cow

踅                xue2                           wlak back halfway???

吹拂            chui1fu2                      (of a breeze) to stir

裹                guo3                            bind, wrap, carry off

照耀            zhao4yao4                   illuminate, shine

豁                huo1                            slit, crack

阙                que1                            fault, error

凛冽             lin3lie4                        piercingly cold

浸                jin4                              soak, steep

混浊            hun2zhuo2                  muddy, turbid

[StChris]

6th Story

 

Chicken by Dorothy Tse

鸡     谢晓虹

 

Like yesterdays story, the surrealist nature of this one makes it difficult to fully grasp what's going on. Fortunately, unlike yesterdays, the story is short and both the vocab and syntax are straightforward, making the text itself easy to understand, Unfortunately there is no English translation or audio available for this one.

 

Info about the author:

http://writingchinese.leeds.ac.uk/book-club/february-dorothy-tse-%E8%B0%A2%E6%99%93%E8%99%B9/

 

Chinese:

http://writingchinese.leeds.ac.uk/book-club/february-dorothy-tse-%E8%B0%A2%E6%99%93%E8%99%B9/%E9%B8%A1/

 

推断                    tui1duan4                    infer, deduce

谷物                    gu3wu4                       cereal, grain

派上用场             pai4shang4yong4chang3    to come in handy

乳房                    ru4fang2                      breast

竹篾                    zhu2mie4                     bamboo strips

融化                    rong2hua4                    to merge into one another

苍白                    cang1bai2                     pale, pallid

涂                        tu2                                apply, smear

胶带                     jiao1dai4                      tape

缠                         chan2                          tie up

头巾                     tou2jin                          scarf

栏杆                     lan2gan1                     railing

哺                        bu3                               to feed, to nurse

乏味                     fa2wei4                        dull, insipid

光滑                     guang1hua2                 smooth, sleek

后脑勺                 hou4nao3shao2           back of the head

色彩缤纷              se4cai3bin1fen1           a variety of colours

鼓动                     gu3dong4                     agitate, arouse

仿佛                     fang3fu2                       to seem, as if

头颅                     tou2lu2                          head

途人                     tu2ren2                          a passer-by

横跨                     heng2kua4                    to stretch over or across, to pass over

人龙                     ren2long2                      a queue of people

连同                     lian2tong2                     along with, together with

枚                        mei2                               classifier for small things

簇                        cu4                                 form a cluster, pile up

不锈钢                 bu2xiu4gang1                stainless steel

校徽                     xiao4hui1                       school badge

手帕                     shou3pa4                       handkerchief

一并                     yi1bing4                         among all the others

翼                         yi4                                 wings of a bird

蜂拥                     feng1yong1                    swarm, flock

缝                        feng4                              a crack, a gap

佈                        bu4                                 to spread?

渍                        zi4                                   steep, soak

塑胶                    su4jiao1                          plastic cement

浴盆                    yu4pen2                          bathtub

淹没                    yan1mo4                         submerge, flood

捏扁                    nie1bian3                         to pinch or squash flat

难保                    nan2bao3                        it's hard to say...

瘦削                    shou4xue1                      very skinny

驱使                    qu1shi3                           to urge, to prompt

流泻                    liu2xie4                            to pour out, to gush out

洗劫一空             xi3jie2yi1kong1                to steal everything

荒凉                    huang1liang2                   desolate, bleak

干涸                    gan1he2                          dry up

[StChris]

7th Story

 

Individuals by Lao Ma

个别人      劳马

 

Today's "story" comprises of two pieces. The first is a simple letter from a schoolkid to the mayor regarding the pollution in his city. The second (more interesting and challenging) one is about the petty ambition and rivalry in academia (but the chengyu and expressions could just as easily be used to describe anyone caught up in the daily rat race).

 

About the author:

http://writingchinese.leeds.ac.uk/book-club/march-lao-ma-%E5%8A%B3%E9%A9%AC/

 

Chinese version:

http://writingchinese.leeds.ac.uk/book-club/march-lao-ma-%E5%8A%B3%E9%A9%AC/%E4%B8%AA%E5%88%AB%E4%BA%BA/

 

English version:

http://writingchinese.leeds.ac.uk/book-club/march-lao-ma-%E5%8A%B3%E9%A9%AC/individuals/

 

 

 

看山

 

落款                   luo4kuan3                    signed (as in a letter or work of art)

晴朗                   qing2lang3                   fine, sunny

灿烂                   can4lan4                      magnificent, resplendent

其余                   qi2yu2                          the remainder, all the rest

批示                   pi1shi4                         write instruction or comments on a report submitted by a subordinate

想方设法            xiang3fang1she4fa3    by every means possible

 

 

 

咳嗽

 

咳嗽                    ke2sou0                      to cough

职称                    zhi2cheng1                 post, professional title

人人皆知             ren2ren2jie1zhi1         known to everyone

身外之物             shen1wai4zhi1wu4     external things, mere worldly possessions

绞尽脑汁             jiu3jin4nao3zhi1          rack one's brains

废寝忘食             fei4qin3wang4shi2      to neglect sleep and food (due to being so wrapped up in something)

忍气吞声             ren3qi4tun1sheng1     swallow an insult, stifle one's indignation

胸闷                    xiong1men1                chest pain

腹胀                    fu4zhang4                   abdominal distension

一年一度             yi1nian2yi2du4            once a year

树梢                    shu4shao1                  treetop

垂涎欲滴             chui2xian2yu4di1        mouth drooling with greed and desire

晃                       huang3                        to shake

恼羞成怒            nao3xiu1cheng2nu4    to fly into a range due to some humiliation

罗列                    luo2lie4                       to set out, enumerate

指控                    zhi3kong4                   to accuse

认定                    ren4ding4                   to maintain, to firmly believe

抄袭剽窃             chao1xi2piao1qie4     to plagiarize

捶胸顿足             chui2xiong1dun4zu2  beat one's chest and stamp ones feet in sorrow or remorse

长叹                    chang2tan4                deep sigh

超然                    chao1ran2                  detached, aloof

不已                    bu4yi3                        incessantly

滔滔不绝             tao1tao1bu4jue2        unleash a torrent of words, talk nonstop

粪土                    fen4tu3                       dung, muck

急切                    ji2qie4                         eager, patient

喻                       yu4                              to describe something as

熬                       ao2                              to endure, to stew

屈指可数             qu1zhi3ke3shu3         very few (can be counted on one's fingers)

攥                       zuan4                          hold, grasp

难以置信            nan2yi3zhi4xin4           hard to believe

凹陷                   ao1xian4                      sink, cave in

堆积                   dui1ji1                           accumulate

精心                   jing1xin1                       painstakingly, meticulously

措辞强硬            cuo4ci2qiang2ying4      strongly worded

声明                   sheng1ming2                statement

立场                   li4chang3                     position, standpoint

透                       tou4                             to show, to appear

蕴藏                   yun4cang2                   contain, hold in store

学问                   xue2wen4                    learning, knowledge

支离破碎            zhi1li2po4sui4              torn to pieces

晋升                   jin4sheng1                   promote to higher office

镇定                   zhen4ding4                  cool, composed

结核                   jie2he2                         tuberculosis

如释重负            ru2shi4zhong4fu4        feel relieved

侥幸                   jiao3xing4                     lucky, by fluke

[StChris]

Unfortunately no audio with this one   It seems that they've gotten a bit lazy and decided not to do any audio for any of the remaining pieces either.

[StChris]

8th Story

 

Poems by Han Dong 寒东

 

A selection of 4 poems from the writer 寒东. Not much difficulty regarding the vocab, just a bit of thinking required to peel back the layers of underlying meaning. Luckily, the first two are accompanied by an interview with the translator, so you can get a better idea of what the poet was getting at.

 

About the author:

http://writingchinese.leeds.ac.uk/book-club/april-han-dong-%E9%9F%A9%E4%B8%9C/

 

Poems (both English and Chinese):

http://writingchinese.leeds.ac.uk/book-club/april-han-dong-%E9%9F%A9%E4%B8%9C/poems-han-dong/

 

 

一声巨响 / A Loud Noise

 

砧板            zhen1ban3              chopping board

 

 

小姐 / Waitress

 

肮脏            ang1zang1             dirty

店堂            dian4tang2             shop

裸体            luo3ti3                    naked

羞愧            xiu1kui4                 ashamed

空缺            kong4que1            vacancy

衬托            chen4tuo1             set off, serve as foil to

 

一堆乱石中的一个人 / Someone in a Riot of Stones

 

蜥蜴            xi1yi1                     lizard

跳跃            tiao4yue4               to leap

重叠            chong2die2           one on top of another

 

一种黑暗 / There is a Darkness

 

均匀           jun1yun2                even, well-distributed

[StChris]

A quite liked the "Waitress" and "There is a Darkness" ones. For anyone interested in getting into ancient poetry, there was a series on Chinesepod called Poems with Pete (subscription required):

https://chinesepod.com/library/channels/list/Poems+with+Pete