A Chinese Ghost Story: Nie Xiaoqian · chapter 1 of 5
The Old Temple
旧寺
A poor scholar shelters in a haunted temple, makes a grumpy swordsman laugh, and then a girl's voice at his door already knows his name.
Hear the chapter
Read what you hear
- Narrator 很久以前，有一个书生叫宁采臣。那天晚上，他走进了兰若寺。
Hěn jiǔ yǐqián, yǒu yí gè shūshēng jiào Níng Cǎichén. Nàtiān wǎnshang, tā zǒujìn le Lánruò Sì.
Long ago, there was a scholar named Ning Caichen. That night, he walked into Lanruo Temple.
- Ning Caichen 雨太大了！这里有人吗？
Yǔ tài dà le! Zhèlǐ yǒurén ma?
What a downpour! Is anyone here?
- Ning Caichen 好冷，好黑……我的钱不多，今天只能住在这儿了。
Hǎo lěng, hǎo hēi… wǒ de qián bù duō, jīntiān zhǐnéng zhù zài zhèr le.
So cold, so dark... I don't have much money. I can only stay here tonight.
- Yan Chixia 谁？站住！你是谁？
Shuí? Zhànzhù! Nǐ shì shuí?
Who's there? Stop! Who are you?
- Ning Caichen 别……别打我！我姓宁，叫宁采臣。我是个书生。
Bié… bié dǎ wǒ! Wǒ xìng níng, jiào Níng Cǎichén. Wǒ shì ge shūshēng.
Don't... don't hit me! My surname is Ning, my name is Ning Caichen. I'm a scholar.
- Yan Chixia 书生？这里没有人住。你来做什么？
Shūshēng? Zhèlǐ méiyǒu rén zhù. Nǐ lái zuò shénme?
A scholar? Nobody lives here. What are you doing here?
- Ning Caichen 我要去金华找工作。可是城里太贵了，这里不要钱。
Wǒ yào qù Jīnhuá zhǎo gōngzuò. Kěshì chénglǐ tài guì le, zhèlǐ bú yào qián.
I'm on my way to Jinhua to find work. But the town is too expensive, and this place costs nothing.
- Yan Chixia 你不怕吗？人们说，这个寺里有鬼。
Nǐ bú pà ma? Rénmen shuō, zhège sì lǐ yǒu guǐ.
Aren't you afraid? People say this temple has ghosts.
- Ning Caichen 鬼？我什么都没有。鬼来了，也没有东西可以拿！
Guǐ? Wǒ shénme dōu méiyǒu. Guǐ lái le, yě méiyǒu dōngxi kěyǐ ná!
Ghosts? I have nothing at all. If a ghost came, there'd be nothing to take!
- Yan Chixia 哈哈哈！十年了，第一次有人让我笑。
Hā hā hā! Shí nián le, dì yī cì yǒurén ràng wǒ xiào.
Ha ha ha! In ten years, you're the first person who has made me laugh.
- Yan Chixia 我叫燕赤霞。你这个书生，我喜欢。今晚你住我旁边。
Wǒ jiào Yàn Chìxiá. Nǐ zhège shūshēng, wǒ xǐhuan. Jīnwǎn nǐ zhù wǒ pángbiān.
I'm Yan Chixia. I like you, scholar. Tonight you'll stay next to me.
- Ning Caichen 谢谢燕先生！我有一点儿吃的，我们一起吃吧！
Xièxie Yàn xiānsheng! Wǒ yǒu yìdiǎnr chī de, wǒmen yìqǐ chī ba!
Thank you, Master Yan! I have a little food. Let's eat together!
- Yan Chixia 我不吃，不吃！……好吧，给我一半。
Wǒ bù chī, bù chī!… Hǎo ba, gěi wǒ yíbàn.
I don't eat! I don't! ...Fine, give me half.
- Ning Caichen 燕先生，你说话不客气，可是你的心真好。
Yàn xiānsheng, nǐ shuōhuà bú kèqi, kěshì nǐ de xīn zhēn hǎo.
Master Yan, you talk roughly, but you have a kind heart.
- Yan Chixia 宁先生，你听我说。今晚不管听到什么，都不要开门。
Níng xiānsheng, nǐ tīng wǒ shuō. Jīnwǎn bù guǎn tīngdào shénme, dōu bú yào kāimén.
Mr. Ning, listen to me. Tonight, no matter what you hear, do not open your door.
- Ning Caichen 为什么？这里晚上有什么吗？
Wèishénme? Zhèlǐ wǎnshang yǒu shénme ma?
Why? What is here at night?
- Yan Chixia 我不说。你只要记住：不要开门，也不要拿别人给你的东西。
Wǒ bù shuō. Nǐ zhǐyào jìzhù: bú yào kāimén, yě bú yào ná biéren gěi nǐ de dōngxi.
I won't say. Just remember: don't open the door, and don't take anything anyone gives you.
- Ning Caichen 我记住了。不是我的东西，我不拿。
Wǒ jìzhù le. Bú shì wǒ de dōngxi, wǒ bù ná.
I'll remember. If it isn't mine, I don't take it.
- Narrator 燕赤霞回房间去了。深夜，宁采臣一个人坐在灯下看书。
Yàn Chìxiá huí fángjiān qù le. Shēnyè, Níng Cǎichén yí gè rén zuò zài dēng xià kànshū.
Yan Chixia went back to his room. Late at night, Ning Caichen sat alone under a lamp, reading.
- Ning Caichen 这本书真难……可是我要找到工作。妈妈在家里等我。
Zhè běn shū zhēn nán… kěshì wǒ yào zhǎodào gōngzuò. Māma zài jiālǐ děng wǒ.
This book is so hard... but I must find work. Mother is waiting for me at home.
- Nie Xiaoqian 先生，先生，你睡了吗？
Xiānsheng, xiānsheng, nǐ shuì le ma?
Sir, sir, are you asleep?
- Ning Caichen 谁？这么晚了，谁在外面？
Shuí? Zhème wǎn le, shuí zài wàimian?
Who is it? It's so late. Who is out there?
- Nie Xiaoqian 我的灯灭了。外面好黑，好冷。可以让我进去吗？
Wǒ de dēng miè le. Wàimian hǎo hēi, hǎo lěng. Kěyǐ ràng wǒ jìnqu ma?
My lamp went out. It's so dark and cold outside. May I come in?
- Ning Caichen 燕先生说，不要开门……可是外面是一个女孩子。
Yàn xiānsheng shuō, bú yào kāimén… kěshì wàimian shì yí gè nǚháizi.
Master Yan said not to open the door... but it's a girl out there.
- Nie Xiaoqian 先生，你是宁采臣，对不对？
Xiānsheng, nǐ shì Níng Cǎichén, duì bú duì?
Sir, you are Ning Caichen, aren't you?
- Ning Caichen 你……你怎么知道我的名字？我没有告诉过别人！
Nǐ… nǐ zěnme zhīdao wǒ de míngzi? Wǒ méiyǒu gàosu guò biéren!
How... how do you know my name? I haven't told anyone!
- Nie Xiaoqian 宁先生，门没有锁呀。
Níng xiānsheng, mén méiyǒu suǒ ya.
Mr. Ning, the door isn't locked.
What changed in the story?
- Why does Ning stay in the old temple?
“城里太贵了，这里不要钱”
- What makes Yan Chixia laugh?
“鬼来了，也没有东西可以拿”
- What warning does Yan give Ning for the night?
“不管听到什么，都不要开门”
- What is Ning's rule about other people's things?
“不是我的东西，我不拿”
- What frightens Ning at the end of the chapter?
“你怎么知道我的名字”