The Butterfly Lovers · chapter 4 of 8
A Letter from Home
一封家信
A letter orders Yingtai home at once. Before she goes, she means to tell Shanbo the truth, if only the words will come out.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 这天早上，学堂门口的柳树都绿了。英台站在门口，手里拿着一封家信。
Zhè tiān zǎoshang, xuétáng ménkǒu de liǔshù dōu lǜ le. Yīngtái zhàn zài ménkǒu, shǒu lǐ názhe yì fēng jiā xìn.
That morning, the willows by the school gate had all turned green. Yingtai stood at the gate with a letter from home in her hand.
- Zhu Yingtai “家里有急事，英台见信马上回家。”这是爸爸的字。
“Jiā lǐ yǒu jíshì, Yīngtái jiàn xìn mǎshàng huí jiā.” Zhè shì bàba de zì.
“Urgent matter at home. Yingtai, come home as soon as you read this.” It's Father's handwriting.
- Zhu Yingtai 什么急事呢？信上一个字也没多写，是不是爸爸病了？
Shénme jíshì ne? Xìn shang yí gè zì yě méi duō xiě, shì bu shì bàba bìng le?
What urgent matter? The letter doesn't say a single word more. Is Father ill?
- Liang Shanbo 英台，一大早，你一个人站在门口干什么？你的脸色怎么这么不好？
Yīngtái, yí dà zǎo, nǐ yí gè rén zhàn zài ménkǒu gàn shénme? Nǐ de liǎnsè zěnme zhème bù hǎo?
Yingtai, what are you doing out here at the gate so early? Why are you so pale?
- Zhu Yingtai 梁兄，家里来信了，要我马上回家。
Liáng xiōng, jiā lǐ lái xìn le, yào wǒ mǎshàng huí jiā.
Brother Liang, a letter came from home. They want me back right away.
- Liang Shanbo 怎么这么急，家里出了什么事？
Zěnme zhème jí, jiā lǐ chū le shénme shì?
Why so suddenly? What's happened at home?
- Zhu Yingtai 信上没说。我怕是爸爸病了，明天一早就得走。
Xìn shang méi shuō. Wǒ pà shì bàba bìng le, míngtiān yì zǎo jiù děi zǒu.
It doesn't say. I'm afraid Father may be ill. I have to leave first thing tomorrow.
- Liang Shanbo 明天就走？三年了，我们天天在一起。你走了，谁陪我读书，谁听我说话呢？
Míngtiān jiù zǒu? Sān nián le, wǒmen tiāntiān zài yìqǐ. Nǐ zǒu le, shéi péi wǒ dú shū, shéi tīng wǒ shuōhuà ne?
Tomorrow? For three years we've been together every day. With you gone, who'll study with me? Who'll listen to me talk?
- Liang Shanbo 还有，我们说好了，一起去山上看蝴蝶。你还没看呢！
Hái yǒu, wǒmen shuō hǎo le, yìqǐ qù shān shang kàn húdié. Nǐ hái méi kàn ne!
And we promised to go up the hill to see the butterflies together. You haven't seen them yet!
- Zhu Yingtai 蝴蝶……明年春天，我们再一起看吧。
Húdié… míngnián chūntiān, wǒmen zài yìqǐ kàn ba.
The butterflies… Let's see them together next spring.
- Zhu Yingtai 我也不想走啊。可是我答应过爸爸：家里叫我，我就要马上回去。
Wǒ yě bù xiǎng zǒu a. Kěshì wǒ dāying guo bàba: jiā lǐ jiào wǒ, wǒ jiù yào mǎshàng huíqù.
I don't want to go either. But I promised Father: when the family calls, I go home at once.
- Zhu Yingtai 玉蝴蝶还在师母那里……不，我的秘密，我要自己告诉他。
Yù húdié hái zài shīmǔ nàlǐ… Bù, wǒ de mìmì, wǒ yào zìjǐ gàosu tā.
The jade butterfly is still with the teacher's wife… No. I want to tell him my secret myself.
- Zhu Yingtai 梁兄，走以前，我有一件事，一定要告诉你。
Liáng xiōng, zǒu yǐqián, wǒ yǒu yí jiàn shì, yídìng yào gàosu nǐ.
Brother Liang, before I go, there's something I have to tell you.
- Liang Shanbo 什么事，你说吧，我听着呢。
Shénme shì, nǐ shuō ba, wǒ tīngzhe ne.
What is it? Go ahead, I'm listening.
- Zhu Yingtai 其实，我……我不是……
Qíshí, wǒ… wǒ bú shì…
The truth is, I… I'm not…
- Liang Shanbo 你不是想走，我知道。你是舍不得我，对不对？
Nǐ bú shì xiǎng zǒu, wǒ zhīdào. Nǐ shì shěbude wǒ, duì bu duì?
You don't want to leave. I know. You'll miss me, won't you?
- Zhu Yingtai ……对，我舍不得你，也舍不得这里。
…Duì, wǒ shěbude nǐ, yě shěbude zhèlǐ.
…Yes. I'll miss you. And this place too.
- Zhu Yingtai 唉，话到了嘴边，又没说出来。我怎么这么没用！
Āi, huà dào le zuǐ biān, yòu méi shuō chūlái. Wǒ zěnme zhème méiyòng!
Ugh. The words were right there, and I still didn't say them. Why am I so useless?
- Liang Shanbo 英台，明天我送你，送你走一段路。
Yīngtái, míngtiān wǒ sòng nǐ, sòng nǐ zǒu yí duàn lù.
Yingtai, I'll see you off tomorrow. I'll walk part of the way with you.
- Zhu Yingtai 你要送我？那学堂的课怎么办？
Nǐ yào sòng wǒ? Nà xuétáng de kè zěnme bàn?
You'll walk with me? What about your lessons?
- Liang Shanbo 课可以以后再上。好兄弟要分开，我怎么能不送呢？
Kè kěyǐ yǐhòu zài shàng. Hǎo xiōngdì yào fēnkāi, wǒ zěnme néng bú sòng ne?
Lessons can wait. When good brothers have to part, how could I not see you off?
- Narrator 那天晚上，英台很久很久都没有睡着。
Nà tiān wǎnshang, Yīngtái hěn jiǔ hěn jiǔ dōu méiyǒu shuìzháo.
That night, Yingtai lay awake for a long, long time.
- Zhu Yingtai 明天路上，我一定要想个办法，让这个书呆子明白。
Míngtiān lù shang, wǒ yídìng yào xiǎng gè bànfǎ, ràng zhège shūdāizi míngbai.
Tomorrow on the road, I'll find a way to make that bookworm understand.
What changed in the story?
- What does the letter from home say?
“家里有急事，英台见信马上回家。”
- What did Shanbo and Yingtai plan to do together this spring?
“我们说好了，一起去山上看蝴蝶。”
- Why does Yingtai feel she must go?
“我答应过爸爸：家里叫我，我就要马上回去。”
- What does Shanbo think Yingtai is trying to say?
“你是舍不得我，对不对？”
- What does Shanbo offer to do?
“明天我送你，送你走一段路。”