The Butterfly Lovers · chapter 12 of 25
The Eighteen-Li Farewell
十八里相送
Nine li from the crossing, Yingtai asks Shanbo straight out, but will the bookworm understand before her boat leaves?
Read what you hear
- Narrator 小路上，英台站住了。离渡口还有九里，她红着脸，看着山伯。
Xiǎolù shàng, Yīngtái zhànzhù le. Lí dùkǒu hái yǒu jiǔ lǐ, tā hóngzhe liǎn, kànzhe Shānbó.
On the path, Yingtai stopped. Still nine li from the crossing, she looked at Shanbo, red in the face.
- Zhu Yingtai 梁兄，我问你：要是我是个女孩子，你会娶我吗？
Liáng xiōng, wǒ wèn nǐ: yàoshi wǒ shì gè nǚháizi, nǐ huì qǔ wǒ ma?
Brother Liang, I'm asking you: if I were a girl, would you marry me?
- Liang Shanbo 哈哈哈，要是你是女孩子，我早就娶你了！
Hāhāhā, yàoshi nǐ shì nǚháizi, wǒ zǎo jiù qǔ nǐ le!
Ha ha ha! If you were a girl, I'd have married you long ago!
Chapter 12 is part of SayMei Stories Unlimited ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapters 1–3 of The Butterfly Lovers are free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, The Ugly Duckling, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- Liang Shanbo 可是你不是嘛，我们是一辈子的好兄弟！
Kěshì nǐ bú shì ma, wǒmen shì yíbèizi de hǎo xiōngdì!
But you're not. We're good brothers for life!
- Zhu Yingtai 他还是不懂，那我就换一个办法。
Tā háishì bù dǒng, nà wǒ jiù huàn yí gè bànfǎ.
He still doesn't get it. Then I'll try another way.
- Zhu Yingtai 梁兄，告诉你一件事：我家里，还有一个妹妹。
Liáng xiōng, gàosu nǐ yí jiàn shì: wǒ jiā lǐ, hái yǒu yí gè mèimei.
Brother Liang, let me tell you something. I have a sister at home.
- Liang Shanbo 妹妹？我们在一起三年了，你从来没说过！
Mèimei? Wǒmen zài yìqǐ sān nián le, nǐ cónglái méi shuō guo!
A sister? Three years together, and you never once mentioned her!
- Zhu Yingtai 她跟我长得一模一样：一样的眼睛，一样的声音。
Tā gēn wǒ zhǎng de yìmúyíyàng: yíyàng de yǎnjing, yíyàng de shēngyīn.
She looks exactly like me: the same eyes, the same voice.
- Liang Shanbo 跟你一模一样？那她一定很漂亮……啊，不，我是说，她一定也很聪明！
Gēn nǐ yìmúyíyàng? Nà tā yídìng hěn piàoliang… A, bù, wǒ shì shuō, tā yídìng yě hěn cōngming!
Exactly like you? Then she must be very pretty... Ah, no, I mean, she must be very clever too!
- Zhu Yingtai 梁兄，我说我妹妹，你脸红什么？
Liáng xiōng, wǒ shuō wǒ mèimei, nǐ liǎn hóng shénme?
Brother Liang, I'm talking about my sister. What are you blushing for?
- Liang Shanbo 那你妹妹，叫什么名字？她也喜欢读书吗？
Nà nǐ mèimei, jiào shénme míngzi? Tā yě xǐhuan dúshū ma?
So what's your sister's name? Does she like books too?
- Zhu Yingtai 她的名字啊，等你来了，自己去问她！她读过的书，比你还多呢！
Tā de míngzi a, děng nǐ lái le, zìjǐ qù wèn tā! Tā dú guo de shū, bǐ nǐ hái duō ne!
Her name? When you come, ask her yourself! She's read even more books than you have!
- Zhu Yingtai 我来做媒人，让她嫁给你，好不好？
Wǒ lái zuò méirén, ràng tā jià gěi nǐ, hǎo bu hǎo?
I'll be the matchmaker and have her marry you. How about it?
- Sijiu 祝公子还会做媒人？我还是第一次听说！
Zhù gōngzǐ hái huì zuò méirén? Wǒ háishì dì yī cì tīngshuō!
Young Master Zhu does matchmaking too? That's a first!
- Yinxin 你懂什么！我们家小姐，又好看，又聪明！
Nǐ dǒng shénme! Wǒmen jiā xiǎojie, yòu hǎokàn, yòu cōngming!
What do you know! Our young lady is pretty and clever!
- Liang Shanbo 好啊好啊，英台的妹妹，我当然想娶！
Hǎo a hǎo a, Yīngtái de mèimei, wǒ dāngrán xiǎng qǔ!
Yes, yes! Yingtai's sister? Of course I want to marry her!
- Sijiu 公子要成亲了！好啊，那一天，我要吃一百个饼！
Gōngzǐ yào chéngqīn le! Hǎo a, nà yì tiān, wǒ yào chī yìbǎi gè bǐng!
My young master's getting married! Great! On that day, I'm eating a hundred cakes!
- Zhu Yingtai 那你记住：先生的课还有一个月。学完了，马上来我家提亲。
Nà nǐ jìzhù: xiānsheng de kè hái yǒu yí gè yuè. Xué wán le, mǎshàng lái wǒ jiā tíqīn.
Then remember: one more month of lessons with the teacher. When you finish, come straight to my house to propose.
- Zhu Yingtai 最晚两个月，晚了就来不及了！
Zuì wǎn liǎng gè yuè, wǎn le jiù láibují le!
Two months at the latest. Any later, and it'll be too late!
- Liang Shanbo 来不及？她还小吧，为什么会来不及？
Láibují? Tā hái xiǎo ba, wèi shénme huì láibují?
Too late? She's still young, isn't she? Why would it be too late?
- Zhu Yingtai 因为……想娶她的人很多。你来晚了，她就是别人家的人了。
Yīnwèi… xiǎng qǔ tā de rén hěn duō. Nǐ lái wǎn le, tā jiù shì biérén jiā de rén le.
Because... lots of men want to marry her. If you come too late, she'll belong to another family.
- Liang Shanbo 好，我发誓：两个月，我一定到祝家！等我跟你妹妹做了夫妻，我们兄弟就是一家人了！
Hǎo, wǒ fāshì: liǎng gè yuè, wǒ yídìng dào Zhù jiā! Děng wǒ gēn nǐ mèimei zuò le fūqī, wǒmen xiōngdì jiù shì yì jiā rén le!
All right, I swear: within two months, I'll be at the Zhu house! Once your sister and I are husband and wife, we brothers will be one family!
- Zhu Yingtai 一家人……书呆子，这一次，你说得真对。
Yì jiā rén… Shūdāizi, zhè yí cì, nǐ shuō de zhēn duì.
One family... Bookworm, this time you're exactly right.
- Narrator 中午，他们到了渡口。柳树下面，祝家的船已经在等着了。
Zhōngwǔ, tāmen dào le dùkǒu. Liǔshù xiàmiàn, Zhù jiā de chuán yǐjīng zài děngzhe le.
At noon they reached the ferry crossing. Under the willows, the Zhu family's boat was already waiting.
- Sijiu 喂，银心，你走了以后，就没人跟我吵架了。
Wèi, Yínxīn, nǐ zǒu le yǐhòu, jiù méi rén gēn wǒ chǎojià le.
Hey, Yinxin. Once you're gone, there'll be nobody to argue with me.
- Yinxin 四九，你怎么哭了？这么大的男孩子，哭什么？
Sìjiǔ, nǐ zěnme kū le? Zhème dà de nánháizi, kū shénme?
Sijiu, are you crying? A boy as big as you, what's there to cry about?
- Sijiu 谁哭了？风太大，沙子进了我的眼睛！
Shéi kū le? Fēng tài dà, shāzi jìn le wǒ de yǎnjing!
Who's crying? The wind's too strong. I got sand in my eyes!
- Yinxin 我也是，我的眼睛里，也有好多沙子。
Wǒ yě shì, wǒ de yǎnjing lǐ, yě yǒu hǎoduō shāzi.
Me too. I've got lots of sand in my eyes too.
- Liang Shanbo 英台，三年前，我们就是在这儿认识的。你看你，怎么满脸都是眼泪？
Yīngtái, sān nián qián, wǒmen jiù shì zài zhèr rènshi de. Nǐ kàn nǐ, zěnme mǎn liǎn dōu shì yǎnlèi?
Yingtai, this is where we met, three years ago. Look at you, why is your face all tears?
- Zhu Yingtai 梁兄，我真舍不得你……
Liáng xiōng, wǒ zhēn shěbude nǐ…
Brother Liang, I really can't bear to leave you...
- Liang Shanbo 我也舍不得。别哭，一个月学完，两个月就到！英台，路上小心！
Wǒ yě shěbude. Bié kū, yí gè yuè xué wán, liǎng gè yuè jiù dào! Yīngtái, lù shàng xiǎoxīn!
Neither can I. Don't cry. One month to finish, and in two I'll be there! Yingtai, safe journey!
- Narrator 船慢慢地开走了。山伯站在柳树下面，一直笑着，一直看着。
Chuán mànmàn de kāi zǒu le. Shānbó zhàn zài liǔshù xiàmiàn, yìzhí xiàozhe, yìzhí kànzhe.
Slowly the boat pulled away. Shanbo stood under the willows, smiling and watching the whole time.
- Zhu Yingtai 书呆子……那个妹妹，就是我啊。两个月，你千万别来晚了！
Shūdāizi… nàge mèimei, jiù shì wǒ a. Liǎng gè yuè, nǐ qiānwàn bié lái wǎn le!
Bookworm... that sister is me. Two months. Whatever you do, don't be late!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does Yingtai ask Shanbo straight out?
“要是我是个女孩子，你会娶我吗”
- What does Yingtai tell Shanbo about her sister?
“她跟我长得一模一样”
- When must Shanbo come to propose?
“最晚两个月，晚了就来不及了”
- Why do Sijiu and Yinxin say their eyes are wet?
“沙子进了我的眼睛……也有好多沙子”
- What does Yingtai say to herself on the boat?
“那个妹妹，就是我啊”