The Butterfly Lovers · chapter 8 of 8
Two Butterflies
化蝶
A wedding day under a black sky, a grave that will not stay closed, and the reason people in China still smile at two butterflies in spring.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 结婚那天，天很黑，风很大。红红的花轿，从祝家出发了。
Jiéhūn nà tiān, tiān hěn hēi, fēng hěn dà. Hónghóng de huājiào, cóng Zhù jiā chūfā le.
On the wedding day, the sky was dark and the wind was strong. The bright red bridal sedan set out from the Zhu house.
- Zhu Yingtai 红嫁衣，红花轿，人人都说，今天是我的好日子。
Hóng jiàyī, hóng huājiào, rénrén dōu shuō, jīntiān shì wǒ de hǎo rìzi.
A red wedding dress, a red bridal sedan. Everyone says today is my happy day.
- The Matchmaker 新娘子，别不高兴嘛！马家有钱有势，你以后天天都是好日子！
Xīnniángzi, bié bù gāoxìng ma! Mǎ jiā yǒu qián yǒu shì, nǐ yǐhòu tiāntiān dōu shì hǎo rìzi!
Cheer up, bride! The Ma family has money and power. Every day will be a happy day from now on!
- Zhu Yingtai 山伯不在了，哪里还有好日子？我的心，早就跟他走了。
Shānbó bú zài le, nǎlǐ hái yǒu hǎo rìzi? Wǒ de xīn, zǎo jiù gēn tā zǒu le.
With Shanbo gone, what happy days can there be? My heart left with him long ago.
- Zhu Yingtai 前面就是山伯的墓了吧？别忘了，花轿要从他的墓前走过。
Qiánmiàn jiù shì Shānbó de mù le ba? Bié wàng le, huājiào yào cóng tā de mù qián zǒu guò.
Shanbo's grave is just ahead, isn't it? Don't forget, the sedan is to pass right by it.
- The Matchmaker 知道，知道。结婚的日子去看墓，真不吉利！
Zhīdào, zhīdào. Jiéhūn de rìzi qù kàn mù, zhēn bù jílì!
Yes, yes, I know. Visiting a grave on your wedding day. What terrible luck!
- The Matchmaker 哎呀，到了墓前，风怎么突然这么大？轿子一步也走不动了！
Āiyā, dào le mù qián, fēng zěnme tūrán zhème dà? Jiàozi yí bù yě zǒu bu dòng le!
Oh my! We've reached the grave, and suddenly the wind is so strong! The sedan can't move another step!
- Zhu Yingtai 停下！快停下，让我下去！
Tíng xià! Kuài tíng xià, ràng wǒ xiàqù!
Stop! Stop right now, and let me out!
- The Matchmaker 不行，不行！新娘子怎么能半路下轿？
Bù xíng, bù xíng! Xīnniángzi zěnme néng bàn lù xià jiào?
No, no! A bride can't get out halfway there!
- Zhu Yingtai 谁也别拦我！我只是想去看他一眼。
Shéi yě bié lán wǒ! Wǒ zhǐ shì xiǎng qù kàn tā yì yǎn.
Don't anyone stop me! I only want one look at him.
- Zhu Yingtai 山伯，我来了。你看，我穿着红嫁衣，今天是你的新娘子。
Shānbó, wǒ lái le. Nǐ kàn, wǒ chuānzhe hóng jiàyī, jīntiān shì nǐ de xīnniángzi.
Shanbo, I'm here. Look, I'm wearing a red wedding dress. Today I'm your bride.
- Zhu Yingtai 你说过，要跟我一起去山上看蝴蝶。我们还没有去呢。
Nǐ shuō guo, yào gēn wǒ yìqǐ qù shān shang kàn húdié. Wǒmen hái méiyǒu qù ne.
You said we'd go up the hill together to see the butterflies. We never went.
- Zhu Yingtai 你还说过，活着不能在一起，死了也要在一起。
Nǐ hái shuō guo, huózhe bù néng zài yìqǐ, sǐ le yě yào zài yìqǐ.
And you said that if we couldn't be together in life, we'd be together in death.
- Narrator 天上打了一声雷，下起了大雨。梁山伯的墓，慢慢地开了。
Tiānshàng dǎ le yì shēng léi, xià qǐ le dà yǔ. Liáng Shānbó de mù, mànmàn de kāi le.
Thunder cracked across the sky, and heavy rain poured down. Slowly, Shanbo's grave opened.
- The Matchmaker 天啊，墓开了！新娘子，快回来，快回来啊！
Tiān a, mù kāi le! Xīnniángzi, kuài huílái, kuài huílái a!
Heavens, the grave has opened! Come back, bride, come back!
- Zhu Yingtai 山伯，等我，我来找你了。这一次，谁也不能把我们分开。
Shānbó, děng wǒ, wǒ lái zhǎo nǐ le. Zhè yí cì, shéi yě bù néng bǎ wǒmen fēnkāi.
Shanbo, wait for me. I'm coming to you. This time, no one can part us.
- Narrator 她跳了进去。墓，又慢慢地合上了。
Tā tiào le jìnqù. Mù, yòu mànmàn de hé shàng le.
She leapt in, and slowly the grave closed again.
- The Matchmaker 风停了，雨也停了，太阳也出来了……你们看，墓里飞出来两只蝴蝶！
Fēng tíng le, yǔ yě tíng le, tàiyáng yě chūlái le… nǐmen kàn, mù lǐ fēi chūlái liǎng zhī húdié!
The wind has stopped, and the rain, and the sun is out… Look, all of you! Two butterflies are flying out of the grave!
- The Matchmaker 一只大一点儿，一只小一点儿，一起飞，一点儿也不分开……那是梁山伯和祝英台啊！
Yì zhī dà yìdiǎnr, yì zhī xiǎo yìdiǎnr, yìqǐ fēi, yìdiǎnr yě bù fēnkāi… nà shì Liáng Shānbó hé Zhù Yīngtái a!
One a little bigger, one a little smaller, flying together, never apart… It's Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai!
- Narrator 直到今天，看见两只蝴蝶一起飞，人们还会说：“你看，梁祝。”
Zhídào jīntiān, kànjiàn liǎng zhī húdié yìqǐ fēi, rénmen hái huì shuō: “Nǐ kàn, Liáng Zhù.”
Even today, when people see two butterflies flying together, they say, “Look, it's Liang and Zhu.”
What changed in the story?
- What is the weather like on the wedding day?
“天很黑，风很大。”
- Why does the matchmaker grumble about the route?
“结婚的日子去看墓，真不吉利！”
- What does Yingtai tell Shanbo at his grave?
“我穿着红嫁衣，今天是你的新娘子。”
- What happens after the thunder?
“梁山伯的墓，慢慢地开了。”
- What flies out of the grave?
“墓里飞出来两只蝴蝶……一只大一点儿，一只小一点儿”