Liaozhai: Fox and Ghost Loves · chapter 3 of 25
Nie Xiaoqian's Secret
聂小倩的秘密
Two newcomers at the temple die on two nights, each with a tiny mark on his foot. At midnight the girl comes back, and this time she brings a secret.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 第二天早上，一个兰溪来的书生，带着仆人住进了东边的房间。
Dì èr tiān zǎoshang, yí gè Lánxī lái de shūshēng, dàizhe púrén zhùjìn le dōngbian de fángjiān.
The next morning, a scholar from Lanxi and his servant moved into the rooms on the east side.
- Narrator 那天夜里，书生死了。又过了一夜，仆人也死了。
Nà tiān yè li, shūshēng sǐ le. Yòu guò le yí yè, púrén yě sǐ le.
That night, the scholar died. One night later, the servant died too.
- Ning Caichen 两个晚上死了两个人，为什么会这样？
Liǎng gè wǎnshang sǐ le liǎng gè rén, wèishénme huì zhèyàng?
Two nights, two men dead. How can this be?
- Ning Caichen 燕大哥，您回来了！东边房间的两个人，都死了！
Yàn dàgē, nín huílai le! Dōngbian fángjiān de liǎng gè rén, dōu sǐ le!
Brother Yan, you're back! The two men in the east rooms are both dead!
- Yan Chixia 两个人都死了？是怎么死的？
Liǎng gè rén dōu sǐ le? Shì zěnme sǐ de?
Both of them dead? How did they die?
- Ning Caichen 他们的脚心上，都有一个小红点，像针扎的，还有一点儿血。
Tāmen de jiǎoxīn shang, dōu yǒu yí gè xiǎo hóng diǎn, xiàng zhēn zhā de, hái yǒu yìdiǎnr xiě.
Each had a tiny red mark on the sole of his foot, like a needle prick, and a little blood.
- Yan Chixia 我说话直：这不是人做的。
Wǒ shuōhuà zhí: zhè bú shì rén zuò de.
I'll put it plainly: no person did this.
- Ning Caichen 不是人？这儿没有和尚，也没有别人，那会是谁？
Bú shì rén? Zhèr méiyǒu héshang, yě méiyǒu biérén, nà huì shì shéi?
Not a person? There are no monks here and no one else, so who could it be?
- Yan Chixia 是妖怪做的。
Shì yāoguài zuò de.
A demon did it.
- Ning Caichen 妖怪？我不怕，我又没做错事，它找我做什么？
Yāoguài? Wǒ bú pà, wǒ yòu méi zuò cuò shì, tā zhǎo wǒ zuò shénme?
A demon? I'm not afraid. I've done nothing wrong, so what would it want with me?
- Yan Chixia 你不怕就好。今天晚上关好门，要是听见什么，就叫我。
Nǐ bú pà jiù hǎo. Jīntiān wǎnshang guān hǎo mén, yàoshi tīngjiàn shénme, jiù jiào wǒ.
Good that you're not afraid. Shut your door tight tonight, and if you hear anything, call me.
- Ning Caichen 知道了，燕大哥，您也小心。
Zhīdào le, Yàn dàgē, nín yě xiǎoxīn.
I will, Brother Yan. You be careful too.
- Narrator 那天半夜，房间里很暗。那个姑娘又来了。
Nà tiān bànyè, fángjiān li hěn àn. Nàge gūniang yòu lái le.
At midnight that night, the room was dark. The girl came again.
- Ning Caichen 又是你？这次又带了金子，要我再扔一次吗？
Yòu shì nǐ? Zhè cì yòu dài le jīnzi, yào wǒ zài rēng yí cì ma?
You again? Brought gold again this time, so I can throw it out once more?
- Nie Xiaoqian 公子，这次我没带金子。我带来的，是我的秘密。
Gōngzǐ, zhè cì wǒ méi dài jīnzi. Wǒ dàilai de, shì wǒ de mìmì.
Sir, I brought no gold this time. What I've brought is my secret.
- Ning Caichen 你有什么秘密？
Nǐ yǒu shénme mìmì?
What secret do you have?
- Nie Xiaoqian 我见过很多人，心像铁和石头一样的，就你一个。
Wǒ jiànguo hěn duō rén, xīn xiàng tiě hé shítou yíyàng de, jiù nǐ yí gè.
I've seen a great many men, and only you have a heart like iron and stone.
- Ning Caichen 所以呢？
Suǒyǐ ne?
So?
- Nie Xiaoqian 所以，我不能再对你说假话了。我叫聂小倩。
Suǒyǐ, wǒ bù néng zài duì nǐ shuō jiǎhuà le. Wǒ jiào Niè Xiǎoqiàn.
So I can't tell you lies anymore. My name is Nie Xiaoqian.
- Nie Xiaoqian 十八岁那年，我死了，就埋在这个寺的旁边。
Shíbā suì nà nián, wǒ sǐ le, jiù mái zài zhège sì de pángbiān.
The year I was eighteen, I died, and I was buried right beside this temple.
- Ning Caichen 你是说，你是鬼？可是你这么年轻，这么美……
Nǐ shì shuō, nǐ shì guǐ? Kěshì nǐ zhème niánqīng, zhème měi…
You mean you're a ghost? But you're so young, so lovely...
- Nie Xiaoqian 对，你怕我吗？
Duì, nǐ pà wǒ ma?
Yes. Are you afraid of me?
- Ning Caichen 我不怕，你说吧，我听着。
Wǒ bú pà, nǐ shuō ba, wǒ tīngzhe.
I'm not afraid. Go on, I'm listening.
- Nie Xiaoqian 我死了以后，一个很坏的妖怪，就不让我走了。
Wǒ sǐ le yǐhòu, yí gè hěn huài de yāoguài, jiù bú ràng wǒ zǒu le.
After I died, a very wicked demon would not let me go.
- Ning Caichen 它让你做什么？
Tā ràng nǐ zuò shénme?
What does it make you do?
- Nie Xiaoqian 它让我做坏事。我不想做，可是我得做。
Tā ràng wǒ zuò huàishì. Wǒ bù xiǎng zuò, kěshì wǒ děi zuò.
It makes me do evil things. I don't want to, but I have to.
- Ning Caichen 东边房间的两个人，也是因为它？
Dōngbian fángjiān de liǎng gè rén, yě shì yīnwèi tā?
The two men in the east rooms, was that because of it too?
- Nie Xiaoqian 是的，现在寺里已经没有人可以杀了。
Shì de, xiànzài sì li yǐjīng méiyǒu rén kěyǐ shā le.
Yes. And now there's no one left in the temple to kill.
- Ning Caichen 没有人了？那不是很好吗？
Méiyǒu rén le? Nà bú shì hěn hǎo ma?
No one left? Isn't that a good thing?
- Nie Xiaoqian 不好。我害怕，它会叫夜叉来。
Bù hǎo. Wǒ hàipà, tā huì jiào yèchā lái.
No, it isn't. I'm afraid it will send the yaksha.
- Ning Caichen 夜叉？小倩，那我该怎么办？
Yèchā? Xiǎoqiàn, nà wǒ gāi zěnme bàn?
The yaksha? Xiaoqian, then what am I going to do?
What changed in the story?
- What is found on the feet of the two men who die?
“都有一个小红点，像针扎的，还有一点儿血”
- What does Yan Chixia say killed the two men?
“这不是人做的……是妖怪做的”
- What does the girl say she has brought Ning Caichen this time?
“这次我没带金子。我带来的，是我的秘密”
- How old was Xiaoqian when she died?
“十八岁那年，我死了”
- What is Xiaoqian afraid the demon will do now?
“我害怕，它会叫夜叉来”