The Old Man Under the Moon · chapter 1 of 4
The Old Man with the Book
看书的老人
Wei Gu hurries to a temple before dawn, sure that today he will finally find a wife. On the steps sits an old man with a book no one can read.
Hear the chapter
Read what you hear
- Narrator 唐朝的时候，有一个年轻的读书人，叫韦固。有一年，他来到了宋城。
Tángcháo de shíhou, yǒu yí gè niánqīng de dúshūrén, jiào Wéi Gù. Yǒu yì nián, tā láidào le Sòngchéng.
Long ago, in the Tang dynasty, there lived a young scholar named Wei Gu. One year, his travels brought him to the town of Songcheng.
- Wei Gu 天还没亮，我就提着灯出门了。月亮还挂在天上呢！我要快点儿去龙兴寺。
Tiān hái méi liàng, wǒ jiù tízhe dēng chūmén le. Yuèliang hái guà zài tiān shang ne! Wǒ yào kuài diǎnr qù Lóngxīng Sì.
It isn't even light yet, and I'm already out the door with my lantern. The moon is still up! I have to hurry to Longxing Temple.
- Wei Gu 今天早上，有人要在那儿给我介绍潘家的女儿。她爸爸以前做过官呢！这门亲事，一定要成！
Jīntiān zǎoshang, yǒu rén yào zài nàr gěi wǒ jièshào Pān jiā de nǚ'ér. Tā bàba yǐqián zuò guo guān ne! Zhè mén qīnshì, yídìng yào chéng!
This morning, someone is meeting me there to introduce me to the Pan family's daughter. Her father used to be an official! This match has to work out!
- Wei Gu 我从小就没有了爸爸妈妈。我多想早点儿结婚，有一个自己的家啊！
Wǒ cóngxiǎo jiù méiyǒu le bàba māma. Wǒ duō xiǎng zǎo diǎnr jiéhūn, yǒu yí gè zìjǐ de jiā a!
I lost my mother and father when I was little. How I long to marry soon and have a family of my own!
- Narrator 龙兴寺门前的台阶上，坐着一位白胡子老人。他靠着布袋，对着月亮看书。
Lóngxīng Sì ménqián de táijiē shang, zuòzhe yí wèi bái húzi lǎorén. Tā kàozhe bùdài, duìzhe yuèliang kàn shū.
On the steps before the temple gate sat an old man with a white beard. Leaning on a cloth bag, he was reading a book by the light of the moon.
- Wei Gu 这么早，还有人在这儿？老人家，您在看什么书？
Zhème zǎo, hái yǒu rén zài zhèr? Lǎorénjia, nín zài kàn shénme shū?
Someone's here already, this early? Sir, what are you reading?
- The Old Man Under the Moon 年轻人，你来得真早啊。天还没亮，就这么着急？
Niánqīngrén, nǐ lái de zhēn zǎo a. Tiān hái méi liàng, jiù zhème zháojí?
You're up early, young man. It isn't even light yet, and you're already in such a hurry?
- Wei Gu 让我看看……奇怪，这是什么字？
Ràng wǒ kànkan… Qíguài, zhè shì shénme zì?
Let me see… How strange. What kind of writing is this?
- Wei Gu 我读了十几年书，什么字都认识。西边国家的字，我也会读。可是您这本书，我一个字也看不懂！
Wǒ dú le shí jǐ nián shū, shénme zì dōu rènshi. Xībian guójiā de zì, wǒ yě huì dú. Kěshì nín zhè běn shū, wǒ yí gè zì yě kàn bu dǒng!
I've studied for more than ten years, and I can read any writing there is, even the scripts of the lands to the west. But I can't make out a single word of your book!
- The Old Man Under the Moon 你当然看不懂，这本书本来就不是给人看的。
Nǐ dāngrán kàn bu dǒng, zhè běn shū běnlái jiù bú shì gěi rén kàn de.
Of course you can't. This book was never meant for human eyes.
- Wei Gu 不是给人看的？那……是给谁看的？
Bú shì gěi rén kàn de? Nà… shì gěi shéi kàn de?
Not meant for human eyes? Then… whose eyes is it meant for?
- The Old Man Under the Moon 给我看的啊。
Gěi wǒ kàn de a.
Mine.
- Wei Gu 您……到底是什么人？
Nín… dàodǐ shì shénme rén?
Who… who are you, really?
- The Old Man Under the Moon 我管的，是世界上所有人的婚事。谁和谁结婚，什么时候结婚，这本书里都写着。
Wǒ guǎn de, shì shìjiè shang suǒyǒu rén de hūnshì. Shéi hé shéi jiéhūn, shénme shíhou jiéhūn, zhè běn shū lǐ dōu xiězhe.
I look after the marriages of everyone in the world. Who will marry whom, and when, is all written in this book.
- Wei Gu 所有人的婚事？那……我的名字，也在上面吗？
Suǒyǒu rén de hūnshì? Nà… wǒ de míngzi, yě zài shàngmiàn ma?
Everyone's marriages? Then… is my name in there too?
- The Old Man Under the Moon 韦固，你的名字，我早就看到了。
Wéi Gù, nǐ de míngzi, wǒ zǎo jiù kàndào le.
Wei Gu, I found your name long ago.
- Wei Gu 您怎么知道我叫韦固？我没告诉过您啊！
Nín zěnme zhīdào wǒ jiào Wéi Gù? Wǒ méi gàosu guo nín a!
How do you know my name is Wei Gu? I never told you!
- Wei Gu 算了，这不重要！老人家，您快告诉我，潘家的亲事能成吗？
Suàn le, zhè bú zhòngyào! Lǎorénjia, nín kuài gàosu wǒ, Pān jiā de qīnshì néng chéng ma?
Never mind, that doesn't matter! Quick, sir, tell me: will the match with the Pan family work out?
- The Old Man Under the Moon 不会成的。
Bú huì chéng de.
It won't.
- Wei Gu 为什么？潘家那么好，我也不差啊！
Wèishénme? Pān jiā nàme hǎo, wǒ yě bú chà a!
Why not? The Pans are a fine family, and I'm no poor match myself!
- The Old Man Under the Moon 因为潘家的女儿，不是你的妻子。
Yīnwèi Pān jiā de nǚ'ér, bú shì nǐ de qīzi.
Because the Pan girl is not your wife.
- The Old Man Under the Moon 还有，你今天等的人，不会来了。
Háiyǒu, nǐ jīntiān děng de rén, bú huì lái le.
And one more thing: the man you're waiting for today isn't coming.
What changed in the story?
- Why is Wei Gu hurrying to the temple before dawn?
“今天早上，有人要在那儿给我介绍潘家的女儿。”
- What is strange about the old man's book?
“可是您这本书，我一个字也看不懂！”
- What does the old man say is written in his book?
“谁和谁结婚，什么时候结婚，这本书里都写着。”
- What does the old man already know?
“韦固，你的名字，我早就看到了……我没告诉过您啊！”
- What does the old man say about the match with the Pan family?
“不会成的……你今天等的人，不会来了。”