Romance of the Western Chamber · chapter 8 of 21
A Cup of Wine
一杯酒
At noon Madam Cui pours wine for the man who saved her family, and Yingying is called in to greet him. Zhang Sheng is sure today is his wedding day.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 那天中午，西厢里，老夫人请张生喝酒。
Nà tiān zhōngwǔ, Xīxiāng li, Lǎo fūrén qǐng Zhāng Shēng hē jiǔ.
At noon that day, in the Western Chamber, Madam Cui invited Zhang Sheng over for wine.
- Madam Cui 先生，谢谢你救了我们。这杯酒，请你喝。
Xiānsheng, xièxie nǐ jiù le wǒmen. Zhè bēi jiǔ, qǐng nǐ hē.
Sir, thank you for saving us. This cup of wine is for you.
- Zhang Sheng 谢谢老夫人！强盗走了，大家都没事，我就高兴了。
Xièxie Lǎo fūrén! Qiángdào zǒu le, dàjiā dōu méi shì, wǒ jiù gāoxìng le.
Thank you, Madam! The bandits are gone and everyone is safe. That's enough to make me happy.
Chapter 8 is part of SayMei Stories Unlimited ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Part 1 of Romance of the Western Chamber (chapters 1–5) is free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- Madam Cui 红娘，去请小姐出来。
Hóngniáng, qù qǐng xiǎojiě chūlai.
Hongniang, go and ask the young lady to come out.
- Hongniang 小姐，快起来！看看镜子，打扮一下。老夫人请你出去见客人。
Xiǎojiě, kuài qǐlai! Kànkan jìngzi, dǎban yíxià. Lǎo fūrén qǐng nǐ chūqu jiàn kèrén.
Miss, get up, quick! Look in the mirror and make yourself pretty. Madam wants you to come out and meet the guest.
- Cui Yingying 我不舒服，今天谁也不想见。
Wǒ bù shūfu, jīntiān shéi yě bù xiǎng jiàn.
I don't feel well. I don't want to see anyone today.
- Hongniang 客人是张生啊！小姐，你还不去？
Kèrén shì Zhāng Shēng a! Xiǎojiě, nǐ hái bú qù?
But the guest is Zhang Sheng! Still not going, Miss?
- Cui Yingying 张生？那……我就出去一下吧。别让娘等我。
Zhāng Shēng? Nà… wǒ jiù chūqu yíxià ba. Bié ràng niáng děng wǒ.
Zhang Sheng? Then... I'll go out for a moment. Mother mustn't be kept waiting.
- Hongniang 你看，一听是张生，病就好了！今天一定是要你们结婚了！
Nǐ kàn, yì tīng shì Zhāng Shēng, bìng jiù hǎo le! Jīntiān yídìng shì yào nǐmen jiéhūn le!
See? The moment you hear it's Zhang Sheng, you're well again! Today must be your wedding day!
- Cui Yingying 红娘，你不知道我娘。今天这杯酒，不一定是喜酒。
Hóngniáng, nǐ bù zhīdào wǒ niáng. Jīntiān zhè bēi jiǔ, bù yídìng shì xǐjiǔ.
Hongniang, you don't know my mother. Today's wine may not be wedding wine.
- Madam Cui 莺莺，来，见见你的哥哥。
Yīngyīng, lái, jiànjian nǐ de gēge.
Yingying, come and greet your elder brother.
- Zhang Sheng 哥哥？我怎么成了她的哥哥？
Gēge? Wǒ zěnme chéng le tā de gēge?
Elder brother? How did I become her elder brother?
- Cui Yingying 娘……说话不算话了。
Niáng… shuōhuà bú suànhuà le.
Mother... isn't keeping her word.
- Hongniang 老夫人这是什么意思？说好的结婚呢？
Lǎo fūrén zhè shì shénme yìsi? Shuō hǎo de jiéhūn ne?
What does Madam mean by this? What happened to the wedding she promised?
- Madam Cui 莺莺，给哥哥倒一杯酒。
Yīngyīng, gěi gēge dào yì bēi jiǔ.
Yingying, pour your elder brother a cup of wine.
- Cui Yingying 张生，请喝这杯酒。
Zhāng Shēng, qǐng hē zhè bēi jiǔ.
Zhang Sheng, please drink this cup.
- Zhang Sheng 这杯酒，叫我怎么喝得下？
Zhè bēi jiǔ, jiào wǒ zěnme hē de xià?
This cup of wine... how can I ever get it down?
- Madam Cui 好了，莺莺，你回房去吧。红娘，给先生倒酒。
Hǎo le, Yīngyīng, nǐ huí fáng qù ba. Hóngniáng, gěi xiānsheng dào jiǔ.
That will do. Yingying, go back to your room. Hongniang, pour wine for the gentleman.
- Zhang Sheng 老夫人，您那天说的话，寺里的人都听见了。
Lǎo fūrén, nín nà tiān shuō de huà, sì li de rén dōu tīngjiàn le.
Madam, everyone in the temple heard what you said that day.
- Madam Cui 先生，莺莺的父亲早就答应把她嫁给郑尚书的儿子郑恒了。
Xiānsheng, Yīngyīng de fùqīn zǎo jiù dāying bǎ tā jià gěi Zhèng shàngshū de érzi Zhèng Héng le.
Sir, long ago Yingying's father promised her in marriage to Zheng Heng, Minister Zheng's son.
- Madam Cui 我们崔家答应的事，不能不算。我已经写信叫他来了。
Wǒmen Cuī jiā dāying de shì, bù néng bú suàn. Wǒ yǐjīng xiě xìn jiào tā lái le.
What our Cui family has promised must stand. I have already written and sent for him.
- Zhang Sheng 那您答应我的呢？
Nà nín dāying wǒ de ne?
And what you promised me?
- Madam Cui 这些金子，你拿去，再找一个好妻子吧。
Zhèxiē jīnzi, nǐ ná qù, zài zhǎo yí gè hǎo qīzi ba.
Take this gold, and find yourself a good wife.
- Zhang Sheng 我不要金子！我救小姐，不是要您的金子！我明天就走！
Wǒ bú yào jīnzi! Wǒ jiù xiǎojiě, bú shì yào nín de jīnzi! Wǒ míngtiān jiù zǒu!
I don't want gold! I didn't save the young lady for your gold! I'll leave tomorrow!
- Madam Cui 红娘，送先生回书房。
Hóngniáng, sòng xiānsheng huí shūfáng.
Hongniang, see the gentleman back to the study.
- Zhang Sheng 红娘，我给你跪下了！你救救我吧！
Hóngniáng, wǒ gěi nǐ guìxià le! Nǐ jiùjiu wǒ ba!
Hongniang, I'm on my knees to you! Please save me!
- Hongniang 张生，你跪下做什么？快起来，别让人看见！
Zhāng Shēng, nǐ guìxià zuò shénme? Kuài qǐlai, bié ràng rén kànjiàn!
Zhang Sheng, why are you kneeling? Get up before someone sees!
- Zhang Sheng 没有小姐，我还能做什么？这次，我真的要死了！
Méiyǒu xiǎojiě, wǒ hái néng zuò shénme? Zhè cì, wǒ zhēn de yào sǐ le!
Without the young lady, what's left for me? This time I really am going to die!
- Hongniang 傻书生！你要是死了，小姐怎么办？等等，那是你的琴吗？
Shǎ shūshēng! Nǐ yàoshi sǐ le, xiǎojiě zěnme bàn? Děngdeng, nà shì nǐ de qín ma?
Silly scholar! If you die, what will Miss do? Wait, is that your qin?
- Zhang Sheng 是。可是现在，弹琴还有什么用？
Shì. Kěshì xiànzài, tán qín hái yǒu shénme yòng?
It is. But what's the use of playing now?
- Hongniang 别急，我有办法。小姐最爱听琴，只有琴能帮你了。
Bié jí, wǒ yǒu bànfǎ. Xiǎojiě zuì ài tīng qín, zhǐ yǒu qín néng bāng nǐ le.
Don't panic, I have a way. Miss loves listening to the qin. Only the qin can help you now.
- Hongniang 今天晚上，你听见我在花园里咳嗽，就弹琴。明天，我告诉你小姐说了什么。
Jīntiān wǎnshang, nǐ tīngjiàn wǒ zài huāyuán li késou, jiù tán qín. Míngtiān, wǒ gàosu nǐ xiǎojiě shuō le shénme.
Tonight, when you hear me cough in the garden, play your qin. Tomorrow I'll tell you what she said.
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why does Yingying agree to go out after all?
“客人是张生啊！……张生？那……我就出去一下吧”
- What does Yingying warn Hongniang about today's wine?
“今天这杯酒，不一定是喜酒”
- What does Madam Cui call Zhang Sheng when Yingying comes in?
“莺莺，来，见见你的哥哥”
- What reason does Madam Cui give Zhang Sheng after Yingying leaves?
“莺莺的父亲早就答应把她嫁给郑尚书的儿子郑恒了”
- What will Hongniang do in the garden tonight as a signal?
“你听见我在花园里咳嗽，就弹琴”