Romance of the Western Chamber · chapter 1 of 21
The Girl at Pujiu Temple
寺里的小姐
Zhang Sheng, a poor scholar on his way to the capital's exams, stops in Hezhong to see Pujiu Temple. He isn't the only one walking there today.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 唐朝的时候，有个书生叫张生。这年春天，他要去京城考试。
Táng cháo de shíhou, yǒu gè shūshēng jiào Zhāng Shēng. Zhè nián chūntiān, tā yào qù jīngchéng kǎoshì.
In the days of the Tang dynasty, there was a scholar named Zhang Sheng. That spring, he set out for the capital to take the exams.
- Narrator 他没有钱，可是有一个好朋友，像哥哥一样，是蒲关的将军，有十万兵。
Tā méiyǒu qián, kěshì yǒu yí gè hǎo péngyou, xiàng gēge yíyàng, shì Pú Guān de jiāngjūn, yǒu shíwàn bīng.
He had no money, but he had a good friend, like an elder brother to him, who was a general at Pu Pass with a hundred thousand soldiers.
- Inn boy 公子，快请进！马给我吧。这儿是河中的状元店！
Gōngzǐ, kuài qǐng jìn! Mǎ gěi wǒ ba. Zhèr shì Hézhōng de Zhuàngyuan Diàn!
Come in, sir, come in! I'll take your horse. This is the Top Graduate Inn of Hezhong!
- Zhang Sheng 状元店？为什么叫这个名字？
Zhuàngyuan Diàn? Wèishénme jiào zhège míngzi?
The Top Graduate Inn? Why is it called that?
- Inn boy 住我们店的书生，以后都能考上状元！
Zhù wǒmen diàn de shūshēng, yǐhòu dōu néng kǎoshàng zhuàngyuan!
Every scholar who stays with us goes on to come first in the exams!
- Zhang Sheng 是吗？那你们店里，出过几个状元？
Shì ma? Nà nǐmen diàn li, chūguo jǐ gè zhuàngyuan?
Really? Then how many top graduates has your inn had?
- Inn boy 这个……一个也没有。公子，您来做第一个吧！
Zhège… yí gè yě méiyǒu. Gōngzǐ, nín lái zuò dì yī gè ba!
Well... not a single one yet. Sir, why don't you be the first!
- Zhang Sheng 好！那我先看看河中。这儿有什么好看的地方？
Hǎo! Nà wǒ xiān kànkan Hézhōng. Zhèr yǒu shénme hǎokàn de dìfang?
All right! Then I'll see Hezhong first. What's worth seeing here?
- Inn boy 普救寺！寺里有一座塔，又高又美。公子一定要去看看！
Pǔjiù Sì! Sì li yǒu yí zuò tǎ, yòu gāo yòu měi. Gōngzǐ yídìng yào qù kànkan!
Pujiu Temple! It has a pagoda, so tall and so beautiful. You must go and see it, sir!
- Facong 先生，你好！我是小和尚法聪。长老出去了，我带你看看吧！
Xiānsheng, nǐ hǎo! Wǒ shì xiǎo héshang Fǎcōng. Zhǎnglǎo chūqu le, wǒ dài nǐ kànkan ba!
Hello, sir! I'm Facong, a young monk here. The abbot is out, so let me show you around!
- Zhang Sheng 谢谢你，法聪。我从洛阳来，要去京城考试。
Xièxie nǐ, Fǎcōng. Wǒ cóng Luòyáng lái, yào qù jīngchéng kǎoshì.
Thank you, Facong. I've come from Luoyang, and I'm on my way to the capital for the exams.
- Facong 来看塔的书生很多。可是看了塔，也不一定考得上！
Lái kàn tǎ de shūshēng hěn duō. Kěshì kàn le tǎ, yě bù yídìng kǎo de shàng!
Plenty of scholars come to see the pagoda. But seeing it doesn't mean you'll pass!
- Cui Yingying 红娘，今天这儿一个人也没有，真好。
Hóngniáng, jīntiān zhèr yí gè rén yě méiyǒu, zhēn hǎo.
Hongniang, there's not a soul here today. How nice.
- Hongniang 是啊，小姐。你看，这些花开得多好！
Shì a, xiǎojiě. Nǐ kàn, zhèxiē huā kāi de duō hǎo!
Yes, Miss. Look how lovely these flowers are!
- Zhang Sheng 法聪，你看那边！我读了这么多书，也没见过这么美的人！
Fǎcōng, nǐ kàn nàbiān! Wǒ dú le zhème duō shū, yě méi jiànguo zhème měi de rén!
Facong, look over there! I've read so many books, and I've never seen anyone so beautiful!
- Facong 先生，别看了，你的眼睛都直了！
Xiānsheng, bié kàn le, nǐ de yǎnjing dōu zhí le!
Stop staring, sir! Your eyes are glued to her!
- Hongniang 小姐，那边有个书生在看你！快跟我回去！
Xiǎojiě, nàbiān yǒu gè shūshēng zài kàn nǐ! Kuài gēn wǒ huíqu!
Miss, there's a scholar over there looking at you! Quick, come back with me!
- Zhang Sheng 她回头看了我一眼！法聪，我要死了！
Tā huítóu kàn le wǒ yì yǎn! Fǎcōng, wǒ yào sǐ le!
She looked back at me! Facong, I'm going to die!
- Facong 别乱说！她回头看的是花！
Bié luànshuō! Tā huítóu kàn de shì huā!
Don't talk nonsense! It was the flowers she looked back at!
- Zhang Sheng 不，她看的是我。法聪，她是谁家的小姐？
Bù, tā kàn de shì wǒ. Fǎcōng, tā shì shéi jiā de xiǎojiě?
No, it was me she looked at. Facong, whose daughter is she?
- Facong 她是崔相国的小姐，叫莺莺。她父亲已经去世了。
Tā shì Cuī xiàngguó de xiǎojiě, jiào Yīngyīng. Tā fùqīn yǐjīng qùshì le.
She's the daughter of Chief Minister Cui. Her name is Yingying. Her father has passed away.
- Zhang Sheng 相国的小姐？那她怎么住在寺里？
Xiàngguó de xiǎojiě? Nà tā zěnme zhù zài sì li?
A chief minister's daughter? Then why is she living at a temple?
- Facong 他们要送相国的棺材回博陵。路上不好走，就先住在西厢了。
Tāmen yào sòng xiàngguó de guāncai huí Bólíng. Lù shang bù hǎo zǒu, jiù xiān zhù zài Xīxiāng le.
They're taking the Chief Minister's coffin home to Boling. The roads are bad, so for now they're staying in the Western Chamber.
- Zhang Sheng 西厢……我能去看看她吗？
Xīxiāng… wǒ néng qù kànkan tā ma?
The Western Chamber... Could I go and see her?
- Facong 别乱说了！老夫人管得很严，男人不能进去。
Bié luànshuō le! Lǎo fūrén guǎn de hěn yán, nánrén bù néng jìnqu.
Now that really is nonsense! Madam Cui is very strict. No man may go in there.
- Zhang Sheng 那我怎么办？我的心，已经跟着她走了！
Nà wǒ zěnme bàn? Wǒ de xīn, yǐjīng gēnzhe tā zǒu le!
Then what am I to do? My heart has already gone off with her!
- Facong 先生，你不是要去京城考试吗？
Xiānsheng, nǐ bú shì yào qù jīngchéng kǎoshì ma?
Sir, aren't you supposed to be going to the capital for the exams?
- Zhang Sheng 京城先不去了！跟你们长老说，我明天来，要一间房住！
Jīngchéng xiān bú qù le! Gēn nǐmen zhǎnglǎo shuō, wǒ míngtiān lái, yào yì jiān fáng zhù!
The capital can wait! Tell your abbot I'm coming back tomorrow for a room!
What changed in the story?
- How many top graduates has the Top Graduate Inn had, according to the inn boy?
“这个……一个也没有”
- Who shows Zhang Sheng around Pujiu Temple?
“我是小和尚法聪。长老出去了，我带你看看吧”
- What does Facong say Yingying was looking back at?
“她回头看的是花”
- Why are the Cuis staying at the temple, according to Facong?
“他们要送相国的棺材回博陵。路上不好走，就先住在西厢了”
- What does Zhang Sheng ask Facong to tell the abbot?
“跟你们长老说，我明天来，要一间房住”