Romance of the Western Chamber · chapter 4 of 21
The Memorial Service
为父亲念经
The whole temple chants all night for Yingying's late father. Madam Cui wants to know who the young scholar is, and the monks can hardly keep their minds on the chanting.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 二月十五的晚上，寺里的和尚都来了，一起给崔相国念经。
Èryuè shíwǔ de wǎnshang, sì li de héshang dōu lái le, yìqǐ gěi Cuī xiàngguó niànjīng.
On the evening of the fifteenth of the second month, all the monks of the temple gathered to chant together for Chief Minister Cui.
- Abbot Faben 张先生，你先来烧香吧。
Zhāng xiānsheng, nǐ xiān lái shāoxiāng ba.
Mr. Zhang, you come and burn your incense first.
- Zhang Sheng 谢谢长老。父亲，母亲，儿子来烧香了。
Xièxie zhǎnglǎo. Fùqīn, mǔqīn, érzi lái shāoxiāng le.
Thank you, Abbot. Father, Mother, your son has come to burn incense for you.
- Facong 先生，你来得这么早，是想先看见小姐吧？
Xiānsheng, nǐ lái de zhème zǎo, shì xiǎng xiān kànjiàn xiǎojiě ba?
Sir, you came so early. Hoping to be the first to see the young lady, were you?
- Zhang Sheng 别乱说！我是来念经的。
Bié luànshuō! Wǒ shì lái niànjīng de.
Don't talk nonsense! I'm here for the chanting.
- Narrator 老夫人带着小姐和红娘来了。小姐穿着白衣服，和尚们看着她，都忘了念经。
Lǎo fūrén dàizhe xiǎojiě hé Hóngniáng lái le. Xiǎojiě chuānzhe bái yīfu, héshangmen kànzhe tā, dōu wàng le niànjīng.
Madam Cui arrived with the young lady and Hongniang. The young lady was dressed in white, and the monks stared at her and forgot to chant.
- Abbot Faben 大家别看了，快念经！
Dàjiā bié kàn le, kuài niànjīng!
Stop looking, everyone, and chant!
- Madam Cui 长老，这个书生是谁？
Zhǎnglǎo, zhège shūshēng shì shéi?
Abbot, who is this scholar?
- Abbot Faben 老夫人，他……是我家里的人。
Lǎo fūrén, tā… shì wǒ jiā li de rén.
Madam, he's... a relative of mine.
- Facong 长老家里的人？我怎么不知道？
Zhǎnglǎo jiā li de rén? Wǒ zěnme bù zhīdào?
The abbot's relative? How come I never knew?
- Abbot Faben 他是个书生，父母都去世了，也想给父母念经。
Tā shì gè shūshēng, fùmǔ dōu qùshì le, yě xiǎng gěi fùmǔ niànjīng.
He's a scholar. His parents have both passed away, and he wants prayers chanted for them too.
- Madam Cui 是长老家里的人，那就留下吧。
Shì zhǎnglǎo jiā li de rén, nà jiù liúxià ba.
If he's the abbot's relative, then he may stay.
- Zhang Sheng 老夫人好！谢谢老夫人让我留下！
Lǎo fūrén hǎo! Xièxie Lǎo fūrén ràng wǒ liúxià!
Good evening, Madam! Thank you for letting me stay, Madam!
- Hongniang 小姐，是那个傻书生！
Xiǎojiě, shì nàge shǎ shūshēng!
Miss, it's that silly scholar!
- Cui Yingying 我没看见什么书生，你别说了。
Wǒ méi kànjiàn shénme shūshēng, nǐ bié shuō le.
I haven't noticed any scholar. Hush.
- Zhang Sheng 法聪，你们怎么都不念经了？
Fǎcōng, nǐmen zěnme dōu bú niànjīng le?
Facong, why have you all stopped chanting?
- Facong 先生，你还说我们？你的眼睛，比谁都直！
Xiānsheng, nǐ hái shuō wǒmen? Nǐ de yǎnjing, bǐ shéi dōu zhí!
You're one to talk, sir! Your eyes are more glued to her than anyone's!
- Hongniang 小姐，你穿白衣服也这么美，和尚们都不会念经了！
Xiǎojiě, nǐ chuān bái yīfu yě zhème měi, héshangmen dōu bú huì niànjīng le!
Miss, you look so lovely even in white that the monks have forgotten how to chant!
- Cui Yingying 小声一点儿。过了今天晚上，我就不穿白衣服了。
Xiǎoshēng yìdiǎnr. Guò le jīntiān wǎnshang, wǒ jiù bù chuān bái yīfu le.
Not so loud. After tonight, I won't wear white anymore.
- Narrator 到了半夜，和尚们还在念经，张生也一直没有走。
Dào le bànyè, héshangmen hái zài niànjīng, Zhāng Shēng yě yìzhí méiyǒu zǒu.
At midnight, the monks were still chanting, and Zhang Sheng still hadn't left.
- Zhang Sheng 风太大了，这边的灯不亮了！长老，我来点上！
Fēng tài dà le, zhèbiān de dēng bú liàng le! Zhǎnglǎo, wǒ lái diǎn shàng!
The wind's too strong, the lamp over here has gone out! Abbot, I'll light it!
- Cui Yingying 红娘，你看那个书生，一个晚上都在忙。
Hóngniáng, nǐ kàn nàge shūshēng, yí gè wǎnshang dōu zài máng.
Hongniang, look at that scholar. He's been busy all night long.
- Hongniang 小姐，他是做给你看的！
Xiǎojiě, tā shì zuò gěi nǐ kàn de!
Miss, he's just showing off for you!
- Cui Yingying 他父亲、母亲都去世了，一个人，也挺可怜的。
Tā fùqīn, mǔqīn dōu qùshì le, yí gè rén, yě tǐng kělián de.
His father and mother are both gone, and he's all alone. I feel sorry for him.
- Hongniang 小姐，你的“好丈夫”，又在给你点灯了！
Xiǎojiě, nǐ de “hǎo zhàngfu”, yòu zài gěi nǐ diǎn dēng le!
Miss, your “good husband” is lighting lamps for you again!
- Abbot Faben 天快亮了。老夫人和小姐都累了，请回去休息吧。
Tiān kuài liàng le. Lǎo fūrén hé xiǎojiě dōu lèi le, qǐng huíqu xiūxi ba.
It's almost dawn. Madam, Miss, you must both be tired. Please go back and rest.
- Madam Cui 好。莺莺，我们走。
Hǎo. Yīngyīng, wǒmen zǒu.
Very well. Yingying, let's go.
- Facong 先生，人都走了，你还看什么？别叹气了！
Xiānsheng, rén dōu zǒu le, nǐ hái kàn shénme? Bié tànqì le!
Sir, they've all gone. What are you still looking at? Stop sighing!
- Zhang Sheng 门关上了……我什么时候能再见到她？
Mén guān shàng le… wǒ shénme shíhou néng zài jiàndào tā?
The door is shut... When will I see her again?
What changed in the story?
- Who burns incense first at the service?
“张先生，你先来烧香吧”
- Why do the monks forget to chant?
“和尚们看着她，都忘了念经”
- What does Abbot Faben tell Madam Cui that Zhang Sheng is?
“他……是我家里的人”
- What does Hongniang say Zhang Sheng is doing all night?
“他是做给你看的”
- What does Abbot Faben tell Madam Cui and Yingying at dawn?
“天快亮了。老夫人和小姐都累了，请回去休息吧”