Romance of the Western Chamber · chapter 5 of 21
Three Days
三天
The morning after the service, Yingying can't stop sighing and Hongniang won't stop teasing. Then drums sound outside the temple walls.
Hear the chapter
Read what you hear
- Narrator 天已经亮了。西厢里，小姐坐着，一句话也不想说。
Tiān yǐjīng liàng le. Xīxiāng li, xiǎojiě zuòzhe, yí jù huà yě bù xiǎng shuō.
Morning had come. In the Western Chamber, the young lady sat there, not wanting to say a word.
- Hongniang 小姐，你又在叹气了。是在想那个傻书生吧？
Xiǎojiě, nǐ yòu zài tànqì le. Shì zài xiǎng nàge shǎ shūshēng ba?
Miss, you're sighing again. Thinking about that silly scholar, are you?
- Cui Yingying 谁想他了？我是没有睡好。
Shéi xiǎng tā le? Wǒ shì méiyǒu shuì hǎo.
Who's thinking about him? I just didn't sleep well.
- Hongniang 那个傻书生，一定也没睡好！
Nàge shǎ shūshēng, yídìng yě méi shuì hǎo!
Then that silly scholar surely didn't sleep well either!
- Cui Yingying 红娘，你天天跟着我。我走到哪儿，你就跟到哪儿。
Hóngniáng, nǐ tiāntiān gēnzhe wǒ. Wǒ zǒu dào nǎr, nǐ jiù gēn dào nǎr.
Hongniang, you follow me every day. Wherever I go, you follow.
- Hongniang 是老夫人让我跟着你的！她管得很严，我也想自己玩一会儿呢。
Shì Lǎo fūrén ràng wǒ gēnzhe nǐ de! Tā guǎn de hěn yán, wǒ yě xiǎng zìjǐ wán yíhuìr ne.
Madam is the one who makes me follow you! She's so strict. I'd like some time to myself too, you know.
- Cui Yingying 红娘，你听！外边是什么声音？
Hóngniáng, nǐ tīng! Wàibian shì shénme shēngyīn?
Hongniang, listen! What's that noise outside?
- Madam Cui 莺莺，红娘，你们都别出去！
Yīngyīng, Hóngniáng, nǐmen dōu bié chūqu!
Yingying, Hongniang, neither of you is to go out!
- Cui Yingying 娘，出了什么事？
Niáng, chū le shénme shì?
Mother, what's happened?
- Abbot Faben 老夫人，不好了！强盗来了！
Lǎo fūrén, bù hǎo le! Qiángdào lái le!
Madam, terrible news! Bandits are here!
- Madam Cui 长老，您慢慢说。
Zhǎnglǎo, nín mànmàn shuō.
Abbot, slow down and tell me.
- Abbot Faben 是孙飞虎！他以前带过兵，现在做了强盗，带着五千人，围住了寺！
Shì Sūn Fēihǔ! Tā yǐqián dàiguo bīng, xiànzài zuò le qiángdào, dàizhe wǔqiān rén, wéizhù le sì!
It's Sun Feihu! He used to command soldiers, and now he's turned bandit. He's surrounded the temple with five thousand men!
- Abbot Faben 他听说小姐很美，走了一夜，今天早上到的。
Tā tīngshuō xiǎojiě hěn měi, zǒu le yí yè, jīntiān zǎoshang dào de.
He heard how beautiful the young lady is. He marched all night and got here this morning.
- Soldier 里边的人听着！送莺莺出来，嫁给我们将军！
Lǐbian de rén tīngzhe! Sòng Yīngyīng chūlai, jià gěi wǒmen jiāngjūn!
You in there, listen! Send Yingying out to marry our general!
- Soldier 给你们三天！三天以后不送出来，就烧了你们的寺，你们都会死！
Gěi nǐmen sān tiān! Sān tiān yǐhòu bú sòng chūlai, jiù shāo le nǐmen de sì, nǐmen dōu huì sǐ!
You have three days! If she isn't out in three days, we'll burn your temple, and you'll all die!
- Cui Yingying 娘，我不害怕。让我去吧，他们就不会杀大家了。
Niáng, wǒ bú hàipà. Ràng wǒ qù ba, tāmen jiù bú huì shā dàjiā le.
Mother, I'm not afraid. Let me go, and they won't kill everyone.
- Cui Yingying 我能救娘，救寺里的和尚，还有父亲的棺材，还有小欢郎……
Wǒ néng jiù niáng, jiù sì li de héshang, hái yǒu fùqīn de guāncai, hái yǒu xiǎo Huānláng…
I can save you, Mother, and the monks, and Father's coffin, and little Huanlang...
- Madam Cui 不行！我们崔家的女儿，怎么能嫁给强盗！
Bù xíng! Wǒmen Cuī jiā de nǚ'ér, zěnme néng jià gěi qiángdào!
No! How could a daughter of our Cui family marry a bandit!
- Cui Yingying 娘，那您听我说。谁能打跑强盗，我就嫁给谁。
Niáng, nà nín tīng wǒ shuō. Shéi néng dǎ pǎo qiángdào, wǒ jiù jià gěi shéi.
Then listen to me, Mother. Whoever can drive the bandits away, I'll marry him.
- Madam Cui 我可怜的孩子……好，就这么办。长老，我们一起去，告诉大家！
Wǒ kělián de háizi… hǎo, jiù zhème bàn. Zhǎnglǎo, wǒmen yìqǐ qù, gàosu dàjiā!
My poor child... Very well, we'll do it. Abbot, let's go together and tell everyone!
- Abbot Faben 大家听着！老夫人说了：谁能打跑强盗，小姐就嫁给他！
Dàjiā tīngzhe! Lǎo fūrén shuō le: shéi néng dǎ pǎo qiángdào, xiǎojiě jiù jià gěi tā!
Listen, everyone! Madam says whoever can drive the bandits away, the young lady will marry him!
- Cui Yingying 会有人来吗？
Huì yǒu rén lái ma?
Will anyone come forward?
- Narrator 可是，没有一个人站出来。
Kěshì, méiyǒu yí gè rén zhàn chūlai.
But not one person stepped forward.
- Zhang Sheng 我有办法打跑强盗！你们为什么不来问我？
Wǒ yǒu bànfǎ dǎ pǎo qiángdào! Nǐmen wèishénme bù lái wèn wǒ?
I have a way to drive the bandits off! Why didn't you ask me?
- Abbot Faben 老夫人，这是昨天晚上跟我们一起念经的书生！
Lǎo fūrén, zhè shì zuótiān wǎnshang gēn wǒmen yìqǐ niànjīng de shūshēng!
Madam, this is the scholar who chanted with us last night!
- Madam Cui 先生，你真的能救我们？
Xiānsheng, nǐ zhēn de néng jiù wǒmen?
Sir, can you really save us?
- Zhang Sheng 能！可是老夫人刚才说的话……
Néng! Kěshì Lǎo fūrén gāngcái shuō de huà…
I can! But what you just said, Madam...
- Madam Cui 我的话，大家都听见了。先生，你能打跑强盗，莺莺就嫁给你！
Wǒ de huà, dàjiā dōu tīngjiàn le. Xiānsheng, nǐ néng dǎ pǎo qiángdào, Yīngyīng jiù jià gěi nǐ!
Everyone heard my words. Sir, if you can drive the bandits off, Yingying will marry you!
- Zhang Sheng 好！那请小姐先回去，别让我的妻子害怕！
Hǎo! Nà qǐng xiǎojiě xiān huíqu, bié ràng wǒ de qīzi hàipà!
Good! Then please take the young lady back inside, and don't let my wife be frightened!
- Hongniang 小姐，这个傻书生……他一个人，怎么打五千个强盗？
Xiǎojiě, zhège shǎ shūshēng… tā yí gè rén, zěnme dǎ wǔqiān gè qiángdào?
Miss, this silly scholar... how can one man fight five thousand bandits?
- Cui Yingying 我只希望，他真的能打跑他们……
Wǒ zhǐ xīwàng, tā zhēn de néng dǎ pǎo tāmen…
I only hope he really can drive them away...
What changed in the story?
- Why does Hongniang follow Yingying everywhere?
“是老夫人让我跟着你的”
- How many men has Sun Feihu brought to the temple?
“带着五千人，围住了寺”
- What will the bandits do if Yingying isn't sent out in three days?
“三天以后不送出来，就烧了你们的寺”
- What is Yingying's idea to save everyone?
“谁能打跑强盗，我就嫁给谁”
- What does Zhang Sheng call Yingying after Madam Cui's promise?
“别让我的妻子害怕”