World classic, retold in simple Mandarin
Romeo and Juliet
罗密欧与朱丽叶
Romeo and Juliet (罗密欧与朱丽叶, Luómì'ōu yǔ Zhūlìyè) is a classic by William Shakespeare, retold in simple Mandarin as a 6-chapter story with audio for learners at about HSK 3 (Intermediate).
Retold from William Shakespeare's famous play: two young people from enemy families in Verona fall in love at first sight, marry in secret, and change their city forever.
Meet the voices
- Narrator · 旁白 — The warm grandfatherly storyteller.
- Romeo · 罗密欧 — A dreamy Montague boy who falls in love in one night.
- Juliet · 朱丽叶 — A brave Capulet girl who follows her heart.
- Nurse · 奶妈 — Juliet's talkative, loving nurse.
- Friar Lawrence · 劳伦斯神父 — A kind old friar who hopes to end the families' hatred.
- Mercutio · 茂丘西奥 — Romeo's joking, fearless friend.
- Benvolio · 班伏里奥 — Romeo's calm, sensible cousin and friend.
- Tybalt · 提伯尔特 — Juliet's proud and hot-tempered cousin.
- Lord Capulet · 凯普莱特老爷 — Juliet's loud, stubborn father.
- Lord Montague · 蒙太古老爷 — Romeo's tired, gray-bearded father.
- The Prince · 亲王 — The stern ruler of Verona, who wants the fighting to end.
- Servant · 仆人 — Romeo's servant, who brings the terrible news.
6 chapters, one journey
Chapter 1: The Feast
舞会之夜
Sad Romeo is dragged to a feast in his enemy's house. There he meets a girl who shines brighter than the lamps. Then he learns whose daughter she is.
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Chapter 2: The Balcony
阳台上的话
In the dark, Romeo climbs a garden wall to find the girl he cannot forget. From her balcony, Juliet asks him a question that changes everything.
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Chapter 3: The Secret Wedding
秘密的婚礼
At dawn Romeo rushes to old Friar Lawrence with an impossible request. By afternoon, in a quiet chapel, a secret wedding begins.
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Chapter 4: The Hot Day
热得要命的一天
On the hottest day of summer, Tybalt hunts for Romeo in the square. Romeo begs for peace, but his friend has already drawn a sword.
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Chapter 5: The Lark and the Cup
云雀和小瓶
Romeo and Juliet must part at dawn. Then Juliet's father orders her to marry someone else, and she runs to the friar for help.
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Chapter 6: The Two Families
两个家的和平
A terrible mistake sends Romeo racing to Juliet's tomb. By the gray light of dawn, two old enemies finally face each other.
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Key words in Romeo and Juliet
Behind the story
Romeo and Juliet is a play by the English writer William Shakespeare (莎士比亚), written around 1595 to 1597. It is set in Verona, Italy, and Shakespeare took the story from older Italian tales and an English poem. It is one of the most performed plays in the world.
Chinese readers meet it in school and on stage as 罗密欧与朱丽叶. Zhu Shenghao (朱生豪) made famous Chinese translations of Shakespeare in the 1930s and 1940s. People often compare the play to the Chinese folk tale 梁山伯与祝英台, another story of young lovers who cannot be together.
Did you know?
- Every year, visitors to Verona leave notes on the wall of a courtyard known as Juliet's House, and letters addressed to Juliet arrive there from around the world.
- The play begins with the Prince of Verona already tired of the families' fighting, and it ends with the two families making peace.
- In China, 梁山伯与祝英台 is often called the Chinese Romeo and Juliet, and its story of the Butterfly Lovers is told in opera, film and music.