The White Snake · chapter 2 of 25
An Umbrella at West Lake
西湖边的伞
At Qingming, Bai finally finds Xu Xian at his parents' grave, and a sudden storm on West Lake puts them in the same little boat.
Hear the chapter
Read what you hear
- Narrator 清明节到了。西湖边的山上，很多人在上坟。
Qīngmíngjié dào le. Xī Hú biān de shān shàng, hěn duō rén zài shàngfén.
Qingming came. On the hills by West Lake, many people were tending their family graves.
- Xu Xian 爸爸，妈妈，我来看你们了。我给你们拜一拜。
Bàba, māma, wǒ lái kàn nǐmen le. Wǒ gěi nǐmen bài yi bài.
Father, Mother, I've come to see you. Let me bow to you.
- Xu Xian 我现在在王员外的药店工作，姐姐和姐夫对我很好。
Wǒ xiànzài zài Wáng yuánwài de yàodiàn gōngzuò, jiějie hé jiěfu duì wǒ hěn hǎo.
I work at Mr. Wang's pharmacy now, and my sister and her husband are very good to me.
- Xu Xian 就是钱不多，没给你们买什么好东西。
Jiùshì qián bù duō, méi gěi nǐmen mǎi shénme hǎo dōngxi.
I just don't have much money, so I couldn't bring you anything nice.
- Bai Suzhen 小青，你看那个上坟的年轻人。他就是许仙，救过我的人！
Xiǎoqīng, nǐ kàn nàge shàngfén de niánqīngrén. Tā jiù shì Xǔ Xiān, jiù guo wǒ de rén!
Xiaoqing, look at that young man by the grave. That's Xu Xian, the one who saved me!
- Xiaoqing 他？他好像没什么钱。
Tā? Tā hǎoxiàng méi shénme qián.
Him? He doesn't look like he has much money.
- Bai Suzhen 可是你看，他对爸爸妈妈多好。钱多钱少，不重要。
Kěshì nǐ kàn, tā duì bàba māma duō hǎo. Qián duō qián shǎo, bú zhòngyào.
But look how good he is to his parents. Rich or poor, it doesn't matter.
- Xu Xian 下雨了！雨这么大……我有一把伞，可是还是坐船回家吧。
Xià yǔ le! Yǔ zhème dà… wǒ yǒu yì bǎ sǎn, kěshì háishi zuò chuán huí jiā ba.
It's raining! And so hard... I have an umbrella, but I'd better take a boat home.
- Bai Suzhen 小青，快！记住，在他面前，我们是人，不是蛇。
Xiǎoqīng, kuài! Jìzhù, zài tā miànqián, wǒmen shì rén, bú shì shé.
Quick, Xiaoqing! Remember: in front of him, we're people, not snakes.
- Xiaoqing 船上的官人！等一等！能让我们两个也坐你的船吗？
Chuán shàng de guānrén! Děng yi děng! Néng ràng wǒmen liǎng gè yě zuò nǐ de chuán ma?
Sir, on the boat! Wait! Could the two of us ride in your boat too?
- Xu Xian 雨太大了，快上来吧！
Yǔ tài dà le, kuài shànglái ba!
The rain's too heavy. Quick, climb in!
- Bai Suzhen 多谢官人。
Duōxiè guānrén.
Thank you so much, sir.
- Xu Xian 不用谢。请问，娘子贵姓？
Bú yòng xiè. Qǐngwèn, niángzǐ guìxìng?
You're welcome. May I ask your family name, miss?
- Bai Suzhen 我叫白素贞。这是我的丫头，小青。
Wǒ jiào Bái Sùzhēn. Zhè shì wǒ de yātou, Xiǎoqīng.
My name is Bai Suzhen. This is my maid, Xiaoqing.
- Xiaoqing 我家小姐的爸爸以前是个官，可是爸爸妈妈都不在了。
Wǒ jiā xiǎojiě de bàba yǐqián shì gè guān, kěshì bàba māma dōu bú zài le.
My mistress's father was an official, but both her parents are gone now.
- Xu Xian 我也是。我很小的时候，爸爸妈妈就不在了。
Wǒ yě shì. Wǒ hěn xiǎo de shíhou, bàba māma jiù bú zài le.
Mine too. I lost my parents when I was very small.
- Xiaoqing 官人，你叫什么？你为什么一直看我家小姐？
Guānrén, nǐ jiào shénme? Nǐ wèishénme yìzhí kàn wǒ jiā xiǎojiě?
Sir, what's your name? And why do you keep staring at my mistress?
- Xu Xian 我……我叫许仙。我没看！我在看……看雨！
Wǒ… wǒ jiào Xǔ Xiān. Wǒ méi kàn! Wǒ zài kàn… kàn yǔ!
I... I'm Xu Xian. I wasn't staring! I was looking at... at the rain!
- Narrator 小船停在一座桥旁边，雨还是很大。
Xiǎo chuán tíng zài yí zuò qiáo pángbiān, yǔ háishi hěn dà.
The little boat stopped beside a bridge. The rain was still pouring down.
- Xu Xian 我到了，娘子，伞给你们，拿去用吧。
Wǒ dào le, niángzǐ, sǎn gěi nǐmen, ná qù yòng ba.
This is my stop. Miss, take my umbrella and use it.
- Bai Suzhen 许官人，你就一把伞，给了我们，你怎么办？
Xǔ guānrén, nǐ jiù yì bǎ sǎn, gěi le wǒmen, nǐ zěnme bàn?
Mr. Xu, you have only the one umbrella. If you give it to us, what will you do?
- Xu Xian 没关系，我家就在桥那边，跑回去就到了！
Méi guānxi, wǒ jiā jiù zài qiáo nàbiān, pǎo huíqu jiù dào le!
Don't worry. I live just past the bridge. I'll run home in no time!
- Xiaoqing 许官人！明天来拿伞吧！我们住在西湖边的老花园！
Xǔ guānrén! Míngtiān lái ná sǎn ba! Wǒmen zhù zài Xī Hú biān de lǎo huāyuán!
Mr. Xu! Come for your umbrella tomorrow! We live in the old garden by West Lake!
- Xu Xian 睡不着……那个穿白衣服的娘子，真漂亮。
Shuì bu zháo… nàge chuān bái yīfu de niángzǐ, zhēn piàoliang.
I can't sleep... that lady in white was so beautiful.
- Xu Xian 可是我这么没钱，她怎么会喜欢我呢？
Kěshì wǒ zhème méi qián, tā zěnme huì xǐhuan wǒ ne?
But I'm so poor. How could she ever care for me?
- Xiaoqing 许官人是个好人。可是小姐，他这么没钱，你们怎么能在一起呢？
Xǔ guānrén shì gè hǎorén. Kěshì xiǎojiě, tā zhème méi qián, nǐmen zěnme néng zài yìqǐ ne?
Mr. Xu is a good man. But Miss, he's so poor. How can the two of you ever be together?
- Bai Suzhen 他没有钱，我们就给他钱。小青，你看着。
Tā méiyǒu qián, wǒmen jiù gěi tā qián. Xiǎoqīng, nǐ kànzhe.
If he has no money, we'll give him some. Watch, Xiaoqing.
- Xiaoqing 银子！这么多银子！小姐的法术真好！这是从哪儿来的？
Yínzi! Zhème duō yínzi! Xiǎojiě de fǎshù zhēn hǎo! Zhè shì cóng nǎr lái de?
Silver! So much silver! What magic, Miss! Where did it come from?
- Bai Suzhen 钱塘县的官府。一共二十块。
Qiántáng Xiàn de guānfǔ. Yígòng èrshí kuài.
From the Qiantang County office. Twenty pieces in all.
- Xiaoqing 小姐，你偷了官府的银子？你不怕压在雷峰塔下吗？
Xiǎojiě, nǐ tōu le guānfǔ de yínzi? Nǐ bú pà yā zài Léifēng Tǎ xià ma?
Miss, you stole the county's silver? Aren't you afraid of being pressed under Leifeng Pagoda?
What changed in the story?
- Where does Xu Xian work?
“我现在在王员外的药店工作”
- What does Bai tell Xiaoqing before they call to the boat?
“在他面前，我们是人，不是蛇”
- Why does Xu suddenly talk about the rain?
“你为什么一直看我家小姐？”……“我在看……看雨！”
- Why is Xu happy to lend them his umbrella?
“我家就在桥那边，跑回去就到了”
- Where does Bai's silver come from?
“钱塘县的官府”