⬅️ 阅读
Today, I'm going to read a story called "河伯的新娘 - Hebo's Bride". It happened around 400 BC, during the Warring States Period of ancient China. It tells of a government minister, Ximen Bao, who abolished the bridal sacrifice for the River God. This story was also selected into the 4th grade Chinese textbook.
豹,漳,邺,芜,绅,淹,旱,绸,催,恭,跪,磕,饶,淌,凿,渠,灌,溉
- 豹 bào leopard | panther
- 漳 zhāng Zhang river
- 邺 yè the county of Ye
- 芜 wú overgrown with weeds
- 绅 shēn member of gentry
- 淹 yān to flood | to submerge
- 旱 hàn drought
- 绸 chóu silk | silk fabric
- 催 cuī to urge | to press | to hurry
- 恭 gōng respectful | polite
- 跪 guì to kneel
- 磕 kē to knock (against something hard)
- 饶 ráo to forgive | to have mercy on | to pardon
- 淌 tǎng to flow down | to drip | to shed
- 凿 záo to dig | to chisel
- 渠 qú canal | channel | ditch
- 灌 guàn to irrigate | to pour in | to fill
- 溉 gài to water | to supply with water | to irrigate
魏文侯,西门豹,漳河,荒芜,人烟稀少,德高望重,缘故,官绅,办喜事,巫婆,小户人家,新娘,床席,旱灾,娶亲,媳妇,老百姓,卫士,徒弟,麻烦,头子,恭敬,提心吊胆,磕头,求饶,开凿,水渠,庄稼,灌溉,收成
- 魏文侯 Wèiwénhóu Marquess Wen of Wei (reigned 445–396 BCE)
- 西门豹 Xīmén Bào Ximen Bao (a government minister and court advisor to Marquess Wen of Wei)
- 漳河 Zhānghé the Zhang River
- 荒芜 huāngwú barren | overgrown with underbrush
- 人烟稀少 rényānxīshǎo be sparsely populated
- 德高望重 dégāowàngzhòng well respected | have a high virtue and a glorious name
- 缘故 yuángù cause | reason
- 官绅 guānshēn official and gentry
- 办喜事 bànxǐshì manage a wedding
- 巫婆 wūpó witch | sorceress
- 小户人家 xiǎohùrénjiā humble family
- 新娘 xīnniáng bride
- 床席 chuángxí bed and mat
- 旱灾 hànzāi drought
- 娶亲 qǔqīn get married
- 媳妇 xífù wife | son's wife | daughter-in-law
- 老百姓 lǎobǎixìng folk(s) | common people | ordinary people | civilians
- 卫士 wèishì bodyguard
- 徒弟 túdi apprentice | disciple
- 麻烦 máfan trouble | troublesome
- 头子 tóuzi chief | chieftain | boss
- 恭敬 gōngjìng respectful | with great respect
- 提心吊胆 tíxīndiàodǎn be very scared and on edge | be always on tenterhooks
- 磕头 kētóu kowtow
- 求饶 qiúráo beg for mercy | beg for one's life | ask for pardon
- 开凿 kāizáo dig; cut; cutting
- 水渠 shuǐqú water channel | ditch | canal
- 庄稼 zhuāngjia farm crop | crops
- 灌溉 guàngài irrigate | irrigation | watering
- 收成 shōucheng crop | harvest
- 战国时，魏文侯派西门豹去管理漳河边上的邺。
During the Warring States Period, Marquess Wen of Wei appointed Ximen Bao to govern the county of Ye by the Zhang River.
魏文侯 Marquess Wen of Wei (reigned 445–396 BCE) - 老百姓苦于为河伯娶妇。
The common people here are struggling to provide a bride for He Bo, the River God.
苦于 [kǔ yú] suffer from a disadvantage or trouble - 因为这个缘故，我们这儿很穷。
For this reason, we are very poor here.
因为这个缘故: for this reason - 多的钱官绅就跟巫婆分了。
The rest of the money was divided among the witch, officials and gentries.
多的钱=剩下的钱 - 他们把那种嫁女时用的床席放在河边
They put the wedding bed by the river bank.
嫁女时用的床席: In ancient China, the marital bed and mat were usually provided by the bride's family. - 所以有女儿的人家大多逃到外地去了
Therefore, most families with daughters fled to other places.
外地 [wài dì] other places | nonlocal - 据说，要是不给河伯送女孩儿，漳河就要发大水，把田地全淹了。
It is said that if the girl is not sacrificed to He Bo, the Zhang River would flood the fields.
据说 [jùshuō] it is said | they say
要是 [yàoshi] if | suppose | in case - 那漳河发过大水吗？
Has the Zhang river flooded before?
那(used as a conjunction)= 那么: then | in that case - 倒是夏天雨水少，年年闹旱灾。
However, there is little rain in summer, and drought occurs every year.
倒是: on the contrary | actually
年年: every year | year after year (Reduplication of Measure Word) - 这样说来，河伯还真是灵啊。
He Bo is a truly effective God, so to speak.
这样说来: so to speak - 我也去送送新娘。
I will go to see off the bride.
送送: Verb + Verb (a verb reduplication pattern) - 到了河伯娶媳妇的日子，漳河边上站满了老百姓。
On the day of He Bo's wedding, there were many people standing by the Zhang River.
娶媳妇: to take a wife - 身后跟着十来个穿着绸衣的女徒弟
followed by a dozen of female apprentices in silk clothes
十来个: ten or so | a dozen of
来 can be used after numerals such as "十, 百, 千" to express approximate numbers. - 把新娘领来让我看看。
bring the bride to me
看看: take a look (Verb Reduplication) - 麻烦你去跟河伯说一声
Please go and take a message to He Bo
麻烦: Please | Would you please……? (asking others to do things) - 他叫卫士架起巫婆，把她投进了漳河。
He asked the guards to pick up the witch and throw her into the Zhang river. - 巫婆怎么还不回来，麻烦你去催一催吧。
Why hasn't the witch come back? Please go to hurry her up.
催一催: Verb+一+Verb (one of Verb Reduplication Patterns) - 西门豹恭敬地面对漳河站了很久。
Facing the river, Ximen Bao stood respectfully for a long time. - 那些官绅都提心吊胆，大气也不敢出。
Those officials and gentries were in great terror and held their breath. - 又要叫卫士把他们扔下漳河去。
(He) wanted to ask the guards to throw them into the river.
要: want to | wish to
叫: ask | order - 一个个吓得跪下来磕头求饶
One by one, they knelt down and kowtowed in fright, begging for mercy.
一个个: (Reduplication of Measure Word) - 看样子是河伯把他们留下了
It looks like that He Bo had let them stay there.
看样子: it looks as if - 巫婆和官绅是在骗钱害人。
The witch, officials and gentries cheated and hurt people for money. - 从此，没人再敢为河伯娶妇，漳河也没有发过大水。
From then on, no one dared to do bridal sacrifice for the River God again. And the Zhang river never flooded.
从此: from this time on | from then on | henceforth - 年年都有好收成
have a good harvest every year
年年:（每年） every year | year after year (Reduplication of Measure Word)
第1题
西门豹是否相信漳河里有河伯？
A.👍相信。西门豹说过“河伯还真是灵啊”。
B.👎不相信。邺常有旱灾，河伯的传说是骗钱害人的。西门豹是在说反语。(反语 [fǎnyǔ]
irony | antiphrasis)
C.👍相信。河伯娶妇时，西门豹对河神非常恭敬。
D.👎不相信。西门豹把巫婆和官绅投进河中，是为了惩罚坏人。从此以后，没人再敢为河伯娶妇。
E.😊你怎么想？你同意以上的说法吗？