老北京的胡同 · Old Beijing's Hutongs

胡同hútòng是shì老北京Lǎo Běijīng的de灵魂。línghún

Hutongs are the soul of old Beijing.

它们tāmen狭窄xiázhǎi的de石shí砖zhuān路lù承载chéngzài着zhe几百年jǐ bǎi nián的de故事。gùshi

Their narrow stone-paved lanes carry centuries of stories.

晾liàng衣服yīfu的de大妈,dàmā下xià棋qí的de老人,lǎorén追zhuī着zhe跑pǎo的de小孩。xiǎohái

Aunties drying clothes, old men playing chess, kids chasing each other.

这些zhèxiē平凡píngfán的de画面,huàmiàn曾céng是shì北京Běijīng最zuì日常rìcháng的de面孔。miànkǒng

These ordinary scenes were the most everyday face of Beijing.

然而,rán'ér随着suízhe城市chéngshì扩张,kuòzhāng胡同hútòng在zài不断búduàn地de被bèi拆除。chāichú

Yet with the city's expansion, hutongs are constantly being demolished.

高楼gāolóu代替dàitì了le四合院,sìhéyuàn邻里línlǐ情谊qíngyì也yě随suí墙qiáng一起yìqǐ消失。xiāoshī

Skyscrapers replace courtyards, and neighborly bonds vanish along with the walls.

一些yìxiē留liú下来xiàlái的de胡同,hútòng成chéng了le游客yóukè的de打卡地。dǎkǎ dì

Some of the remaining hutongs have become tourist attractions.

可kě当dāng原住民yuán zhùmín离开líkāi以后,yǐhòu胡同hútòng成chéng了le没有méiyǒu演员yǎnyuán的de舞台。wǔtái

Yet when the locals leave, the hutongs become a stage with no actors.

胡同hútòng这个词,zhè ge cí据说jùshuō来自láizì蒙古语,Ménggǔ yǔ原意yuányì是shì水井。shuǐjǐng

The word hutong is said to come from Mongolian, where it meant a well.

有水yǒu shuǐ的de地方dìfang就jiù有yǒu人家,rénjiā有yǒu人家rénjiā就jiù成chéng了le巷子。xiàngzi

Where there was water there were households, and households made a lane.

北京Běijīng最窄zuì zhǎi的de胡同hútòng不到bú dào一米,yì mǐ两个人liǎng ge rén要yào侧身cè shēn才能cái néng过。guò

Beijing's narrowest hutong is under a metre; two people must turn sideways to pass.

每条měi tiáo胡同hútòng都dōu有yǒu自己的zìjǐ de名字,míngzi有的yǒu de很hěn土气。tǔqì

Every hutong has its own name, and some are decidedly rustic.

比如bǐrú"炒豆胡同"、Chǎodòu Hútòng"狗尾巴胡同"。Gǒuwěiba Hútòng

For instance Fried Bean Hutong, or Dog Tail Hutong.

名字里míngzi lǐ藏cáng着zhe从前cóngqián住zhù在zài这里zhèlǐ的人de rén做zuò什么shénme营生。yíngshēng

Hidden in the names is what the people who once lived there did for a living.

四合院sìhéyuàn的de门口ménkǒu常cháng有yǒu两个liǎng ge石墩子。shí dūnzi

At the gate of a courtyard house there are often two stone blocks.

老人lǎorén说,shuō看kàn门墩méndūn就jiù知道zhīdào这家zhè jiā从前cóngqián是shì文官wénguān还是háishi武官。wǔguān

The old people say the gate blocks tell you whether the family were civil or military officials.

冬天dōngtiān的de胡同里,hútòng lǐ煤炉méilú的de烟yān从cóng屋顶wūdǐng慢慢mànmàn升起来。shēng qǐlái

In the winter hutong, coal-stove smoke rose slowly from the rooftops.

那种nà zhǒng味道,wèidào现在xiànzài的de孩子háizi已经yǐjīng闻不到wén bú dào了。le

That smell is one today's children can no longer catch.