HSK 6 · Native stories

苏东坡与黄州 · Su Dongpo and Huangzhou

Sū Dōngpō yǔ Huángzhōu — How exile turned a politician into one of China's greatest writers.

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Every word shows its pinyin above the characters. The English translation follows each line.

公元gōngyuán一零八零年,yī líng bā líng nián苏轼Sū Shìbèibiǎndào黄州。Huángzhōu

In 1080, Su Shi was demoted to Huangzhou.

人生rénshēng陷入xiànrù低谷,dīgǔbèi诬陷wūxiàn诽谤fěibàng朝廷。cháotíng

He had hit a low point in life — falsely accused of slandering the court.

zài黄州,Huángzhōu缺衣少食,quēyī shǎoshí亲自qīnzì耕种gēngzhòngkuài坡地。pō dì

In Huangzhou, lacking food and clothing, he started farming a piece of slope land himself.

kuài取名qǔ míng"东坡",Dōngpō自号zì hào"东坡居士"。Dōngpō Jūshì

He named that piece of land "Eastern Slope," and from it took the literary name Dongpo Jushi.

正是zhèng shì这段zhè duàn时间,shíjiānxiěchūlezuì伟大wěidàde作品。zuòpǐn

It was during this period that he wrote his greatest works.

《赤壁怀古》Chìbì Huái Gǔ就是jiùshìzài这时zhèshí完成wánchéng的。de

"Reflections at Red Cliff" was completed at exactly this moment.

不再búzài哀叹āitàn命运mìngyùnde不公,bùgōng反而fǎn'érxuéhuìleduì命运mìngyùn微笑。wēixiào

He no longer lamented misfortune — he learned to smile at fate.

黄州Huángzhōu毁掉huǐdiàole政治家zhèngzhì jiā苏轼,Sū Shìquè成就chéngjiùle文学家wénxué jiā东坡。Dōngpō

Huangzhou ruined the politician but completed the writer.

dào黄州Huángzhōude第二年,dì èr niánzài城东chéng dōngkāile五十亩wǔshí mǔ荒地。huāngdì

In his second year at Huangzhou he opened up fifty mu of waste ground east of the town.

写信xiě xìngěi朋友péngyou说,shuō自己zìjǐ现在xiànzàishìge农夫nóngfū了。le

He wrote to a friend saying that he was now a farmer.

hái发明fāmíngle一道菜,yí dào càiyòng小火xiǎo huǒ慢慢mànmàndùn猪肉。zhūròu

He also invented a dish — pork stewed slowly over a low flame.

那道菜nà dào cài后来hòuláijiùjiào东坡肉,Dōngpō ròu一直yìzhí传到chuán dào今天。jīntiān

That dish came to be called Dongpo pork, and has lasted to this day.

一个yí ge被贬bèi biǎnde官员,guānyuán教会jiāohuìle中国人Zhōngguó rén怎么zěnme吃肉。chī ròu

A demoted official taught the Chinese how to cook pork.

zài黄州Huángzhōuxiěde《寒食帖》,Hán Shí Tiěbèi称为chēngwéi天下tiānxià第三dì sān行书。xíngshū

The Cold Food Observance he wrote at Huangzhou is called the third finest running script under heaven.

那幅字里,nà fú zì lǐnéng看出kàn chūxiě的时候de shíhou心情xīnqíng起伏。qǐfú

In that piece of calligraphy you can see his mood rise and fall as he wrote.

有一次yǒu yí cì朋友péngyou夜游yè yóu赤壁,Chìbì忽然hūrán想通xiǎng tōng了。le

Once he went boating by night at Red Cliff with friends, and something came clear to him.

说,shuō江上jiāng shàngde清风qīngfēng山间shān jiānde明月,míngyuèshì取之不尽qǔ zhī bú jìn的。de

He said the clear wind on the river and the bright moon in the hills are inexhaustible.

那是nà shì造物者zàowùzhě留给liú gěi所有人suǒyǒu rén的,de不用búyònghuā一分钱。yì fēn qián

They are what the Maker left for everyone, and cost not a single coin.

Vocabulary in this story (122 words)

WordPinyinMeaning
公元gōngyuánA.D.
一零八零年yī líng bā líng nián1080
苏轼Sū ShìSu Shi
bèiwas
biǎndemoted
dàoto
黄州HuángzhōuHuangzhou
he
人生rénshēnglife
陷入xiànrùsank into
低谷dīgǔa low
诬陷wūxiànfalsely accused of
诽谤fěibàngslandering
朝廷cháotíngthe court
zàiin
缺衣少食quēyī shǎoshíshort of clothing and food
亲自qīnzìpersonally
耕种gēngzhòngfarmed
one
kuàiplot of
坡地pō dìslope land
(disposal)
that
land
取名qǔ míngnamed
东坡DōngpōEastern Slope
自号zì hàostyling himself
东坡居士Dōngpō JūshìDongpo Jushi
正是zhèng shìit was precisely
这段zhè duànthis period of
时间shíjiāntime
xiěwrote
chūout
le(past)
zuìmost
伟大wěidàgreat
de(of)
作品zuòpǐnworks
赤壁怀古Chìbì Huái GǔReflections at Red Cliff
就是jiùshìwas exactly
这时zhèshíthis time
完成wánchéngcompleted
不再búzàino longer
哀叹āitànlamented
命运mìngyùnfate's
不公bùgōnginjustice
反而fǎn'érinstead
xuélearned
huìto be able
duìtoward
微笑wēixiàosmile
毁掉huǐdiàodestroyed
政治家zhèngzhì jiāthe politician
quèyet
成就chéngjiùcompleted
文学家wénxué jiāthe writer
第二年dì èr niánthe second year
城东chéng dōngeast of the town
kāiopened up
五十亩wǔshí mǔfifty mu of
荒地huāngdìwaste ground
写信xiě xìnwrote
gěito
朋友péngyoua friend
shuōsaying
自己zìjǐhe himself
现在xiànzàinow
shìwas
gea
农夫nóngfūfarmer
háialso
发明fāmínginvented
一道菜yí dào càia dish
yòngusing
小火xiǎo huǒa low flame
慢慢mànmànslowly
dùnstewing
猪肉zhūròupork
那道菜nà dào càithat dish
后来hòuláilater
jiùthen
jiàowas called
东坡肉Dōngpō ròuDongpo pork
一直yìzhíright
传到chuán dàohanded down to
今天jīntiāntoday
一个yí gea
被贬bèi biǎndemoted
官员guānyuánofficial
教会jiāohuìtaught
中国人Zhōngguó rénthe Chinese
怎么zěnmehow
吃肉chī ròuto eat meat
寒食帖Hán Shí Tiěthe Cold Food Observance
称为chēngwéicalled
天下tiānxiàunder heaven
第三dì sānthe third
行书xíngshūrunning script
那幅字里nà fú zì lǐin that calligraphy
néngone can
看出kàn chūmake out
的时候de shíhouwhen
心情xīnqínghis mood
起伏qǐfúrising and falling
有一次yǒu yí cìonce
with
夜游yè yóuwent boating by night at
赤壁ChìbìRed Cliff
忽然hūránsuddenly
想通xiǎng tōngcame clear
江上jiāng shàngon the river
清风qīngfēngthe clear wind
山间shān jiānin the hills
明月míngyuèthe bright moon
取之不尽qǔ zhī bú jìninexhaustible
那是nà shìthose are
造物者zàowùzhěthe Maker
留给liú gěileft for
所有人suǒyǒu réneveryone
不用búyòngrequiring no
huāspending
一分钱yì fēn qiána single coin

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