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孔乙己

Kong Yiji

by Lu Xun

A tavern boy recalls a scholar’s hardship, ridicule and disappearance.

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Original language: ChineseLevel: Intermediate2,625 characters · ≈ 11 minSource: Wikisource

Sample: three-line reading

Each word has its meaning in this sentence underneath, and each sentence has a full translation. Read the original and glance down only when you need to.

魯鎭的酒店的格局the layout of the taverns in Luzhen是和別處不同的is different from that elsewhere都是all are / each is當街一個曲尺形的大櫃臺a large L-shaped counter facing the street櫃裏面inside the counter豫備着熱水hot water is kept ready可以隨時温酒so that wine can be warmed at any time
The taverns in Luzhen are laid out differently from those elsewhere: each has a large L-shaped counter facing the street, and hot water is kept ready inside the counter so that wine can be warmed at any time.
做工的人working people / laborers傍午傍晚around noon and toward evening散了工finished work / got off work每每often / frequently花spend四文銅錢four copper coins買一碗酒buy a bowl of wine這是this was二十多年前的事a matter of more than twenty years ago現在now每碗each bowl要漲到十文has to rise to ten coins靠櫃外站着stand outside the counter熱熱的喝了休息drink it hot and rest倘if肯多花一文be willing to spend one more coin便可以買then one could buy一碟a small dish of鹽煑筍salted boiled bamboo shoots或者or茴香豆fennel beans做下酒物了to serve as something to go with the wine如果if出到了十幾文spend as much as a dozen or so coins那就能買then one could buy一樣葷菜a meat dish但but這些顧客these customers多是were mostly短衣幫short-jacket laborers大抵generally / for the most part沒有這樣闊綽not so generous / not so well off
Workers, after finishing work around noon or in the evening, would often spend four copper coins on a bowl of wine—that was over twenty years ago; now each bowl costs ten coins—and stand outside the counter, drinking it hot and taking a rest; if they were willing to spend one more coin, they could buy a dish of salted bamboo shoots or fennel beans to go with the wine; for a dozen or so coins they could buy a meat dish, but these customers were mostly short-jacket workers and generally not so generous.
只有only穿長衫的those wearing long gowns纔only then / would踱進stroll into店面隔壁的房子裏into the room next to the shop front要酒ask for wine要菜ask for dishes慢慢地slowly坐喝sit and drink
Only those wearing long gowns would walk into the room next to the shop front, ask for wine and dishes, and sit there drinking slowly.
我I從from十二歲twelve years old起onward (starting from)便在then (worked) at鎭口town entrance的's (possessive/modifying particle)咸亨酒店Xianheng Tavern裏inside當serve as夥計assistant / shop clerk掌櫃the manager說said樣子appearance / looks太too儍foolish怕I'm afraid (that) / probably侍候wait on / serve不了be unable to長衫long gown主顧customers就在just (do it) at外面outside做do點some / a bit of事work / tasks罷(suggestion particle) then
From the age of twelve, I worked as an assistant at the Xianheng Tavern at the town entrance. The manager said I looked too foolish and might not be able to serve the long-gown customers, so I should just do some work outside.

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About the book

"Kong Yiji" is a short story by Lu Xun, first published in New Youth in 1919 and later collected in Call to Arms. Narrated by a tavern helper, it follows a failed examination candidate who becomes the laughing-stock of the tavern and disappears after his legs are broken for stealing books. The story critiques the imperial examination system and exposes the indifference of people toward one another.

About the author

Lu Xun (25 September 1881 – 19 October 1936), pen name of Zhou Shuren, was a Chinese writer and a leading figure of modern Chinese literature, working as a novelist, critic, essayist, poet, and translator known for his sharp, satirical style. In 1918 he published Diary of a Madman, the first novel in vernacular Chinese, helping pioneer the New Culture Movement.

Summary prepared with AI from Wikipedia: 孔乙己 (CC BY-SA)

How the glosses are made

Word glosses and sentence translations are generated in context by AI models (DeepSeek and Zhipu GLM), and every word is checked to have a gloss. AI can make mistakes; you can report problems from the book page.

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