故事新編故事gù shi — narrative; story; tale (HSK 2)新xīn — 1. new 2. newly 3. meso- (chemistry) (HSK 1)編biān — 1. to weave 2. to plait 3. to organize 4. to group 5. to arrange 6. to edit 7. to compile 8. to write 9. to compose 10. to fabricate 11. to make up (HSK 4) · 故事新编

What’s in it

故事新編 (Old Tales Retold) is Lu Xun's last and strangest work of fiction: eight stories that take Chinese myths and early history and retell them with a flat, anachronistic, often very funny irreverence. 補天 (Mending Heaven) follows the goddess Nüwa as she creates humanity out of boredom and then has to patch a hole torn in the sky by squabbling humans who have long since forgotten to thank her. 奔月 (Flight to the Moon) shows the legendary archer Houyi long after his famous feat of shooting down nine suns, now an aging celebrity whose wife is bored of eating nothing but crow for dinner because he can no longer find any other game. 理水 (Curbing the Flood) turns Yu the Great's mythic flood-taming into a satire of officialdom, complete with committees of scholars debating the flood in language lifted straight from 1930s academic conferences.

The later stories keep the same trick: 鑄劍 (Forging the Swords) is a genuinely eerie revenge story built around a severed head that keeps singing from inside a cauldron, 采薇 (Gathering Vetch) follows two brothers who starve themselves rather than serve a new dynasty, 出關 sends Laozi wearily out through the frontier pass, and 起死 (Bringing Back the Dead) has Zhuangzi revive a skeleton who is furious rather than grateful at being brought back to life. The deadpan mixing of ancient sages with distinctly modern bureaucratic and academic absurdities lets Lu Xun satirize both the myths themselves and the 1930s Chinese intellectuals who Lu Xun felt were reenacting them.

Literary forms

• Chinese Short Stories

Key words 关键字

• 墨子Mò zǐ墨子Mò zǐ — Mozi (c. 470–391 BC), founder of the Mohist School 墨家 (Mò jiā), which flourished during the Warring States period (475–220 BC)
• 羿Yì羿Yì — surname Yi · name of a legendary archer (also called 后羿 (Hòu Yì))
• 莊子zhuāng zi莊子zhuāng zi — (coll.) village; hamlet · classifier: 座 (zuò)
• 夷yí夷yí — non-Han people, esp. to the East of China · barbarians · to wipe out · to exterminate · to tear down · to raze
• 什么shén meHSK 1什么shén me — what? · something; anything (HSK 1)
• 眉間méi jiān眉間méi jiān — the flat area of forehead between the eyebrows · glabella
• 禹Yǔ禹Yǔ — Yu the Great (c. 21st century BC), mythical leader who tamed the floods · surname Yu
• 听yǐnHSK 1听yǐn — smile (archaic) (HSK 1)
• 漢子hàn zi漢子hàn zi — man · fellow · (dialect) husband
• 您nínHSK 1您nín — you (courteous, as opposed to informal 你 (nǐ)) (HSK 1)
• 伊yī伊yī — (old) third person singular pronoun ("he" or "she") · second person singular pronoun ("you") · (May 4th period) third person singular feminine pronoun ("she") · (Classical Chinese) introductory particle with no specific meaning · (preceding a noun) that · (bound form) Iraq (abbr. for 伊拉克 (Yī lā kè)) · (bound form) Iran (abbr. for 伊朗 (Yī lǎng))
• 怎么zěn meHSK 1怎么zěn me — how? · what? · why? (HSK 1)
• 么má么má — exclamatory final particle
• 巡xún巡xún — to patrol · to make one's rounds · classifier for rounds of drinks
• 叔shū叔shū — uncle · father's younger brother · husband's younger brother · Taiwan pr. (shú)
• 輸shūHSK 3輸shū — to lose; to be beaten · (bound form) to transport · (literary) to donate; to contribute · (coll.) to enter (a password) (HSK 3)
• 大員dà yuán大員dà yuán — high official
• 劍jiànHSK 6劍jiàn — double-edged sword · classifier: 口 (kǒu), 把 (bǎ) · classifier for blows of a sword (HSK 6)
• 气qìHSK 2气qì — gas; air · smell · weather · to make angry; to annoy; to get angry · vital energy; qi (HSK 2)
• 薇wēi薇wēi — Osmunda regalis, a species of fern · Taiwan pr. (wéi)
• 好像hǎo xiàngHSK 2好像hǎo xiàng — as if · to seem like (HSK 2)
• 听到tīng dàoHSK 1听到tīng dào — to hear (HSK 1)
• 武士wǔ shì武士wǔ shì — warrior · samurai
• 后hòuHSK 1后hòu — empress · queen · (archaic) monarch · ruler (HSK 1)

魯迅 Lu Xun

Lu Xun worked on these stories on and off for thirteen years, from 1922 until shortly before his death, and the collection was only assembled into a single book in 1935–36, right at the end of his life. It is generally read as his most playful and formally adventurous work — where 吶喊 and 彷徨 diagnose contemporary China through realist fiction, 故事新編 does something closer to the same work through parody, using the distance of myth and legend to say things too pointed to say about the present directly.

More by Lu Xun 同作者

• 吶喊 · 呐喊Call to Arms
• 彷徨Wandering
• 朝花夕拾Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk
• 野草Wild Grass

Key vocabulary 词汇

• 一口气一口气yī kǒu qì — one breath · in one breath · at a stretch (HSK 5)
• 一團糟一團糟yī tuán zāo — chaos · bungle · complete mess · shambles
• 一气一气yī qì — at one go · at a stretch · for a period of time · forming a gang
• 万万mò — used in 万俟 (Mò qí) (HSK 2)
• 万民万民wàn mín — all the people
• 上代上代shàng dài — previous generation
• 上气不接下气上气不接下气shàng qì bù jiē xià qì — (idiom) to be out of breath; to gasp for air
• 上載上載shàng zǎi — to upload · also pr. (shàng zài)
• 下网下网xià wǎng — to cast a fishing net · (computing) to go offline
• 下里巴人下里巴人xià lǐ bā rén — folk songs of the state of Chu 楚國 (Chǔ guó) · popular art forms (contrasted with 陽春白雪 (yáng chūn bái xuě), highbrow art forms)
• 不共戴天不共戴天bù gòng dài tiān — (idiom) (of enemies) cannot live under the same sky; absolutely irreconcilable
• 不動聲色不動聲色bù dòng shēng sè — not a word or movement (idiom); remaining calm and collected · not batting an eyelid
• 不周山不周山Bù zhōu Shān — Buzhou Mountain, a mountain from Chinese legend
• 世子世子shì zǐ — crown prince; heir of a noble house
• 主觀主觀zhǔ guān — subjective (HSK 5)
• 乳白色乳白色rǔ bái sè — milky white
• 乾癟乾癟gān biě — dried out · wizened · shriveled
• 了斷了斷liǎo duàn — to bring to a conclusion; to resolve (a dispute etc); to put an end to (once and for all); to break off (a relationship); to commit suicide; resolution (of a matter)
• 云彩云彩yún cai — (coll.) cloud · classifier: 朵 (duǒ)
• 亡魂亡魂wáng hún — soul of the deceased · departed spirit
• 交卸交卸jiāo xiè — to hand over to a successor; to relinquish one's office
• 人心不古人心不古rén xīn bù gǔ — (idiom) moral standards are much lower now than in former times
• 什么什么shén me — what? · something; anything (HSK 1)
• 什么鬼什么鬼shén me guǐ — (coll.) what the hell?; what on earth? (expression of confusion, disbelief or annoyance)
• 仇讎仇讎chóu chóu — (literary) enemy · foe
• 仗義仗義zhàng yì — to uphold justice · to be loyal (to one's friends) · to stick by
• 以下犯上以下犯上yǐ xià fàn shàng — to disrespect one's superiors · to offend one's elders
• 份子份子fèn zi — one's share of expenses (e.g. when buying a gift collectively) · cash gift
• 优柔优柔yōu róu — gentle · carefree · indecisive · weak
• 似曾相識似曾相識sì céng xiāng shí — déjà vu (the experience of seeing exactly the same situation a second time) · seemingly familiar · apparently already acquainted (HSK 7-9)
• 但愿如此但愿如此dàn yuàn rú cǐ — if only it were so · I hope so (idiom)
• 住址住址zhù zhǐ — address (HSK 7-9)
• 作家作家zuò jiā — author · classifier: 個 (gè), 位 (wèi) (HSK 2)
• 侏儒侏儒zhū rú — dwarf · pygmy · small person · midget
• 侖侖lún — to arrange
• 保甲保甲bǎo jiǎ — historical communal administrative and self-defence system created during the Song Dynasty and revived during the Republican Era, in which households are grouped in jia 甲 (jiǎ) and jia are grouped in bao 保 (bǎo)
• 保險保險bǎo xiǎn — insurance · to insure · safe · secure · be sure · be bound to · classifier: 份 (fèn) (HSK 3)
• 信口開河信口開河xìn kǒu kāi hé — to speak without thinking (idiom) · to blurt sth out
• 信手信手xìn shǒu — casually · in passing
• 修補修補xiū bǔ — to mend (HSK 7-9)
• 倉頡倉頡Cāng Jié — Cang Jie, legendary scribe of the Yellow Emperor and inventor of Chinese writing · (computing) Cangjie input method
• 個人主義個人主義gè rén zhǔ yì — individualism
• 倒寫倒寫dào xiě — mirror writing · upside down writing
• 倒立倒立dào lì — a handstand · to turn upside down · to stand on one's head · upside down
• 倒行逆施倒行逆施dào xíng nì shī — to go against the tide (idiom); to do things all wrong · to try to turn back history · a perverse way of doing things
• 偷摸偷摸tōu mō — surreptitious; sneaky
• 偷稅偷稅tōu shuì — tax evasion
• 傳布傳布chuán bù — to spread; to propagate; to disseminate
• 傳見傳見chuán jiàn — to summon for an interview
• 傻瓜傻瓜shǎ guā — idiot · fool (HSK 7-9)
• 儿儿ér — child · son
• 充公充公chōng gōng — to confiscate
• 先王之道先王之道xiān wáng zhī dào — the way of former kings
• 兒化兒化ér huà — (Chinese phonetics) to rhotacize a syllable final; to apply r-coloring to the final of a syllable
• 兜頭兜頭dōu tóu — full in the face
• 全体全体quán tǐ — all · entire (HSK 2)
• 八字鬍八字鬍bā zì hú — mustache shaped like character 八
• 公事房公事房gōng shì fáng — (old) government office
• 公孫公孫Gōng sūn — two-character surname Gongsun
• 六經六經Liù jīng — Six Classics, namely: Book of Songs 詩經 (Shī jīng), Book of History 尚書 (Shàng shū), Book of Rites 儀禮 (Yí lǐ), the lost Book of Music 樂經 (Yuè jīng), Book of Changes 易經 (Yì jīng), Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋 (Chūn qiū)
• 兮兮兮兮xī xī — (particle used to exaggerate certain adjectives, in particular 神經兮兮, 髒兮兮, 可憐兮兮, and 慘兮兮
• 兼具兼具jiān jù — to combine · to have both
• 兼愛兼愛jiān ài — "universal love", principle advocated by Mozi 墨子 (Mò zǐ), stressing that people should care for everyone equally
• 冀州冀州Jì zhōu — see 冀州區 (Jì zhōu Qū)
• 冉冉rǎn — edge of a tortoiseshell · used in 冉冉 (rǎn rǎn)
• 冒險家冒險家mào xiǎn jiā — adventurer
• 最后最后zuì hòu — final; last; ultimate · finally; in the end (HSK 1)
• 冥頑不靈冥頑不靈míng wán bù líng — (idiom) pigheaded
• 冷暖自知冷暖自知lěng nuǎn zì zhī — see 如人飲水，冷暖自知 (rú rén yǐn shuǐ, lěng nuǎn zì zhī)
• 冷气冷气lěng qì — cold air · air conditioning (HSK 6)
• 出岔子出岔子chū chà zi — to go wrong · to take a wrong turning
• 出气出气chū qì — to vent one's anger · to breathe out; to exhale
• 出產出產chū chǎn — to produce (by natural growth, or by manufacture, mining etc) · to yield · to turn out · produce · products
• 出警出警chū jǐng — to dispatch police to the scene of crime, accident etc
• 函谷關函谷關Hán gǔ Guān — Hangu Pass in modern day Henan Province, strategic pass forming the eastern gate of the Qin State during the Warring States Period (770-221 BC)
• 分裝分裝fēn zhuāng — to divide into portions · to package in smaller quantities · to separate into loads
• 列隊列隊liè duì — in formation (military)
• 利己主義利己主義lì jǐ zhǔ yì — egoism
• 刪除刪除shān chú — to delete · to cancel (HSK 7-9)
• 劍尖劍尖jiàn jiān — point · sharp end
• 劍柄劍柄jiàn bǐng — sword hilt
• 力气力气lì qi — physical strength (HSK 4)
• 加長加長jiā cháng — to lengthen
• 動工動工dòng gōng — to start (a building project) (HSK 7-9)
• 勝仗勝仗shèng zhàng — victory · victorious battle
• 募捐募捐mù juān — to solicit contributions; to collect donations (HSK 7-9)
• 匕匕bǐ — dagger · ladle · ancient type of spoon
• 北關北關Běi guān — see 北關區 (Běi guān Qū)
• 匹敵匹敵pǐ dí — to be equal to · to be well-matched · rival
• 十几十几shí jǐ — more than ten; a dozen or more
• 升降升降shēng jiàng — rising and falling
• 南棗南棗nán zǎo — dried jujubes
• 印行印行yìn xíng — to print and distribute · to publish
• 反坐反坐fǎn zuò — to sentence the accuser (and free the falsely accused defendant)
• 受孕受孕shòu yùn — to become pregnant; to conceive
• 古蹟古蹟gǔ jì — place of historic interest; historical site (HSK 7-9)
• 古魯古魯gǔ lǔ — guru (loanword)
• 吃惊吃惊chī jīng — to be startled · to be shocked · to be amazed (HSK 4)
• 合伙合伙hé huǒ — to act jointly; to form a partnership (HSK 7-9)
• 后半夜后半夜hòu bàn yè — second half of the night (from midnight to sunrise)
• 后悔后悔hòu huǐ — to regret; to feel remorse (HSK 5)
• 后面后面hòu mian — the back; the rear; the last bit · behind; near the end; at the back · later; afterwards (HSK 3)
• 向后向后xiàng hòu — backward
• 听听yǐn — smile (archaic) (HSK 1)
• 听到听到tīng dào — to hear (HSK 1)
• 吱吱嘎嘎吱吱嘎嘎zī zī gā gā — (onom.) creaking and grating
• 吵嘴吵嘴chǎo zuǐ — to quarrel (HSK 7-9)
• 告一段落告一段落gào yī duàn luò — to come to the end of a phase (idiom)
• 告密告密gào mì — to inform against sb
• 呔呔dāi — (interjection) hey! · Taiwan pr. (tai)
• 周文王周文王Zhōu Wén wáng — King Wen of Zhou state (c. 1152-1056 BC), reigned c. 1099-1056 BC as king of Zhou state, leading figure in building the subsequent Western Zhou dynasty, father of King Wu of Zhou 周武王 (Zhōu Wǔ wáng) the first Zhou dynasty king
• 周朝周朝Zhōu cháo — Zhou Dynasty · Western Zhou 西周 (1046-771 BC) and Eastern Zhou 東周 (770-221 BC)
• 命脈命脈mìng mài — lifeline
• 和气和气hé qi — friendly · polite · amiable (HSK 7-9)
• 咕嚕咕嚕gū lu — (onom.) to rumble (of a stomach) · to coo (of a dove) · rumbling · noisy drinking sound
• 哀戚哀戚āi qī — sorrow · grief
• 㖇
• 哲理哲理zhé lǐ — philosophic theory · philosophy
• 商朝商朝Shāng cháo — Shang Dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC)
• 喘气喘气chuǎn qì — to breathe deeply; to pant; to gasp · to take a breather; to catch one's breath
• 喜形於色喜形於色xǐ xíng yú sè — face light up with delight (idiom); to beam with joy
• 喝掉喝掉hē diào — to drink up · to finish (a drink)
• 喧囂喧囂xuān xiāo — to clamor; to make noise
• 喪鐘喪鐘sāng zhōng — knell
• 嚨嚨lóng — used in 喉嚨 (hóu lóng)
• 嚴正嚴正yán zhèng — sternly · solemn
• 四目相視四目相視sì mù xiāng shì — see 四目相對 (sì mù xiāng duì)
• 回敬回敬huí jìng — to return a compliment · to give sth in return
• 國有國有guó yǒu — nationalized · public · government owned · state-owned (HSK 7-9)
• 國語國語Guó yǔ — Chinese language (Mandarin), emphasizing its national nature · Chinese as a primary or secondary school subject · Chinese in the context of the Nationalist Government · Guoyu, book of historical narrative c. 10th-5th century BC
• 圓滑圓滑yuán huá — smooth and evasive · slick and sly
• 圓窗圓窗yuán chuāng — (anatomy) round window (one of the two openings from the middle ear into the inner ear)
• 團聚團聚tuán jù — to reunite · to have a reunion (HSK 7-9)
• 土布土布tǔ bù — homespun cloth
• 垃圾堆垃圾堆lā jī duī — garbage heap
• 堅守堅守jiān shǒu — to hold fast to · to stick to (HSK 7-9)
• 堞堞dié — battlements
• 墳山墳山fén shān — hill cemetery · graveyard · grave · grave mound · low wall at the back of a traditional tomb
• 壓根兒壓根兒yà gēn r — erhua variant of 壓根 (yà gēn)
• 多么多么duō me — how (wonderful etc) · what (a great idea etc) · however (difficult it may be etc) · (in interrogative sentences) how (much etc) · to what extent (HSK 2)
• 夥頤夥頤huǒ yí — (literary) very many · wow! (an exclamation of surprise and admiration)
• 大吃一惊大吃一惊dà chī yī jīng — (idiom) astounded; flabbergasted; taken aback (HSK 7-9)
• 大多數大多數dà duō shù — (great) majority (HSK 2)
• 大篆大篆dà zhuàn — the great seal · used narrowly for 籀文 · used broadly for many pre-Qin scripts
• 大義凜然大義凜然dà yì lǐn rán — devotion to righteousness that inspires reverence (idiom)
• 大蔥大蔥dà cōng — leek · Chinese onion
• 大軍大軍dà jūn — army · main forces
• 大逆不道大逆不道dà nì bù dào — disgraceful (of behavior that is unfilial, rebellious or otherwise in grave breach of the norms of society)
• 大餅大餅dà bǐng — large flat bread
• 天兵天將天兵天將tiān bīng tiān jiàng — celestial troops and generals (idiom) · fig. superior forces