朝花夕拾朝cháo — 1. imperial or royal court 2. government 3. dynasty 4. reign of a sovereign or emperor 5. court or assembly held by a sovereign or emperor 6. to make a pilgrimage to 7. facing 8. towards (HSK 3)花huā — 1. flower 2. blossom 3. classifier: 朵 (duǒ), 支 (zhī), 束 (shù), 把 (bǎ), 盆 (pén), 簇 (cù) 4. fancy pattern 5. florid 6. to spend (money, time) 7. (coll.) lecherous 8. lustful (HSK 1)拾shí — 1. to pick up 2. to collate or arrange 3. ten (banker's anti-fraud numeral) (HSK 5)

Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk — 魯迅 · 鲁迅 Lu Xun, 1926

Ten warm, sharp memoir essays about childhood in Shaoxing — the gentlest entry point into Lu Xun's prose.

67% of words ≤ HSK 421% off-list words
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What’s in it

朝花夕拾 (Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk) collects ten personal essays — Lu Xun's only sustained work of memoir — recalling his childhood in Shaoxing and his student years in Nanjing and Japan. 從百草園到三味書屋 (From Hundred-Plant Garden to Three-Flavor Study) sets the wild, insect-and-plant-filled garden of his family home against the rigid private school he was later sent to, and 阿長與山海經 remembers Chang Ma, the family servant who cared for him as a boy and, without being asked, tracked down a copy of the illustrated classic he had been longing for. 二十四孝圖 and 五猖會 revisit the moralizing children's books and festival customs of his youth with the same mix of affection and irritation that runs through the whole collection.

The later essays follow Lu Xun out of Shaoxing: 藤野先生 (Mr. Fujino) remembers the Japanese anatomy professor in Sendai who treated him with unusual kindness at a time when he was one of the only Chinese students in his class, and 范愛農 mourns a friend and fellow reformer whose life ended in a drowning that was never fully explained. Compared to Lu Xun's fiction, these essays are gentler and more personal, though the same unsparing eye for hypocrisy and cruelty is still visible underneath the nostalgia.

  1. 1小引小xiǎo — 1. small 2. tiny 3. few 4. young (HSK 1)引yǐn — 1. to draw (e.g. a bow) 2. to pull 3. to stretch sth 4. to extend 5. to lengthen 6. to involve or implicate in 7. to attract 8. to lead 9. to guide 10. to leave 11. to provide evidence or justification for 12. old unit of distance equal to 10 丈 (zhàng), one-thirtieth of a km or 33.33 meters (HSK 4)Preface64% ≤ HSK 4
  2. 2狗·猫·鼠狗gǒu — 1. dog 2. classifier: 隻 (zhī), 條 (tiáo) (HSK 2)猫māo — 1. cat (classifier: 隻 (zhī)) 2. (dialect) to hide oneself 3. (loanword) (coll.) modem (HSK 2)鼠shǔ — (bound form) rat; mouse (HSK 5)Dogs, Cats and Mice67% ≤ HSK 4
  3. 3阿長與《山海經》長cháng — 1. long 2. (bound form) length 3. (bound form) strong point; forte 4. (bound form) to be good at 5. (literary) surplus; spare (Taiwan pr. (zhàng)) (HSK 2)與yǔ — 1. (formal) and; together with (linking parallel nouns, verbs, or phrases) 2. (formal) with; from (marking the other participant in an interaction, comparison, or contrast, e.g. 與他握手 (yǔ tā wò shǒu) "shake hands with him", 與去年不同 (yǔ qù nián bù tóng) "different from last year") 3. (literary) to give; to grant; to bestow (HSK 6)山shān — 1. mountain; hill (classifier: 座 (zuò)) 2. (coll.) small bundle of straw for silkworms to spin cocoons on (HSK 1)海hǎi — 1. ocean 2. sea 3. classifier: 個 (gè), 片 (piàn) 4. great number of people or things 5. (dialect) numerous (HSK 2)經jīng — 1. classics 2. sacred book 3. scripture 4. to pass through 5. to undergo 6. to bear 7. to endure 8. warp (textile) 9. longitude 10. menstruation 11. channel (TCM) 12. abbr. for economics 經濟 (jīng jì) (HSK 7-9) · 阿长与《山海经》Ah Chang and the Book of Hills and Seas72% ≤ HSK 4
  4. 4二十四孝圖二èr — 1. two 2. 2 3. (Beijing dialect) stupid (HSK 1)十shí — 1. ten 2. 10 (HSK 1)四sì — 1. four 2. 4 (HSK 1)圖tú — 1. diagram 2. picture 3. drawing 4. chart 5. map 6. classifier: 張 (zhāng) 7. to plan 8. to scheme 9. to attempt 10. to pursue 11. to seek (HSK 3) · 二十四孝图The Picture-Book of Twenty-four Acts of Filial Piety63% ≤ HSK 4
  5. 5五猖會五wǔ — 1. five 2. 5 (HSK 1)會huì — 1. can; to have the skill; to know how to 2. to be likely to; to be sure to 3. to meet; to get together 4. meeting; gathering 5. (suffix) union; group; association 6. (bound form) a moment (Taiwan pr. (huǐ)) (HSK 1) · 五猖会The Fair of the Five Fierce Gods66% ≤ HSK 4
  6. 6无常无wú — 1. not to have 2. no 3. none 4. not 5. to lack 6. un- 7. -less (HSK 4)常cháng — 1. always 2. ever 3. often 4. frequently 5. common 6. general 7. constant (HSK 1)Wu Chang, or Life-Is-Transient64% ≤ HSK 4
  7. 7從百草園到三味書屋從cóng — 1. from; through; via 2. (bound form) to follow 3. (bound form) to obey 4. (bound form) to engage in (an activity) 5. (used before a negative) ever 6. (bound form) (Taiwan pr. (zòng)) retainer; attendant 7. (bound form) (Taiwan pr. (zòng)) assistant; auxiliary; subordinate 8. (bound form) (Taiwan pr. (zòng)) related by common paternal grandfather or earlier ancestor (HSK 1)百bǎi — 1. hundred 2. numerous 3. all kinds of (HSK 1)草cǎo — 1. grass 2. straw 3. manuscript 4. draft (of a document) 5. careless 6. rough 7. classifier: 棵 (kē), 撮 (zuǒ), 株 (zhū), 根 (gēn) (HSK 2)園yuán — 1. land used for growing plants 2. site used for public recreation 3. abbr. for a place ending in 園, such as a botanical garden 植物園, kindergarten 幼兒園 etc (HSK 6)到dào — 1. to reach; to arrive 2. to leave for; to go to 3. to (a place); until (a time); up to (a point) 4. (verb complement indicating arriving at a place or reaching a point) 5. considerate; thoughtful; thorough (HSK 1)三sān — 1. three 2. 3 (HSK 1)書shū — 1. book 2. letter 3. document 4. classifier: 本 (běn), 冊 (cè), 部 (bù) 5. to write (HSK 1)屋wū — 1. (bound form) house 2. (bound form) room (HSK 5) · 从百草园到三味书屋From Hundred-Plant Garden to Three-Flavor Study68% ≤ HSK 4
  8. 8父亲的病父亲fù qīn — 1. father 2. also pr. (fù qin) 3. classifier: 個 (gè) (HSK 3)的de — 1. of; ~'s (possessive particle) 2. (used after an attribute when it modifies a noun) 3. (used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis) 4. (used after a noun, verb or adjective to form a nominal expression, as in 皮革的 (pí gé de) "one made of leather" or 跑堂兒的 (pǎo táng r de) "a waiter (literally, one who runs back and forth in a restaurant)" or 新的 (xīn de) "new one") 5. also pr. (dì) or (di) in poetry and songs (HSK 1)病bìng — 1. illness 2. classifier: 場 (cháng) 3. disease 4. to fall ill 5. defect (HSK 1)Father's Illness69% ≤ HSK 4
  9. 9琐记记jì — 1. to record 2. to note 3. to memorize 4. to remember 5. mark 6. sign 7. classifier for blows, kicks, shots (HSK 1)Fragmentary Recollections67% ≤ HSK 4
  10. 10藤野先生野yě — 1. field 2. plain 3. open space 4. limit 5. boundary 6. rude 7. feral (HSK 6)先生xiān sheng — 1. teacher 2. gentleman; sir; mister (Mr.) 3. husband 4. (dialect) doctor 5. classifier: 位 (wèi) (HSK 1)Mr. Fujino72% ≤ HSK 4
  11. 11范愛農愛ài — 1. to love; to be fond of; to like 2. affection 3. to be inclined (to do sth); to tend to (happen) (HSK 1) · 范爱农Fan Ainong69% ≤ HSK 4
  12. 12後記後hòu — 1. back 2. behind 3. rear 4. afterwards 5. after 6. later 7. post- (HSK 1)記jì — 1. to record 2. to note 3. to memorize 4. to remember 5. mark 6. sign 7. classifier for blows, kicks, shots (HSK 1) · 后记Postscript60% ≤ HSK 4

Literary forms

Key words 关键字

  • 無常wú cháng無常wú cháng — variable · changeable · fickle · impermanence (Sanskrit: anitya) · ghost taking away the soul after death · to pass away · to die
  • 它tāHSK 2它tā — it (HSK 2)
  • 麽mó麽mó — tiny · insignificant
  • 南京Nán jīng南京Nán jīng — see 南京市 (Nán jīng Shì) · Nanjing, capital of the Ming dynasty (1368–1421) and of the Republic of China (1927–1937 and 1946–1949)
  • 長毛cháng máo長毛cháng máo — long-wool (sheep etc) · long-haired (dog etc)
  • 農nóng農nóng — (bound form) agriculture
  • 她tāHSK 1她tā — she (HSK 1)
  • 石印shí yìn石印shí yìn — lithography · lithographic printing
  • 藤野Téng yě藤野Téng yě — Fujino (Japanese surname)
  • 日本Rì běn日本Rì běn — Japan
  • 什shén什shén — what
  • 鼠shǔHSK 5鼠shǔ — (bound form) rat; mouse (HSK 5)
  • 爲wéiHSK 2爲wéi — variant of 為 (wéi) (HSK 2)
  • 都督dū dū都督dū dū — (army) commander-in-chief (archaic) · provincial military governor and civil administrator during the early Republic of China era (1911-1949 AD)
  • 萊lái萊lái — name of weed plant (fat hen, goosefoot, pigweed etc) · Chenopodium album
  • 紹興Shào xīng紹興Shào xīng — see 紹興市 (Shào xīng Shì)
  • 孝xiào孝xiào — filial piety or obedience · mourning apparel
  • 孝子xiào zǐ孝子xiào zǐ — filial son
  • 山海經Shān hǎi Jīng山海經Shān hǎi Jīng — Classic of Mountain and Sea, probably compiled c. 500 BC-200 BC, contains wide range of geography, mythology, witchcraft, popular customs etc
  • 發電fā diànHSK 6發電fā diàn — to generate electricity · to send a telegram (HSK 6)
  • 解剖學jiě pōu xué解剖學jiě pōu xué — anatomy
  • 電報diàn bàoHSK 7-9電報diàn bào — telegram · cable · telegraph · classifier: 封 (fēng), 份 (fèn) (HSK 7-9)
  • 二十四孝Èr shí sì Xiào二十四孝Èr shí sì Xiào — the Twenty-four Filial Exemplars, classic Confucian text on filial piety from Yuan dynasty
  • 咕咚gū dōng咕咚gū dōng — splash · (onom.) for heavy things falling down

魯迅 Lu Xun

Lu Xun wrote these essays in 1926 while in Xiamen, having fled Beijing after the warlord government's crackdown on progressive writers and students turned violent. Looking back at a gentler, more settled personal past from the middle of that upheaval gives the collection its particular ache — memories of gardens, nurses and teachers written by a man who could not safely go home. Of everything in this library, it is generally considered the softest and most approachable entry point into Lu Xun's writing, without the corrosive satire of his fiction or the near-nihilism of 野草.

More by Lu Xun 同作者

Key vocabulary 词汇

  • 一大通一大通yī dà tōng — (coll.) a whole lot of ...; an endless stream of ... (used in relation to excessive or tedious amounts of talk, explanations, complaints etc)
  • 一視同仁一視同仁yī shì tóng rén — to treat everyone equally favorably (idiom); not to discriminate between people
  • 上乘上乘shàng chéng — first-class · best quality · also pr. (shàng shèng)
  • 下咽下咽xià yān — (anatomy) hypopharynx
  • 不佞不佞bù nìng — without eloquence · untalented · I, me (humble)
  • 不及格不及格bù jí gé — to fail · to flunk
  • 不可磨滅不可磨滅bù kě mó miè — indelible
  • 不好惹不好惹bù hǎo rě — not to be trifled with · not to be pushed around · stand no nonsense
  • 中國化中國化Zhōng guó huà — to sinicize · to take on Chinese characteristics
  • 中外中外zhōng wài — Sino-foreign · Chinese-foreign · home and abroad (HSK 6)
  • 中山大學中山大學Zhōng shān Dà xué — Sun Yat-sen University (Guangzhou) · Sun Yat-sen University (Kaohsiung) · Sun Yat-sen University (Moscow), founded in 1925 as training ground for Chinese communists
  • 中華民國中華民國Zhōng huá Mín guó — Republic of China
  • 二十世紀二十世紀èr shí shì jì — 20th century
  • 五通五通wǔ tōng — bottom bracket shell (in a bicycle frame) · (Buddhism) the five supernatural powers (abbr. for 五神通 (wǔ shén tōng))
  • 亦即亦即yì jí — namely · that is
  • 人之初，性本善人之初，性本善rén zhī chū , xìng běn shàn — man at birth is fundamentally good in nature (the first two lines of Three Character Classic 三字經 (Sān zì Jīng))
  • 人格人格rén gé — personality · integrity · dignity (HSK 7-9)
  • 人聲鼎沸人聲鼎沸rén shēng dǐng fèi — lit. a boiling cauldron of voices (idiom) · hubbub · brouhaha
  • 仙台仙台Xiān tái — Sendai, city in northeast Japan
  • 仙臺仙臺Xiān tái — Sendai (city in Japan)
  • 仿效仿效fǎng xiào — to copy; to imitate
  • 企圖企圖qǐ tú — to attempt · to try · attempt · classifier: 種 (zhǒng) (HSK 6)
  • 低能兒低能兒dī néng ér — retarded child · moron · idiot
  • 佔便宜佔便宜zhàn pián yi — advantageous · favorable · to benefit at others' expense · to take unfair advantage
  • 作態作態zuò tài — to put on an attitude; to pose
  • 作戰作戰zuò zhàn — combat · to fight (HSK 6)
  • 來源來源lái yuán — source (of information etc) · origin (HSK 4)
  • 侉侉kuǎ — foreign accent
  • 俄國人俄國人É guó rén — Russian (person)
  • 倀鬼倀鬼chāng guǐ — ghost of sb devoured by a tiger who helps the tiger devour others
  • 傳單傳單chuán dān — leaflet; flier; pamphlet
  • 儀節儀節yí jié — etiquette · ceremonial protocol
  • 元旦元旦Yuán dàn — New Year's Day (HSK 5)
  • 充填充填chōng tián — to fill (gap, hole, area, blank) · to pad out · to complement · (dental) filling · filled
  • 兇殘兇殘xiōng cán — savage · cruel · fierce (HSK 7-9)
  • 光復光復guāng fù — to recover (territory or power) · the liberation of Taiwan from Japanese rule in 1945
  • 入聲入聲rù shēng — entering tone · checked tone · one of the four tones of Middle Chinese
  • 內科內科nèi kē — internal medicine; general medicine (HSK 4)
  • 全本全本quán běn — whole edition · whole performance (of Chinese opera)
  • 兩清兩清liǎng qīng — to square accounts (between borrower and lender or between buyer and seller)
  • 具象具象jù xiàng — tangible image · concrete · representational (art)
  • 兼差兼差jiān chāi — to moonlight · side job
  • 再改再改zài gǎi — to change (sth) again
  • 再醮再醮zài jiào — to remarry
  • 冠冕冠冕guān miǎn — royal crown · official hat · official · leader · chief · elegant and stately
  • 冠冕堂皇冠冕堂皇guān miǎn táng huáng — high-sounding · dignified · pompous (idiom)
  • 冤氣冤氣yuān qì — resentment over unfair treatment
  • 出乎意料出乎意料chū hū yì liào — (idiom) unexpected
  • 出診出診chū zhěn — to visit a patient at home (of a doctor) · house call
  • 出巡出巡chū xún — to go on an inspection tour
  • 分數分數fēn shù — (exam) grade · mark · score · fraction (HSK 2)
  • 分母分母fēn mǔ — (math.) denominator of a fraction
  • 刊刊kān — to print · to publish · publication · periodical · to peel with a knife · to carve · to amend
  • 刑天刑天Xíng tiān — Xingtian, headless giant hero of Chinese mythology decapitated by the Yellow Emperor 黃帝 (Huáng dì)
  • 判然判然pàn rán — markedly · clearly
  • 刺殺刺殺cì shā — to assassinate · (military) to fight with a bayonet · (baseball) to put out (a baserunner)
  • 刺耳刺耳cì ěr — ear-piercing (HSK 7-9)
  • 刻印刻印kè yìn — to engrave a seal · stamp mark · to print with carved type · to leave a deep impression
  • 刻本刻本kè běn — block printed edition
  • 剛毅剛毅gāng yì — resolute · steadfast · stalwart (HSK 7-9)
  • 劉向劉向Liú Xiàng — Liu Xiang (77-6 BC), Han Dynasty scholar and author
  • 助手助手zhù shǒu — assistant; helper (HSK 5)
  • 勃勃勃勃bó bó — thriving · vigorous · exuberant
  • 勇決勇決yǒng jué — decisive · brave
  • 動機動機dòng jī — motive; motivation (HSK 5)
  • 動物界動物界dòng wù jiè — animal kingdom
  • 動輒動輒dòng zhé — easily · readily · frequently · at every turn · at the slightest pretext
  • 勾魂勾魂gōu hún — to take away sb's soul · (fig.) to captivate; to enchant
  • 包公包公Bāo gōng — Lord Bao or Judge Bao, fictional nickname of Bao Zheng 包拯 (Bāo Zhěng) (999-1062), Northern Song official renowned for his honesty
  • 匯編匯編huì biān — to compile · collection; compilation
  • 卌卌xì — forty
  • 博大博大bó dà — broad; extensive
  • 博學博學bó xué — learned; erudite
  • 印度印度Yìn dù — India
  • 原文原文yuán wén — original text
  • 反噬反噬fǎn shì — to backfire on; to rebound on
  • 叔祖叔祖shū zǔ — grandfather's younger brother
  • 古音古音gǔ yīn — ancient (esp. pre-Qin) pronunciation of a Chinese character · classical speech sounds
  • 只讀只讀zhǐ dú — (computing) read-only
  • 司長司長sī zhǎng — bureau chief (HSK 6)
  • 合併合併hé bìng — to merge · to annex (HSK 5)
  • 吊死鬼吊死鬼diào sǐ guǐ — ghost of a person who died by hanging · hanged person · (coll.) inchworm · hangman (word game)
  • 同級同級tóng jí — on the same level · ranking equally
  • 名流名流míng liú — gentry · celebrities
  • 吡吡bǐ — used as phonetic bi- or pi-
  • 告語告語gào yǔ — to inform; to tell
  • 和善和善hé shàn — good-natured
  • 和局和局hé jú — draw · tied game
  • 和約和約hé yuē — peace treaty
  • 咎有應得咎有應得jiù yǒu yīng dé — (idiom) to deserve what one gets (punishment, mishap etc)
  • 咒文咒文zhòu wén — incantation · spell · to curse
  • 咚咚dōng — (onom.) boom (of a drum) · knock (on the door)
  • 哀悼哀悼āi dào — to grieve over sb's death · to lament sb's death · mourning
  • 哈羅哈羅hā luó — hello (loanword)
  • 哲哲zhé — wise · a sage
  • 單數單數dān shù — positive odd number (also written 奇數 · singular (grammar)
  • 嗬嗬hē — (interjection expressing surprise) oh! · wow!
  • 嘉祥縣嘉祥縣Jiā xiáng Xiàn — Jiaxiang, a county in Jining City 濟寧市 (Jǐ níng Shì), Shandong
  • 嘗糞嘗糞cháng fèn — to taste a patient's excrement (a form of medical examination, seen as an act of loyalty or filial piety) · to suck up to sb; to kiss ass
  • 噶噶gá — phonetic ga (used in rendering Tibetan and Mongolian sounds) · Tibetan Ge: language of Buddha · (dialect) final particle similar to 了 (le) (esp. in Yunnan)
  • 嚏嚏tì — sneeze
  • 囡囡囡囡nān nān — little darling · baby
  • 國手國手guó shǒu — (sports) member of the national team · national representative · (medicine, chess etc) one of the most highly skilled practitioners in one's country
  • 圖版圖版tú bǎn — printing plate bearing an image (illustration, photo etc) · print made with such a plate
  • 地質學地質學dì zhì xué — geology
  • 基金基金jī jīn — fund (HSK 5)
  • 壓歲錢壓歲錢yā suì qián — money given to children as a gift on Chinese New Year's Eve
  • 壬戌壬戌rén xū — fifty-ninth year I11 of the 60 year cycle, e.g. 1982 or 2042
  • 壹壹yī — one (banker's anti-fraud numeral)
  • 大帝大帝dà dì — heavenly emperor · "the Great" (title)
  • 大炮大炮dà pào — big gun · cannon · artillery · one who talks big · classifier: 門 (mén), 尊 (zūn)
  • 天擇天擇tiān zé — natural selection
  • 天演論天演論tiān yǎn lùn — the theory of evolution (early translation, since replaced by 進化論
  • 太平御覽太平御覽Tài píng Yù lǎn — Imperial Readings of the Taiping Era, general Song dynasty encyclopedia compiled during 977-983 under Li Fang 李昉 (Lǐ Fǎng), 1000 scrolls
  • 太極太極Tài jí — the Absolute or Supreme Ultimate, the source of all things according to some interpretations of Chinese mythology (HSK 7-9)
  • 失傳失傳shī chuán — (of skills etc) to die out · lost · extinct (HSK 7-9)
  • 奧國奧國Ào guó — Austria
  • 妄人妄人wàng rén — presumptuous and ignorant person
  • 妙語妙語miào yǔ — witticism
  • 娖
  • 娛娛yú — to amuse
  • 娛樂娛樂yú lè — to entertain · to amuse · entertainment · recreation · amusement · hobby · fun · joy (HSK 6)
  • 媚態媚態mèi tài — seductive appearance · fawning manner
  • 子細子細zǐ xì — variant of 仔細 (zǐ xì)
  • 子路子路Zǐ Lù — Zi Lu (542-480 BC), disciple of Confucius 孔夫子 (Kǒng fū zǐ), also known as Ji Lu 季路 (Jì Lù)
  • 孔教孔教Kǒng jiào — Teaching of Confucius · Confucianism
  • 孝感孝感Xiào gǎn — see 孝感市 (Xiào gǎn Shì)
  • 孫傳芳孫傳芳Sūn Chuán fāng — Sun Chuanfang (1885-1935) one of the northern warlord, murdered in Tianjin in 1935
  • 學到學到xué dào — to learn (sth); to learn about
  • 學報學報xué bào — a scholarly journal · Journal, Bulletin etc
  • 學生會學生會xué sheng huì — student union
  • 學監學監xué jiān — school official responsible for supervising the students (old)
  • 學醫學醫xué yī — to study medicine
  • 客死客死kè sǐ — to die in a foreign land · to die abroad
  • 室女室女Shì nǚ — unmarried lady · virgin · Virgo (star sign)
  • 家境家境jiā jìng — family financial situation · family circumstances (HSK 7-9)
  • 容光煥發容光煥發róng guāng huàn fā — face glowing (idiom); looking radiant · all smiles (HSK 7-9)
  • 容或容或róng huò — perhaps · maybe · probably
  • 宿儒宿儒sù rú — experienced scholar · old expert in the field
  • 密切密切mì qiè — close; intimate · to strengthen (ties, cooperation etc) · closely; intently; carefully · (math.) to osculate (HSK 4)
  • 寓居寓居yù jū — to make one's home in · to reside in · to inhabit
  • 察察察察chá chá — clean · spotless
  • 實現實現shí xiàn — to achieve; to implement; to realize; to bring about (HSK 2)
  • 實習實習shí xí — to practice · field work · to intern · internship (HSK 2)
  • 實踐實踐shí jiàn — practice · to put into practice · to live up to (a promise) · to carry out (a project) (HSK 6)
  • 寶書寶書bǎo shū — treasured book
  • 封神榜封神榜Fēng shén Bǎng — Investiture of the Gods, major Ming dynasty vernacular novel of mythology and fantasy, very loosely based on King Wu of Zhou's 周武王 (Zhōu Wǔ wáng) overthrow of the Shang, subsequent material for opera, film, TV series, computer games etc
  • 專有專有zhuān yǒu — exclusive · proprietary
  • 尊稱尊稱zūn chēng — to address sb deferentially · title · honorific
  • 對課對課duì kè — to give answering phrase (school exercise in memory or composition)

Reading tools

Tap any word while reading to see its pinyin and an English gloss without leaving the page. Every chapter shows pinyin above the Chinese text, and where a graded retelling exists you can switch between it and the original with a single toggle — start with the simplified version and work up to the author’s own words.

Author 魯迅 (Lu Xun) died in 1936: public domain in China (life + 50 years) and in the United States (author died before 1946, so copyright was never restored under the URAA). Source: Project Gutenberg #25271 (PG branding removed per license).