昆山玉前传 Kūnshān yù qiánzhuán Kunshan Jade Prequel by 谈天音 Tán Tiān Yīn is a 2010 Chinese novel set in the Tang dynasty about a pearl diver. The story was adapted into a Chinese TV drama in 2024 named 珠帘玉幕 zhū lián yù mù Pearl Curtains & Jade Drapes, the official English title is The Story of Pearl Girl.
听说张郎君今天打水去了
tīng shuō zhāng láng jūn jīntiān dǎ shuǐ qùle
I heard, Sir Zhang, that you went to fetch water today.
听说 tīngshuō to hear (something said); one hears (that); hearsay; listening and speaking
张 zhāng to open up; to spread; sheet of paper; measure word for flat objects, sheet; measure word for votes; (Chinese surname)
郎君 lángjūn my husband and master (archaic); playboy of rich family; pimp
今天 jīntiān today; at the present; now
打水 dǎshuǐ to draw water; to splash water
去 qù to go; to go to (a place); (of a time etc) last; just passed; to send; to remove;
to get rid of; to reduce; to be apart from in space or time; to die
(euphemism); to play (a part); (when used either before or after a verb) to go
in order to do something; (after a verb of motion indicates movement away
from the speaker); (used after certain verbs to indicate detachment or
separation)
了 le (completed action marker); (modal particle indicating change of state,
situation now); (modal particle intensifying preceding clause)
不过好像竹篮打水一场空啊
bùguò hǎoxiàng zhú lán dǎ shuǐ yīchǎngkōng a
Only, a wicker basket holds no water.
不过 bùguò only; merely; no more than; but; however; anyway (to get back to a
previous topic); cannot be more (after adjectival)
好像 hǎoxiàng as if; to seem like
竹篮打水 zhúlán dǎshuǐ using a wicker basket to draw water (idiom); wasted effort
竹 zhú bamboo; Kangxi radical 118
篮 lán basket (receptacle); basket (in basketball)
一场空 yī cháng kōng all one's hopes and efforts come to nothing; futile
啊 ā interjection of surprise; Ah!; Oh!
这听谓近水楼台
zhè tīng wèi jìnshuǐlóutái
Some are closer to the fountainhead,
这 zhè this; these; (commonly pr. [zhei4] before a classifier, esp. in Beijing)
听 tīng to listen; to hear; to obey; a can (loanword from English "tin");
measure word for canned beverages
谓 wèi to speak; to say; to name; to designate; meaning; sense; (Chinese
surname)
近水楼台 jìn shuǐ lóutái lit. a pavilion near the water (idiom); fig. using one's proximity to
the powerful to obtain favor
近 jìn near; close to; approximately
楼台 lóutái (dialect) balcony; terrace; (literary) high building; tower; (old) stage
for theatrical performance
台 tái (classical) you (in letters); variant of 臺; platform; stage; terrace;
stand; support; station; broadcasting station; measure word for vehicles or machines; Taiwan (abbr.); (Chinese surname)
我也没见着先得月
wǒ yě méi jiànzhe xiān dé yuè
but still failed to ladle the moon from the water,
我 wǒ I; me; my
也 yě also; too; (in Classical Chinese) final particle implying affirmation; (Chinese
surname)
没 méi (negative prefix for verbs); have not; not
见 jiàn to see; to meet; to appear (to be something); to interview
着 zhe aspect particle indicating action in progress
先 xiān early; prior; former; in advance; first
得 de structural particle: used after a verb (or adjective as main verb), linking it to
following phrase indicating effect, degree, possibility etc
月 yuè moon; month; monthly
可能是镜花水月吧
kěnéng shì jìnghuāshuǐyuè ba
perhaps only seeing the moon's reflection.
可能 kěnéng might (happen); possible; probable; possibility; probability;
maybe; perhaps
是 shì is; are; am; yes; to be
镜花水月 jìnghuā shuǐ yuè lit. flowers in a mirror and the moon reflected in the lake
(idiom); fig. an unrealistic rosy view; viewing things through
rose-tinted spectacles; also written 水月镜花
镜花 jìnghuā decorative mirror
镜 jìng mirror; lens
吧 ba (modal particle indicating suggestion or surmise); ...right?;
...OK?; ...I presume.
Translator 译者: 鸑岚朠 Yuè LánYīng Buy Me Tea
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