空山靈雨空kōng — 1. empty 2. air 3. sky 4. in vain (HSK 3)山shān — 1. mountain; hill (classifier: 座 (zuò)) 2. (coll.) small bundle of straw for silkworms to spin cocoons on (HSK 1)靈líng — 1. quick 2. alert 3. efficacious 4. effective 5. to come true 6. spirit 7. departed soul 8. coffin (HSK 7-9)雨yǔ — 1. rain 2. classifier: 陣 (zhèn), 場 (cháng) (HSK 1) · 空山灵雨

Empty Mountain, Spiritual Rain — 許地山許xǔ — 1. to allow 2. to permit 3. to promise 4. to praise 5. somewhat 6. perhaps (HSK 7-9)地de — 1. -ly 2. structural particle: used before a verb or adjective, linking it to preceding modifying adverbial adjunct (HSK 1)山shān — 1. mountain; hill (classifier: 座 (zuò)) 2. (coll.) small bundle of straw for silkworms to spin cocoons on (HSK 1) · 许地山 Xu Dishan, 1922–1925

Forty-odd prose miniatures — parables, sketches and aphorisms, most of them a page or less. Alongside 朝花夕拾, the gentlest way into the library.

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What’s in it

空山靈雨 (Empty Mountain, Spiritual Rain) collects more than forty short prose pieces — parables, sketches and aphorisms, most no longer than a page — written between 1922 and 1925. Many draw on Buddhist and Christian imagery side by side, reflecting Xu Dishan's own scholarly background in both traditions: pieces like 蟬 (The Cicada) and 蛇 (The Snake) take a single small creature as the occasion for a short meditation on suffering, patience or fear, while others read more like fables with an explicit, gently delivered moral. The writing is plain and unhurried, closer in spirit to devotional literature than to the more combative fiction being written by Xu Dishan's contemporaries.

The collection's best-known piece, 落花生 (The Peanut), is a short essay in which the author's father uses the family's humble peanut patch to teach his children to value quiet usefulness over showy, ornamental achievement — a lesson that has been reprinted in Chinese schoolbooks for decades and that gives the collection, and the author's own pen name Luo Huasheng ('Fallen Peanut'), their most lasting image. Taken as a whole, 空山靈雨 is less about plot or character than about a consistent, searching tone: short pieces meant to be read slowly, one or two at a sitting.

  1. 1弁言Foreword
  2. 2心有事心xīn — 1. heart 2. mind 3. intention 4. center 5. core 6. classifier: 顆 (kē), 個 (gè) (HSK 3)有事yǒu shì — 1. to be occupied with sth 2. to have sth on one's mind 3. there is something the matter (HSK 6)The Heart Has Its Cares
  3. 3蟬 · 蝉The Cicada
  4. 4蛇蛇shé — 1. snake 2. serpent 3. classifier: 條 (tiáo) (HSK 5)The Snake
  5. 5笑笑xiào — 1. to laugh; to smile 2. to laugh at (HSK 1)Laughter
  6. 6三遷三sān — 1. three 2. 3 (HSK 1)遷qiān — 1. to move 2. to shift 3. to change (a position or location etc) 4. to promote (HSK 7-9) · 三迁Three Moves
  7. 7香香xiāng — 1. fragrant 2. sweet smelling 3. aromatic 4. savory or appetizing 5. (to eat) with relish 6. (of sleep) sound 7. perfume or spice 8. joss or incense stick 9. classifier: 根 (gēn) (HSK 3)Incense
  8. 8願願yuàn — 1. (bound form) wish; hope; desire 2. to be willing 3. to wish (that sth may happen); may ... 4. vow; pledge (HSK 5) · 愿A Vow
  9. 9山響山shān — 1. mountain; hill (classifier: 座 (zuò)) 2. (coll.) small bundle of straw for silkworms to spin cocoons on (HSK 1)響xiǎng — 1. echo 2. sound 3. noise 4. to make a sound 5. to sound 6. to ring 7. loud 8. classifier for noises (HSK 2) · 山响Mountain Echo
  10. 10愚婦人人rén — 1. person; people 2. classifier: 個 (gè), 位 (wèi), 名 (míng) (HSK 1) · 愚妇人The Foolish Woman
  11. 11蜜蜂和農人蜜蜂mì fēng — 1. bee 2. honeybee 3. classifier: 隻 (zhī), 群 (qún) (HSK 7-9)和hé — 1. (joining two nouns) and; together with; with (Taiwan pr. (hàn)) 2. (math.) sum 3. to make peace 4. (sports) to draw; to tie 5. (bound form) harmonious 6. (bound form) Japan; Japanese (HSK 1)人rén — 1. person; people 2. classifier: 個 (gè), 位 (wèi), 名 (míng) (HSK 1) · 蜜蜂和农人The Bee and the Farmer
  12. 12「小俄羅斯」底兵小xiǎo — 1. small 2. tiny 3. few 4. young (HSK 1)羅luó — 1. gauze 2. to collect 3. to gather 4. to catch 5. to sift (HSK 7-9)底dǐ — 1. bottom; base 2. background; foundation 3. copy (of a manuscript or receipt etc) kept as a record 4. (suffix) end of a year or month 5. (math.) radix; base (abbr. for 底數 (dǐ shù)) (HSK 4)兵bīng — 1. soldiers 2. a force 3. an army 4. weapons 5. arms 6. military 7. warlike 8. classifier: 個 (gè) (HSK 4) · 「小俄罗斯」底兵The Soldier of 'Little Russia'
  13. 13愛底痛苦愛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)底dǐ — 1. bottom; base 2. background; foundation 3. copy (of a manuscript or receipt etc) kept as a record 4. (suffix) end of a year or month 5. (math.) radix; base (abbr. for 底數 (dǐ shù)) (HSK 4)痛苦tòng kǔ — 1. pain 2. suffering 3. painful 4. classifier: 個 (gè) (HSK 3) · 爱底痛苦The Pain of Love
  14. 14信仰底哀傷信仰xìn yǎng — 1. to believe in (a religion) 2. firm belief 3. conviction (HSK 6)底dǐ — 1. bottom; base 2. background; foundation 3. copy (of a manuscript or receipt etc) kept as a record 4. (suffix) end of a year or month 5. (math.) radix; base (abbr. for 底數 (dǐ shù)) (HSK 4)傷shāng — 1. to injure 2. injury 3. wound (HSK 3) · 信仰底哀伤The Sorrow of Faith
  15. 15暗途暗àn — 1. dark 2. to turn dark 3. secret; hidden 4. (literary) confused; ignorant (HSK 4)The Dark Road
  16. 16你爲什麽不來你nǐ — you (informal, as opposed to courteous 您 (nín)) (HSK 1)不bù — 1. no; not so 2. (bound form) not; un- (HSK 1)來lái — 1. to come 2. (used as a substitute for a more specific verb) 3. hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回來 (huí lai)) 4. ever since (as in 自古以來 (zì gǔ yǐ lái)) 5. for the past (amount of time) 6. (prefix) the coming ...; the next ... (as in 來世 (lái shì)) 7. (between two verbs) in order to 8. (after a round number) approximately 9. (used after 得 (dé) to indicate possibility, as in 談得來 (tán de lái), or after 不 (bù) to indicate impossibility, as in 吃不來 (chī bu lái)) (HSK 1) · 你为什么不来Why Do You Not Come?
  17. 17海海hǎi — 1. ocean 2. sea 3. classifier: 個 (gè), 片 (piàn) 4. great number of people or things 5. (dialect) numerous (HSK 2)The Sea
  18. 18梨花梨lí — 1. pear 2. classifier: 個 (gè) (HSK 5)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)Pear Blossoms
  19. 19難解決的問題難nán — 1. difficult (to...) 2. problem 3. difficulty 4. difficult 5. not good (HSK 1)解決jiě jué — 1. to solve; to resolve; to settle (a problem) 2. to eliminate; to wipe out (an enemy, bandits etc) (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)問題wèn tí — 1. question 2. problem 3. issue 4. topic 5. classifier: 個 (gè) (HSK 2) · 难解决的问题The Unsolvable Problem
  20. 20愛就是刑罰愛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)就是jiù shì — 1. exactly; precisely 2. only; simply; just 3. (used correlatively with 也 (yě)) even; even if (HSK 3)罰fá — to punish; to penalize; to fine (HSK 5) · 爱就是刑罚Love Is Punishment
  21. 21債債zhài — 1. debt 2. classifier: 筆 (bǐ) (HSK 6) · 债The Debt
  22. 22暾將出兮東方將jiāng — 1. will 2. shall 3. to use 4. to take 5. to checkmate 6. just a short while ago 7. (introduces object of main verb, used in the same way as 把 (bǎ)) (HSK 5)出chū — 1. to go out; to come out 2. to arise; to occur 3. to produce; to yield 4. to go beyond; to exceed 5. (used after a verb to indicate an outward direction or a positive result) 6. classifier for dramas, plays, operas etc (HSK 1)東方dōng fāng — east (HSK 2) · 暾将出兮东方The Sun Rises in the East
  23. 23鬼讚鬼guǐ — 1. disembodied spirit; ghost; devil 2. (suffix) person with a certain vice or addiction etc 3. sly; crafty; resourceful (variant of 詭 (guǐ)) 4. one of the 28 constellations of ancient Chinese astronomy (HSK 5) · 鬼赞In Praise of Ghosts
  24. 24萬物之母萬wàn — 1. ten thousand 2. a great number (HSK 2)之zhī — 1. (possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的 (de)) 2. him 3. her 4. it (HSK 7-9)母mǔ — 1. mother 2. elderly female relative 3. origin 4. source 5. (of animals) female (HSK 6) · 万物之母The Mother of All Things
  25. 25春底林野底dǐ — 1. bottom; base 2. background; foundation 3. copy (of a manuscript or receipt etc) kept as a record 4. (suffix) end of a year or month 5. (math.) radix; base (abbr. for 底數 (dǐ shù)) (HSK 4)野yě — 1. field 2. plain 3. open space 4. limit 5. boundary 6. rude 7. feral (HSK 6)Spring Woods and Fields
  26. 26花香霧氣中底夢花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)香xiāng — 1. fragrant 2. sweet smelling 3. aromatic 4. savory or appetizing 5. (to eat) with relish 6. (of sleep) sound 7. perfume or spice 8. joss or incense stick 9. classifier: 根 (gēn) (HSK 3)霧wù — 1. fog 2. mist 3. classifier: 場 (cháng), 陣 (zhèn) (HSK 7-9)氣qì — 1. gas; air 2. smell 3. weather 4. to make angry; to annoy; to get angry 5. vital energy; qi (HSK 2)中zhōng — 1. within; among; in 2. middle; center 3. while (doing sth); during 4. (dialect) OK; all right (HSK 1)底dǐ — 1. bottom; base 2. background; foundation 3. copy (of a manuscript or receipt etc) kept as a record 4. (suffix) end of a year or month 5. (math.) radix; base (abbr. for 底數 (dǐ shù)) (HSK 4)夢mèng — 1. dream (classifier: 場 (cháng)) 2. (bound form) to dream (HSK 4) · 花香雾气中底梦A Dream Amid Flower Scent and Mist
  27. 27蘼The Fragrant Herb
  28. 28七寶池上底鄉思七qī — 1. seven 2. 7 (HSK 1)寶bǎo — 1. jewel 2. gem 3. treasure 4. precious (HSK 4)上shàng — 1. (bound form) up; upper; above; previous 2. first (of multiple parts) 3. to climb; to get onto; to go up 4. to attend (class or university) 5. (directional complement) up 6. (noun suffix) on; above (HSK 1)底dǐ — 1. bottom; base 2. background; foundation 3. copy (of a manuscript or receipt etc) kept as a record 4. (suffix) end of a year or month 5. (math.) radix; base (abbr. for 底數 (dǐ shù)) (HSK 4)鄉xiāng — 1. country or countryside 2. native place 3. home village or town 4. township (PRC administrative unit) (HSK 5) · 七宝池上底乡思Homesickness by the Pool of Seven Treasures
  29. 29銀翎的使命銀yín — 1. silver 2. silver-colored 3. relating to money or currency (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)使命shǐ mìng — 1. mission 2. long-term task to which one devotes oneself 3. a calling (HSK 7-9) · 银翎的使命The Silver Feather's Mission
  30. 30美底牢獄美měi — 1. beautiful 2. very satisfactory; good 3. to beautify 4. to be pleased with oneself (HSK 3)底dǐ — 1. bottom; base 2. background; foundation 3. copy (of a manuscript or receipt etc) kept as a record 4. (suffix) end of a year or month 5. (math.) radix; base (abbr. for 底數 (dǐ shù)) (HSK 4)牢láo — 1. (literary) pen; fold (for livestock) 2. prison; jail 3. firm; secure; fast (HSK 6) · 美底牢狱The Prison of Beauty
  31. 31補破衣的老婦人補bǔ — 1. to repair 2. to patch 3. to mend 4. to make up for 5. to fill (a vacancy) 6. to supplement (HSK 3)破pò — 1. broken 2. damaged 3. worn out 4. lousy 5. rotten 6. to break, split or cleave 7. to get rid of 8. to destroy 9. to break with 10. to defeat 11. to capture (a city etc) 12. to expose the truth of (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)老lǎo — 1. prefix used before the surname of a person or a numeral indicating the order of birth of the children in a family or to indicate affection or familiarity 2. old (of people) 3. venerable (person) 4. experienced 5. of long standing 6. always 7. all the time 8. of the past 9. very 10. outdated 11. (of meat etc) tough (HSK 1)人rén — 1. person; people 2. classifier: 個 (gè), 位 (wèi), 名 (míng) (HSK 1) · 补破衣的老妇人The Old Woman Mending Rags
  32. 32光底死光guāng — 1. light; ray (classifier: 道 (dào)) 2. bright; shiny 3. only; merely 4. used up; finished 5. to leave (a part of the body) uncovered (HSK 3)底dǐ — 1. bottom; base 2. background; foundation 3. copy (of a manuscript or receipt etc) kept as a record 4. (suffix) end of a year or month 5. (math.) radix; base (abbr. for 底數 (dǐ shù)) (HSK 4)死sǐ — 1. to die 2. impassable 3. uncrossable 4. inflexible 5. rigid 6. extremely 7. damned (HSK 3)The Death of Light
  33. 33再會再zài — 1. again; once more; re- 2. further; beyond this point of time 3. (before an adjective) more 4. then (after sth, and not until then) 5. no matter how ... (followed by an adjective or verb, and then (usually) 也 (yě) or 都 (dōu) for emphasis) 6. (used to introduce additional information, as in 再則 (zài zé), 再就是 (zài jiù shì) etc) 7. (literary) to reappear; to reoccur (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) · 再会Farewell
  34. 34橋邊橋qiáo — 1. bridge 2. classifier: 座 (zuò) (HSK 3)邊biān — 1. side 2. edge 3. margin 4. border 5. boundary 6. classifier: 個 (gè) 7. simultaneously (HSK 2) · 桥边By the Bridge
  35. 35頭髮頭髮tóu fa — hair (on the head) (HSK 2) · 头发Hair
  36. 36疲倦的母親疲倦pí juàn — 1. to tire 2. tired (HSK 7-9)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)母親mǔ qīn — mother (HSK 3) · 疲倦的母亲The Weary Mother
  37. 37處女的恐怖處chù — 1. (bound form) place; locality 2. (bound form) part; aspect 3. (bound form) office; department; bureau 4. classifier for locations: spot, point (HSK 4)女nǚ — 1. female 2. woman 3. daughter (HSK 1)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)恐怖kǒng bù — 1. terrible 2. frightful 3. frightening 4. terror 5. terrorist (HSK 7-9) · 处女的恐怖The Maiden's Terror
  38. 38我想我wǒ — I; me; my (HSK 1)想xiǎng — 1. to think (about) 2. to think of; to devise 3. to think (that); to believe (that) 4. to desire; to want (to) 5. to miss (feel wistful about the absence of) (HSK 1)I Think
  39. 39鄉曲底狂言鄉xiāng — 1. country or countryside 2. native place 3. home village or town 4. township (PRC administrative unit) (HSK 5)曲qǔ — 1. tune 2. song 3. classifier: 支 (zhī) (HSK 7-9)底dǐ — 1. bottom; base 2. background; foundation 3. copy (of a manuscript or receipt etc) kept as a record 4. (suffix) end of a year or month 5. (math.) radix; base (abbr. for 底數 (dǐ shù)) (HSK 4)狂kuáng — 1. mad 2. wild 3. violent (HSK 5) · 乡曲底狂言Wild Words from the Countryside
  40. 40生生shēng — 1. to grow; to give birth; to produce; to be born 2. to arise; to occur 3. to light (a fire) 4. to live; to be alive 5. life 6. raw; uncooked; unprocessed 7. unfamiliar; strange 8. (bound form) student; person engaged in a field 9. (bound form) male role in traditional opera 10. (bound form) life; lifetime 11. (bound form) means of livelihood 12. (bound form) very; intensely (as in 生疼 (shēng téng)) 13. (bound form) in a forced manner (as in 生拉硬拽 (shēng lā yìng zhuài)) (HSK 2)Life
  41. 41公理戰勝公gōng — 1. public 2. collectively owned 3. common 4. international (e.g. high seas, metric system, calendar) 5. make public 6. fair 7. just 8. Duke, highest of five orders of nobility 五等爵位 (wǔ děng jué wèi) 9. honorable (gentlemen) 10. father-in-law 11. male (animal) (HSK 6)理lǐ — 1. texture 2. grain (of wood) 3. inner essence 4. intrinsic order 5. reason 6. logic 7. truth 8. science 9. natural science (esp. physics) 10. to manage 11. to pay attention to 12. to run (affairs) 13. to handle 14. to put in order 15. to tidy up (HSK 6)戰勝zhàn shèng — 1. to prevail over 2. to defeat 3. to surmount (HSK 4) · 公理战胜Justice Triumphs
  42. 42面具面miàn — 1. face 2. side 3. surface 4. aspect 5. top 6. classifier for objects with flat surfaces such as drums, mirrors, flags etc (HSK 2)The Mask
  43. 43落花生落luò — 1. to fall or drop 2. (of the sun) to set 3. (of a tide) to go out 4. to lower 5. to decline or sink 6. to lag or fall behind 7. to fall onto 8. to rest with 9. to get or receive 10. to write down 11. whereabouts 12. settlement (HSK 4)花生huā shēng — 1. peanut 2. classifier: 粒 (lì) (HSK 6)The Peanut
  44. 44別話別bié — 1. to leave; to part (from) 2. (literary) to differentiate; to distinguish 3. (dialect) to turn away; to turn aside; to avert (one's face, gaze etc) 4. (bound form) other; another; different 5. don't ...! 6. to fasten with a pin or clip 7. to stick in; to insert (in order to hinder movement) 8. (noun suffix) category (as in 性別 (xìng bié), 派別 (pài bié)) (HSK 1)話huà — 1. dialect 2. language 3. spoken words 4. speech 5. talk 6. words 7. conversation 8. what sb said 9. classifier: 種 (zhǒng), 席 (xí), 句 (jù), 口 (kǒu), 番 (fān) (HSK 1) · 别话Parting Words
  45. 45愛流汐張愛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)流liú — 1. to flow 2. to disseminate 3. to circulate or spread 4. to move or drift 5. to degenerate 6. to banish or send into exile 7. stream of water or sth resembling one 8. class, rate or grade (HSK 2)張zhāng — 1. to open up 2. to spread 3. sheet of paper 4. classifier for flat objects, sheet 5. classifier for votes (HSK 3) · 爱流汐张The Ebb and Flow of Love

Literary forms

Key words 关键字

  • 囘huí囘huí — variant of 回 (huí)
  • 着zhāoHSK 1着zhāo — a move in chess (Taiwan pr. (zhuó)) · trick; tactic · (dialect) okay; all right · (dialect) to put in; to add (HSK 1)
  • 麽mó麽mó — tiny · insignificant
  • 敎jiào敎jiào — variant of 教 (jiào)
  • 爲wéiHSK 2爲wéi — variant of 為 (wéi) (HSK 2)
  • 她tāHSK 1她tā — she (HSK 1)
  • 邕yōng邕yōng — city surrounded by a moat · old variant of 雍 (yōng) · old variant of 壅 (yōng)
  • 鶊gēng鶊gēng — used in 鶬鶊 (cāng gēng)
  • 爹diēHSK 7-9爹diē — dad (HSK 7-9)
  • 裏lǐHSK 1裏lǐ — variant of 裡 (lǐ) (HSK 1)
  • 蘼mí蘼mí — millet
  • 迦jiā迦jiā — (phonetic sound for Buddhist terms)
  • 讚zàn讚zàn — (bound form) to praise; to laud (variant of 贊 (zàn))
  • 眞zhēn眞zhēn — variant of 真 (zhēn)
  • 煖nuǎnHSK 5煖nuǎn — variant of 暖 (nuǎn) (HSK 5)
  • 旣jì旣jì — variant of 既 (jì)
  • 姊zǐ姊zǐ — older sister · Taiwan pr. (jiě)
  • 峯fēng峯fēng — variant of 峰 (fēng)
  • 淸qīng淸qīng — variant of 清 (qīng)
  • 喫chīHSK 1喫chī — variant of 吃 (chī) (HSK 1)
  • 溼shīHSK 4溼shī — variant of 濕 (shī) (HSK 4)
  • 髑dú髑dú — used in 髑髏 (dú lóu)
  • 徨huáng徨huáng — used in 彷徨 (páng huáng)
  • 芳fāng芳fāng — fragrant

許地山 Xu Dishan

Xu Dishan (許地山, 1893–1941), who wrote under the pen name 落花生 (Luo Huasheng), was a scholar of comparative religion as well as a writer, and one of the first modern Chinese authors to bring Buddhist and Christian ideas into short vernacular prose rather than treating them as separate scholarly subjects. He worked as an educator and was active in Hong Kong's wartime cultural resistance against Japan before dying suddenly of a heart attack there in 1941, in the middle of that work.

Key vocabulary 词汇

  • 儷儷lì — (bound form) paired; coupled · (bound form) husband and wife
  • 内内nèi — inside · inner · internal · within · interior (HSK 3)
  • 册册cè — book · booklet · classifier for books (HSK 5)
  • 匀匀yún — even · well-distributed · uniform · to distribute evenly · to share
  • 嚜嚜me — (final particle)
  • 囝囝jiǎn — child
  • 壻壻xù — variant of 婿 (xù)
  • 妺妺mò — wife of the last ruler of the Xia dynasty
  • 嬴嬴Yíng — surname Ying
  • 嬲嬲niǎo — to tease · to disturb
  • 嬿嬿yàn — lovely
  • 嵆
  • 巓巓diān — same as 巔 (diān) · summit · mountain peak · mountain top
  • 愎愎bì — perverse · obstinate · willful
  • 愫愫sù — guileless · sincere
  • 㧎
  • 摯摯zhì — sincere
  • 摰摰niè — to seize with the hand · to grasp · to advance · to breakdown
  • 擘擘bò — thumb · to break · to tear · to pierce · to split
  • 敎敎jiào — variant of 教 (jiào)
  • 桄桄guāng — used in 桄榔 (guāng láng)
  • 椎椎chuí — hammer; mallet (variant of 槌 (chuí)) · variant of 捶 (chuí)
  • 榕榕róng — Chinese banyan (Ficus microcarpa)
  • 榦榦gàn — tree trunk
  • 橱橱chú — wardrobe · closet · cabinet
  • 汐汐xī — night tides · evening ebbtide · Taiwan pr. (xì)
  • 泌泌bì — used in 泌陽 (Bì yáng) (the name of a place in Henan)
  • 涰
  • 潲潲shào — driving rain · to sprinkle
  • 澩
  • 煖煖nuǎn — variant of 暖 (nuǎn) (HSK 5)
  • 獮獮xiǎn — to hunt in autumn (archaic)
  • 琼琼qióng — jasper · fine jade · beautiful · exquisite (e.g. wine, food) · abbr. for Hainan province
  • 璎璎yīng — necklace
  • 疎疎shū — variant of 疏 (shū)
  • 眦眦zì — (anatomy) corner of the eye; canthus
  • 睁睁zhēng — to open (one's eyes) (HSK 7-9)
  • 瞇瞇mī — to narrow one's eyes · to squint · (dialect) to take a nap
  • 瞹瞹ài — variant of 曖 (ài)
  • 茘茘lì — variant of 荔 (lì)
  • 葒葒hóng — used in 葒草 (hóng cǎo)
  • 蕨蕨jué — Pteridium aquilinum · bracken
  • 薘薘dá — plantago major
  • 蛺蛺jiá — see 蛺蝶 (jiá dié)
  • 蠣蠣lì — oyster
  • 褭褭niǎo — variant of 裊 (niǎo)
  • 谿谿xī — variant of 溪 (xī)
  • 蹀蹀dié — to tread on · to stamp one's foot
  • 邕邕yōng — city surrounded by a moat · old variant of 雍 (yōng) · old variant of 壅 (yōng)
  • 鉢鉢bō — variant of 缽 (bō)
  • 钁钁jué — variant of 鐝 (jué)
  • 閙閙nào — variant of 鬧 (nào) (HSK 4)
  • 阡阡qiān — road leading north and south
  • 随随suí — to follow · to comply with · varying according to... · to allow · subsequently (HSK 3)
  • 霝霝líng — drops of rain · to fall in drops
  • 顔
  • 鶊鶊gēng — used in 鶬鶊 (cāng gēng)
  • 鷄鷄jī — variant of 雞 (jī) (HSK 2)
  • 齅
  • 冲冲chōng — (of water) to dash against · to mix with water · to infuse · to rinse · to flush · to develop (a film) · to rise in the air · to clash · to collide with (HSK 4)
  • 凑凑còu — to gather together, pool or collect · to happen by chance · to move close to · to exploit an opportunity (HSK 7-9)
  • 呲呲cī — (coll.) to scold · to rebuke
  • 咦咦yí — expression of surprise
  • 唼唼shǎ — to speak evil · gobbling sound made by ducks
  • 啣啣xián — variant of 銜 (xián)
  • 喋喋dié — used in 喋喋 (dié dié) · used in 喋血 (dié xuè)
  • 喞
  • 嘿嘿hēi — hey (HSK 7-9)
  • 噎噎yē — to choke (on) · to choke up · to suffocate
  • 嬾嬾lǎn — variant of 懶 (lǎn) (HSK 6)
  • 岑岑cén — small hill
  • 崑崑kūn — used in place names, notably Kunlun Mountains 崑崙 (Kūn lún) · (also used for transliteration)
  • 嶇嶇qū — used in 崎嶇 (qí qū)
  • 带带dài — band · belt · girdle · ribbon · tire · area · zone · region · classifier: 條 (tiáo) · to wear · to carry · to take along · to bear (i.e. to have) · to lead · to bring · to look after · to raise (HSK 2)
  • 弁弁biàn — (old) cap (garment) · military officer of low rank (in former times) · preceding
  • 抛抛pāo — to throw · to toss · to fling · to cast · to abandon (HSK 7-9)
  • 旣旣jì — variant of 既 (jì)
  • 暾暾tūn — sun above the horizon
  • 曦曦xī — (literary) sunlight (usu. in early morning)
  • 杵杵chǔ — pestle · to poke
  • 溼溼shī — variant of 濕 (shī) (HSK 4)
  • 澗澗jiàn — mountain stream
  • 犢犢dú — calf · sacrificial victim
  • 猪猪zhū — hog · pig · swine · classifier: 口 (kǒu), 頭 (tóu) (HSK 3)
  • 珞珞luò — neck-ornament
  • 璜璜huáng — semicircular jade ornament
  • 疇疇chóu — arable fields · cultivated field · class · category
  • 痹痹bì — paralysis · numbness
  • 磴磴dèng — cliff-ledge · stone step
  • 穫穫huò — (bound form) to reap; to harvest (HSK 4)
  • 窰窰yáo — variant of 窯 (yáo) (HSK 7-9)
  • 簧簧huáng — reed (of a music instrument) · spring; coil
  • 紈紈wán — (literary) fine white silk; delicate silk fabric
  • 紜紜yún — confused · numerous
  • 纍纍léi — rope · to bind together · to twist around (HSK 1)
  • 芰芰jì — (archaic) water caltrop (Trapa natans)
  • 茆茆mǎo — type of water plant · (dialect) loess hills
  • 茵茵yīn — mattress
  • 荏荏rěn — beefsteak plant (Perilla frutescens) · soft · weak
  • 萏萏dàn — lotus
  • 蘋蘋píng — used in 蘋果 (píng guǒ)
  • 蘼蘼mí — millet
  • 蜒蜒yán — slug · used in 蜿蜒 (wān yán)
  • 蜿蜿wān — used in 蜿蜒 (wān yán)
  • 説説shuō — variant of 說 (shuō) (HSK 1)
  • 謐謐mì — (literary) quiet; peaceful; tranquil
  • 輭輭ruǎn — variant of 軟 (ruǎn) (HSK 5)
  • 迦迦jiā — (phonetic sound for Buddhist terms)
  • 鑠鑠shuò — bright · to melt · to fuse
  • 髑髑dú — used in 髑髏 (dú lóu)
  • 鴛鴛yuān — mandarin duck
  • 鴦鴦yāng — used in 鴛鴦 (yuān yāng)
  • 伺伺cì — used in 伺候 (cì hou)
  • 傭傭yōng — to hire · to employ · servant · hired laborer · domestic help
  • 儻儻tǎng — (literary) variant of 倘 (tǎng) · used in 倜儻 (tì tǎng)
  • 冀冀jì — (literary) to hope for
  • 囘囘huí — variant of 回 (huí)
  • 决决jué — to decide · to determine · to execute (sb) · (of a dam etc) to breach or burst · definitely · certainly
  • 咿咿yī — (onom.) to squeak
  • 啜啜chuò — (literary) to drink · to sip · to sob
  • 喲喲yō — Oh! (interjection indicating slight surprise) · also pr. (yāo)
  • 嗜嗜shì — (bound form) to have a strong liking for; to be addicted to
  • 垢垢gòu — dirt · disgrace
  • 壘壘lěi — rampart · base (in baseball) · to build with stones, bricks etc
  • 寐寐mèi — to sleep soundly
  • 峯峯fēng — variant of 峰 (fēng)
  • 崎崎qí — mountainous
  • 崖崖yá — precipice · cliff · Taiwan pr. (yái)
  • 强强jiàng — stubborn · unyielding (HSK 3)
  • 慵慵yōng — lethargic
  • 抿抿mǐn — to smooth hair with a wet brush · (of a mouth, wing etc) to close lightly · to sip
  • 摺摺zhé — document folded in accordion form · to fold
  • 撓撓náo — to scratch · to thwart · to yield (HSK 7-9)
  • 朶朶duǒ — variant of 朵 (duǒ) (HSK 5)
  • 杷杷bà — handle or shaft (of an axe etc) · hoe · to harrow
  • 枇枇pí — used in 枇杷 (pí pa)
  • 棘棘jí — thorns
  • 榔榔láng — tall tree (archaic)
  • 榴榴liú — pomegranate
  • 櫺櫺líng — (bound form) a (window) lattice; latticework
  • 沓沓dá — classifier for sheets of papers etc: pile, pad · Taiwan pr. (tà)
  • 淸淸qīng — variant of 清 (qīng)
  • 温温wēn — warm; lukewarm · to warm up · (bound form) temperature · (bound form) mild; soft; tender · to review (a lesson etc) · (TCM) fever · epidemic; pestilence (old variant of 瘟 (wēn))
  • 溯溯sù — to go upstream · to trace the source
  • 滲滲shèn — to seep · to ooze · to horrify (HSK 7-9)
  • 澹澹dàn — tranquil · placid · quiet
  • 烟烟yān — cigarette or pipe tobacco · classifier: 根 (gēn) · smoke · mist · vapour · classifier: 縷 (lǚ) · tobacco plant · (of the eyes) to be irritated by smoke (HSK 3)
  • 琢琢zhuó — to cut (gems)
  • 盥盥guàn — to wash (especially hands)
  • 瞌瞌kē — used in 瞌睡 (kē shuì)

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 許地山 (Xu Dishan) died in 1941: 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: zh.wikisource.org (1925 商務印書館 printing, titled 空山霝雨 there with the variant 霝).