郁達夫小說選小說xiǎo shuō — 1. novel 2. fiction 3. classifier: 本 (běn), 部 (bù) (HSK 2)選xuǎn — 1. to choose 2. to pick 3. to select 4. to elect (HSK 2) · 郁达夫小说选

What’s in it

This selection gathers nine of Yu Dafu's early short stories, written between 1921 and 1924 in the confessional, first-person style he helped introduce into modern Chinese fiction. 沉淪 (Sinking), the story that made his name and scandalized readers on its 1921 publication, follows a lonely Chinese student in Japan whose sexual frustration, isolation and sense of national humiliation compound into a downward spiral that ends in his death by drowning — a private despair the story deliberately ties to the weakness of his home country on the world stage. 南遷, 空虛, 茫茫夜 and 蔦蘿行 return to similar territory: young men undone by poverty, thwarted desire and an inability to fit into either Chinese or Japanese society.

Not every story in the collection is quite so bleak. 春風沉醉的晚上 (Intoxicated Spring Nights) is a gentler piece about a struggling writer's tentative, largely unspoken friendship with a poor factory girl living in the room next door, and 薄奠 and 春潮 likewise soften the collection's harsher stories with more restrained sympathy for ordinary hardship. Across all nine, the constant is Yu Dafu's willingness to expose his narrators' self-pity and shame without much protective irony, which was itself a break from the more reserved fiction that had come before him.

Literary forms

• Chinese Short Stories

Key words 关键字

• 裡lǐHSK 1裡lǐ — lining · interior · inside · internal · also written 裏 (lǐ) (HSK 1)
• 她tāHSK 1她tā — she (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))
• 箇gèHSK 1箇gè — variant of 個 (gè) (HSK 1)
• 吧bāHSK 1吧bā — bar (loanword) (serving drinks, or providing Internet access etc) · to puff (on a pipe etc) · (onom.) bang · abbr. for 貼吧 (tiē bā) (HSK 1)
• 仲zhòng仲zhòng — second month of a season · middle · intermediate · second amongst brothers
• 校jiào校jiào — to check; to collate; to proofread
• 麼má麼má — exclamatory final particle
• 穌sū穌sū — archaic variant of 蘇 (sū) · to revive
• 質zhì質zhì — character · nature · quality · plain · to pawn · pledge · hostage · to question · Taiwan pr. (zhí)
• 纖xiān纖xiān — fine · delicate · minute
• 京jīng京jīng — capital city of a country · big · algebraic term for a large number (old) · artificial mound (old)
• 島dǎoHSK 6島dǎo — island · classifier: 個 (gè), 座 (zuò) (HSK 6)
• 稚zhì稚zhì — infantile · young
• 江jiāngHSK 4江jiāng — river · classifier: 條 (tiáo), 道 (dào) (HSK 4)
• 笥sì笥sì — square bamboo container for food or clothing
• 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)
• 為wéiHSK 2為wéi — as (in the capacity of) · to take sth as · to act as · to serve as · to behave as · to become · to be · to do · by (in the passive voice) (HSK 2)
• 呆dāiHSK 5呆dāi — foolish; stupid · expressionless; blank · variant of 待 (dāi) (HSK 5)
• 啊āHSK 2啊ā — interjection of surprise · Ah! · Oh! (HSK 2)
• 棠táng棠táng — cherry-apple
• 黝yǒu黝yǒu — black · dark green
• 潔jié潔jié — clean
• 倪ní倪ní — (literary) small child · (literary) limit; bound; extremity · (literary) to differentiate · (literary) origin; cause

郁達夫 Yu Dafu

Yu Dafu (郁達夫, 1896–1945) was a founding member, alongside Guo Moruo, of the Creation Society (創造社), one of the most influential literary groups of the May Fourth era, and he is generally credited as the pioneer of confessional, autobiographically inflected fiction in modern Chinese literature, drawing on both the Japanese 'I-novel' tradition and European Romanticism from his student years in Japan. His life ended violently: after fleeing to Sumatra during the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, he worked in hiding as a translator while secretly helping the local resistance, and was abducted and killed by Japanese military police in 1945, just after the war's end, making him one of modern China's most widely mourned literary martyrs.

Key vocabulary 词汇

• 乱乱luàn — in confusion or disorder · in a confused state of mind · disorder · upheaval · riot · illicit sexual relations · to throw into disorder · to mix up · indiscriminate · random · arbitrary (HSK 3)
• 仞仞rèn — unit of length used in ancient times, equal to 7 or 8 Chinese feet 尺 (chǐ)
• 们们men — plural marker for pronouns, and nouns referring to individuals
• 働働xx — (Japanese kokuji) labor; work
• 别别bié — to leave; to part (from) · (literary) to differentiate; to distinguish · (dialect) to turn away; to turn aside; to avert (one's face, gaze etc) · (bound form) other; another; different · don't ...! · to fasten with a pin or clip · to stick in; to insert (in order to hinder movement) · (noun suffix) category (as in 性別 (xìng bié), 派別 (pài bié)) (HSK 1)
• 刹刹chà — Buddhist monastery, temple or shrine (abbr. for 剎多羅 (chà duō luó), Sanskrit "ksetra")
• 吓吓hè — to scare · to intimidate · to threaten · (interjection showing disapproval) tut-tut · (interjection showing astonishment) (HSK 5)
• 吮吮shǔn — to suck
• 呐呐nà — battle cry
• 咖咖gā — used in 咖喱 (gā lí)
• 啡啡fēi — (used in loanwords for its phonetic value)
• 啤啤pí — beer
• 嗳嗳ǎi — to belch · (interj. of disapproval)
• 囷囷qūn — granary · Taiwan pr. (jūn)
• 壚壚lú — clay · shop
• 娓娓wěi — used in 娓娓 (wěi wěi)
• 嫚嫚mān — (dialect) girl
• 岌岌jí — lofty peak · perilous
• 岬岬jiǎ — cape (geography) · headland
• 峙峙shì — used in 繁峙 (Fán shì) (the name of a place in Shanxi)
• 峽峽xiá — gorge
• 巉巉chán — (literary) steep; rugged; jagged; precipitous
• 帮帮bāng — to help · to assist · to support · for sb (i.e. as a help) · hired (as worker) · side (of pail, boat etc) · outer layer · upper (of a shoe) · group · gang · clique · party · secret society (HSK 1)
• 幣幣bì — money · coins · currency · silk
• 愼愼shèn — variant of 慎 (shèn)
• 挿
• 旭旭xù — dawn · rising sun
• 昊昊hào — vast and limitless · the vast sky
• 曇曇tán — dark clouds
• 檬檬méng — used in 檸檬 (níng méng)
• 檯檯tái — desk; table; counter (HSK 3)
• 檸檸níng — used in 檸檬 (níng méng)
• 氿氿guǐ — mountain spring
• 泓泓hóng — clear · vast and deep · classifier for a body of clear water
• 涘涘sì — river bank
• 涴涴wò — to soil
• 渐渐jiān — to imbue
• 湄湄méi — (literary) shore; coast; bank
• 湎湎miǎn — used in 沉湎 (chén miǎn)
• 滚滚gǔn — to boil · to roll · to take a hike · Get lost! (HSK 5)
• 滬滬Hù — short name for Shanghai
• 煦煦xù — balmy · nicely warm · cozy · Taiwan pr. (xǔ)
• 燴燴huì — to braise · to cook (rice etc) with vegetables, meat and water
• 狷狷juàn — impetuous · rash · upright (character)
• 町町dīng — (used in place names)
• 痺痺bì — paralysis · numbness
• 瘧瘧nüè — malaria
• 盎盎àng — (literary) ancient earthenware container with a big belly and small mouth · (literary) brimming; abundant
• 矽矽xī — (Tw) silicon (chemistry) · Taiwan pr. (xì)
• 磅磅bàng — scale (instrument for weighing) · to weigh · (loanword) pound (unit of weight, about 454 grams) · (printing) point (unit used to measure the size of type) · (Tw) (printing) pound; ream weight (used to describe paper thickness) (HSK 7-9)
• 窆窆biǎn — to put a coffin in the grave
• 笥笥sì — square bamboo container for food or clothing
• 箇箇gè — variant of 個 (gè) (HSK 1)
• 糶糶tiào — to sell (grain)
• 纸纸zhǐ — paper (classifier: 張 (zhāng), 沓 (dá)) · classifier for documents, letters etc (HSK 2)
• 紺紺gàn — violet or purple
• 耜耜sì — plow · plowshare
• 腎腎shèn — kidney (HSK 7-9)
• 臒
• 舢舢shān — sampan
• 艘艘sōu — classifier for ships · Taiwan pr. (sāo) (HSK 7-9)
• 蠍蠍xiē — (bound form) scorpion
• 衖衖lòng — variant of 弄 (lòng) (HSK 2)
• 衹衹qí — robe of a Buddhist monk or nun
• 詁詁gǔ — to comment · to explain
• 豚豚tún — suckling pig
• 賂賂lù — bribe · bribery
• 踽踽jǔ — hunchbacked · walk alone
• 躅躅zhú — used in 躑躅 (zhí zhú)
• 鄺鄺Kuàng — surname Kuang
• 醞醞yùn — to brew
• 鋏鋏jiá — pincers for use at a fire · sword
• 鎔鎔róng — to smelt · to fuse · variant of 熔 (róng)
• 鐐鐐liào — fetters · leg-irons · shackles
• 闇闇àn — (literary) to close (a door) · to eclipse · confused; ignorant (variant of 暗 (àn)) · dark (variant of 暗 (àn)) (HSK 4)
• 韌韌rèn — annealed · pliable but strong · tough · tenacious
• 顺顺shùn — to obey · to follow · to arrange · to make reasonable · along · favorable (HSK 6)
• 颺颺yáng — to soar · to fly · to float · variant of 揚 (yáng), to scatter · to spread
• 饭饭fàn — cooked rice · classifier: 碗 (wǎn) · meal · classifier: 頓 (dùn) · (loanword) fan · devotee (HSK 1)
• 鳶鳶yuān — kite (small hawk)
• 鶤鶤kūn — variant of 鵾 (kūn)
• 麪麪miàn — variant of 麵 (miàn)
• 黝黝yǒu — black · dark green
• 齟齟jǔ — used in 齟齬 (jǔ yǔ)
• 齬齬yǔ — used in 齟齬 (jǔ yǔ)
• 偕偕xié — in company with
• 儂儂nóng — you (Wu dialect) · I, me (classical)
• 冊冊cè — book · booklet · classifier for books (HSK 5)
• 刈刈yì — mow
• 卮卮zhī — goblet
• 咆咆páo — to roar
• 哮哮xiào — pant · roar · bark (of animals) · Taiwan pr. (xiāo)
• 喀喀kā — (onom.) sound of coughing or vomiting
• 喞
• 嗇嗇sè — stingy
• 嗶嗶bì — (phonetic)
• 嘿嘿hēi — hey (HSK 7-9)
• 噢噢ō — oh; ah (used to indicate realization) · also pr. (òu)
• 囪囪cōng — (bound form) chimney
• 坯坯pī — blank (e.g. for a coin) · unburnt earthenware · semifinished product · Taiwan pr. (pēi)
• 垓垓gāi — boundary
• 娟娟juān — beautiful · graceful
• 嫵嫵wǔ — used in 嫵媚 (wǔ mèi)
• 孱孱càn — used in 孱頭 (càn tou)
• 巒巒luán — mountain ranges
• 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)
• 忱忱chén — sincerity · honesty
• 恒恒héng — permanent · constant · fixed · usual · ordinary · rule (old) · one of the 64 hexagrams of the Book of Changes (䷟)
• 搾搾zhà — variant of 榨 (zhà) · to press · to extract (juice) (HSK 7-9)
• 撻撻tà — (bound form) to whip; to flog · (loanword) (pastry) tart (colloquial pr. (tǎ))
• 斛斛hú — ancient measuring vessel · fifty liters · dry measure for grain equal to five dou 五斗 (before Tang, ten pecks)
• 析析xī — to separate · to divide · to analyze
• 柘柘zhè — a thorny tree · sugarcane · Cudrania triloba · three-bristle cudrania (Cudrania tricuspidata) · Chinese mulberry (Cudrania)
• 棠棠táng — cherry-apple
• 榭榭xiè — pavilion
• 槁槁gǎo — dried up (wood) · dead tree
• 槃槃pán — variant of 盤 · wooden tray
• 橡橡xiàng — oak · Quercus serrata
• 檔檔dǎng — (Tw) gear (variant of 擋 (dǎng)) (HSK 6)
• 檣檣qiáng — boom · mast
• 歧歧qí — divergent · side road
• 殉殉xùn — to be buried with the dead · to die for a cause
• 涅涅niè — (literary) alunite (formerly used as a black dye) · (literary) to dye black
• 淩淩líng — variant of 凌 (líng)
• 渚渚zhǔ — islet · bank
• 渠渠jù — how can it be that?
• 渥渥wò — to enrich · to moisten
• 渭渭Wèi — the Wei River in Shaanxi through the Guanzhong Plain 關中平原 (Guān zhōng Píng yuán)
• 滄滄cāng — (bound form) (of water, esp. the ocean) deep blue-green · (literary) cold
• 滕滕Téng — vassal state of Zhou in Shandong · surname Teng
• 潘潘pān — (archaic) water in which rice has been washed · (Tw) kitchen waste; food scraps (from Taiwanese, Tai-lo pr. [phun])
• 炬炬jù — torch
• 点点diǎn — to touch briefly; to tap · to mark with a dot; to check off (on a list) · to order (food etc); to select · to mention; to bring up (a topic or person) · to hint at; to imply · to administer (eye medicine etc) in drops · to light (a fire, a lamp etc); to ignite · to nod (one's head) in agreement; to beckon by moving (one's hand) up and down · point; dot; spot; speck · dot stroke in Chinese characters · (math.) decimal point · point in time or space · (after a number) o'clock · a small amount; a bit; (after a verb or adjective) a bit more · classifier for small amounts (HSK 1)
• 燔燔fán — burn · to roast meat for sacrifice
• 猪猪zhū — hog · pig · swine · classifier: 口 (kǒu), 頭 (tóu) (HSK 3)
• 疇疇chóu — arable fields · cultivated field · class · category
• 瞳瞳tóng — pupil of the eye
• 碼碼mǎ — (archaic) agate · (bound form) standard weight used with a balance scale · number · (computing) code · (clothing) size · yard (unit of length) · (coll.) kilometers per hour (informal misuse of "yard" to mean kph in speed references) · (coll.) to pile up; to stack · classifier for matters, items, situations etc (esp. when indicating whether they are the same or different, as in 不是一碼事 (bù shì yī mǎ shì) "not the same thing") · (Tw, HK) (finance) unit of 25 basis points (i.e. a 0.25% change in interest rate) (HSK 7-9)
• 礎礎chǔ — foundation · base
• 穌穌sū — archaic variant of 蘇 (sū) · to revive
• 窒窒zhì — to obstruct · to stop up
• 箔箔bó — plaited matting (of rushes, bamboo etc) · silkworm basket · metal foil · foil paper
• 粼粼lín — clear (as of water)
• 縵縵màn — plain thin silk · slow · unadorned
• 羡羡xiàn — to envy
• 耿耿gěng — (literary) bright; brilliant · honest; upright
• 膺膺yīng — breast · receive
• 舷舷xián — side of a ship or an aircraft
• 菸菸yān — tobacco (variant of 煙 (yān)) (HSK 3)
• 萎萎wěi — to wither · to drop · to decline · spiritless · Taiwan pr. (wēi)