March 18, 2025

Discovering Roots: A Journey Through Family and Time

12 minutes

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Discovering Roots: A Journey Through Family and Time
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-03-18-22-34-01-zh

Story Transcript:

Zh: 阳光透过图书馆的大窗户，洒在刘伟的脸上。
En: Sunlight streamed through the large windows of the library, casting its glow on Liu Wei's face.

Zh: 他坐在窗边，看着外面的樱花树，心里满是忧伤。
En: Sitting by the window, he looked at the cherry blossom tree outside, his heart filled with sadness.

Zh: 他的新家就在附近，因为父母离婚，他搬到了奶奶家。
En: His new home was nearby, as he had moved to his grandmother's place after his parents' divorce.

Zh: 这个春天，他特别想念过去的生活和朋友。
En: This spring, he particularly missed his past life and friends.

Zh: 刘伟是个内向的少年，但他也很有思想。
En: Liu Wei was an introverted teenager, but he was also very thoughtful.

Zh: 他知道清明节快到了，这是个祭拜祖先的日子。
En: He knew that the Qingming Festival was approaching, a day to honor one's ancestors.

Zh: 他很好奇自己的家族历史，却不敢问奶奶。
En: He was curious about his own family history, yet didn't dare to ask his grandmother, fearing that it might bring up painful memories for her.

Zh: 他怕奶奶会想起伤心的往事。
En: In search of answers, he decided to start at the public library.

Zh: 为了寻找答案，他决定先从公共图书馆开始。
En: In this quiet room, ancient scrolls coexisted with modern books, as if to tell him that the past and present could coexist.

Zh: 在这个安静的房间里，古老的卷轴与现代的书籍相依，仿佛在告诉他，过去与现在是可以共存的。
En: There were many books about family history on the shelves.

Zh: 书架上有很多关于家族历史的书籍。
En: Liu Wei flipped through one and then another.

Zh: 刘伟翻翻这本，看看那本。
En: He was deeply drawn to one of them, which talked about a family sharing the same surname, Liu.

Zh: 他被其中的一本深深吸引，书中讲的是一个同姓刘的家族。
En: He discovered that his ancestor had once been a highly learned Confucian scholar, a finding that surprised and excited him.

Zh: 他发现，自己的先祖竟然曾是个学识渊博的大儒，这让他感到意外又兴奋。
En: With this discovery, Liu Wei gathered his courage.

Zh: 带着这个发现，刘伟鼓起勇气。
En: He decided to participate in the ancestral rites and go with his grandmother to visit the gravesite.

Zh: 他决定参加祭祖活动，和奶奶一起去扫墓。
En: On the day of the Qingming Festival, they arrived at their ancestors' burial ground.

Zh: 清明节那天，他们来到祖先的墓地。
En: As his grandmother gently cleaned the tombstone, she softly recounted stories of the past.

Zh: 奶奶一边擦拭墓碑，一边轻声讲述过去的故事。
En: Listening intently, Liu Wei felt his heart gradually calm down.

Zh: 刘伟认真聆听，心里渐渐平静下来。
En: After the ancestral rites were completed, his grandmother held Liu Wei's hand, her eyes full of affection.

Zh: 祭拜完毕，奶奶握住刘伟的手，眼中满是慈爱。
En: Liu Wei smiled slightly, feeling a long-lost sense of connection.

Zh: 刘伟微微一笑，心中感到了一种久违的联系感。
En: He realized that behind him lay a long and rich family history, and he was no longer alone.

Zh: 他知道，自己的身后有一个悠久而丰富的家族，他不再是孤单的。
En: On the way home, a gentle breeze blew, and cherry blossom petals fell like rain.

Zh: 在回家的路上，微风轻拂，樱花瓣如雨般飘落，刘伟感到一种从未有过的平和。
En: Liu Wei felt a new sense of peace he had never experienced before.

Zh: 他的生活虽然有了改变，但他对这一切更加开放。
En: Although his life had changed, he was more open to all of it.

Zh: 他与奶奶之间的纽带也更为紧密，家族的历史像是给了他一个坚实的依靠。
En: The bond with his grandmother also grew stronger, and the history of his family offered him a solid support.

Zh: 这个春天，他找到了属于自己的地方和故事。
En: This spring, he found his place and his story.

Vocabulary Words: