April 07, 2025

Rediscovering Roots: A Writer's Journey on the Great Wall

13 minutes

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Rediscovering Roots: A Writer's Journey on the Great Wall
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-04-07-22-34-02-zh

Story Transcript:

Zh: 清明节到了，春天在长城上显得格外美丽。
En: The Qingming Festival had arrived, and spring appeared especially beautiful on the Great Wall.

Zh: 花树盛开，鸟儿歌唱，风轻柔地吹过古老的砖石。
En: Trees bloomed, birds sang, and the wind gently blew across the ancient bricks.

Zh: 这天，长城上一片祥和，游客们带着各自的心事，沿着历史的足迹漫步。
En: On this day, the Great Wall was peaceful, with tourists carrying their own thoughts, walking along the tracks of history.

Zh: 明是一个内向的作家，他站在长城上，心中满是疑虑。
En: Ming is an introverted writer, standing on the Great Wall, full of doubts.

Zh: 他的朋友李拉他来参加这次导游团，希望能为他的小说找到灵感。
En: His friend Li brought him to join this guided tour, hoping he could find inspiration for his novel.

Zh: 但对明来说，重新感受到文化根源并非易事。
En: But for Ming, reconnecting with his cultural roots was not an easy task.

Zh: 他有些怀疑，这次旅行是否真的对他有帮助。
En: He was somewhat skeptical about whether this trip would really help him.

Zh: 导游是姐，活泼而充满激情。
En: The tour guide, Jie, was lively and passionate.

Zh: 她深知长城的历史，她的声音在空中回荡，仿佛在讲述一个古老的传奇。
En: She knew the history of the Great Wall well, and her voice resonated in the air, as if telling an ancient legend.

Zh: “这段长城建于明朝时期，是为了抵御北方游牧民族的入侵。”姐说道，
En: "This section of the wall was built during the Ming Dynasty, to fend off invasions from northern nomadic tribes," said Jie.

Zh: 她的话仿佛把大家带回了动荡的过去。
En: Her words seemed to take everyone back to turbulent times.

Zh: 明犹豫地站在一旁，不愿加入其他人的互动。
En: Ming stood hesitantly aside, unwilling to join in others' interactions.

Zh: 但当姐讲述起长城的故事时，明的心中似乎开始发生变化。
En: But as Jie narrated the story of the Great Wall, Ming felt a change within his heart.

Zh: 姐的声音里充满了热情，那种对历史的热爱深深吸引了他。
En: Jie's voice was full of passion, and her love for history deeply attracted him.

Zh: 终于，在团体活动结束后，明跟随姐来到了一个长着樱花的长城角落。
En: Finally, after the group activities ended, Ming followed Jie to a corner of the Great Wall where cherry blossoms grew.

Zh: 他们坐在石阶上，春风轻轻地吹着，花瓣在空中飞舞。
En: They sat on the stone steps, with a gentle spring breeze blowing and petals dancing in the air.

Zh: 明心中似乎有些明朗，“我一直在寻找灵感，却忽视了自己文化的根源，”他说。
En: Ming seemed to gain clarity, "I’ve been searching for inspiration while neglecting my cultural roots," he said.

Zh: 姐微笑着，“有时候，灵感就藏在我们身边。长城是我们的历史，也是我们的未来。”她的眼神闪烁着智慧。
En: Jie smiled, "Sometimes, inspiration is hidden around us. The Great Wall is both our history and our future." Her eyes sparkled with wisdom.

Zh: 明深吸了一口气，那石墙，那花树，那远山，仿佛在他的心里植下了一颗种子。
En: Ming took a deep breath, the stone walls, the blossoming trees, the distant mountains, all seemed to plant a seed in his heart.

Zh: 他想起了自己的根，他的文字应该流淌着更真实的情感。
En: He thought of his roots, realizing that his words should flow with more genuine emotion.

Zh: 与此同时，他与姐的友谊也在逐渐加深，也许将展开新的篇章。
En: At the same time, his friendship with Jie was gradually deepening, perhaps opening up a new chapter.

Zh: 随着夕阳慢慢降下，明感到一种前所未有的放松和满足。
En: As the sunset slowly descended, Ming felt an unprecedented sense of relaxation and satisfaction.

Zh: 他终于回到了自己文化的怀抱，他也许找到了比小说更重要的东西——一段珍贵的友谊。
En: He finally returned to the embrace of his culture, perhaps finding something more important than a novel—a precious friendship.

Zh: 从此，明在写作中注入更多文化的灵感，
En: From then on, Ming infused more cultural inspiration into his writing.

Zh: 他不再孤独，因为他重拾了对过去的认同，以及和姐共度的美好时光。
En: He was no longer lonely because he had reclaimed his identity with the past, as well as the wonderful times shared with Jie.

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