Best Micro Fiction Award from Sina: flash story 戒指 [The Ring] (Elementary)

中文微小说 Zhōngwén wēi xiǎoshuō (Chinese Micro Fiction) has become more and more popular among Chinese Internet users. Due to its extreme brevity, it satisfies cyber users’ pleasure of reading within an extremely short concentration span. Its strict word count also makes it possible to be spread around via short messages of all kinds of cyber media.

I’d like to introduce one awarded flash story in the third Best Micro Fiction Award competition by Sina.com (新浪微小说大赛 Xīnlàng wēi xiǎoshuō dà sài) last year. The limit of word count for the submitted work was 140 characters. This piece was written in simple sentence patterns and limited vocabulary. I believe it is good for Learn Chinese reading practice. Hope you enjoy …

[simplified Chinese]


戒指

 

“这个钻戒的名字叫‘永恒’，那个翡翠的叫‘玲珑’，还有那个叫。。。那个叫。。。”

“老板，你对这些戒指这么了解，那你手上的戒指也不便宜吧？”

“这个啊，铁的，老婆送的，戴了三十年，名字叫做‘取不下来’。”

 

[pinyin]

jièzhi
“ zhège zuànjiè de míngzi jiào‘ yǒnghéng’， nàge fěicuì de jiào‘ línglóng’， háiyǒu nàge jiào。。。 nàge jiào。。。”

“ lǎobǎn， nǐ duì zhèxiē jièzhi zhème liǎojiě， nà nǐ shǒu shàng de jièzhi yě bù piányi ba？”

“ zhège ā， tiě de， lǎopó sòng de， dài le sān shí nián， míngzi jiàozuò‘ qǔ bù xiàlai’。”

 

 

Simplified Chinese    Traditional Chinese    Mandarin Pinyin    English Definition
戒指    戒指    jie4 zhi5    (finger) ring
钻戒    鑽戒    zuan4 jie4    diamond ring
永恒    永恆    yong3 heng2    eternal; eternity
翡翠    翡翠    fei3 cui4    jade; emerald
玲珑    玲瓏    ling2 long2    exquisite; detailed and fine
老板    老闆    lao3 ban3    boss
了解    瞭解    liao3 jie3    to understand; to know
便宜    便宜    pián yi    cheap
铁    鐵    tie3    iron
老婆    老婆    lao3 po2    (informal) wife;
送    送    song4    to give (as a present)
戴    戴    dai4    to wear (jewelry)
取    取    qu3    to take; to get
[traditional Chinese]

戒指

 

“這個鑽戒的名字叫‘永恒’，那個翡翠的叫‘玲瓏’，還有那個叫。。。那個叫。。。”

“老板，你對這些戒指這麼了解，那你手上的戒指也不便宜吧？”

“這個啊，鐵的，老婆送的，戴了三十年，名字叫做‘取不下來’。”

 

[English translation]

The Ring
 

“The name of this diamond ring is ‘Forever’, that emerald ring is called ‘Elegance’. And the one over there is called … the other one is called … “

“Boss, since you know so much about rings, I bet the ring you’re wearing is no ordinary piece?”

“Aw this one, it’s made of iron, from my wife. I’ve been wearing it for thirty years, its name is ‘Unremovable’.”