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射雕英雄传 第一回 第一部分

Every day and night, the endless streams of the Qiantang River wind around the small village of Niujia and flow eastwards towards the sea. Along the riverbank lean ten black cypress trees, their leaves seeming to burn red in the annual August season. Adding to the dreariness of the scene are the weeds surrounding the trees that have just started to yellow under the last evening rays. Two large pine trees shade a group of men, women, and children villagers listening intently to the words of an elderly man.

The man speaking was about 50 years old, wearing a once-green robe that had long since faded into an ashy blue.

But listen! After several clacks of his rosewood boards, the stick in his right hand struck a beat on a double-skinned drum.

He sang,

"Flowering trees lacking masters,
Boundless crops feeding crows,
Broken walls around a dried-up well,
This place was always our home."

The man who was speaking clacked his wood boards again a few fews times, then spoke.

"This song I just sang was about the aftermath of soldiers attacking a village.  Every single house's walls and shingles were torn apart. This is the story of Lao Ye. He and his family of four experienced both the joy of being together and the sorrows of separation. Having been together, they were separated, and having been separated, they were reunited.

The four family members were split apart by soldiers from the Jin army, but after much hardship they eventually reunited with one another, and were overjoyed to return to their hometown. However, upon returning, they found that the Jin army had already laid waste to their village. Left without any other choice, they made their way to Bianliang, hoping they could find new lives for themselves.

But hopes are not to be trusted: the unexpected can happen at any moment.

Just as the four of them were making their way to Bianliang, they came face to face with a group of Jin soldiers. The leader of the solders scouted out the group with his triangle eyes and headed down to meet them. As soon as he saw how beautiful Lao Ye's daughter was he jumped down from his horse and grabbed her, laughing as he put her on his saddle. "Haha, are you ready to come home and take care of this old man?"

But how could the daughter be willing? She struggled with all of her might to get free.

The Jin officer shouted at her, "If you don't stop resisting I'll kill your entire family!"

And with one blow of a wolf-tooth club, he smashed her brother's head, splitting open his brains and killing him instantly.

At that moment:

"Hades was furnished with the soul from a tragic death, and the world of the living saw the youth no more."

Lao Ye and his wife were pale with freight, throwing themselves at their son's body and crying as they embraced his corpse.

The officer picked up his club and, with two fell swoops, struck them both dead.

The daughter, however, did not cry audibly.

She implored the officer, "Please stop this! I'll go with you!"

The officer was greatly pleased and took her back to his home.

But when he wasn't looking, the daughter caught him by surprise, dashing over, drawing his sword and aiming it at heart. In the moments before it was to go in, she saw herself avenging her parents and brother.

But to her surprise the officer, tempered by many years of battle, easily pushed her away. She immediately fell over.

As the officer cursed at her, "You whore!", the daughter had already pointed the sword to her neck and pushed.


Also: how should 射雕英雄传 be translated??

Shoot Diao Hero Legend

The Legend of the Bird Killer

The Nottingham Marksman

The Legend of the Condor Heroes

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