Chinese Opera English Subtitles:《Hongniang》Peking Opera, 京剧: 红娘 (1/2)

Hi everyone!
Please excuse my amateur translation, feel free to make any corrections in the comments! Many expressions and phrases are untranslatable, I recommend looking at the original Chinese if you have the time: tv.cctv.com/2019/09/26/VIDEgMn4SmeuyHJYaQazrqvS190926.shtml?spm=C89386.P7wa09jwQaQR.EVc74vQbb7Ue.260
I don't claim any credit of this work aside from the translations.
Hongniang is a classic romantic comedy, telling the story of how the clever maidservant Hongniang united her Lady, Yingying and the scholar Zhang Junrui together in love.
Hongniang (红娘) literally meaning "red maiden, " is nowadays the common term for a female matchmaker, speaking to the opera's renown.
I hope you Enjoy~
Translator's Notes:
2:35 I don't know what he means by "smelt" tranquility either
3:49 Imperial examinations are exams that determine bureaucracy based on merit. If passed one may become an official and rise on the social ladder. It's a pretty big deal. wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_examination
7:22 Yingying's concern with the parrot is that it might copy what she says and other people might hear it.
10:11 Sometimes called ancestor worship, Chinese culture has a custom of offering food and incense to deceased relatives as a sign of respect and thanks.
The dates the characters speak of are of the traditional Chinese lunar calendar, but I've just used Gregorian terms to avoid confusion
When characters talk about respect and honour they are usually referring to li (礼) which can be roughly translated to courtesy or etiquette; rules of what one can do or say in certain situations.
12:29 A courtesy name is a name given to usually men when they teach adulthood at 20 as it was believed to be rude for others to address an adult man by their given name.
24:34 When everyone refers to Sun Feihu's troops as bandits, it is more metaphorical as they call his troops something more like "thieving troops"
24:55 When Madam Cui refers to family values (门风) it can be roughly translated as family principles or honour
26:34 When Zhang suggests Yingying is still in mourning, he is actually saying she's still donning xiao robes (孝服), literally "filial piety clothes." These were worn during periods of mourning where people would abstain from events perceived as joyful out of respect for the deceased.
Filial Piety was an important part of Chinese culture due to Confucian influences.
38:00 Traditional Chinese weddings feature wedding wines from both families, wine a family ferments until the child is married. The White Horse General means he will not be able to stay to drink their wedding wines.
41:16 The 'flowery candles' are a reference to marriage, a reference to the candles that are found in traditional bridal chambers when a couple is married
46:52 Traditional Chinese marriages have the bride and groom first bow to the heavens and the earth, second bow to their parents, and third bow to each other.
49:07 "Quickly sweep the smoke to the pureland, the sun and moon shine together" is a proverb meaning two people will be united together. Hongniang finishes saying the proverb for Yingying, showing they're on the same page.
52:05 I've translated silence from duoko (多口) which directly translates to too much mouths, meaning something more like you speak too much but that doesn't convey the same emotion 多口 usually implies.
54:14 Hongniang's original words "男女有别" is a Chinese proverb translating to "men and women have their differences." This proverb is used by Hongniang to tell Zhang not to touch her so casually.
56:32 The story of Sima Xiangru and Zhao Wenjun is a classical love story of two poets eloping together.
57:27 Hongniang makes a reference to their wedding wines as winter melon soup as melons tend to symbolise family abundance. Hongniang's saying they'll have a happy family whilst poking fun at how silly the two are by calling their wedding wines melon soup.
#chineseopera #opera #pekingopera #hongniang #englishsubs #engsub #京剧 #戏曲 #红娘

[@newt4050]

Big thanks for translating this opera, I've been wanting to know the story of hongniang

[@Clover-zh4dc]

No problem! I hope you enjoyed it 😊

[@rabirabichu]

i love you so much you hgave no idea

[@Clover-zh4dc]

♡♡

[@dailyscream2917]

please upload the second part 🙏🏻

[@Clover-zh4dc]

Tis done :)

[@dailyscream2917]

​@@Clover-zh4dcthank you soooo much 🙏🏻