chinese reading – 卖身葬父 Sell Oneself for Burial of Father

dǒnɡ yǒnɡ xiānɡchuánwéi dōnɡhànshíqī qiānchénɡ jīnshāndōnɡ ɡāoqīnɡxiànběi rén
董永,相传为东汉时期千乘(今山东高青县北)人,

 

shàoniánsànɡmǔ yīnbìbīnɡluàn qiānjū ānlù jīnshǔ héběi
少年丧母,因避兵乱迁居安陆(今属湖北)。

 

qíhòu fùqin wánɡɡù dǒnɡ yǒnɡ màishēn zhì yífùjiā wèinú huànqǔ sānɡzànɡ fèiyònɡ
其后父亲亡故,董永卖身至一富家为奴,换取丧葬费用。

 

shànɡɡōnɡ lùshànɡ yú huáiyīnxià yùyīnǚzǐ zìyán wújiākěɡuī èrrén jiéwéifūfù
上工路上,于槐荫下遇一女子,自言无家可归,二人结为夫妇。

 

nǚzǐ yǐ yíyuèshíjiān zhīchénɡ sānbǎipǐ jǐnduàn wèi dǒnɡ yǒnɡ dǐzhài shúshēn
女子以一月时间织成三百匹锦缎,为董永抵债赎身,

 

fǎnjiā túzhōnɡ xínɡzhì huáiyīn
返家途中,行至槐荫,

 

nǚzǐ ɡàosù dǒnɡ yǒnɡ zìjǐ shì tiāndìzhīnǚ fènɡmìnɡ bānɡzhù dǒnɡ yǒnɡ huánzhài
女子告诉董永:自己是天帝之女,奉命帮助董永还债。

 

yánbì línɡkōnɡérqù yīncǐ huáiyīn ɡǎimínɡwéi xiàoɡǎn
言毕凌空而去。因此,槐荫改名为孝感。

 

According to the legend, Dong Yong was a man of Qiancheng (today’s north of Gaoqing County, Shandong) in the East Han Dynasty. His mother died when he was young and the family moved to Anlu (in today’s Hubei) to avoid the war. Later, his father died and Dong Yong sold himself to a rich family as a slave so as to bury his father. When he was on his way to work, Dong Yong met with a woman under a pagoda tree and she said that she was homeless. So they got married. The woman wove 300 bolts of cloth in one month and bought back Dong Yong’s freedom. When they passed the pagoda tree on their way home, the women told Dong Yong she was the daughter to the Emperor of Heaven and was ordered to help him repay the debt. With that said, she flew away. Henceforth the pagoda tree was renamed "compassion for piety".

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