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Hong Mai 洪邁. "The Chastity of Mr. Wu’s Wife." Global Medieval Sourcebook.Transcription by Likun Yang .
譚氏節操 | The Chastity of Mr. Wu’s Wife
Source Information
譚氏節操 | The Chastity of Mr. Wu’s Wife
by Hong Mai 洪邁
Text Source:
Zhonghua Shuju edition: Hong, Mai. Yi Jian Zhi. Di 1 ban. ed. 4 vols. Beijing: Zhonghua shu ju : Xin hua shu dian Beijing fa xing suo fa xing. 1981.
譚氏節操 The Chastity of Mr. Wu’s WifeResponsibility Statement:
- Transcription by Likun Yang
- Translation by Likun Yang
- Encoded in TEI P5 XML by Jordan Rosen-Kaplan
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Transcriptions and translations are encoded in XML conforming to TEI (P5) guidelines. The original-language text is contained within <lem> tags and translations within <rdg> tags.
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Published by Global Medieval Sourcebook.
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譚氏節操 The Chastity of Mr. Wu’s Wife
英州真陽縣曲江村人吳琦, 略知書。 其妻譚氏。 In the Qujiang Village of the Zhenyang County under the Yingzhou Prefecture, there was a man named Wu Qi who had received some education and had a wife from the Tan family. 紹興五年閏二月, 本邑觀音山盜起, 攻剽鄉落。 In the second month of the fifth year of the Shaoxing era, some bandits emerged from the Guanying Mountain in the area and plundered many villages and counties. 琪竄去。 Wu Qi ran away. 譚氏與其女被執, 並鄰社村婦數人偕行。 His wife and their daughter were captured and joined other women captured from the same village. 譚在眾中頗潔白, 盜欲妻之。 mong this group of women, Wu’s wife was one of the more attractive, so one of the bandits wanted to have sex with her. 詬曰: “爾輩賊也。官軍旦夕且至。將為齏粉。我良家女。何肯為汝婦。” A Wu’s wife scolded him, saying: “People like you are nothing but bandits. The military will arrive in no time and you all will be crushed. I am from a reputable family. How can I become your woman?” 強之不已, 至於捶擊。 The bandit tried to force her into it but failed, and then hit her. 愈極口肆罵, 竟斃於毒手。 Wu’s wife started shouting and ranting but in the end was killed by the bandit. 後盜平, 鄰婦同執者皆還, After the bandits were suppressed, the other captured women all returned home. 曰: “使吳秀才妻不罵賊。今日亦歸矣。” They said: “If Mr. Wu’s wife had not scolded the bandit, she could have returned home too.” 因備言其死狀, 吳生始知之。 When they described her death in great detail, Mr. Wu understood what happened. 聞者高其節, 予嘗為之傳云。 All those who heard this story praised her chastity, and I therefore write this piece to spread her fame.
譚氏節操 The Chastity of Mr. Wu’s Wife
英州真陽縣曲江村人吳琦, 略知書。 其妻譚氏。 In the Qujiang Village of the Zhenyang County under the Yingzhou Prefecture, there was a man named Wu Qi who had received some education and had a wife from the Tan family. 紹興五年閏二月, 本邑觀音山盜起, 攻剽鄉落。 In the second month of the fifth year of the Shaoxing era, some bandits emerged from the Guanying Mountain in the area and plundered many villages and counties. 琪竄去。 Wu Qi ran away. 譚氏與其女被執, 並鄰社村婦數人偕行。 His wife and their daughter were captured and joined other women captured from the same village. 譚在眾中頗潔白, 盜欲妻之。 mong this group of women, Wu’s wife was one of the more attractive, so one of the bandits wanted to have sex with her. 詬曰: “爾輩賊也。官軍旦夕且至。將為齏粉。我良家女。何肯為汝婦。” A Wu’s wife scolded him, saying: “People like you are nothing but bandits. The military will arrive in no time and you all will be crushed. I am from a reputable family. How can I become your woman?” 強之不已, 至於捶擊。 The bandit tried to force her into it but failed, and then hit her. 愈極口肆罵, 竟斃於毒手。 Wu’s wife started shouting and ranting but in the end was killed by the bandit. 後盜平, 鄰婦同執者皆還, After the bandits were suppressed, the other captured women all returned home. 曰: “使吳秀才妻不罵賊。今日亦歸矣。” They said: “If Mr. Wu’s wife had not scolded the bandit, she could have returned home too.” 因備言其死狀, 吳生始知之。 When they described her death in great detail, Mr. Wu understood what happened. 聞者高其節, 予嘗為之傳云。 All those who heard this story praised her chastity, and I therefore write this piece to spread her fame.
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