The
Whole Nation is Captive
| Characters: |
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Pronunciation:
qing(1) guo(3) qing(1) cheng(2)
Explanation:
Said when a woman is so beautiful that the
whole country is crazy about her.
Tone: Neutral
The Story: In the Han Dynasty, there
was a musician named Li Yannian, and he was
in favorite of the emperor - Han Wudi.
One day, Li Yannian sang a song for Han Wudi.
In the lyrics it said: "There is a beauty
in the North. No one can compare her beauty
and no one can match her elegance. A first
glance from her will overwhelm the whole city,
and a second glance from her will overwhelm
the whole nation." After Han Wudi heard
this song, he asked: "Does a real beauty
like her exist in the world?" His sister
Princess Pingyang who sat beside him answered:
"Li Yannian's younger sister is such
a beauty."
Then Han Wudi summoned to an interview of
Li Yannian's sister. When he saw her, it proved
the legend was true, so he asked her to stay
in the palace and later chose her as the empress.
Usage Example (Pinyin): qing(1) guo(3)
qing(1) cheng(2) de rong(2) mao(4) shi(4)
hen(3) duo(1) nu(3) hai(2) zi xiang(4) wang(3)
de.
Usage Example (English translation):
To have a face that keeps the "whole
nation captive" is many girls' dream.
Note: The spoken Chinese Mandarin
language has 4 spoken tones. We have attempted
to re-create those above where after each
syllable we tell you (1), (2), (3), or (4)
as they correspond to each of the 4 tones.
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