Faraway Wanderers - Chapter 46

Wherein ZZS should ask himself why he is sticking around with that guy if he's so dangerous. (My bet is, of course, HE GOTS THE HOTS FOR WKX).

Thank you Emma P for proofreading!

PREVIOUS CHAPTER — CHAPTERS INDEX — NEXT CHAPTER

Notes

1. 饭桶 Insult translated literally. A "rice tub" means someone who eats a lot, implying incompetence because they do nothing but eat.

2. From《爱莲说》by 周敦颐. Lotus is associated with purity due to its self-cleaning leaves. The "lotus effect" has been explained by science since, and the physics behind it is quite amazing.

3. Gu is a half legendary poison allegedly prepared by putting venomous insects in a jar just like ZZS describe. The 'insect-king' is then collected for its poison. Note that Chinese traditional taxonomy differs from the western one, and the word 虫 that I've translated as "insect" also includes other creepy creatures such as snakes and scorpions, etc. It could be translated as "crawlies". I like this allegory a lot.

4. Refers to the famous story of friendship between Yu Boya (also know as Bo Ya) and Zhong Ziqi. Bo Ya was proficient at the zither, and when he met Ziqi by chance, he was amazed by his ability to understand the pictures he wished to paint with his music every time and became friends with him. 高山流水 (that I've translated as "Moutain Rises and Waters Scend) are two pieces authored by Bo Ya that Ziqi correctly deduce were evocations of mountain highs and flower waters. Upon death Ziqi's death, Bo Ya was so chagrined, he is said to have broken his zither while saying the line Wen Kexing later recites — with no one left to understand his music so well, he felt that there was no use for him to keep his instrument.

Although there are debatably homoerotic subtones in that stories, it's usually understood as an example of exalted, platonic friendship between two men (Chinese lit. has many of those, arguably more so than in western cultures). Which also explain why WKZ says that his feelings for ZZS aren't the same as that of Boya for Ziqi. (A.k.a. his feelings aren't platonic.)

5. 靠山山倒，靠树树摇 idiom translated literally. Usually adjoined with 靠天靠地不如靠自己好 or "Relying on Earth or Sky can't beat relying on the self". Means that external succour is bound to fail so one has to be self-sufficient.

6. 不听老人言，吃亏不花钱 colloquial saying translated literally.

7. 糖葫芦 skewers of candied hawthorn, sweet and sour and a traditional treat sold by street vendors. Associated with every Chinese kid's childhood.

8. The original sayings are:

• 福无双至，祸不单行 or "a blessing never comes in pair, and misfortune never comes singly.

• 喝凉水也塞牙 translated literally.

PREVIOUS CHAPTER — CHAPTERS INDEX — NEXT CHAPTER