The Butterfly Lovers梁祝英文.ppt

TheButterflyLovers,ByGroup4ZhouZhimin,TheButterflyLoversisaChineselegendofatragiclovestoryofapairoflovers,LiangShanbo(梁山伯)andZhuYingtai(祝英台),whosenamesformthetitleofthestory.ThetitleisoftenabbreviatedtoLiangZhu(梁祝)andoftenregardedastheChineseequivalentofRomeoandJuliet.,ThelegendofLiangZhuissetintheEasternJinDynasty.ZhuYingtaiisabeautifulandintelligentyoungwoman,theninthchildandonlydaughterofthewealthyZhufamilyofShangyu,Zhejiang.Underthiskindoffamilyatmoshere,yingtaireceivesgoodeducation.Andshedesiredmore.,Althoughtraditionsofthateradiscouragefemalesfromgoingtoschool,Zhumanagestoconvinceherfathertoallowhertoattendclassesindisguiseasayoungman.,DuringherjourneytoHangzhou,shemeetsLiangShanbo,ascholarfromKuaiji(present-dayShaoxing).Theychatandfeelastrongaffinityforeachotherattheirfirstmeeting.Atlast,theysworetobebrothersforever.,TheystudytogetherforthenextthreeyearsinschoolandZhugraduallyfallsinlovewithLiang.AlthoughLiangequalsZhuintheirstudies,heisstillabookwormandfailstonoticethefemininecharacteristicsexhibitedbyhisclassmate.,Oneday,Zhureceivesaletterfromherfather,askinghertoreturnhomeassoonaspossible.ZhuhasnochoicebuttopackherbelongingsimmediatelyandbidLiangfarewell.However,inherheart,shehasalreadyconfessedherloveforLiangandisdeterminedtobewithhimforalleternity.,Liangaccompanieshisswornbrotherfor18milestoseeheroff.Duringthejourney,ZhuhintstoLiangthatsheisactuallyawoman.ButLiangdoesnotcatchherhintsanddoesnothaveeventheslightestsuspicionthathiscompanionisawomanindisguise.ZhufinallycomesupwithanideaandtellsLiangthatshewillactasamatchmakerforhimandhersister.Beforetheypart,ZhuremindsLiangtovisitherresidencelatersohecanproposetomarryhersister.LiangandZhureluctantlypartwaysattheChangtingpavilion.,十八相送,Monthslater,whenLiangvisitsZhu,hediscoversthatsheisactuallyawoman.Theyaredevotedtoandpassionateabouteachotherandtheymakeavowoftilldeathdouspart.Thejoyoftheirreunionisshort-livedasZhusparentshavealreadyarrangedforhertomarryamanfromarichfamilycalledMaWencai.Liangisheartbrokenwhenhehearsthenewsandhishealthgraduallydeterioratesuntilhebecomescriticallyill.Hediesinofficelaterasacountymagistrate.,OnthedayofMaandZhusmarriage,mysteriouswhirlwindspreventtheweddingprocessionfromescortingthebridebeyondLiangsgrave,whichliesalongthejourney.ZhuleavestheprocessiontopayherrespectstoLiang.Shedescendsinbitterdespairandbegsforthegravetoopenup.,Suddenly,thegraveopenswithaclapofthunder.Withoutfurtherhesitation,Zhuthrowsherselfintothegravetojoin