Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave — Page 1

Vocabulary

的

de — Possessive or descriptive particle linking modifier to noun

生平

shēngpíng — One's life story or biography from birth onward

叙事

xùshì — Narrative; the act of telling a story

一个

yī gè — One; a single (general measure word)

美国

Měiguó — The United States of America

奴隶

núlì — Slave; a person owned by another

由

yóu — By; indicates agent or means of an action

他

tā — He; third-person singular male pronoun

本人

běnrén — Oneself; the person in question

撰写

zhuànxiě — To write or compose a formal text

反奴隶制

fǎn núlì zhì — Anti-slavery; opposing the institution of slavery

办公室

bàngōngshì — Office; a room or place for administrative work

出版

chūbǎn — To publish; to issue a book or document

25号

25 hào — Number 25; address or date indicator

依据

yījù — Based on; according to a rule or authority

国会

guóhuì — Congress or parliament; national legislative body

法案

fǎ'àn — A legislative bill or act passed by congress

于

yú — At; in; on — indicates time or place formally

在

zài — At; in; located at a place or time

地区

dìqū — District; region; a defined geographic area

法院

fǎyuàn — Court of law; judicial institution

书记员

shūjìyuán — Court clerk; official who keeps legal records

登记

dēngjì — To register; to record officially in a ledger

注册

zhùcè — To register; to enroll or formally record

原文件

yuán wénjiàn — Original document; the source or first copy

注释

zhùshì — Annotation; explanatory notes added to a text

此

cǐ — This; referring to something just mentioned

电子书

diànzǐshū — E-book; a book in digital electronic format

此时

cǐshí — At this time; at this moment

发布

fābù — To release or publish an announcement or product

以

yǐ — In order to; so as to; using as a means

纪念

jìniàn — To commemorate; to honor the memory of someone

小

xiǎo — Little; junior — used as honorific prefix here

生日

shēngrì — Birthday; the anniversary of one's birth

生于

shēng yú — Born in or on; indicates date of birth

1月

yī yuè — January; the first month of the year

15日

15 rì — The 15th day of a month

官方

guānfāng — Official; pertaining to government or authority

纪念日

jìniànrì — Memorial day; an anniversary commemorating an event

为

wéi — Is; to be; serves as (formal copula)

20日

20 rì — The 20th day of a month

目录

mùlù — Table of contents; catalog or index of items

序言

xùyán — Preface; introductory remarks at a book's start

先生

xiānsheng — Mister; a polite title for an adult male

信

xìn — Letter; a written message sent to someone

第一章

dì yī zhāng — Chapter one; the first chapter of a book

第二章

dì èr zhāng — Chapter two; the second chapter of a book

第三章

dì sān zhāng — Chapter three; the third chapter of a book

第四章

dì sì zhāng — Chapter four; the fourth chapter of a book

第五章

dì wǔ zhāng — Chapter five; the fifth chapter of a book

第六章

dì liù zhāng — Chapter six; the sixth chapter of a book

第七章

dì qī zhāng — Chapter seven; the seventh chapter of a book

第八章

dì bā zhāng — Chapter eight; the eighth chapter of a book

第九章

dì jiǔ zhāng — Chapter nine; the ninth chapter of a book

第十章

dì shí zhāng — Chapter ten; the tenth chapter of a book

第十一章

dì shíyī zhāng — Chapter eleven; the eleventh chapter of a book

附录

fùlù — Appendix; supplementary material at a book's end

一首

yī shǒu — One poem or song (measure word for poems)

滑稽

huájī — Comical; funny; absurdly humorous in manner

模仿

mófǎng — To imitate; to mimic someone or something

诗

shī — Poem; poetry; a piece of verse

8月

bā yuè — August; the eighth month of the year

我

wǒ — I; me; first-person singular pronoun

参加

cānjiā — To attend; to participate in an event

了

le — Particle indicating completed action or change of state

举行

jǔxíng — To hold; to conduct a formal event or meeting

一次

yī cì — Once; one time; one occurrence of something

大会

dàhuì — Convention; large assembly or congress meeting

有幸

yǒuxìng — To be fortunate enough; to have the privilege

会上

huì shàng — At the meeting; during the assembly or conference

结识

jiéshí — To make acquaintance with; to get to know someone

以下

yǐxià — The following; below; what comes next

作者

zuòzhě — Author; writer of a literary or textual work

对

duì — For; toward; with regard to someone or something

那个

nà ge — That one; referring to a specific thing or person

团体

tuántǐ — Group; organization; a collective body of people

几乎

jīhū — Almost; nearly; very close to entirely

每一位

měi yī wèi — Every single person; each individual member

成员

chéngyuán — Member; a person belonging to a group

来说

lái shuō — Speaking of; as far as something is concerned

都是

dōu shì — All are; every one is (inclusive statement)

陌生人

mòshēngrén — Stranger; a person one does not know

但是

dànshì — But; however; introduces a contrasting statement

刚刚

gānggāng — Just; just now; a moment ago

从

cóng — From; starting from a place, time, or source

南方

nánfāng — The South; southern region or direction

奴役

núyì — Enslavement; to subject someone to slavery

囚笼

qiúlóng — Prison cage; a confining captive enclosure

中

zhōng — In; within; inside a place or situation

逃脱

táotuō — To escape; to break free from captivity

迫切

pòqiè — Urgent; pressing; extremely eager or anxious

想要

xiǎng yào — To want to; to wish to do something

了解

liǎojiě — To understand; to learn about; to know well

废奴主义者

fèi nú zhǔ yì zhě — Abolitionist; a person who advocates ending slavery

原则

yuánzé — Principle; a fundamental rule guiding behavior

和

hé — And; connecting two words, phrases, or clauses

措施

cuòshī — Measure; step taken to achieve a goal

身为

shēnwéi — Being; in one's capacity or role as something

时

shí — When; at the time of a certain situation

曾

céng — Once; used to indicate a past experience

对此

duì cǐ — Regarding this; with respect to this matter

有过

yǒu guò — Have had; to have experienced something before

一些

yīxiē — Some; a few; an unspecified small amount

模糊

móhu — Vague; blurry; lacking clarity or definition

因此

yīncǐ — Therefore; consequently; as a result of this

被

bèi — Passive particle indicating action done to subject

吸引

xīyǐn — To attract; to draw someone's interest or attention

来

lái — To come; directional verb toward the speaker

出席

chūxí — To attend; to be present at an event

上述

shàngshù — Above-mentioned; previously stated in the text

场合

chǎnghé — Occasion; setting; a particular social situation

尽管

jǐnguǎn — Although; even though; despite a certain fact

当时

dāngshí — At that time; back then; at that moment

居住

jūzhù — To reside; to live in a particular place

幸运

xìngyùn — Lucky; fortunate; having good fortune

何其

héqí — How very; what a degree of (exclamatory intensifier)

际遇

jìyù — Circumstance; one's lot or encounter in life

对于

duìyú — For; with regard to; concerning a matter

那

nà — Those; that — referring to something distant

数以百万计

shù yǐ bǎiwàn jì — Numbering in the millions; countless multitudes

身陷

shēn xiàn — To be trapped in; to be ensnared by something

枷锁

jiāsuǒ — Shackles; chains; literal or figurative bondage

渴望

kěwàng — To yearn for; to desperately desire something

可怕

kěpà — Terrible; frightening; dreadful in nature

得到

dédào — To obtain; to receive; to get something desired

解脱

jiětuō — Liberation; release from suffering or bondage

兄弟们

xiōngdìmen — Brothers; male siblings or fellow group members

而言

éryán — In terms of; as far as something is concerned

是

shì — Is; to be (main Chinese copula verb)

幸运的

xìngyùn de — Fortunate; lucky (adjective form with particle)

黑人

hēirén — Black person; person of African descent

解放

jiěfàng — Liberation; to free from oppression or bondage

事业

shìyè — Cause; career; undertaking devoted to a goal

普世

pǔshì — Universal; applicable to all people everywhere

自由

zìyóu — Freedom; liberty; the state of being free