Spoon River Anthology — Page 13

Vocabulary

你

nǐ — You, second person singular pronoun

可曾

kě céng — Have you ever; used to ask about past experience

听说

tīng shuō — To hear of; to have heard it said

过

guò — Experiential aspect particle indicating past experience

编辑

biān jí — Editor; to edit or compile content

将

jiāng — Will; to take or cause something to happen

他

tā — He, him; third person masculine pronoun

所

suǒ — Particle linking verb to its object nominally

收取

shōu qǔ — To collect or receive money or fees

的

de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification

任何

rèn hé — Any; whichever; used before nouns

钱款

qián kuǎn — Money; funds; a sum of money

上缴

shàng jiǎo — To hand over money to a higher authority

公共

gōng gòng — Public; shared by the community or state

财库

cái kù — Treasury; public storehouse of funds

那些

nà xiē — Those; plural demonstrative pronoun

为

wèi — For; for the purpose of

支持

zhī chí — To support; to back up a person or cause

候选人

hòu xuǎn rén — Candidate; person running for election

竞选

jìng xuǎn — To campaign; to run for political office

官职

guān zhí — Official post; government position or office

而

ér — And; yet; conjunction linking clauses

得来

dé lái — Obtained; acquired through some means

钱

qián — Money; currency; coins

或是

huò shì — Or; alternatively; used to present options

宣传

xuān chuán — To publicize; propaganda; promotional activity

罐头厂

guàn tou chǎng — Cannery; factory that produces canned goods

所得

suǒ dé — Income; proceeds; what is earned or gained

之

zhī — Classical possessive or linking particle

为了

wèi le — In order to; for the sake of a goal

诱使

yòu shǐ — To lure; to induce someone into doing something

人们

rén men — People; folks; human beings collectively

投资

tóu zī — To invest; to put money into a venture

掩盖

yǎn gài — To cover up; to conceal the truth

银行

yín háng — Bank; financial institution for deposits and loans

真相

zhēn xiàng — The truth; the real situation or facts

当

dāng — When; at the time that something occurs

那

nà — That; demonstrative pronoun pointing to something

已

yǐ — Already; classical particle indicating completion

烂透

làn tòu — Completely rotten; thoroughly corrupt or decayed

濒临

bīn lín — On the verge of; about to face a crisis

倒闭

dǎo bì — To go bankrupt; to shut down a business

之时

zhī shí — At the time of; when something is happening

巡回

xún huí — Circuit; traveling around to different places

法官

fǎ guān — Judge; official who presides over court cases

帮助

bāng zhù — To help; to assist someone with a task

除

chú — Except; excluding; apart from something

铁路公司

tiě lù gōng sī — Railroad company; corporation operating railways

以外

yǐ wài — Outside of; beyond; other than something

任何人

rèn hé rén — Anyone; any person whatsoever

银行家

yín háng jiā — Banker; person who works in banking profession

或者

huò zhě — Or; either; used to connect alternatives

牧师

mù shī — Pastor; minister; Christian religious clergy member

他们

tā men — They; them; third person plural pronoun

靠

kào — To rely on; to depend on something

沉默寡言

chén mò guǎ yán — Taciturn; habitually quiet and saying very little

挣来

zhèng lái — Earned; obtained through labor or effort

薪俸

xīn fèng — Salary; official stipend or wage paid regularly

拿出

ná chū — To take out; to produce or contribute something

一

yī — One; the number one

部分

bù fen — Part; portion; a section of a whole

按

àn — According to; in accordance with something

权贵

quán guì — Powerful elite; influential and privileged people

意愿

yì yuàn — Will; wish; one's desire or intention

发声

fā shēng — To speak out; to make one's voice heard

捐献

juān xiàn — To donate; to contribute money or goods

给

gěi — To give; to; for someone

自来水厂

zì lái shuǐ chǎng — Waterworks; facility that supplies tap water

修建

xiū jiàn — To build; to construct a facility or structure

我

wǒ — I; me; first person singular pronoun

每次

měi cì — Every time; each occasion something occurs

经过

jīng guò — To pass by; to go through a place

街道

jiē dào — Street; road in a town or city

时

shí — When; at the time; temporal marker

总要

zǒng yào — Always must; invariably have to do something

穿越

chuān yuè — To cross through; to pass across a space

排排

pái pái — Rows upon rows; arranged in lines

点头

diǎn tóu — To nod one's head in greeting or agreement

与

yǔ — And; with; classical conjunction

微笑

wēi xiào — Smile; a gentle expression of happiness

以及

yǐ jí — As well as; and also; connecting items

咳嗽声

ké sou shēng — Sound of coughing; audible cough noise

和

hé — And; together with; connecting nouns

诸如

zhū rú — Such as; for example; like the following

瞧她

qiáo tā — Look at her; an exclamation drawing attention

来了

lái le — She has come; arrived; here she comes

之类

zhī lèi — And such; and the like; et cetera

话语

huà yǔ — Words; utterances; spoken language or remarks

被

bèi — Passive marker; indicates subject receives the action

带到

dài dào — To bring to; to take someone somewhere

面前

miàn qián — In front of; before someone's presence

从未

cóng wèi — Never; not once; at no time ever

少缴

shǎo jiǎo — To pay less than required; to underpay fees

十

shí — Ten; the number ten

美元

měi yuán — US dollar; American currency unit

及

jí — And; along with; classical conjunction

诉讼

sù sòng — Lawsuit; legal proceedings in a court

费用

fèi yòng — Fees; costs; expenses for a service

全都

quán dōu — All; every single one without exception

充入

chōng rù — To fill into; to deposit into a fund

了

le — Particle indicating completed action or change

学校

xué xiào — School; an educational institution

基金

jī jīn — Fund; pool of money for a specific purpose

她们

tā men — They; them; third person plural feminine

灵魂

líng hún — Soul; spirit; the inner essence of a person

拍击

pāi jī — To beat against; to strike repeatedly

着

zhe — Ongoing aspect particle indicating continuing action

如同

rú tóng — Just like; as if; similar to something

千

qiān — Thousand; the number one thousand

只

zhī — Measure word for small animals like butterflies

蝴蝶

hú dié — Butterfly; a colorful winged insect

翅膀

chì bǎng — Wings; the limbs used for flying

闭上

bì shàng — To close; to shut one's eyes

双眼

shuāng yǎn — Both eyes; a pair of eyes

感受

gǎn shòu — To feel; to sense; an emotional feeling

震颤

zhèn chàn — To tremble; to quiver; a shaking sensation

却

què — Yet; but; however; a contrastive conjunction

仍

réng — Still; yet; continuing as before

知晓

zhī xiǎo — To know; to be aware of something

睫毛

jié máo — Eyelashes; short hairs on the eyelid edge

何时

hé shí — When; at what time; classical time question

随着

suí zhe — Along with; following; as something happens

低垂

dī chuí — To droop; to hang low; downward inclination

眼帘

yǎn lián — Eyelid curtain; metaphor for one's field of vision

轻扫

qīng sǎo — To lightly brush against; a gentle sweeping touch

脸颊

liǎn jiá — Cheek; the side of the face

转动

zhuǎn dòng — To turn; to rotate; to move in a circular way

头颅

tóu lú — Head; skull; the head of a person

衣裙

yī qún — Dress; skirt; a woman's garment

紧贴

jǐn tiē — To cling closely; to press tightly against

垂落

chuí luò — To hang down; to fall gracefully downward

化为

huà wéi — To transform into; to become something else

精美

jīng měi — Exquisite; elegantly beautiful and refined

褶皱

zhě zhòu — Folds; pleats; wrinkles in fabric or terrain

注视

zhù shì — To gaze at; to look fixedly at something

狂喜

kuáng xǐ — Ecstasy; wild joy; intense overwhelming happiness

以

yǐ — With; by means of; classical preposition

星辉

xīng huī — Starlight; the radiant glow of stars

般

bān — Like; as if; resembling; comparative suffix

漠然

mò rán — Indifferently; with detachment; showing no emotion

凝视

níng shì — To stare intently; to gaze fixedly at something