The Prince — Page 12

Vocabulary

在

zài — at, in, on; indicates location or time

给

gěi — to give; for, to (indicating recipient)

的

de — structural particle indicating possession or modification

信

xìn — letter, correspondence; trust, believe

末

mò — end, tip; final part of something

如此

rúcǐ — like this, in this way, so, thus

写道

xiědào — wrote (introducing a quoted passage)

至于

zhìyú — as for, regarding, as to (topic shift)

这部

zhè bù — this (used with volumes, works, films)

小作品

xiǎo zuòpǐn — minor work, small literary or artistic piece

他

tā — he, him (third person singular male pronoun)

书

shū — book, written work, document

当

dāng — when, while; to serve as, to be

它

tā — it (third person singular for objects/things)

被

bèi — passive marker; indicates action done to subject

读过

dúguò — have read, to have gone through reading

之后

zhīhòu — after, afterwards, following a time or event

人们

rénmen — people, the public, folks (general plural)

将会

jiāng huì — will, shall (indicating future certainty)

看到

kàndào — to see, to notice, to perceive visually

我

wǒ — I, me (first person singular pronoun)

致力于

zhìlìyú — to devote oneself to, to dedicate effort toward

研究

yánjiū — to research, study; research, investigation

治国

zhìguó — governing a state, statecraft, political administration

之道

zhī dào — the way of, the principles or methods of

这

zhè — this (demonstrative pronoun for nearby things)

十五年

shíwǔ nián — fifteen years (period of time)

间

jiān — during, between; a period or interval of time

既

jì — both, already; used in 既…也 constructions

未曾

wèicéng — never, have not ever (literary negation)

懈怠

xièdài — to slacken, be slack or negligent in duties

也

yě — also, too, either; used for parallel structure

虚度

xūdù — to waste time, spend time unproductively or idly

理应

lǐyīng — ought to, should by reason or principle

渴望

kěwàng — to yearn for, crave, deeply desire something

得到

dédào — to obtain, receive, get something desired

那些

nàxiē — those (plural demonstrative pronoun for distant things)

曾

céng — once, formerly, at some past time

以

yǐ — using, by means of; at the expense of

他人

tārén — others, other people, third parties

为

wéi / wèi — to be; for, as (preposition indicating purpose)

代价

dàijià — cost, price paid; sacrifice made for something

积累

jīlěi — to accumulate, build up over time

经验

jīngyàn — experience, practical knowledge gained from activity

之人

zhī rén — a person who (literary modifier, those who)

服务

fúwù — to serve, provide service to someone

忠诚

zhōngchéng — loyalty, faithfulness, devoted allegiance

无人

wúrén — no one, nobody (literary expression)

能够

nénggòu — to be able to, capable of doing something

质疑

zhìyí — to question, doubt, challenge the validity of

因为

yīnwèi — because, since (causal conjunction)

始终

shǐzhōng — always, from beginning to end, consistently

守信

shǒuxìn — to keep one's word, honor a promise

如今

rújīn — nowadays, at present, these days

自然

zìrán — naturally, of course; nature (as a concept)

无从

wúcóng — have no way to, unable to (do something)

学习

xuéxí — to study, learn, acquire knowledge or skills

如何

rúhé — how, in what way, how to do something

背信弃义

bèi xìn qì yì — to betray trust and abandon righteousness, be treacherous

一个

yīgè — one (general measure word with singular noun)

像

xiàng — to resemble, be like; like, similar to

这样

zhèyàng — like this, in this manner, such

一贯

yīguàn — consistently, always, throughout; unwaveringly

忠实

zhōngshí — faithful, loyal, true to someone or something

诚信

chéngxìn — honesty and integrity, good faith, trustworthiness

人

rén — person, human being, people

是

shì — to be (copula verb linking subject and predicate)

无法

wúfǎ — unable to, impossible to, cannot

改变

gǎibiàn — to change, alter, transform something

其

qí — his, her, its, their (literary possessive pronoun)

本性

běnxìng — innate nature, natural character, true disposition

而

ér — and, but, while (connecting clauses, literary)

贫穷

pínqióng — poverty, poor, lacking material wealth

正是

zhèngshì — is exactly, precisely is, serves as proof

诚实

chéngshí — honest, truthful, sincere in word and deed

见证

jiànzhèng — witness, testimony, evidence, attestation

尚未

shàngwèi — not yet, still not (at a given moment)

完成

wánchéng — to complete, finish, accomplish a task

之前

zhīqián — before, prior to a time or event

便

biàn — then, thereupon; as soon as (literary connector)

开始

kāishǐ — to begin, start; the beginning of something

撰写

zhuànxiě — to write, compose, author a formal piece

论

lùn — discourse on, treatise about, to discuss

前十卷

qián shí juàn — first ten volumes/books of a larger work

此书

cǐ shū — this book, this particular written work

应

yīng — should, ought to; must (modal auxiliary)

与

yǔ — and, with, together with (literary conjunction)

对照

duìzhào — to compare, contrast; read side by side

阅读

yuèdú — to read, peruse written material carefully

这些

zhèxiē — these (plural demonstrative for nearby things)

作品

zuòpǐn — work, piece, literary or artistic creation

以及

yǐjí — as well as, along with, and also

数部

shù bù — several volumes or works (literary expression)

次要

cìyào — secondary, minor, of lesser importance

著作

zhùzuò — works, writings, scholarly or literary publications

使

shǐ — to cause, make; to keep (someone) occupied

忙碌

mánglù — busy, occupied with many tasks or activities

至

zhì — until, up to, reaching a time or place

年

nián — year (unit of time)

那年

nà nián — that year, in that particular year

接受

jiēshòu — to accept, receive, take on a task

了

le — particle indicating completed action or change

一项

yī xiàng — one item, one task (measure word for tasks)

小

xiǎo — small, minor, little in size or importance

任务

rènwù — task, mission, assignment, duty

负责

fùzé — to be responsible for, in charge of something

处理

chǔlǐ — to handle, deal with, process an issue

若干

ruògān — several, a number of, some (indefinite quantity)

商人

shāngrén — merchant, trader, businessman

统治者

tǒngzhìzhě — ruler, governor, one who holds political power

向

xiàng — toward, to; facing (direction or recipient)

市民

shìmín — citizens, townspeople, residents of a city

作出

zuòchū — to make, produce (a decision, concession, etc.)

政治

zhèngzhì — politics, political affairs, governance

让步

ràngbù — to make concessions, yield, compromise

其他

qítā — other, others, the rest, remaining ones

受邀

shòu yāo — to be invited, receive an invitation

就

jiù — regarding, concerning; then, right away

一部

yī bù — one (measure word for books, laws, films)

新

xīn — new, fresh, recently made or established

宪法

xiànfǎ — constitution, fundamental law of a state

提供

tígōng — to provide, supply, offer something to someone

意见

yìjiàn — opinion, view, suggestion, advice

依据

yījù — according to, based on; basis, grounds

该

gāi — that (referring to previously mentioned item); should

将

jiāng — will, shall (future marker, literary)

得以

déyǐ — to be able to, manage to, succeed in doing

恢复

huīfù — to restore, recover, reinstate to former state

然而

rán'ér — however, but, yet (adversative conjunction)

种种

zhǒngzhǒng — various, all sorts of, many kinds of

借口

jièkǒu — pretext, excuse, pretense for avoiding action

未能

wèinéng — failed to, was unable to, did not manage

颁布

bānbù — to promulgate, issue, enact a law or decree