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sid_guardian2024-11-16 09:43 pm
trobadora) wrote in sid_guardian2024-11-16 09:43 pm
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Guardian readalong: chapters 3 & 4
Hi, everyone, whether you were already here last week or are just joining us now! Last week's discussion post for the prologue and chapters 1 and 2 will remain open, of course, so feel free to comment there at any time. :)
Today we're on to chapters 3 and 4.
- Chapter 3: Shen Wei takes Zhao Yunlan, Daqing and Guo Changcheng to the admin building, where they encounter much creepiness and ghostly happenings.
- Chapter 4: Shen Wei saves Zhao Yunlan from falling off the roof, and Zhao Yunlan questions Li Qian.
Excerpts
1) Guo Changcheng's impression of Shen Wei
For some reason, after a few steps, Guo Changcheng looked back.
Shen Wei had yet to take even a single step from the spot. He'd removed his glasses and was absentmindedly wiping them with the corner of his shirt. In the dim hallway, his shadow stretched out, long against the floor, looking lonely and dejected. The eyes that had so determinedly avoided Zhao Yunlan were now fixed on his back.
There was a dark distance in that intense gaze. His expression held both a sort of restrained yearning and an affection that was almost palpable...but at the same time, there was deep, crushing pain.
Out of nowhere, Guo Changcheng got the feeling that the man had been standing there for thousands and thousands of years.
2) The SID's history
The Soul-Guarding Order had existed since ancient times. It served to conduct Netherworld business in the mortal world, act as a medium between yin and yang, and coordinate the Three Realms. Historically, it had fallen under the Imperial History Bureau. After the People's Republic of China was founded, the Soul-Guarding Order came under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Security. That was when the Special Investigations Department had been established.
The current director of the Special Investigations Department, Zhao Yunlan, was also the Guardian. This Guardian was equally comfortable in the Netherworld or in banquet halls. He was talented and smooth, able to hold his alcohol and exchange cups with anyone in the Three Realms. Eating, drinking, whoring, gambling, or putting on a show-he was an expert at it all.
3) Shen Wei rescues Zhao Yunlan
Zhao Yunlan hesitated, but then, despite the fierce wind atop the tall building, he met Shen Wei's eyes and saw himself in their depths-himself and, somehow, the night sky, impossibly intermingled. For some reason, looking up into those eyes, Zhao Yunlan instinctively let go and placed everything, including his insignificant little life, in Shen Wei's hands.
He regretted it the moment he let go. Is lust rotting my brain?
In the next second, Shen Wei hauled him up by sheer force. His unimposing, scholarly appearance belied an unusually powerful grip-Zhao Yunlan's wrist was rapidly going numb, his fingers purpling. The friction pushed his sleeve up to the elbow, scraping a layer of skin from his forearm.
Then he was being held tightly in Shen Wei's arms as they both collapsed on the roof-tightly enough that his bones creaked in protest, as though Shen Wei were hugging something he'd lost long ago. A strange feeling stirred in Zhao Yunlan when he glanced at his wrist and saw the bruises from Shen Wei's hold on it.
4) Have you seen me before?
"Shen-laoshi, have you ever seen me before today?"
Surprised, Shen Wei met his gaze, mind going blank. For two full seconds, he could only stare at Zhao Yunlan, unable to look away. Finally, his throat a little dry, he said, "I... Yes. I saw you before."
Zhao Yunlan raised an eyebrow and waited for him to finish.
"I..." A conflicted expression flitted across Shen Wei's face. Just as Zhao Yunlan thought he was about to tell a fantastic story of how incredibly their lives were entangled, Shen Wei's tone lightened. "Actually, I saw your team working on a case."
Zhao Yunlan felt a sudden pang of disappointment, as though his hopes had been lifted just to be let down gently.
Questions
How are you enjoying things so far? What's your favourite line or moment in these chapters? Any particular bits that drew your attention? Any favourite worldbuilding elements or character details? Parallels or contrasts with the drama? What do you make of the hints and foreshadowing we're given? What's your impression of Li Qian? If you're reading a different translation or a Chinese edition, how do the excerpts above compare? Any other thoughts? (Note: these are just conversation starters. Feel free to answer all, some, or none, and to say as much or as little as you like!)
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And I'm still impressed by how many things from the novel made it into the drama, even if sometimes in different form and/or under different circumstances - right down to the image of a shadow reaching for Shen Wei's foot. Whoever wrote the script really paid attention! So much love!
I love the multiplicity of creepy happenings in chapter 3 that immediately get a mundane explanation, both from Shen Wei (the stopped elevator, the empty office) and from Zhao Yunlan (the watch), but despite that aren't actually mundane. Delightful! There's also Shen Wei's explanation for his own knowledge and reaction to Zhao Yunlan, and Zhao Yunlan's disappointment at it. I'm so fascinated with how that conversation worked itself into the drama in a completely different way, thanks to the context of the time loop.
The narrative voice is very fun, and I like the worldbuilding and most of the character interactions we get in these chapters. This Zhao Yunlan is colder and harsher than his drama counterpart, and he's definitely meaner to/about both Guo Changcheng and Li Qian. But I'm definitely enjoying Zhao Yunlan being suspicious of Shen Wei and testing him at every opportunity yet not being willing to risk someone's life without proof.
The architecture of the school buildings hidden within dated back to the days of European Concession; they seemed incredibly old and somehow desolate.
Does that mean the university's European architecture in the drama actually hails from the novel? I wouldn't have expected that!
"That old cynic said, 'You think I was wrong, Zhao-tongxue? Look at you now-a typical thug in a uniform."
Ha! I'm actually surprised that's still in the official text on JJWXC. *g*
"Shen-laoshi is an intellectual who believes in atheism. I'm sure you don't believe in ghosts, do you?"
I also love that Shen Wei can't help himself and just has to chide Zhao Yunlan about his smoking! I mean, undoubtedly he's also aware Zhao Yunlan is testing him, and is deflecting his suspicion, but still!
The section in the excerpts above where Guo Changcheng sees Shen Wei staring and gets that impression of loneliness and yearning and pain - such a great image, and Shen Wei has meaningfully taken off his glasses for it. So good!
But there's one thing above all that: we absolutely do not have the right to keep an ordinary human in a dangerous situation. If anything happened to them, the consequences would be more than anyone could bear.
I'm fascinated by the bits of worldbuilding about the SID - the rules it operates under, and the history.
Whether dealing with a human or a ghost, without conclusive proof, you must assume they are innocent.
Good, but given how harshly Zhao Yunlan treats Li Qian - if that's how he treats people without proof of wrongdoing, it's not very promising. (I didn't like that much, yeah.) Even Shen Wei has to scold him about it, even though he himself was furious at her for endangering Zhao Yunlan,
"I just think there's something strange about that Shen-laoshi. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but being close to him makes me very comfortable."
"You also feel comfortable when you get close to wandering ghosts, and you especially love hiding dried fish in subterranean caves where corpses were hidden," Zhao Yunlan pointed out icily.
"You know that's exactly what I mean, dumbass human," said the cat disdainfully with a fwip of his tail.
That's fascinating about Daqing! And of course telling about Shen Wei, but it's such a neat little detail for Daqing even apart from that. ♥
After that, it was like jumping to your death was the latest craze. Girl after girl, each one blurry-faced and rushing as if to get to the market, appeared and then dashed to leap from the roof. Zhao Yunlan made grabs for all of them, but not a single one was corporeal. Beads of sweat began appearing on his forehead.
Despite the serious subject, this is hilarious! And good on Zhao Yunlan for trying each time, and being stubborn about it despite what Daqing says - which is how he does end up saving Li Qian.
Zhao Yunlan saving Li Qian but falling and being saved in turn by Shen Wei - that's a pretty huge difference compared to the novel, where Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei together save Li Qian.
Ah. So Shen Wei hadn't been afraid of him when they first met. The stiff body language and reluctance to meet his gaze seemed more like unease rooted in shyness.
Zhao Yunlan has correctly deduced that Shen Wei is attracted to him! ... And incorrectly concluded his avoidance is due to shyness, LOL.
Back inside on the top floor, he saw Guo Changcheng lying exactly where he'd been left. But before the boss could say anything, Daqing eagerly ran over and landed a barrage of "Meowvenly Meteor Paw" against Guo Changcheng's face.
This was pretty opaque to me. Can anyone explain?
Something like a pendant's outline was faintly visible through his thin shirt.
In the drama, this is the case so often even when the camera doesn't draw attention to it! Which is a thing that isn't possible in the novel, of course ...
This girl named Li Qian had an unmistakable smear of heavy darkness under her eyes. Her gaze was empty, her eyes bloodshot, and her forehead ashen, as if she were knocking on death's door. From head to toe, she radiated misfortune.
Poor Li Qian! But there's clearly more wrong with her than there is with drama!Li Qian. (Idk if this is the right place to talk about that, but I just want to say I really like what the drama did with Li Qian and the way they used her in the later episodes!)
The section where Shen Wei cleans the wound on Zhao Yunlan's arm tugged at my memory because I thought I remembered it differently, and looking at the fan translation, the two are clearly working with different texts. The fan translation has a whole bit about Zhao Yunlan's sexual orientation and history, and an extended bit about him considering whether he should pursue Shen Wei:
And again there's something bit missing when Shen Wei reacts to Zhao Yunlan's question whether they've met before - a bit of a look inside Shen Wei's head:
Both of these, interestingly, are in the current JJWXC version, here and here! I'm once again fascinated by the differences between versions ...
It was a woman's voice on the line-but not Wang Zheng's. This woman spoke in a sibilant way, dragging out her final syllables in a faint hiss. It gave her voice a flirtatious note.
Zhu Hong! I'm really looking forward to meeting the rest of the SID; I can't remember very much about them ...
"One more thing-we got a message from him. I think he's probably going to stop by personally, but I don't dare open it to be sure. Hurry and come back."
Nice and ominous! :D
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I'm finding that this element is part of my enjoyment of the novel: finding unexpected tidbits that the drama managed to include in a different context!
The narrative voice is very fun, and I like the worldbuilding and most of the character interactions we get in these chapters.
This, too! I'm enjoying this novel for its own self, as well as in relation to the drama.
amedia was right, this bit is really good! Awww, thanks!
That's fascinating about Daqing! And of course telling about Shen Wei, but it's such a neat little detail for Daqing even apart from that. ♥
It is! I also love the fwip of his tail - nice job by the translator IMHO - and the interaction between DQ and ZYL is fantastic!
Girl after girl, each one blurry-faced and rushing as if to get to the market, appeared and then dashed to leap from the roof. Zhao Yunlan made grabs for all of them, but not a single one was corporeal.
Despite the serious subject, this is hilarious!
That's so interesting! Now that I look back on it, it IS pretty funny, especially the image of ZYL's arms closing on nothing every time. But when I was originally reading it, it seemed to me like something out of a horror movie, or a horror anime (not sure why I pictured it as anime, except maybe because of the style of the internal illustrations).
landed a barrage of "Meowvenly Meteor Paw" against Guo Changcheng's face.
I pictured this as one of those rapid-fire "thwap-thwap-thwap-thwap-thwap" thing that cats do. I'mma guess that "Meowvenly" is a valiant attempt to capture a pun that worked a lot better in Chinese.
The differences in the versions of the text are fascinating! Thanks for including the additional material.
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It’s a bit different in my version, and I don’t know whether it actually changed in the copy the translators were looking at or if the differences are just translation choices: “沈教授是高知，讲究唯物主义，肯定不相信这种鬼东西吧？”
“Professor [jiaoshou, not laoshi, mind you] Shen is a high-level intellectual, particular about the belief that the physical world can explain everything [aka materialism]. Surely you don’t believe this kind of ghost story?”
And then I have to note that 鬼东西, which we have either translated as “ghosts” or “ghost story,” literally means “ghost things” and has the colloquial meaning of “this goddamn thing” or “this shit.” You’d call something a 鬼东西 if you were really unhappy with it and/or confused by it. So by another interpretation Zhao Yunlan is saying, “Surely you don’t believe these laughably strange beliefs?”
Ooh, so Da Qing’s comment in the original is: “我只是觉得那个沈教授有些不对劲，说不出是哪不对，但靠近他让我觉得非常舒服。”
which I interpreted as: “I only thought this Prof Shen felt a little suspicious, and I couldn’t say how, but after getting close to him I felt very comfortable.”
with the implication of “I was ONLY getting close to him to investigate him, but then his arms were so comfy…”
but the official translation makes slightly more sense.
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Da Qing is hitting Xiao-Guo in the face with his paw, presumably to wake him. I think it’s a reference to moves from video games like this, but I don’t recognize it as anything specific.
And again there's something bit missing
I knew this was a possibility, but I'm still miffed. I wish there was a 'complete' version that has everything.
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right down to the image of a shadow reaching for Shen Wei's foot.
I don't remember that from the show. When/where is it? I just skimmed the end of ep 1.
There's also Shen Wei's explanation for his own knowledge and reaction to Zhao Yunlan, and Zhao Yunlan's disappointment at it. I'm so fascinated with how that conversation worked itself into the drama in a completely different way, thanks to the context of the time loop.
Yessss, that's so good!!
but given how harshly Zhao Yunlan treats Li Qian - if that's how he treats people without proof of wrongdoing, it's not very promising. (I didn't like that much, yeah.)
I read it as his needing the testimony to catch the ghost and knowing that if he lets her, she'll shut down and lie to him and probably to herself, too. Possibly, if he was warmer and more patient, he could have got the same info out of her in a gentler way, but maybe not? He kind of has to goad her into admitting what happened, because it's so unlikely (from her POV).
That's fascinating about Daqing!
Yesss, that part is so good!
Despite the serious subject, this is hilarious!
Huh, I didn't read it as comic. I mean, it's written in that detached, ironic tone, but it was still pretty horrifying to me.
Zhao Yunlan saving Li Qian but falling and being saved in turn by Shen Wei - that's a pretty huge difference compared to the novel, where Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei together save Li Qian.
Yeah, I'm really interested that they changed that. Partly, the drama is hiding Shen Wei's strength, but it also is an iconic "battle couple" moment that makes it into the opening credits. Already working together to save lives. I love it!
Poor Li Qian! But there's clearly more wrong with her than there is with drama!Li Qian.
Li Qian at the beginning of the drama is wan and exhausted and clearly drained, but she comes around after her grandmother shields her. I wonder if it was just the resolution of being able to let her grandmother go in peace, or if Shen Wei covertly healed her energy in some way...
Thanks so much for the excised bits from the fan translation!! <3
And again there's something bit missing when Shen Wei reacts to Zhao Yunlan's question whether they've met before - a bit of a look inside Shen Wei's head
The drama kind of replaces that with the Kunlun flashback, doesn't it? At least partly.
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Re: your comments about how fun reading the novel has been — I've read two fan-translations, and the first one I read had a very similar tone to it that just made it so fun and easy to read. The second one (and the only one I still have access to) has a much more serious tone and feels a bit more flat to read. I still love it and am grateful for its existence, but it did have me wondering if that more fun version didn't actually exist and was only a result of it being my first time reading the novel, but the seven seas translation also has that same fun writing that is just so intrinsic to priest's novels and I'm very much enjoying it!!
All the little details of things you caught that made it into the drama is so good!! Reading the novel, it really does make it clear how much love and detail went into the drama. They kept as much as they could while changing things for alien and timeloop reasons haha
Shen Wei: tries so hard to keep his distance
Also Shen Wei: scolds Zhao Yunlan about taking better care of his health
Still Shen Wei: gets in a small elevator with him and takes him up to the top floor
Shen Wei Again: pulls him up from nearly falling off a roof
Clearly, he’s doing great at the hole. Distance thing.
Also, when you highlighted that section about Da Qing (where Zhao Yunlan comments about how much he likes ghosts and eating dried fish found near where corpses were hidden) - it made me wonder, how much of that instinct is tied to Da Qing's early existence and his companions in the primordial past? And that had me picturing little kitten Da Qing curling up on the little ghost king's lap and the little ghost king feeding Da Qing fish he'd caught himself and it's just. Such a soft image that I wish I could paint!!
Oooh and thank you for pointing out those translation differences! I knew something felt different about those scenes, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was. That insight from Shen Wei especially, I knew there was more to that scene, and I wish that bit had made it in because it adds a little more mystery to Shen Wei, and a little more yearning too (and we all love some good yearning and pining and longing, right?)
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How many chapters is your version in all? Mine seems to have 106, up to a chapter called “Guardian Lantern (final).”
The third JJWXC link trobadora posted seemed to be chapter 8 on that platform…
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- volume 1: prologue, 28 chapters
- volume 2: 19 chapters
- volume 3: 25 chapters, epilogue, extras
So that's considerably fewer than 106!To help us align, in the official translation:
ETA: I'd noticed the JJWXC chapter numbering didn't align, but somehow hadn't thought about the consequences for our readalong, oops ...
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他看见沈巍并没有走，戴眼镜的男人站在原地，把眼镜摘了下来，拿在手里，心不在焉地用衣角擦着，方才一直躲躲闪闪的眼睛这会却死死地盯着赵云澜的背影，那眼神极深极远，黑沉沉的，他的表情像是怀念，像是克制，含着某种呼之欲出的眷恋……又仿佛包含着某种深沉的痛苦。
沈巍的影子在光线昏暗的楼道里被长长地拖在身后，看起来又孤单、又黯然。
郭长城有种莫名的感觉，就好像他已经在那里站了成千上万年一样。
He saw that Shen Wei had not left. The man who wore glasses stood there. He had taken off his glasses and held them in his hand, absentmindedly wiping them with the corner of his shirt. His eyes, which had been dodging just now, were now fixed on Zhao Yunlan's back. His expression were very deep and distant, dark. His expression was a little nostalgic, showing a little restraint, with some kind of attachment that was about to burst out... and seemed to contain some deep pain.
Shen Wei's shadow was dragged behind him in the dimly lit corridor, looking lonely and gloomy.
Guo Changcheng had an inexplicable feeling, as if he had been standing there for tens of thousands of years.
Sentence order differences, mostly.
And
历代“镇魂令主”，都是在阳世三间管着阴曹地府的事，哪怕不表现出来，心里也总会把自己当成活人堆里的异类，很少有像赵云澜这样入世的。
而且他不单是入世，还入得颇为八面玲珑，如鱼得水，乃是个下得了阴曹，上得了酒席，推杯换盏会劝酒，嘴里亲兄弟，心里骂他娘的人才。
至于吃喝嫖赌、逢场作戏那一套，他更是炉火纯青、五毒俱全。
The "Master of the Soul-Guarding Mandate" of generations past have been in charge of the affairs of the underworld in the three realms of the living world. Even if they don't show it, they always think of themselves as an alien among the living. Few are as worldly as Zhao Yunlan.
Moreover, he is not only worldly, but also very versatile, like a fish in water. He is a person who can go to the underworld, go to banquets, clink glasses and persuade others to drink, and call another brother with his mouth but curse the other’s mother in his heart.
As for eating, drinking, gambling, whoring, and acting according to circumstances, he is even more proficient and has all the five vices.
No mention of the history of the SID or details about the Zhenhunling.
I don’t know about the last two because I haven’t gotten there yet. :P
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call another brother with his mouth but curse the other’s mother in his heart.
This phrase stood out to me ... definitely not a compliment, but also not an easy thing to do! I imagine it would be a useful talent for someone who has to deal with so many delicate political situations among the different realms.
I was also intrigued by the reference to all the five vices, so I went to look them up and promptly fell down a clickhole of Buddhist variations: one list had lust, anger, greed, attachment, and ego, while another had ignorance, attachment, aversion, pride, and jealousy. What they all seem to have in common, off the top of my head, is that they relate to various aspects of the Conditions of Dependent Co-arising that force people to remain on the wheel of samsara.
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I like the description of the Longcheng University campus. It’s spooky.
The elevator scare and fakeout 🤣🤣🤣 (but is it a fakeout…)
This book has…an odd way of describing things that makes the rhythm hard to follow for me. First of all, it’s heavy on the four-character idioms and I keep having to look them up. But more importantly, the descriptions are…very long-winded and the metaphors are a bit over-extended? E. g. 以至于体型也越来越走向国际化的大庆, which translated preserving sentence structure as much as possible is: “…and as for the ‘body-shape that is even more and more going toward globalization’ Da Qing…” All this to say Da Qing is very fat.
Zhao Yunlan hooked by Shen Wei’s pretty eyes! “An inky sweep” etc etc etc. (I remember there was a pretty good translation of this bit that either foxghost or dtriad on Tumblr had done. I’ll try to dig it up.) I wonder if Kunlun was similarly mesmerized by the Ghost Slayer’s eyes.
“不咸不淡地道了别” — this is my favorite description now!A somewhat literal translation is, “He said goodbye neither saltily nor blandly,” LOL. (This is when ZYL is saying bye to Shen Wei in the “mathematics” building.)
ZYL saying Da Qing was “just like a brainless dog” lmao what an insult.
“你靠近游魂的时候也很舒服，尤其爱往藏尸的阴穴里埋小鱼干。” Da Qing liking to bury his dried fish in graves…we’re getting excellent Da Qing lore so early in the game.
Whole atmosphere is very creepy!
ZYL’s whole speech about not being able to ear moral integrity is such a character moment. Very pragmatic and somewhat cynical man.
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The elevator scare and fakeout 🤣🤣🤣 (but is it a fakeout…)
Yeah, very good question! It definitely sounded like more.
First of all, it’s heavy on the four-character idioms and I keep having to look them up. But more importantly, the descriptions are…very long-winded and the metaphors are a bit over-extended?
Yeah, I've heard priest's style is generally considered to be a bit difficult and full of chengyu and such! Totally admiring you for being able to read it at all. And that's fascinating about the extended metaphors, a very distinctive part of the quippy narrative voice. I find that quite charming!
I remember there was a pretty good translation of this bit that either foxghost or dtriad on Tumblr had done. I’ll try to dig it up.
Oooh, that would be awesome! I remember both of them did some very intriguing Guardian translation meta back then, but the only one I know I still have a link for is
we’re getting excellent Da Qing lore so early in the game.
Seriously! I love those details.
ZYL’s whole speech about not being able to ear moral integrity is such a character moment. Very pragmatic and somewhat cynical man.
Yes, agreed! He's such a character.
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Most of the post is a good read regarding how hard the text is to translate. The passage I was talking about comes near the end.
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ZYL’s whole speech about not being able to ear moral integrity is such a character moment. Very pragmatic and somewhat cynical man.
Where's that, sorry? I did a text search but couldn't find it...
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The machine translation is more readable when it is set to Chinese instead of Japanese, hahaha.
- The fan translation again takes a "less Chinese" tone about the age of the campus - specifies "around 1910" instead of "during the Republic" and doesn't mention the "European concession".
- machine and fan translation (hereafter MT/FT) have a small conversation between Guo Changcheng and Shen Wei after the elevator starts moving again. GCC is relieved about the mundane explanation about the security guard. SW: "Did you think it was a ghost?" GCC: goes pale. Official translation (hereafter OT) possibly omitted this b/c it didn't quite fit their presentation of Xiao-Guo.
(is he the only Xiao- on staff? Everyone else seems to be Lao-, or not given that kind of prefix at all. It's fitting because he's the newbie, but also because of his personality...)
MT/FT, not OT, as the elevator continues moving, give Zhao Yunlan's thoughts: "This office building with terrible feng shui and the professor who inexplicably avoids eye contact are equally bizarre. As for the security guard, perhaps he is not just a security guard after all..." OT has here: "Zhao Yunlan, however, gave the intercom a considering glance."
love that Shen Wei seems to be low-key freaking out at the idea that Zhao Yunlan might have a cold.
MT/FT, not OT, has a bit about Guo Changcheng relaxing about the "math allergy" joke (which he finds relatable, hah), and Zhao Yunlan noting Shen Wei's extremely active-in-all-ways-but-eye-contact listening, except that his smile seems forced.
Three slightly different translations:
MT: "Professor Shen is highly educated and a materialist."
FT: "Professor Shen is an intellectual."
OT: "Shen-laoshi is an intellectual who believes in atheism."
The Chinese for 'materialist'/'believes in atheism' is 讲究唯物主义' "materialism" seems closer. (And either way: yeah, Shen Wei's answer was a master class in avoiding the question. :) )
and Shen Wei is again so concerned for Zhao Yunlan's health...
FT left out, as Yunlan is admiring Shen Wei's eyes: "Even if the subject of the portrait was as clear as the moon and as smooth as jade, this image of them would still inevitably be tainted by the artist's sinful aura."
OT is definitely better than FT at expressing THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF PINING on Shen Wei's part... it's such a lovely passage and I'm glad xiao-Guo got to see that, and that we got to see it through his eyes.
Zhao Yunlan: "I hate everything that circles around and around - life and death, again and again, unending." Me: screams in foreshadowing
In Da Qing and Zhao Yunlan's argument about xiao-Guo being transferred in by his uncle, Da Qing has a lot more to say in FT/MT. Notably OT does not mention that Da Qing is thousands of years old, 'and you're the Guardian with the least integrity'. But FT and MT do not mention that Guo Changcheng's name appeared on the Soul-Guarding Order, and the first paragraph of the excerpt about it is not really present in FT/MT. (Censors probably wanted to make it 'not explicitly China'?)
I love how Zhao Yunlan is just not giving up trying to save the suicidal girls. 'yeah, they're all probably ghosts, but what if this one isnt?'
in Excerpt 3 ...as though Shen Wei were hugging something he'd lost long ago - again glossed over in FT/MT as just a hug. Too gay? Too foreshadowy? Leaning towards "too gay" because there is another paragraph of Zhao Yunlan Being Horny cut out of FT/MT.
meanwhile Shen Wei was definitely not talking to Li Qian when he says "that was too dangerous." :) "If someone else had been hurt because of you..." - yes, yes, the girl is definitely his main concern here.
...first sighting of the pendant. <3 the adaptation they made of the pendant for the drama was absolutely perfect.
FT lost a lot of nuance as Shen Wei is talking about the things it's okay to die for.
FT: "the first, for your country; the second, for your loved ones."
MT: "One is to die for the country, that is to fulfill loyalty and filial piety, the other is to die for a confidant, that is to fulfill oneself."
OT: "The first is to die for your home and country, by which you fulfill duty. The other is to die for someone who truly knows you, by which you fulfill yourself."
I was not surprised to find 知己 - zhiji - in the original Chinese there.
FT again tones down Chineseness: "What kind of ghost has that kind of power" vs "not even a neighborhood committee member would be that fierce"
WOUND TENDING my kryptonite.
MT/FT finally let Yunlan be horny, and yet hedges it: "He's not exactly gay, it's just that he has broad taste." - which extends to both men and women. Canon bisexual ZYL! Who thinks Shen Wei, as an educated man, is too good for him, chaotic disaster human, but he's going to try anyways. (A good page or so that was not in OT.)
In and around Excerpt 4, MT/FT also have a lot more of Shen Wei yearning and pining:
Shen has really misbehaved himself today. He shouldn't have met Zhao in the first place. Zhao doesn't know anything, he doesn't remember anything... he crossed the Bridge of Fate, drank the Forgetful WAter, and passed the Six Realms of Existence and completed reincarnation; his soul has long been washed clean, how could he remember anything?
Shen stares intently at his handsome face, and his piercing gaze; he really wants to touch him, to feel his warmth just once more...
After god knows how long, Shen clears his throat and says bitterly, "I've met you before..."
Zhao awaits his explanation.
A million times in my heart. I never had the courage to find you, but I know everything about you... Shen almost says this out loud, but he restrains himself, and stutters with difficulty, "in a case you worked on."
my god. inject the pining into my veins. give me all the pining. all of it. all of it.
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LOL!
Thank you for the version compare, that is all so fascinating! ♥
The fan translation again takes a "less Chinese" tone about the age of the campus - specifies "around 1910" instead of "during the Republic" and doesn't mention the "European concession".
I wonder if that would be done differently in a fan translation nowadays! Back then there were a lot fewer people who'd read cnovels or seen cdramas.
machine and fan translation (hereafter MT/FT) have a small conversation between Guo Changcheng and Shen Wei after the elevator starts moving again. GCC is relieved about the mundane explanation about the security guard. SW: "Did you think it was a ghost?" GCC: goes pale. Official translation (hereafter OT) possibly omitted this b/c it didn't quite fit their presentation of Xiao-Guo.
Huh, interesting! It might be a difference between Chinese versions, but I can't say I can see an obvious reason for why it'd be changed.
is he the only Xiao- on staff?
Looks like! Yeah, it does fit him. *g*
The Chinese for 'materialist'/'believes in atheism' is 讲究唯物主义' "materialism" seems closer. (And either way: yeah, Shen Wei's answer was a master class in avoiding the question. :) )
100% agreed on all counts! :D
OT is definitely better than FT at expressing THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF PINING on Shen Wei's part... it's such a lovely passage
Right? It definitely leaves an impression!
In Da Qing and Zhao Yunlan's argument about xiao-Guo being transferred in by his uncle, Da Qing has a lot more to say in FT/MT. Notably OT does not mention that Da Qing is thousands of years old, 'and you're the Guardian with the least integrity'. But FT and MT do not mention that Guo Changcheng's name appeared on the Soul-Guarding Order, and the first paragraph of the excerpt about it is not really present in FT/MT. (Censors probably wanted to make it 'not explicitly China'?)
I honestly can't make much sense of many of these changes - some can be explained by censorship, but then there are others that run completely counter to what you'd expect from a censored version, so ... *throws up hands*
the adaptation they made of the pendant for the drama was absolutely perfect.
Yes! I love it so!
I was not surprised to find 知己 - zhiji - in the original Chinese there.
I didn't look it up, but yeah, I'd have expected that, too. ♥ ♥ ♥
Canon bisexual ZYL! Who thinks Shen Wei, as an educated man, is too good for him, chaotic disaster human, but he's going to try anyways.
I like all of that a lot!
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LOLOL!
love that Shen Wei seems to be low-key freaking out at the idea that Zhao Yunlan might have a cold.
He has good reason to be nervous, doesn't he? *pets him*
Zhao Yunlan: "I hate everything that circles around and around - life and death, again and again, unending." Me: screams in foreshadowing
YESSS!
meanwhile Shen Wei was definitely not talking to Li Qian when he says "that was too dangerous." :)
Yes, I thought that too. Definitely aimed at Zhao Yunlan.
the adaptation they made of the pendant for the drama was absolutely perfect.
10000% agreed. :D
Thanks so much for all the comparisons and notes!!! <333
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Loved this description: Now, finally, Shen Wei looked at him. The corners of the professor’s eyes gently tapered into a line, slender and elegant, like a delicate brushstroke trailing off. The way his gaze slanted out through his glasses verged on seductive, in an otherworldly way.
This is causing me much pondering: Then, in a bone-chilling whisper, Zhao Yunlan said, “You know, sometimes a person can have more than one shadow.”
I <3 how mentioning The People’s Republic of China and the Soul-Guarding Order in the same sentence blurs the line between RL and not RL.
I boggled at this: “It’s a given that every school is allotted a quota of suicides each year. As long as the number isn’t higher than that, it’s not a huge problem,” Zhao Yunlan said.
This was chilling: There was weird laughter by Zhao Yunlan’s ear, like the roof was mobbed with people – spectators indifferent to his plight. They cackled, enjoying the show.
I’m not going to copy at length the first dozen or so paragraphs of chapter 4, but wow, some very hot feels and really got me into beginning to ship Zhao Yunlan/Shen Wei.
NO SPOILERS PLEASE…DO NOT EXPLAIN THIS TO ME AT THIS STAGE…but that bit about Shen Wei pressing his fingers to his collarbones and there being something like the outline of a pendant showing through his shirt does have me wondering about the significance of that.
For those of you who know due South…Shen Wei doing first-aid on Zhao Yunlan’s scrape made me think of Fraser doing first-aid on Ray Kowalski in the episode “Asylum”.
NO SPOILERS PLEASE…DO NOT EXPLAIN THIS TO ME AT THIS STAGE…but I am very intrigued by the allusions to some past connection between Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei.
NO SPOILERS PLEASE…DO NOT EXPLAIN THIS TO ME AT THIS STAGE…but I am wondering about the significance of the sundial Li Qian refers to as a “family heirloom”.
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Yes, agreed! It's excellent description.
I <3 how mentioning The People’s Republic of China and the Soul-Guarding Order in the same sentence blurs the line between RL and not RL.
I love this kind of worldbuilding too!
but wow, some very hot feels and really got me into beginning to ship Zhao Yunlan/Shen Wei.
:D :D :D
And it's very interesting to read which bits caught your attention for potential future relevance!
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I find Clarity the watch baffling. What exactly is it? What can it do? How? Where did it come from? Are we just supposed to accept it and its powers? Is it a trope thing? Meanwhile, I love the worldbuilding around the ash falling on someone's shadow, and how that was shown/explained -- and also the smooth way Zhao Yunlan dragged Shen Wei away from the grasping shadow hand without making it obvious.
All the background about the SID is great, especially the rule of presumption of innocence -- that's a big contrast with the drama.
“I hate circular halls like these,” Zhao Yunlan said softly. “I hate everything that circles around and around—life and death, again and again, unending.” -- This seems unusually forthcoming of him? And also very foreshadowy.
"What is shame? Can you eat it? Does it taste good? -- LOL, oh Zhao Yunlan.
I wonder how the Soul-Guarding Order acts as a medium between yin and yang ... or is "yin and yang" just a metaphor for "the living and the dead"?
“What happened in the hall just now?” Daqing, unable to bite the hand that fed him, could only cough dryly and change the topic. “Why did your Clarity watch sound the alarm like that?” -- is Daqing talking about the gunshot sound or something else?
Zhao Yunlan is so cold and harsh when interviewing Li Qian. I guess he has to force people into opening up about their traumatic experiences, rather than repressing them -- especially since he's a cold-hearted beast that they feel nervous around...
Hiking his pants up, he squatted down and took a little bottle from his pocket. After pouring its contents in a circle around Guo Changcheng, he bit his own middle finger and smeared a drop of blood between Guo Changcheng’s brows. The moment the blood touched Guo Changcheng’s skin, it was completely absorbed. -- I wonder if anyone can do rituals like this, or if it's a special power. Does Zhao Yunlan officially have special powers at this point?
But resentment is caused by incomplete souls. Like will consume like -- Ohhh, and Li Qian is incomplete because of the Dial! That's why she got dragged along by the suicide girl who was "a manifestation of resentment from the shards of countless suffering, devoured souls." That makes sense!
Zhao Yunlan hesitated.
The black cat sighed. “When you should have some shame, it’s like an alien concept for you; when you should be flexible, you’re stubborn.
Hee! I love this! Poor, long-suffering Daqing (who is completely wrong in this instance)! <333
There was weird laughter by Zhao Yunlan’s ear, like the roof was mobbed with people—spectators indifferent to his plight. They cackled, enjoying the show. -- When he's interviewing Li Qian later, he says that there were people laughing at her, but this seems like they're laughing at him... huh. (Everyone telling half-truths and hiding secrets makes it much harder to parse what's going on.)
Awww, Zhao Yunlan placing his "insignificant little life" into Shen Wei's hands. And then abruptly regretting it, lol.
A strange feeling stirred in Zhao Yunlan when he glanced at his wrist and saw the bruises from Shen Wei’s hold on it. -- I remember years ago getting the impression that the novel was rather kinky, and this felt like foreshadowing for that even if it didn't really come to much. (But what is Zhao Yunlan's feeling here? Is it arousal?)
The burgeoning desire Zhao Yunlan had been feeling turned into a lit firecracker. It exploded spectacularly, leaving behind a sea of red paper that spelled out “love affair.” Every nerve in his body was alight. -- LOL, I looove this, and also the way he immediately covers it up.
Is Guo Changcheng's face covered in blood from Daqing's attack (lol) or something else?
I really like Shen Wei's "these are the only acceptable reasons to give your life" speech. *hearts him* Poor Li Qian.
“Why are you like a girl?” Zhao Yunlan smiled nonchalantly, but he switched gears before Shen Wei could catch his breath. “Shen-laoshi, have you ever seen me before today?” -- weaponised flirting, just like in the show! Everything performative and calculated (but with secret genuine feeling at the same time).
I wonder if Shen Wei's description of the long-ago case is like a metaphor for their origin story... I'm too hazy on the actual sequence of historical events to be sure.
Li Qian's report is false, isn't it? That's why Shen Wei talks to her about the two kinds of lies? She can't admit that the shadow was following her, not Lu Ruomei.
In the novel, the Emissary is so terrifying that they don't even call his name. And he's the one who makes the first move, rather than Zhao Yunlan summoning him. But [redacts more thoughts about this until we get to those chapters].
In the blink of an eye, Zhao Yunlan banished the irritation from his face as he turned, an old pervert magically transforming into a young bohemian. -- Such a performer!
A few other little details that reminded me of the drama:
Shen Wei immediately stopped. “Officer Zhao, do you have a cold?”
Love that they incorporated the sneezing and fussiness in episode 3.
Cf the cake-stealing scene in episode 3.
Love that the drama kept this, even if they postponed the handsy first aid till later on.
♥ ♥ ♥
Overall, I'm just kind of waiting for them to get to know each other better... :-)
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I didn't catch that when I read! Thanks for highlighting! Definitely very foreshadowy.
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The descriptions at the start of chaoter 3 do such a good job of creating an atmosphere that's a little uncanny. The trees being ancient and blocking out the sky. The building itself standing out amidst the other, older buildings. Finding out it has 18 floors and that they have to go all the way up to the top. The elevator stopping at four floor before it continues up, shaking all the way. The guard sounding sleepy and a bit out of it. Even the way Shen Wei is acting — it all comes together to paint a picture that is just slightly off. Knowing what happens later in this chapter, this bit of atmosphere building was so so fun for me to read! Because I didn't pick up on it my first read, but now, it stands out just enough where I'm like, "priest! I see what you did there!"
Everyone mocks Guo Changcheng for being too oblivious but. Here he is in chapter 3 being more perceptive than he has any right to be: Out of nowhere, Guo Changcheng got the feeling that [Shen Wei] had been standing there for thousands and thousands of years.
Oooh chapter 4 marks the appearance of the one, the only, Pendant of Pining!! I love that Shen Wei’s special pendant is something they kept in the drama version too, even though the story behind the pendant had to be changed.
Everytime I read the paragraph where Zhao Yunlan is talking about how long Shen Wei's lashes are, I can't help but think about that interview where they measured Zhu Yilong's eyelashes because the host was amazed at how long they were. Reason # 198 that Zhu Yilong was perfect for playing Shen Wei
The whole bit with Li Qian at the hospital always makes me feel so sad for her. But also, reading it again, I can't help but catch all the little breadcrumbs priest left us to put together what happened. I'm really enjoying reading the novel again and finding all the foreshadowing I missed the first time!!
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Hee! So easy to do. What is time anyway?!
it all comes together to paint a picture that is just slightly off.
That is such a great summation of it all. Yeah, taken all together, it's super unsettling.
Everyone mocks Guo Changcheng for being too oblivious but. Here he is in chapter 3 being more perceptive than he has any right to be
Haha, so true!
But also, reading it again, I can't help but catch all the little breadcrumbs priest left us to put together what happened. I'm really enjoying reading the novel again and finding all the foreshadowing I missed the first time!!
Yay! Yeah, I think the novel and the drama both benefit massively from revisiting. Knowing the answer to the mystery just deepens everything so much. :D
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臭基佬你瞎吧？ “Are you blind, you dumb queer?” Omg Da Qing. Establishing ZYL’s sexuality right off the bat.
看来不是沈教授，是她把我们带进来的
“It looks like it wasn’t Shen Wei, but her who led us in.”
Wait, but how did “she”, I assume the ghost lady, lead them in? they went in on their own two feet, voluntarily, following Shen Wei.
ZYL bullying GCC in front of all those people was so delightfully petty.
Omg what kind of class does Shen Wei teach, I wonder, that he goes over the “acceptable” conditions to want to die.
Oof that description of Li Qian grinding her teeth. I can hear it. I can feel it. I don’t like it 🤣
Callback to 那颗没节操的心 “that old lacking-integrity heart” when describing ZYL’s attraction to Shen Wei. (“It itched.”) So funny.
I don’t think ZYL knew what the Longevity Dial was at first in the drama, but he does here. And: it’s Transmigration Dial here instead of Longevity? Right, I think it was 长生晷 in the show and it’s 轮回晷 here.
“问完我立刻滚蛋” “When I’m done asking I’ll fuck right off.” ZYL isn’t even formal in the field with a new acquaintance. Crying.
🤣🤣🤣 He called himself 警察叔叔, Uncle Policeman. I cannot express how delighted I am that ZYL is the type of character who refers to himself with ever more informal epithets instead of just saying “I”.
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Maybe it means he's suspecting the ghost lady of being the culprit, not Shen Wei, and "who led us in" is kind of a metaphor? (I can't find the equivalent point in the official translation.)
I don’t think ZYL knew what the Longevity Dial was at first in the drama
Yeah, it was Zhu Hong who explained it.
ZYL isn’t even formal in the field with a new acquaintance. Crying.
LOL! I find it delightful. :D And oh, thank you for the "Uncle Policeman" translation. *hearts and hearts* :D
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