Chat attack

gravestone inscription/墓志铭/ (mùzhìmínɡ)

A: Do you know the romantic poet John Keats?

你知道浪漫主义诗人济慈吗？

(nǐ zhīdào lànɡmàn zhǔyì shīrén jìcí ma?)

B: I know his famous gravestone inscription: "Here lies one whose name was writ in water." I think it is very beautiful.

我知道他非常有名的墓志铭"此地长眠者,声名水上书"。我觉得很美。

(wǒ zhīdào tā fēichánɡ yǒumínɡ de mùzhìmínɡ "cǐdì chánɡmián zhě, shēnɡmínɡ shuǐ shànɡ shū".wǒ juédé hěnměi.)

A: You know there is a story that has been passed around that says before he passed he took good care of his appearance, do you know why?

你知道有一个流传的说法,称他在去世前曾悉心打理自己的面容, 你猜猜是为什么？

(nǐ zhīdào yǒu yīɡè liúchuán de shuōfǎ, chēnɡ tā zài qùshì qián cénɡ xīxīn dǎlǐ zìjǐ de miànrónɡ, nǐ cāicāi shì wéishenme?)

B: I'm not sure. 

那我不太清楚。

(nà wǒ bùtài qīnɡchǔ.)

A: It was in order to use plaster to make a death mask to commemorate his life. 

他为了用石膏给自己做死亡面具,纪念自己的一生。

(tā wéile yònɡ shíɡāo ɡěi zìjǐ zuò sǐwánɡ miànjù, jìniàn zìjǐ de yīshēnɡ.)

B: Really? That doesn't sound normal, but it does have a dark romantic feel. 

是吗,这听起来很不寻常,但是却有一种黑暗的浪漫感。

(shìma, zhè tīnɡqǐlái hěn bù xúnchánɡ, dànshì què yǒu yīzhǒnɡ hēiàn de lànɡmàn ɡǎn.)

A: I heard that Keats's death mask was kept by the British poet and painter Joseph Severn. 

据说,济慈的死亡面具曾由英国诗人和画家约瑟夫·赛文保存。

(jùshuō, jìcí de sǐwánɡ miànjù cénɡyóu yīnɡɡuó shīrén hé huàjiā yuēsèfū·sàiwén bǎocún.)

Illustrations: Liu Xidan/GT