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Ma3shang4!

• Simplified characters: 马上！ / Traditional characters: 馬上！
• Back-translation of Mandarin: Right away!
• Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Ma-Shong!
• Translated from script English: Now!
• Context: “Safe,” Mal, to Wash about hurrying to the infirmary

ma3shang4

[idiom] right away, at once; [literally: on horseback]

1. ma3: a horse
2. shang4: to mount

[Man4man4 di5, ren2lei4 yong4jin4 le5 da4di4 de5 zi1yuan2. Huang1wu2 le5, ta1 wu2ke3 gong1ying4.]
Lüe4duo2zhe3, man3zai4 er2 qu4.
[Chuang4shi4ji4, chan3sheng1 de5 da4di4, shou3du4 gan3dao4 gu1li4. Di4qiu2 wei4 ren2lei2 de5 rou2lin4 er2 tong4ku1-liu2lei4, suan1ku3 de5 lei4shui3, man4liu2 le5 yi1 shi4ji4. Hui3mie4 zhi1 huo3, ru2 tian1 jiang4fu2 zhong1yu2 lai2dao4.]

• Simplified characters: 慢慢的，人类用尽了大地的资源。荒芜了，她无可供应。掠夺者，满载而去。创世纪，产生的大地，首度感到孤立。地球为人类的蹂躏而痛哭流泪，酸苦的泪水，漫流了一世纪。毁灭之火，如天降福终于来到。
• Traditional characters: 慢慢的，人類用盡了大地的資源。荒蕪了，她無可供應。掠奪者，滿載而去。創世紀，產生的大地，首度感到孤立。地球為人類的蹂躪而痛哭流淚，酸苦的淚水，漫流了一世紀。毀滅之火，如天降福終於來到。
• -
• Back-translation of Mandarin: Little by little, the human race completely used up the resources of Mother Earth. Having become desolate, she could not provide. The plunderers left fully laden with loot. The earth that Genesis had given rise to, for the first time felt alone. The earth, because of the rapacious acts of the human race, sobbed her heart out. Tears of misery overflowed for a century. The fire that destroyed her, like a blessing from heaven it finally came.
• -
• Script Mandarin translation (Hanyu Pinyin romanization): Man, man di, ren lei yong jin le da di de zi yuan. Huang wu le, ta wu ke gong yin. Lue duo ze, man zai er chu. Chuang si ji, can shen de da di, shou du gan dao gu li. Di qiu wei ren lei de rou lin er tong ku liu lie, suan ku de lei shui, man liu le yi shi ji. Hui mie zhi huo, ru tien jiang fu zhong yu lai dao. [sic (see Note 1 below)] [phonetic for English speakers: Mahn-mahn dee, run-lay yong-jeen luh dah-dee duh tzz-wahn. Hwang-oo luh, tah oo-kuh gong-een. Lweh-duo-tzuh, mahn-tzai ur choo. Chuang-ss-jee, tsahn-shun duh dah-dee, shoh-doo gahn-dao goo-lee. Dee-chio way run-lay duh roh-leen ur tong-koo lio-lay, swahn-koo duh lay-shway, mahn-lio luh ee shr-jee. Hway-myeh jr huo, roo tyen jyahng-foo jong-oo lai-dao.]
• -
• Translated from script English: Little by little, the tribes used the Earth up. Barren, she had little left to offer them. Swollen of her, they left. And for the first time since the Great Burn that birthed her, she was alone. The Earth cried, and terrible were her tears. Acid and caustic, the spawn of the tribes' rape. They flowed a century. The fire that finally came did so as a blessing.
• -
• Context: “Heart of Gold” [Mostly cut], Narrator (of shadow-puppet play), about leaving Earth-That-Was, as Mal and Inara enter theater

man4man4 di5, ren2lei4 yong4jin4 le5 da4di4 de5 zi1yuan2

little by little, the human race completely used up the resources of Mother Earth

1. man4man4 di5: little by little, gradually
   1. man4man4: little by little, gradually
      1. man4: [repeated] to be slow
   2. di5 [usually de5]: [adverb marker] [usually de5 地 ]
2. ren2lei4: humankind, the human race
   1. ren2 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: a human, a human being
   2. lei4: a type, a species
3. yong4jin4 le5: completely used up
   1. yong4jin4: to exhaust, to completely use up
      1. yong4: to use
      2. jin4: to exhaust, to use up
   2. le5: [completion marker]
4. da4di4 de5: of the earth, of Mother Earth
   1. da4di4: the earth, Mother Earth
      1. da4: to be big, to be great
      2. di4: the earth
   2. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]
5. zi1yuan2: resources, natural resources
   1. zi1 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: resources, wealth
   2. yuan2 [used only in compound words]: a source

huang1wu2 le5, ta1 wu2ke3 gong1ying4

having become desolate, she could not provide

1. huang1wu2 le5: has become desolate
   1. huang1wu2: to be desolate, to lie in waste
      1. huang1: to be desolate, to lie in waste
      2. wu2: neglected (land), overgrown with weeds
   2. le5: [completion marker]
2. ta1: she
3. wu2ke3: can’t
   1. wu2: [negative prefix]
   2. ke3: can [auxiliary verb], to be possible
4. gong1ying4: to supply, to provide
   1. gong1: to supply
   2. ying4: to supply, to respond

lüe4duo2zhe3, man3zai4 er2 qu4

the plunderers left fully laden with loot [see Notes 1 and 2 below]

1. lüe4duo2zhe3: a plunderer, a pillager
   1. lüe4duo2: to plunder, to pillage
      1. lüe4 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: to plunder, to take by force
      2. duo2: to seize, to take by force
   2. zhe3: [suffix to make doer nouns from verbs/adjectives], -er/-or
2. man3zai4 er2 qu4: to leave fully loaded
   1. man3zai4: to be fully loaded, to be loaded to capacity
      1. man3: filled full
      2. zai4: to fill, to carry (a load)
   2. er2: [marker connecting adverbial to verb] [here: manner adverbial]
   3. qu4: to leave, to depart

Chuang4shi4ji4, chan3sheng1 de5 da4di4, shou3du4 gan3dao4 gu1li4

the earth that Genesis had given rise to, for the first time felt alone

1. Chuang4shi4ji4 chan3sheng1 de5 da4di4: the earth that Genesis gives rise to
   1. Chuang4shi4ji4: [Christianity] Genesis (first book of the Old Testament, beginning with creation)
      1. chuang4: to initiate (something), to create
      2. shi4ji4: a century
         1. shi4 [used only in compound words (or as a family name)]: an era, an epoch
         2. ji4 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: a century
   2. chan3sheng1 de5: that gives rise to
      1. chan3sheng1 de5: to give rise to, to cause
         1. chan3: to produce, to make
         2. sheng1: to give rise to, to cause
      2. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: integrated adjectival clause (restrictive relative clause)]
   3. da4di4: the earth, Mother Earth
      1. da4: to be big, to be great
      2. di4: the earth
2. shou3du4: first time
   1. shou3 [used only in compound words (or as a classifier for certain nouns)]: first
   2. du4: [classifier for times in a sequence]
3. gan3dao4: to feel / to sense (focus on result/goal)
   1. gan3: to feel / to sense (focus on action)
   2. dao4: [end-result marker]
4. gu1li4: to be alone, to be isolated
   1. gu1 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: alone, isolated
   2. li4 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: to live, to exist

di4qiu2 wei4 ren2lei2 de5 rou2lin4 er2 tong4ku1-liu2lei4, suan1ku3 de5 lei4shui3, man4liu2 le5 yi1 shi4ji4

the earth, because of the rapacious acts of the human race, sobbed her heart out; tears of misery overflowed for a century

1. di4qiu2: the earth, the globe
   1. di4: the earth
   2. qiu2 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: a globe
2. wei4: on account of, because, because of
3. ren2lei2 de5: of humankind, of the human race
   1. ren2lei2: humankind, the human race
      1. ren2 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: a human, a human being
      2. lei4: a type, a species
   2. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]
4. rou2lin4: to ravage, rapacious acts
   1. rou2 [used only in compound words]: to trample
   2. lin4 [used only in compound words]: to abuse, to lay waste to (a place)
5. er2: [marker connecting adverbial to verb] [here: causal adverbial]
6. tong4ku1-liu2lei4: to weep bitterly, to sob one’s heart out
   1. tong4ku1: to weep bitterly, to sob one’s heart out
      1. tong4: bitterly, deeply
      2. ku1: to cry (tears), to weep
   2. liu2lei4: to shed tears (teardrops)
      1. liu2: to flow
      2. lei4 [used only in compound words]: a tear (teardrop)
7. suan1ku3 de5 lei4shui3: tears of misery
   1. suan1ku3 de5: of misery
      1. suan1ku3: misery, sadness
         1. suan1 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: grieved, sick at heart
         2. ku3: suffering, pain
      2. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]
   2. lei4shui3: a tear (teardrop)
      1. lei4 [used only in compound words]: a tear (teardrop)
      2. shui3 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: a bodily fluid
8. man4liu2 le5: overflowed
1. man4liu2: to overflow
   1. man4: to overflow, to flood
   2. liu2: to flow
2. le5: [completion marker]
9. yi1 shi4ji4: a century
   1. yi1 [pronounced “yi2” before a 4th-tone syllable]: one, a
   2. shi4ji4: a century
      1. shi4 [used only in compound words (or as a family name)]: an era, an epoch
      2. ji4 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: a century

hui3mie4 zhi1 huo3, ru2 tian1 [de5] jiang4fu2 zhong1yu2 lai2dao4

the fire that destroyed her, like a blessing from heaven it finally came

1. hui3mie4 zhi1 huo3: the fire that destroys, the fire that wipes out
   1. hui3mie4 zhi1: that destroys, that wipes out
      1. hui3mie4: to destroy, to wipe out
         1. hui3: to destroy, to ruin
         2. mie4: to destroy, to wipe out
      2. zhi1: [Literary Chinese] = de5 的 : [vernacular Mandarin] [noun-modifier marker] [here: integrated adjectival clause (restrictive relative clause) ]
   2. huo3: a fire
2. ru2 tian1 [de5] jiang4fu2: like the blessings of heaven
   1. ru2: to be like, as if
   2. tian1 [de5] jiang4fu2: the blessings of heaven
   1. tian1 [de5]: heaven’s, of heaven
   1. tian1: heaven
   2. [understood: de5 的 : [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]]
   2. jiang4fu2: to bless, blessings from heaven
      1. jiang4: to fall, to descend
      2. fu2: a blessing, happiness
3. zhong1yu2: finally, in the end
   1. zhong1: finally, in the end
   2. yu2: [suffix for some time expressions], in, from
4. lai2dao4: to come / to arrive (focus on result/goal)
   1. lai2: to come / to arrive (focus on action)
   2. dao4: [end-result marker]

mei4mei5

• Simplified/Traditional characters: 妹妹
• Back-translation of Mandarin: little sister
• 1. Script Mandarin translation (Hanyu Pinyin romanization): xiao meimei [sic (see Note 1 below); phonetic for English speakers: may-may]
• Translated from script English: little sister
• Context: “Serenity, Part 1,” Inara, addressing wounded Kaylee
• 2. Script Mandarin translation (Hanyu Pinyin romanization): Mei mei [phonetic for English speakers: May-may]
• Translated from script English: Little sister
• Context: “Safe,” Simon, addressing River
• 3. Script Mandarin translation (Hanyu Pinyin romanization): mei-mei [phonetic for English speakers: may-may]
• Translated from script English: [(Not in script) little sister (from “Serenity, Part 1” script)]
• Context: “Our Mrs. Reynolds” [Deleted scene on DVD], Simon, addressing River
• 4. Script Mandarin translation (Hanyu Pinyin romanization): mei mei [phonetic for English speakers: may-may]
• Translated from script English: [(Not in script) little sister (from “Serenity, Part 1” script)]
• Context: “Ariel,” Simon, addressing River
• 5. Script Mandarin translation (Hanyu Pinyin romanization): Mei mei [phonetic for English speakers: May-may]
• Translated from script English: [(Not in script) Little sister (from “Serenity, Part 1” script)]
• Context: “War Stories,” Simon, addressing River
• 6. Script Mandarin translation (Hanyu Pinyin romanization): mei mei [phonetic for English speakers: may-may]
• Translated from script English: [(Not in script) little sister (from “Serenity, Part 1” script)]
• Context: “Heart of Gold,” Nandi, addressing Inara

mei4mei5

little sister, younger sister

1. mei4 [used only in compound words]: [repeated with neutral 5th tone] little sister, younger sister