神女应无恙

神女應無恙

shénnǚyīngwúyàng

phrase

Meanings

1 the goddess should be unharmed
2 the Wu Mountain goddess must still be well — she would marvel at how the world has changed

Characters

Examples

三峡大坝建成后，神女应无恙，当惊世界殊。

Sānxiá dàbà jiànchéng hòu, shénnǚ yīng wú yàng, dāng jīng shìjiè shū.

After the Three Gorges Dam was built: 'the goddess should be unharmed — she must marvel how the world has changed.'

导游站在巫山脚下吟诵神女应无恙。

Dǎoyóu zhàn zài Wūshān jiǎoxià yínsòng shénnǚ yīng wú yàng.

The guide stood at the foot of Mt. Wu and recited 'the goddess should be unharmed.'

Tips

history

From 毛泽东 Mao Zedong 《水调歌头·游泳》 (1956): 神女应无恙，当惊世界殊 — 'the goddess should be well; she would be astonished at how different the world is.' 神女 refers to the legendary goddess of Wu Mountain (巫山神女) from 《高唐赋》. Mao was envisioning the future Three Gorges Dam.

usage

无恙 is a literary set phrase = 'free from illness/harm,' often used in the formula 别来无恙? ('well since we last met?'). Almost always quoted with 当惊世界殊 to complete Mao's rhetorical vision.

Stroke Order

神 shén

女 nǚ

应 yīng

无 wú

恙 yàng