Vocabulary

coming-of-age ceremony for middle school students

mei long (dinosaur discovered in China)

tremblingly; having the chills (through fear, cold, anticipation, etc.)

grains of sand on the beach (i.e. something countless)

surrounding area; vicinity

older brother; elder brother

waterfall

to cross the ocean (i.e. to go to or come from overseas)

waterway; channel

preeminence; supremacy; distinction; excellence

space between two nodes (on bamboo, etc.)

space between two nodes (on bamboo, etc.)

to bud; to be budding

difficult to be (in a place); not feeling like staying

to go around

softstem bulrush (Scirpus tabernaemontani)

to cure; to heal

to stamp (one's mark, etc.); to seal

to punish (esp. with death)

to bear (a child); to be born

throbbing pain

sopping; soaking

to keep in mind and do as one has been told; to learn and obey; to act in accordance; to comply

unavoidably; inevitably; necessarily; reluctantly; against one's will

bhava (becoming, existence)

to abbreviate; to abridge; to shorten

(not) a soul; (not) a single person

to work; to labor; to labour

stout; well-fleshed; well-padded; plump

re-coating (e.g. repainting, respraying, etc.)

to command; to order

sobbing

swap; exchange

standoffishly; primly; prickly; irritably; aloofly

to animate; to liven up; to cheer up

pleasantly smiling

to smile pleasantly

the more one looks (at it) the more ...

hand game (e.g. rock-paper-scissors)

horses owned; horse owned