When night falls and the lights on the street dim, have you ever heard the familiar sound of "dong dong"?
It was the signal of the ancient merchants who beat the wooden fish or gong after the end of the day's work to announce the "closing".
Today, let's talk about this interesting word - "closing".
First, we need to correct a common misconception. The character "烊" in "打烊" is not pronounced as "sheep" (yáng), but should be pronounced as "样" (yàng).
Yes, you heard it right, it's the "like" of the fourth tone.
The word is actually a polyphonic word with two pronunciations, but in this word, it means that the store is closed at night.
In the ancient market, the merchants finally ushered in a moment of rest after a busy day.
They beat wooden fish or gongs, and the melodious sound echoes in the night sky, as if telling the hard work and harvest of the day.
This special way of saying goodbye is not only a polite farewell to customers, but also a small celebration of their hard work.
When it comes to the word "烊", when it is pronounced as "yáng", it is related to metal and means that metal melts.
For example, "boiled copper" or "boiled gold" refers to a molten metal liquid.
You can imagine the scene of the red-hot metal slowly melting in the heat, which is very different from the artistic conception of "closing".
When "烊" is pronounced as "yàng", it is closely related to commercial activities.
It is derived from a dialect and is used to describe the state in which a shop is closed.
This pronunciation contains a kind of local characteristics and folk customs, which makes people feel the hustle and bustle of the ancient market.
The word "closing" was not only used in ancient times, but is still common in modern business activities.
When night falls, the shops on the street hang out signs that say "closed", which means that the day's business is over and you can rest in peace.
This combination of tradition and modernity can't help but make people sigh at the breadth and profundity of the Chinese language.
Speaking of which, I suddenly remembered a popular song - "Your Tavern Closed for Me".
The lyrics of this song have the word "closing" in it, and every time I hear it, I unconsciously hum along with it.
The two elements of the song, "tavern" and "closing", blend perfectly to form a vivid picture: as night falls, the lights of the tavern fade and the boss gently beats the wooden fish to announce the end of the day.
Now, do you have a deeper understanding of the word "烊" in "打烊"?
So, the next time you hear or see that word, don't mispronounce it again!
Remember, the "烊" in "打烊" is pronounced as "yàng", not "yáng".