wǒ jiào lián dá wǒ shì liáo níng dà lián rén

我叫连达，我是辽宁大连人

My name is Lianda, I am from Dalian, Liaoning

zài jìn nián de shí jiān lǐ wǒ yǐ jīng lái guò shān xī yú cì

在近20年的时间里，我已经来过山西40余次

In the past 20 years, I have been to Shanxi more than 40 times

pǎo guò shān xī jué dà bù fēn de xiàn shì hé xǔ duō bù wèi rén zhī de xiāng cūn

跑过山西绝大部分的县市和许多不为人知的乡村

Run through most counties and cities in Shanxi and many unknown villages

huà le jiāng jìn zuò gǔ miào

画了将近1000座古庙

Painted nearly 1,000 ancient temples

liú xià le yú fú gǔ jiàn zhù zuò pǐn

留下了1300余幅古建筑作品

Left more than 1,300 pieces of ancient architectural works

zì háo dì shuō wǒ bǐ xǔ duō shān xī rén hái le jiě shān xī

自豪地说我比许多山西人还了解山西

Proud to say that I know Shanxi better than many people in Shanxi

nián de xià tiān nà shí hòu wǒ dì yī cì lái shān xī

1999年的夏天，那时候我第一次来山西

In the summer of 1999, when I came to Shanxi for the first time

wǒ kàn dào dì yī gè gǔ jiàn zhù jiù shì tài yuán de jìn cí

我看到第一个古建筑，就是太原的晋祠

The first ancient building I saw was Jinci in Taiyuan

gǎn jué jiù xiàng shì huí dào le míng qīng shí dài de lì shǐ shí kōng lǐ

感觉就像是回到了明清时代的历史时空里

It feels like returning to the historical time and space of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

wǒ tū rán yī jiàn zhōng qíng shì de jiù xǐ huān shàng le zhè zhǒng gǎn shòu

我突然一见钟情似的就喜欢上了这种感受

I suddenly fell in love with this feeling at first sight

wǒ jué dé wèi shén me bù ná yī zhāng zhǐ bǎ tā huà xià lái

我觉得为什么不拿一张纸把它画下来

I think why not take a piece of paper and draw it down

suī rán méi yǒu shén me měi shù jī chǔ

虽然没有什么美术基础

Although there is no art foundation

wǒ de jué dà bù fēn zuò pǐn dōu shì zhēng qǔ dāng chǎng yī tiān wán chéng

我的绝大部分作品，都是争取当场一天完成

Most of my works are to be completed on the spot in one day

jǐn liàng zhǎo dào zhè zuò miào yǔ néng gòu dǎ dòng rén de

尽量找到这座庙宇能够打动人的

Try to find this temple that can impress people

tǐ xiàn tā lì shǐ cāng sāng gǎn de zhè me yī gè gòu tú

体现它历史沧桑感的这么一个构图

Such a composition that reflects its historical vicissitudes

rán hòu bǎ tā huà xià lái

然后把它画下来

Then draw it down

wǒ měi nián chūn jì qiū jì

我每年春季，秋季

I every spring and autumn

zhì shǎo lái shān xī liǎng cì lèi jì shí jiān chāo guò liǎng gè duō yuè

至少来山西两次，累计时间超过两个多月

Came to Shanxi at least twice, with a cumulative time of more than two months

wǒ lái shān xī xún fǎng gǔ jiàn zhù

我来山西寻访古建筑

I came to Shanxi to find ancient buildings

shì yīn wèi shān xī de gǔ jiàn zhù bǎo yǒu liàng

是因为山西的古建筑保有量

Because of the number of ancient buildings in Shanxi

hán gài nián dài zhī guǎng xiàn cún shù liàng zhī duō

涵盖年代之广，现存数量之多

Covers a wide range of ages and a large number of existing

zài quán guó kě yǐ shuō shì jū yú shǒu wèi de

在全国可以说是居于首位的

It can be said to be the first in the country

yǒu de gǔ jiàn zhù wǒ qù de shí hòu

有的古建筑我去的时候

Some ancient buildings when I went

qīng wēi de yī gè zhèn dòng tā kě néng jiù huì mǎ shàng hōng rán bēng tā

轻微的一个震动，它（可能）就会马上轰然崩塌

A slight shock, it (probably) will collapse immediately

dàn shì wǒ wèi tā huà le zhè fú xiàng

但是我为它画了这幅像

But I drew this image for it

yǒu kě néng jiù shì tā yǒu shēng zhī nián de zuì hòu yī fú huà xiàng

有可能就是它有生之年的最后一幅画像

It may be the last portrait in its lifetime

qù nián de xià tiān wǒ yòu lǐng jiào le shān xī de kù shǔ

去年的夏天，我又领教了山西的酷暑

Last summer, I experienced the scorching heat of Shanxi again

rán hòu liǎn shàng shǒu shàng

然后脸上、手上

Then face, hand

shǐ zhōng dōu shì shī le shài gàn yòu shī le zài shài gàn

始终都是湿了晒干，又湿了，再晒干

It’s always wet and dried, wet again, and then dried

zài shān xī kùn nán de huán jìng lǐ céng jīng shuì guò lǎo xiāng fèi qì de fáng zi

在山西困难的环境里，曾经睡过老乡废弃的房子

In the difficult environment of Shanxi, once slept in the abandoned house of the villager

shuì guò tā men méi yǒu rén de sì miào

睡过他们没有人的寺庙

Slept in the temple where they had no one

shí zài shì zhǎo bù dào zhù de dì fāng le wǒ hái céng jīng zài huāng yě lù sù guò

实在是找不到住的地方了，我还曾经在荒野露宿过

I really can’t find a place to live, I've been sleeping in the wilderness

wǒ jué dé wǒ duì wǒ de qī zi zhēn de shì qiàn jiù hěn duō de

我觉得我对我的妻子真的是歉疚很多的

I think I really apologize to my wife a lot

wǒ chū mén yī gè yuè suǒ yǒu de fèi yòng

我出门一个月，所有的费用

I go out for a month, all the expenses

zhè yàng ba wǒ hái dé hái dài kuǎn

5000、6000这样吧，我还得还贷款

5000, 6000 like this, I have to repay the loan

tā céng jīng gēn wǒ shuō guò

她曾经跟我说过

She once told me

nǐ fàng xīn chū qù jiā lǐ tóu yǒu wǒ

你放心出去，家里头有我

Don't worry about going out, I have me at home

bāo kuò wǒ yǒu le liǎng gè nǚ ér zhī hòu

包括我有了两个女儿之后

Including after I had two daughters

wǒ men jiā tíng de zhòng dān quán dōu yóu tā bāng wǒ chéng dān qǐ lái

我们家庭的重担全都由她帮我承担起来

She helped me bear all the burdens of our family

yīn wèi jiā lǐ jīng jì yā lì dà néng shěng zé shěng

因为家里经济压力大，能省则省

Because the family’s financial pressure is high, saving can be saved

chū mén de shí hòu mǎi yī píng shuǐ de huà

出门的时候，买一瓶水的话

When you go out, buy a bottle of water

rú guǒ yào shì yǒu yī kuài wǔ de wǒ jiù jué bù mǎi liǎng kuài de

如果要是有一块五的，我就绝不买两块的

If there is one and five, I will never buy two

zǎo qǐ de shí hòu wǒ bèi zhù dà bāo tú bù chū fā le

早起的时候我背著大包徒步出发了

When I got up early, I carried my big bag and set off on foot

biān zǒu biān chī liǎng kuài zhōng wǔ zài chī liǎng kuài bǐng

边走边吃两块，中午再吃两块饼

Eat two pieces while walking, and two more cakes at noon

zhè yàng yī tiān kuài bǐng jiù dǐng dào le bàng wǎn

这样一天4块饼就顶到了傍晚

4 cakes a day will last until the evening

zài nián de shí hòu

在2012年的时候

In 2012

bào zhù wán de xīn tài tóu le piān gǎo

抱著玩的心态，投了篇稿

With a playful mentality, contributed a manuscript

chū bǎn le yī běn jiào shān xī gǔ jiàn xiě shēng de yī běn zuò pǐn jí

出版了一本叫《山西古建写生》的一本作品集

Published a collection of works called "Shanxi Ancient Architecture Sketch"

nián de yuè yòu chū bǎn le yī běn xún fǎng shān xī gǔ miào

2017年的6月，又出版了一本《寻访山西古庙》

In June 2017, another book "Looking for Shanxi Ancient Temples" was published

wǒ méi xiǎng guò wǒ zhēn néng jiān chí jiāng jìn nián

我没想过我真能坚持将近20年

I never thought I could really hold on for nearly 20 years

zuì hòu jiù biàn chéng le hǎo xiàng shì wǒ rén shēng de yī gè fāng xiàng ba

最后就变成了好像是我人生的一个方向吧

In the end it became like a direction in my life