The term "两口子", pronounced "liǎng kǒu zi", means couples, husband and wife, according to "The Contemporary Chinese Dictionary". How did use of the word originate?

根据《现代汉语词典》，“两口子”指的是夫妻，丈夫和妻子。但是这个词是怎么来的呢?

According to research by Chinese folklorists, records of the word could be traced to an ancient note named "Yanjing Zalu" from the late Qing Dynasty (1664-1912 AD).

按照中国民俗学家的研究，关于这个词的记录可以追溯到清朝(1664-1912)晚期的一本古书《燕京杂录》。

It is said that there were two men working in the state office. One was single and the other newly married. The singleton voluntarily shared half of his wage with the newly-married couple, attached with a note that read, "Please do not refuse the money since I am only one person but you are ‘liang kou zi’."

说的是有两位府衙录簿，挣得同样薪水，一个是单身，另一个新娶了妻子，这光棍汉情愿把自己的一半工资，赠与同事花费，附有字条写道：些许碎银钱，笑纳勿推辞;我只单口汉，君乃两口子。

In ancient times, the Chinese character "zi" meant one person, male or female.

“子”在旧时兼称男女，意即“你们两个人”，男女均可。

Since then, the term "liang kou zi" has not only referred to two single persons but also husband and wife.

自那时起，“两口子”这个词就不仅仅可以用来指两个单身的人，也可以用来指一对夫妻。

The depiction of husband and wife in the term "liang kou zi" is always accompanied by a soft and sweet tone. Folklorists believe that with the secularization of Chinese culture, usage of "liang kou zi" became associated with touching stories. Among these, one edition of the tale goes like this:

“两口子”这个词对丈夫和妻子的叙述总带有一种柔和甜蜜的语调。民俗学家认为，随着中国文化的世俗化，出现了许多和“两口子”相关的感人故事。其中一个故事是这样的：

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), a man named Gao Wenjing saved a girl named Lu Chunhua, who fell into the river. The two fell in love at first sight and pledged to marry without permission from their parents.

明朝(1368-1644)时，男子高文静(音)救了落水女子卢春花(音)。两人一见钟情并私定终身。

However, a local ruffian called Luo kidnapped Lu as his concubine. However, with the help of her servant, Lu escaped and eloped with Gao. Unfortunately, Luo caught up with them but during the fight, accidentally fell from a cliff.

但是当地一名姓罗的恶霸强绑了卢春花给自己做妾。但是在自己仆人的帮助下，卢春花和高文静私奔了。不幸的是，罗姓恶霸追上了他们，但是他却在打斗中掉下了悬崖。

Because of Luo’s former power and prestige, Gao and Lu were both sentenced to death and awaiting execution.

由于罗姓恶霸以前的权势和威望，高文静和卢春花都被判收监候斩。

Zhu Yuanzhang, Emperor Hongwu (1368-1398 AD), on finding out the truth of the matter, pardoned the lucky couple. Instead, they were sent to Taoyuankou in central China’s Hubei Province and Jinshankou in Anhui Province respectively.

洪武(1368-1398)皇帝朱元璋查明事实真相之后，赦免了这对幸运的人儿。但是他们两人被分别发配到了湖北桃园口和安徽金山口。

Despite the vast distance between the two lovers, Gao and Lu remained in love.

尽管相隔千山万水，高文静和卢春花两人仍然相爱。

Over time they became locally known as "liang kou zi" due to their unwavering affection.

随着时间的推移，两人坚定不移的爱情在当地以“两口子”的故事传开了。

（来源：新东方英语）