四一二反革命政变

四 = 儿 + 囗 : Mnemonic symbol: a four-leaved clover. Socrates (s) is working out in the bathroom of the space station (Ø4). He's lifting four (四) wooden boxes (囗), and wonders why they are so heavy. He doesn't know that inside one of the four boxes, the monkey king (儿) is hiding and secretly laughing at him - until the monkey king comes out and surprises Socrates with a four-leaved clover (四).

一

yi̅ = y + Ø1

one / single / a (article) / as soon as / entire; whole; all; throughout / "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1) / also pr. [yao1] for greater clarity when spelling out numbers digit by digit

Maud Younger (y) forgot her keys to the space station (Ø1), all she brought outside was her flute (一). She has no choice but to crash the door with the giant flute.

四

sì

一

yi̅

二

èr

12th April / refers to Chiang Kai-shek's coup of 12th April 1927 against the communists in Shanghai

一

yi̅

二

èr

one or two; a few / a little; just a bit

二

èr = Ø + Ø4

two / 2 / (Beijing dialect) stupid

二 = 一 : Mnemonic symbol: a capacitor, because the two strokes remind me of the symbol in electrical drawings. Albert Einstein (Ø) is experimenting with a capacitor (二) in the space station's bathroom (Ø4). He finds that it's uncomfortable to discharge a capacitor using two flutes (一).

反

fǎn = f + an3

contrary / in reverse / inside out or upside down / to reverse / to return / to oppose / opposite / against / anti- / to rebel / to use analogy / instead / abbr. for 反切[fan3 qie4] phonetic system

反 = ⺁ + 又 : A protester (mnemonic symbol for 反) makes a racket in the anthill's living room (an3). He's got a huge banana tree (⺁) with him and wants to protest against the exploitation of banana farm workers. Frankenstein's Monster (f) is annoyed by him and punches him with a boxing glove (又).

革

gé = g + e2

animal hide / leather / to reform / to remove / to expel (from office)

革 = 廿 + 中 + 一 : Mnemonic symbol: a cow's hide.

Guy Fawkes (g) arrived at the entrance to the elevator (e2) to visit this year's darts grand finale. He is standing right next to the dart board (中) and cheers for his favourite player using a self-made drum. The drum consists of a flower pot (廿) over which Guy stretched a cow's hide (革). He is beating his drum using a flute (一).

反

fǎn

革

gé

命

mìng

counterrevolutionary

革

gé

命

mìng

to withdraw the mandate of heaven (and transition to a new dynasty) (original meaning) / revolution / revolutionary / to revolt (against sb or sth) / to revolutionize (sth) / (separable verb sometimes used in the pattern 革noun的命) / CL:次[ci4]

命

mìng = mi + (e)ng4

life / fate / order or command / to assign a name, title etc

命 = 亼 + 叩 : In engine's bathroom, Marilyn Monroe kow tows before a pointed hat. She thinks that this is her fate.

政

zhèng = zh + (e)ng4

political / politics / government

政 = 攵 + 正 : As James II of England (zh) became a powerful politician (政) he used his power for many crazy laws. For example, he once ordered a stick figure (正) to tear down the engine's bathroom ((e)ng4) using a sledgehammer (攵).

政

zhèng

变

變

biàn

coup d'état

变

變

biàn = bi + an4

to change / to become different / to transform / to vary / rebellion

变 = 亦 + 又 : In anthill's bathroom the also-ran is sparring with Brunhilde. In her mind she imagines changing into a boxing grizzly bear.

变 = 亦 + 又 : I think 变 does look like a grizzly bear with a beret. 又 is the snout, and the two eyes are the two strokes of 八.