既然是外乡人
“Since you are from another place,”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
并未到县衙报备
“you didn't report to the county office.”
既然是 外乡人
“Since you are from another place,”
可有路引文书以证自身
“do you have a travel permit to prove your identity?”
“You are not from around here, so you must prove who you are and why you are here.”
Imperial Chinese administrative systems strictly monitored the mobility of non-locals through official travel permits (luyin).
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
since; given that
Connective used at the beginning of a clause to state a known fact that serves as the premise for a deduction or request.
outsider; person from another village or region
Frequently used in historical or rural contexts to refer to someone who does not belong to the local community.