Learn Mandarin Chinese: Top 10 chinese idioms with origin stories

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1. 爱屋及乌 (Ài wū jí wū) Love Me, Love My Dog Listening to the Whole Story Note: If you are reading this story via Adobe Reader, Foxit Reader or PDF-XChange, you can listen to the audio files by scrolling over the red speaker button and double-clicking.

In this Chinese idiom “爱屋及乌 (ài wū jí wū) Love me, love my dog,” “爱 (ài)” means “like” or “love;” “ 屋 (wū)” refers to “house;” ” 及 (jí)” is a conjunction which means “and;” ”乌 (wū)” refers to “乌鸦 (wūyā),” which is “crow.” “爱屋及乌 (ài wū jí wū)” is a Chinese idiom originally from a story in history a long time ago: Shāngcháo mònián, Zhōu Wǔwáng zài Jiāng Shàng (Tàigōng) děng rén de bāngzhù xià, chūbīng tǎofá Zhòuwáng bìng qǔdé shènglì. 商朝末年，周武王在姜尚（太公）等人的帮助下，出兵讨伐纣王并取得胜利。 At the end of the Shang dynasty, assisted by his counselor Jiangshang (Taigong) and other capable men, King Zhou Wuwang successfully attacked and killed Zhouwang, another King.

Zhòuwáng sǐ hòu, Wǔwáng gǎn dào tiānxià bìng méiyǒu āndìng. 纣王死后，武王感到天下并没有安定。 After Zhouwang died, Wuwang still felt anxious since the country was still unstable.

Tā wèn Jiāng Tàigōng: “Jìn le Yīndū, yīnggāi rúhé ānpái jiù wángcháo de guānyuán ne?” 他问姜太公：“进了殷都，应该如何安排旧王朝的官员呢?”

He asked Jiang Taigong: “After we enter the capital Yin, how should we deal with Yin’s officers?”

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Jiāng Tàigōng shuō: “Wǒ tīngshuō guò zhèyàng de huà—rúguǒ xǐhuān nà gè rén, jiù lián tā wūdǐng shàng de wūyā yě xǐhuān; rúguǒ bù xǐhuān nà gè rén, jiù lián tā jiā de qiángbì hé líba yě tǎoyàn. 姜太公说：“我听说过这样的话——如果喜欢那个人，就连他屋顶上的乌鸦也喜 欢；如果不喜欢那个人，就连他家的墙壁和篱笆也讨厌。” Jiang Taigong said, “I’ve heard of a saying–if you love a person, you should also love the crows on his roof; if you hate somebody, you should hate the walls and bamboo fences of his house as well.

Jiùshì shuō, shā jìn quánbù de dírén, yí gè yě bù liúxià. Dàwáng nǐ kàn zěnmeyàng?” “就是说，杀尽全部的敌人，一个也不留下。大王你看怎么样？” That is to say: eliminate all the hostile elements. How is that, your Majesty?”

Wǔwáng rènwéi bù néng zhèyàng. 武王认为不能这样。 Wuwang didn’t think it was a good idea.

Zhèshí Zhōugōng shuō dào: ”Wǒ rènwéi yīngdāng ràng tāmen dōu huí dào zìjǐ jiālǐ, gèzì gēngzhòng zìjǐ de tiándì.” 这时周公说道：“我认为应当让他们都回到自己家里，各自耕种自己的田地。” Zhougong then said, “In my opinion, we should ask them to go back home and farm on their own land.”

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Wǔwáng tīng le fēicháng gāoxìng, xīn zhōng huò rán kāi lǎng, juéde tiānxià kěyǐ āndìng le. 武王听了非常高兴，心中豁然开朗，觉得天下可以安定了。 Wuwang was enlightened and delighted to hear the suggestion. He was confident about the future and the stability of the country.

生词 (shēngcí) Voca

1. 王朝 (wángcháo): n. Dynasty.

2. 屋顶 (wūdǐng): n. Roof.

3. 墙壁 (qiángbì): n. Wall.

4. 篱笆 (líba): n. Fence.

5. 豁然开朗 (huò rán kái lǎng): To be suddenly enlightened.

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2. 笨鸟先飞 (Bèn niǎo xiān fēi) Clumsy Birds Have to Start Flying Early Listen to the whole Story Note: If you are reading this story via Adobe Reader, Foxit Reader or PDF-XChange, you can listen to the audio files by scrolling over the red speaker button and double-clicking.

Shù shàng yì zhī niǎo māma fū chū le liù zhī niǎo bǎobao, 树上一只鸟妈妈孵出了六只鸟宝宝， A bird hatches six baby birds, Xiǎoliù yòu shòu yòu xiǎo, gēge jiějie men dōu qīfu tā; 小六又瘦又小，哥哥姐姐们都欺负它； Xiaoliu is very weak and small; his sisters and brothers usually bully him.

Jīngcháng cóng tā zuǐlǐ qiǎng chóngzi, xiǎoliù zhǐ děi è zhe dùzi. 经常从它嘴里抢虫子，小六只得饿着肚子。 The other birds usually rob food from his mouth, and Xiaoliu suffers from hunger.

Gēge jiějie men jiào tā “bèn niǎo.” 哥哥姐姐们叫他“笨鸟。” Sisters and Brothers call him “clumsy bird.”

Yúshì tā juéxīn duànliàn hǎo shēntǐ, ràng gēge jiějie men bú zài cháoxiào zìjǐ. 于是他决心锻炼好身体，让哥哥姐姐们不再嘲笑自己。 He decides to exercise more to be healthier, in order to not be teased by his sisters and brothers.

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Tā zhìqì fēicháng dà, měitiān dōu qǐ de hěn zǎo, 他志气非常大，每天都起得很早， Xiaoliu has a strong will and gets up very early every day.

Děng gēge jiějie men xǐnglái, tā yǐjīng pǎo wán bù, chī wán chóngzi le. 等哥哥姐姐们醒来，他已经跑完步，吃完虫子了。 He always finishes exercising and eating worms by the time his sisters and brothers wake up.

Dōngtiān dào le, niǎoqún yào nán fēi le; bènniǎo shì niǎoqún zhōng dì yī gè fēi wǎng nánfāng de. 冬天到了，鸟群要南飞了；笨鸟是鸟群中第一个飞往南方的。 When the winter is coming and the bird flock prepares to fly to the south, the “clumsy bird” is the first one to start flying.

Key Learning Points

1. 笨鸟先飞 (Bènniǎoxiānfēi) Clumsy birds have to start flying early.

Usage: “笨鸟先飞 (bènniǎoxiānfēi) Clumsy birds have to start flying early” is used to describe someone who compensates for his/her weaknesses by working hard.

The character “ 笨 (bèn)” means clumsy. “ 鸟 (niǎo)” means bird; “ 先 (xiān)” means first and “飞 (fēi)” means to fly.

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Example: Wǒ xiāngxìn tōngguò nǔlì wǒ huì dádào mùbiāo de, bènniǎoxiānfēi ma! 我相信通过努力我会达到目标的，笨鸟先飞嘛！ A slow bird should make an early start; I believe I can reach my goal through hard work.

2. 决心 (juéxīn): v. To resolve.

Example: Tā juéxīn zhècì yào kǎo quánbān dìyī. 她决心这次要考全班第一。 She resolves to win the first place in this examination.

3. 志气 (zhìqì): n. Aspiration.

Example: Bié zhèyàng, yǒu zhìqì diǎnr, chóngxīn zhènzuò qǐlái！ 别这样，有志气点儿，重新振作起来！ Don’t be like that; please cheer up again with a strong aspiration.

1. 嘲笑 (cháoxiào): n./v. Laugh.

2. 欺负 (qīfu): v. To bully.

3. 锻炼 (duànliàn): v. To exercise.

4. 鸟群 (niǎoqún): n. Bird flock.

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3. 半途而废 (Bàn tú ér fèi) To Give Up Halfway Listen to the whole story Note: If you are reading this story via Adobe Reader, Foxit Reader or PDF-XChange, you can listen to the audio files by scrolling over the red speaker button and double-clicking.

Wèiguó yǒu gè jiào Yuè Yángzǐ de rén dào yuǎnfāng qù xúnshī qiúxué. 魏国有个叫乐羊子的人到远方去寻师求学。 There was a man called Yue Yangzi in the Wei State who went far away to study.

Yì nián hòu, Yuè Yángzǐ jiù huílái le. 一年后，乐羊子就回来了。 A year after departing, he returned.

Qīzi wèn tā wèihé zhème zǎo jiù huíjiā le. 妻子问他为何这么早就回家了。 His wife asked why he came back so early.

Yuè Yángzǐ shuō: "chūmén shíjiān cháng le xiǎng jiā." 乐羊子说：“出门时间长了想家。” He said, "I've been away so long, I just missed home."

Qīzi tīng hòu, ná qǐ yì bǎ jiǎndāo bǎ gāng zhī hǎo de bù jiǎn duàn le. 妻子听后，拿起一把剪刀把刚织好的布剪断了。 Then his wife took a pair of scissors and cut the cloth she had just woven.

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Ránhòu shuō: "zhè bù shì yì gēn sī yì gēn sī jīlěi qǐlái de, wǒ xiànzài yǐ jiāng tā jiǎnduàn, zhèyàng yǐqián de shíjiān jiù dōu báibái làngfèi le." 然后说：“这布是一根丝一根丝积累起来的，我现在已将它剪断，这样以前的时 间就都白白浪费了。” Then she said: “This cloth was woven one thread at a time. Now I have cut it, so the time spent weaving it was wasted.”

Qīzi jiēzhe yòu shuō: "dúshū yěshì zhèyàng, yīnggāi měitiān huòdé xīn de zhīshi, rúguǒ bàn tú ér fèi, hé gēduàn zhībù yǒu shénme liǎng yàng ne?" 妻子接着又说：“读书也是这样，应该每天获得新的知识，如果半途而废，和割 断织布有什么两样呢？” Continuing she said, “Study is also like this. You should learn new knowledge everyday. If you give up halfway, it is the same as cutting the cloth."

Yuè Yángzǐ bèi qīzi de huà shēnshēn gǎndòng le, yúshì yòu qù wánchéng xuéyè, yì lián qī nián méiyǒu huí guò jiā. 乐羊子被妻子的话深深感动了，于是又去完成学业，一连七年没有回过家。 Yue Yangzi was very moved by what his wife said and went on to finish his studies. This time, he didn’t return home for seven years.

This story tells people not to do things halfway. It is also frequently used now to persuade people to persist in their study or work.

Key Learning Points 1. 回家 (huíjiā): v. To go home.

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Example: Shíjiān bù zǎo le, wǒ děi gǎnjǐn huíjiā le. 时间不早了，我得赶紧回家了。 It's getting late and I must go home.

2. 然后 (ránhòu): adv. Then/after that. "然后 (ránhòu)" is a phrase showing that one thing follows another. Now it has become a frequently-used phrase in daily life, especially on talk shows.

Example: Mài Kè: Qǐngwèn fùjìn yǒu shūdiàn ma? 迈克：请问附近有书店吗？ Mike: Excuse me. Is there a bookstore near here?

Zhāng Jié: Nǐ yánzhe zhè tiáo lù yìzhí zǒu, ránhòu zuǒ zhuǎn jiù néng kàn dào le. 张洁：你沿着这条路一直走, 然后左转就能看到了。 Zhang Jie: Can you see that road? Just go straight along it, then, turn left, you can’t miss it.

1. 浪费 (làngfèi): v. To waste.

2. 感动 (gǎndòng): v. To be moved.

3. 时间 (shíjiān): n. Time.

4. 读书 (dúshū): n. Study.

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4. 对牛弹琴 (Duì niú tán qín) To Play the Harp to a Cow Listen to the whole story Note: If you are reading this story via Adobe Reader, Foxit Reader or PDF-XChange, you can listen to the audio files by scrolling over the red speaker button and double-clicking.

"对牛弹琴 (duì niú tán qín)" is used by Chinese people to describe someone who is explaining something complicated to a fool, or sometimes this idiom is used to describe a person who is trying to tell something to the wrong audience. In English, people sometimes joke around by sarcastically saying "whistle jigs to a milestone" or "cast pearls before swine" to mean "对牛弹琴 (duìniútánqín)."

Zhànguó shídài, yǒu yí gè jiào Gōngmíng Yí de yīnyuèjiā, tā hěn huì tánqín. 战国时代，有一个叫公明仪的音乐家，他很会弹琴。 During the Warring States Period, there was a musician named Gongming Yi, who played musical instruments very well.

Hěn duō rén dōu xǐhuan tīng tā tánqín, rénmen hěn jìngzhòng tā. 很多人都喜欢听他弹琴，人们很敬重他。 There were a great number of people fond of listening to him play, and who respected him greatly.

Yìtiān, Gōngmíng Yí zài jiāowài yóuwán shí, kàn dào le yì tóu niú. 一天，公明仪在郊外游玩时，看到了一头牛。 One day, Gongming Yi saw a cow when he was relaxing in the countryside.

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Tā xiǎng: dàjiā dōu zànyáng wǒ de qínjì, bùrú wǒ gěi niú yě tán yì qǔ ba. 他想：大家都赞扬我的琴技，不如我给牛也弹一曲吧!

He thought, "Everybody compliments my music. Why don't I play some music for this cow?"

Tā gěi niú tánzòu le yì qǔ gǔyǎ de qǔzi, niú máitóu chī cǎo bù lǐ tā. 他给牛弹奏了一曲古雅的曲子，牛埋头吃草不理他。 He played a piece of elegant quaint music for the cow, but the cow just kept grazing the grass with its head down.

Tā yòu tánzòu le yìqǔ huānkuài de qǔzi, niú yīrán máitóu chī cǎo bù lǐ tā. 他又弹奏了一曲欢快的曲子，牛然埋头吃草不理他。 He played another piece of joyful music, but the cow still kept its head down to graze the grass and totally ignored him.

Gōngmíng Yí náchū zìjǐ de quánbù běnlǐng, jiéguǒ niú háishì bù lǐ tā. 公明仪拿出自己的全部本领，结果牛还是不理他。 Gongming Yi showed off all his skills, but the cow still ignored him.

Gōngmíng Yí fēicháng shīwàng, kāishǐ huáiyí zìjǐ de qínjì. 公明仪非常失望，开始怀疑自己的琴技。 Gongming Yi was disappointed and started to question his ability.

Lùrén shuō: "búshì nǐ tán de qín bù hǎo, érshì niú gēnběn tīng bù dǒng a." 路人说：“不是你弹的琴不好，而是牛根本听不懂啊！” A passerby said to him,"It's not because your ability is bad. It is because the cow can not understand music at all."

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The cow could not understand the beautiful music like humans. The swanky musician tried his best to play for the cow, but it was just like trying to tell something to somebody who can hardly understand. The idiom " 对 牛 弹 琴 (duìniútánqín)" is used to describe this sort of situation, or kind of person.

Key Learning Points

对牛弹琴 (duì niú tán qín) Dialogue: Érzi: Māma, zhècì kǎoshì wǒ yòu méi jígé. 儿子: 妈妈，这次考试我又没及格。 Son: Mum, I failed this exam.

Māma: Wǒ měitiān dōu zhǔfu nǐ hǎohao xuéxí, jiǎnzhí shì duì niú tán qín a. 妈妈：我每天都嘱咐你好好学习，简直是对牛弹琴啊。 Mother: I asked you to work hard everyday, but it’s just like playing a harp to a cow.

Example: Shuōle nàme duō, tā dōu tīng bù dǒng, wǒ zhēn shì duì niú tán qín a. 说了那么多，他都听不懂，我真是对牛弹琴啊。 He cannot understand even when I say it again and again. It seems that I am just playing a harp to a cow.

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5. 画蛇添足 (Huà shé tiān zú) Draw a Snake and Add Feet to It Listen to the whole story Note: If you are reading this story via Adobe Reader, Foxit Reader or PDF-XChange, you can listen to the audio files by scrolling over the red speaker button and double-clicking.

Chǔguó yǒu gè guìzú. 楚国有个贵族。 During the Chu dynasty, there was an aristocrat.

Jì guò zǔzong yǐhòu, tā bǎ yì hú jì jiǔ shǎng gěi bāngmáng de púrén. 祭过祖宗以后，他把一壶祭酒赏给帮忙的仆人。 After worshiping the ancestors (on one day), he gave a jug of libation to the servants who helped him.

Púrén shāngliang shuō: “Wǒmen dōu lái huà shé, shuí xiān huà hǎo, shuí jiù hē zhè hú jiǔ.” 仆人商量说：“我们都来画蛇，谁先画好，谁就喝这壶酒。” The servants discussed among themselves and said: “Every servant would draw a snake on the ground. The man who finished first would drink the wine.”

Yǒu yí gè rén hěn kuài bǎ shé huà hǎo le. 有一个人很快把蛇画好了。 One man finished very quickly.

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Tā duān qǐ jiǔhú zhèng yào hē, kàn dào biérén hái zài máng zhe huà shé, jiù déyì de shuō: “Wǒ nénggòu zài gěi shé tiān shàng jǐ zhī jiǎo ne!” 他端起酒壶正要喝，看到别人还在忙着画蛇，就得意地说：“我能够再给蛇添上 几只脚呢！” He was about to drink the wine. However, when he saw others were still busy drawing, he said in triumph: “I can add feet to my snake.”

Kěshì méi děng tā bǎ jiǎo huà wán, lìng yí gè rén yǐjīng bǎ shé huà chéng le. 可是没等他把脚画完，另一个人已经把蛇画成了。 However, before he finished drawing the feet, another man finished drawing a snake.

Nà rén bǎ nà hú jiǔ qiǎng guòqù, shuō: “Shé běnlái shì méiyǒu jiǎo de, nǐ zěnme néng gěi tā tiān shàng jiǎo ne?” 那人把那壶酒抢过去，说：“蛇本来是没有脚的，你怎么能给它添上脚呢？” That man grabbed the jar and said: “Who has ever seen a snake with feet? How do you add feet to it?”

Shuō wán, biàn bǎ hú zhōng de jiǔ hē le xiàqù. 说完，便把壶中的酒喝了下去。 Then, he drank up the wine.

Nàgè gěi shé huà jiǎo de rén zuìzhōng méiyǒu hē dào jiǔ. 那个给蛇画脚的人最终没有喝到酒。 The man who added feet to the snake didn’t get the wine in the end.

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Key Learning Points

1. 蛇 (shé): n. Snake.

Example: Tā hěn hàipà shé. 她很害怕蛇。 She was afraid of snakes.

2. 画 (huà): v./n. To draw/picture.

Examples: Verb: A: Nǐ zài huà shénme ne?

A: 你在画什么呢？ A: What are you drawing?

B: Wǒ zài huà nà zhī māo.

B: 我在画那只猫。 B: I’m drawing that cat.

Noun: Tā bǎ gāng mǎi de huà guà zài le qiáng shàng. 他把刚买的画挂在了墙上。 He hangs the picture he just bought on the wall.

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6. 惊弓之鸟 (Jīng gōng zhī niǎo) A Bird Startled by the Mere Twang of a Bow String Listen to the whole story Note: If you are reading this story via Adobe Reader, Foxit Reader or PDF-XChange, you can listen to the audio files by scrolling over the red speaker button and double-clicking.

Nowadays, "惊弓之鸟 (jīng gōng zhī niǎo)" is used to describe people who are so frightened from past experience that they become extremely nervous when encountering similar situations again.

Zhànguó shí, Wèiguó yǒu yí gè jiào Gēng Léi de shèjiàn néngshǒu. 战国时，魏国有一个叫更羸的射箭能手。 During the Warring States Period, there was an expert archer from the Wei State named Geng Lei.

Yǒu yì tiān, Gēng Léi kànjiàn yì zhī dàyàn cóng tóudǐng shàng fēi guò. 有一天， 更羸看见一只大雁从头顶上飞过。 One day, Geng Lei saw a goose flying overhead.

Tā biàn duì Wèiwáng shuō: "Dàwáng, wǒ kěyǐ bú yòng jiàn, zhǐ lā yí xià gōng, zhè zhī dàyàn jiù néng diào xiàlai.” 他便对魏王说：“大王，我可以不用箭，只拉一下弓，这只大雁就能掉下来。” He said to the Wei Emperor: "Your Majesty, I can shoot the goose without an arrow."

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"Shèjiàn néng dádào zhèyàng de shuǐpíng?" Wèiwáng wèn. “射箭能达到这样的水平？” 魏王问。 "Can archery achieve this level?" the Wei Emperor said.

Gēng Léi biàn jǔqǐ gōng, zhǐ lā le yí xià xián, nà zhī dàyàn jiù cóng bàn kōng zhōng diào le xià lai. 更羸便举起弓，只拉了一下弦，那只大雁就从半空中掉了下来。 Geng Lei raised his bow, pulled just the bowstring and the goose fell down.

Wèiwáng kàn dào hòu dà chī yì jīng, shuō: "Zhēn yǒu zhèyàng de shìqing!" 魏王看到后大吃一惊，说：“真有这样的事情！” The Wei Emperor was startled by this and said: "It really happened!"

Gēng Léi duì Wèiwáng jiǎng: "Yīnwéi zhè zhī dàyàn shēnshàng yǒu jiàn shāng, suǒyǐ fēi de hěn màn. 更羸对魏王讲：“因为这只大雁身上有箭伤，所以飞得很慢。 Geng Lei said to the Wei Emperor: "The goose was flying slowly because it had been wounded by an arrow.

Érqiě dāng tā tīngdào gōngxián shēngxiǎng hòu, hàipà zàicì bèi jiàn shè zhòng, yúshì jiù pīnmìng wǎng gāo fēi. 而且当它听到弓弦声响后，害怕再次被箭射中，于是就拼命往高飞。 And when it heard the sound of the bow string, it was afraid of being hurt again, so it tried its best to soar.

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Dàn shāngkǒu yòu lièkāi le, téngtòng nán rěn, jiù cóng kōngzhōng diào le xià lai." 但伤口又裂开了，疼痛难忍，就从空中掉了下来。” But its wound opened again and hurt the goose, so it fell from the sky."

Key Learning Points

1. 慢 (màn): adj. Slow.

Dialogue: A: Māma, jīntiān de fàn kě zhēn hǎo chī.

A: 妈妈，今天的饭可真好吃。 A: Mum, today's meal is so delicious.

B: Màn diǎn chī, bié láng tūn hǔ yàn de.

B: 慢点吃，别狼吞虎咽的。 B: Eat slowly and don't gobble.

2. 害怕 (hàipà): v. To be afraid of.

Dialogue: A: Nǐ xiànzài zuì hàipà shénme?

A: 你现在最害怕什么？ A: What are you most afraid of?

B: Wǒ zuì hàipà méi kǎo hǎo, rě bàba shēngqì.

B: 我最害怕没考好，惹爸爸生气。 B: I'm most afraid of not doing well on the test and angering my father.

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1. 看见 (kànjiàn): v. To see.

2. 伤口 (shāngkǒu): n. Wound.

3. 生气 (shēngqì): v. To anger.

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7. 孔融让梨 (Kǒng Róng ràng lí) Kong Rong Gave Away Bigger Pears Listen to the whole story Note: If you are reading this story via Adobe Reader, Foxit Reader or PDF-XChange, you can listen to the audio files by scrolling over the red speaker button and double-clicking.

Dōnghàn shíhou, yǒu gè jiào Kǒng Róng de rén. Tā xiǎoshíhou hěn cōngming, yǒu wǔ gè gēge, yígè dìdi. 东汉时候，有个叫孔融的人。他小时候很聪明，有五个哥哥，一个弟弟。 In the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a person called Kong Rong. He’d been very smart ever since he was a little boy. He had five older brothers and one younger brother.

Yìtiān bàba mǎi le yìxiē lízi, tèyì jiǎnle yí gè zuì dà de gěi Kǒng Róng, Kǒng Róng què yáotóu bú yào, ná le yí gè zuì xiǎo de lí. 一天爸爸买了一些梨子，特意捡了一个最大的给孔融，孔融却摇头不要，拿了一 个最小的梨。 One day his father bought some pears, picking one of the largest and giving it to Kong Rong deliberately. But Kong Rong shook his head and picked up the smallest one.

Bàba hěn hàoqí, jiùwèn: “Wèishénme ne?” 爸爸很好奇，就问：“为什么呢？” His dad was very curious, and asked: “Why?”

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Kǒng Róng shuō: “Wǒ niánjì xiǎo, wǒ chī xiǎo lí, dà de gěi gēge chī.” 孔融说：“我年纪小，我吃小梨，大的给哥哥吃。” Kong Rong said: “I am younger, so I should eat the smaller pear, and brothers should eat the bigger ones.”

Bàba tīng hòu hěn gāoxìng, yòu wèn: “Nà dìdi bǐ nǐ hái xiǎo ya?” 爸爸听后很高兴，又问：“那弟弟比你还小呀？” His dad was very glad after hearing his words, but asked further: “What about your younger brother who is younger than you are?”

Kǒng Róng shuō: “Wǒ bǐ dìdi dà, wǒ shì gēge, wǒ yīnggāi bǎ dà de liú gěi xiǎo dìdi chī.” 孔融说：“我比弟弟大，我是哥哥，我应该把大的留给小弟弟吃。” Kong Rong said: “I am older than him, so I should leave the bigger one to my little brother.”

Hòulái, Kǒng Róng chéngwéi le yí gè hěn yǒu xuéwèn de rén. 后来，孔融成为了一个很有学问的人。 Later, Kong Rong became a great scholar.

1.“梨 (lí)” is the Chinese character for “pear.”

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Example: Tā zuì xǐhuan chī lí le. 她最喜欢吃梨了。 She loves to eat pears most.

2. 礼物 (lǐwù) n. Gift. “礼 (lǐ)” refers to gift and “物 (wù)” refers to object.

Example: Shēngrì jùhuì shàng, tā shōudào le hěnduō lǐwù. 生日聚会上，他收到了很多礼物。 He receives a lot of gifts at his birthday party.

3. 聪明 (cōngmíng): adj. Smart 4. 好奇 (hàoqí): adj. Curious.

5. 摇头 (yáotóu): v. Shake one’s head.

6. 特意地 (tèyì de): adv. Deliberately.

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8. 盲人摸象 (Mángrén mō xiàng) Blind Men and an Elephant Listen to the whole story Note: If you are reading this story via Adobe Reader, Foxit Reader or PDF-XChange, you can listen to the audio files by scrolling over the red speaker button and double-clicking.

Cóngqián, yǒu sì gè mángrén hěn xiǎng zhīdào dàxiàng shì shénme yàngzi. 从前，有四个盲人很想知道大象是什么样子。 In ancient times, there were four blind men. They were curious to know what an elephant looked like.

Kěshì tāmen kàn bú jiàn, zhǐhǎo yòng shǒu qù mō dàxiàng. 可是他们看不见，只好用手去摸大象。 Since they couldn't see anything, they had no way but to touch an elephant.

Pàng mángrén mō dào le dàxiàng de yáchǐ. Tā jiù shuō: "Wǒ zhīdào le, dàxiàng jiù xiàng yí gè yòu dà yòu cū de luóbo." 胖盲人摸到了大象的牙齿。他就说：“我知道了，大象就像一个又大又粗的萝卜。” The fat blind man touched the elephant's teeth, and said, "I see, an elephant is just like a big and thick radish."

Gāo gèzi mángrén mō dào de shì dàxiàng de ěrduo. Tā shuō: "Bú duì, dàxiàng míngmíng shì yì bǎ dà púshàn ma!" 高个子盲人摸到的是大象的耳朵。他说：“不对，大象明明是一把大蒲扇嘛！” The tall blind man touched one of the elephant's ears, and said, "You are wrong, an elephant is just like a palm-leaf fan."

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"Nǐmen jìng xiāshuō, dàxiàng zhǐshì gēn dà zhùzi." Ǎi gèzi mángrén hǎn qǐlái, yīnwèi tā mō dào le dàxiàng de tuǐ. “你们净瞎说，大象只是根大柱子。”矮个子盲人喊起来，因为他摸到了大象的腿。 "What nonsense are you talking about? An elephant is just a big pillar!" The short blind man shouted, because he just touched a leg of the elephant.

Dì sì wèi niánlǎo de mángrén ne, tā mō dào le wěiba, dūnang zhe: "Āi, dàxiàng nǎ yǒu nàme dà, tā zhǐ búguò shì yì gēn cǎoshéng." 第四位年老的盲人呢，他摸到了尾巴，嘟嚷着：“唉，大象哪有那么大，它只不 过是一根草绳。” The fourth old blind man touched the tail and burbled, "Hey, how can an elephant be so big? It is just a straw rope!"

The four men quarreled with each other endlessly and they all thought themselves were right. In fact, none of them was right and really knew what an elephant looks like. This Chinese story tells us that we can't draw conclusions from incomplete information.

Key Learning Points

1. 牙齿 (yáchǐ): n. Teeth.

Example: Xiǎohái chī tài duō táng duì yáchǐ bù hǎo. 小孩吃太多糖对牙齿不好。 Eating too much sugar will do harm to kids' teeth.

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2. 象 (xiàng): n. Elephant.

In spoken Chinese, we often use "大象 (dàxiàng)" to refer to elephant.

Dialogue: A: Māma, nǐ xiàwǔ néng dài wǒ qù dòngwùyuán ma? Wǒ xiǎng qù kàn dàxiàng, háiyǒu lǎohǔ.

A: 妈妈，你下午能带我去动物园吗？ 我想去看大象，还有老虎。 A: Mum, can you take me to the zoo in the afternoon? I want to see elephants and tigers.

B: Hǎo ā, bǎobèi.

B: 好 啊，宝贝。 B: Ok, baby.

1. 蒲扇 (púshàn): n. Palm-leaf fan.

2. 柱子 (zhùzi): n. Pillar.

3. 草绳 (cǎoshéng): n. Straw rope.

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9. 亡羊补牢 (Wáng yáng bǔ láo) It’s Never Too Late to Take Action Listen to the whole story Note: If you are reading this story via Adobe Reader, Foxit Reader or PDF-XChange, you can listen to the audio files by scrolling over the red speaker button and double-clicking.

Cóngqián yǒu gè rén, yǎng le jǐ zhī yáng. 从前有个人，养了几只羊。 Once upon a time, there was a shepherd who kept several sheep.

Yì tiān zǎoshang, tā fāxiàn shǎo le yì zhī yáng. 一天早上，他发现少了一只羊。 One morning, the shepherd discovered that one of his sheep was missing.

Yuánlái yángjuàn pò le gè kūlong, yèjiān láng cóng kūlong lǐ zuān jìnlái bǎ yáng diāo zǒu le. 原来羊圈破了个窟窿，夜间狼从窟窿里钻进来把羊叼走了。 It turned out that, during the night, a wolf had stolen his sheep through a hole in the sheep pen.

Línju quàngào tā shuō: "gǎnkuài bǎ yángjuàn xiūyìxiū, dǔ shàng nà gè kūlong ba." 邻居劝告他说：“赶快把羊圈修一修，堵上那个窟窿吧。” His neighbor suggested to him: "You should fix the pen and cover the hole right away."

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Tā shuō: "yáng yǐjīng diū le, hái xiū yángjuàn gànshénme ne?" Tā méi jiēshòu línju de quàngào. 他说：“羊已经丢了，还修羊圈干什么呢？”他没接受邻居的劝告。 But the shepherd said: "The sheep are already lost, so I don't need to repair it."

And so he rejected the neighbor's suggestion.

Dì èr tiān zǎoshang, tā qù fàngyáng, fāxiàn yòu shǎo le yìzhī yáng. 第二天早上，他去放羊，发现又少了一只羊。 The next morning, he discovered that another sheep was missing.

Yuánlái láng yòu cóng kūlong lǐ zuān jìnlái bǎ yáng diāo zǒu le. 原来狼又从窟窿里钻进来把羊叼走了。 Once again, the wolf had stolen the sheep through the hole in the fence.

Tā hěn hòuhuǐ, bùgāi bù jiēshòu línju de quàngào. 他很后悔，不该不接受邻居的劝告。 The shepherd regretted not taking the neighbor's advice.

Tā gǎnkuài dǔ shàng nà gè kūlong, bǎ yángjuàn xiū de jiējieshíshi de. 他赶快堵上那个窟窿，把羊圈修得结结实实的。 So he plugged the hole to secure the sheep pen.

Cóngcǐ, tā de yáng zài méiyǒu bèi láng diāo zǒu le. 从此，他的羊再没有被狼叼走了。 From then on, the wolf stole no more sheep .

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Key Learning Points

1. 狼 (láng): n. Wolf.

Example: Nǐ tīngguò "láng hé xiǎo yáng" de gùshi ma? 你听过“狼和小羊”的故事吗？ Have you ever heard the story of The Wolf and the Little Lamb?

2. 接受 (jiēshòu): v. To take/ to accept.

Example: Wǒ jiēshòu nǐ de dàoqiàn le, wǒmen háishì hǎo péngyou. 我接受你的道歉了，我们还是好朋友。 I accept your apology, and we are still close friends.

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10. 雪中送炭 (Xuě zhōng sòng tàn) To Offer Fuel in Snowy Weather Listen to the whole story Note: If you are reading this story via Adobe Reader, Foxit Reader or PDF-XChange, you can listen to the audio files by scrolling over the red speaker button and double-clicking.

Sòngcháo de shíhou, Sòng Tàizōng Zhào Guāngyì shì yígè guānxīn qióngkǔrén de huángdì. 宋朝的时候，宋太宗赵光义是一个关心穷苦人的皇帝。 Zhao Guangyi was an emperor who cared a lot for the poor in the Song Dynasty.

Yǒu yì nián xià dà xuě, tiānqì fēicháng de hánlěng, rénmen dōu duǒ zài wūlǐ yùhán. 有一年下大雪，天气非常的寒冷，人们都躲在屋里御寒。 One year, it snowed heavily, and the weather was so cold that people stayed in their houses to keep themselves warm.

Sòng Tàizōng zhèngzài gōng zhōng xiūxi, yìbiān qǔnuǎn, yìbiān pǐncháng gèzhǒng měiwèi jiāyáo. 宋太宗正在宫中休息，一边取暖，一边品尝各种美味佳肴。 The emperor Song Taizong was resting in the palace; he tested a variety of delicious foods while keeping warm.

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Dāng tā kàn dào chuāng wài de dàxuě shí, hūrán xiǎngqǐ le nàxiē kělián de qióngrén. 当他看到窗外的大雪时，忽然想起了那些可怜的穷人。 When he saw the snow outside the window, he suddenly thought of the poor people.

Tāmen chī bù bǎo, chuān bù nuǎn, zhèngzài dà xuě zhōng ái'dòngshòu'è. 他们吃不饱，穿不暖，正在大雪中挨冻受饿。 They didn't have enough food to eat and enough clothes to wear; they were suffering from the cold and hunger.

Yúshì, Sòng Tàizōng jiù pài guānyuán dài shàng xǔduō liángshi hé mùtàn, láidào lǎobǎixìng shēnghuó de dìfang. 于是，宋太宗就派官员带上许多粮食和木炭，来到老百姓生活的地方。 Then, the emperor Song Taizong sent his officials to take food and charcoal to the place where his people lived.

Guānyuánmen bǎ liángshi hé mùtàn sònggěi nàxiē qióngkǔrén hé gūdú de lǎorén. 官员们把粮食和木炭送给那些穷苦人和孤独的老人。 The officials gave food and charcoal to the poor and the old.

Ràng tāmen yǒu mǐ zuòfàn, yǒu mùtàn shēnghuǒ qǔnuǎn le. 让他们有米做饭，有木炭生火取暖了。 Then they had rice to cook and charcoal to keep warm.

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Zhè jiàn shì dāngshí hōngdòng le zhěnggè jīngchéng. 这件事当时轰动了整个京城。 This event created quite a stir in the entire capital at the time.

Hòulái, rénmen jiù yòng xuě zhōng sòng tàn lái xíngróng: zài biérén jíxū bāngzhù shí, jíyǔ biérén wùzhì hé jīngshén shàng de bāngzhù. 后来，人们就用雪中送炭来形容：在别人急需帮助时，给予别人物质和精神上的 帮助。 Later, people use the phrase "To offer fuel in snowy weather" to describe giving others help when they’re in need.

1. 木炭 (mùtàn): n. Charcoal. "木 (mù)" refers to wood and "炭 (tàn)" refers to charcoal.

Example: Dōngtiān de shíhou, rénmen jīngcháng yòng mùtàn qǔnuǎn. 冬天的时候，人们经常用木炭取暖。 In cold winter, people often use charcoal for heating.

2. 品尝 (pǐncháng): v. Taste. "品 (pǐn)" and "尝 (cháng)" both mean taste here.

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Example: Dàjiā pǐncháng xià zhè dào cài, hěn hǎo chī! 大家品尝下这道菜，很好吃！ Please have a taste of this dish, it's very delicious!

3. 皇帝 (huángdì): n. Emperor.

4. 忽然 (hūrán): adv. Suddenly.

5. 取暖 (qǔnuǎn): v. To keep warm.

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