Moving the Mountain

Illustration for the Chinese story “Moving the Mountain”

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很久以前hěn jiǔ yǐ qián,有yǒu一个yī ge老人lǎo rén,叫jiào愚公yú gōng。Long ago, there was an old man called Yu Gong.他tā家jiā门口mén kǒu有yǒu两liǎng座zuò大山dà shān。In front of his house there were two big mountains.出门chū mén很hěn不方便bù fāng biàn,要yào走zǒu很远hěn yuǎn的de路lù。Going out was hard — they had to walk a very long way.

一天yī tiān,愚公yú gōng说shuō:“我要wǒ yào把bǎ山shān移走yí zǒu!”One day, Yu Gong said, "I will move the mountains away!"他tā每天měi tiān挖山wā shān,搬bān石头shí tou。Every day he dug at the mountains and carried stones.

邻居lín jū笑xiào他tā:“山shān这么zhè me大dà,你nǐ挖不完wā bù wán!”A neighbor laughed at him: "The mountains are so big, you can never finish!"

愚公yú gōng说shuō:“我wǒ挖不完wā bù wán,我wǒ儿子ér zi挖wā。”Yu Gong said, "If I can't finish, my son will dig."“儿子ér zi挖不完wā bù wán,孙子sūn zǐ挖wā。”"If my son can't finish, my grandson will dig."“总有一天zǒng yǒu yī tiān,山shān会huì没有méi yǒu的de。”"One day, the mountains will be gone."

神仙shén xiān听到tīng dào了le,就jiù帮bāng他tā把bǎ山shān移走yí zǒu了le。The gods heard him and moved the mountains away for him.

这个zhè ge成语chéng yǔ是shì“愚公移山yú gōng yí shān”。This idiom is "Yu Gong moves the mountains."意思yì si是shì:不bù放弃fàng qì,努力nǔ lì做zuò,就jiù会huì成功chéng gōng。It means: don't give up — keep working hard and you will succeed.艾玛Ài mǎ天天tiān tiān学xué中文zhōng wén,从不cóng bù放弃fàng qì,就像jiù xiàng愚公移山yú gōng yí shān。Emma studies Chinese every day and never gives up, just like Yu Gong moving the mountains.

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