Yu Gong Moves the Mountains

HSK 4 · 402 characters · Chinese Idioms

Story behind the idiom: 愚公移山 - Yu Gong moving the mountains

很久以前hěn jiǔ yǐ qián，在zài中国zhōng guó有yǒu一位yī wèi老人lǎo rén，A long time ago, in China, there was an old man名叫míng jiào愚公yú gōng。named Yu Gong.

他tā家jiā的de门口mén kǒu有yǒu两liǎng座zuò非常fēi cháng高大gāo dà的de山shān，In front of his house, there were two very tall mountains,挡dǎng在zài前面qián miàn，让ràng愚公yú gōng和hé家人jiā rén出门chū mén非常fēi cháng不方便bù fāng biàn，blocking the way, making it very inconvenient for Yu Gong and his family to go out,常常cháng cháng要yào绕rào很hěn远yuǎn的de路lù。often having to take a long detour.

有一天yǒu yī tiān，愚公yú gōng下定决心xià dìng jué xīn说shuō：「One day, Yu Gong made up his mind and said:我wǒ要yào把bǎ这zhè两liǎng座zuò山shān移走yí zǒu！」'I will move these two mountains away!'说完shuō wán，他tā就jiù拿起ná qǐ铲子chǎn zi开始kāi shǐ挖土wā tǔ和hé搬bān石头shí tou。After saying that, he picked up a shovel and started digging the soil and moving stones.

每天měi tiān，愚公yú gōng和hé家人jiā rén都dōu非常fēi cháng努力nǔ lì地de挖山wā shān，Every day, Yu Gong and his family worked very hard to dig the mountains,然后rán hòu一点一点yī diǎn yī diǎn地de把bǎ石头shí tou和hé泥土ní tǔ搬bān到dào很远hěn yuǎn的de地方dì fāng。then moved the stones and soil bit by bit to a faraway place.邻居们lín jū men看到kàn dào了le，都dōu忍不住rěn bù zhù笑xiào他tā，The neighbors saw this and couldn't help but laugh at him,说shuō：「愚公yú gōng啊ā，你nǐ真是zhēn shi太tài傻shǎ了le！saying, 'Yu Gong, you're so foolish!'这zhè两liǎng座zuò山shān那么nà me大dà，你nǐ怎么zěn me可能kě néng挖得完wā de wán呢ne？」'These two mountains are so big, how could you possibly finish digging them?'虽然suī rán你们nǐ men说得shuō de没错méi cuò，愚公yú gōng仍réng认真rèn zhēn回答huí dá：「Although you're right, Yu Gong still replied earnestly:山shān确实què shí很大hěn dà。'The mountains are indeed very big.'但是dàn shì如果rú guǒ我wǒ挖不完wā bù wán，我的wǒ de儿子ér zi会huì继续jì xù挖wā；'But if I don't finish digging, my sons will continue;'我的wǒ de孙子sūn zǐ、曾孙子zēng sūn zi也yě会huì一直yī zhí挖下去wā xià qù。'My grandsons and great-grandsons will keep digging too.'

总有一天zǒng yǒu yī tiān，这zhè两liǎng座zuò山shān一定yī dìng会huì被bèi挖完wā wán。」'One day, these two mountains will surely be dug away.'天上tiān shàng的de神仙shén xiān看到kàn dào愚公yú gōng这么zhè me努力nǔ lì，The gods in the heavens saw how hard Yu Gong was working,

非常fēi cháng感动gǎn dòng，就jiù派pài了le两位liǎng wèi神仙shén xiān来lái帮助bāng zhù他tā，were deeply moved, and sent two gods to help him,把bǎ这zhè两liǎng座zuò山shān移走yí zǒu了le。moving the two mountains away.最后zuì hòu，愚公yú gōng家jiā门前mén qián再也zài yě没有méi yǒu山shān挡路dǎng lù，Finally, there were no more mountains blocking the way in front of Yu Gong's house,

他们tā men可以kě yǐ自由zì yóu出入chū rù。and they could come and go freely.现在xiàn zài人们rén men用yòng成语chéng yǔ「愚公移山yú gōng yí shān」来lái鼓励gǔ lì大家dà jiā：Now people use the idiom 'Yu Gong Moves the Mountains' to encourage everyone:只要zhǐ yào努力nǔ lì、不bù放弃fàng qì，as long as you work hard and don't give up,就算jiù suàn看起来kàn qǐ lai不可能bù kě néng完成wán chéng的de事情shì qing，even things that seem impossible to complete,也yě总有zǒng yǒu成功chéng gōng的de一天yī tiān。will one day be successfully accomplished.

例如lì rú，有个yǒu gè女生nǚ shēng叫jiào艾玛Ài mǎ，For example, there's a girl named Aima,想xiǎng把bǎ中文zhōng wén学好xué hǎo。who wants to learn Chinese well.她tā一开始yī kāi shǐ觉得jué de中文zhōng wén太tài难nán，At first, she thought Chinese was too difficult,但dàn每天měi tiān都dōu很hěn认真rèn zhēn学习xué xí，but every day she studied very seriously,从不cóng bù放弃fàng qì。and never gave up.朋友们péng you men鼓励gǔ lì她tā说shuō：「Her friends encouraged her, saying:艾玛Ài mǎ，你nǐ一定yī dìng可以kě yǐ！'Aima, you can definitely do it!'记得jì de愚公移山yú gōng yí shān的de故事gù shì，'Remember the story of Yu Gong Moves the Mountains,'只要zhǐ yào继续jì xù努力nǔ lì，就jiù一定yī dìng会huì成功chéng gōng！」'as long as you keep working hard, you will surely succeed!'