HSK 5 · Exam 1

听说博物馆这个周末有古代书法作品展览，是真的吗？

Tīngshuō bówùguǎn zhè ge zhōumò yǒu gǔdài shūfǎ zuòpǐn zhǎnlǎn, shì zhēn de ma?

I heard the museum has an exhibition of ancient calligraphy works this weekend. Is that true?

对啊，门票免费。不过参观的人特别多，昨天队伍都排到街上去了。

Duì a, ménpiào miǎnfèi. Búguò cānguān de rén tèbié duō, zuótiān duìwu dōu pái dào jiē shang qu le.

Yes, admission is free. But there are especially many visitors; yesterday the queue stretched out onto the street.

那我周六直接过去排队买票行吗？

Nà wǒ zhōuliù zhíjiē guòqu páiduì mǎipiào xíng ma?

Then can I just go over on Saturday and queue up to buy a ticket?

不用排队，现在都要提前在网上预约，你记得早一点订。

Búyòng páiduì, xiànzài dōu yào tíqián zài wǎngshàng yùyuē, nǐ jìde zǎo yìdiǎn dìng.

No need to queue; these days you have to book online in advance. Remember to book early.

我想给儿子找一个武术班，让他锻炼锻炼身体。

Wǒ xiǎng gěi érzi zhǎo yí ge wǔshù bān, ràng tā duànliàn duànliàn shēntǐ.

I'd like to sign my son up for a martial arts class so he can get some exercise.

我们这儿每周六上午有小孩子的班，第一节课可以免费试一试。

Wǒmen zhèr měi zhōu liù shàngwǔ yǒu xiǎo háizi de bān, dì yī jié kè kěyǐ miǎnfèi shì yi shì.

We have a children's class every Saturday morning, and the first lesson is a free trial.

太好了，孩子要是喜欢，我马上给他报名。

Tài hǎo le, háizi yàoshi xǐhuan, wǒ mǎshàng gěi tā bàomíng.

Great. If he likes it, I'll register him right away.

来的时候记得给他带点水，上课会出汗。

Lái de shíhou jìde gěi tā dài diǎn shuǐ, shàngkè huì chū hàn.

Remember to bring him a bottle of water when you come; he'll sweat during class.

老师，我想买幅国画送给外国朋友，您帮我看看哪幅好？

Lǎoshī, wǒ xiǎng mǎi fú guóhuà sòng gěi wàiguó péngyou, nín bāng wǒ kànkan nǎ fú hǎo?

Excuse me, I'd like to buy a traditional Chinese painting for a foreign friend. Could you help me pick a good one?

这幅竹子图就不错。竹子在中国代表正直，很适合做礼物。

Zhè fú zhúzi tú jiù búcuò. Zhúzi zài Zhōngguó dàibiǎo zhèngzhí, hěn shìhé zuò lǐwù.

This painting of bamboo is quite good. In China bamboo stands for upright character; it's very suitable as a gift.

好，那就要这幅了，麻烦您帮我包一下。

Hǎo, nà jiù yào zhè fú le, máfan nín bāng wǒ bāo yíxià.

Good, I'll take this one then. Please wrap it for me.

没问题，我再送你一张介绍竹子意义的小卡片。

Méi wèntí, wǒ zài sòng nǐ yì zhāng jièshào zhúzi yìyì de xiǎo kǎpiàn.

No problem. I'll also give you a little card explaining the meaning of bamboo.

中秋节快到了，我去买些月饼吧。

Zhōngqiūjié kuài dào le, wǒ qù mǎi xiē yuèbǐng ba.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming. Let me go buy a few boxes of mooncakes.

别买了，我妈妈昨天自己做了很多，够咱们全家吃了。

Bié mǎi le, wǒ māma zuótiān zìjǐ zuò le hěn duō, gòu zánmen quán jiā chī le.

Don't buy any. My mom made plenty herself yesterday; that's enough for our whole family.

自己做的好处多，干净，味道也好，那就不买了。

Zìjǐ zuò de hǎochu duō, gānjìng, wèidao yě hǎo, nà jiù bù mǎi le.

Homemade has many advantages, clean and tasty too. Then I won't buy any.

那你顺便去看看奶奶吧，她一个人过节没有意思。

Nà nǐ shùnbiàn qù kànkan nǎinai ba, tā yí ge rén guòjié méiyǒu yìsi.

Then drop in on Grandma while you're at it. Spending the festival all alone is too lonely for her.

听说博物馆想找周末为游客做介绍的志愿者，是真的吗？

Tīngshuō bówùguǎn xiǎng zhǎo zhōumò wèi yóukè zuò jièshào de zhìyuànzhě, shì zhēn de ma?

I heard the museum is recruiting weekend volunteer guides. Is that true?

对啊，每周服务一次，一次三个小时。你怎么突然对这个感兴趣？

Duì a, měi zhōu fúwù yí cì, yí cì sān ge xiǎoshí. Nǐ zěnme tūrán duì zhège gǎn xìngqù?

Yes; volunteering once a week, three hours each time. Why are you suddenly interested in this?

我是学历史的，正好能用在专业上，还能练习跟陌生人说话。

Wǒ shì xué lìshǐ de, zhènghǎo néng yòng zài zhuānyè shang, hái néng liànxí gēn mòshēngrén shuōhuà.

I study history, so I can apply my major and also practice talking to strangers.

那你的机会肯定比我大多了，我连古代的事都记不住。

Nà nǐ de jīhuì kěndìng bǐ wǒ dà duō le, wǒ lián gǔdài de shì dōu jì bu zhù.

Then your chances are certainly much better than mine; I can't even keep ancient history straight.

您好，周六晚上的京剧演出还有票吗？

Nín hǎo, zhōuliù wǎnshang de jīngjù yǎnchū hái yǒu piào ma?

Hello, are there still tickets for Saturday evening's Peking opera performance?

还有，八十块钱一张，有学生证可以便宜一半。

Hái yǒu, bāshí kuài qián yì zhāng, yǒu xuéshengzhèng kěyǐ piányi yí bàn.

There are still some: eighty yuan each, half price with a student ID.

太好了，来两张学生票，一共要付多少钱？

Tài hǎo le, lái liǎng zhāng xuéshengpiào, yígòng yào fù duōshao qián?

Great. Two student tickets then. How much altogether?

学生票四十块一张，两张正好八十块。您的座位在第七排。

Xuéshengpiào sìshí kuài yì zhāng, liǎng zhāng zhènghǎo bāshí kuài. Nín de zuòwèi zài dì qī pái.

Student tickets are forty yuan each; two come to exactly eighty. Your seats are in row seven.

今天怎么想起请我喝茶了？你平时不是只喝咖啡吗？

Jīntiān zěnme xiǎng qǐ qǐng wǒ hē chá le? Nǐ píngshí bú shì zhǐ hē kāfēi ma?

Why did you think of inviting me for tea today? Don't you usually drink nothing but coffee?

上周一个朋友从杭州回来，送了我一包茶叶，还给我讲了不少茶文化。

Shàng zhōu yí ge péngyou cóng Hángzhōu huílái, sòng le wǒ yì bāo cháyè, hái gěi wǒ jiǎng le bùshǎo chá wénhuà.

Last week a friend came back from Hangzhou, gave me a tin of tea, and told me quite a lot about tea culture.

原来如此。那今天咱们边喝边聊，你来当老师。

Yuánlái rúcǐ. Nà jīntiān zánmen biān hē biān liáo, nǐ lái dāng lǎoshī.

I see. Then today let's chat while we drink; you can be the teacher.

我也是刚学，咱们一起研究吧。

Wǒ yě shì gāng xué, zánmen yìqǐ yánjiū ba.

I've only just started learning myself; let's study it together.

这本历史书明天就到期了，可我还剩最后两部分没看完。

Zhè běn lìshǐ shū míngtiān jiù dàoqī le, kě wǒ hái shèng zuìhòu liǎng bùfen méi kànwán.

This history book is due tomorrow, but I still have the last two chapters left to read.

你可以在图书馆的手机程序里再借一次，又能多借三十天。

Nǐ kěyǐ zài túshūguǎn de shǒujī chéngxù li zài jiè yí cì, yòu néng duō jiè sānshí tiān.

You can renew it once in the library's phone app; that gives you another thirty days.

太方便了，我这就办。要是到时候还看不完呢？

Tài fāngbiàn le, wǒ zhè jiù bàn. Yàoshi dào shíhou hái kàn bu wán ne?

That's very convenient; I'll do it right now. What if I still haven't finished by then?

那只能交罚款了，或者先把书还回去，下次再借。

Nà zhǐ néng jiāo fákuǎn le, huòzhě xiān bǎ shū huán huíqu, xià cì zài jiè.

Then you'd have to pay a fine, or return the book first and borrow it again later.

同学，今天晚上七点的中国文化讲座还在老地方举行吗？

Tóngxué, jīntiān wǎnshang qī diǎn de Zhōngguó wénhuà jiǎngzuò hái zài lǎo dìfang jǔxíng ma?

Hi, is tonight's seven o'clock lecture on Chinese culture still being held in the usual place?

改地方了，现在定在二号楼201教室，门口贴了通知。

Gǎi dìfang le, xiànzài dìng zài èr hào lóu èr líng yī jiàoshì, ménkǒu tiē le tōngzhī.

The venue changed; it's now set for room 201 in Building 2. There's a notice posted at the entrance.

还好你告诉我，不然我就走错地方了。

Háihǎo nǐ gàosu wǒ, bùrán wǒ jiù zǒu cuò dìfang le.

Luckily you told me, otherwise I'd have gone to the wrong place.

没事。开讲座的是一位很有名的历史教授，值得一听。

Méishì. Kāi jiǎngzuò de shì yí wèi hěn yǒumíng de lìshǐ jiàoshòu, zhídé yì tīng.

No problem. The speaker is a very famous history professor; well worth hearing.

这个周六想不想去爬长城？听说那段城墙已经有一千多年了。

Zhè ge zhōuliù xiǎng bu xiǎng qù pá chángchéng? Tīngshuō nà duàn chéngqiáng yǐjīng yǒu yì qiān duō nián le.

Want to go climb the Great Wall this Saturday? They say that section of wall is over a thousand years old.

好啊，好啊，我早就想去看看古代的建筑了，顺便还能锻炼身体。

Hǎo a, hǎo a, wǒ zǎo jiù xiǎng qù kànkan gǔdài de jiànzhù le, shùnbiàn hái néng duànliàn shēntǐ.

Sure, I've long wanted to see ancient architecture anyway, and we can get some exercise at the same time.

那我们早上五点半出发，爬到最高的地方还能看日出。

Nà wǒmen zǎoshang wǔ diǎn bàn chūfā, pá dào zuì gāo de dìfang hái néng kàn rìchū.

Then let's leave at five-thirty in the morning; we can watch the sunrise from the highest point.

这么早？好吧，谁让长城值得一看呢。

Zhème zǎo? Hǎo ba, shéi ràng Chángchéng zhídé yí kàn ne.

That early? All right; it's worth seeing, after all.

你最近怎么天天在网上发你写的字？

Nǐ zuìjìn zěnme tiāntiān zài wǎngshàng fā nǐ xiě de zì?

Why have you been posting your handwriting online every day lately?

我在练书法。工作压力太大，我想找个办法让自己静下来。

Wǒ zài liàn shūfǎ. Gōngzuò yālì tài dà, wǒ xiǎng zhǎo ge bànfǎ ràng zìjǐ jìng xiàlái.

I'm practicing calligraphy. Work stress has been too heavy; I wanted to find a way to calm myself down.

效果怎么样？我怎么觉得写毛笔字更需要耐心呢？

Xiàoguǒ zěnmeyàng? Wǒ zěnme juéde xiě máobǐ zì gèng xūyào nàixīn ne?

How is it working out? I'd think writing with a brush takes even more patience.

一开始确实着急，写不好就想扔笔。可坚持了几个月，我的脾气真的变好了，做事也专心多了。

Yì kāishǐ quèshí zháojí, xiě bu hǎo jiù xiǎng rēng bǐ. Kě jiānchí le jǐ ge yuè, wǒ de píqi zhēn de biàn hǎo le, zuò shì yě zhuānxīn duō le.

At first I was indeed impatient; whenever a character came out badly I wanted to throw the brush. But after keeping it up for several months, my temper really improved and I've become much more steady in what I do.

怪不得你变了这么多。你现在照着谁的作品练？

Guàibude nǐ biàn le zhème duō. Nǐ xiànzài zhàozhe shéi de zuòpǐn liàn?

No wonder you've changed so much. Whose works are you copying now?

照着书法家王羲之的字练。他的字又漂亮又有力量，我越练越觉得它了不起。

Zhàozhe shūfǎjiā Wáng Xīzhī de zì liàn. Tā de zì yòu piàoliang yòu yǒu lìliang, wǒ yuè liàn yuè juéde tā liǎobùqǐ.

I copy the calligrapher Wang Xizhi's characters. His writing is both beautiful and powerful; the more I practice, the more I admire it.

下个星期就是中秋节了，你打算怎么过？

Xià ge xīngqī jiù shì Zhōngqiūjié le, nǐ dǎsuan zěnme guò?

Next week is the Mid-Autumn Festival already. What are you planning to do?

我们全家回奶奶家过。奶奶年纪大了，最喜欢过节的时候家里热闹。

Wǒmen quán jiā huí nǎinai jiā guò. Nǎinai niánjì dà le, zuì xǐhuan guòjié de shíhou jiā li rènao.

Our whole family is going to grandma's. She's getting old and most looks forward to a lively house during the festival.

是该多陪陪老人。对了，今年的月饼你们家准备买哪种？

Shì gāi duō péipei lǎorén. Duìle, jīnnián de yuèbǐng nǐmen jiā zhǔnbèi mǎi nǎ zhǒng?

You should spend time with the elderly, yes. By the way, what kind of mooncakes is your family buying this year?

我妈妈说少买一点，她想自己动手做，说这样更健康，也更有节日的感觉。

Wǒ māma shuō shǎo mǎi yìdiǎn, tā xiǎng zìjǐ dòngshǒu zuò, shuō zhèyàng gèng jiànkāng, yě gèng yǒu jiérì de gǎnjué.

Mom says buy fewer; she wants to make them herself. She says that's healthier and feels more festive.

主意不错。我小时候一直不明白，为什么中秋节一定要吃圆圆的月饼。

Zhǔyi búcuò. Wǒ xiǎoshíhou yìzhí bù míngbai, wèishénme Zhōngqiūjié yídìng yào chī yuányuán de yuèbǐng.

Good idea. When I was little I never understood why you have to eat round mooncakes at Mid-Autumn.

因为圆圆的月饼就像天上的月亮，代表一家人团团圆圆啊。

Yīnwèi yuányuán de yuèbǐng jiù xiàng tiān shang de yuèliang, dàibiǎo yì jiā rén tuántuányuányuán a.

Because round mooncakes look just like the moon in the sky; they stand for the whole family being together.

小美，我遇到个难题。我的汉语老师下个月要回国了，我想送他一件有中国特色的礼物。

Xiǎoměi, wǒ yùdào ge nántí. Wǒ de Hànyǔ lǎoshī xià ge yuè yào huí guó le, wǒ xiǎng sòng tā yí jiàn yǒu Zhōngguó tèsè de lǐwù.

Xiaomei, I've run into a problem. My Chinese teacher is going back home next month, and I want to give him a gift with real Chinese character.

这个想法好。中国结怎么样？又好看，又有中国特色。

Zhège xiǎngfǎ hǎo. Zhōngguójié zěnmeyàng? Yòu hǎokàn, yòu yǒu Zhōngguó tèsè.

Good thinking. How about a Chinese knot? Pretty and full of Chinese character.

他上个月刚收到一个中国结，再送就重复了。

Tā shàng ge yuè gāng shōudào yí ge Zhōngguójié, zài sòng jiù chóngfù le.

He just received a Chinese knot last month; giving another one would be repetitive.

那国画呢？他不是一直很喜欢中国文化吗？一幅好的国画挂在家里，又好看又有意义。

Nà guóhuà ne? Tā bú shì yìzhí hěn xǐhuan Zhōngguó wénhuà ma? Yì fú hǎo de guóhuà guà zài jiā li, yòu hǎokàn yòu yǒu yìyi.

Then what about a traditional Chinese painting? Hasn't he always loved Chinese culture? A good one hanging at home is both beautiful and meaningful.

好主意！你看中哪幅了吗？

Hǎo zhǔyi! Nǐ kànzhòng nǎ fú le ma?

Great idea! Have you spotted one you like?

就那边那幅花鸟图：花画得漂亮，鸟画得活泼，挂在书房里特别精神。

Jiù nà biān nà fú huāniǎo tú: huā huà de piàoliang, niǎo huà de huópo, guà zài shūfáng li tèbié jīngshen.

That flower-and-bird painting over there: the flowers are vividly colored and the birds are lively. It would really brighten up his study.

你最近怎么每天六点就起床？太阳还没出来你就出门了。

Nǐ zuìjìn zěnme měi tiān liù diǎn jiù qǐchuáng? Tàiyáng hái méi chūlai nǐ jiù chūmén le.

Why have you been getting up at six every day recently? You leave before the sun is even up.

我跟着爷爷学武术呢。他说早晨空气好，最适合练习。

Wǒ gēnzhe yéye xué wǔshù ne. Tā shuō zǎochén kōngqì hǎo, zuì shìhé liànxí.

I'm learning martial arts from my grandpa. He says the morning air is good and best for practicing.

爷爷还会武术？真看不出来。他对你严格吗？

Yéye hái huì wǔshù? Zhēn kàn bu chūlái. Tā duì nǐ yángé ma?

Your grandpa knows martial arts? You'd never guess. Is he strict with you?

特别严格。每个动作都必须慢慢做，不标准就得重来，要求非常严格。

Tèbié yángé. Měi ge dòngzuò dōu bìxū mànmàn zuò, bù biāozhǔn jiù děi chónglái, yāoqiú fēicháng yángé.

Extremely strict. Every movement must be done slowly; if it isn't standard you start over; he never cuts corners.

这么苦，你图什么呀？

Zhème kǔ, nǐ tú shénme ya?

That tough; what do you get out of it?

爷爷说，练武术不光是为了身体健康，更是为了学会坚持。

Yéye shuō, liàn wǔshù bùguāng shì wèile shēntǐ jiànkāng, gèng shì wèile xuéhuì jiānchí.

Grandpa says martial arts aren't only for a healthy body; more importantly they teach you persistence.

四百多年前，中国有一位了不起的医生，名叫李时珍。他在给人看病时发现，当时流行的药物书里错误很多：有的药写错了名字，有的直接把作用写反了。医生照这样的书用药是非常危险的。于是他下定决心，要重新写一部准确的书。为了收集材料，他走遍各地，亲自上山找药，还亲口尝试各种不同的草。有的草不能吃，吃了会生病，试完以后他难受了好几天。他把每种药的形状、味道和作用都详细地记录下来，前后用了二十七年。新书完成的时候，他已经是一位白发老人了。这部书后来流传到世界各地，直到今天，人们仍然感谢这位认真的医生。

Sìbǎi duō nián qián, Zhōngguó yǒu yí wèi liǎobùqǐ de yīshēng, míng jiào Lǐ Shízhēn. Tā zài gěi rén kànbìng shí fāxiàn, dāngshí liúxíng de yàowù shū lǐ cuòwù hěn duō: yǒu de yào xiě cuò le míngzi, yǒu de zhíjiē bǎ zuòyòng xiě fǎn le. Yīshēng zhào zhèyàng de shū yòng yào shì fēicháng wēixiǎn de. Yúshì tā xià dìng juéxīn, yào chóngxīn xiě yí bù zhǔnquè de shū. Wèile shōují cáiliào, tā zǒu biàn gèdì, qīnzì shàng shān zhǎo yào, hái qīnkǒu chángshi gè zhǒng bùtóng de cǎo. Yǒu de cǎo bù néng chī, chī le huì shēngbìng, shì wan yǐhòu tā nánshòu le hǎo jǐ tiān. Tā bǎ měi zhǒng yào de xíngzhuàng, wèidao hé zuòyòng dōu xiángxì de jìlù xiàlai, qiánhòu yòng le èrshíqī nián. Xīn shū wánchéng de shíhou, tā yǐjīng shì yí wèi bái fà lǎorén le. Zhè bù shū hòulái liúchuán dào shìjiè gèdì, zhídào jīntiān, rénmen réngrán gǎnxiè zhè wèi rènzhēn de yīshēng.

More than four hundred years ago China had a remarkable doctor named Li Shizhen. While treating patients he discovered that the medical books in circulation at the time were full of errors: some medicines had the wrong names, and others simply had their effects written backwards. It was very dangerous for doctors to prescribe from books like that. So he made up his mind to write an accurate book of his own. To gather material he traveled all over, personally went into the mountains looking for medicinal plants, and tasted all kinds of leaves with his own mouth. Some grasses were poisonous, and after testing them he felt ill for days. He recorded the shape, taste and effect of every medicine in detail, and the whole project took him twenty-seven years. By the time the new book was finished he had become a white-haired old man. The book later spread around the world, and even today people remain grateful to this conscientious doctor.

一千六百多年前，中国有位著名的书法家，名叫王羲之。他从很小的时候就迷上了写字，每天练完字，都要到家门前的池子里洗毛笔。日子一天天过去，人们奇怪地发现，池水的颜色竟然一天比一天深，最后变成了黑色。后来，大家就亲切地把那个池子叫作“洗笔池”。有人以为王羲之是天生的天才，他自己却说：哪有什么天才？只不过别人玩的时候，我在写字。凭着这么认真的态度，他的字越写越好，终于形成了自己独特的风格，大家都认为他是最好的书法家。直到今天，学习书法的人仍然要认真研究他的作品。

Yìqiānliùbǎi duō nián qián, Zhōngguó yǒu wèi zhùmíng de shūfǎjiā, míng jiào Wáng Xīzhī. Tā cóng hěn xiǎo de shíhou jiù mí shàng le xiě zì, měi tiān liàn wan zì, dōu yào dào jiā mén qián de chízi li xǐ máobǐ. Rìzi yì tiān tiān guòqu, rénmen qíguài de fāxiàn, chíshuǐ de yánsè jìngrán yì tiān bǐ yì tiān shēn, zuìhòu biàn chéng le hēisè. Hòulái, dàjiā jiù qīnqiè de bǎ nège chízi jiàozuò 'xǐ bǐ chí'. Yǒu rén yǐwéi Wáng Xīzhī shì tiānshēng de tiāncái, tā zìjǐ què shuō: nǎ yǒu shénme tiāncái? Zhǐbúguò biérén wán de shíhou, wǒ zài xiě zì. Píngzhe zhème rènzhēn de tàidù, tā de zì yuè xiě yuè hǎo, zhōngyú xíngchéng le zìjǐ dútè de fēnggé, dàjiā dōu rènwéi tā shì zuì hǎo de shūfǎjiā. Zhídào jīntiān, xuéxí shūfǎ de rén réngrán yào rènzhēn yánjiū tā de zuòpǐn.

More than sixteen hundred years ago China had a famous calligrapher named Wang Xizhi. He fell in love with writing characters when he was very small. Every day after practicing he would rinse his brush in the pond in front of his house. As the days went by, people were astonished to find the water getting darker day by day until it finally turned black. Later everyone affectionately called that pond the Brush-Washing Pond. Some people assumed Wang Xizhi was a born genius, but he himself said: what genius? While others played, I was simply writing characters. With this earnest spirit his calligraphy grew better and better, until he developed his own unique style and became universally recognized as the finest calligrapher. Even today students of calligraphy still study his works seriously.

每年农历八月十五是中国的中秋节，“中秋”的意思就是秋天的中间。这个时候天气不冷不热，晚上的月亮又大又圆。在中国人眼里，圆圆的月亮代表着团聚，所以这一天也叫团圆节。按照传统，全家人晚上要坐在院子里或者阳台上，一边吃着甜甜的月饼，一边赏月。孩子们最爱听老人讲月亮上的故事，传说那上面住着一位美丽的女子，还有一只安静的兔子。对远离家乡的人来说，这一晚会格外想念亲人，因为不管人在哪里，大家看到的都是同一个月亮。有人说得好：月亮圆不圆不重要，重要的是一家人在一起。

Měi nián nónglì bā yuè shíwǔ shì Zhōngguó de Zhōngqiūjié, 'Zhōngqiū' de yìsi jiù shì qiūtiān de zhōngjiān. Zhège shíhou tiānqì bù lěng bu rè, wǎnshang de yuèliang yòu dà yòu yuán. Zài Zhōngguó rén yǎn li, yuányuán de yuèliang dàibiǎozhe tuánjù, suǒyǐ zhè yì tiān yě jiào Tuányuánjié. Ànzhào chuántǒng, quán jiā rén wǎnshang yào zuò zài yuànzi li huòzhě yángtái shang, yìbiān chīzhe tiántián de yuèbǐng, yìbiān shǎng yuè. Háizimen zuì ài tīng lǎorén jiǎng yuèliang shang de gùshi, chuánshuō nà shàngmian zhùzhe yí wèi měilì de nǚzǐ, hái yǒu yì zhī ānjìng de tùzi. Duì yuǎnlí jiāxiāng de rén lái shuō, zhè yì wǎn huì géwài xiǎngniàn qīnrén, yīnwèi bùguǎn rén zài nǎli, dàjiā kàndào de dōu shì tóng yí ge yuèliang. Yǒu rén shuō de hǎo: yuèliang yuán bu yuán bú zhòngyào, zhòngyào de shì yì jiā rén zài yìqǐ.

The fifteenth day of the eighth month by the lunar calendar is China's Mid-Autumn Festival; 'Mid-Autumn' simply means the middle of autumn. At this time the weather is neither cold nor hot, and the moon at night is big and round. In Chinese eyes the round moon stands for family reunion, so this day is also called the Reunion Festival. By tradition, the whole family sits in the courtyard or on the balcony in the evening, eating sweet mooncakes while admiring the moon. Children love best to hear the old folks tell stories about the moon: legend has it that a beautiful woman lives up there, along with a quiet rabbit. For those far from home, this night brings especially strong longing for their loved ones, because no matter where you are, everyone sees the same moon. As someone put it well: whether the moon is round doesn't matter; what matters is that the family is together.

中国被叫作茶的故乡，喝茶的习惯已经有几千年的历史了。传说古时候有位医生，为了给病人找药，亲自尝了各种不同的草。有一次他吃错了草，难受得在地上打滚，吃了身边树上的几片叶子，才慢慢好了起来。从那时起，人们开始种茶、喝茶。经过几千年的发展，中国人喝茶越来越讲究：绿茶要新鲜，不同的季节喝不同的茶，据说对身体有好处。客人来了，要先给客人倒上热茶，这是最基本的礼貌。后来，商人把茶叶带到了世界各地，喝茶成为了不少国家的生活习惯。可以说，一小片茶叶改变了很多人的生活方式。

Zhōngguó bèi jiàozuò chá de gùxiāng, hē chá de xíguàn yǐjīng yǒu jǐ qiān nián de lìshǐ le. Chuánshuō gǔ shíhou yǒu wèi yīshēng, wèile gěi bìngrén zhǎo yào, qīnzì cháng le gè zhǒng bùtóng de cǎo. Yǒu yí cì tā chī cuò le cǎo, nánshòu de zài dì shang dǎgǔn, chī le shēnbiān shù shang de jǐ piàn yèzi, cái mànmàn hǎo le qǐlai. Cóng nà shí qǐ, rénmen kāishǐ zhòng chá, hē chá. Jīngguò jǐ qiān nián de fāzhǎn, Zhōngguó rén hē chá yuèláiyuè jiǎngjiu: lǜchá yào xīnxiān, bùtóng de jìjié hē bùtóng de chá, jùshuō duì shēntǐ yǒu hǎochù. Kèrén lái le, yào xiān gěi kèrén dào shang rè chá, zhè shì zuì jīběn de lǐmào. Hòulái, shāngrén bǎ cháyè dài dào le shìjiè gèdì, hē chá chéngwéi le bù shǎo guójiā de shēnghuó xíguàn. Kěyǐ shuō, yì xiǎo piàn cháyè gǎibiàn le hěn duō rén de shēnghuó fāngshì.

China is called the homeland of tea; the habit of drinking tea goes back several thousand years. Legend has it that long ago there was a doctor who, searching for medicines for his patients, personally tasted every kind of grass. Once he ate the wrong one and rolled on the ground in pain; only after eating a few leaves from a tree beside him did he slowly recover. From that time on, people began growing and drinking tea. Through thousands of years of development the Chinese became ever more particular about tea: green tea should be fresh, different seasons call for different teas, and supposedly it benefits the health. When guests arrive, the host first pours them a cup of hot tea; that is the most basic courtesy. Later merchants carried tea all over the world, and drinking it became a daily habit in many countries. You could say one little leaf of tea changed the way of life of countless people.

一百多年前，中国决定修建一条自己的铁路，连接北京和张家口。这条铁路要穿过很多高山，工程十分困难。消息传出后，有的外国人当面取笑说：能修这条铁路的中国工程师还没有出生呢。詹天佑在很大的压力下接受了任务。为了找到最好的路线，他带着工人白天翻山、晚上画图，常常忙到半夜。火车怎么爬上又高又斜的山？他想出了一个聪明的办法：让铁路变成汉字“人”的样子，列车走到半山腰，再换一个方向往回开，一点一点往上爬。这条铁路不但按时修完，还给中国人争了气。直到今天，人们坐火车路过那里，还会想起这位了不起的工程师。

Yìbǎi duō nián qián, Zhōngguó juédìng xiūjiàn yì tiáo zìjǐ de tiělù, liánjiē Běijīng hé Zhāngjiākǒu. Zhè tiáo tiělù yào chuānguò hěn duō gāoshān, gōngchéng shífēn kùnnan. Xiāoxi chuán chū hòu, yǒude wàiguórén dāngmiàn qǔxiào shuō: néng xiū zhè tiáo tiělù de Zhōngguó gōngchéngshī hái méi yǒu chūshēng ne. Zhān Tiānyòu zài hěn dà de yālì xià jiēshòu le rènwù. Wèile zhǎodào zuì hǎo de lùxiàn, tā dàizhe gōngrén báitiān fān shān, wǎnshang huà tú, chángcháng máng dào bànyè. Huǒchē zěnme pá shang yòu gāo yòu xié de shān? Tā xiǎng chū le yí ge cōngming de bànfǎ: ràng tiělù biàn chéng Hànzì 'rén' de yàngzi, lièchē zǒu dào bànshānyāo, zài huàn yí ge fāngxiàng wǎng huí kāi, yìdiǎn yìdiǎn wǎng shàng pá. Zhè tiáo tiělù búdàn ànshí xiū wán, hái gěi Zhōngguó rén zhēng le qì. Zhídào jīntiān, rénmen zuò huǒchē lùguò nàli, hái huì xiǎngqǐ zhè wèi liǎobùqǐ de gōngchéngshī.

Over a hundred years ago China decided to build a railway of its own, linking Beijing and Zhangjiakou. The line had to cross many high mountains, making the engineering extremely difficult. After the news got out, some foreigners said to their faces, laughing, that the Chinese engineer capable of building this railway hadn't even been born yet. Zhan Tianyou accepted the task under that pressure. To find the best route he led his workers over mountains by day and drew maps by night, often working past midnight. How could trains climb steep, towering slopes? He thought of a clever solution: make the railway look like the Chinese character 'ren' (人); trains go halfway up the mountain, switch direction, and climb back and upward bit by bit. The railway was finished on schedule and made the Chinese proud. Even today, when people pass through there by train, they still remember this extraordinary engineer.