HSK 3 · Chapter 2 · 865 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/a-teacher-across-the-sea-journey-to-the-west-easy-chinese-2

拜师学艺

A Teacher Across the Sea

Name: ________________ Date: ________

美猴王měihóuwáng为什么wèishénme哭kū呢ne？他tā对duì大家dàjiā说shuō：“我们wǒmen现在xiànzài每天měitiān都dōu很hěn快乐kuàilè。可是kěshì有yǒu一天yìtiān，我们wǒmen都dōu会huì老lǎo，都dōu会huì死sǐ。到dào那nà时候shíhou，谁shéi还hái能néng做zuò王呢ne？”大家dàjiā听tīng了le，也yě都dōu哭kū了le起来qǐlai。

这时zhèshí，一yì只zhī老lǎo猴子hóuzi站zhàn出来chūlái说shuō：“大王，我wǒ听说tīngshuō，世界shìjiè上shàng有yǒu一种yìzhǒng人rén，叫jiào神仙shénxiān。神仙shénxiān不会búhuì老lǎo，也yě不会búhuì死sǐ。”美猴王měihóuwáng一下子yíxiàzi高兴gāoxìng了le起来qǐlai：“神仙shénxiān住zhù在zài哪儿nǎr？”“在zài很hěn远yuǎn很hěn远yuǎn的de山shān里。”美猴王měihóuwáng说shuō：“好hǎo！我wǒ要yào去qù找zhǎo神仙shénxiān，学xué长生不老chángshēng-bùlǎo的de本领bénlǐng！”

第二天dì’èrtiān，猴子hóuzi们men给gěi他tā做zuò了le很hěn多duō好吃hǎochī的de，送sòng他tā下山xiàshān。美猴王měihóuwáng用yòng老lǎo树shù做zuò了le一个yígè木筏mùfá，一yí个gè人rén坐zuò上去shàngqu，向xiàng大海dàhǎi的de那边nàbiān出发chūfā了le。风fēng很hěn大dà，海hǎi很hěn大dà，可是kěshì他tā一点儿yìdiǎnr也yě不怕búpà。

过guò了le很hěn多duō很hěn多duō天tiān，他tā终于zhōngyú到dào了le海hǎi的de那边nàbiān。那里nàlǐ有yǒu很hěn多duō人rén。他tā第一次dìyīcì见到jiàndào人rén，觉得juéde很hěn有意思yǒuyìsi。他tā学xué人rén穿chuān衣服yīfu，学xué人rén走路zǒulù，学xué人rén说话shuōhuà。他tā在zài人rén中间zhōngjiān走zǒu了le八九年bājiǔnián，到处dàochù问wèn：“哪里nálǐ有yǒu神仙shénxiān？”可是kěshì大家dàjiā每天měitiān都dōu只zhǐ想xiǎng着zhe钱qián，谁shéi也yě不bù关心guānxīn长生不老chángshēng-bùlǎo。

他tā又yòu做zuò了le一个yígè木筏mùfá，又yòu过guò了le一个yígè大海dàhǎi。有yǒu一天yìtiān，他tā走进zǒujìn一yí座zuò大山dàshān，听见tīngjiàn有人yǒurén在zài唱歌chànggē。那nà是shì一个yígè在zài山shān上shàng干活gànhuó的de人rén。美猴王měihóuwáng高兴gāoxìng地de叫jiào了le起来qǐlai：“神仙shénxiān！您好nínhǎo！”那nà人rén笑xiào了le：“我wǒ不是búshì神仙shénxiān。教我wǒ唱歌chànggē的de人rén，才cái是shì神仙shénxiān。他tā就jiù住zhù在zài前面qiánmiàn的de灵台língtái方寸fāngcùn山shān，斜xié月yuè三星sānxīng洞dòng里，叫jiào菩提pútí祖师zǔshī。”

美猴王měihóuwáng找到zhǎodào了le那里nàlǐ。门mén关guān着zhe，他tā就jiù坐zuò在zài树shù上shàng等děng。过guò了le一会儿yíhuìr，门mén开kāi了le，一yí个gè孩子háizi走zǒu出来chūlái说shuō：“我wǒ师父shīfu说shuō，今天jīntiān有人yǒurén来lái学xué本领bénlǐng，是shì你nǐ吗ma？”

祖师zǔshī问wèn他tā：“你nǐ叫jiào什么shénme名字míngzi？爸爸bàba妈妈māma是shì谁shéi？”美猴王měihóuwáng说shuō：“我wǒ没有méiyǒu名字míngzi，也yě没有méiyǒu爸爸bàba妈妈māma。我wǒ是shì从cóng石头shítou里出来chūlái的de。”祖师zǔshī笑xiào了le：“那nà我wǒ给gěi你nǐ起qǐ个gè名字míngzi，就jiù叫jiào孙悟空sūnwùkōng！”孙悟空sūnwùkōng高兴gāoxìng得de跳tiào了le起来qǐlai：“我wǒ有yǒu名字míngzi了le！我wǒ叫jiào孙悟空sūnwùkōng！”

孙悟空sūnwùkōng在zài这里zhèlǐ住zhù了le下来xiàlai。他tā每天měitiān扫地sǎodì、打水dáshuǐ、种花zhònghuā，一下子yíxiàzi就jiù过guò了le七qī年nián。有yǒu一天yìtiān，祖师zǔshī问wèn他tā：“你nǐ想xiǎng学xué什么shénme？我wǒ可以kéyǐ教jiāo你nǐ算命suànmìng。”孙悟空sūnwùkōng问wèn：“学xué了le能néng长生不老chángshēng-bùlǎo吗ma？”“不能bùnéng。”“那nà我wǒ不bù学xué！”祖师zǔshī又yòu说shuō了le好几háojǐ种zhǒng本领bénlǐng，孙悟空sūnwùkōng每次měicì都dōu问wèn一样yíyàng的de问题wèntí，每次měicì都dōu说shuō：“不bù学xué，不bù学xué！”

祖师zǔshī生气shēngqì了le。他tā站zhàn起来qǐlai，拿起náqǐ尺子chǐzi，在zài孙悟空sūnwùkōng的de头上tóushang打dǎ了le三sān下xià。然后ránhòu，他tā把bǎ两liǎng只zhī手shǒu放fàng在zài身后shēnhòu，走进zǒujìn里面lǐmiàn，关上guānshàng了le门mén。别的biéde学生xuéshēng都dōu很hěn生气shēngqì：“你nǐ这zhè只zhī猴子hóuzi！师父shīfu不会búhuì再zài教jiāo你nǐ了le！”

可是kěshì孙悟空sūnwùkōng一点儿yìdiǎnr也yě不bù着急zháojí，心里xīnli还hái很hěn高兴gāoxìng。他tā明白míngbai了le：打dǎ三sān下xià，是shì叫jiào他tā半夜三更bànyè-sāngēng来lái；两liǎng只zhī手shǒu放fàng在zài身后shēnhòu，关上guānshàng前门qiánmén，是shì叫jiào他tā从cóng后门hòumén进去jìnqu。

那天nàtiān半夜bànyè，孙悟空sūnwùkōng轻轻qīngqīng地de走zǒu到dào后门hòumén。门mén真的zhēnde开kāi着zhe！祖师zǔshī正在zhèngzài床chuáng上shàng睡觉shuìjiào，孙悟空sūnwùkōng就jiù跪guì在zài床chuáng前qián等děng着zhe。祖师zǔshī醒xǐng了le，看见kànjiàn了le他tā，心里xīnli想xiǎng：“这zhè只zhī猴子hóuzi真zhēn聪明cōngming！”他tā让ràng孙悟空sūnwùkōng走近zǒujìn一点儿yìdiǎnr，小声xiǎoshēng地de把bǎ长生不老chángshēng-bùlǎo的de方法fāngfǎ教给jiāogěi了le他tā。

从cóng这天zhètiān起qǐ，孙悟空sūnwùkōng每天měitiān都dōu练liàn。三sān年nián以后yǐhòu，他tā已经yǐjīng不会búhuì老lǎo了le。可是kěshì有yǒu一天yìtiān，祖师zǔshī突然tūrán对duì他tā说shuō：“你nǐ还有háiyǒu很hěn大dà的de危险wēixiǎn！”什么shénme危险wēixiǎn呢ne？下xià一次yícì，祖师zǔshī会huì教jiāo他tā一种yìzhǒng更gèng大dà的de本领bénlǐng：七十二qīshí’èr变biàn！

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
哭	kū	to cry; to weep
老	lǎo	old; aged
听说	tīngshuō	to hear (it said); to be told; reportedly
世界	shìjiè	world
山	shān	mountain; hill
树	shù	tree
出发	chūfā	to set off; to start out
风	fēng	wind
海	hǎi	sea; ocean
中间	zhōngjiān	middle; center
到处	dàochù	everywhere; all over
关心	guānxīn	to care about; to be concerned with; concern; care

English (for the teacher)

Why was the Handsome Monkey King crying? He said to everyone: "We're all very happy every day now. But one day we'll all grow old, and we'll all die. When that time comes, who will still be king?" When they heard this, everyone began to cry too.

Just then an old monkey stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty, I've heard that there is a kind of person in the world called an immortal. Immortals don't grow old, and they don't die." At once the Handsome Monkey King cheered up: "Where do immortals live?" "In mountains far, far away." The Handsome Monkey King said: "Good! I'm going to find the immortals and learn the skill of living forever!"

The next day, the monkeys made him lots of good food and saw him off down the mountain. The Handsome Monkey King made a raft out of old trees, sat on it all alone, and set off for the far side of the sea. The wind was strong and the sea was huge, but he wasn't the least bit afraid.

After many, many days, he finally reached the other side of the sea. There were lots of people there. It was the first time he had ever seen people, and he found them very interesting. He learned to wear clothes like people, to walk like people, to talk like people. He wandered among people for eight or nine years, asking everywhere: "Where can I find an immortal?" But all anyone ever thought about was money, and nobody cared about living forever.

He made another raft and crossed another sea. One day he walked into a great mountain and heard someone singing. It was a man working on the mountain. The Handsome Monkey King cried out happily: "An immortal! Hello!" The man laughed: "I'm not an immortal. The one who taught me to sing, he's the immortal. He lives just ahead on the Mountain of Mind and Heart, in the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars, and he's called Master Bodhi."

The Handsome Monkey King found the place. The door was shut, so he sat in a tree and waited. After a while the door opened, and a child came out and said: "My master says someone is coming today to learn his skills. Is that you?"

Master Bodhi asked him: "What's your name? Who are your mother and father?" The Handsome Monkey King said: "I don't have a name, and I don't have a mother or father. I came out of a stone." The master laughed: "Then I'll give you a name: Sun Wukong!" Sun Wukong jumped for joy: "I have a name! My name is Sun Wukong!"

Sun Wukong settled down there. Every day he swept the floor, fetched water and planted flowers, and seven years went by just like that. One day the master asked him: "What do you want to learn? I can teach you to tell fortunes." Sun Wukong asked: "If I learn it, can I live forever?" "No." "Then I won't learn it!" The master named several more skills, and every time Sun Wukong asked the same question, and every time he said: "Won't learn it, won't learn it!"

The master got angry. He stood up, picked up a ruler, and hit Sun Wukong on the head three times. Then he put both hands behind his back, walked inside, and shut the door. The other students were all angry: "You monkey! The master will never teach you anything now!"

But Sun Wukong wasn't worried at all; in fact, he was very pleased. He understood: three knocks meant "come at the third watch, in the middle of the night"; hands behind his back and the front door shut meant "come in by the back door."

That night, in the middle of the night, Sun Wukong crept quietly to the back door. Sure enough, it was open! The master was asleep in bed, so Sun Wukong knelt in front of the bed and waited. The master woke up, saw him, and thought: "What a clever monkey!" He told Sun Wukong to come a little closer, and in a low voice he taught him the way to live forever.

From that day on, Sun Wukong practiced every day. Three years later, he no longer grew old. But one day the master suddenly said to him: "You are still in great danger!" What danger? Next time, the master will teach him an even greater skill: the Seventy-Two Changes!