HSK 4 · Story · 288 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/ba-miao-zhu-zhang-pulling-seedlings-to-help-them-grow

拔苗助长

Pulling up seedlings to help them grow

Name: ________________ Date: ________

两千多liǎngqiānduō年nián前qián，宋国sòngguó有yǒu个gè农民nóngmín，他tā在zài地dì里种zhòng了le很hěn多duō禾苗hémiáo。

他tā每天měitiān都dōu去qù地dì里看kàn，一yí看kàn就是jiùshì半天bàntiān。可是kěshì禾苗hémiáo好像hǎoxiàng一点儿yìdiǎnr也yě没méi长zhǎng高gāo。他tā急jí得de吃不下chībuxià饭fàn，也yě睡shuì不好bùhǎo：“快点儿kuàidiǎnr长zhǎng啊a，怎么zěnme这么zhème慢màn！”

有yǒu一天yìtiān，他tā终于zhōngyú想xiǎng出chū了le一个yígè好hǎo办法bànfǎ。

第二天dì’èrtiān，他tā很hěn早zǎo就jiù到dào了le地dì里，弯wān着zhe腰yāo，把bǎ小苗xiǎomiáo一yì棵kē一yì棵kē往wǎng上shàng拔bá，每měi一yì棵kē都dōu拔高bágāo一点儿yìdiǎnr。从cóng早上zǎoshang拔bá到dào晚上wǎnshang，他tā累lèi得de站zhàn都dōu站zhàn不bù直zhí了le。

可是kěshì看kàn着zhe地dì里“长zhǎng高gāo”的de小苗xiǎomiáo，他tā心里xīnli美měi极了jíle。

回到huídào家jiā，他tā对duì家里人jiālǐrén说shuō：“今天jīntiān累lèi死sǐ我wǒ了le！我wǒ帮bāng禾苗hémiáo长zhǎng高gāo了le！”

他tā的de儿子érzi一yì听tīng，觉得juéde不bú对duì，马上mǎshàng到dào地dì里去qù看kàn。

地dì里的de禾苗hémiáo，已经yǐjīng都dōu死sǐ了le。

这zhè个gè故事gùshi是shì孟子mèngzǐ讲jiǎng的de。孟子mèngzǐ说shuō，像xiàng这个zhège农民nóngmín一样yíyàng的de人rén，世界shìjiè上shàng还hái真zhēn不少bùshǎo。

今天jīntiān，人们rénmen常cháng说shuō“拔苗助长bámiáo-zhùzhǎng”，意思yìsi是shì太tài急jí了le，想xiǎng让ràng事情shìqing快kuài一点儿yìdiǎnr，最后zuìhòu反而fǎn’ér把bǎ事情shìqing弄nòng坏huài了le。比如bǐrú：“孩子háizi才cái三sān岁suì，你nǐ就jiù让ràng他tā每天měitiān学xué五wǔ个gè小时xiǎoshí数学shùxué，这zhè不是búshì拔苗助长bámiáo-zhùzhǎng吗ma？”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
种	zhòng	to plant; to grow
办法	bànfǎ	way; method; means
心里	xīnli	in one's heart; in one's mind
故事	gùshi	story; tale
讲	jiǎng	to speak; to say; to tell
世界	shìjiè	world
常	cháng	often; frequently
急	jí	anxious; worried
最后	zuìhòu	finally; in the end; last; final
比如	bǐrú	for example; for instance; such as
数学	shùxué	mathematics; math
棵	kē	classifier for trees, plants and vegetables

English (for the teacher)

More than two thousand years ago, a farmer in the state of Song planted lots of seedlings in his field.

He went to look at them every day, and each time he stayed half the day. But the seedlings didn’t seem to grow any taller at all. He was so anxious he couldn’t eat or sleep: “Grow faster! Why are you so slow!”

Then one day, he finally came up with a great idea.

The next day he got to his field very early, bent over, and pulled the seedlings upward one by one, each of them just a little higher. He pulled from morning till night, until he was too tired to stand up straight.

But looking at all the “taller” seedlings in his field, he was absolutely delighted.

When he got home he told his family, “I’m worn out today! I helped the seedlings grow!”

When his son heard that, he knew something was wrong and went straight to the field to look.

The seedlings in the field were all dead.

It was Mencius who told this story. Mencius said there are plenty of people in the world just like this farmer.

Today people often say 拔苗助长, “pulling up seedlings to help them grow”: being in such a hurry to make something go faster that you end up ruining it. For example: “Your child is only three and you make him study maths five hours a day? Isn’t that pulling up seedlings to help them grow?”