HSK 3 · Story · 354 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/chinese-chess-xiangqi-in-the-park

公园里的象棋

Chinese chess in the park: the crowd that plays for you

Name: ________________ Date: ________

我家wǒjiā旁边pángbiān有yǒu一个yígè小xiǎo公园gōngyuán。每天měitiān早上zǎoshang，公园gōngyuán的de大dà树shù下xià都dōu有yǒu两liǎng个gè老人lǎorén在zài下xià象棋xiàngqí：张爷爷和hé李爷爷。他们tāmen旁边pángbiān总是zǒngshì站zhàn着zhe十几shíjǐ个gè人rén。

树shù上shàng有yǒu一yí块kuài牌子páizi，上面shàngmiàn写xiě着zhe：“观guān棋qí不语bùyǔ真zhēn君子jūnzǐ。”意思yìsi是shì，看kàn别人biéren下棋xiàqí的de时候shíhou，不要búyào说话shuōhuà。

可是kěshì没有méiyǒu一yí个gè人rén听tīng。“马mǎ，马mǎ！”“别动biédòng你nǐ的de车chē！”“你nǐ看kàn，他tā有yǒu炮！”张爷爷和hé李爷爷不bù说话shuōhuà，旁边pángbiān的de人rén说shuō得de最zuì多duō。

我wǒ是shì用yòng手机shǒujī学xué的de象棋xiàngqí，下xià得de不太bútài好hǎo。我wǒ只zhǐ敢gǎn在zài旁边pángbiān看kàn，从来没cóngláiméi坐下zuòxià过guò。

今天jīntiān，李爷爷的de手机shǒujī响xiǎng了le。他tā听tīng了le一会儿yíhuìr，站zhàn起来qǐlai说shuō：“我wǒ太太tàitai叫jiào我wǒ回家huíjiā吃饭chīfàn。”然后ránhòu他tā看kàn着zhe我wǒ：“小伙子xiáohuǒzi，你nǐ来lái！”

我wǒ只好zhíhǎo坐zuò了le下来xiàlai。张爷爷是shì这个zhège公园gōngyuán下xià得de最好zuìhǎo的de人rén。

我wǒ的de手shǒu刚gāng一yí动dòng，身后shēnhòu就jiù有yǒu五wǔ个gè人rén一起yìqǐ说shuō：“别动biédòng那个nàge！”“动dòng这个zhège！”“不bú对duì，车chē！”每měi个gè人rén说shuō的de都dōu不bù一样yíyàng。我wǒ听听tīngting这个zhège，又yòu听听tīngting那个nàge，手shǒu一直yìzhí在zài动dòng。

过guò了le半bàn个gè小时xiǎoshí，后面hòumiàn的de一yí个gè老人lǎorén大声dàshēng说shuō：“快kuài动dòng马mǎ，将军jiāngjūn！”我wǒ动dòng了le马mǎ。张zhāng爷爷yéye看kàn了le很hěn久jiǔ，笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“好hǎo，我wǒ输shū了le。”大家dàjiā都dōu给gěi我wǒ鼓掌gúzhǎng。

张爷爷站zhàn起来qǐlai，对duì我wǒ说shuō：“小伙子xiáohuǒzi，今天jīntiān你nǐ不是búshì一yí个gè人rén赢yíng了le我wǒ，是shì十shí个gè人rén赢yíng了le我wǒ。”

他tā又yòu看kàn了le看kàn树shù上shàng的de那nà几jǐ个gè字zì：“那nà几jǐ个gè字zì，是shì我wǒ写xiě的de。”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
旁边pángbiānbeside; next to; nearby
站zhànstation; stop
上面shàngmiànabove; on top of; on the surface of
意思yìsimeaning; idea
过guò(particle) marks a past experience: have ever
一会儿yíhuìra moment; a while
手shǒuhand
动dòngto move
一起yìqǐtogether
每měieach; every
快kuàifast; quick
笑xiàoto laugh; to smile

English (for the teacher)

There's a little park next to my home. Every morning, under the big tree in the park, two old men play Chinese chess, Grandpa Zhang and Grandpa Li. There are always a dozen or so people standing around them.

On the tree there's a sign that says: “A true gentleman watches the game in silence.” It means that when you watch other people play, you don't talk.

But nobody listens. “Horse, the horse!” “Don't touch your chariot!” “Look, he's got a cannon there!” Grandpa Zhang and Grandpa Li say nothing; it's the people watching who talk the most.

I learned Chinese chess on my phone, and I'm not very good. I only ever dared to watch from the side; I'd never sat down to play.

Today, Grandpa Li's phone rang. He listened for a moment, stood up and said, “My wife wants me home for lunch.” Then he looked at me. “Young man, you play!”

So I had to sit down. Grandpa Zhang is the best player in the whole park.

My hand had barely moved when five people behind me all spoke at once: “Not that one!” “This one!” “No, the chariot!” Every one of them said something different. I listened to this one, then that one, and my hand never stopped moving.

Half an hour later, an old man behind me said loudly, “Quick, move the horse, check!” I moved the horse. Grandpa Zhang studied the board for a long time, then smiled. “All right, I've lost.” Everyone clapped for me.

Grandpa Zhang stood up and said to me, “Young man, today it wasn't you alone who beat me. It was ten of you.”

Then he looked up at the words on the tree. “I wrote those, you know.”