HSK 3 · Story · 273 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/easy-chinese-story-about-swimming

爸爸教我游泳

Learning to swim: an easy Chinese story

Name: ________________ Date: ________

今年jīnnián夏天xiàtiān，我wǒ八bā岁suì了le，我wǒ想xiǎng学xué游泳yóuyǒng。爸爸bàba说shuō：“我wǒ教jiāo你nǐ！游泳yóuyǒng很hěn容易róngyì。”

星期六xīngqīliù，我们wǒmen去qù了le家jiā旁边pángbiān的de游泳池yóuyǒngchí。爸爸bàba站zhàn在zài水shuǐ里，那儿nàr的de水shuǐ不bù深shēn。他tā说shuō：“先xiān把bǎ脸liǎn放进fàngjìn水shuǐ里。不要búyào怕pà！”

我wǒ把bǎ脸liǎn放进fàngjìn水shuǐ里，喝hē了le很hěn多duō水shuǐ。

“手shǒu往前wǎngqián！脚jiǎo动dòng一yí动dòng！”爸爸bàba大声dàshēng说shuō。我wǒ的de手shǒu和hé脚jiǎo都dōu动dòng了le，可是kěshì我wǒ没有méiyǒu往wǎng前qián，我wǒ往wǎng下去xiàqù了le。

一yí个gè小时xiǎoshí以后yǐhòu，我wǒ还是háishi不会búhuì。我wǒ看见kànjiàn别的biéde爸爸bàba都dōu在zài很hěn远yuǎn的de那边nàbiān游泳yóuyǒng，可是kěshì我wǒ爸爸bàba一直yìzhí站zhàn在zài这边zhèbiān。

“爸爸bàba，你nǐ为什么wèishénme不bú去qù那边nàbiān？”

“那边nàbiān……人rén太tài多duō了le。”

下xià一个yígè星期六xīngqīliù，爸爸bàba有yǒu工作gōngzuò，一个yígè教练jiàoliàn教jiāo我wǒ。她tā很hěn好hǎo，也yě很hěn认真rènzhēn。两liǎng个gè星期xīngqī以后yǐhòu，我wǒ学会xuéhuì游泳yóuyǒng了le！

那天nàtiān，爸爸bàba也yě来lái了le。我wǒ去qù了le水shuǐ很hěn深shēn的de那边nàbiān，大声dàshēng叫jiào他tā：“爸爸bàba，你nǐ来lái啊a！”

爸爸bàba站zhàn在zài水shuǐ里，没有méiyǒu动dòng。过guò了le一会儿yíhuìr，他tā小声xiǎoshēng说shuō：“其实qíshí……爸爸bàba不会búhuì游泳yóuyǒng。我wǒ小时候xiǎoshíhou，你nǐ爷爷yéye也yě说shuō他tā教jiāo我wǒ。”

我wǒ笑xiào了le：“没关系méiguānxi，我wǒ教jiāo你nǐ！游泳yóuyǒng很hěn容易róngyì。”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
游泳	yóuyǒng	to swim; swimming
教	jiāo	to teach
旁边	pángbiān	beside; next to; nearby
站	zhàn	station; stop
手	shǒu	hand
动	dòng	to move
远	yuǎn	far; distant
一会儿	yíhuìr	a moment; a while
小时候	xiǎoshíhou	in one's childhood; when one was little
爷爷	yéye	grandpa; paternal grandfather
笑	xiào	to laugh; to smile
夏天	xiàtiān	summer

English (for the teacher)

This summer I turned eight, and I wanted to learn to swim. Dad said, “I’ll teach you! Swimming’s easy.”

On Saturday we went to the pool near our home. Dad stood in the water, where it wasn’t deep. He said, “First put your face in the water. Don’t be scared!”

I put my face in the water and swallowed a lot of it.

“Arms forward! Kick your feet!” Dad shouted. My arms and legs both moved, but I didn’t go forward. I went down.

An hour later, I still couldn’t do it. I could see the other dads swimming over on the far side, but my dad stayed on this side the whole time.

“Dad, why don’t you go over there?”

“Over there… there are too many people.”

The next Saturday, Dad had work, and a coach taught me. She was nice, and she took it seriously. Two weeks later, I could swim!

That day, Dad came too. I went over to the deep side and shouted to him, “Dad, come on!”

Dad stood in the water and didn’t move. After a moment, he said quietly, “Actually… Dad can’t swim. When I was little, your grandpa said he’d teach me too.”

I laughed: “That’s OK, I’ll teach you! Swimming’s easy.”