HSK 3 · Chapter 10 · 250 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/five-names-in-the-snow

五个名字

Five names in the snow

Name: ________________ Date: ________

晚上wǎnshang七qī点diǎn，外面wàimiàn下xià着zhe大雪dàxuě。大家dàjiā拿ná着zhe手电shǒudiàn，在zài小区xiǎoqū里找zhǎo豆腐dòufu。

赵zhào老师lǎoshī叫jiào：“豆腐dòufu！”

阿亮āliàng叫jiào：“老板láobǎn！”

钱qián阿姨āyí叫jiào：“宝贝bǎobèi！”

阳阳yángyáng叫jiào：“同事tóngshì！”

爷爷yéye叫jiào：“警犬jíngquǎn！”

一个yígè送sòng外卖wàimài的de人rén停下tíngxià车chē，看kàn着zhe他们tāmen：“你们nǐmen丢diū了le五wǔ只zhī猫māo？”

大家dàjiā都dōu不bú叫jiào了le。钱qián阿姨āyí看看kànkan阿亮āliàng，阿亮āliàng看看kànkan阳阳yángyáng，阳阳yángyáng看看kànkan爷爷yéye。

赵zhào老师lǎoshī慢慢mànmàn地de说shuō：“你们nǐmen……都dōu喂wèi它tā了le？”

没有méiyǒu人rén说话shuōhuà。

过guò了le一会儿yíhuìr，赵zhào老师lǎoshī笑xiào了le：“所以suóyǐ它tā才cái那么nàme胖pàng！”大家dàjiā也yě都dōu笑xiào了le。

阿亮āliàng说shuō：“我wǒ还hái以为yǐwéi，就jiù我wǒ一yí个gè人rén喂wèi它tā。”钱阿姨和hé阳阳yángyáng一起yìqǐ说shuō：“我wǒ也yě是shì！”爷爷yéye看kàn着zhe天上tiānshàng的de雪xuě，什么shénme也yě没méi说shuō。

就jiù在zài这时候zhèshíhou，风fēng里好像hǎoxiàng有yǒu一个yígè很hěn小xiǎo很hěn小xiǎo的de声音shēngyīn。“喵miāo……”

大家dàjiā马上mǎshàng不bú笑xiào了le。可是kěshì风fēng一yì吹chuī，就jiù什么shénme也yě听不见tīngbujiàn了le。

乐乐lèlè站zhàn在zài路灯lùdēng下xià，打开dǎkāi本子běnzi，一yí页yè一yí页yè地de看kàn。过guò了le很hěn久jiǔ，她tā抬起táiqǐ头tóu：“我wǒ知道zhīdào豆腐dòufu在zài哪儿nǎr了le。”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
外面	wàimiàn	outside; out
拿	ná	to take; to hold; to carry
一会儿	yíhuìr	a moment; a while
笑	xiào	to laugh; to smile
一起	yìqǐ	together
站	zhàn	station; stop
打开	dǎkāi	to open
本子	běnzi	book; edition
头	tóu	head
小区	xiǎoqū	residential compound; housing estate
阿姨	āyí	aunt (term of address for a woman of one's mother's generation)
同事	tóngshì	colleague; coworker

English (for the teacher)

At seven that evening, heavy snow was falling. Everyone took a torch and searched the compound for Tofu.

Teacher Zhao called, “Tofu!”

A-Liang called, “Boss!”

Auntie Qian called, “Sweetie!”

Yangyang called, “Colleague!”

Grandpa called, “Police Dog!”

A delivery rider stopped and stared at them. “You’ve lost five cats?”

Everyone stopped calling. Auntie Qian looked at A-Liang, A-Liang looked at Yangyang, and Yangyang looked at Grandpa.

Teacher Zhao said slowly, “Have you all… been feeding it?”

Nobody said a word.

After a while, Teacher Zhao laughed. “So that’s why it’s so fat!” Everyone else laughed too.

A-Liang said, “I thought I was the only one feeding it.” Auntie Qian and Yangyang said together, “So did I!” Grandpa looked up at the falling snow and said nothing at all.

Just then, there seemed to be a tiny, tiny sound on the wind. “Meow…”

At once, everyone stopped laughing. But the wind blew, and they couldn’t hear a thing.

Lele stood under a street lamp, opened her notebook and read it page by page. After a long time, she looked up. “I know where Tofu is.”