HSK 5 · Story · 577 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/jingwei-fills-the-sea

精卫填海

Jingwei fills the sea

Name: ________________ Date: ________

在zài中国zhōngguó的de神话shénhuà里，有yǒu一yì只zhī小鸟xiáoniǎo，想xiǎng做zuò一yí件jiàn谁shéi都dōu觉得juéde不bù可能kěnéng的de事shì：把bǎ大海dàhǎi填tián平píng。它tā的de名字míngzi叫jiào精卫jīngwèi。

传说chuánshuō很hěn久jiǔ以前yǐqián，炎帝yándì有yǒu一个yígè小女儿xiáonǚ’ér，叫jiào女娃nǚwá。她tā从小cóngxiǎo就jiù对duì大海dàhǎi充满chōngmǎn了le好奇hàoqí，常常chángcháng站zhàn在zài山顶shāndǐng上shàng，注视zhùshì着zhe东边dōngbiān的de方向fāngxiàng，想xiǎng知道zhīdào太阳tàiyáng升起shēngqǐ的de地方dìfang到底dàodǐ是shì什么shénme样子yàngzi。

有yǒu一天yìtiān，她tā终于zhōngyú偷偷tōutōu坐zuò上shàng一yì条tiáo小船xiǎochuán，向xiàng东海dōnghǎi出发chūfā了le。一yì开始kāishǐ，大海dàhǎi风平浪静fēngpíng-làngjìng，女娃nǚwá高兴gāoxìng极了jíle。可是kěshì没méi过guò多久duōjiǔ，天tiān一下子yíxiàzi黑hēi了le下来xiàlai，大风dàfēng吹chuī起qǐ了le巨大jùdà的de海浪hǎilàng。小船xiǎochuán被bèi巨浪jùlàng打翻dǎfān了le，女娃nǚwá掉diào进jìn了le大海dàhǎi，再也zàiyě没méi能néng回家huíjiā。

炎帝yándì得知dézhī这个zhège不幸búxìng的de消息xiāoxi，伤心shāngxīn得de说不出shuōbuchū话huà来lái。可是kěshì，故事gùshi并bìng没有méiyǒu在zài这里zhèlǐ结束jiéshù。

据说jùshuō，女娃nǚwá死sǐ后hòu变成biànchéng了le一yì只zhī小鸟xiáoniǎo。这zhè只zhī鸟niǎo的de头上tóushang有yǒu花纹huāwén，嘴zuǐ是shì白色báisè的de，脚jiǎo是shì红色hóngsè的de。它tā总是zǒngshì一边yìbiān飞fēi，一边yìbiān发出fāchū“精卫jīngwèi、精卫jīngwèi”的de叫声jiàoshēng，所以suóyǐ人们rénmen就jiù叫jiào它tā精卫jīngwèi。

精卫jīngwèi恨hèn透tòu了le夺走duózǒu自己zìjǐ生命shēngmìng的de大海dàhǎi。它tā住zhù在zài西边xībiān的de山shān上shàng，每天měitiān从cóng山shān上shàng叼diāo起qǐ一yì根gēn小xiǎo树枝shùzhī或者huòzhě一块yíkuài小xiǎo石头shítou，飞fēi很hěn远yuǎn很hěn远yuǎn的de路lù，把bǎ它tā扔rēng进jìn东海dōnghǎi。然后ránhòu再zài飞fēi回huí西边xībiān的de山shān上shàng，叼diāo起qǐ下xià一块yíkuài。

大海dàhǎi看到kàndào这zhè一幕yímù，忍不住rěnbuzhù哈哈大笑hāhā-dàxiào：“小鸟xiáoniǎo，你nǐ别bié傻shǎ了le！就算jiùsuàn你nǐ干gàn上shàng一百万yìbǎiwàn年nián，也yě不bù可能kěnéng把bǎ我wǒ填tián平píng。”

精卫jīngwèi毫不犹豫háobù-yóuyù地de回答huídá：“就算jiùsuàn干gàn上shàng一千万yìqiānwàn年nián、一亿yíyì年nián，我wǒ也yě要yào把bǎ你nǐ填tián平píng！这样zhèyàng，你nǐ就jiù再也zàiyě不能bùnéng害hài别人biéren了le。”

说shuō完wán，它tā再次zàicì向xiàng西边xībiān的de山shān飞fēi去qù。漫长màncháng的de岁月suìyuè过去guòqu了le，大海dàhǎi依旧yījiù那么nàme大dà，可是kěshì精卫jīngwèi从来没有cóngláiméiyǒu停tíng下来xiàlai，也yě从来没有cóngláiméiyǒu怀疑huáiyí过guò自己zìjǐ。

这zhè个gè故事gùshi最zuì早zǎo记载jìzǎi在zài《山海经shānhǎijīng》里li。后来hòulái，东晋dōngjìn的de大dà诗人shīrén陶渊明táoyuānmíng还hái专门zhuānmén写xiě诗shī称赞chēngzàn过guò它tā。今天jīntiān，“精卫填海jīngwèi-tiánhǎi”已经yǐjīng成chéng了le一yí个gè成语chéngyǔ，用来yònglái形容xíngróng一yí个gè人rén意志yìzhì坚定jiāndìng，不怕búpà困难kùnnan，坚持jiānchí到底dàodǐ。

有人yǒurén会huì觉得juéde精卫jīngwèi很hěn傻shǎ，毕竟bìjìng一yì只zhī小鸟xiáoniǎo能néng做zuò什么shénme呢ne？可是kěshì，你nǐ身边shēnbiān有没有yǒuméiyǒu这样zhèyàng的de人rén：知道zhīdào一yí件jiàn事shì很hěn难nán，还是háishi每天měitiān做zuò一点yìdiǎn，从来不cóngláibú放弃fàngqì？

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
样子	yàngzi	appearance; look
吹	chuī	to blow
掉	diào	to fall; to drop
神话	shénhuà	myth; mythology
填	tián	to fill in; to stuff
传说	chuánshuō	legend; folklore
充满	chōngmǎn	to be full of; to be filled with; to brim with
好奇	hàoqí	curious
黑	hēi	black; dark
巨大	jùdà	huge; enormous; tremendous
不幸	búxìng	misfortune; unfortunately; unfortunate; sad
据说	jùshuō	it is said; reportedly

English (for the teacher)

In Chinese mythology there is a little bird that wants to do something everyone thinks is impossible: fill in the sea. Its name is Jingwei.

Legend says that long ago the Yan Emperor had a youngest daughter called Nüwa. From childhood she was full of curiosity about the sea; she often stood on the mountaintop gazing east, wondering what the place where the sun rises really looked like.

One day she finally slipped away in a little boat and set out for the Eastern Sea. At first the sea was calm and still, and Nüwa was overjoyed. But before long the sky went dark all at once, and a gale whipped up huge waves. The little boat was overturned by a great wave; Nüwa fell into the sea and never came home.

When the Yan Emperor heard the terrible news, he was too heartbroken to speak. But the story doesn’t end there.

It is said that after she died, Nüwa turned into a small bird. It had a patterned head, a white beak and red feet. As it flew it always cried “jingwei, jingwei”, so people called it Jingwei.

Jingwei utterly hated the sea that had taken her life. She lived in the western mountains, and every day she picked up a twig or a pebble in her beak, flew a long, long way, and dropped it into the Eastern Sea. Then she flew back to the western mountains and picked up the next one.

Seeing this, the sea couldn’t help roaring with laughter: “Little bird, don’t be silly! Even if you kept at it for a million years, you could never fill me in.”

Jingwei answered without hesitation: “Even if it takes ten million years, a hundred million years, I will fill you in! Then you will never harm anyone again.”

With that she flew off toward the western mountains once more. Long ages passed and the sea was as vast as ever, but Jingwei never stopped, and never doubted herself.

The story was first recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Later, the great Eastern Jin poet Tao Yuanming even wrote a poem in her praise. Today “Jingwei fills the sea” is an idiom for someone with an iron will who isn’t afraid of hardship and keeps going to the end.

Some people think Jingwei is foolish; after all, what can one little bird do? But is there someone like that around you, who knows a thing is hard and still does a little every day, and never gives up?