HSK 4 · Story · 309 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/ke-zhou-qiu-jian-marking-the-boat-to-find-the-sword

刻舟求剑

Marking the boat to find a lost sword

Name: ________________ Date: ________

两千多liǎngqiānduō年nián前qián，楚国chǔguó有yǒu一yí个gè人rén要yào过guò江jiāng。他tā坐zuò在zài船chuán上shàng，手里shǒuli拿ná着zhe一yì把bǎ宝剑bǎojiàn，这zhè是shì他tā最zuì喜欢xǐhuān的de东西dōngxī。

船chuán到dào了le江jiāng中间zhōngjiān，他tā不bù小心xiǎoxīn，宝剑bǎojiàn从cóng手里shǒuli掉diào进jìn了le水shuǐ里。

船chuán上shàng的de人rén都dōu叫jiào了le起来qǐlai：“快kuài！快kuài下去找zhǎo！”

这zhè个gè人rén可是kěshì一点儿yìdiǎnr也yě不bù急jí。他tā拿出náchū一yì把bǎ小刀xiǎodāo，在zài船chuán边上biānshang做zuò了le一个yígè记号jìhao，说shuō：“我wǒ的de剑jiàn就是jiùshì从cóng这儿zhèr掉diào下去xiàqu的de。记jì好hǎo了le，等děng一会儿yíhuìr再zài找zhǎo。”

船chuán继续jìxù往前wǎngqián走zǒu。过guò了le很hěn久jiǔ，船chuán终于zhōngyú到dào了le对面duìmiàn，停tíng了le下来xiàlai。

这zhè个gè人rén马上mǎshàng脱tuō了le衣服yīfu，从cóng做zuò记号jìhao的de地方dìfang跳进tiàojìn水shuǐ里，找zhǎo他tā的de剑jiàn。他tā找zhǎo啊a找zhǎo，找zhǎo了le半天bàntiān，什么shénme也yě没méi找到zhǎodào。

他tā从cóng水shuǐ里出来chūlái，看kàn着zhe船chuán上shàng的de记号jìhao，怎么zěnme也yě想xiǎng不bù明白míngbai：“奇怪qíguài，剑jiàn就是jiùshì从cóng这儿zhèr掉diào下去xiàqu的de啊a！”

船chuán上shàng的de人rén都dōu笑xiào了le：船chuán一直yìzhí在zài往wǎng前qián走zǒu，可是kěshì剑jiàn没有méiyǒu走zǒu啊a！

这个zhège故事gùshi来自láizì两千多liǎngqiānduō年nián前qián的de《吕氏春秋lǚshì-chūnqiū》。今天jīntiān，“刻舟求剑kèzhōu-qiújiàn”说shuō的de是shì：事情shìqing已经yǐjīng变biàn了le，有的yǒude人rén还hái在zài用yòng老lǎo办法bànfǎ，不bù知道zhīdào变biàn一yí变biàn。比如bǐrú：“现在xiànzài大家dàjiā都dōu用yòng手机shǒujī付钱fùqián了le，你nǐ的de店diàn还hái只能zhǐnéng用yòng现金xiànjīn，这zhè不是búshì刻舟求剑kèzhōu-qiújiàn吗ma？”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
船	chuán	boat; ship
中间	zhōngjiān	middle; center
小心	xiǎoxīn	to be careful; to watch out for; careful; cautious
久	jiǔ	long (time)
地方	dìfang	place
半天	bàntiān	a long time; quite a while
明白	míngbai	to understand; to realize
奇怪	qíguài	strange; odd; weird
一直	yìzhí	always; all along; continuously
故事	gùshi	story; tale
来自	láizì	to come from; to originate from
变	biàn	to change; to become; change; transformation

English (for the teacher)

More than two thousand years ago, a man from the state of Chu was crossing a river. He sat in the boat holding a fine sword, the thing he loved most.

In the middle of the river he slipped up, and the sword fell out of his hand into the water.

Everyone on the boat cried out, “Quick! Quick, get in and find it!”

But the man wasn’t worried in the slightest. He took out a little knife, made a mark on the side of the boat and said, “This is exactly where my sword fell in. There, it’s marked. I’ll look for it in a bit.”

The boat carried on. After a long while it finally reached the other side and stopped.

The man immediately took off his clothes, jumped into the water at the spot where he had made his mark, and looked for his sword. He searched and searched for ages, and found nothing at all.

He climbed out, stared at the mark on the boat, and just couldn’t work it out: “That’s strange, this is exactly where it fell in!”

Everyone on the boat laughed: the boat had been moving the whole time, but the sword hadn’t!

This story comes from the Lüshi Chunqiu, written more than two thousand years ago. Today 刻舟求剑, “marking the boat to find the sword”, means that things have changed but someone keeps using the old way and won’t adapt. For example: “Everyone pays with their phone now and your shop still takes only cash. Isn’t that marking the boat to find the sword?”