HSK 3 · Story · 334 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/kong-rong-rang-li-kong-rong-and-the-pears

孔融让梨

Kong Rong and the pears: the boy who took the smallest one

Name: ________________ Date: ________

一千八百多yìqiānbābǎiduō年nián前qián，有yǒu一yí个gè小男孩xiǎonánhái，叫jiào孔融kǒngróng。他tā家jiā一共有七qī个gè兄弟xiōngdì，他tā排pái第dì六liù：上面shàngmiàn有yǒu五wǔ个gè哥哥gēge，下面xiàmiàn还有háiyǒu一yí个gè弟弟dìdi。

孔融kǒngróng四sì岁suì那年nànián，有yǒu一次yícì家里jiālǐ人rén坐zuò在zài一起yìqǐ吃chī梨lí。一yì盘pán梨lí放fàng到dào桌子zhuōzi上shàng，有yǒu大dà的de，也yě有yǒu小xiǎo的de。

哥哥gēge们men都dōu拿ná了le大dà的de。轮lún到dào孔融kǒngróng了le，他tā伸出shēnchū小手xiáoshǒu，没有méiyǒu拿ná大dà的de，也yě没有méiyǒu拿ná好看hǎokàn的de，而是érshì拿ná了le一个yígè最zuì小xiǎo的de。

大人们觉得juéde很hěn奇怪qíguài，问wèn他tā：“你nǐ为什么wèishénme拿ná最zuì小xiǎo的de？”

孔融kǒngróng认真rènzhēn地de回答huídá：“我wǒ是shì小孩子xiǎoháizi，就jiù应该yīnggāi拿ná小xiǎo的de。”

大人们听tīng了le，都dōu很hěn喜欢xǐhuān他tā。这zhè件jiàn事shì越yuè传chuán越yuè远yuǎn。在zài后来hòulái很hěn多duō人rén讲jiǎng的de故事gùshi里，孔融kǒngróng还hái多duō说shuō了le一yí句jù：“我wǒ是shì哥哥gēge，也yě应该yīnggāi让ràng着zhe弟弟dìdi。”

从cóng宋朝sòngcháo开始kāishǐ，很hěn多duō孩子háizi上学shàngxué都dōu要yào读dú《三字经sānzìjīng》，里面lǐmiàn就jiù有yǒu这样zhèyàng一yí句jù话huà：“融róng四sì岁suì，能néng让ràng梨lí。”孔融kǒngróng长大zhǎngdà以后yǐhòu，成chéng了le很hěn有名yǒumíng的de文人wénrén。对了duìle，他tā还是háishi孔子kóngzǐ的de第二十dì’èrshí代dài孙子。

今天jīntiān，“孔融让梨”说shuō的de是shì懂事dǒngshì、知道zhīdào让ràng着zhe别人biéren。中国zhōngguó的de爸爸bàba妈妈māma常常chángcháng对duì孩子háizi说shuō：“你nǐ是shì哥哥gēge，学学xuéxue孔融kǒngróng让ràng梨lí，把bǎ大dà的de给gěi妹妹mèimei吧ba。”

当然dāngrán，也yě有yǒu孩子háizi会huì说shuō：“我们wǒmen家jiā只有zhíyǒu我wǒ一yí个gè孩子háizi，所以suóyǐ，大dà的de小xiǎo的de都dōu是shì我wǒ的de！”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
上面	shàngmiàn	above; on top of; on the surface of
一起	yìqǐ	together
拿	ná	to take; to hold; to carry
远	yuǎn	far; distant
里面	lǐmiàn	inside; interior
这样	zhèyàng	like this; this way
放	fàng	to put; to place
奇怪	qíguài	strange; odd; weird
认真	rènzhēn	conscientious; earnest; serious; to take seriously
回答	huídá	to answer; to reply; answer; reply
后来	hòulái	afterwards; later
讲	jiǎng	to speak; to say; to tell

English (for the teacher)

More than eighteen hundred years ago, there was a little boy called Kong Rong. There were seven brothers in his family and he was the sixth: five older brothers above him and one younger brother below.

The year Kong Rong was four, the family once sat down together to eat pears. A plate of pears was put on the table, some big and some small.

His older brothers all took big ones. When it was Kong Rong’s turn, he reached out his little hand and took neither a big one nor a nice-looking one, but the very smallest.

The adults found this odd and asked him, “Why did you take the smallest one?”

Kong Rong answered seriously, “I’m a little kid, so I should take a little one.”

The adults loved him for it. Word of it spread further and further. In the versions many people told later, Kong Rong says one more thing: “And I’m an older brother, so I should let my little brother go first.”

From the Song dynasty on, many children read the Three Character Classic at school, and it contains the line: “Rong, at four, could give up the pears.” When Kong Rong grew up, he became a famous scholar. Oh, and he was also a twentieth-generation descendant of Confucius.

Today 孔融让梨, “Kong Rong gives up the pears”, is about being thoughtful and letting others go first. Chinese parents often tell their kids, “You’re the big brother. Be like Kong Rong and give the big one to your little sister.”

Of course, some kids will say, “I’m the only child in our family, so the big ones and the small ones are all mine!”