HSK 5 · Story · 590 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/kuafu-chases-the-sun

夸父追日

Kuafu chases the sun

Name: ________________ Date: ________

如果rúguǒ太阳tàiyáng每天měitiān都dōu要yào落下luòxià去qù，那么nàme它tā到底dàodǐ去qù了le哪里nálǐ？几千jǐqiān年nián前qián，有yǒu一yí个gè巨人jùrén也yě想xiǎng知道zhīdào这zhè个gè问题wèntí的de答案dá’àn。他tā的de名字míngzi叫jiào夸父。

传说chuánshuō这zhè个gè巨人jùrén住zhù在zài北方běifāng的de大山dàshān里，个子gèzi高gāo得de像xiàng山shān一样yíyàng，力气lìqi大dà得de惊人jīngrén。他tā每天měitiān看kàn着zhe太阳tàiyáng从cóng东边dōngbiān升起shēngqǐ，又yòu从cóng西边xībiān落下luòxià，心里xīnli总是zǒngshì不服气bùfúqì：“它tā凭什么píngshénme想xiǎng走zǒu就jiù走zǒu？我wǒ要yào追zhuī上shàng它tā，把bǎ它tā抓住zhuāzhù，让ràng它tā永远yóngyuǎn挂guà在zài天上tiānshàng。”

有yǒu一yì天tiān早上zǎoshang，太阳tàiyáng刚刚gānggāng出来chūlái，巨人jùrén就jiù拿起náqǐ一yì根gēn木mù杖zhàng，迈开màikāi大步dàbù出发chūfā了le。他tā一yí步bù就jiù能néng跨过kuàguò一yí座zuò小山xiǎoshān，一会儿yíhuìr就jiù走出zǒuchū了le几百jíbǎi里lǐ。太阳tàiyáng往wǎng西xī走zǒu，他tā也yě往wǎng西xī追zhuī，翻过fānguò一yí座zuò又yòu一yí座zuò高山gāoshān，走过zǒuguò了le大片dàpiàn大片dàpiàn的de原野yuányě。

太阳tàiyáng越来越yuèláiyuè近jìn，巨人jùrén也yě越来越yuèláiyuè热rè。离lí太阳tàiyáng近jìn的de地方dìfang，空气kōngqì热rè得de像xiàng火huǒ一样yíyàng，他tā浑身húnshēn是shì汗hàn，嗓子sǎngzi疼téng得de厉害lìhai。他tā终于zhōngyú追zhuī到dào了le太阳tàiyáng落下luòxià去qù的de地方dìfang，马上mǎshàng就要jiùyào碰到pèngdào它tā了le。可是kěshì这时候zhèshíhou，他tā口渴kóukě极了jíle，一点yìdiǎn力气lìqi也yě没有méiyǒu了le。

他tā趴pā在zài黄河huánghé边上biānshang，大口dàkǒu大口dàkǒu地de喝水hēshuǐ，没méi过多久duōjiǔ，竟然jìngrán把bǎ黄河huánghé的de水shuǐ全quán喝hē光guāng了le。他tā还是háishi觉得juéde渴kě，又yòu赶到gǎndào渭河wèihé，把bǎ渭河wèihé的de水shuǐ也yě喝hē光guāng了le。可是kěshì这zhè两liǎng条tiáo大河dàhé的de水shuǐ加jiā起来qǐlai，也yě不够búgòu他tā喝hē。

他tā想起xiángqǐ北方běifāng有yǒu一个yígè很hěn大dà很hěn大dà的de湖hú，站zhàn在zài岸边ànbiān根本gēnběn看不到kànbudào对面duìmiàn，于是yúshì毫不犹豫háobù-yóuyù地de向xiàng北běi走zǒu去qù。可是kěshì那nà个gè湖hú实在shízài太tài远yuǎn了le。还hái没méi走zǒu到dào，巨人jùrén就jiù倒dǎo在zài了le半路bànlù上shàng，再也zàiyě没有méiyǒu起来qǐlai。

据说jùshuō，在zài他tā倒下dǎoxià以前yǐqián，他tā把bǎ手里shǒuli的de木mù杖zhàng扔rēng了le出去chūqu。木mù杖zhàng掉diào在zài地上dìshang，竟然jìngrán变成biànchéng了le一yí大片dàpiàn桃林táolín，树shù上shàng长满zhángmǎn了le又yòu红hóng又yòu甜tián的de桃子táozi。后来hòulái路过lùguò这里zhèlǐ的de人rén又yòu累lèi又yòu渴kě的de时候shíhou，就jiù可以kéyǐ停tíng下来xiàlai，摘zhāi几jǐ个gè桃子táozi吃chī。

这zhè个gè故事gùshi最zuì早zǎo记载jìzǎi在zài《山海经shānhǎijīng》里li，只有zhíyǒu短短duánduǎn的de三十几sānshíjǐ个gè字zì。后来hòulái，“夸父追日kuāfù-zhuīrì”成chéng了le一yí个gè成语chéngyǔ。有人yǒurén用yòng它tā说shuō一yí个gè人rén不bù知道zhīdào自己zìjǐ有yǒu多大duōdà的de能力nénglì，去qù做zuò根本gēnběn做不到zuòbudào的de事shì。也yě有人yǒurén说shuō，这zhè个gè巨人jùrén知道zhīdào很hěn难nán，却què坚持jiānchí到dào了le最后zuìhòu，这zhè正是zhèngshì一种yìzhǒng了不起liǎobuqǐ的de勇气yǒngqì。

你nǐ觉得juéde他tā是shì傻shǎ，还是háishi勇敢yónggǎn呢ne？

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
答案	dá’àn	answer; solution
力气	lìqi	strength; effort
永远	yóngyuǎn	forever; always; eternally
挂	guà	to hang; to put up
步	bù	step; pace
座	zuò	constellation; zodiac sign (as in 巨蟹座)
空气	kōngqì	air
火	huǒ	fire
汗	hàn	speechless; embarrassed (internet reaction)
全	quán	whole; all; entire; complete; completely; entirely
光	guāng	light; ray
不够	búgòu	not enough; insufficient

English (for the teacher)

If the sun has to set every day, where on earth does it go? Thousands of years ago, a giant wanted to know the answer too. His name was Kuafu.

Legend says this giant lived in the great mountains of the north; he was as tall as a mountain and astonishingly strong. Every day he watched the sun rise in the east and set in the west, and it always annoyed him: “What gives it the right to leave whenever it likes? I’m going to catch it, grab it, and keep it hanging in the sky forever.”

One morning, just as the sun came up, the giant picked up a wooden staff and set off with huge strides. One step took him over a hill, and in no time he had covered hundreds of li. The sun went west and he chased it west, over mountain after mountain and across vast open plains.

The closer the sun came, the hotter the giant got. Near the sun the air was as hot as fire; he was dripping with sweat and his throat hurt badly. At last he reached the place where the sun goes down, and he was about to touch it. But at that moment he was so thirsty he had no strength left at all.

He lay down on the bank of the Yellow River and drank in great gulps, and before long, unbelievably, he had drunk the whole river dry. He was still thirsty, so he hurried to the Wei River and drank that dry too. But the water of both great rivers together was not enough for him.

He remembered a huge lake in the north, so big you couldn’t see the far shore, and without a moment’s hesitation he headed north. But the lake was simply too far away. Before he got there, the giant collapsed halfway and never got up again.

It is said that before he fell, he threw away the staff in his hand. Where it landed, it turned into a great peach forest, its trees heavy with sweet red peaches. Ever since, travellers passing by tired and thirsty can stop and pick a few peaches to eat.

The story first appears in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, in just over thirty characters. Later, “Kuafu chases the sun” became an idiom. Some people use it for someone who doesn’t know his own limits and tries to do the impossible. Others say the giant knew how hard it was and kept going to the end, and that is a remarkable kind of courage.

Do you think he was foolish, or brave?