HSK 3 · Story · 349 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/kung-fu-class-story-the-oldest-student

七十五岁的同学

The kung fu class story: the oldest student

Name: ________________ Date: ________

我wǒ在zài学xué功夫gōngfu。我们wǒmen班bān有yǒu十二shí’èr个gè学生xuéshēng：十一shíyī个gè是shì小孩子xiǎoháizi，还有háiyǒu一个yígè是shì张爷爷。张爷爷今年jīnnián七十五qīshíwǔ岁suì了le。

第一dìyī天tiān，他tā穿chuān着zhe白bái衣服yīfu进来，大家dàjiā都dōu笑xiào了le。我wǒ小声xiǎoshēng问wèn妈妈māma：“他tā是shì新xīn老师lǎoshī吗ma？”

不是búshì。他tā是shì新xīn同学tóngxué。

我们wǒmen的de老师lǎoshī才cái二十六èrshíliù岁suì。她tā叫jiào张爷爷“张zhāng同学tóngxué”，张爷爷呢ne，很hěn认真rènzhēn地de叫jiào她tā“老师lǎoshī”。

张zhāng爷爷yéye做zuò得de很hěn慢màn。我们wǒmen踢tī三次sāncì，他tā才cái踢tī一次yícì。

可是kěshì他tā每次měicì都dōu是shì第一dìyī个gè来lái，最后zuìhòu一个yígè走zǒu。下课xiàkè以后yǐhòu，他tā还hái一yí个gè人rén在zài那里nàlǐ练习liànxí。

有yǒu一天yìtiān，我wǒ问wèn他tā：“张爷爷，你nǐ为什么wèishénme来lái学xué功夫gōngfu？”

他tā说shuō：“我wǒ小时候xiǎoshíhou很hěn想xiǎng学xué，可是kěshì家里jiālǐ没有méiyǒu钱qián。后来hòulái要yào工作gōngzuò，要yào照顾zhàogu孩子háizi。现在xiànzài，我wǒ终于zhōngyú有yǒu时间shíjiān了le。”

到dào了le年底niándǐ，我们wǒmen要yào给gěi家长jiāzhǎng表演biáoyǎn。我wǒ太tài紧张jǐnzhāng了le，一yì开始kāishǐ就jiù忘wàng了le下xià一个yígè动作dòngzuò。别的biéde小朋友xiǎopéngyou也yě忘wàng了le。

我们wǒmen都dōu站zhàn在zài那里nàlǐ，不bù知道zhīdào怎么办zěnmebàn。

这时候zhèshíhou，张爷爷还hái在zài慢慢mànmàn地de做zuò，一yí个gè动作dòngzuò，又yòu一yí个gè动作dòngzuò，一个yígè也yě没有méiyǒu错cuò。

我们wǒmen就jiù跟着gēnzhe他tā做zuò。最后zuìhòu，大家dàjiā一起yìqǐ做zuò完wán了le。

家长jiāzhǎng们men都dōu站zhàn起来qǐlai鼓掌gúzhǎng。老师lǎoshī笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“今天jīntiān，张zhāng同学tóngxué是shì我们wǒmen的de老师lǎoshī。”

回家huíjiā的de路上lùshang，我wǒ问wèn张爷爷：“你nǐ明年míngnián还hái学xué吗ma？”

“学xué啊a，”他tā说shuō，“明年míngnián，我wǒ要yào踢tī得de比bǐ你nǐ高gāo。”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
班	bān	class; team (as in 班级)
笑	xiào	to laugh; to smile
慢	màn	slow; to slow down
踢	tī	to kick
小时候	xiǎoshíhou	in one's childhood; when one was little
开始	kāishǐ	to begin; to start; beginning
忘	wàng	to forget; to overlook
站	zhàn	station; stop
错	cuò	wrong; mistaken; mistake; fault
一起	yìqǐ	together
路上	lùshang	on the way; on the road; en route
高	gāo	high; tall

English (for the teacher)

I’m learning kung fu. Our class has twelve students: eleven are kids, and one is Grandpa Zhang. Grandpa Zhang is seventy-five this year.

On the first day, he comes in wearing white, and everybody laughs. I whisper to my mum, “Is he the new teacher?”

No. He’s a new classmate.

Our teacher is only twenty-six. She calls Grandpa Zhang “Student Zhang”, and Grandpa Zhang, very seriously, calls her “Teacher”.

Grandpa Zhang is very slow. We kick three times; he kicks once.

But he’s always the first to arrive and the last to leave. After class, he stays behind and practises on his own.

One day I ask him, “Grandpa Zhang, why are you learning kung fu?”

He says, “When I was little I really wanted to learn, but my family had no money. Later there was work, and children to look after. Now I finally have the time.”

At the end of the year, the class puts on a show for the parents. I’m so nervous that right at the start I forget the next move. The other kids forget too.

We all just stand there, not knowing what to do.

Then we see Grandpa Zhang, still going slowly, one move after another, without a single mistake.

So we follow him. In the end, we all finish together.

The parents all stand up and clap. Our teacher smiles and says, “Today, Student Zhang was our teacher.”

On the way home, I ask Grandpa Zhang, “Are you coming back next year?”

“Of course,” he says. “Next year, I’m going to kick higher than you.”