HSK 4 · Story · 461 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/legend-of-nian-chinese-new-year-monster

年兽来了

The legend of Nian, the Chinese New Year monster

Name: ________________ Date: ________

除夕chúxī晚上wǎnshang，外面wàimiàn的de鞭炮biānpào一直yìzhí在zài响xiǎng。我wǒ问wèn奶奶nǎinai：“过年guònián为什么wèishénme要yào放鞭炮fàngbiānpào？门mén上shàng为什么wèishénme要yào贴tiē红纸hóngzhǐ？”

奶奶nǎinai笑xiào了le：“因为yīnwèi年nián兽shòu啊a。”她tā给gěi我wǒ讲jiǎng了le一个yígè很hěn老lǎo的de故事gùshi，是shì她tā的de奶奶nǎinai讲jiǎng给gěi她tā听tīng的de。

很hěn久jiǔ以前yǐqián，大海dàhǎi里住zhù着zhe一yì只zhī怪兽guàishòu，名字míngzi叫jiào“年nián”。它tā又yòu高gāo又yòu大dà，样子yàngzi很hěn可怕kěpà。它tā一yì年nián只zhǐ出来chūlái一次yícì，就jiù在zài一yì年nián的de最后zuìhòu一个yígè晚上wǎnshang。它tā会huì来到láidào村子cūnzi里，吃chī村里cūnlǐ的de鸡jī和hé羊yáng，有时候yǒushíhou还hái吃chī人rén。

所以suóyǐ每年měinián的de这zhè一天yìtiān，村里cūnlǐ的de人rén都dōu会huì带dài着zhe老人lǎorén和hé孩子háizi到dào山shān上去shàngqu。

有yǒu一yì年nián，村里cūnlǐ来lái了le一个yígè白头发báitóufa的de老爷爷lǎoyéye。只有zhíyǒu一yí位wèi老奶奶láonǎinai给gěi了le他tā一yì碗wǎn饭fàn，对duì他tā说shuō：“快kuài跟gēn我们wǒmen上山shàngshān吧ba，年nián兽shòu要yào来lái了le！”

老爷爷lǎoyéye笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“让ràng我wǒ在zài你nǐ家jiā住zhù一个yígè晚上wǎnshang，我wǒ能néng把bǎ年nián兽shòu赶走gánzǒu。”老奶奶láonǎinai不bù相信xiāngxìn，可是kěshì他tā不bù走zǒu，她tā只好zhíhǎo一yí个gè人rén上山shàngshān了le。

半夜bànyè，年nián兽shòu来lái了le。它tā走zǒu到dào老奶奶láonǎinai家门口jiāménkǒu，突然tūrán停tíng了le下来xiàlai。门mén上shàng贴tiē着zhe红纸hóngzhǐ，房子fángzi里的de灯dēng亮亮liàngliàng的de。

年兽正要zhèngyào进去jìnqu，院子yuànzi里突然tūrán响起xiángqǐ了le很hěn大dà的de声音shēngyīn：“啪pā，啪pā，啪pā！”原来yuánlái是shì老爷爷lǎoyéye在zài火huǒ里烧shāo竹子zhúzi。他tā穿chuān着zhe红hóng衣服yīfu，站zhàn在zài火huǒ旁边pángbiān大笑dàxiào。

年nián兽shòu害怕hàipà极了jíle，头tóu也yě不bù回huí地de回到huídào了le大海dàhǎi里。

第二天dì’èrtiān，大家dàjiā回到huídào村里cūnlǐ，看见kànjiàn村子cūnzi好好háohǎo的de。老奶奶láonǎinai这zhè才cái明白míngbai：年nián兽shòu怕pà红色hóngsè，怕pà火huǒ，也yě怕pà很hěn大dà的de声音shēngyīn。

从cóng那nà以后yǐhòu，每年měinián的de最后zuìhòu一个yígè晚上wǎnshang，家家jiājiā都dōu贴tiē红纸hóngzhǐ，挂guà红hóng灯笼dēnglong，放鞭炮fàngbiānpào，一yì晚上wǎnshang不bú睡觉shuìjiào，等děng新年xīnnián来lái。人们rénmen说shuō，这zhè就jiù叫jiào“过年guònián”。

奶奶nǎinai刚gāng讲jiǎng完wán，外面wàimiàn又yòu“啪pā”的de一声yìshēng。我wǒ马上mǎshàng站zhàn到dào了le奶奶nǎinai的de后面hòumiàn。

奶奶nǎinai笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“你nǐ又yòu不是búshì年nián兽shòu，怕pà什么shénme？”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
一直	yìzhí	always; all along; continuously
讲	jiǎng	to speak; to say; to tell
故事	gùshi	story; tale
久	jiǔ	long (time)
以前	yǐqián	before; previously; formerly
最后	zuìhòu	finally; in the end; last; final
鸡	jī	chicken; fowl
羊	yáng	sheep; goat
老人	lǎorén	old person; the elderly
山	shān	mountain; hill
只有	zhíyǒu	only; only if; unless
碗	wǎn	bowl

English (for the teacher)

On New Year's Eve the firecrackers outside wouldn't stop. I asked Grandma, “Why do we set off firecrackers at New Year? Why do we put red paper on the doors?”

Grandma laughed. “Because of the Nian beast.” She told me a very old story, one her own grandmother had told her.

Long ago, a monster lived in the sea, and its name was Nian. It was huge and it looked terrifying. It came out only once a year, on the very last night of the year. It would come into the village and eat the village's chickens and sheep, and sometimes people too.

So every year on that day, the villagers took the old and the children up into the mountains.

One year, an old man with white hair came to the village. Only one old woman gave him a bowl of rice and told him, “Come up the mountain with us, quick, the Nian is coming!”

The old man smiled. “Let me stay in your house for one night, and I'll drive the Nian away.” The old woman didn't believe him, but he wouldn't leave, so she had to go up the mountain alone.

At midnight the Nian came. It reached the old woman's door and suddenly stopped. There was red paper on the door, and the lights in the house were bright.

Just as the Nian was about to go in, there was a huge noise in the yard: “Bang, bang, bang!” It was the old man, burning bamboo in a fire. He stood by the fire in red clothes, laughing out loud.

The Nian was terrified and went straight back into the sea without looking back.

The next day everyone came back and found the village perfectly fine. Only then did the old woman understand: the Nian was afraid of red, afraid of fire, and afraid of loud noises.

From then on, on the last night of every year, every family put up red paper, hung red lanterns, set off firecrackers and stayed up all night waiting for the new year. People say that is why it's called guònián, “getting past Nian”.

Grandma had only just finished when there was another bang outside. I jumped behind her straight away.

Grandma laughed. “You're not the Nian, so what are you scared of?”