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HSK 3 · Chapter 1 · 760 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/oath-in-the-peach-garden-three-kingdoms-easy-chinese-1

桃园结义

The Oath in the Peach Garden

Name: ________________ Date: ________

“黄巾军huángjīnjūn来lái了le！谁shéi想xiǎng去qù打dǎ他们tāmen，就jiù来lái这里zhèlǐ！”涿县的de城门chéngmén上shàng有yǒu一yì张zhāng很hěn大dà的de纸zhǐ，上面shàngmiàn写xiě着zhe这zhè几jǐ句jù话huà。很hěn多duō人rén站zhàn在zài前面qiánmiàn看kàn。

那nà时候shíhou，汉朝hàncháo已经yǐjīng快kuài不行bùxíng了le。黄巾军huángjīnjūn到处dàochù打人dǎrén，百姓bǎixìng的de生活shēnghuó非常fēicháng难nán。

看kàn的de人rén里面lǐmiàn，有yǒu一个yígè二十八èrshíbā岁suì的de年轻人niánqīngrén，叫jiào刘备liúbèi。他tā的de耳朵ěrduo特别tèbié大dà，手shǒu特别tèbié长cháng，站zhàn着zhe的de时候shíhou，手shǒu能néng到dào膝盖xīgài。几百jíbǎi年nián前qián，他tā家jiā和hé皇帝huángdì是shì一家人yìjiārén；可是kěshì到dào了le他tā，家里jiālǐ已经yǐjīng没有méiyǒu钱qián了le，只能zhǐnéng和hé妈妈māma一起yìqǐ卖mài草鞋cǎoxié。刘备liúbèi看kàn着zhe那nà张zhāng纸zhǐ，看kàn了le很hěn久jiǔ，一直yìzhí在zài叹气tànqì。

“是shì个gè男人nánrén，就jiù去qù为wèi国家guójiā做事zuòshì，在zài这里zhèlǐ叹气tànqì干什么gànshénme！”刘备liúbèi身后shēnhòu突然tūrán有人yǒurén大声dàshēng说shuō。刘备liúbèi一yí看kàn，这zhè个gè人rén个子gèzi很hěn高gāo，眼睛yǎnjing很hěn大dà，脸liǎn上shàng都dōu是shì胡子húzi，声音shēngyīn像xiàng打雷dǎléi一样yíyàng。

这zhè个gè人rén叫jiào张飞zhāngfēi，在zài这里zhèlǐ卖mài酒jiǔ、卖肉màiròu，家里jiālǐ很hěn有钱yǒuqián。刘备liúbèi说shuō：“我wǒ也yě想xiǎng打dǎ黄巾军huángjīnjūn，让ràng百姓bǎixìng过guò得de好hǎo一点yìdiǎn。可是kěshì我wǒ没有méiyǒu钱qián，也yě没有méiyǒu人rén，所以suóyǐ才cái叹气tànqì。”张飞zhāngfēi说shuō：“我wǒ有钱yǒuqián啊a！我们wǒmen一起yìqǐ找zhǎo人rén，一起yìqǐ去qù打dǎ黄巾军huángjīnjūn，怎么样zěnmeyàng？”刘备liúbèi听tīng了le，非常fēicháng高兴gāoxìng。两liǎng个gè人rén就jiù走进zǒujìn旁边pángbiān的de一yì家jiā小店xiǎodiàn喝酒hējiǔ。

他们tāmen正zhèng喝hē着zhe，门口ménkǒu进来jìnlái一个yígè很hěn高gāo的de男人nánrén。他tā一yí坐下zuòxià就jiù说shuō：“快kuài拿ná酒jiǔ来lái！我wǒ喝hē完wán还hái要yào去qù打dǎ黄巾军huángjīnjūn！”刘备liúbèi抬头táitóu一yí看kàn：这zhè个gè人rén比bǐ张飞zhāngfēi还hái高gāo，脸liǎn是shì红色hóngsè的de，黑色hēisè的de胡子húzi很hěn长cháng很hěn长cháng。

刘备liúbèi请qǐng他tā过来guòlái一起yìqǐ坐zuò。那nà个gè人rén说shuō：“我wǒ叫jiào关羽guānyǔ。我家wǒjiā那里nàlǐ有yǒu个gè坏人huàirén，因为yīnwèi有钱yǒuqián，天天tiāntiān打dǎ别人biérén，我wǒ就jiù杀shā了le他tā。这zhè五六年wǔliùnián，我wǒ一直yìzhí在zài外面wàimiàn，不能bùnéng回家huíjiā。现在xiànzài听说tīngshuō这里zhèlǐ要yào人rén打dǎ黄巾军huángjīnjūn，我wǒ就jiù来lái了le。”

三sān个gè人rén越yuè说shuō越yuè高兴gāoxìng。张飞zhāngfēi说shuō：“我家wǒjiā后面hòumiàn有yǒu个gè桃园táoyuán，现在xiànzài桃花táohuā开kāi得de很hěn好看hǎokàn。明天míngtiān，我们wǒmen就jiù在zài桃园táoyuán里li做zuò兄弟xiōngdì！”刘备liúbèi和hé关羽guānyǔ一起yìqǐ说shuō：“好hǎo！”

第二天dì’èrtiān，桃园táoyuán里li到处dàochù都dōu是shì桃花táohuā。三sān个gè人rén对duì着zhe老天lǎotiān，大声dàshēng说shuō：“我们wǒmen三sān个gè人rén不是búshì一家人yìjiārén，可是kěshì从cóng今天jīntiān起qǐ，就是jiùshì兄弟xiōngdì了le。我们wǒmen要yào一起yìqǐ帮bāng国家guójiā，帮bāng百姓bǎixìng。不bù求qiú同年tóngnián同tóng月yuè同日tóngrì生shēng，只zhǐ愿yuàn同年tóngnián同tóng月yuè同日tóngrì死sǐ！”意思yìsi是shì：我们wǒmen不是búshì同tóng一yì天tiān出生chūshēng的de，可是kěshì希望xīwàng在zài同tóng一yì天tiān死sǐ。不管bùguǎn发生fāshēng什么shénme，谁shéi也yě不会búhuì离开líkāi谁shéi。

三sān个gè人rén里li，刘备liúbèi最zuì大dà，是shì大哥dàgē；关羽guānyǔ第二dì’èr，是shì二哥èrgē；张飞zhāngfēi最zuì小xiǎo，是shì三sān弟dì。那天nàtiān，他们tāmen找zhǎo来lái了le三百多sānbǎiduō个gè年轻人niánqīngrén，大家dàjiā在zài桃园táoyuán里li一起yìqǐ喝酒hējiǔ，一直yìzhí喝hē到dào晚上wǎnshang。

后来hòulái，他们tāmen又yòu请qǐng人rén做zuò了le武器wǔqì。刘备liúbèi有yǒu两liǎng把bǎ剑jiàn。关羽guānyǔ的de大刀dàdāo叫jiào青龙偃月刀qīnglóngyǎnyuèdāo。这zhè把bǎ刀dāo有yǒu八十二bāshí’èr斤jīn重zhòng。张飞zhāngfēi的de武器wǔqì叫jiào丈八蛇矛zhàngbā-shémáo，很hěn长cháng很hěn长cháng。

就jiù这样zhèyàng，三sān兄弟xiōngdì带dài着zhe几百jíbǎi个gè人rén出发chūfā了le。可是kěshì那nà时候shíhou，到处dàochù都dōu有yǒu手下shǒuxià几万jǐwàn人rén的de大人物dàrénwù。只有zhíyǒu几百jíbǎi个gè人rén的de三sān兄弟xiōngdì，能néng走zǒu多duō远yuǎn呢ne？

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
张zhāngclassifier for flat objects (paper, tables, beds, faces)
纸zhǐpaper
句jùsentence
不行bùxíngwon't do; not allowed
到处dàochùeverywhere; all over
生活shēnghuólife; to live
难nándifficult; hard
耳朵ěrduoear
可是kěshìbut; however
只能zhǐnéngcan only; have no choice but to
久jiǔlong (time)
一直yìzhíall along; continuously; straight (ahead)

Lesson plan: 45 minutes (for the teacher)

HSK 3 · The Oath in the Peach Garden. By the end, students can read it aloud, say what it is about and use 张 and 纸 in sentences of their own.

  1. Warm-up 5 min

    Write 桃园结义 on the board. Ask what the class thinks it is about, then give the English: “The Oath in the Peach Garden”.

  2. Key words 10 min

    Teach 张 (zhāng, classifier for flat objects (paper, tables, beds, faces)), 纸 (zhǐ, paper), 句 (jù, sentence), 不行 (bùxíng, won't do; not allowed), 到处 (dàochù, everywhere; all over), 生活 (shēnghuó, life; to live). Say each one, the class says it back, then ask for its meaning with the word covered. The rest are in the handout’s table.

  3. Listen 10 min

    Play it read aloud from mandarinthewild.com/library/read/oath-in-the-peach-garden-three-kingdoms-easy-chinese-1: once with the text face down, once reading along. Students tap any word there for its meaning.

  4. Read and check 10 min

    Students read it alone, then tell a partner in two sentences of Chinese what it says.

  5. Use it 10 min

    In pairs, each student writes two sentences of their own, one with 张 and one with 纸, and reads one to the class.

Homework. Students read it again at home and Review its words. Put it in a free class (mandarinthewild.com/teachers/class) and you see who read it.

English (for the teacher)

"The Yellow Turbans are coming! Whoever wants to fight them, come here!" On the city gate of Zhuo County hung a huge sheet of paper with these words on it. A crowd stood in front of it, reading.

By then the Han was close to falling apart. The Yellow Turbans were attacking people everywhere, and life for ordinary people was very hard.

Among the readers was a young man of twenty-eight called Liu Bei. His ears were unusually big and his arms unusually long: standing up, his hands reached his knees. Hundreds of years earlier his family had been the emperor's own family; but by his time the money was gone, and he made a living selling straw sandals with his mother. Liu Bei looked at that sheet of paper for a long time, sighing all the while.

"If you're a man, go and do something for your country. What are you sighing here for?" Someone behind Liu Bei suddenly said it loudly. Liu Bei turned to look: the man was very tall, with big eyes, a face covered in whiskers, and a voice like thunder.

His name was Zhang Fei; he sold wine and meat there, and his family had plenty of money. Liu Bei said: "I want to fight the Yellow Turbans too, so people can live a little better. But I have no money and no men. That's why I was sighing." Zhang Fei said: "I've got money! Let's find men together and go and fight the Yellow Turbans together. What do you say?" Liu Bei was delighted to hear it. So the two of them went into a little inn nearby to drink.

While they were drinking, a very tall man came in through the door. The moment he sat down he said: "Bring me wine, quick! When I've drunk it I'm off to fight the Yellow Turbans!" Liu Bei looked up: this man was even taller than Zhang Fei, with a red face and a long, long black beard.

Liu Bei invited him over to sit with them. The man said: "My name is Guan Yu. Where I come from there was a bad man who, because he was rich, beat other people every day, so I killed him. For five or six years now I've been on the road and couldn't go home. Now I hear they want men here to fight the Yellow Turbans, so I've come."

The more the three of them talked, the happier they were. Zhang Fei said: "Behind my house there's a peach garden, and the peach blossom is lovely right now. Tomorrow, in the peach garden, let's become brothers!" Liu Bei and Guan Yu said together: "Yes!"

The next day there was peach blossom everywhere in the garden. The three men faced Heaven and said loudly: "We three are not one family, but from today we are brothers. Together we will help our country and help its people. We do not ask to be born in the same year, the same month, on the same day; we only wish to die in the same year, the same month, on the same day!" That means: we weren't born on the same day, but we hope to die on the same day. Whatever happens, none of us will ever leave the others.

Of the three, Liu Bei was the oldest, so he was the eldest brother; Guan Yu came second, the second brother; Zhang Fei was the youngest, the third brother. That day they gathered more than three hundred young men, and everyone drank together in the peach garden until night.

After that they had weapons made. Liu Bei had a pair of swords. Guan Yu's great blade was called the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. It weighed eighty-two jin. Zhang Fei's weapon was called the Serpent Spear, and it was very, very long.

And so the three brothers set out with a few hundred men. But in those days there were great lords everywhere with tens of thousands of men under them. How far could three brothers with only a few hundred men go?