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HSK 5 · Chapter 1 · 909 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/oath-in-the-peach-garden-three-kingdoms-intermediate-chinese-1

桃园结义

The Oath in the Peach Garden

Name: ________________ Date: ________

涿县的de城门口chéngménkǒu贴tiē出chū了le一yì张zhāng告示gàoshi，很hěn多duō人rén围wéi在zài前面qiánmiàn看kàn。上面shàngmiàn写xiě着zhe：黄巾军huángjīnjūn到处dàochù造反zàofǎn，官府guānfǔ正在zhèngzài找zhǎo人rén去qù打dǎ黄巾军huángjīnjūn，愿意yuànyì去qù的de人rén都dōu可以kéyǐ来lái报名bàomíng。

人群rénqún里li有yǒu一个yígè二十八èrshíbā岁suì的de男人nánrén，看kàn完wán以后yǐhòu，什么shénme也yě没méi说shuō，只是zhǐshì长长zhángzhǎng地de叹tàn了le一口气yìkǒuqì。他tā叫jiào刘备liúbèi，耳朵ěrduo很hěn大dà，几乎jīhū碰到pèngdào肩膀jiānbǎng；两liǎng只zhī手shǒu很hěn长cháng，能néng碰到pèngdào膝盖xīgài。他tā平时píngshí靠kào卖mài草鞋cǎoxié和hé席子xízi过日子guòrìzi，可kě他tā其实qíshí是shì汉朝hàncháo皇帝huángdì的de后代hòudài。现在xiànzài国家guójiā一天yìtiān比bǐ一天yìtiān乱luàn，他tā一个yígè卖mài草鞋cǎoxié的de，又yòu能néng做zuò什么shénme呢ne？

“大丈夫dàzhàngfū不bú为wèi国家guójiā出力chūlì，在zài这儿zhèr唉声叹气āishēng-tànqì干什么gànshénme！”身后shēnhòu忽然hūrán响起xiángqǐ一yí个gè声音shēngyīn，大dà得de像xiàng打雷dǎléi一样yíyàng。刘备liúbèi转身zhuǎnshēn一yí看kàn，是shì一个yígè又yòu高gāo又yòu大dà的de男人nánrén，眼睛yǎnjing又yòu圆yuán又yòu大dà，满脸mánliǎn都dōu是shì硬硬yìngyìng的de胡子húzi，样子yàngzi像xiàng一yì只zhī老虎láohǔ。这zhè个gè人rén叫jiào张飞zhāngfēi，在zài城里chénglǐ卖mài酒jiǔ、卖mài猪肉zhūròu，家里jiālǐ有yǒu不少bùshǎo钱qián。

刘备liúbèi也yě不bù生气shēngqì，把bǎ心里xīnlǐ的de想法xiángfǎ告诉gàosu了le他tā：他tā很hěn想xiǎng为wèi国家guójiā做zuò点diǎn事shì，打败dǎbài黄巾军huángjīnjūn，让ràng老百姓láobǎixìng过guò上shàng好日子hǎorìzi，可惜kěxī自己zìjǐ没有méiyǒu钱qián，也yě没有méiyǒu人rén。张飞zhāngfēi一yì拍pāi大腿dàtuǐ：“这zhè有yǒu什么shénme难nán的de？我wǒ有钱yǒuqián！咱们zánmen一起yìqǐ找zhǎo人rén，一起yìqǐ干gàn大事dàshì！”

两liǎng个gè人rén越yuè说shuō越yuè高兴gāoxìng，就jiù走进zǒujìn村里cūnlǐ的de一家yìjiā小酒馆xiáojiúguǎn喝酒hējiǔ。正zhèng喝hē着zhe，一yí个gè大个子dàgèzi推tuī着zhe车chē走zǒu了le进来jìnlai，一yí坐下zuòxià就jiù喊hǎn：“快kuài拿ná酒jiǔ来lái！我wǒ喝hē完wán了le还hái要yào赶gǎn进城jìnchéng去qù报名bàomíng！”

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，胡子húzi长长zhángzhǎng的de，脸红liǎnhóng得de像xiàng熟透shútòu的de枣zǎo，看上去kànshangqu非常fēicháng威风wēifēng。刘备liúbèi连忙liánmáng请qǐng他tā过来guòlái一起yìqǐ坐zuò，问wèn他tā叫jiào什么shénme名字míngzi。

那nà人rén说shuō：“我wǒ叫jiào关羽guānyǔ。我们wǒmen老家lǎojiā有yǒu个gè坏人huàirén，仗zhàng着zhe自己zìjǐ有钱yǒuqián，做zuò了le很hěn多duō坏事huàishì，被bèi我wǒ打死dásǐ了le。从cóng那nà以后yǐhòu，我wǒ在zài外面wàimiàn躲duǒ了le五六年wǔliùnián。听说tīngshuō这里zhèlǐ在zài找zhǎo人rén打dǎ黄巾军huángjīnjūn，我wǒ就jiù来lái了le。”

关羽guānyǔ听tīng了le刘备liúbèi的de想法xiángfǎ，也yě非常fēicháng高兴gāoxìng，三sān个gè人rén就jiù一起yìqǐ回到huídào张飞zhāngfēi家jiā，商量shāngliang大事dàshì。张飞zhāngfēi家jiā后面hòumiàn有yǒu一个yígè桃园táoyuán，园子yuánzi里li的de桃花táohuā开kāi得de正好zhènghǎo。张飞zhāngfēi说shuō：“明天míngtiān咱们zánmen就jiù在zài桃园táoyuán里li拜天地bàitiāndì，结为jiéwéi兄弟xiōngdì，以后yǐhòu一起yìqǐ干gàn大事dàshì，怎么样zěnmeyàng？”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点diǎn上shàng了le香xiāng。三sān个gè人rén跪guì在zài桃花táohuā下面xiàmiàn，大声dàshēng发誓fāshì：“我们wǒmen三sān个gè人rén虽然suīrán不是búshì一个yígè姓xìng，但是dànshì从cóng今天jīntiān起qǐ就是jiùshì兄弟xiōngdì，要yào一起yìqǐ为wèi国家guójiā出力chūlì，让ràng老百姓láobǎixìng过guò上shàng好日子hǎorìzi。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。谁shéi要是yàoshi忘wàng了le今天jīntiān的话dehuà，就jiù让ràng老天lǎotiān惩罚chéngfá他tā！”

发誓fāshì以后yǐhòu，三sān个gè人rén按àn年龄niánlíng排pái了le大小dàxiǎo：刘备liúbèi是shì大哥dàgē，关羽guānyǔ是shì二哥èrgē，张飞zhāngfēi是shì三sān弟dì。

接着jiēzhe，他们tāmen在zài村里cūnlǐ找zhǎo来lái了le三百多sānbǎiduō个gè年轻人niánqīngrén，在zài桃园táoyuán里li请qǐng大家dàjiā喝hē了le一yí顿dùn酒jiǔ。可是kěshì打仗dǎzhàng不能bùnéng没有méiyǒu马mǎ。正在zhèngzài着急zháojí的de时候shíhou，两liǎng个gè卖mài马mǎ的de商人shāngrén听说tīngshuō了le他们tāmen的de事shì，送sòng来lái了le五十wǔshí匹pǐ好hǎo马mǎ，还有háiyǒu很hěn多duō钱qián和hé一千yìqiān斤jīn铁tiě。

三sān兄弟xiōngdì请qǐng人rén用yòng这些zhèxiē铁tiě打造dǎzào兵器bīngqì。关羽guānyǔ要yào了le一把yìbǎ很hěn大dà的de刀dāo，有yǒu八十二bāshí’èr斤jīn重zhòng，叫jiào青龙偃月刀qīnglóngyǎnyuèdāo。张飞zhāngfēi要yào了le一yì支zhī长长zhángzhǎng的de矛máo，叫jiào丈八蛇矛zhàngbā-shémáo。刘备liúbèi要yào了le一yí对duì宝剑bǎojiàn。

就jiù这样zhèyàng，三sān兄弟xiōngdì带dài着zhe几百jíbǎi个gè人rén，骑qí着zhe马mǎ出发chūfā了le。可是kěshì这时候zhèshíhou，国家guójiā已经yǐjīng乱luàn成chéng了le一锅粥yìguōzhōu，手里shǒuli有yǒu兵bīng有钱yǒuqián、想xiǎng当dāng英雄yīngxióng的de人rén多duō的de是shì。只有zhíyǒu几百jíbǎi个gè人rén的de三sān兄弟xiōngdì，到底dàodǐ能néng走zǒu多duō远yuǎn呢ne？

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
报名bàomíngto sign up; to register; to enroll
忽然hūránsuddenly; all of a sudden
贴tiēto stick; to paste
围wéito surround; to encircle
人群rénqúncrowd
靠kàodamn; shoot (exclamation)
圆yuánround; circular; circle
老百姓láobǎixìngordinary people; common folk
大事dàshìmajor event; big deal; important matter
连忙liánmánghastily; at once
同tóngsame; alike
愿yuànto wish; to be willing (as in 愿意)

Lesson plan: 45 minutes (for the teacher)

HSK 5 · The Oath in the Peach Garden. By the end, students can read it aloud, say what it is about and use 贴 and 围 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 贴 (tiē, to stick; to paste), 围 (wéi, to surround; to encircle), 人群 (rénqún, crowd), 靠 (kào, damn; shoot (exclamation)), 圆 (yuán, round; circular; circle), 老百姓 (láobǎixìng, ordinary people; common folk). 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-intermediate-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 贴 and one with 围, 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)

A notice had been put up at the gate of Zhuo County, and a crowd stood in front of it, reading. It said that the Yellow Turbans were rising in revolt everywhere, the authorities were looking for men to fight them, and anyone willing could come and sign up.

In the crowd was a man of twenty-eight who read it to the end, said nothing, and let out a long sigh. His name was Liu Bei; his ears were so big they almost touched his shoulders, and his arms were so long his hands reached his knees. He made his living selling straw sandals and mats, yet in fact he was descended from the emperors of the Han. The country was sinking deeper into chaos every day, and what could a sandal seller like him do about it?

"A real man should be serving his country, not standing here moaning and sighing!" A voice suddenly boomed behind him, as loud as thunder. Liu Bei turned around and saw a tall, big man with round, wide eyes and a face covered in stiff whiskers, like a tiger. This was Zhang Fei, who sold wine and pork in town and had a fair bit of money.

Liu Bei didn't take offence and told him what was on his mind: he badly wanted to do something for his country, beat the Yellow Turbans and give ordinary people a decent life, but sadly he had neither money nor men. Zhang Fei slapped his thigh: "What's so hard about that? I've got money! We'll find men together and do great things together!"

The more the two of them talked, the happier they were, and they went into a little tavern in the village for a drink. They were in the middle of drinking when a big fellow pushing a cart came in, sat down and shouted: "Bring me wine, quick! When I've drunk it I've got to hurry into town and sign up!"

Liu Bei looked up: the man was even taller than Zhang Fei, with a long beard and a face as red as a ripe date, and he looked truly imposing. Liu Bei quickly invited him over to sit with them and asked his name.

The man said: "My name is Guan Yu. Back home there was a bad man who leaned on his money to do all kinds of evil, and I killed him. Since then I've been in hiding for five or six years. I heard they're looking for men to fight the Yellow Turbans here, so I came."

Guan Yu was delighted to hear what Liu Bei had in mind, and the three of them went back together to Zhang Fei's home to talk over their plans. Behind Zhang Fei's house was a peach garden, and the peach trees were in full bloom. Zhang Fei said: "Tomorrow let's bow to heaven and earth in the Peach Garden and become brothers, and from then on do great things together. What do you say?" Liu Bei and Guan Yu said together: "Yes!"

The next day, incense was lit in the Peach Garden. The three men knelt under the peach blossoms and swore aloud: "Though the three of us do not share a surname, from today we are brothers, and together we will serve our country and give the people a good life. 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. If any of us forgets today's words, may heaven punish him!"

After the oath they ranked themselves by age: Liu Bei was the eldest brother, Guan Yu the second, and Zhang Fei the third.

Next they gathered more than three hundred young men from the village and treated them all to wine in the Peach Garden. But you can't go to war without horses. Just as they were worrying about it, two horse dealers heard what they were doing and brought them fifty good horses, plenty of money and a thousand jin of iron.

The three brothers had weapons forged from the iron. Guan Yu asked for a huge blade weighing eighty-two jin, called the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. Zhang Fei asked for a long spear called the Serpent Spear. Liu Bei asked for a pair of fine swords.

And so the three brothers set off on horseback with a few hundred men. But by now the country was in utter chaos, and there was no shortage of men with troops and money who wanted to be heroes. How far could three brothers with only a few hundred men really go?