HSK 5 · Chapter 3 · 949 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/seventy-two-changes-journey-to-the-west-intermediate-chinese-3

七十二变

Seventy-Two Changes

Name: ________________ Date: ________

孙悟空sūnwùkōng跟着gēnzhe菩提pútí祖师zǔshī偷偷tōutōu修行xiūxíng，转眼zhuányǎn已经yǐjīng三sān年nián了le。一天yìtiān，祖师zǔshī把bǎ他tā叫jiào到dào面前miànqián，说shuō：“悟空wùkōng，你nǐ虽然suīrán学会xuéhuì了le长生chángshēng的de方法fāngfǎ，可是kěshì以后yǐhòu还hái会huì遇到yùdào三次sāncì大dà灾难zāinàn。想xiǎng躲duǒ过guò它们tāmen，你nǐ还hái得děi再zài学xué一种yìzhǒng本领bénlǐng。我wǒ这里zhèlǐ的de变化biànhuà有yǒu两liǎng种zhǒng：一种yìzhǒng是shì三十六sānshíliù变biàn，一种yìzhǒng是shì七十二qīshí’èr变biàn。你nǐ想xiǎng学xué哪nǎ一种yìzhǒng？”悟空wùkōng马上mǎshàng说shuō：“我wǒ想xiǎng多duō学xué一点yìdiǎn，那nà我wǒ选xuǎn七十二qīshí’èr变biàn！”

祖师zǔshī便biàn在zài他tā耳边ěrbiān悄悄qiāoqiāo地de传chuán了le口诀kǒujué。悟空wùkōng本来běnlái就jiù聪明cōngming，学xué什么shénme会huì什么shénme，没多久méiduōjiǔ，七十二qīshí’èr变biàn就jiù全部quánbù练liàn成chéng了le。

有yǒu一天yìtiān，祖师zǔshī问wèn他tā：“悟空wùkōng，你nǐ能néng飞fēi吗ma？”悟空wùkōng说shuō：“能néng！”说shuō完wán，他tā往wǎng上shàng一yí跳tiào，飞fēi到dào了le半空中bànkōngzhōng。可是kěshì飞fēi了le半天bàntiān，也yě只zhǐ飞fēi了le三sān里lǐ路lù，又yòu回到huídào祖师zǔshī面前miànqián，得意déyì地de问wèn：“师父shīfu，我wǒ飞fēi得de怎么样zěnmeyàng？”祖师zǔshī笑道xiàodào：“这zhè不bú叫jiào飞fēi，只能zhǐnéng叫jiào爬pá云yún！真正zhēnzhèng的de神仙shénxiān，早上zǎoshang还hái在zài北边běibian的de大海dàhǎi，晚上wǎnshang就jiù到dào了le南边nánbian的de山shān上shàng。我wǒ看kàn你nǐ飞fēi的de时候shíhou，总是zǒngshì一yí跳tiào一yí跳tiào的de，我wǒ就jiù顺着shùnzhe你nǐ的de样子yàngzi，把bǎ筋斗jīndǒu云yún教给jiāogěi你nǐ。”从此cóngcǐ，悟空wùkōng只要zhǐyào翻fān一个yígè筋斗jīndǒu，就jiù能néng飞fēi出chū十万八千里shíwànbāqiānlǐ！

夏天xiàtiān的de一天yìtiān，师兄shīxiōng们men正在zhèngzài松树sōngshù下xià聊天liáotiān，看见kànjiàn悟空wùkōng走zǒu过来guòlai，都dōu围wéi上去shàngqu问wèn：“悟空wùkōng，师父shīfu把bǎ躲duǒ灾难zāinàn的de变化biànhuà都dōu教给jiāogěi你nǐ了le，你nǐ真的zhēnde全quán学会xuéhuì了le吗ma？”悟空wùkōng笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“说实话shuōshíhuà，一yí是shì师父shīfu教得好jiāodehǎo，二èr是shì我wǒ自己zìjǐ每天měitiān都dōu很hěn努力nǔlì，全quán学会xuéhuì了le。”大家dàjiā说shuō：“那nà就jiù现在xiànzài变biàn一个yígè给gěi我们wǒmen看看kànkan！”

悟空wùkōng最zuì爱ài热闹rènao，一yì听tīng这zhè话huà，马上mǎshàng兴奋xīngfèn起来qǐlai：“请qǐng师兄shīxiōng们men出chū个gè题目tímù，要yào我wǒ变biàn什么shénme？”大家dàjiā说shuō：“就jiù变biàn一yì棵kē松树sōngshù吧ba！”悟空wùkōng念niàn了le几jǐ句jù口诀kǒujué，摇身一变yáoshēn-yíbiàn，大家dàjiā面前miànqián多duō了le一yì棵kē又yòu高gāo又yòu直zhí的de松树sōngshù，看上去kànshangqu和hé真的zhēnde一模一样yìmú-yíyàng。师兄shīxiōng们men看kàn了le，都dōu拍手pāishǒu大笑dàxiào：“好hǎo猴子hóuzi！好hǎo猴子hóuzi！”

笑声xiàoshēng传chuán到dào了le祖师zǔshī那里nàlǐ。他tā走zǒu出来chūlái，大声dàshēng问wèn：“是shì谁shéi在zài这里zhèlǐ大吵大闹dàchǎo-dànào？”大家dàjiā吓xià得de不bù敢gǎn出声chūshēng，悟空wùkōng也yě连忙liánmáng变biàn回huí原来yuánlái的de样子yàngzi。有人yǒurén说shuō：“刚才gāngcái悟空wùkōng变biàn了le一yì棵kē松树sōngshù，我们wǒmen觉得juéde好玩hǎowán，就jiù笑xiào了le起来qǐlai。”

祖师zǔshī让ràng其他人qítārén都dōu离开líkāi，只zhǐ留下liúxià悟空wùkōng，很hěn生气shēngqì地de说shuō：“悟空wùkōng，你nǐ过来guòlái！本领bénlǐng是shì拿来nálái给gěi人rén看kàn的de吗ma？别人biéren看见kànjiàn你nǐ有yǒu这zhè个gè本领bénlǐng，一定yídìng会huì求qiú你nǐ教jiāo他tā。你nǐ要是yàoshì不bù教jiāo，他tā就jiù会huì想xiǎng办法bànfǎ害hài你nǐ，到时候dàoshíhou你nǐ的de命mìng就jiù保不住bǎobuzhù了le。”悟空wùkōng赶紧gánjǐn跪下guìxià：“我wǒ知道zhīdào错cuò了le，求qiú师父shīfu原谅yuánliàng！”

祖师zǔshī说shuō：“我wǒ不bú怪guài你nǐ，可kě你nǐ不能bùnéng再zài留liú在zài这里zhèlǐ了le。你nǐ从cóng哪里nálǐ来lái，就jiù回huí哪里nálǐ去qù吧ba。”悟空wùkōng的de眼泪yǎnlèi一下子yíxiàzi流liú了le出来chūlái：“师父shīfu的de恩情ēnqíng，我wǒ还hái没有méiyǒu报答bàodá，怎么zěnme敢gǎn走zǒu呢ne？”

祖师zǔshī摇摇yáoyáo头tóu：“你nǐ这zhè一yí去qù，一定yídìng会huì出事chūshì。记住jìzhu，不管bùguǎn你nǐ在zài外面wàimiàn做zuò了le什么shénme，都dōu不能bùnéng说shuō是shì我wǒ的de徒弟túdi。你nǐ只要zhǐyào说出shuōchū半bàn个gè字zì，我wǒ马上mǎshàng就jiù会huì知道zhīdào，一定yídìng不bú放过fàngguò你nǐ！”悟空wùkōng连声liánshēng答应dāying：“我wǒ一yí个gè字zì也yě不bù提tí，就jiù说shuō是shì我wǒ自己zìjǐ会huì的de。”

悟空wùkōng拜别bàibié了le师父shīfu，翻fān了le一个yígè筋斗jīndǒu，直zhí往wǎng东方dōngfāng飞fēi去qù。风fēng在zài耳边ěrbiān呼呼hūhū地de响xiǎng，不到búdào一yí个gè时辰shíchen，他tā就jiù看见kànjiàn了le大海dàhǎi那边nàbiān的de花果山huāguǒshān。他tā心里xīnli高兴gāoxìng极了jíle：“离家líjiā这么zhème多年duōnián，猴子hóuzi们men一定yídìng很hěn想念xiǎngniàn我wǒ吧ba！”

可kě他tā刚gāng在zài山shān上shàng站稳zhànwěn，就jiù听见tīngjiàn四处sìchù传来chuánlái一yí阵阵zhènzhèn哭声kūshēng。一yì群qún猴子hóuzi从cóng草cǎo里lǐ、树shù后面hòumiàn钻zuān出来chūlái，围wéi着zhe他tā又yòu哭kū又yòu拜bài：“大王，您nín可kě回来huílái了le！您nín走zǒu了le以后yǐhòu，我们wǒmen天天tiāntiān被bèi人rén欺负qīfu，连lián家jiā都dōu快kuài保不住bǎobuzhù了le！”悟空wùkōng一yì听tīng，火冒三丈huǒmào-sānzhàng：谁shéi这么zhème大胆dàdǎn，敢gǎn在zài花果山huāguǒshān欺负qīfu他tā的de猴子hóuzi们men？

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
全部	quánbù	all; whole; entire; completely
得意	déyì	pleased with oneself; proud; complacent
躲	duǒ	to hide
本领	bénlǐng	skill; ability
便	biàn	then; and so
悄悄	qiāoqiāo	quietly; secretly
传	chuán	to pass on; to transmit
翻	fān	to turn over; to flip
围	wéi	to surround; to encircle
念	niàn	to read aloud
直	zhí	continuously; all the time
猴子	hóuzi	monkey

English (for the teacher)

Sun Wukong had been practising in secret under Patriarch Bodhi, and in the blink of an eye three years had gone by. One day the Patriarch called him in and said: "Wukong, you have learned the secret of long life, but there are still three great disasters ahead of you. To escape them, you must learn one more skill. I have two kinds of transformations: one is the Thirty-Six Changes, the other the Seventy-Two Changes. Which do you want to learn?" Wukong said at once: "I want to learn as much as I can. I choose the Seventy-Two Changes!"

So the Patriarch whispered the secret words into his ear. Wukong was clever to begin with, and he mastered each thing as soon as he learned it; before long he had perfected all seventy-two changes.

One day the Patriarch asked him: "Wukong, can you fly?" Wukong said: "I can!" With that he jumped up into the air. But after flying for a good while he had covered only three li, and he came back to the Patriarch and asked proudly: "Master, how was my flying?" The Patriarch laughed: "That's not flying, that's only crawling on the clouds! A true immortal is at the northern sea in the morning and on the southern mountains by evening. I see you always hop and bounce when you fly, so I'll go along with that and teach you the Somersault Cloud." From then on, all Wukong had to do was turn one somersault, and he could fly a hundred and eight thousand li!

One summer day, the other students were chatting under a pine tree when they saw Wukong coming, and they all crowded round to ask: "Wukong, the Master has taught you the transformations for escaping disaster. Do you really know them all now?" Wukong smiled and said: "To tell the truth, first, the Master teaches well, and second, I've worked hard every day. I know them all." Everyone said: "Then change into something for us to see, right now!"

Wukong loved a bit of excitement, and the moment he heard this he got all excited: "Give me a subject, brothers. What shall I change into?" Everyone said: "Change into a pine tree!" Wukong recited a few secret words, gave himself a shake, and there in front of everyone stood one more tall, straight pine tree, exactly like a real one. When the students saw it, they all clapped and roared with laughter: "Good monkey! Good monkey!"

The laughter reached the Patriarch. He came out and called loudly: "Who is making all this racket out here?" Everyone was too frightened to make a sound, and Wukong quickly changed back into his own shape. Someone said: "Wukong just changed into a pine tree. We thought it was fun, so we started laughing."

The Patriarch sent the others away and kept only Wukong behind, and said angrily: "Wukong, come here! Are your skills for showing off to people? When others see you have this skill, they will certainly beg you to teach them. If you won't, they will find a way to harm you, and then your life will be in danger." Wukong quickly knelt down: "I know I was wrong. Please forgive me, Master!"

The Patriarch said: "I don't blame you, but you can't stay here any longer. Go back to wherever you came from." Tears suddenly streamed down Wukong's face: "I haven't yet repaid your kindness, Master. How can I dare to leave?"

The Patriarch shook his head: "Once you go, there's sure to be trouble. Remember: whatever you do out there, you must never say you are my disciple. If you breathe so much as half a word, I'll know at once, and I will not let you off!" Wukong promised over and over: "I won't say a single word. I'll say I learned it all myself."

Wukong bowed farewell to his master, turned a somersault, and flew straight east. The wind whistled past his ears, and in less than two hours he could see Flower Fruit Mountain on the far side of the sea. He was overjoyed: "I've been away so many years, my monkeys must miss me!"

But the moment he landed on the mountain, he heard waves of crying from every side. A crowd of monkeys crept out of the grass and from behind the trees, surrounded him, and wept and bowed: "Your Majesty, you're back at last! Ever since you left, we've been bullied every day, and we're about to lose even our home!" When Wukong heard this, he flew into a rage: who would dare to come to Flower Fruit Mountain and bully his monkeys?