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HSK 5 · Chapter 2 · 846 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/slaying-hua-xiong-three-kingdoms-intermediate-chinese-2

温酒斩华雄

Slaying Hua Xiong Before the Wine Cools

Name: ________________ Date: ________

几jǐ年nián过去guòqù了le，三sān兄弟xiōngdì打dǎ了le不少bùshǎo胜仗shèngzhàng，可kě刘备liúbèi还hái只是zhǐshì一个yígè小小xiáoxiǎo的de县令xiànlìng。这时候zhèshíhou，国家guójiā出chū了le一个yígè大dà坏人huàirén，叫jiào董卓dǒngzhuó。他tā带兵dàibīng进jìn了le京城jīngchéng，换huàn掉diào了le皇帝huángdì，做zuò了le很hěn多duō坏事huàishì，谁shéi也yě拿ná他tā没méi办法bànfǎ。

于是yúshì，曹操cáocāo发出fāchū号召hàozhào，请qǐng各地gèdì有yǒu兵bīng有yǒu马mǎ的de诸侯zhūhóu都dōu来lái打dǎ董卓dǒngzhuó。一共yígòng来lái了le十八shíbā位wèi诸侯zhūhóu，大家dàjiā选xuǎn袁绍yuánshào做zuò盟主méngzhǔ。三sān兄弟xiōngdì也yě跟着gēnzhe刘备liúbèi的de一yí位wèi老lǎo同学tóngxué来lái了le。

董卓dǒngzhuó让ràng大将dàjiàng华雄去qù守shǒu一个yígè关口guānkǒu。华雄个子gèzi很hěn高gāo，力气lìqi大dà得de不得了bùdeliǎo，诸侯zhūhóu们men连lián着zhe输shū了le好几háojǐ场chǎng。这zhè一天yìtiān，华雄又yòu带dài着zhe人rén来到láidào营yíng前qián大声dàshēng叫骂jiàomà。袁绍yuánshào的de弟弟dìdi袁术yuánshù派出pàichū一yí位wèi大将dàjiàng，没méi打dǎ几jǐ下xià，就jiù被bèi华雄杀shā了le。另lìng一yí位wèi诸侯zhūhóu说shuō：“我wǒ手下shǒuxià的de潘凤，一定yídìng能néng打败dǎbài华雄！”潘凤拿ná着zhe大dà斧fǔ出去chūqù了le。没méi过guò多久duōjiǔ，就jiù有人yǒurén跑pǎo回来报告bàogào：“潘凤也yě被bèi华雄杀shā了le！”

大家dàjiā都dōu吓xià得de脸色liǎnsè发白fābái。袁绍yuánshào叹tàn了le口气kǒuqì：“可惜kěxī我wǒ手下shǒuxià的de颜良还hái没méi到dào！只要zhǐyào他tā在zài这里zhèlǐ，还hái怕pà什么shénme华雄！”

话huà还hái没méi说shuō完wán，有人yǒurén大声dàshēng说shuō：“我wǒ去qù把bǎ华雄的de头tóu带dài回来huílai！”大家dàjiā一yí看kàn，这zhè个gè人rén个子gèzi很hěn高gāo，胡子húzi很hěn长cháng，脸红liǎnhóng得de像xiàng枣zǎo。袁绍yuánshào问wèn他tā是shì谁shéi，有人yǒurén回答huídá：“他tā是shì刘备liúbèi的de二èr弟dì关羽guānyǔ。”袁绍yuánshào又yòu问wèn他tā现在xiànzài做zuò什么shénme，回答huídá是shì：“在zài刘备liúbèi手下shǒuxià当dāng马mǎ弓手gōngshǒu。”马mǎ弓手gōngshǒu，就是jiùshì骑qí在zài马上mǎshàng射箭shèjiàn的de普通pǔtōng小兵xiǎobīng。

袁术yuánshù一yì听tīng就jiù火huǒ了le，大dà骂mà道dào：“你nǐ是shì笑xiào我们wǒmen这里zhèlǐ没有méiyǒu大将dàjiàng吗ma？一个yígè小小xiáoxiǎo的de弓手gōngshǒu，也yě敢gǎn在zài这里zhèlǐ说shuō大话dàhuà！把bǎ他tā赶gǎn出去chūqu！”

曹操cáocāo连忙liánmáng拦住lánzhù他tā：“别bié生气shēngqì。这zhè个gè人rén敢gǎn说shuō这样的话zhèyàng-dehuà，一定yídìng有些yǒuxiē本领bénlǐng。让ràng他tā去qù试试shìshi吧ba，要是yàoshi他tā输shū了le，你们nǐmen再zài怪guài他tā。”袁绍yuánshào还是háishi不bú放心fàngxīn：“让ràng这样zhèyàng一yí个gè人rén出去chūqù，华雄会huì笑话xiàohua我们wǒmen的de。”曹操cáocāo说shuō：“我wǒ看kàn这zhè个gè人rén长得zhǎngde不bú像xiàng普通人pǔtōngrén，华雄怎么zěnme会huì知道zhīdào他tā是shì做zuò什么shénme的de？”关羽guānyǔ说shuō：“要是yàoshi我wǒ赢不了yíngbuliǎo，就jiù请qǐng杀shā了le我wǒ！”

曹操cáocāo让ràng人rén倒dào了le一yì杯bēi热rè酒jiǔ，递dì给gěi关羽guānyǔ，让ràng他tā喝hē了le再zài上马shàngmǎ。关羽guānyǔ没有méiyǒu喝hē，他tā说shuō：“酒jiǔ且qiě斟zhēn下xià，某mǒu去qù便biàn来lái。”意思yìsi是shì：酒jiǔ先xiān倒dào在zài这里zhèlǐ，我wǒ去qù一下yíxià就jiù回来。说shuō完wán，他tā提tí着zhe大刀dàdāo走zǒu出去chūqu，跳tiào上马shàngmǎ，冲向chōngxiàng了le华雄。

大家dàjiā只zhǐ听见tīngjiàn外面wàimiàn鼓声gǔshēng震天zhèntiān，喊hǎn声shēng一阵yízhèn比bǐ一阵yízhèn大dà，好像hǎoxiàng天tiān要yào掉diào下来xiàlái、山shān要yào倒dǎo下去xiàqu一样yíyàng，每měi个gè人rén都dōu吓了一跳xiàle-yítiào。正要zhèngyào派pài人rén出去chūqù看看kànkan，关羽guānyǔ已经yǐjīng骑qí着zhe马mǎ回来huílái了le。他tā提tí着zhe华雄的de头tóu走zǒu进来jìnlai，往wǎng地上dìshang一yì扔rēng。

那nà杯bēi酒jiǔ，还是háishi热rè的de。

张飞zhāngfēi在zài旁边pángbiān大dà叫jiào：“我wǒ二哥èrgē杀shā了le华雄，咱们zánmen快kuài冲进chōngjìn关guān去qù，抓住zhuāzhù董卓dǒngzhuó！”袁术yuánshù又yòu生气shēngqì了le：“我们wǒmen这些zhèxiē大官dàguān都dōu还hái没méi说话shuōhuà，一个yígè县令xiànlìng手下shǒuxià的de小兵xiǎobīng，也yě敢gǎn在zài这里zhèlǐ乱叫luànjiào！把bǎ他们tāmen都dōu赶走gánzǒu！”曹操cáocāo说shuō：“立lì了le功gōng就jiù应该yīnggāi奖励jiǎnglì，管guǎn他tā是shì大官dàguān还是háishi小兵xiǎobīng？”他tā先xiān让ràng三sān兄弟xiōngdì回huí营yíng，后来hòulái又yòu偷偷tōutōu派pài人rén给gěi他们tāmen送sòng去qù了le酒jiǔ和hé肉ròu。

华雄死sǐ了le的de消息xiāoxi传chuán到dào董卓dǒngzhuó那里nàlǐ，董卓dǒngzhuó大吃一惊dàchī-yìjīng。可是kěshì他tā手下shǒuxià还有háiyǒu一yí个gè人rén没有méiyǒu派出pàichū去qù，这zhè个gè人rén比bǐ华雄可怕kěpà得de多duō。这zhè个gè人rén就是jiùshì天下第一tiānxià-dìyī猛将měngjiàng——吕布lǚbù。

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
兄弟xiōngdìbrother; bro (friendly address among men)
掉diào(after a verb) away; off (as in 吃掉, 扔掉)
于是yúshìso; and so; thereupon
发出fāchūto send out; to issue
各地gèdìeverywhere; all over (a country or the world)
力气lìqistrength; effort
连liánto link; to join; in a row
输shūto lose; to be defeated
场chǎngplace; field; site
另lìngother; another
打败dǎbàito defeat; to beat
报告bàogàoreport; speech; to report; to make known

Lesson plan: 45 minutes (for the teacher)

HSK 5 · Slaying Hua Xiong Before the Wine Cools. By the end, students can read it aloud, say what it is about and use 报告 and 兄弟 in sentences of their own.

  1. Warm-up 5 min

    Write 温酒斩华雄 on the board. Ask what the class thinks it is about, then give the English: “Slaying Hua Xiong Before the Wine Cools”.

  2. Key words 10 min

    Teach 报告 (bàogào, report; speech; to report; to make known), 兄弟 (xiōngdì, brother; bro (friendly address among men)), 掉 (diào, (after a verb) away; off (as in 吃掉, 扔掉)), 于是 (yúshì, so; and so; thereupon), 发出 (fāchū, to send out; to issue), 各地 (gèdì, everywhere; all over (a country or the world)). 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/slaying-hua-xiong-three-kingdoms-intermediate-chinese-2: 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 报告 and one with 兄弟, 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 few years went by and the three brothers won quite a few battles, but Liu Bei was still only a minor county magistrate. Around this time a truly wicked man rose up in the country: Dong Zhuo. He marched his troops into the capital, replaced the emperor and did all kinds of evil, and no one could do a thing about him.

So Cao Cao sent out a call to every lord in the land with troops and horses to come and fight Dong Zhuo. Eighteen lords came in all, and they chose Yuan Shao as leader of the alliance. The three brothers came too, following an old classmate of Liu Bei's.

Dong Zhuo sent his general Hua Xiong to hold a pass. Hua Xiong was tall and tremendously strong, and the lords lost several fights in a row. One day Hua Xiong came up to their camp again with his men, shouting insults. Yuan Shao's younger brother Yuan Shu sent out a general, who was killed by Hua Xiong after only a few blows. Another lord said: "My man Pan Feng will surely beat Hua Xiong!" Pan Feng went out with his great axe. Before long someone came running back to report: "Pan Feng has been killed by Hua Xiong too!"

Everyone went pale with fear. Yuan Shao sighed: "What a pity my general Yan Liang isn't here yet! If only he were here, we'd have nothing to fear from Hua Xiong!"

Before he had finished speaking, someone said loudly: "I'll go and bring back Hua Xiong's head!" Everyone looked: the man was tall, with a long beard and a face as red as a date. Yuan Shao asked who he was, and someone answered: "He is Liu Bei's second brother, Guan Yu." Yuan Shao then asked what post he held, and the answer was: "He's a mounted archer under Liu Bei." A mounted archer was just an ordinary soldier who shot arrows from horseback.

Yuan Shu flew into a rage the moment he heard this and shouted: "Are you laughing at us for having no generals? A lowly archer, daring to talk big in here! Throw him out!"

Cao Cao quickly stopped him: "Don't be angry. If this man dares to say such a thing, he must have some skill. Let him try, and if he loses, you can blame him then." Yuan Shao was still uneasy: "If we send a man like that out, Hua Xiong will laugh at us." Cao Cao said: "He doesn't look like an ordinary fellow to me. How would Hua Xiong know what he does?" Guan Yu said: "If I don't win, you may have me killed!"

Cao Cao had a cup of hot wine poured and handed it to Guan Yu, telling him to drink it before he mounted. Guan Yu didn't drink. He said: "Pour the wine and set it down; I shall go and be straight back." In other words: leave the wine poured here, I'll be gone a moment and come straight back. With that he strode out with his blade, leapt onto his horse and charged at Hua Xiong.

All they could hear outside were drums shaking the sky and shouts growing louder and louder, as if the sky were falling and the mountains toppling, and every one of them was startled. Just as they were about to send someone out to look, Guan Yu had already ridden back. He walked in carrying Hua Xiong's head and threw it on the ground.

The wine was still warm.

Zhang Fei shouted from beside him: "My second brother has killed Hua Xiong! Let's charge through the pass and catch Dong Zhuo!" Yuan Shu was angry again: "Not even we high officials have spoken, and a common soldier under a county magistrate dares to yell in here! Throw them all out!" Cao Cao said: "Merit should be rewarded. What does it matter whether a man is a high official or a common soldier?" He sent the three brothers back to their camp, and later he secretly sent them wine and meat.

When the news of Hua Xiong's death reached Dong Zhuo, he was shocked. But he still had one man he had not yet sent out, a man far more fearsome than Hua Xiong. That man was the greatest warrior under heaven: Lü Bu.