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HSK 3 · Chapter 7 · 762 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-leap-across-the-tan-stream-three-kingdoms-easy-chinese-7

马跃檀溪

The Leap Across the Tan Stream

Name: ________________ Date: ________

后来hòulái，刘备liúbèi又yòu输给shūgěi了le曹操cáocāo，只好zhíhǎo带dài着zhe大家dàjiā来到láidào荆州jīngzhōu，住zhù在zài刘表liúbiǎo那里nàlǐ。刘表liúbiǎo和hé刘备liúbèi是shì一家人yìjiārén，对duì他tā很hěn好hǎo。

刘备liúbèi有yǒu一yì匹pǐ好hǎo马mǎ，叫jiào的de卢lú。有人yǒurén看kàn了le这zhè马mǎ，说shuō：“这zhè马mǎ的de眼睛yǎnjing下面xiàmiàn好像hǎoxiàng有yǒu眼泪yǎnlèi，头上tóushang还有háiyǒu白色báisè的de点diǎn。骑qí它tā的de人rén，会huì有yǒu大dà麻烦máfan！”刘备liúbèi笑xiào了le：“人rén什么shénme时候shíhou死sǐ，是shì老天lǎotiān说了算shuōlesuàn。一yì匹pǐ马mǎ能néng怎么样zěnmeyàng？”

刘表liúbiǎo的de妻子qīzi有yǒu个gè弟弟dìdi，叫jiào蔡瑁càimào。蔡瑁càimào非常fēicháng不bù喜欢xǐhuan刘备liúbèi，一直yìzhí想xiǎng杀shā了le他tā。

有yǒu一次yícì，刘表liúbiǎo请qǐng大家dàjiā吃饭chīfàn，刘备liúbèi也yě去qù了le。蔡瑁càimào让ràng人rén在zài城chéng的de东边dōngbiān、南边nánbian、北边běibian都dōu等děng着zhe，只有zhíyǒu西边xībiān没有méiyǒu人rén。因为yīnwèi西边xībiān有yǒu一yì条tiáo大河dàhé，叫jiào檀溪，谁shéi也yě过不了guòbuliǎo。

吃饭chīfàn的de时候shíhou，一个yígè好心hǎoxīn的de人rén偷偷tōutōu对duì刘备liúbèi说shuō：“快kuài走zǒu！有人yǒurén要yào杀shā你nǐ！只有zhíyǒu西门xīmén能néng出去chūqù！”刘备liúbèi说shuō自己zìjǐ要yào去qù厕所cèsuǒ，马上mǎshàng骑qí上马shàngmǎ，从cóng西门xīmén跑pǎo了le出去chūqu。

跑pǎo了le没méi多duō远yuǎn，前面qiánmiàn是shì檀溪。河hé很hěn宽kuān，水shuǐ很hěn急jí。后面hòumiàn，蔡瑁càimào的de人rén已经yǐjīng追zhuī来lái了le。刘备liúbèi骑qí着zhe马mǎ走进zǒujìn了le水shuǐ里li。可是kěshì没méi走zǒu几jǐ步bù，马mǎ就jiù走不动zǒubudòng了le，刘备liúbèi的de衣服yīfu湿shī了le。

刘备liúbèi一边yìbiān打dǎ马mǎ，一边yìbiān大dà叫jiào：“今天jīntiān你nǐ真zhēn要yào我wǒ死sǐ吗ma？”话huà还hái没méi说shuō完wán，这zhè匹pǐ马mǎ突然tūrán从cóng水shuǐ里li跳tiào了le出来chūlái，一下子yíxiàzi就jiù跳tiào到dào了le河hé的de那nà一边yìbiān！蔡瑁càimào的de人rén跑pǎo到dào河边hébiān，都dōu不bù敢gǎn相信xiāngxìn自己zìjǐ的de眼睛yǎnjing。

刘备liúbèi在zài山shān里li走zǒu着zhe，遇到yùdào一个yígè骑qí着zhe牛niú的de孩子háizi。孩子háizi看见kànjiàn他tā，就jiù问wèn：“你nǐ是shì刘备liúbèi吧ba？我wǒ老师lǎoshī常常chángcháng说起shuōqǐ你nǐ。”孩子háizi带dài他tā去qù见jiàn老师lǎoshī。老师lǎoshī叫jiào司马徽，大家dàjiā都dōu叫jiào他tā水镜先生xiānsheng。

水镜先生xiānsheng说shuō：“你nǐ身边shēnbiān有yǒu关羽guānyǔ、张飞zhāngfēi、赵云zhàoyún，都dōu很hěn能néng打dǎ。可是kěshì，没有méiyǒu一yí个gè人rén能néng帮bāng你nǐ想xiǎng办法bànfǎ。”他tā又yòu说shuō：“伏fú龙lóng、凤fèng雏chú，两liǎng人rén得dé一yī，可kě安ān天下tiānxià。”意思yìsi是shì：伏龙和hé凤fèng雏chú这zhè两liǎng个gè人rén，你nǐ只要zhǐyào找到zhǎodào一个yígè，天下tiānxià就jiù不会búhuì再zài乱luàn了le。刘备liúbèi问wèn他们tāmen是shì谁shéi，水镜先生xiānsheng只是zhǐshì笑xiào：“好hǎo，好hǎo。”

不久bùjiǔ，一个yígè叫jiào徐庶xúshù的de人rén来lái帮bāng刘备liúbèi。他tā第一次dìyīcì见jiàn刘备liúbèi，就jiù说shuō：“你nǐ这zhè匹pǐ马mǎ，会huì给gěi你nǐ带来dàilái麻烦máfan。不如bùrú先xiān把bǎ它tā送给sònggěi一个yígè你nǐ不bù喜欢xǐhuan的de人rén，等děng麻烦máfan过去guòqù了le，再zài骑qí它tā。”刘备liúbèi生气shēngqì了le：“你nǐ怎么zěnme能néng让ràng我wǒ害hài别人biérén！”徐庶xúshù笑xiào了le：“我wǒ只是zhǐshì试试shìshi你nǐ。”从cóng这zhè天tiān起qǐ，徐庶xúshù就jiù跟着gēnzhe刘备liúbèi，帮bāng他tā打赢dǎyíng了le好几háojǐ次cì。

曹操cáocāo知道zhīdào了le，就jiù把bǎ徐庶xúshù的de妈妈māma抓zhuā了le起来qǐlái，又yòu让ràng人rén学xué她tā的de字zì，写xiě了le一yì封fēng假jiǎ信xìn，叫jiào徐庶xúshù快kuài去qù救jiù她tā。徐庶xúshù看kàn了le信xìn，哭kū着zhe对duì刘备liúbèi说shuō：“我wǒ得děi走zǒu了le。”

刘备liúbèi送sòng了le他tā很hěn远yuǎn很hěn远yuǎn，看kàn着zhe他tā越yuè走zǒu越yuè远yuǎn。突然tūrán，徐庶xúshù又yòu骑qí着zhe马mǎ跑pǎo了le回来huílai：“我wǒ差点chàdiǎn忘wàng了le一yí件jiàn大事dàshì！隆中lóngzhōng住zhù着zhe一yí个gè人rén，叫jiào诸葛亮zhūgěliàng，也yě叫jiào孔明kǒngmíng。大家dàjiā叫jiào他tā卧龙wòlóng，他tā就是jiùshì水镜先生xiānsheng说shuō的de伏龙。他tā比bǐ我wǒ厉害lìhai多duō了le！你nǐ一定yídìng要yào自己zìjǐ去qù请qǐng他tā！”

卧龙wòlóng到底dàodǐ是shì谁shéi？他tā会huì来lái帮bāng刘备liúbèi吗ma？

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
后来hòuláiafterwards; later
又yòuagain (it already happened again); and also
带dàito bring; to take; to carry
马mǎhorse
好像hǎoxiàngseem; appear to be; as if
骑qíto ride (a horse, bike, etc.)
一直yìzhíall along; continuously; straight (ahead)
只有zhíyǒuonly; only if; unless
马上mǎshàngright away; immediately
只好zhíhǎoto have no choice but to; to be forced to
麻烦máfantrouble; hassle; to bother; to trouble
死sǐto die; dead

Lesson plan: 45 minutes (for the teacher)

HSK 3 · The Leap Across the Tan Stream. By the end, students can read it aloud, say what it is about and use 只好 and 麻烦 in sentences of their own.

  1. Warm-up 5 min

    Write 马跃檀溪 on the board. Ask what the class thinks it is about, then give the English: “The Leap Across the Tan Stream”.

  2. Key words 10 min

    Teach 只好 (zhíhǎo, to have no choice but to; to be forced to), 麻烦 (máfan, trouble; hassle; to bother; to trouble), 死 (sǐ, to die; dead), 后来 (hòulái, afterwards; later), 又 (yòu, again (it already happened again); and also), 带 (dài, to bring; to take; to carry). 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/the-leap-across-the-tan-stream-three-kingdoms-easy-chinese-7: 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 只好 and one with 麻烦, 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)

Later, Liu Bei was beaten by Cao Cao once again, and he had no choice but to bring everyone to Jing Province and stay with Liu Biao. Liu Biao and Liu Bei were of the same family, and he treated him well.

Liu Bei had a fine horse called Dilu. Someone looked the horse over and said: "This horse looks as if it has tears under its eyes, and there are white spots on its head. Whoever rides it will meet with great trouble!" Liu Bei laughed: "When a man dies is up to Heaven. What can a horse do?"

Liu Biao's wife had a younger brother called Cai Mao. Cai Mao hated Liu Bei and had long wanted to kill him.

Once, Liu Biao invited everyone to a banquet, and Liu Bei went too. Cai Mao had men waiting on the east, south and north sides of the city; only the west was left empty. That was because on the west side there was a great river called the Tan Stream, which no one could cross.

During the meal, a kind man whispered to Liu Bei: "Go, quickly! Someone means to kill you! Only the west gate is open to you!" Liu Bei said he needed the toilet, at once mounted his horse, and galloped out through the west gate.

He hadn't gone far before the Tan Stream lay ahead. The river was wide and the water was fast. Behind him, Cai Mao's men were already giving chase. Liu Bei rode his horse into the water. But after only a few steps the horse could go no further, and Liu Bei was soaked through.

Liu Bei whipped the horse and shouted: "Do you really mean to kill me today?" Before the words were out of his mouth, the horse suddenly leapt up out of the water and in one bound landed on the far bank! Cai Mao's men ran to the riverbank and could not believe their eyes.

Liu Bei was walking in the hills when he met a child riding an ox. The child saw him and asked: "You're Liu Bei, aren't you? My teacher often talks about you." The child took him to see the teacher. The teacher was Sima Hui, whom everyone called Mr Water Mirror.

Mr Water Mirror said: "You have Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun at your side, all fine fighters. But you have no one who can make your plans." Then he said: "The Sleeping Dragon, the Fledgling Phoenix: win either one, and you can bring peace to the land." That means: of these two men, the Sleeping Dragon and the Fledgling Phoenix, find just one and the land will know peace again. Liu Bei asked who they were, but Mr Water Mirror only smiled: "Good, good."

Not long after, a man called Xu Shu came to help Liu Bei. The first time he met Liu Bei, he said: "That horse of yours will bring you trouble. Better to give it first to someone you dislike, and when the trouble has passed, ride it again." Liu Bei was angry: "How can you ask me to harm someone else!" Xu Shu smiled: "I was only testing you." From that day on, Xu Shu served Liu Bei and won him several battles.

When Cao Cao found out, he seized Xu Shu's mother, had someone copy her handwriting, and wrote a false letter telling Xu Shu to come quickly and save her. Xu Shu read the letter and said to Liu Bei in tears: "I have to go."

Liu Bei rode a long, long way to see him off, and watched him ride farther and farther away. Suddenly Xu Shu came galloping back: "I nearly forgot something important! In Longzhong there lives a man named Zhuge Liang, also called Kongming. People call him the Sleeping Dragon; he is the one Mr Water Mirror meant. He is far better than I am! You must go and ask him yourself!"

Who is this Sleeping Dragon? Will he come and help Liu Bei?