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HSK 5 · Chapter 7 · 858 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-leap-across-the-tan-stream-three-kingdoms-intermediate-chinese-7

马跃檀溪

The Leap Across the Tan Stream

Name: ________________ Date: ________

后来hòulái，曹操cáocāo打败dǎbài了le袁绍yuánshào，又yòu带兵dàibīng来lái打dǎ刘备liúbèi。刘备liúbèi又yòu被bèi打败dǎbài了le，只好zhíhǎo带dài着zhe大家dàjiā去qù荆州jīngzhōu，投靠tóukào也yě姓xìng刘liú的de刘表liúbiǎo。刘表liúbiǎo让ràng他tā住zhù在zài一yí座zuò叫jiào新野xīnyě的de小xiǎo城里chénglǐ。

刘表liúbiǎo对duì刘备liúbèi不错búcuò，可kě刘表liúbiǎo妻子qīzi的de弟弟dìdi蔡瑁càimào却què一直yìzhí想xiǎng除掉chúdiào刘备liúbèi。有yǒu一yì天tiān，刘表liúbiǎo在zài襄阳xiāngyáng请客qǐngkè，让ràng刘备liúbèi替tì他tā招待zhāodài客人kèrén。蔡瑁càimào在zài城chéng的de东门dōngmén、南门nánmén、北门běimén都dōu派pài了le兵bīng，只zhǐ等děng动手dòngshǒu。西xī门外ménwài是shì又yòu宽kuān又yòu急jí的de檀溪，他tā觉得juéde不用búyòng派pài人rén守shǒu。

酒jiǔ喝hē到dào一半yíbàn，一yí位wèi好心hǎoxīn的de官员guānyuán端duān着zhe酒jiǔ走zǒu到dào刘备liúbèi面前miànqián，看kàn了le他tā一眼yìyǎn，小声xiǎoshēng说shuō：“请qǐng去qù换huàn件jiàn衣服yīfu。”刘备liúbèi明白míngbai了le，起身qǐshēn走zǒu到dào后院hòuyuàn。那nà位wèi官员guānyuán跟gēn过来guòlai说shuō：“蔡瑁càimào想xiǎng杀shā你nǐ！东dōng、南nán、北běi三sān个gè门mén都dōu有yǒu兵bīng，只有zhíyǒu西门xīmén能néng走zǒu！”

刘备liúbèi骑qí上shàng自己zìjǐ的de马mǎ，一yí个gè人rén从cóng西门xīmén冲chōng了le出去chūqu。这zhè匹pǐ马mǎ叫jiào的de卢lú，额头étóu上shàng有yǒu一块yíkuài白点báidiǎn。有人yǒurén说shuō过guo，这种zhèzhǒng马mǎ会huì害死hàisǐ骑qí它tā的de主人zhǔrén，可kě刘备liúbèi还是háishi一直yìzhí骑qí着zhe它tā。他tā说shuō：“人rén的de生死shēngsǐ是shì天定tiāndìng的de，跟gēn马mǎ有yǒu什么shénme关系guānxì？”

跑pǎo了le没méi多duō远yuǎn，前面qiánmiàn就是jiùshì檀溪。后面hòumiàn喊声hǎnshēng越来越yuèláiyuè近jìn，追兵zhuībīng就要jiùyào到dào了le。刘备liúbèi硬着头皮yìngzhe-tóupí冲进chōngjìn水shuǐ里li，没méi走zǒu几jǐ步bù，马mǎ的de前腿qiántuǐ就jiù陷xiàn了le下去xiàqu，刘备liúbèi的de衣服yīfu全quán湿shī了le。

刘备liúbèi急jí得de用yòng鞭子biānzi打dǎ马mǎ，大dà叫jiào：“你nǐ今天jīntiān真zhēn要yào害死hàisǐ我wǒ吗ma？”话音刚落huàyīn-gāngluò，那nà匹pǐ马mǎ忽然hūrán从cóng水shuǐ里li一跃而起yíyuè-érqǐ，一下子yíxiàzi跳tiào了le三sān丈zhàng多duō远yuǎn，落在zài了le对岸duì’àn。蔡瑁càimào追zhuī到dào岸边ànbiān，只能zhǐnéng眼睁睁yǎnzhēngzhēng地de看kàn着zhe他tā走zǒu了le。

天tiān慢慢mànmàn黑hēi了le，刘备liúbèi在zài山shān里li迷mí了le路lù。一个yígè放牛fàngniú的de孩子háizi骑qí着zhe牛niú，吹chuī着zhe笛子dízi走zǒu过来guòlai，把bǎ他tā带dài到dào了le一yí位wèi隐士yǐnshì家里jiālǐ。这zhè个gè人rén叫jiào司马徽，大家dàjiā都dōu叫jiào他tā“水镜先生xiānsheng”。

水镜先生xiānsheng问wèn他tā：“你nǐ这么zhème有名yǒumíng，为什么wèishénme到dào现在xiànzài还hái到处dàochù逃难táonàn？”刘备liúbèi说shuō是shì自己zìjǐ运气yùnqi不好bùhǎo。水镜先生xiānsheng笑道xiàodào：“不是búshì运气yùnqi不好bùhǎo，是shì你nǐ身边shēnbiān没有méiyǒu对duì的de人rén。关羽guānyǔ、张飞zhāngfēi、赵云zhàoyún都dōu是shì猛将měngjiàng，可惜kěxī没有méiyǒu会用yòng他们tāmen的de人rén。”他tā又yòu说shuō，有yǒu两liǎng个gè人rén，一个yígè叫jiào“卧龙wòlóng”，一个yígè叫jiào“凤雏”，这zhè两liǎng个gè人rén只要zhǐyào得到dédào一个yígè，就jiù能néng让ràng天下太平tiānxià-tàipíng。刘备liúbèi连忙liánmáng问wèn他们tāmen是shì谁shéi，水镜先生xiānsheng只是zhǐshì笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“好hǎo！好hǎo！”他tā什么shénme也yě不bù肯kěn多duō说shuō。

回到huídào新野xīnyě不久bùjiǔ，刘备liúbèi认识rènshi了le一个yígè叫jiào徐庶xúshù的de读书人dúshūrén，请qǐng他tā做zuò了le军师jūnshī。徐庶xúshù果然guǒrán厉害lìhai，帮bāng刘备liúbèi打dǎ了le好几háojǐ个gè大dà胜仗shèngzhàng。曹操cáocāo知道zhīdào以后yǐhòu，派pài人rén把bǎ徐庶xúshù的de母亲mǔqīn抓zhuā到dào了le许昌xǔchāng，又yòu让ràng人rén照zhào着zhe她tā的de笔迹bǐjì写xiě了le一yì封fēng信xìn，叫jiào徐庶xúshù快kuài去qù许昌xǔchāng。徐庶xúshù是shì个gè孝子xiàozǐ，看kàn了le信xìn，只好zhíhǎo哭kū着zhe向xiàng刘备liúbèi告别gàobié。

刘备liúbèi舍不得shěbude他tā，送sòng了le很hěn远yuǎn很hěn远yuǎn。徐庶xúshù走zǒu远yuǎn了le，刘备liúbèi还hái站zhàn在zài原地yuándì，说shuō：“这些zhèxiē树shù挡住dǎngzhù了le我wǒ看kàn他tā的de眼睛yǎnjing，真zhēn想xiǎng把bǎ它们tāmen都dōu砍kǎn掉diào！”

正在zhèngzài这时zhèshí，徐庶xúshù又yòu骑qí着zhe马mǎ跑pǎo了le回来huílai：“我wǒ心里xīnlǐ太tài乱luàn，差点chàdiǎn忘wàng了le一yí件jiàn大事dàshì！隆中lóngzhōng住zhù着zhe一yí位wèi奇人qírén，他tā叫jiào诸葛亮zhūgěliàng，字zì孔明kǒngmíng，大家dàjiā叫jiào他tā‘卧龙wòlóng’。他tā比bǐ我wǒ强qiáng多duō了le，你nǐ一定yídìng要yào亲自qīnzì去qù见jiàn他tā，请qǐng他tā出来chūlái帮bāng你nǐ！”刘备liúbèi这zhè才cái明白míngbai，水镜先生xiānsheng说shuō的de“卧龙wòlóng”，原来yuánlái就是jiùshì他tā。

卧龙wòlóng到底dàodǐ是shì一个yígè什么样shénmeyàng的de人rén？刘备liúbèi亲自qīnzì上门shàngmén，他tā肯kěn出山chūshān吗ma？

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
只好zhíhǎoto have no choice but to; to be forced to
座zuòseat
却quèbut; yet; however (contrary to expectation)
城chéngcity; town
就是jiùshìexactly; precisely; is (emphatic)
步bùstep; pace
全quánwhole; all; entire; complete; completely; entirely
忽然hūránsuddenly; all of a sudden
吹chuīto blow
替tìto take the place of; to substitute for
派pàito send; to dispatch
宽kuānwide; broad; width

Lesson plan: 45 minutes (for the teacher)

HSK 5 · The Leap Across the Tan Stream. By the end, students can read it aloud, say what it is about and use 替 and 派 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 替 (tì, to take the place of; to substitute for), 派 (pài, to send; to dispatch), 宽 (kuān, wide; broad; width), 只好 (zhíhǎo, to have no choice but to; to be forced to), 座 (zuò, seat), 却 (què, but; yet; however (contrary to expectation)). 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-intermediate-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 替 and one with 派, 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, Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao and then led his army against Liu Bei. Liu Bei was beaten again and had to take everyone to Jing Province, to seek shelter with Liu Biao, who was also named Liu. Liu Biao let him live in a small town called Xinye.

Liu Biao treated Liu Bei well, but Cai Mao, the brother of Liu Biao's wife, had long wanted to get rid of him. One day Liu Biao gave a banquet in Xiangyang and had Liu Bei receive the guests in his place. Cai Mao posted soldiers at the city's east, south and north gates and waited for his moment. Outside the west gate ran the Tan Stream, wide and fast, so he thought there was no need to guard it.

Halfway through the drinking, a kind-hearted official came up to Liu Bei with his cup, gave him a look and said quietly: "Please go and change your clothes." Liu Bei understood, got up and went into the back garden. The official followed him and said: "Cai Mao means to kill you! There are soldiers at the east, south and north gates; only the west gate is open to you!"

Liu Bei mounted his horse and galloped out of the west gate alone. This horse was called Dilu, and it had a white spot on its forehead. People had said that this kind of horse would bring death to its master, but Liu Bei had always kept riding it. He said: "Life and death are decided by heaven; what has a horse got to do with it?"

He had not gone far when the Tan Stream lay in front of him. The shouts behind him came closer and closer; the pursuers were almost upon him. Liu Bei steeled himself and plunged into the water, but after only a few steps the horse's forelegs sank, and Liu Bei was soaked through.

In desperation Liu Bei whipped the horse and cried: "Are you really going to be the death of me today?" No sooner had he said it than the horse sprang up out of the water and leapt more than three zhang in a single bound, landing on the far bank. Cai Mao reached the bank and could only watch helplessly as he got away.

Darkness slowly fell, and Liu Bei lost his way in the hills. A cowherd boy came by riding an ox and playing a flute, and led him to the home of a hermit. This man was Sima Hui, whom everyone called "Mr Water Mirror".

Mr Water Mirror asked him: "You are so famous, so why are you still on the run after all this time?" Liu Bei said it was just his bad luck. Mr Water Mirror smiled: "It isn't bad luck; it's that you don't have the right people around you. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun are fierce warriors, but sadly you have no one who knows how to use them." He went on to say that there were two men, one called the Sleeping Dragon and one called the Fledgling Phoenix, and that whoever won just one of them could bring peace to the land. Liu Bei hurriedly asked who they were, but Mr Water Mirror only smiled and said: "Good! Good!" He would not say a word more.

Not long after returning to Xinye, Liu Bei met a scholar named Xu Shu and made him his military adviser. Xu Shu truly was brilliant, and he won several great battles for Liu Bei. When Cao Cao found out, he had Xu Shu's mother seized and brought to Xuchang, then had a letter written in an imitation of her handwriting, telling Xu Shu to come to Xuchang at once. Xu Shu was a devoted son; when he read the letter, he had no choice but to take a tearful leave of Liu Bei.

Liu Bei couldn't bear to let him go and saw him off a long, long way. Even when Xu Shu was far off, Liu Bei still stood on the same spot and said: "These trees are blocking my view of him; I'd like to cut them all down!"

Just then, Xu Shu came galloping back: "My mind is in such a mess that I almost forgot something important! In Longzhong there lives a remarkable man; his name is Zhuge Liang, his courtesy name Kongming, and people call him the Sleeping Dragon. He is far better than I am; you must go and see him yourself and ask him to come and help you!" Only then did Liu Bei realise that the Sleeping Dragon Mr Water Mirror had spoken of was this man.

What kind of man was the Sleeping Dragon, really? If Liu Bei came to his door himself, would he agree to come out of the hills?