HSK 3 · Chapter 4 · 317 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-man-who-draws-all-night

阳阳的画

The man who draws all night

Name: ________________ Date: ________

阳阳yángyáng二十八èrshíbā岁suì了le,可是kěshì小区xiǎoqū里的de人rén还hái叫jiào他tā“阳阳yángyáng”。他tā小时候xiǎoshíhou,是shì赵zhào老师lǎoshī的de学生xuéshēng。

大家dàjiā都dōu说shuō,阳阳yángyáng在zài一家yìjiā大dà公司gōngsī上班shàngbān,很hěn忙máng。可是kěshì他tā家jiā的de窗帘chuānglián,白天báitiān也yě总是zǒngshì拉lā着zhe。

爷爷yéye敲qiāo了le很hěn久jiǔ的de门mén。快kuài十二shí’èr点diǎn了le,阳阳yángyáng才cái穿chuān着zhe睡衣shuìyī来lái开门kāimén。

他tā家里jiālǐ都dōu是shì画huà:墙qiáng上shàng有yǒu,桌子zhuōzi上shàng也yě有yǒu。每měi一yì张zhāng画huà里,都dōu有yǒu一yì只zhī白bái猫māo。

“你们nǐmen别bié告诉gàosù我wǒ妈mā,”阳阳yángyáng的de脸红liǎnhóng了le,“我wǒ三sān个gè月yuè以前yǐqián就jiù不bú上班shàngbān了le。我wǒ想xiǎng画huà漫画mànhuà。”

原来yuánlái,每天měitiān晚上wǎnshang十shí点diǎn,豆腐dòufu都dōu会huì来lái他tā的de窗户chuānghu外面wàimiàn。阳阳yángyáng给gěi它tā吃chī猫māo粮liáng,它tā就jiù坐zuò在zài那儿nàr,让ràng阳阳yángyáng画huà它tā。

“我wǒ一yí个gè人rén在家zàijiā画画huàhuà,它tā是shì我wǒ的de同事tóngshì。所以suóyǐ我wǒ就jiù叫jiào它tā‘同事tóngshì’。”

每měi一yì张zhāng画huà的de下面xiàmiàn,都dōu写xiě着zhe几jǐ月yuè几jǐ号hào。乐乐lèlè拿出náchū手机shǒujī,把bǎ这些zhèxiē画huà都dōu拍pāi了le下来xiàlai。

爷爷yéye问wèn:“星期天xīngqītiān晚上wǎnshang,同事tóngshì来lái上班shàngbān了le吗ma?”

“没méi来lái。我wǒ等到děngdào两liǎng点diǎn。不过búguò星期天xīngqītiān早上zǎoshang六liù点diǎn,我wǒ还hái没méi睡shuì,看见kànjiàn它tā跟gēn在zài一yí个gè老人lǎorén后面hòumiàn。那个nàge老人lǎorén走路zǒulù的de时候shíhou,两liǎng只zhī手shǒu放fàng在zài背后bèihòu。”

房间fángjiān里一下子yíxiàzi安静ānjìng了le。

爷爷yéye的de两liǎng只zhī手shǒu,也yě放fàng在zài背后bèihòu。他tā马上mǎshàng把bǎ手shǒu放fàng到dào了le前面qiánmiàn。

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
小时候xiǎoshíhouin one's childhood; when one was little
门méndoor; gate
画huàto draw; to paint; painting; picture
每měieach; every
告诉gàosùto tell; to inform
外面wàimiànoutside; out
下面xiàmiànnext; following
下来xiàlai(after a verb) indicates completion or continuation from past to present (as in 坚持下来)
后面hòumiànback; rear; behind
走路zǒulùto walk
手shǒuhand
前面qiánmiànin front; ahead

English (for the teacher)

Yangyang was twenty-eight, but the compound still called him “Yangyang”, like a little boy. As a boy, he had been Teacher Zhao’s pupil.

Everyone said Yangyang worked at a big company and was very busy. But his curtains stayed closed even in the daytime.

Grandpa knocked for a long time. It was nearly noon before Yangyang came to the door in his pyjamas.

His flat was full of drawings: on the walls, on the table. And in every drawing there was a white cat.

“Don’t tell my mum,” said Yangyang, going red. “I quit my job three months ago. I want to draw comics.”

So that was it: every night at ten, Tofu came and sat outside his window. Yangyang gave it cat food, and it sat there and let him draw it.

“I work at home on my own, drawing, and it’s my colleague. So I call it ‘Colleague’.”

Under every drawing was the date. Lele took out her phone and took a photo of each one.

Grandpa asked, “On Sunday night, did Colleague turn up for work?”

“No. I waited until two. But at six on Sunday morning, before I’d gone to bed, I saw it following an old man. When that old man walked, he kept his hands behind his back.”

The room went very quiet.

Grandpa’s hands were behind his back too. He quickly brought them round to the front.