HSK 3 · Chapter 9 · 823 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-monk-sets-out-journey-to-the-west-easy-chinese-9

唐僧取经

The Monk Sets Out

Name: ________________ Date: ________

五行wǔxíng山shān压yā着zhe孙悟空sūnwùkōng，他tā在zài山下shānxià等děng了le五百wúbǎi年nián。这些zhèxiē年nián里，西天xītiān的de如来rúlái佛祖fózǔ一直yìzhí在zài想xiǎng一yí件jiàn事shì。

有yǒu一天yìtiān，他tā对duì大家dàjiā说shuō：“东边dōngbiān的de人rén做zuò了le很hěn多duō坏事huàishì，常常chángcháng打来打去dǎlái-dǎqù。我wǒ这里zhèlǐ有yǒu三藏真经，能néng让ràng人rén变biàn好hǎo。可是kěshì，这些zhèxiē真经zhēnjīng不能bùnéng自己zìjǐ走zǒu过去guòqu。得děi有yǒu一个yígè东边dōngbiān的de人rén，走zǒu很hěn远yuǎn很hěn远yuǎn的de路lù，自己zìjǐ来lái拿ná。谁shéi愿意yuànyì去qù东边dōngbiān，找zhǎo一个yígè这样zhèyàng的de人rén？”观音菩萨guānyīn-púsà说shuō：“我wǒ去qù。”

观音菩萨guānyīn-púsà往wǎng东边dōngbiān走zǒu。走zǒu到dào一yì条tiáo大dà河边hébiān，一yí个gè妖怪yāoguài从cóng水shuǐ里跳tiào出来chūlái，想xiǎng吃chī她tā。观音菩萨guānyīn-púsà说shuō：“你nǐ别bié再zài吃chī人rén了le。以后yǐhòu会huì有yǒu一个yígè从cóng东边dōngbiān来lái的de人rén，要yào去qù西天xītiān。你nǐ就jiù跟着gēnzhe他tā走zǒu，帮bāng他tā做事zuòshì，以后yǐhòu你nǐ也yě会huì变biàn好hǎo的de。”妖怪yāoguài马上mǎshàng说shuō：“好hǎo，我wǒ等děng他tā。”

后来hòulái，她tā又yòu见到jiàndào了le一个yígè长zhǎng着zhe猪zhū脸liǎn的de妖怪yāoguài，还有háiyǒu一yì条tiáo做错zuòcuò了le事shì的de小白龙xiǎobáilóng。他们tāmen也yě都dōu说好shuōhǎo了le：等děng那nà个gè人rén来lái。

最后zuìhòu，她tā来到láidào了le五行山。孙悟空sūnwùkōng看见kànjiàn她tā，大dà叫jiào：“观音菩萨guānyīn-púsà，快kuài让ràng我wǒ出去chūqù吧ba！”观音菩萨guānyīn-púsà问wèn：“你nǐ还hái想xiǎng出来chūlai吗ma？”孙悟空sūnwùkōng说shuō：“想xiǎng！太tài想xiǎng了le！”观音菩萨guānyīn-púsà说shuō：“那nà你nǐ再zài等等déngděng。以后yǐhòu有yǒu一yí个gè人rén会huì来lái帮bāng你nǐ出来chūlái，你nǐ就jiù跟着gēnzhe他tā，送sòng他tā去qù西天xītiān。”孙悟空sūnwùkōng马上mǎshàng说shuō：“好hǎo！我wǒ等děng！”

观音菩萨guānyīn-púsà到dào了le长安cháng’ān。长安cháng’ān是shì唐朝tángcháo最zuì大dà的de城市chéngshì，那nà时候shíhou的de皇帝huángdì叫jiào唐太宗tángtàizōng。这时zhèshí，唐太宗tángtàizōng正在zhèngzài开kāi一个yígè很hěn大dà的de会huì，请qǐng了le很hěn多duō和尚héshang来lái。会huì上shàng最好zuìhǎo的de和尚héshang，是shì一个yígè年轻人niánqīngrén，叫jiào玄奘xuánzàng。

观音菩萨guānyīn-púsà变成biànchéng了le一个yígè又yòu老lǎo又yòu脏zāng的de和尚héshang，拿ná着zhe一yí件jiàn袈裟jiāshā和hé一yì根gēn禅杖chánzhàng，在zài大街dàjiē上shàng卖mài。袈裟jiāshā上shàng有yǒu很hěn多duō宝贝bǎobèi，还hái会huì发光fāguāng。有人yǒurén问wèn多少duōshao钱qián，老人lǎorén说shuō：“袈裟jiāshā要yào五千两wǔqiānliǎng银子yínzi，禅杖chánzhàng要yào两千两liǎngqiānliǎng银子yínzi。”大家dàjiā都dōu笑xiào了le：“这zhè个gè老人lǎorén一定yídìng是shì疯fēng了le！”

唐太宗tángtàizōng听说tīngshuō了le，叫jiào人rén把bǎ老人lǎorén带来dàilái。老人lǎorén说shuō：“好人hǎorén穿chuān上shàng这zhè件jiàn袈裟jiāshā，就jiù不会búhuì遇到yùdào坏事huàishì。”唐太宗tángtàizōng说shuō：“我wǒ想xiǎng把bǎ它tā送给sònggěi玄奘xuánzàng。”老人lǎorén说shuō：“那nà我wǒ不要búyào钱qián了le，送给sònggěi他tā吧ba！”说shuō完wán就jiù走zǒu了le。

玄奘xuánzàng穿chuān上shàng袈裟jiāshā，在zài大会dàhuì上shàng给gěi大家dàjiā讲jiǎng经jīng。突然tūrán，那个nàge老人lǎorén也yě来到láidào了le大会dàhuì上shàng，大声dàshēng说shuō：“你nǐ讲jiǎng的de这些zhèxiē，只能zhǐnéng帮bāng一点点yìdiándiǎn人rén。西天xītiān的de真经zhēnjīng，能néng帮bāng所有suóyǒu的de人rén！”大家dàjiā正在zhèngzài奇怪qíguài，老人lǎorén飞fēi到dào了le天上tiānshàng，变成biànchéng了le观音菩萨guānyīn-púsà。她tā说shuō：“谁shéi愿意yuànyì去qù西天xītiān，把bǎ真经zhēnjīng带dài回来huílai？”说shuō完wán，她tā就jiù不见bújiàn了le。

唐太宗tángtàizōng问wèn：“谁shéi愿意yuànyì去qù？”大家dàjiā你nǐ看看kànkan我wǒ，我wǒ看看kànkan你nǐ，谁shéi也yě不bù说话shuōhuà。这时zhèshí，玄奘xuánzàng站zhàn了le出来chūlái：“我wǒ去qù！”唐太宗tángtàizōng非常fēicháng高兴gāoxìng，说shuō：“从cóng今天jīntiān起qǐ，你nǐ就是jiùshì我wǒ的de弟弟dìdi了le。真经zhēnjīng有yǒu三藏sānzàng，你nǐ就jiù叫jiào三藏sānzàng吧ba。”从cóng这zhè以后yǐhòu，大家dàjiā都dōu叫jiào他tā唐僧tángsēng。

出发chūfā那天nàtiān，唐太宗tángtàizōng请qǐng唐僧tángsēng喝酒hējiǔ。他tā从cóng地上dìshang拿起náqǐ一点yìdiǎn土tǔ，放进fàngjìn酒jiǔ里，说shuō：“家里jiālǐ的de一点yìdiǎn土tǔ，也yě比bǐ别的biéde地方dìfang的de金子jīnzi好hǎo。喝hē了le这zhè杯bēi酒jiǔ，早点záodiǎn回来huílái！”唐僧tángsēng喝hē了le酒jiǔ，带dài着zhe两liǎng个gè跟gēn他tā一起yìqǐ走zǒu的de人rén和hé一yì匹pǐ马mǎ，往wǎng西xī走zǒu了le。

几jǐ个gè星期xīngqī以后yǐhòu，唐僧tángsēng走zǒu在zài一yì条tiáo安静ānjìng的de山路shānlù上shàng。突然tūrán，他tā听见tīngjiàn山下shānxià有人yǒurén大dà叫jiào：“师父shīfu！你nǐ终于zhōngyú来lái了le！”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
山	shān	mountain; hill
一直	yìzhí	always; all along; continuously
常常	chángcháng	often; frequently
变	biàn	to change; to become; change; transformation
跳	tiào	to jump; to leap
以后	yǐhòu	later; afterwards; in the future
后来	hòulái	afterwards; later
脸	liǎn	face
最后	zuìhòu	finally; in the end; last; final
城市	chéngshì	city; town
最好	zuìhǎo	best
变成	biànchéng	to change into; to turn into; to become

English (for the teacher)

Five-Element Mountain held Sun Wukong down, and he waited under it for five hundred years. All those years, the Buddha in the Western Paradise kept thinking about one thing.

One day he said to everyone: "The people in the East do many bad things and are always fighting. I have the true scriptures here, in three collections, and they can make people good. But the scriptures can't walk there by themselves. Someone from the East has to walk a very, very long way and come for them himself. Who will go east and find such a person?" Guanyin said: "I'll go."

Guanyin set off toward the east. When she reached a big river, a monster jumped out of the water and tried to eat her. Guanyin said: "Stop eating people. One day a man will come from the East on his way to the Western Paradise. Follow him, work for him, and one day you'll become good too." The monster said at once: "All right, I'll wait for him."

Later she met a monster with a pig's face, and a little white dragon who had done something wrong. They all agreed too: they would wait for that man.

At last she came to Five-Element Mountain. Sun Wukong saw her and shouted: "Guanyin, let me out, please!" Guanyin asked: "Do you still want to get out?" Sun Wukong said: "Yes! More than anything!" Guanyin said: "Then wait a little longer. One day someone will come and help you out. Follow him and take him to the Western Paradise." Sun Wukong said at once: "Yes! I'll wait!"

Guanyin came to Chang'an. Chang'an was the greatest city of the Tang dynasty, and the emperor at that time was Taizong. Just then, Emperor Taizong was holding a great ceremony and had invited many monks. The best monk there was a young man named Xuanzang.

Guanyin turned herself into a dirty old monk and went selling a cassock and a monk's staff in the street. The cassock was covered in treasures, and it could even shine. Someone asked the price, and the old monk said: "Five thousand taels of silver for the cassock, two thousand for the staff." Everyone laughed: "This old man must be mad!"

Emperor Taizong heard about it and had the old monk brought to him. The old monk said: "A good man who wears this cassock will never meet with harm." Emperor Taizong said: "I'd like to give it to Xuanzang." The old monk said: "Then I won't take any money. Give it to him!" And with that, he left.

Xuanzang put on the cassock and taught the scriptures to everyone at the ceremony. Suddenly the old monk turned up at the ceremony too and said loudly: "What you're teaching can only help a few people. The true scriptures in the Western Paradise can help everyone!" While everyone was wondering, the old monk flew up into the sky and turned into Guanyin. She said: "Who will go to the Western Paradise and bring back the true scriptures?" Then she was gone.

Emperor Taizong asked: "Who will go?" Everyone looked at each other, and no one said a word. Then Xuanzang stepped forward: "I'll go!" Emperor Taizong was overjoyed and said: "From today, you are my brother. The true scriptures come in three collections, so you shall be called Sanzang." From then on, everyone called him the Tang Monk.

On the day he set out, Emperor Taizong gave the Tang Monk a farewell drink. He picked up a pinch of earth from the ground, dropped it in the wine and said: "A little earth from home is better than gold from anywhere else. Drink this cup, and come back soon!" The Tang Monk drank the wine and set off west with two men to travel with him and a horse.

A few weeks later, the Tang Monk was walking along a quiet mountain road. Suddenly he heard someone shouting from under the mountain: "Master! You've come at last!"