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HSK 3 · Chapter 8 · 728 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/three-visits-to-the-thatched-cottage-three-kingdoms-easy-chinese-8

三顾茅庐

Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage

Name: ________________ Date: ________

没méi过guò几jǐ天tiān，刘备liúbèi就jiù带dài着zhe关羽guānyǔ、张飞zhāngfēi，去qù隆中lóngzhōng找zhǎo诸葛亮zhūgěliàng。他们tāmen来到láidào山shān里li的de一个yígè草cǎo房子fángzi前qián，一yí个gè孩子háizi开kāi了le门mén。刘备liúbèi说shuō：“汉朝hàncháo左zuǒ将军jiāngjūn、皇帝huángdì的de叔叔shūshu刘备liúbèi，来lái见jiàn先生xiānsheng。”孩子háizi说shuō：“这么zhème长cháng的de名字míngzi，我wǒ记不住jìbuzhù。”刘备liúbèi就jiù说shuō：“你nǐ就jiù说shuō，刘备liúbèi来lái了le。”孩子háizi说shuō：“先生xiānsheng今天jīntiān早上zǎoshang出去chūqù了le。”“什么shénme时候shíhou回来huílái？”“不bù知道zhīdào。可能kěnéng三五天sānwǔtiān，可能kěnéng十几shíjǐ天tiān。”

几jǐ天tiān以后yǐhòu，已经yǐjīng是shì冬天dōngtiān了le。外面wàimiàn下xià着zhe大雪dàxuě，风fēng也yě很hěn大dà。张飞zhāngfēi说shuō：“这么zhème冷lěng的de天tiān，还hái去qù见jiàn一个yígè没用méiyòng的de人rén？我们wǒmen回家huíjiā吧ba！”刘备liúbèi说shuō：“我wǒ是shì想xiǎng让ràng孔明kǒngmíng知道zhīdào我wǒ的de心xīn。你nǐ怕冷pàlěng，就jiù先xiān回去huíqù。”张飞zhāngfēi说shuō：“我wǒ死sǐ都dōu不怕búpà，还hái怕冷pàlěng吗ma？我wǒ只是zhǐshì怕pà大哥dàgē又yòu见不到jiànbudào他tā！”

到dào了le那里nàlǐ，他们tāmen看见kànjiàn一个yígè年轻人niánqīngrén坐zuò在zài火huǒ边biān唱歌chànggē。刘备liúbèi高兴gāoxìng极了jíle，可是kěshì那nà个gè人rén说shuō：“我wǒ是shì孔明kǒngmíng的de弟弟dìdi。我wǒ哥哥gēge又yòu出去chūqù了le。”刘备liúbèi写xiě了le一yì封fēng信xìn，在zài大雪dàxuě里li回家huíjiā了le。

第二年dì’èrnián春天chūntiān，刘备liúbèi又yòu要yào去qù。关羽guānyǔ说shuō：“大哥dàgē已经yǐjīng去qù了le两liǎng次cì了le。我wǒ看kàn，这个zhège诸葛亮zhūgěliàng不怎么样bùzěnmeyàng，所以suóyǐ不bù敢gǎn见jiàn你nǐ。”张飞zhāngfēi说shuō：“这次zhècì大哥dàgē别bié去qù了le！他tā要是yàoshi不bù来lái，我wǒ用yòng一yì根gēn绳子shéngzi把bǎ他tā绑bǎng来lái！”刘备liúbèi生气shēngqì了le：“你们nǐmen两liǎng个gè，不要búyào再说zàishuō了le！”

第三dìsān次cì到dào了le那里nàlǐ，孩子háizi说shuō：“先生xiānsheng在家zàijiā，可是kěshì正在zhèngzài睡觉shuìjiào。”刘备liúbèi说shuō：“别bié叫jiào他tā。”他tā自己zìjǐ站zhàn在zài房子fángzi前面qiánmiàn等děng着zhe。等děng了le很hěn久jiǔ，孔明kǒngmíng还hái在zài睡shuì。张飞zhāngfēi生气shēngqì了le：“大哥dàgē在zài外面wàimiàn站zhàn着zhe，他tā还hái睡shuì！我wǒ去qù房子fángzi后面hòumiàn放fàng一yì把bǎ火huǒ，看kàn他tā起不起来qǐbu-qǐlái！”关羽guānyǔ拉lā住zhù了le他tā。后来hòulái，孔明kǒngmíng翻fān了le个gè身shēn，又yòu睡着shuìzháo了le。

又yòu过guò了le很hěn久jiǔ，孔明kǒngmíng终于zhōngyú醒xǐng了le。他tā听说tīngshuō刘备liúbèi一直yìzhí在zài等děng，马上mǎshàng出来chūlái请qǐng他tā进去jìnqù。刘备liúbèi问wèn他tā：“现在xiànzài这么zhème乱luàn，我wǒ该gāi怎么办zěnmebàn？”

孔明kǒngmíng拿出náchū一yì张zhāng地图dìtú，说shuō：“曹操cáocāo人rén多duō，皇帝huángdì又yòu在zài他tā手里shǒuli，你nǐ现在xiànzài不能bùnéng和hé他tā打dǎ。孙权sūnquán在zài东边dōngbiān，那里nàlǐ的de人rén都dōu听tīng他tā的de，你nǐ可以kéyǐ和hé他tā做zuò朋友péngyou。荆州jīngzhōu和hé益州yìzhōu，你nǐ应该yīnggāi先xiān拿下náxià。这样zhèyàng，天下tiānxià就jiù像xiàng一个yígè鼎dǐng。”鼎dǐng，就是jiùshì以前yǐqián一种yìzhǒng三sān条tiáo腿tuǐ的de大dà锅guō。孔明kǒngmíng说shuō：“北边běibian是shì曹操cáocāo，东边dōngbiān是shì孙权sūnquán，西边xībiān是shì你nǐ，三sān条tiáo腿tuǐ一起yìqǐ站zhàn着zhe。以后yǐhòu，再zài去qù打dǎ曹操cáocāo。”

刘备liúbèi听tīng了le，觉得juéde天tiān一下子yíxiàzi亮liàng了le。他tā请qǐng孔明kǒngmíng出山chūshān，帮bāng他tā做事zuòshì。孔明kǒngmíng不想bùxiǎng去qù，刘备liúbèi就jiù哭kū了le起来qǐlai，哭kū得de衣服yīfu都dōu湿shī了le。孔明kǒngmíng终于zhōngyú说shuō：“好hǎo，我wǒ跟gēn你nǐ走zǒu。”这zhè一yì年nián，孔明kǒngmíng才cái二十七èrshíqī岁suì。

从cóng这zhè以后yǐhòu，刘备liúbèi每天měitiān都dōu和hé孔明kǒngmíng在zài一起yìqǐ，一起yìqǐ吃饭chīfàn，一起yìqǐ说话shuōhuà。关羽guānyǔ和hé张飞zhāngfēi很hěn不bù高兴gāoxìng。刘备liúbèi对duì他们tāmen说shuō：“我wǒ有yǒu了le孔明kǒngmíng，就jiù像xiàng鱼yú有yǒu了le水shuǐ。”这zhè就是jiùshì成语chéngyǔ“如鱼得水rúyú-déshuǐ”。

可是kěshì，没méi过guò多久duōjiǔ，就jiù有人yǒurén跑pǎo来lái说shuō：曹操cáocāo的de大军dàjūn，往wǎng南边nánbian来lái了le！

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
带dàito bring; to take; to carry
山shānmountain; hill
草cǎograss; straw
房子fángzihouse; building
叔叔shūshuuncle (father's younger brother)
以后yǐhòulater; afterwards; in the future
冬天dōngtiānwinter
风fēngwind
先xiānfirst; in advance
只是zhǐshìmerely; just; only
怕pàto fear; to be afraid of
又yòuagain (it already happened again); and also

Lesson plan: 45 minutes (for the teacher)

HSK 3 · Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage. By the end, students can read it aloud, say what it is about and use 带 and 山 in sentences of their own.

  1. Warm-up 5 min

    Write 三顾茅庐 on the board. Ask what the class thinks it is about, then give the English: “Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage”.

  2. Key words 10 min

    Teach 带 (dài, to bring; to take; to carry), 山 (shān, mountain; hill), 草 (cǎo, grass; straw), 房子 (fángzi, house; building), 叔叔 (shūshu, uncle (father's younger brother)), 以后 (yǐhòu, later; afterwards; in the future). 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/three-visits-to-the-thatched-cottage-three-kingdoms-easy-chinese-8: 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 带 and one with 山, 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)

Within a few days, Liu Bei took Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to Longzhong to find Zhuge Liang. They came to a thatched cottage in the hills, and a boy opened the door. Liu Bei said: "General of the Left of the Han, uncle of the emperor, Liu Bei, has come to see the master." The boy said: "That name's too long. I can't remember it." So Liu Bei said: "Just say Liu Bei is here." The boy said: "The master went out this morning." "When will he be back?" "I don't know. Maybe three or five days, maybe ten or more."

A few days later it was already winter. Outside, heavy snow was falling, and the wind was strong. Zhang Fei said: "In weather this cold, we're going to see some good-for-nothing? Let's go home!" Liu Bei said: "I want Kongming to know how sincere I am. If you're afraid of the cold, go back first." Zhang Fei said: "I'm not even afraid of dying, so why would I be afraid of the cold? I'm just afraid you won't get to see him again!"

When they got there, they saw a young man sitting by the fire, singing. Liu Bei was overjoyed, but the man said: "I'm Kongming's younger brother. My brother has gone out again." Liu Bei wrote a letter and rode home through the heavy snow.

In the spring of the next year, Liu Bei wanted to go again. Guan Yu said: "You've already gone twice, brother. If you ask me, this Zhuge Liang is nothing special, and that's why he doesn't dare to see you." Zhang Fei said: "This time you needn't go, brother! If he won't come, I'll tie him up with a rope and bring him!" Liu Bei was angry: "Enough, both of you!"

The third time they got there, the boy said: "The master is at home, but he's asleep." Liu Bei said: "Don't wake him." He stood in front of the cottage himself and waited. After a long wait, Kongming was still asleep. Zhang Fei was furious: "Our brother is standing outside and he's still asleep! I'm going round the back to set the place on fire, and we'll see if he gets up then!" Guan Yu held him back. Later, Kongming turned over and fell asleep again.

After another long while, Kongming finally woke. When he heard that Liu Bei had been waiting all this time, he came out at once and invited him in. Liu Bei asked him: "The world is in such chaos now. What should I do?"

Kongming brought out a map and said: "Cao Cao has many men, and he holds the emperor in his hands; you can't fight him now. Sun Quan is in the east, and the people there all follow him, so you can make him your friend. Jing Province and Yi Province you should take first. Then the land will be like a ding." A ding was a great bronze cauldron of the old days, with three legs. Kongming said: "Cao Cao in the north, Sun Quan in the east, you in the west: three legs standing together. After that, you can go and fight Cao Cao."

As Liu Bei listened, he felt as if the sky had suddenly cleared. He asked Kongming to leave the hills and serve him. Kongming did not want to go, so Liu Bei began to weep, until his clothes were wet with tears. At last Kongming said: "Very well, I'll go with you." That year Kongming was only twenty-seven.

From then on Liu Bei spent every day with Kongming, eating together and talking together. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were not happy. Liu Bei said to them: "Having Kongming is like a fish having water." That is where the idiom "like a fish in water" comes from.

But before long, someone came running with news: Cao Cao's great army was heading south!