长城游记 A Trip to the Great Wall — HSK 4 Reading

上个月shàng ge yuè，我wǒ和hé几个jǐ ge同事tóngshì一起yìqǐ去qù北京Běijīng爬pá长城Chángchéng。

Last month I went to Beijing with a few colleagues to climb the Great Wall.

以前yǐqián我wǒ在zài照片zhàopiàn上shàng看kàn过guo很多hěn duō次cì长城Chángchéng，觉得juéde自己zìjǐ已经yǐjīng很hěn了解liǎojiě它tā了le。

I had seen the Great Wall many times in photos before, and thought I already knew it well.

可是kěshì真正zhēnzhèng站zhàn在zài长城Chángchéng下面xiàmiàn时shí，我wǒ还是háishi被bèi感动gǎndòng了le：它tā像xiàng一条yì tiáo长长chángcháng的de龙lóng，从cóng这座zhè zuò山shān一直yìzhí爬pá到dào那座nà zuò山shān，怎么zěnme也yě看不到kàn bu dào头tóu。

But when I actually stood beneath the Great Wall, I was still moved: it looked like a long dragon climbing from one mountain to the next, with no end in sight.

长城Chángchéng上shàng有些yǒuxiē地方dìfang的de路lù特别tèbié难nán走zǒu，我们wǒmen爬pá了le不到bú dào一半yíbàn，就jiù累lèi得de只好zhǐhǎo坐下来zuò xiàlai休息xiūxi。

Some stretches of the wall are really hard to walk; we had climbed less than halfway before we were so tired we had to sit down and rest.

一个yí ge同事tóngshì开玩笑kāi wánxiào说shuō：“咱们zánmen坐zuò在zài这里zhèli等děng长城Chángchéng自己zìjǐ走过来zǒu guòlai吧ba！”大家dàjiā都dōu笑xiào了le，笑完xiàowán以后yǐhòu互相hùxiāng鼓励gǔlì，继续jìxù往wǎng上shàng爬pá。

One colleague joked, 'Let's just sit here and wait for the Great Wall to walk over to us!' Everyone laughed, and after the laugh we encouraged each other and kept climbing.

快kuài到dào最高zuì gāo的de地方dìfang时shí，我wǒ的de腿tuǐ疼téng得de几乎jīhū抬不起来tái bu qǐlai，真zhēn想xiǎng放弃fàngqì。

Near the highest point, my legs ached so much I could hardly lift them, and I really wanted to give up.

可是kěshì我wǒ想到xiǎngdào，几百年jǐ bǎi nián前qián人们rénmen连lián机器jīqì都dōu没有méiyǒu，却què能néng在zài这么zhème高gāo的de山shān上shàng留下liúxià这样zhèyàng伟大wěidà的de建筑jiànzhù，我wǒ就jiù没有méiyǒu理由lǐyóu停下来tíng xiàlai。

But then I thought: hundreds of years ago, people did not even have machines, yet they left behind such a great structure on mountains this high — so I had no reason to stop.

当dāng我wǒ终于zhōngyú站zhàn在zài最高处zuì gāo chù，看着kànzhe长城Chángchéng慢慢mànmàn消失xiāoshī在zài远处yuǎnchù的de云yún里lǐ时shí，我wǒ激动jīdòng得de说不出shuō bu chū话huà来lái。

When I finally stood at the highest point and watched the wall slowly disappear into the distant clouds, I was too moved to speak.

下山xià shān的de时候shíhou我wǒ对duì同事们tóngshìmen说shuō，这zhè一路yílù的de坚持jiānchí，实在shízài太tài值得zhíde了le。

On the way down I told my colleagues that sticking it out the whole way had truly been worth it.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

长城Chángchéngthe Great Wall

龙lóngdragon

放弃fàngqìto give up

建筑jiànzhùbuilding; structure

激动jīdòngexcited; moved

坚持jiānchíto persist; to keep going

Grammar note 语法点

连……都……

"Even..." — 连 picks out an extreme example and 都 (or 也) stresses it, as in 人们连机器都没有 (people didn't even have machines).

几百年前人们连机器都没有。 — Hundreds of years ago, people didn't even have machines.

却

却 means "yet; however" and marks a result that goes against what you would expect; unlike 但是 it comes after the subject, as in 人们连机器都没有，却能……

人们连机器都没有，却能在这么高的山上留下这样伟大的建筑。 — People didn't even have machines, yet they managed to leave behind such a great structure on mountains this high.

verb/adjective + 得 + complement

得 introduces a complement showing the degree or result of an action or state, as in 累得只好坐下来休息 or 激动得说不出话来.

我激动得说不出话来。 — I was so moved that I couldn't speak.

Check yourself 小测验

1. What did the Great Wall look like to the author from below?

2. What did one colleague jokingly suggest?

3. What thought kept the author from giving up?

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