成语故事：井底之蛙 Idiom Story: The Frog at the Bottom of the Well

古时候gǔ shíhou，一yì口kǒu很hěn浅qiǎn的de井jǐng里li住zhù着zhe一yì只zhī青蛙qīngwā。

In ancient times, a frog lived in a very shallow well.

它tā每měi天tiān在zài井jǐng里li跳tiào来lái跳tiào去qù，觉得juéde这里zhèlǐ就是jiù shì世界shìjiè上shang最zuì好hǎo的de地方dìfang。

Every day it hopped about in the well, and it felt this was the best place in the world.

有一天yǒu yì tiān，一yì只zhī从cóng东海Dōng Hǎi来lái的de大dà海龟hǎiguī经过jīngguò井jǐng边biān。

One day, a big sea turtle from the East Sea passed by the edge of the well.

青蛙qīngwā得意déyì地de对duì它tā说shuō：“你nǐ看kàn，我wǒ想xiǎng什么时候shénme shíhou游泳yóuyǒng就jiù什么时候shénme shíhou游泳yóuyǒng，这zhè口kǒu井jǐng全quán是shì我wǒ的de，你nǐ也yě下来xiàlai看看kànkan吧ba！”

The frog said to it smugly: "Look, I can swim whenever I like, and this whole well is mine — come on down and have a look!"

海龟hǎiguī想xiǎng下去xiàqu看看kànkan，可是kěshì它tā的de左zuǒ脚jiǎo还hái没méi进去jìnqu，右yòu腿tuǐ就jiù已经yǐjīng卡kǎ在zài井口jǐngkǒu了le。

The turtle wanted to go down and look, but before its left foot was even inside, its right leg was already stuck at the mouth of the well.

它tā慢慢mànmàn退tuì了le出来chūlai，给gěi青蛙qīngwā讲jiǎng起qǐ了le大海dàhǎi：“大海dàhǎi大dà得de没有méiyǒu边biān，下xià十shí年nián大雨dàyǔ，海水hǎishuǐ不bú会huì多duō一点儿yìdiǎnr；十shí年nián不bú下xià雨yǔ，海水hǎishuǐ也yě不bú会huì少shǎo一点儿yìdiǎnr。”

It slowly backed out and began telling the frog about the sea: "The sea is so big it has no edge; if it rains hard for ten years, the water doesn't rise a bit, and if it doesn't rain for ten years, the water doesn't drop a bit either."

青蛙qīngwā听tīng了le，吃惊chījīng得de半天bàntiān说不出shuō bu chū话huà来lai，它tā第一dì-yī次cì知道zhīdào，井jǐng外面wàimiàn还hái有yǒu这么zhème大dà的de世界shìjiè。

When the frog heard this, it was so astonished that it couldn't say a word for a long while — for the first time it learned that there was such a big world outside the well.

后来hòulái，人们rénmen用yòng“井底之蛙jǐng dǐ zhī wā”来lái说shuō那些nàxiē见jiàn得de少shǎo、却què以为yǐwéi自己zìjǐ什么shénme都dōu知道zhīdào的de人rén。

Later, people came to use 井底之蛙 for those who have seen little of the world yet think they know everything.

我wǒ哥哥gēge在zài一yí个ge小xiǎo城市chéngshì工作gōngzuò了le十shí年nián，一直yìzhí觉得juéde自己zìjǐ的de工资gōngzī很hěn高gāo；去年qùnián他tā去qù上海Shànghǎi出差chūchāi，和hé那边nàbiān的de同事tóngshì聊liáo了le聊liáo，才cái发现fāxiàn做zuò一样yíyàng的de工作gōngzuò，别人biéren的de工资gōngzī是shì他tā的de两liǎng倍bèi。

My older brother worked in a small city for ten years and always thought his salary was high; last year he went to Shanghai on business, chatted with the colleagues there, and found out that people doing the same job earned twice as much as him.

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

Key words 生词

井底之蛙jǐng dǐ zhī wāa frog at the bottom of a well (a person with a narrow view of the world)

井jǐngwell (for water)

青蛙qīngwāfrog

海龟hǎiguīsea turtle

浅qiǎnshallow

卡kǎto get stuck

Grammar note 语法点

V来V去

A verb repeated with 来 and 去 means doing it back and forth or all over the place: 它每天在井里跳来跳去。

他在房间里走来走去，不知道该怎么办。 — He paced up and down the room, not knowing what to do.

想什么时候……就什么时候……

The same question word used twice with 就 means "whenever / wherever / whatever you like": 我想什么时候游泳就什么时候游泳。

周末你想几点起床就几点起床。 — At the weekend you can get up whatever time you like.

还没……就……

"Before (A) has even happened, (B) already…": 它的左脚还没进去，右腿就已经卡在井口了。

我还没说完，他就走了。 — I hadn't even finished speaking when he left.

Check yourself 小测验

1. What did the frog think of its well?

2. Why couldn't the sea turtle get into the well?

3. What did the narrator's brother find out in Shanghai?

成语故事：井底之蛙Chéngyǔ gùshi: Jǐng dǐ zhī wāIdiom Story: The Frog at the Bottom of the Well

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

More HSK 4 reading practice