熟能生巧 Practice Makes Perfect

很久hěn jiǔ以前yǐqián，有yǒu一个yí ge人rén特别tèbié会huì射箭shèjiàn，十shí次cì能néng中zhòng九jiǔ次cì，他tā因此yīncǐ很hěn骄傲jiāo'ào。

Long ago, there was a man who was extremely good at archery — he could hit the target nine times out of ten, and so he was very proud.

一天yìtiān，一个yí ge卖mài油yóu的de老人lǎorén站zhàn在zài旁边pángbiān看kàn他tā射箭shèjiàn，只是zhǐshì轻轻qīngqīng地de点头diǎntóu。

One day, an old oil seller stood nearby watching him shoot, and gave only a slight nod.

那个nàge人rén不bù高兴gāoxìng地de问wèn：“难道nándào你nǐ觉得juéde我wǒ射箭shèjiàn不bù好hǎo吗ma？”

Annoyed, the man asked, "Do you really think my archery is not good?"

老人lǎorén说shuō：“这zhè没有méiyǒu什么shénme，只是zhǐshì你nǐ练liàn得de多duō了le。”

The old man said, "It is nothing special — you have simply practiced a lot."

说完shuōwán，老人lǎorén把bǎ一个yí ge瓶子píngzi放fàng在zài地上dìshang，又yòu在zài瓶子píngzi上shàng放fàng了le一个yí ge中间zhōngjiān有yǒu小xiǎo洞dòng的de铜钱tóngqián。

With that, the old man set a bottle on the ground and placed on top of it a copper coin with a small hole in the middle.

他tā慢慢mànmàn地de把bǎ油yóu从cóng小xiǎo洞dòng倒dào进jìn瓶子píngzi里lǐ，铜钱tóngqián上shàng一点儿yìdiǎnr油yóu也yě没有méiyǒu。

Slowly he poured the oil through the small hole into the bottle, and not a drop of oil touched the coin.

老人lǎorén笑着xiàozhe说shuō：“我wǒ也yě没有méiyǒu什么shénme，只是zhǐshì倒dào油yóu倒dào得de多duō了le。”

The old man said with a smile, "I am nothing special either — I have simply poured oil many, many times."

那个nàge人rén明白míngbai了le：任何rènhé事情shìqing，只要zhǐyào多duō做zuò多duō练liàn，就jiù能néng做zuò得de又yòu快kuài又yòu好hǎo。

The man understood: with anything at all, as long as you do it and practice it enough, you can do it both quickly and well.

这zhè就jiù是shì“熟能生巧shú néng shēng qiǎo”的de意思yìsi。

This is what "practice makes perfect" means.

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

Key words 生词

射箭shèjiànarchery; to shoot arrows

中zhòngto hit (a target)

油yóuoil

洞dònghole

铜钱tóngqiáncopper coin

熟能生巧shú néng shēng qiǎopractice makes perfect

把 + object + verb

The 把 structure moves the object before the verb to show what is done to it: 老人把油倒进瓶子里。

请把门关上。— Please close the door.

难道……吗？

A rhetorical question that expresses disbelief: 难道你觉得我射箭不好吗？

难道你不知道今天是我的生日吗？— Don't tell me you didn't know today is my birthday?

1. Why was the archer proud?

2. How did the old man pour the oil into the bottle?

3. What is the moral of the story?