李白与月亮 Li Bai and the Moon

在zài中国Zhōngguó，几乎jīhū没有méiyǒu人rén不bù知道zhīdào李白Lǐ Bái的de名字míngzi。

In China, there is almost no one who does not know the name Li Bai.

他tā是shì唐朝Tángcháo最zuì有名yǒumíng的de诗人shīrén之一zhīyī，人们rénmen叫jiào他tā“诗仙Shīxiān”。

He was one of the most famous poets of the Tang dynasty, and people call him the "Immortal Poet".

李白Lǐ Bái一生yìshēng写xiě了le大约dàyuē一千yìqiān首shǒu诗shī，其中qízhōng很多hěn duō都dōu和hé月亮yuèliang有关yǒuguān。

In his lifetime, Li Bai wrote about one thousand poems, many of which are related to the moon.

一yí个gè安静ānjìng的de夜晚yèwǎn，他tā看kàn着zhe床chuáng前qián的de月光yuèguāng，想起xiǎngqǐ了le远方yuǎnfāng的de家jiā。

One quiet night, watching the moonlight before his bed, he thought of his faraway home.

于是yúshì他tā写下xiěxià了le著名zhùmíng的de《静夜思Jìngyèsī》：“举jǔ头tóu望wàng明月míngyuè，低dī头tóu思sī故乡gùxiāng。”

So he wrote the famous "Quiet Night Thoughts": "Raising my head, I gaze at the bright moon; lowering my head, I think of my hometown."

短短duǎnduǎn十shí个gè字zì，就jiù把bǎ一yí个gè人rén在zài外地wàidì想xiǎng家jiā的de心情xīnqíng写xiě得de清清楚楚qīngqīng-chǔchǔ。

In just ten characters, it captures with perfect clarity the feeling of missing home while far away.

传说chuánshuō李白Lǐ Bái特别tèbié爱ài喝hē酒jiǔ，喝hē了le酒jiǔ以后yǐhòu，他tā常常chángcháng对duì着zhe月亮yuèliang举起jǔqǐ酒杯jiǔbēi，把bǎ月亮yuèliang当成dàngchéng自己zìjǐ的de朋友péngyou。

Legend says Li Bai especially loved wine; after drinking, he would often raise his cup to the moon and treat it as his own friend.

甚至shènzhì有yǒu人rén说shuō，他tā最后zuìhòu是shì为了wèile抓住zhuāzhù水shuǐ里li的de月亮yuèliang，才cái掉进diàojìn了le河hé里li。

Some even say that in the end, it was while trying to grab hold of the moon in the water that he fell into a river.

一千yìqiān多duō年nián过去guòqù了le，每当měidāng人们rénmen抬头táitóu看见kànjiàn月亮yuèliang，还是háishi会huì想起xiǎngqǐ这zhè位wèi爱ài月亮yuèliang的de诗人shīrén。

More than a thousand years have passed, yet whenever people raise their heads and see the moon, they still think of this poet who loved 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

李白Lǐ BáiLi Bai (Tang dynasty poet)

诗仙Shīxiānthe Immortal Poet (Li Bai's nickname)

静夜思Jìngyèsī"Quiet Night Thoughts" (Li Bai's famous poem)

故乡gùxiānghometown; native place

望wàngto gaze at; to look into the distance

每当měidāngwhenever; every time

几乎没有人不… (there is almost no one who does not…)

A double negative that strongly means "almost everyone does": 几乎没有人不知道李白的名字。

几乎没有人不喜欢假期。 — There is almost no one who does not like holidays.

把…当成… (to treat A as B)

A 把-sentence in which 当成 states what the object is regarded as: 把月亮当成自己的朋友。

她把老师当成自己的妈妈。 — She treats her teacher as her own mother.

每当…，(就/还是)… (whenever…, …)

每当 introduces a repeated situation, and the second half gives what always happens then: 每当人们抬头看见月亮，还是会想起这位诗人。

每当下雨，我就想在家看书。 — Whenever it rains, I feel like reading at home.

1. What do people call Li Bai?

2. What feeling does "Quiet Night Thoughts" express?

3. According to legend, what did Li Bai often do after drinking?