愚公移山与现代人 Yugong Moves Mountains, and Us — HSK 6 Reading

传说chuánshuō，北山Běishān愚公Yúgōng年近nián jìn九十jiǔshí，门前ménqián却què横着héngzhe太行Tàiháng、王屋Wángwū两座liǎng zuò大山dàshān，出门chūmén办事bànshì都dōu得děi绕rào很hěn远yuǎn的de路lù。

Legend has it that Yugong of the North Mountain was nearly ninety, yet two great mountains, Taihang and Wangwu, lay across his doorway, forcing a long detour every time he went out.

于是yúshì他tā率领shuàilǐng子孙zǐsūn凿石záo shí挖土wā tǔ，立志lìzhì把bǎ两座liǎng zuò山shān移走yízǒu。

So he led his sons and grandsons in chiseling rock and digging earth, resolved to move the two mountains away.

河曲Héqū智叟Zhìsǒu讥笑jīxiào他tā自不量力zì bú liàng lì，愚公Yúgōng却què答道dádào：“子子孙孙zǐzǐ-sūnsūn无穷尽wú qióngjìn，而ér山shān不会bú huì再zài增高zēnggāo，何愁hé chóu挖不平wā bu píng？”

Zhisou of Hequ ridiculed him for overreaching, but Yugong replied: 'My descendants will go on without end, whereas the mountains will grow no taller — why worry that they cannot be leveled?'

天帝Tiāndì被bèi他tā的de诚意chéngyì打动dǎdòng，命mìng大力神dàlìshén把bǎ两座liǎng zuò山shān背走bēizǒu了le。

The Emperor of Heaven, moved by his sincerity, ordered mighty gods to carry the mountains away on their backs.

小时候xiǎoshíhou，老师lǎoshī说shuō这个zhège故事gùshi教jiāo我们wǒmen坚持不懈jiānchí búxiè；长大zhǎngdà后hòu，我wǒ却què读出dúchū了le另一层lìng yì céng意味yìwèi。

As a child, I was taught that the story is about perseverance; as an adult, I read another layer of meaning in it.

现代人xiàndàirén做事zuòshì，总zǒng爱ài先xiān计算jìsuàn“性价比xìngjiàbǐ”：学xué一门yì mén外语wàiyǔ要yào几jǐ年nián？健身jiànshēn多久duōjiǔ才能cáinéng见效jiànxiào？

Modern people love to run a cost-benefit analysis before doing anything: how many years to learn a language? How long before workouts show results?

一旦yídàn回报huíbào来得láide太tài慢màn，我们wǒmen便biàn半途而废bàn tú ér fèi，转身zhuǎnshēn去qù寻找xúnzhǎo捷径jiéjìng。

The moment the payoff comes too slowly, we give up halfway and turn to hunt for shortcuts.

愚公Yúgōng的de可贵kěguì，恰恰qiàqià在于zàiyú他tā不bú问wèn“我wǒ能否néngfǒu亲眼qīnyǎn看到kàndào结果jiéguǒ”，只zhǐ问wèn“这件事zhè jiàn shì值不值得zhí bu zhíde开始kāishǐ”。

What makes Yugong admirable is precisely that he never asked 'Will I live to see the result?' — only 'Is this worth beginning?'

山shān也许yěxǔ永远yǒngyuǎn搬不完bān bu wán，但dàn一个yí gè不bú被bèi眼前yǎnqián得失déshī绑架bǎngjià的de人rén，早已zǎoyǐ翻过fānguò了le心中xīnzhōng最高zuì gāo的de那座nà zuò山shān。

Perhaps the mountain can never be fully moved — but a person no longer held hostage by immediate gains and losses has already climbed the highest mountain of all, the one within.

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

Key words 生词

讥笑jīxiàoto ridicule

自不量力zì bú liàng lìto overestimate one's strength

坚持不懈jiānchí búxièto persevere unremittingly

半途而废bàn tú ér fèito give up halfway

捷径jiéjìngshortcut

性价比xìngjiàbǐcost-performance ratio

Grammar note 语法点

一旦……，便/就……

'Once/the moment A happens, then B' — 便 is the literary equivalent of 就. 一旦回报来得太慢，我们便半途而废。

一旦下定决心，便不要轻易放弃。— Once you have made up your mind, do not give up lightly.

恰恰在于

'lies precisely in' — pinpoints the essence of something, often after words like 可贵、问题、区别. 愚公的可贵，恰恰在于他不问结果。

两者的区别恰恰在于态度。— The difference between the two lies precisely in attitude.

Check yourself 小测验

1. Why did Yugong want to move the mountains?

2. How did Yugong answer Zhisou's mockery?

3. According to the author, which question did Yugong NOT ask?

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