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愚公移山

The Foolish Old Man Moves the Mountains

Level 5 · Idiom Stories · 成语故事 · 76 vocabulary words

Source: 《列子·汤问》 · Liezi, Tang's Questions

愚yú公gōng九jiǔ十shí岁suì了le,家jiā门mén前qián两liǎng座zuò大dà山shān挡dǎng路lù,出门chū mén要yào绕rào很hěn远yuǎn。

Old Fool, ninety, had two mountains blocking his door, every trip went the long way around.

他tā把bǎ全家quán jiā叫jiào来lái:我们wǒ men把bǎ这zhè两liǎng座zuò山shān挖wā平píng吧ba。妻子qī zi说shuō:土tǔ往wǎng哪里nǎ lǐ放fàng?愚yú公gōng说shuō:倒dào进jìn海hǎi里lǐ。

He called the family: let's dig them flat. His wife asked: where does the earth go? Into the sea, he said.

智zhì叟sǒu笑xiào他tā:你nǐ这么zhè me老lǎo了le,山shān这么zhè me大dà,怎么zěn me可能kě néng?

Wise Old Man laughed: at your age, with mountains so big?

愚yú公gōng说shuō:我wǒ死sǐ了le有yǒu儿子ér zi,儿子ér zi有yǒu孙子sūn zi,子zǐ子孙zǐ sūn孙sūn挖wā下去xià qù,山shān不bú会长huì zhǎng高gāo,总zǒng会huì挖wā平píng的de。

He said: when I die my sons dig on, then grandsons, the mountains never grow taller, so they will be dug flat.

天tiān帝dì听说tīng shuō了le很hěn感动gǎn dòng,派pài神仙shén xiān把bǎ两liǎng座zuò山shān搬bān走zǒu了le。有yǒu恒héng心xīn的de人rén,大dà山shān也yě让ràng路lù。

Heaven, moved, sent spirits to carry the mountains away. For the steadfast, even mountains step aside.

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