HSK 4 Traditional Chinese Stories: 48 with Zhuyin & Pinyin

林米lín mǐ是shì一位yī wèi生活shēng huó類lèi網紅wǎng hóng，她tā每天měi tiān都dōu要yào想xiǎng新xīn的de內容nèi róng，讓ràng觀眾guān zhòng覺得jué de有趣yǒu qù，也yě讓ràng自己zì jǐ保持bǎo chí動力dòng lì。Lin Mi is a lifestyle influencer. Every day she has to think of new content that keeps her audience interested and keeps herself motivated.今天jīn tiān早上zǎo shang，她tā坐zuò在zài廚房chú fáng，看kàn著zhe手機shǒu jī上shàng的de留言liú yán，想xiǎng從cóng大家dà jiā的de要求yāo qiú中zhōng找到zhǎo dào靈感líng gǎn。This morning, she sat in the kitchen and looked at the comments on her phone, hoping to find inspiration from her followers' requests.

有人yǒu rén想xiǎng看kàn她tā做zuò早餐zǎo cān，有人yǒu rén想xiǎng看kàn她tā分享fēn xiǎng穿搭chuān dā，還有hái yǒu人rén想xiǎng聽tīng她tā講jiǎng生活shēng huó小xiǎo故事gù shì。Some want to see her make breakfast; some want her to share outfits; others want to hear short daily stories.她tā笑xiào著zhe說shuō：「大家dà jiā的de點子diǎn zi很多hěn duō，但dàn我wǒ今天jīn tiān只zhǐ想xiǎng做zuò一個yī ge輕鬆qīng sōng的de影片yǐng piàn。」She laughed and said, "Everyone has so many ideas, but today I just want to make something relaxing."

想xiǎng了le好hǎo一會兒yī huìr，她tā決定jué dìng拍pāi一yī部bù關於guān yú「如何rú hé開始kāi shǐ美好měi hǎo早晨zǎo chén」的de短片duǎn piàn。After thinking for a while, she decided to film a short video about "how to start a good morning."她tā拿起ná qǐ手機shǒu jī走zǒu到dào窗邊chuāng biān，看kàn著zhe溫暖wēn nuǎn的de陽光yáng guāng，心裡xīn li覺得jué de今天jīn tiān一定yī dìng會huì是shì好hǎo日子rì zi。She picked up her phone and walked to the window. Seeing the warm sunlight, she felt it would be a good day.

她tā說shuō：「先xiān從cóng一yī杯bēi熱茶rè chá開始kāi shǐ吧ba，這樣zhè yàng大家dà jiā一定yī dìng會huì喜歡xǐ huan。」She said, "Let's start with a cup of hot tea. Everyone will like that."

很久hěn jiǔ以前yǐ qián，在zài中國zhōng guó有yǒu一位yī wèi賣mài武器wǔ qì的de商人shāng rén。A long time ago, in China, there was a merchant who sold weapons.有一天yǒu yī tiān，他tā在zài市場shì chǎng裡lǐ賣mài東西dōng xi。One day, he was selling things in the market.

他tā拿起ná qǐ一面yī miàn大dà盾牌dùn pái，大聲dà shēng對duì大家dà jiā說shuō：「大家dà jiā快kuài來lái看kàn！我的wǒ de盾牌dùn pái是shì世界上shì jiè shàng最zuì堅固jiān gù的de，什麼shén me東西dōng xi都dōu刺cì不bù穿chuān它tā！」He picked up a large shield and loudly said to everyone: "Everyone, come quickly and see! My shield is the strongest in the world; nothing can pierce it!"

接著jiē zhe，他tā又yòu舉起jǔ qǐ一支yī zhī長矛cháng máo，得意dé yì地de說shuō：「大家dà jiā再zài來lái看kàn！我的wǒ de長矛cháng máo是shì世界上shì jiè shàng最zuì鋒利fēng lì的de，不管bù guǎn什麼shén me東西dōng xi它tā都dōu能néng刺cì穿chuān！」Then, he proudly raised a spear and said: "Everyone, look again! My spear is the sharpest in the world; it can pierce anything!"

人群rén qún中zhōng有yǒu人rén覺得jué de奇怪qí guài，就jiù問wèn他tā：「如果rú guǒ你nǐ用yòng你nǐ最zuì鋒利fēng lì的de長矛cháng máo去qù刺cì你nǐ最zuì堅固jiān gù的de盾牌dùn pái，會huì發生fā shēng什麼shén me事shì呢ne？」Someone in the crowd found it strange and asked him: "If you use your sharpest spear to pierce your strongest shield, what would happen?"

這位zhè wèi商人shāng rén聽tīng了le以後yǐ hòu，不bù知道zhī dào怎麼zěn me回答huí dá，因為yīn wèi他的tā de兩liǎng句jù話huà不bù可能kě néng同時tóng shí成立chéng lì。After hearing this, the merchant didn't know how to respond, because his two statements could not both be true at the same time.

他tā尷尬gān gà得de說shuō不bù出chū話huà來lái。He became speechless with embarrassment.

今天jīn tiān，人們rén men用yòng成語chéng yǔ「自相矛盾zì xiāng máo dùn」來lái形容xíng róng一個yī ge人rén說shuō的de話huà或huò做zuò的de事shì前後qián hòu矛盾máo dùn，自己zì jǐ跟gēn自己zì jǐ衝突chōng tū。Today, people use the idiom "self-contradictory spear and shield" to describe someone whose words or actions are inconsistent, conflicting with themselves.

例如lì rú，小美xiǎo měi常cháng跟gēn朋友péng you說shuō：「我wǒ最近zuì jìn要yào好好hǎo hǎo省錢shěng qián。」可是kě shì她tā卻què一直yī zhí買mǎi很hěn貴guì的de衣服yī fu和hé包包bāo bāo。For example, Xiaomei often says to her friends: "I recently want to save money." But she keeps buying expensive clothes and bags.這zhè就是jiù shì「自相矛盾zì xiāng máo dùn」，因為yīn wèi她tā說shuō的de和hé做zuò的de完全wán quán不bù一樣yī yàng。This is "self-contradictory spear and shield," because what she says and what she does are completely different.

兩liǎng千qiān多年duō nián前qián，中國zhōng guó是shì漢朝hàn cháo的de天下tiān xià。More than two thousand years ago, China was ruled by the Han dynasty.在zài皇帝huáng dì的de朝廷cháo tíng裡lǐ，有yǒu一位yī wèi專門zhuān mén記錄jì lù歷史lì shǐ的de史官shǐ guān，他的tā de兒子ér zi叫jiào司馬遷sī mǎ qiān。At the emperor's court there was an official whose job was to record history, and his son was named Sima Qian.

司馬遷sī mǎ qiān小時候xiǎo shí hou在zài黃huáng河邊hé biān長大zhǎng dà，一邊yī biān放羊fàng yáng，一邊yī biān讀書dú shū。Sima Qian grew up by the Yellow River, tending sheep and studying at the same time.父親fù qīn常常cháng cháng對duì他說tā shuō：「歷史lì shǐ不能bù néng忘wàng，一定要yī dìng yào有人yǒu rén把bǎ它tā記jì下來xià lai。」His father often told him: "History must not be forgotten — someone has to write it down."

二十èr shí歲suì那年nà nián，司馬遷sī mǎ qiān離開lí kāi家jiā，開始kāi shǐ了le一次yī cì很hěn長cháng的de旅行lǚ xíng。The year he turned twenty, Sima Qian left home and set out on a very long journey.他tā去了qù le很多hěn duō地方dì fāng，收集shōu jí古時候gǔ shí hou的de故事gù shì，聽tīng老人lǎo rén們men講jiǎng過去guò qù的de英雄yīng xióng。He went to many places, collecting stories from ancient times and listening to old people tell of the heroes of the past.他tā到dào過guò孔子kǒng zǐ的de家鄉jiā xiāng，也yě去qù過guò屈原qū yuán跳tiào江jiāng的de地方dì fāng。He visited the hometown of Confucius, and the place where Qu Yuan leapt into the river.

幾年jǐ nián後hòu，他tā回到huí dào朝廷cháo tíng，成了chéng le一yī名míng官員guān yuán。A few years later, he returned to the court and became an official.可是kě shì有一天yǒu yī tiān，壞huài消息xiāo xi傳來chuán lái了le：父親fù qīn病bìng得很de hěn重zhòng。But one day, bad news arrived: his father was gravely ill.

司馬遷sī mǎ qiān趕到gǎn dào父親fù qīn床chuáng前qián，父親fù qīn拉lā著zhe他的tā de手shǒu，哭著kū zhe說shuō：「我們wǒ men家jiā世世代代shì shì dài dài都是dōu shì史官shǐ guān。」Sima Qian rushed to his father's bedside. His father took his hand and said, weeping: "For generation after generation, our family have been historians."「我wǒ一直yī zhí想xiǎng寫xiě一部yī bù完整wán zhěng的de中國zhōng guó歷史lì shǐ，可是kě shì我wǒ寫xiě不bù完了wán le。」"I have always wanted to write a complete history of China, but I will never finish it now."「孩子hái zi，答應dā ying我wǒ，把bǎ這部zhè bù史書shǐ shū寫完xiě wán。」"My child, promise me — finish this history."

司馬遷sī mǎ qiān低下dī xià頭tóu，流liú著zhe眼淚yǎn lèi說shuō：「父親fù qīn，我wǒ一定yī dìng完成wán chéng您的nín de心願xīn yuàn。」Sima Qian bowed his head and said through his tears: "Father, I will fulfill your wish."

三sān年nián後hòu，司馬遷sī mǎ qiān成了chéng le漢武帝hàn wǔ dì的de史官shǐ guān，開始kāi shǐ寫xiě那nà部bù偉大wěi dà的de書shū——《史記shǐ jì》。Three years later, Sima Qian became Emperor Wu of Han's historian and began writing that great book — the Records of the Grand Historian.他tā白天bái tiān在zài朝廷cháo tíng工作gōng zuò，晚上wǎn shang就jiù在zài燈dēng下xià，一個yī ge字zì一個yī ge字zì地de寫xiě。By day he worked at court; by night, under the lamp, he wrote character by character.他tā不知道bù zhī dào，一yī場chǎng可怕kě pà的de災難zāi nàn正在zhèng zài向xiàng他tā走zǒu來lái。He did not know that a terrible disaster was coming toward him.