Chinese Idiom Stories 3 · chapter 3 of 6
Eyes for the Dragon
画龙点睛
A great painter draws four dragons on a temple wall but leaves out their eyes. Then someone begs him to add just one pair.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 这个故事叫“画龙点睛”。有一个大画家，姓张。
Zhège gùshi jiào “huà lóng diǎn jīng”. Yǒu yí gè dà huàjiā, xìng Zhāng.
This story is called “Dotting the Dragon's Eyes.” There was a great painter named Zhang.
- The abbot 张先生，请您在我们的墙上画龙！
Zhāng xiānsheng, qǐng nín zài wǒmen de qiáng shang huà lóng!
Master Zhang, please paint dragons on our wall!
- Zhang Sengyao 好啊！我画四条龙。
Hǎo a! Wǒ huà sì tiáo lóng.
Gladly! I'll paint four dragons.
Chapter 3 is part of SayMei Stories Unlimited ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapters 1 and 2 of Chinese Idiom Stories 3 are free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, The Ugly Duckling, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- The abbot 四条？太好了！我去拿大笔！
Sì tiáo? Tài hǎo le! Wǒ qù ná dà bǐ!
Four? Wonderful! I'll go get some big brushes!
- Zhang Sengyao 不用了。我有笔。三天以后，你再来看。
Bú yòng le. Wǒ yǒu bǐ. Sān tiān yǐhòu, nǐ zài lái kàn.
No need. I have my own brushes. Come and see in three days.
- The abbot 好！三天以后见！
Hǎo! Sān tiān yǐhòu jiàn!
Good! See you in three days!
- The abbot 张先生，我来了！画好了吗？
Zhāng xiānsheng, wǒ lái le! Huà hǎo le ma?
Master Zhang, I'm here! Is it finished?
- Zhang Sengyao 画好了。你看！好看吗？
Huà hǎo le. Nǐ kàn! Hǎokàn ma?
It's finished. Look! Do you like it?
- The abbot 啊！四条龙！好大！我没看过这么好的画！
À! Sì tiáo lóng! Hǎo dà! Wǒ méi kàn guo zhème hǎo de huà!
Oh! Four dragons! So big! I have never seen such a fine painting!
- The abbot 可是……你看！龙没有眼睛！
Kěshì… nǐ kàn! Lóng méiyǒu yǎnjing!
But… look! The dragons have no eyes!
- Zhang Sengyao 对。我不画龙的眼睛。
Duì. Wǒ bú huà lóng de yǎnjing.
Right. I don't paint the dragons' eyes.
- The abbot 为什么？没有眼睛，龙不好看。
Wèishénme? Méiyǒu yǎnjing, lóng bù hǎokàn.
Why? Without eyes, the dragons don't look right.
- Zhang Sengyao 画了眼睛，龙就会飞走。
Huà le yǎnjing, lóng jiù huì fēi zǒu.
If I paint the eyes, the dragons will fly away.
- The abbot 先生，您在开玩笑吧？
Xiānsheng, nín zài kāi wánxiào ba?
Sir, you're joking, aren't you?
- The abbot 墙上的龙，怎么会飞？请您画上吧！大家都想看！
Qiáng shang de lóng, zěnme huì fēi? Qǐng nín huà shàng ba! Dàjiā dōu xiǎng kàn!
How can a dragon on a wall fly? Please paint them! Everyone wants to see!
- Zhang Sengyao 好吧。就画一条。你们不要怕，也不要动。
Hǎo ba. Jiù huà yì tiáo. Nǐmen bú yào pà, yě bú yào dòng.
All right. Just one. Don't be afraid, and don't move.
- Zhang Sengyao 龙啊龙，看这里！一点……又一点！
Lóng a lóng, kàn zhèlǐ! Yì diǎn… yòu yì diǎn!
Dragon, oh dragon, look here! One dot… and another!
- The abbot 天怎么黑了？起大风了！
Tiān zěnme hēi le? Qǐ dà fēng le!
Why has the sky gone dark? A huge wind is rising!
- The abbot 你看！墙……墙上的龙在动！
Nǐ kàn! Qiáng… qiáng shang de lóng zài dòng!
Look! The… the dragon on the wall is moving!
- The dragon 我有眼睛了！我能看见了！
Wǒ yǒu yǎnjing le! Wǒ néng kànjiàn le!
I have eyes! I can see!
- The dragon 谢谢你，张先生！我要飞了！
Xièxie nǐ, Zhāng xiānsheng! Wǒ yào fēi le!
Thank you, Master Zhang! I'm off to fly!
- The abbot 龙飞起来了！飞到天上去了！
Lóng fēi qǐlái le! Fēi dào tiān shang qù le!
The dragon is flying! It's gone up into the sky!
- The abbot 先生，我的腿不会动了！
Xiānsheng, wǒ de tuǐ bú huì dòng le!
Sir, my legs won't move!
- Zhang Sengyao 别怕。我说过，龙会飞走。
Bié pà. Wǒ shuō guo, lóng huì fēi zǒu.
Don't be afraid. I told you dragons would fly away.
- The abbot 先生，您画的龙，是真龙！
Xiānsheng, nín huà de lóng, shì zhēn lóng!
Sir, the dragons you paint are real dragons!
- Zhang Sengyao 现在你信了吧？我没有开玩笑。
Xiànzài nǐ xìn le ba? Wǒ méiyǒu kāi wánxiào.
Do you believe me now? I was not joking.
- The abbot 信了！可是……墙上还有三条龙。龙的头，也在动！
Xìn le! Kěshì… qiáng shang hái yǒu sān tiáo lóng. Lóng de tóu, yě zài dòng!
I believe! But… there are still three dragons on the wall. Their heads are moving too!
- Zhang Sengyao 快走！一定不要给龙眼睛！
Kuài zǒu! Yídìng bú yào gěi lóng yǎnjing!
Run! Whatever you do, don't give them eyes!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- How many dragons does Zhang paint?
“我画四条龙。”
- Why does Zhang leave out the dragons' eyes?
“画了眼睛，龙就会飞走。”
- What happens when Zhang paints one dragon's eyes?
“我有眼睛了！我能看见了！”……“龙飞起来了！”
- What does the dragon say before it flies off?
“谢谢你，张先生！我要飞了！”
- Why does Zhang shout at the end?
“龙的头，也在动！”……“一定不要给龙眼睛！”