Chinese Idiom Stories 3 · chapter 6 of 6
The Bird That Would Not Sing
一鸣惊人
For three years the king of Chu has done nothing but play, and anyone who scolds him is sent away. Then one minister walks in with a strange question about a bird.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 这个故事叫“一鸣惊人”。楚国的大王，三年没有做事。
Zhège gùshi jiào “yì míng jīng rén”. Chǔguó de dàwáng, sān nián méiyǒu zuò shì.
This story is called “One Cry Astonishes the World.” The king of Chu had done no work for three years.
- King Zhuang 今天吃什么？明天玩什么？后天……也玩！
Jīntiān chī shénme? Míngtiān wán shénme? Hòutiān… yě wán!
What shall we eat today? What shall we play tomorrow? The day after… we play too!
- The old minister 大王，国家有很多事要做……
Dàwáng, guójiā yǒu hěn duō shì yào zuò…
Your Majesty, the country has so much to do…
Chapter 6 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Chinese Idiom Stories 3 is free, and so are The Second Cup of Tea, Mulan, The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West: The Monkey King, Cinderella, The Night of the Nian, Chang'e and the Moon, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, Aesop's Fables, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began, Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Lotus Lantern, Alice in Wonderland, Zhong Kui the Demon Queller, The Odyssey, Robin Hood, Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Kitchen God from start to finish.
- King Zhuang 别说了！谁说，我就让他走！
Bié shuō le! Shéi shuō, wǒ jiù ràng tā zǒu!
Stop! Whoever says that, I'll make him leave!
- The old minister 我们……没有人敢说话了。
Wǒmen… méiyǒu rén gǎn shuōhuà le.
We… nobody dares to speak anymore.
- King Zhuang 再来一杯！再玩一次！
Zài lái yì bēi! Zài wán yí cì!
Another cup! Another game!
- Wu Ju 大王，我有一个问题。
Dàwáng, wǒ yǒu yí gè wèntí.
Your Majesty, I have a question.
- The old minister 伍举！别去！大王会生气的！
Wǔ Jǔ! Bié qù! Dàwáng huì shēngqì de!
Wu Ju! Don't! The king will be angry!
- Wu Ju 我不怕。国家更重要。
Wǒ bú pà. Guójiā gèng zhòngyào.
I'm not afraid. The country matters more.
- King Zhuang 伍举？你也来说我吗？
Wǔ Jǔ? Nǐ yě lái shuō wǒ ma?
Wu Ju? Have you come to scold me too?
- Wu Ju 不是，大王。我只想问一个问题。
Bú shì, dàwáng. Wǒ zhǐ xiǎng wèn yí gè wèntí.
No, Your Majesty. I only want to ask a question.
- King Zhuang 好啊。我最爱听好玩的。说吧！
Hǎo a. Wǒ zuì ài tīng hǎowán de. Shuō ba!
Fine. I love a good puzzle. Go on!
- Wu Ju 山上有一只大鸟。三年不飞，也不叫。
Shān shang yǒu yì zhī dà niǎo. Sān nián bù fēi, yě bú jiào.
On the mountain there is a big bird. For three years it hasn't flown or made a sound.
- Wu Ju 大王，这是什么鸟？
Dàwáng, zhè shì shénme niǎo?
Your Majesty, what kind of bird is this?
- The old minister 天啊……他在说大王！
Tiān a… tā zài shuō dàwáng!
Oh heavens… he means the king!
- King Zhuang ……这个问题很好！
…Zhège wèntí hěn hǎo!
…That is a very good question!
- King Zhuang 这只鸟，三年不飞。可是它一飞，就飞到天上！
Zhè zhī niǎo, sān nián bù fēi. Kěshì tā yì fēi, jiù fēi dào tiān shang!
This bird hasn't flown for three years. But once it flies, it will fly up to the sky!
- King Zhuang 它三年不叫。可是它一叫，人人都吃惊！
Tā sān nián bú jiào. Kěshì tā yí jiào, rénrén dōu chījīng!
It hasn't cried out for three years. But once it does, everyone will be amazed!
- Wu Ju 大王！您明白了！
Dàwáng! Nín míngbai le!
Your Majesty! You understand!
- King Zhuang 伍举，你回去吧。我知道了。
Wǔ Jǔ, nǐ huíqù ba. Wǒ zhīdào le.
Wu Ju, you may go. I understand.
- King Zhuang 来人！今天，我要做事了！
Lái rén! Jīntiān, wǒ yào zuò shì le!
Attendants! Today, I get to work!
- The old minister 大王，您……您真的要做事了？
Dàwáng, nín… nín zhēn de yào zuò shì le?
Your Majesty, you… you really will work?
- King Zhuang 真的！我会做得很好！
Zhēn de! Wǒ huì zuò de hěn hǎo!
Really! I'll do it very well!
- King Zhuang 伍举，你来帮我！我们有很多事！
Wǔ Jǔ, nǐ lái bāng wǒ! Wǒmen yǒu hěn duō shì!
Wu Ju, help me! We have so much to do!
- Wu Ju 是，大王！
Shì, dàwáng!
Yes, Your Majesty!
- The old minister 天啊，大鸟真的飞起来了！
Tiān a, dà niǎo zhēn de fēi qǐlái le!
Oh heavens, the great bird has really taken off!
- The old minister 大王，今天……还吃饭吗？
Dàwáng, jīntiān… hái chī fàn ma?
Your Majesty, today… do we still eat?
- King Zhuang 先做事，再吃饭！从今天起，人们会说：“一鸣惊人”！
Xiān zuò shì, zài chī fàn! Cóng jīntiān qǐ, rénmen huì shuō: “yì míng jīng rén”!
Work first, then eat! From today on, people will say: “One cry astonishes the world”!
- Wu Ju 大王，别忘了！明天还有更多好故事！
Dàwáng, bié wàng le! Míngtiān hái yǒu gèng duō hǎo gùshi!
Your Majesty, don't forget! Tomorrow there are even more good stories!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What has the king done for three years?
“楚国的大王，三年没有做事。”
- What does the king say to anyone who scolds him?
“谁说，我就让他走！”
- How does Wu Ju speak to the king?
“山上有一只大鸟。三年不飞，也不叫。”
- What does the king say the bird will do?
“可是它一飞，就飞到天上！”……“人人都吃惊！”
- What does the king do next?
“今天，我要做事了！”……“伍举，你来帮我！”