Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing · chapter 1 of 4
The Straight Hook
直直的钩
A woodcutter laughs at an old man who fishes with a straight, bare hook above the water. Then the old man says a king is coming tomorrow.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 渭河边，早上。老人坐在石头上，钓鱼。
Wèi Hé biān, zǎoshang. Lǎorén zuò zài shítou shang, diào yú.
By the Wei River, early one morning. An old man sat on a rock, fishing.
- Wu Ji 老人家，你的钩是直的！
Lǎorén jiā, nǐ de gōu shì zhí de!
Old grandfather, your hook is straight!
- Wu Ji 钩在水上，没有吃的。你看，鱼在下面，钩在上面！
Gōu zài shuǐ shàng, méiyǒu chī de. Nǐ kàn, yú zài xiàmiàn, gōu zài shàngmiàn!
The hook is above the water, and there's no food on it. Look, the fish are down there and the hook is up here!
- Jiang Ziya 我知道。你说得对，钩是直的。
Wǒ zhīdào. Nǐ shuō de duì, gōu shì zhí de.
I know. You're right, the hook is straight.
- Wu Ji 哈哈！你不会钓鱼！
Hāhā! Nǐ bú huì diào yú!
Ha ha! You don't know how to fish!
- Jiang Ziya 想来的鱼，就会来。这叫愿者上钩。
Xiǎng lái de yú, jiù huì lái. Zhè jiào yuàn zhě shàng gōu.
A fish that wants to come will come. This is called: the willing one takes the hook.
- Wu Ji 哈哈哈！鱼又不是人，它怎么会愿意？
Hāhāhā! Yú yòu bú shì rén, tā zěnme huì yuànyì?
Ha ha ha! A fish isn't a person. How could it be willing?
- Wu Ji 愿者上钩？我是砍柴的，我叫吴吉。
Yuàn zhě shàng gōu? Wǒ shì kǎn chái de, wǒ jiào Wú Jí.
The willing one takes the hook? I cut firewood. My name is Wu Ji.
- Wu Ji 老人家，你叫什么名字？
Lǎorén jiā, nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
Old grandfather, what's your name?
- Jiang Ziya 我姓姜。人们叫我姜太公。
Wǒ xìng Jiāng. Rénmen jiào wǒ Jiāng Tàigōng.
My family name is Jiang. People call me Jiang Taigong.
- Wu Ji 姜太公，你几岁了？
Jiāng Tàigōng, nǐ jǐ suì le?
Jiang Taigong, how old are you?
- Jiang Ziya 我七十岁了。
Wǒ qīshí suì le.
I'm seventy.
- Wu Ji 七十岁！你的鱼，比我的柴还少！
Qīshí suì! Nǐ de yú, bǐ wǒ de chái hái shǎo!
Seventy! You've caught even less than I have firewood!
- Wu Ji 我家的猫，都比你会钓鱼！
Wǒ jiā de māo, dōu bǐ nǐ huì diào yú!
Even my family's cat is better at fishing than you!
- Wu Ji 我们比一比吧！今天要是有鱼上钩，我给你送三天柴！
Wǒmen bǐ yi bǐ ba! Jīntiān yàoshi yǒu yú shàng gōu, wǒ gěi nǐ sòng sān tiān chái!
Let's make a bet! If a fish takes your hook today, I'll bring you firewood for three days!
- Jiang Ziya 好。你坐下，别说话。
Hǎo. Nǐ zuò xià, bié shuōhuà.
All right. Sit down and don't talk.
- Wu Ji 好安静……太阳都要下山了。鱼在哪儿？
Hǎo ānjìng… Tàiyáng dōu yào xiàshān le. Yú zài nǎr?
So quiet… The sun is going down. Where's the fish?
- Jiang Ziya 来了。
Lái le.
It's coming.
- Wu Ji 啊！那条鱼飞起来了！
À! Nà tiáo yú fēi qǐlái le!
Ah! That fish is flying!
- Wu Ji 它没有咬钩！它跳到你的篮子里了！
Tā méiyǒu yǎo gōu! Tā tiào dào nǐ de lánzi lǐ le!
It didn't bite the hook! It jumped into your basket!
- Wu Ji 一条鱼！一条大鱼！我的眼睛没有坏吧？
Yì tiáo yú! Yì tiáo dà yú! Wǒ de yǎnjing méiyǒu huài ba?
A fish! A big fish! My eyes aren't playing tricks on me, are they?
- Jiang Ziya 你看，它愿意来。
Nǐ kàn, tā yuànyì lái.
See? It wanted to come.
- Wu Ji 姜太公，你真有本事！我不笑了。
Jiāng Tàigōng, nǐ zhēn yǒu běnshi! Wǒ bú xiào le.
Jiang Taigong, you really are something! I'll stop laughing.
- Wu Ji 天黑了。你真的不回家吗？
Tiān hēi le. Nǐ zhēn de bù huí jiā ma?
It's getting dark. Aren't you going home?
- Jiang Ziya 不回。我在等一个人。他很快就来。
Bù huí. Wǒ zài děng yí gè rén. Tā hěn kuài jiù lái.
No. I'm waiting for someone. He'll be here soon.
- Wu Ji 等谁？
Děng shéi?
Who?
- Jiang Ziya 一个大王。他明天就来。
Yí gè dàwáng. Tā míngtiān jiù lái.
A king. He'll come tomorrow.
- Wu Ji 大王？大王怎么会来这儿？
Dàwáng? Dàwáng zěnme huì lái zhèr?
A king? Why would a king come here?
- Jiang Ziya 明天你来，就知道了。
Míngtiān nǐ lái, jiù zhīdào le.
Come tomorrow and you'll see.
What changed in the story?
- What is strange about Jiang Ziya's fishing?
“老人家，你的钩是直的！”……“钩在水上，没有吃的。”
- What does Jiang say when Wu Ji laughs at him?
“想来的鱼，就会来。这叫愿者上钩。”
- What bet does Wu Ji make?
“今天要是有鱼上钩，我给你送三天柴！”
- How does the fish come to Jiang?
“它跳到你的篮子里了！”
- Who does Jiang say he is waiting for?
“一个大王。他明天就来。”