Journey to the West: The Monkey King · chapter 5 of 8
Seventy-Two Changes
七十二变
Wukong learns faster than anyone on the mountain. The other students have one request: show us.
Hear the chapter
Read what you hear
- Narrator 悟空在山上住了很多年。他学得很快，师父教什么，他就会什么。
Wùkōng zài shān shang zhù le hěn duō nián. Tā xué de hěn kuài, shīfu jiào shénme, tā jiù huì shénme.
Wukong lived on the mountain for many years. He learned fast: whatever the master taught, he could soon do.
- Fellow student 悟空！听说师父教了你七十二变？
Wùkōng! Tīngshuō shīfu jiào le nǐ qīshí'èr biàn?
Wukong! We hear the master taught you the Seventy-Two Changes?
- Sun Wukong 对！七十二变，我都会了！我还会筋斗云！
Duì! Qīshí'èr biàn, wǒ dōu huì le! Wǒ hái huì jīndǒuyún!
That's right! I know all seventy-two! And I can ride the somersault cloud, too!
- Fellow student 真的吗？我们不信！你变一个，给我们看看！
Zhēnde ma? Wǒmen bú xìn! Nǐ biàn yí gè, gěi wǒmen kànkan!
Really? We don't believe you! Change into something and show us!
- Sun Wukong 好啊！你们说，我变什么？
Hǎo a! Nǐmen shuō, wǒ biàn shénme?
Sure! You tell me. What should I turn into?
- Fellow student 就变那棵松树吧！
Jiù biàn nà kē sōngshù ba!
Turn into that pine tree!
- Sun Wukong 你们看着！变！
Nǐmen kànzhe! Biàn!
Watch this! Change!
- Narrator 白烟里，悟空没有了。院子里多了一棵小松树。
Báiyān lǐ, Wùkōng méiyǒu le. Yuànzi lǐ duō le yì kē xiǎo sōngshù.
In a puff of white smoke, Wukong was gone. Now the courtyard had one more little pine tree.
- Fellow student 真像！跟真的树一样！
Zhēn xiàng! Gēn zhēnde shù yíyàng!
It's perfect! Just like a real tree!
- Sun Wukong 你们看，树还会笑！
Nǐmen kàn, shù hái huì xiào!
Look, the tree can laugh!
- Fellow student 会说话的树！太好玩儿了！
Huì shuōhuà de shù! Tài hǎowánr le!
A talking tree! This is too funny!
- Master Subodhi 谁在外边大声笑？
Shéi zài wàibian dàshēng xiào?
Who is laughing so loudly out there?
- Narrator 大家马上不笑了。小树也马上变回了悟空。
Dàjiā mǎshàng bú xiào le. Xiǎo shù yě mǎshàng biàn huí le Wùkōng.
Everyone stopped laughing at once. And the little tree quickly turned back into Wukong.
- Master Subodhi 悟空，你在做什么？
Wùkōng, nǐ zài zuò shénme?
Wukong, what are you doing?
- Sun Wukong 师父，我……我变成了松树，给师兄们看看。
Shīfu, wǒ… wǒ biànchéng le sōngshù, gěi shīxiōngmen kànkan.
Master, I… I turned into a pine tree to show the others.
- Master Subodhi 本领是给别人看的吗？
Běnlǐng shì gěi biérén kàn de ma?
Are your skills for showing off?
- Master Subodhi 今天你给他们看，明天，大家都想要你的本领。
Jīntiān nǐ gěi tāmen kàn, míngtiān, dàjiā dōu xiǎng yào nǐ de běnlǐng.
Today you show them. Tomorrow, everyone will want your skills.
- Master Subodhi 你不给，他们就会生气。那时候，你就危险了！
Nǐ bù gěi, tāmen jiù huì shēngqì. Nà shíhou, nǐ jiù wēixiǎn le!
If you won't share them, people will get angry. And then you'll be in danger!
- Sun Wukong 师父，我知道错了！我以后不这样了！
Shīfu, wǒ zhīdào cuò le! Wǒ yǐhòu bú zhèyàng le!
Master, I know I was wrong! I won't do it again!
- Master Subodhi 不用说了。悟空，你走吧。
Bú yòng shuō le. Wùkōng, nǐ zǒu ba.
Say no more. Wukong, you must leave.
- Sun Wukong 走？师父，您要我去哪儿？
Zǒu? Shīfu, nín yào wǒ qù nǎr?
Leave? Master, where do you want me to go?
What changed in the story?
- What has Wukong learned from the master?
“七十二变，我都会了！我还会筋斗云！”
- What do the other students ask Wukong to do?
“你变一个，给我们看看！”
- What does Wukong change into?
“院子里多了一棵小松树。”
- Why does the master come out?
“谁在外边大声笑？”
- Why does the master say showing off is dangerous?
“大家都想要你的本领……你不给，他们就会生气。”