The Peach Blossom Spring · chapter 1 of 4
The Peach Forest
都是桃花
A fisherman rows farther up the river than ever before and drifts into a forest of peach blossoms that never seems to end. What lies beyond it?
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 很多很多年以前，武陵有一个渔夫。
Hěn duō hěn duō nián yǐqián, Wǔlíng yǒu yí gè yúfū.
Many, many years ago, there was a fisherman in Wuling.
- The fisherman 今天一条鱼也没有……
Jīntiān yì tiáo yú yě méiyǒu…
Not a single fish today…
- The fisherman 我再往前走走吧。
Wǒ zài wǎng qián zǒuzou ba.
I'll go a little farther up the river.
- The fisherman 这儿是哪儿？这条河，我没来过。
Zhèr shì nǎr? Zhè tiáo hé, wǒ méi lái guo.
Where am I? I've never been on this river before.
- The fisherman 那是什么？花！很多花！
Nà shì shénme? Huā! Hěn duō huā!
What's that? Flowers! So many flowers!
- The fisherman 是桃花！左边是桃花，右边也是桃花！
Shì táohuā! Zuǒbian shì táohuā, yòubian yě shì táohuā!
Peach blossoms! Peach blossoms on the left, peach blossoms on the right!
- The fisherman 水上也有花。真漂亮！
Shuǐ shang yě yǒu huā. Zhēn piàoliang!
There are blossoms floating on the water too. How beautiful!
- The fisherman 鱼没有，花有很多！
Yú méiyǒu, huā yǒu hěn duō!
No fish, but plenty of flowers!
- The fisherman 这儿都是桃树，没有别的树。
Zhèr dōu shì táoshù, méiyǒu bié de shù.
There's nothing here but peach trees. Not one other kind of tree.
- The fisherman 桃花的后边是什么？我要去看看！
Táohuā de hòubian shì shénme? Wǒ yào qù kànkan!
What's on the other side of all these blossoms? I'm going to find out!
- The fisherman 走了好久，还是桃花，还是桃花！
Zǒu le hǎojiǔ, hái shi táohuā, hái shi táohuā!
I've gone so far, and it's still peach blossoms, peach blossoms!
- The fisherman 回家以后，我要告诉大家！
Huí jiā yǐhòu, wǒ yào gàosu dàjiā!
When I get home, I'm going to tell everyone!
- Narrator 最后，桃树没有了。前边是一座山。
Zuìhòu, táoshù méiyǒu le. Qiánbian shì yí zuò shān.
At last the peach trees came to an end. Ahead of him stood a mountain.
- The fisherman 山上有一个小口……是一个山洞！
Shān shang yǒu yí gè xiǎo kǒu… shì yí gè shāndòng!
There's a little opening in the mountain… it's a cave!
- The fisherman 山洞里边……好像有光！
Shāndòng lǐbian… hǎoxiàng yǒu guāng!
Inside the cave… it looks like there's light!
- The fisherman 喂！里边有人吗？
Wèi! Lǐbian yǒu rén ma?
Hello! Is anyone in there?
- The fisherman 没有人说话。好安静啊……
Méiyǒu rén shuōhuà. Hǎo ānjìng a…
No one answers. It's so quiet…
- The fisherman 山洞很小，我的船进不去。
Shāndòng hěn xiǎo, wǒ de chuán jìn bú qù.
The cave is too small. My boat won't fit.
- The fisherman 那……我一个人进去看看！
Nà… wǒ yí gè rén jìnqù kànkan!
Then… I'll go in by myself and take a look!
- Narrator 渔夫下了船，走进了小小的山洞。
Yúfū xià le chuán, zǒu jìn le xiǎoxiǎo de shāndòng.
The fisherman climbed out of his boat and stepped into the little cave.
- The fisherman 好黑啊……里边会有什么呢？
Hǎo hēi a… lǐbian huì yǒu shénme ne?
So dark… what could be in here?
What changed in the story?
- Why does the fisherman go farther up the river?
“今天一条鱼也没有……我再往前走走吧。”
- What does the fisherman plan to do when he gets home?
“回家以后，我要告诉大家！”
- What does the fisherman want to find out?
“桃花的后边是什么？我要去看看！”
- What does he find where the peach trees end?
“前边是一座山……是一个山洞！”
- Why does he leave his boat behind?
“山洞很小，我的船进不去。”