Wu Gang and the Moon Tree · chapter 1 of 3
The Tree That Heals
吴刚去月亮
Wu Gang wants to fly without any work, so an old immortal sends him to the moon to chop one tree. But every cut he makes closes up again.
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- Narrator 很久以前，有一个人叫吴刚。他想做神仙。
Hěn jiǔ yǐqián, yǒu yí gè rén jiào Wú Gāng. Tā xiǎng zuò shénxiān.
Long ago there was a man named Wu Gang. He wanted to become an immortal.
- Wu Gang 师父！我学了三天了！我什么时候能飞？
Shīfu! Wǒ xué le sān tiān le! Wǒ shénme shíhou néng fēi?
Master! I've studied for three days! When can I fly?
- The Immortal 三天？吴刚，三天太少了。
Sān tiān? Wú Gāng, sān tiān tài shǎo le.
Three days? Wu Gang, three days is far too little.
- Wu Gang 可是学习太累了！我想睡觉。
Kěshì xuéxí tài lèi le! Wǒ xiǎng shuìjiào.
But studying is so tiring! I want to sleep.
- The Immortal 昨天你说累。今天你还说累。
Zuótiān nǐ shuō lèi. Jīntiān nǐ hái shuō lèi.
Yesterday you said tired. Today you still say tired.
- Wu Gang 有没有快一点儿的办法？一天就好！
Yǒu méiyǒu kuài yìdiǎnr de bànfǎ? Yì tiān jiù hǎo!
Isn't there a faster way? One day would be enough!
- The Immortal 没有。想飞，就要一直学。
Méiyǒu. Xiǎng fēi, jiù yào yìzhí xué.
No. If you want to fly, you must keep learning.
- Wu Gang 师父，我不想一直学！我想现在就飞！
Shīfu, wǒ bù xiǎng yìzhí xué! Wǒ xiǎng xiànzài jiù fēi!
Master, I don't want to keep learning! I want to fly right now!
- The Immortal 好。我给你一件事做。去月亮上，砍一棵树。
Hǎo. Wǒ gěi nǐ yí jiàn shì zuò. Qù yuèliang shàng, kǎn yì kē shù.
Fine. I'll give you a job. Go to the moon and chop down a tree.
- Wu Gang 师父，月亮上？砍树？为什么？
Shīfu, yuèliang shàng? Kǎn shù? Wèishénme?
Master, on the moon? Chop a tree? Why?
- The Immortal 树倒了，你就能飞，也能做神仙。
Shù dǎo le, nǐ jiù néng fēi, yě néng zuò shénxiān.
When the tree falls, you can fly, and you can be an immortal.
- The Immortal 拿着这把斧子。去吧。
Názhe zhè bǎ fǔzi. Qù ba.
Take this axe. Go.
- Wu Gang 就这样？太容易了！我马上去，我要做神仙！
Jiù zhèyàng? Tài róngyì le! Wǒ mǎshàng qù, wǒ yào zuò shénxiān!
Just that? Too easy! I'll go right now and become an immortal!
- Narrator 吴刚到了月亮上。那里有一棵很大的树。
Wú Gāng dào le yuèliang shàng. Nàlǐ yǒu yì kē hěn dà de shù.
Wu Gang arrived on the moon. There stood a very big tree.
- Wu Gang 啊！这棵树真大！
À! Zhè kē shù zhēn dà!
Ah! This tree is huge!
- Wu Gang 我砍一百下，树就倒了！
Wǒ kǎn yì bǎi xià, shù jiù dǎo le!
A hundred chops and this tree will fall!
- Wu Gang 一，二，三！
Yī, èr, sān!
One, two, three!
- Wu Gang 看！我砍了一个大口子！
Kàn! Wǒ kǎn le yí gè dà kǒuzi!
Look! I cut a big gash!
- Wu Gang 再砍两下，树就倒了！
Zài kǎn liǎng xià, shù jiù dǎo le!
Two more chops and the tree falls!
- Wu Gang 咦？那个口子……在动？
Yí? Nàge kǒuzi... zài dòng?
Huh? That gash... is moving?
- Wu Gang 口子不见了！树又好了！
Kǒuzi bú jiàn le! Shù yòu hǎo le!
The gash is gone! The tree is well again!
- Wu Gang 不可能！我再来！
Bù kěnéng! Wǒ zài lái!
Impossible! Again!
- Wu Gang 一，二，三！……还是这样？！
Yī, èr, sān! … Háishi zhèyàng?!
One, two, three! ...Still the same?!
- Yutu 你砍得很好。可是没有用。
Nǐ kǎn de hěn hǎo. Kěshì méiyǒu yòng.
You chop very well. But it's no use.
- Wu Gang 谁？一只兔子在说话？
Shéi? Yì zhī tùzi zài shuōhuà?
Who's there? A rabbit is talking?
- Yutu 我叫玉兔。我住在月亮上，很久了。
Wǒ jiào Yùtù. Wǒ zhù zài yuèliang shàng, hěn jiǔ le.
My name is Yutu. I've lived on the moon for a very long time.
- Wu Gang 玉兔，这棵树每次都会好吗？
Yùtù, zhè kē shù měi cì dōu huì hǎo ma?
Yutu, does this tree heal every single time?
- Yutu 每一次都会。别怕，明天嫦娥会来。
Měi yí cì dōu huì. Bié pà, míngtiān Cháng'é huì lái.
Every single time. Don't be afraid, Chang'e will come tomorrow.
- Wu Gang 嫦娥？她为什么要来看我？
Cháng'é? Tā wèishénme yào lái kàn wǒ?
Chang'e? Why would she come to see me?
- Yutu 她会告诉你，树为什么不倒。
Tā huì gàosu nǐ, shù wèishénme bú dǎo.
She'll tell you why the tree never falls.
What changed in the story?
- What job does the Immortal give Wu Gang?
“去月亮上，砍一棵树。”
- Why does Wu Gang complain about learning?
“可是学习太累了！我想睡觉。”
- What happens to the big gash Wu Gang cuts?
“口子不见了！树又好了！”
- Who is the first to speak to Wu Gang on the moon?
“我叫玉兔。我住在月亮上，很久了。”
- Who will come to see Wu Gang tomorrow?
“别怕，明天嫦娥会来。”