▸ 七qī零líng一yī年nián，李白lǐ bái出生chū shēng了le，那nà正是zhèng shì唐朝táng cháo最好zuì hǎo的de时代shí dài。

In 701, Li Bai was born — right at the height of the Tang dynasty's golden age.

▸ 他tā小时候xiǎo shí hou跟gēn家人jiā rén住zhù在zài四川sì chuān，从小cóng xiǎo就jiù很hěn聪明cōng ming，看kàn过guò的de书shū很快hěn kuài就能jiù néng记住jì zhu。

As a child he lived with his family in Sichuan; he was clever from an early age, and could quickly remember any book he read.

▸ 可是kě shì传说chuán shuō，小时候xiǎo shí hou的de李白lǐ bái很hěn爱ài玩wán，不bù爱ài读书dú shū。

But legend says that as a boy, Li Bai loved to play and hated to study.

▸ 有一天yǒu yī tiān，他tā逃学táo xué出去chū qù玩wán，在zài小河xiǎo hé边biān看见kàn jiàn一位yī wèi老奶奶lǎo nǎi nai。

One day he skipped school to go out and play, and by a small river he saw an old woman.

▸ 老奶奶lǎo nǎi nai拿ná着zhe一根yī gēn很hěn粗cū的de铁棒tiě bàng，在zài石头shí tou上shàng磨mó啊ā磨mó。

The old woman was holding a thick iron rod, grinding it and grinding it against a stone.

▸ 李白lǐ bái觉得jué de很hěn奇怪qí guài，问wèn：“奶奶nǎi nai，您nín在zài做zuò什么shén me？”

Li Bai thought this was very strange and asked: "Grandma, what are you doing?"

▸ 老奶奶lǎo nǎi nai说shuō：“我要wǒ yào把bǎ这zhè根gēn铁棒tiě bàng磨mó成chéng一根yī gēn针zhēn。只要zhǐ yào天天tiān tiān磨mó，铁棒tiě bàng也yě能néng磨mó成chéng针zhēn。”

The old woman said: "I'm going to grind this iron rod into a needle. As long as you grind it every day, even an iron rod can become a needle."

▸ 李白lǐ bái听了tīng le，脸liǎn一下子yī xià zi红hóng了le，从cóng那天nà tiān起qǐ，他tā认真rèn zhēn读书dú shū，再也zài yě不bù逃学táo xué了le。

When Li Bai heard this, his face turned red. From that day on he studied hard and never skipped school again.

▸ 长大zhǎng dà后hòu的de李白lǐ bái，不但bù dàn诗shī写xiě得de好hǎo，还hái会huì用yòng剑jiàn，喜欢xǐ huan喝酒hē jiǔ交朋友jiāo péng you。

The grown-up Li Bai not only wrote wonderful poems — he could also use a sword, and he loved drinking wine and making friends.

▸ 那时候nà shí hou，读书人dú shū rén都dōu去qù长安cháng ān考试kǎo shì，希望xī wàng以后yǐ hòu能néng当dāng官guān。

In those days, scholars all went to Chang'an to take the exams, hoping to become officials.

▸ 李白lǐ bái却què不bù去qù考试kǎo shì，他说tā shuō：“我的wǒ de路lù，我wǒ自己zì jǐ走zǒu。”

But Li Bai refused to take the exams. He said: "My road — I will walk it my own way."

▸ 二十èr shí几岁jǐ suì时shí，他tā带着dài zhe一把yī bǎ剑jiàn离开lí kāi四川sì chuān，去qù看kàn外面的wài miàn de世界shì jiè。

In his twenties, he left Sichuan carrying a sword, to go see the wider world.

▸ 他tā走过zǒu guò高山gāo shān大河dà hé，每měi到dào一个yī ge地方dì fāng，就jiù喝酒hē jiǔ、写xiě诗shī、交朋友jiāo péng you。

He crossed high mountains and great rivers, and everywhere he went, he drank wine, wrote poems, and made friends.

▸ 他的tā de诗shī越来越yuè lái yuè有名yǒu míng，人们rén men说shuō：“李白lǐ bái的de诗shī好像hǎo xiàng不是bù shì人rén写xiě的de，是shì从cóng天上tiān shàng来lái的de。”

His poems grew more and more famous. People said: "Li Bai's poems don't seem written by a man — they come from heaven."

▸ 四十sì shí多duō岁suì那年nà nián，一个yī ge大dà消息xiāo xi传来chuán lái：皇帝huáng dì听说tīng shuō了le李白lǐ bái，请qǐng他tā去qù长安cháng ān！

The year he was in his early forties, big news arrived: the emperor had heard of Li Bai and was inviting him to Chang'an!

▸ 李白lǐ bái大笑dà xiào着zhe走出zǒu chū家门jiā mén，他tā想xiǎng：我的wǒ de机会jī huì终于zhōng yú来了lái le。

Li Bai laughed out loud as he walked out his door, thinking: my moment has finally come.

Hover a word for its pinyin & meaning; click to pin it.