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Saiweng lost his horse

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Saiweng lost his horse

古代gǔ dài战国Zhàn guó的de时候shí hou,在zài北部běi bù的de城市chéng shì,住zhù着zhe一yī个gè老人lǎo rén,名字míng zi叫jiào塞翁sài wēng。

塞翁sài wēng养yǎng了le许多xǔ duō马mǎ,一yī天tiān,他tā的de马mǎ群qún中zhōng有yǒu一yī匹pǐ不见bù jiàn了le。

邻居lín jū们men听说tīng shuō这zhè件jiàn事shì,都dōu来lái安慰ān wèi他tā,劝quàn他tā不要bù yào太tài着急zháo jí,年龄nián líng大dà了le,多duō注意zhù yì身体shēn tǐ。

塞翁sài wēng笑xiào了le笑xiào说shuō:丢diū了le一yī匹pǐ马mǎ损失sǔn shī不bù大dà,可能kě néng会huì带dài来lái什么shén me福气fú qi呢ne。

邻居lín jū听tīng了le塞翁sài wēng的de话huà,心里xīn lǐ觉得jué de很hěn好笑hǎo xiào。

马mǎ丢diū了le,明明míng míng是shì件jiàn坏huài事shì,他tā却què认为rèn wéi也许yě xǔ是shì好hǎo事shì,显然xiǎn rán是shì安慰ān wèi自己zì jǐ而已ér yǐ。

过guò了le几jǐ天tiān,不见bù jiàn的de马mǎ不仅bù jǐn自动zì dòng回huí了le家jiā,还hái带dài回huí一yī匹pǐ好hǎo马mǎ。

邻居lín jū听说tīng shuō以后yǐ hòu,对duì塞翁sài wēng非常fēi cháng佩服pèi fú,向xiàng塞翁sài wēng说shuō:还是hái shi您nín有yǒu远见yuǎn jiàn,马mǎ不仅bù jǐn没有méi yǒu丢diū,还hái带dài回huí一yī匹pǐ好hǎo马mǎ,真zhēn是shì福气fú qi呀ya。

塞翁sài wēng反而fǎn ér一点yī diǎn都dōu不bù高兴gāo xìng:白白bái bái得dé了le一yī匹pǐ好hǎo马mǎ,不bù一定yī dìng是shì什么shén me福气fú qi,也许yě xǔ会huì有yǒu什么shén me麻烦má fan。

邻居lín jū们men以为yǐ wéi他tā是shì故意gù yì这么zhè me说shuō,心里xīn lǐ明明míng míng很hěn高兴gāo xìng,但是dàn shì不bù说shuō出来chu lai。

塞翁sài wēng只zhǐ有yǒu一yī个gè儿子ér zi,非常fēi cháng喜欢xǐ huan骑qí马mǎ。

他tā发现fā xiàn带dài回来huí lái的de那nà匹pǐ马mǎ是shì匹pǐ非常fēi cháng好hǎo的de马mǎ。

他tā每měi天tiān都dōu骑qí马mǎ出chū门mén,心xīn里lǐ很hěn骄傲jiāo ào。

一yī天tiān,他tā有些yǒu xiē太tài高兴gāo xìng了le,不bù小心xiǎo xīn从cóng马mǎ背bèi上shàng摔shuāi下来xià lái,腿tuǐ断duàn了le。

邻居lín jū听说tīng shuō,都dōu来lái慰问wèi wèn。

塞翁sài wēng说shuō:没关系méi guān xi,腿tuǐ摔shuāi断duàn了le但dàn没méi死sǐ,或许huò xǔ是shì福气fú qi呢ne。

邻居lín jū们men觉得jué de他tā又yòu在zài乱luàn说话shuō huà。

他们tā men想xiǎng不bù出chū,摔shuāi断duàn腿tuǐ会huì带dài来lái什么shén me福气fú qi。

不久bù jiǔ以后yǐ hòu,战争zhàn zhēng开始kāi shǐ了le,年轻nián qīng人rén都dōu被bèi要求yāo qiú加入jiā rù军队jūn duì,塞翁sài wēng的de儿子ér zi因为yīn wèi摔shuāi断duàn了le腿tuǐ,不bù能néng加入jiā rù。

后来hòu lái参加cān jiā军队jūn duì的de年轻nián qīng人rén都dōu因为yīn wèi战争zhàn zhēng死sǐ了le,只有zhǐ yǒu塞翁sài wēng的de儿子ér zi还hái活huó着zhe。

后来hòu lái人们rén men用yòng“塞翁失马sài wēng shī mǎ”这zhè个gè成语chéng yǔ来lái形容xíng róng有时候yǒu shí hou虽然suī rán受到shòu dào了le损失sǔn shī,不bù一定yī dìng是shì坏huài事shì,也yě有yǒu可能kě néng会huì得到dé dào好处hǎo chù。

也yě用yòng来lái形容xíng róng坏huài事shì有时候yǒu shí hou也yě会huì变成biàn chéng好hǎo事shì。

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Vocabulary 161 words

ChinesePinyinEnglish
古代 gǔ dàiancient times
战国 Zhàn guóthe Warring States period (475-221 BC)
的 depossessive particle (of; 's) / modifying particle (used after an attribute to modify a noun or to form a nominal expression)
时候 shí houtime / length of time / moment / period
在 zài(of sb or sth) to be (located) at
北部 běi bùnorthern part
城市 chéng shìcity; town
住 zhùto live; to reside; to stay
着 zheaspect particle indicating action in progress or ongoing state
一 yīone / single / a (article)
个 gèclassifier for people or objects in general
老人 lǎo rénold man or woman / the elderly
名字 míng ziname (of a person or thing)
叫 jiàoto be called
塞翁 sài wēngthe old man from the frontier; a figure from the idiom "the old man at the frontier loses his horse"
养 yǎngto raise (animals) / to bring up (children) / to keep (pets)
了 le(completed action marker) / (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now)
许多 xǔ duōmany / a lot of / much
马 mǎhorse / horse or cavalry piece in Chinese chess / knight in Western chess
天 tiānday
他 tāhe; him; his
群 qúngroup / crowd / flock, herd, pack etc
中 zhōngwithin; among; in
有 yǒuto have; there is
匹 pǐclassifier for horses, mules etc / classifier for cloth: bolt
不见 bù jiànnot to see / not to meet / to have disappeared / to be missing
邻居 lín jūneighbor
们 menplural marker for pronouns, and nouns referring to individuals
听说 tīng shuōto hear (sth said) / one hears (that)
这 zhèthis; these
件 jiànclassifier for events, things, clothes etc
事 shìmatter / thing / item / affair
都 dōuall; both; entirely
来 láito come
安慰 ān wèito comfort; to console
劝 quànto advise / to urge / to try to persuade / to exhort / to console / to soothe
不要 bù yàodon't!; must not
太 tàitoo (much) / very / extremely
着急 zháo jíto worry; to feel anxious / to feel a sense of urgency; to be in a hurry
年龄 nián líng(a person's) age
大 dàbig; large; great / older (than another person) / eldest
多 duōmany; much; more; a lot of
注意 zhù yìto take note of; to pay attention to
身体 shēn tǐone's health
笑 xiàoto laugh; to smile
说 shuōto speak; to talk; to say
丢 diūto lose / to put aside / to throw
损失 sǔn shīloss / damage
不 bùno; not so
可能 kě néngmight (happen) / maybe / perhaps
会 huìto be likely to; to be sure to
带 dàito wear / to carry / to take along / to bear / to bring
什么 shén mewhat?
福气 fú qigood fortune / a blessing
呢 ne(sentence-final particle) used in questions to link back to prior discourse or context ("what about...?", "and...?")
听 tīngto listen to; to hear
话 huàspoken words / speech / talk / words / conversation / what sb said
心里 xīn lǐchest / heart; mind
觉得 jué deto feel (uncomfortable etc)
很 hěnvery; quite
好笑 hǎo xiàolaughable; funny; ridiculous
明明 míng míngobviously / plainly / undoubtedly / definitely
是 shìto be (followed by substantives only)
坏 huàibad / spoiled / broken
却 quèbut / yet / however / while / nevertheless / even though
认为 rèn wéito believe; to think; to consider; to feel
也许 yě xǔperhaps; maybe
好 hǎogood / appropriate; proper
显然 xiǎn ránclearly; evidently; obviously
自己 zì jǐoneself; (attributive) one's own
而已 ér yǐthat's all / nothing more
过 guòto cross / to go over / to pass (time) / to celebrate (a holiday) / to live / to get along
几 jǐseveral / a few
不仅 bù jǐnnot just; not limited to / (as a correlative conjunction) not only (..., but also ...)
自动 zì dòngvoluntarily
回 huíto go back / to turn around / to answer / to return
家 jiāhome / family / (polite) my (sister, uncle etc)
还 háiin addition, also, else, even
以后 yǐ hòuafter / later / afterwards / following / later on / in the future
对 duìtowards; at; for / concerning; regarding
非常 fēi chángvery; really
佩服 pèi fúto admire
向 xiàngtowards / shortly before / formerly / always / all along
还是 hái shistill (as before)
您 nínyou (courteous, as opposed to informal 你[ni3])
远见 yuǎn jiànforesight / discernment / vision
没有 méi yǒuhaven't / hasn't
真 zhēnreally / truly / indeed
呀 ya(particle equivalent to 啊 after a vowel, expressing surprise or doubt)
反而 fǎn éron the contrary; instead
一点 yī diǎna bit; a little bit / (used in negative expressions) (not) the least bit / (after an adjective, used to form the comparative) a bit more, -er
高兴 gāo xìnghappy / glad / in a cheerful mood
白白 bái báiin vain / for nothing
得 déto obtain / to get / to gain / to catch (a disease)
一定 yī dìngsurely; certainly; definitely
麻烦 má fantrouble; inconvenience
以为 yǐ wéito think; to believe
故意 gù yìdeliberately; on purpose
这么 zhè methis way / like this
但是 dàn shìbut; however
出来 chu lai(after a verb, indicates coming out, completion of an action, or ability to discern or detect)
只 zhǐonly; merely; just
儿子 ér zison
喜欢 xǐ huanto like; to be fond of
骑 qíto sit astride / to ride (a horse, bike etc)
发现 fā xiànto notice; to become aware of / to discover; to find; to detect
回来 huí láito return; to come back
那 nà(specifier) that; the; those / (pronoun) that (referring to persons, things or situations)
每 měieach / every
出 chūto go out; to come out / to arise; to occur / to produce; to yield / to go beyond; to exceed
门 méngate / door / gateway / doorway / opening / valve / switch / way to do something / knack / family / house / (religious) sect / school (of thought) / class / category / phylum or division (taxonomy) / (suffix) -gate (i.e. scandal; derived from Watergate)
心 xīnheart / mind / intention
里 lǐlining / interior / inside
骄傲 jiāo àoconceited / proud of sth
有些 yǒu xiēsomewhat; rather; a bit
小心 xiǎo xīnto be careful / to take care
从 cóngfrom; through; via / (bound form) retainer; attendant / (bound form) assistant; auxiliary; subordinate / (bound form) related by common paternal grandfather or earlier ancestor
背 bèithe back of a body or object
上 shàng(noun suffix) on; above
摔 shuāito throw down / to fall / to drop and break
下来 xià lái(after verb of motion, indicates motion down and towards us, also fig.)
腿 tuǐleg
断 duànto break / to snap / to cut off / to give up or abstain from sth / to judge
慰问 wèi wènto express sympathy, greetings, consolation etc
没关系 méi guān xiit doesn't matter
但 dànbut; yet; however; still
没 méi(negative prefix for verbs) have not; not
死 sǐto die
或许 huò xǔperhaps; maybe
又 yòu(once) again
乱 luànindiscriminate / random / arbitrary
说话 shuō huàto speak / to say / to talk / to gossip / to tell stories
他们 tā menthey; them
想 xiǎngto think (about) / to think of; to devise / to think (that); to believe (that)
不久 bù jiǔnot long (after) / before too long / soon / soon after
战争 zhàn zhēngwar; conflict
开始 kāi shǐto begin / to start
年轻 nián qīngyoung
人 rénperson; people
被 bèiused to indicate passive voice (placed before the doer of the action like "by" in English passive-voice sentences, or, if the doer is not mentioned, before the verb) / (sarcastic or jocular) used to indicate that the following word should be regarded as being in air quotes
要求 yāo qiúto request / to require / to stake a claim / to ask / to demand
加入 jiā rùto become a member / to join / to mix into / to participate in / to add in
军队 jūn duìarmed forces; troops
因为 yīn wèibecause; owing to; on account of
能 néngcan / to be able to / might possibly
后来 hòu láiafterwards; later
参加 cān jiāto participate / to take part / to join
只有 zhǐ yǒuonly have ...; there is only ...
活 huóalive / living
人们 rén menpeople
用 yòngto use; to make use of; to employ / (coverb) with; using
塞翁失马 sài wēng shī mǎlit. the old man lost his horse, but it all turned out for the best (idiom) / fig. a blessing in disguise / it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good
成语 chéng yǔChinese set expression, typically of 4 characters, often alluding to a story or historical quotation; idiom; proverb; saying; adage
形容 xíng róngto describe
有时候 yǒu shí housometimes
虽然 suī ránalthough; even though
受到 shòu dàoto receive (praise, an education, punishment etc); to be ...ed (praised, educated, punished etc)
也 yěalso; too; as well; (not ...) either
得到 dé dàoto get; to obtain; to receive
好处 hǎo chùbenefit; advantage; merit / gain; profit
变成 biàn chéngto change into / to turn into / to become