Children Story-Grind an Iron Bar into a Needle-tie chu mo chenɡ zhen-铁杵磨成针

Friday, April 7, 2023

Do you want to learn Chinese through stories? Here is a story named-Grind an Iron Bar into a Needle. Had you ever heard it before? Let's take a look.

LiBai was a great poet in the Tang Dynasty of China.
李白是中国唐朝的一位伟大诗人。 
lǐ bái shì zhōnɡ ɡuó tánɡ cháo de yí wèi wěi dà shī rén。 

It is said that LiBai was naughty and disliked study when he was a child.
据说李白小时候很顽皮,不喜欢学习。 
jù shuō lǐ bái xiǎo shí hou hěn wán pí,bù xǐ huɑn xué xí。 

One day, LiBai skipped school again, and wandered up and down the road until he found himself at a nearby stream.
一天,李白又逃课了,他在路上东逛逛西看看,不知不觉他来到了附近的一条小溪边。 
yì tiān , lǐ bái yòu táo kè le , tā zài lù shɑnɡ dōnɡ ɡuànɡ ɡuànɡ xī kàn kɑn,bù zhī bù jué tā lái dào le fù jìn de yì tiáo xiǎo xī biān。 

He saw an old white-haired woman grinding a thick iron rod on a big stone.
他看到一位满头银发的老婆婆在一块儿大石头上磨着一根粗铁棒。 
tā kàn dào yí wèi mǎn tóu yín fā de lǎo pó pó zài yí kuài ér dà shí tou shànɡ mó zhe yì ɡēn cū tiě bànɡ。 

Driven by curiosity, LiBai walked over to her and asked:" Why are you grinding an iron rod?"
在好奇心的驱使下,李白走上前问道:“您为什么要磨铁棒呀?” 
zài hào qí xīn de qū shǐ xià,lǐ bái zǒu shànɡ qián wèn dào:“nín wèi shén me yào mó tiě bànɡ yɑ?” 

The old woman looked at LiBai and said:" I'm going to grind it into an embroidery needle."
老婆婆看着李白说到:“我要把它磨成绣花针。” 
lǎo pó pó kàn zhe lǐ bái shuō dào:“wǒ yào bǎ tā mó chénɡ xiù huā zhēn。” 

Hearing this, LiBai couldn't help but laugh, thinking:"How many years will it take to grind a thick rod into a fine embroidery needle?"
李白听了不禁笑了,心想:“要把一根粗铁棒磨成一根细绣花针,那得要多少年呀?” 
lǐ bái tīnɡ le bú jīn xiào le,xīn xiǎnɡ:“yào bǎ yì ɡēn cū tiě bànɡ mó chénɡ yì ɡēn xì xiù huā zhēn,nà dé yào duō shǎo nián yɑ?” 

So he said to the woman:"The rod is so thick, how can you possibly grind it into an embroidery needle?"
于是,他对老婆婆说:“这铁棒这么粗,怎么可能磨成绣花针呢?” 
yú shì,tā duì lǎo po pó shuō:“zhè tiě bànɡ zhè me cū,zěn me kě nénɡ mó chénɡ xiù huā zhēn ne?” 

The old woman answered:"As long as I persevere and grind it every day. One day this iron rod will become an embroidery needle."
老婆婆回答道:“只要我每天都坚持磨,总有一天,这铁棒会变成绣花针的。” 
lǎo po pó huí dá dào:“zhǐ yào wǒ měi tiān dōu jiān chí mó,zǒnɡ yǒu yì tiān,zhè tiě bànɡ huì biàn chénɡ xiù huā zhēn de。” 

Hearing the old woman say this LiBai was ashamed.
听到老婆婆这么说,李白惭愧极了。 
tīnɡ dào lǎo po pó zhè me shuō,lǐ bái cán kuì jí le。 

He bowed deeply to the woman and returned home.
他深深地向老婆婆鞠了一躬,然后转身回家了。 
tā shēn shēn dì xiànɡ lǎo po pó jū le yì ɡōnɡ,rán hòu zhuǎn shēn huí jiā le。 

From that day on, LiBai never again skipped school.
从那天起,李白再也没有逃过学。 
cónɡ nà tiān qǐ,lǐ bái zài yě méi yǒu táo ɡuò xué。 

He grew up to become a famous Chinese poet.
他长大后成为了一位著名的中国诗人。 
tā zhǎnɡ dà hòu chénɡ wéi le yí wèi zhù mínɡ de zhōnɡ ɡuó shī rén。 

The idiom Grind ancc Iron Bar into a Needle means that as long as you persevere even the most difficult things can be done successfully.
成语 “铁杵磨成针” 的意思是,只要你坚持不懈,即使是最困难的事情也能成功。 
chénɡ yǔ “ tiě chǔ mó chénɡ zhēn ” de yì si shì,zhǐ yào nǐ jiān chí bú xiè,jí shǐ shì zuì kùn nɑn de shì qínɡ yě nénɡ chénɡ ɡōnɡ。 

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