Lesson 2 一個不容易回答的問題

Vocabulary

遊歷 you2 li4: to travel, to tour
爭論 zheng1 lun4: to argue, to dispute; an argument (N)
距離 ju4 li2: a distance, be from (a place)
相當 xiang1 dang1: quite, be suitable/appropriate
面紅耳赤 mian4 hong2 er3 chi4: face blushed to the ears (in embarrassment or anger)
幾乎 ji1 hu1: almost, nearly
動武 dong4 wu3: resort to violence, use force
排解 pai2 jie3: to reconcile, mediate disputes
爭吵 zheng1 chao3: to quarrel, squabble
啊 a5!: a sound of exclamation
您 nin2: polite “you”
懂 dong3: to understand, comprehend
評理 ping2 li3: to judge which side is right
魯國 lu3 guo2: The State of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period, located in Shandong Province. The native land of Confucius (Kong fu zi)
丘 qiu1: Confucius’ original given name but pronounced Mou3 out of respect
究竟 jiu4 jing4: finally, after all
既然 ji4 ran2: since, this being the case
認為 ren4 wei2: to think, fell, consider
理由 li3 you2: reason, cause
車輪 che1 lun2: the wheels of a vehicle
差不多 cha4 bu duo1: almost the same, approximately, almost
盤子 pan2 zi: a tray, plate, dish
可見 ke3 jian4: it’s clear or obvious that
涼快 liang2 kuai4: be pleasantly cool, to cool off, to get cool
曬 shai4: to expose to sunlight, to sun, be sunny and hot
感覺 gan3 jue2: to feel (physically or of opinion), attitude, opinion, feeling
難倒 nan2 dao3: to baffle, stump
斷定 duan4 ding4: to judge, decide, conclude

Story

孔子遊歷各國的時候，經過一個地方，看見路旁有兩個小孩，站在那裡爭論。當時孔子坐在車上，距離他們相當遠，聽不清楚他們講些什麼。只見他們爭得面紅耳赤，說話的聲音越來越大，幾乎要動武了。孔子下了車，走到他們面前，想為他們排解排解。他問他們說：「你們為什麼是爭吵啊？」	Kongzi youli ge guo de shihou, jingguo yige difang, kanjian lupang you liangge xiaohai, zhan zai nàli zhenglun. Dangshi Kongzi zuo zai che shang, juli tamen xiangdan yuan, ting bu qingchu tamen jiang xie sheme. Zhi jian tamen zheng-de mianhong erchi, shuohuade sheng’yin yuelaiyueda, jihu yao dongwu le. Kongzi xiale che, zou dao tamen mian qian, xiang wèi tamen paijiepaijie. Ta wen tamen shuo, “Nimen weisheme shi zhengchao a?”
一個小孩說：「老公公，您是誰啊？您懂得事情一定比我們多，請您給我們評評理吧。」	Yige xiaohai shuo, “Laogonggong, nin shi shei a? Nin dongde shiqing yiding bi women duo, qing nin gei women pingpingli ba.”
孔子說：「我是魯國的孔丘。先告訴我，你們究竟為什麼爭論？」	Kongzi shuo, “Wo shi Luguo de Kong Qiu. Xian gaosu wo, nimen jiujing weisheme zhenglun?”
另一個小孩說：「您既然是孔子，一定能給我們解決這個問題，因為人人都知道您是世界上最有學問的人。」	Ling yige xiaohai shuo, “Nin jiran shi Kongzi, yiding neng gei women jiejue zhege wenti, yinwei renren dou zhidao nin shi shijie shang zui you xuewen de ren.”
孔子說：「快把你們的問題說給我聽。」	Kongzi shuo, “Kuai ba nimende wenti shuo gei wo ting.”
一個小孩說：「我認為太陽在清早剛出來的時候離人近，中午的時候離人遠。」	Yige xiaohai shuo, “Wo renwei taiyang zai qingzao gang chulaide shiyou lí ren jin, zhongwude shihou lí ren yuan.”
另一個小孩說：「他說的不對。我認為太陽剛出來的時候離人遠，中午的時候離人近。」	Ling yige xiaohai shuo, “Ta shuode bu dui. Wo renwei taiyang gang chulaide shihou lí ren yuan, zhongwude shihou lí ren jin.”
孔子說：「你們每人再講講自己的理由。」	Kongzi shuo, “Nimen mei ren zai jiangjiang ziji de liyou.”
一個小孩說：「早晨太陽剛出來，又大又圓，和車輪差不多，中午就小的像盤子。東西離得越遠，看起來越小。可見太陽早晨離人進，中午離人遠。」	Yige xiaohai shuo, “Zaochen taiyang gang chulai, yòu da yòu yuan, he chelun chabuduo, zhongwu jiù xiaode xiang panzi. Dongxi lí-de yue yuan, kanqilai yue xiao. Kejian taiyang zaochen lí ren jin, zhongwu lí ren yuan.”
一個小孩說：「一點兒都不對。早晨太陽出來，我們覺得很涼快，到了中午，太陽把人曬得直流汗。人站在火邊，就會覺得熱，離火遠些，就沒有感覺。所以我說太陽中午離人近。」	Yige xiaohai shuo, “Yidiar dou bu dui. Zaochen taiyang chulai, women juede hen liangkuai, daole zhongwu, taiyang ba ren shai-de zhí liuhan. Ren zhan zai huo bian, jiù hui juede re, lí huo yuan xie, jiù meiyou ganjue. Suoyi wo shuo taiyang zhongwu lí ren jin.
兩個小孩都講完了，就問孔子，究竟他們誰說的對?	Liangge xiaohai dou jiang-wan le, jiù wen Kongzi, jiujing tamen shei shuo de dui?
孔子似乎被這個問題難倒了，一時不知如何回答。他告訴他們說：「我不能斷定你們誰說的對，因為我還沒有研究過這個問題。」那兩個小孩心裡想：孔子是最有學問的人，連他都回答不出來這問題；我們才知道多少事情，就以為自己的想法一定對，實在太不應該了。	Kongzi sihu bei zhege wenti nandao le, yìshí bu zhi ruhe huida. Ta gaosu tamen shuo: “Wo bu neng duanding nimen shei shuo-de dui, yinwei wo hai meiyou yanjiuguo zhege wenti.” Na liangge xiaohai xinli xiang: Kongzi shi zui you xuewen de ren, lian ta dou huida bu chulai zhè wenti; women cai zhidao duoshao shiqing, jiù yiwei ziji de xiangfa yiding dui, shizai tai bu yinggai le.

句型 Jùxíng Sentence Patterns:
越…越… the more… the more…
越來越… ever more…
既然…，一定… since… certainly…
又…又… both… and…
和/跟…差不多 about the same as…
Adj/V+得 直V so ADJ that (one is) V-ing
…一點都不ADJ not at all ADJ

Vocabulary Extension: