Proficient Chinese · Short story
守株待兔新编
Waiting by the Stump, Retold
Han Feizi's farmer and his lucky tree stump, moved to the age of viral videos.
Key words in this reading
- yùyán · fable
- gēng · to plough
- zhū · tree stump (classical)
- shì · to put down, to release (classical)
- jì · to hope (classical)
- chūchǔ · source, origin
- xiàobǐng · laughing stock
- shùzhuāng · tree stump
- yí yè zhī jiān · overnight
- chéngbǎishàngqiān · hundreds, even thousands
- hǎojǐngbùcháng · good times don't last
- liúliàng · (online) traffic
Tap any word to hear it and see what it means.
《韩非子》里有一则寓言:“宋人有耕者,田中有株,兔走触株,折颈而死。因释其耒而守株,冀复得兔。”这就是成语“守株待兔”的出处。
两千多年来,人们一直拿这个农夫当笑柄。可假如把故事放到今天,结局也许会大不相同。
新故事里的农夫捡到兔子后,并没有坐在树桩旁傻等。他拍了一段视频发到网上,标题是《我家的树桩会抓兔子》。没想到,视频一夜之间火了。
第二天,成百上千的游客涌进村子,争着跟那截树桩合影。农夫干脆在田边摆起了小摊,卖茶水、卖纪念品,一个月赚的钱比种一年地还多。
然而好景不长。新鲜感一过,游客便散了,田也荒了。农夫守着冷冷清清的小摊,这才明白:他守的依然是那截树桩,只不过换了个名字,叫“流量”罢了。
Comprehension check
0/4 answered
1. In the original fable, why does the farmer keep watch by the stump?
2. In the new story, what does the farmer do after picking up the hare?
3. Once the tourists arrive, how does the farmer make money?
4. At the end, what does it mean that he is “still guarding that same stump”?