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Mythic Mandarin

Dragon boats in Hamburg

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

HSK 5 About 9 minutes

汉堡的龙舟

Hànbǎo de lóngzhōu

Dragon boats in Hamburg

Story

  1. ，，。

    Zēng Lín zài Déguó Hànbǎo dúshū, jīnnián Duānwǔjié, xuéxiào de Zhōngguó xuéshenghuì xiǎng bàn yí cì lóngzhōu bǐsài.

    Zeng Lin was studying in Hamburg, Germany. This year, for the Dragon Boat Festival, the Chinese students' association wanted to hold a dragon boat race.

    Words in this sentence
    曾琳 Zēng Lín
    Zeng Lin (name)
    在 zài
    at, in; to be at Dictionary
    德国 Déguó
    Germany Dictionary
    汉堡 Hànbǎo
    Hamburg Dictionary
    读书 dúshū
    to study Dictionary
    今年 jīnnián
    this year Dictionary
    端午节 Duānwǔjié
    the Dragon Boat Festival Dictionary
    学校 xuéxiào
    school Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    中国 Zhōngguó
    China Dictionary
    学生会 xuéshenghuì
    student association Dictionary
    想 xiǎng
    to want to, would like to; to think Dictionary
    办 bàn
    to get, to arrange (a card) Dictionary
    一 yí
    one, a Dictionary
    次 cì
    time (occurrence) Dictionary
    龙舟 lóngzhōu
    dragon boat Dictionary
    比赛 bǐsài
    to compete; competition Dictionary

  2. ，。

    wèntí shì, zhěnggè chéngshì lián yì tiáo lóngzhōu dōu zhǎo bú dào.

    The problem was that there wasn't a single dragon boat in the whole city.

    Words in this sentence
    问题 wèntí
    problem, question Dictionary
    是 shì
    to be Dictionary
    整个 zhěnggè
    whole Dictionary
    城市 chéngshì
    city Dictionary
    连 lián
    even (连……都……) Dictionary
    一 yì
    one, a Dictionary
    条 tiáo
    (measure word for long things: dragons, rivers) Dictionary
    龙舟 lóngzhōu
    dragon boat Dictionary
    都 dōu
    all, both Dictionary
    找 zhǎo
    to look for Dictionary
    不 bú
    not Dictionary
    到 dào
    to arrive Dictionary

  3. ，，。

    zuìhòu, tāmen xiàng dāngdì de huáchuán jùlèbù jiè le bā tiáo pǔtōng de chuán, zìjǐ zài chuántóu zhuāng shàng le zhǐ zuò de lóngtóu.

    In the end they borrowed eight ordinary boats from a local rowing club and fixed paper dragon heads to the bows themselves.

    Words in this sentence
    最后 zuìhòu
    in the end, finally Dictionary
    他们 tāmen
    they, them Dictionary
    向 xiàng
    to, towards Dictionary
    当地 dāngdì
    local Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    划船 huáchuán
    rowing; to row Dictionary
    俱乐部 jùlèbù
    club Dictionary
    借 jiè
    to borrow, to lend Dictionary
    了 le
    (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary
    八 bā
    eight Dictionary
    条 tiáo
    (measure word for long things: dragons, rivers) Dictionary
    普通 pǔtōng
    ordinary Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    船 chuán
    boat Dictionary
    自己 zìjǐ
    oneself Dictionary
    在 zài
    at, in; to be at Dictionary
    船头 chuántóu
    bow (of a boat) Dictionary
    装 zhuāng
    to fit, to fix Dictionary
    上 shàng
    on, above Dictionary
    了 le
    (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary
    纸 zhǐ
    paper Dictionary
    做 zuò
    to make, to do Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    龙头 lóngtóu
    dragon's head Dictionary

  4. ：，，。

    bàomíng de rén bǐ xiǎngxiàng de duō de duō: yǒu Déguó xuésheng, yǒu Yìdàlì xuésheng, háiyǒu yí gè Tǔ'ěrqí chúshī dàilái de duì.

    Far more people signed up than they had imagined: German students, Italian students, and a team led by a Turkish chef.

    Words in this sentence
    报名 bàomíng
    to sign up Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    人 rén
    person, people Dictionary
    比 bǐ
    than Dictionary
    想象 xiǎngxiàng
    to imagine Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    多 duō
    many, a lot Dictionary
    得 de
    (links a verb to how it is done) Dictionary
    多 duō
    many, a lot Dictionary
    有 yǒu
    to have; there is Dictionary
    德国 Déguó
    Germany Dictionary
    学生 xuésheng
    student Dictionary
    有 yǒu
    to have; there is Dictionary
    意大利 Yìdàlì
    Italy Dictionary
    学生 xuésheng
    student Dictionary
    还有 háiyǒu
    there is still Dictionary
    一 yí
    one, a Dictionary
    个 gè
    (measure word for people and things) Dictionary
    土耳其 Tǔ'ěrqí
    Turkey Dictionary
    厨师 chúshī
    chef Dictionary
    带来 dàilái
    to bring Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    队 duì
    queue Dictionary

  5. ，：，，。

    bǐsài yǐqián, Zēng Lín yòng biéjiǎo de Déyǔ gěi dàjiā jiǎng le Qū Yuán de gùshi: liǎngqiān duō nián qián, yí wèi shīrén tiào jìn le jiāng lǐ, rénmen huá zhe chuán qù zhǎo tā.

    Before the race Zeng Lin told everyone the story of Qu Yuan in her clumsy German: more than two thousand years ago a poet jumped into a river, and people rowed out to search for him.

    Words in this sentence
    比赛 bǐsài
    to compete; competition Dictionary
    以前 yǐqián
    before, ago Dictionary
    曾琳 Zēng Lín
    Zeng Lin (name)
    用 yòng
    to use Dictionary
    蹩脚 biéjiǎo
    clumsy, poor Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    德语 Déyǔ
    German (language) Dictionary
    给 gěi
    to give; for Dictionary
    大家 dàjiā
    everyone Dictionary
    讲 jiǎng
    to tell, to explain Dictionary
    了 le
    (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary
    屈原 Qū Yuán
    Qu Yuan (the poet) Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    故事 gùshi
    story Dictionary
    两千 liǎngqiān
    two thousand
    多 duō
    many, a lot Dictionary
    年 nián
    year Dictionary
    前 qián
    front; before Dictionary
    一 yí
    one, a Dictionary
    位 wèi
    (polite measure word for people) Dictionary
    诗人 shīrén
    poet Dictionary
    跳 tiào
    to jump Dictionary
    进 jìn
    into; to enter Dictionary
    了 le
    (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary
    江 jiāng
    river Dictionary
    里 lǐ
    in, inside Dictionary
    人们 rénmen
    people Dictionary
    划 huá
    to row Dictionary
    着 zhe
    (-ing: an ongoing state) Dictionary
    船 chuán
    boat Dictionary
    去 qù
    to go Dictionary
    找 zhǎo
    to look for Dictionary
    他 tā
    he, him Dictionary

  6. ，，。

    gǔshēng yì xiǎng, bā tiáo chuán chōng le chūqu, àn shàng de rén hǎn de bǐ huáchuán de rén hái lèi.

    When the drum sounded, the eight boats shot off, and the people on the bank shouted themselves more tired than the rowers.

    Words in this sentence
    鼓声 gǔshēng
    drumbeat Dictionary
    一 yì
    one, a Dictionary
    响 xiǎng
    to sound, to ring out Dictionary
    八 bā
    eight Dictionary
    条 tiáo
    (measure word for long things: dragons, rivers) Dictionary
    船 chuán
    boat Dictionary
    冲 chōng
    to wash, to sweep (of water) Dictionary
    了 le
    (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary
    出去 chūqu
    to go out Dictionary
    岸 àn
    bank, shore Dictionary
    上 shàng
    on, above Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    人 rén
    person, people Dictionary
    喊 hǎn
    to shout Dictionary
    得 de
    (links a verb to how it is done) Dictionary
    比 bǐ
    than Dictionary
    划船 huáchuán
    rowing; to row Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    人 rén
    person, people Dictionary
    还 hái
    also, in addition Dictionary
    累 lèi
    tired Dictionary

  7. ，，。

    zuìhòu, yǒu sān gè zhǐ lóngtóu diào jìn le shuǐ lǐ, dì-yī míng shì Tǔ'ěrqí chúshī de duì.

    In the end three of the paper dragon heads fell into the water, and first place went to the Turkish chef's team.

    Words in this sentence
    最后 zuìhòu
    in the end, finally Dictionary
    有 yǒu
    to have; there is Dictionary
    三 sān
    three Dictionary
    个 gè
    (measure word for people and things) Dictionary
    纸 zhǐ
    paper Dictionary
    龙头 lóngtóu
    dragon's head Dictionary
    掉 diào
    to fall Dictionary
    进 jìn
    into; to enter Dictionary
    了 le
    (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary
    水 shuǐ
    water Dictionary
    里 lǐ
    in, inside Dictionary
    第一 dì-yī
    first Dictionary
    名 míng
    place (in a ranking) Dictionary
    是 shì
    to be Dictionary
    土耳其 Tǔ'ěrqí
    Turkey Dictionary
    厨师 chúshī
    chef Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    队 duì
    queue Dictionary

  8. ，，：“，。”

    wǎnshang, dàjiā zuò zài hú biān yìqǐ chī zòngzi, chúshī shuō:“ míngnián wǒ hái lái, búguò nǐmen děi jiāo wǒ bāo zòngzi.”

    In the evening everyone sat by the lake eating zongzi, and the chef said, "I'll be back next year, but you have to teach me to make zongzi."

    Words in this sentence
    晚上 wǎnshang
    evening Dictionary
    大家 dàjiā
    everyone Dictionary
    坐 zuò
    to sit; to travel by Dictionary
    在 zài
    at, in; to be at Dictionary
    湖 hú
    lake Dictionary
    边 biān
    side, bank Dictionary
    一起 yìqǐ
    together Dictionary
    吃 chī
    to eat Dictionary
    粽子 zòngzi
    zongzi (sticky rice parcel) Dictionary
    厨师 chúshī
    chef Dictionary
    说 shuō
    to say, to speak Dictionary
    明年 míngnián
    next year Dictionary
    我 wǒ
    I, me Dictionary
    还 hái
    also, in addition Dictionary
    来 lái
    to come Dictionary
    不过 búguò
    but Dictionary
    你们 nǐmen
    you (plural) Dictionary
    得 děi
    must, have to Dictionary
    教 jiāo
    to teach Dictionary
    我 wǒ
    I, me Dictionary
    包 bāo
    bag Dictionary
    粽子 zòngzi
    zongzi (sticky rice parcel) Dictionary

Grammar focus

  • 连……都…… "not even"
  • 比……还…… "even more than"

Vocabulary

Questions

1办比赛最大的问题是什么？Bàn bǐsài zuì dà de wèntí shì shénme?What was the biggest problem in holding the race?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: C. Sentence 2: 连一条龙舟都找不到.

  • A: More people signed up than expected (sentence 4).
  • B: The weather isn't mentioned.
2他们是怎么解决这个问题的？Tāmen shì zěnme jiějué zhè gè wèntí de?How did they solve the problem?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: B. Sentence 3 describes their solution.

  • A: They borrowed boats locally.
  • C: The race went ahead.
3中国学生的队得了第一名。Zhōngguó xuésheng de duì de le dì-yī míng.The Chinese students' team came first.
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: B. False. Sentence 7: 第一名是土耳其厨师的队.

  • A: The Turkish chef's team won (sentence 7).
4“蹩脚的德语”是什么意思？"Biéjiǎo de Déyǔ" shì shénme yìsi?What does 蹩脚的德语 mean?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: C. 蹩脚 means clumsy or poor in quality; she is modest about her German.

  • A: That is the opposite.
  • B: 蹩脚 is about quality, not age.
5岸上的人喊得＿＿划船的人还累。Àn shàng de rén hǎn de __ huáchuán de rén hái lèi.The people on the bank shouted themselves ___ tired than the rowers.
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: B. 比……还…… makes a comparison: even more tired than (sentence 6).

  • A: 跟 would need 一样 (跟……一样累).
  • C: 被 marks the passive, not a comparison.

Writing task

如果你在国外介绍你的国家的一个节日，你会介绍哪个？为什么？

Rúguǒ nǐ zài guówài jièshào nǐ de guójiā de yí gè jiérì, nǐ huì jièshào nǎ gè? Wèishénme?

If you introduced one of your country's festivals abroad, which would it be, and why?

Tips

  • 比如…… gives examples.
Try it yourself first, then show the model answer

我会介绍春节，因为春节是一家人团圆的日子，有很多有意思的习惯，比如贴春联、发红包。

Wǒ huì jièshào Chūnjié, yīnwèi Chūnjié shì yì jiā rén tuányuán de rìzi, yǒu hěn duō yǒuyìsi de xíguàn, bǐrú tiē chūnlián, fā hóngbāo.

I'd introduce the Spring Festival, because it's when families get together, and it has lots of interesting customs, like putting up couplets and giving red envelopes.

About the HSK 5 level