GRINDING IRON PESTLE INTO NEEDLE

Words:Joe&范朝颖

Art: 灵绘童工作室

This is a story about a famous Chinesepoetnamed Li Bai. He lived in the TangDynastyinancientChina.

When Li Bai was a child, he studied on Xiang'er Mountain in today's Sichuan Province. But Li Bai was not a good student. He was terribly lazy.

这是关于我国著名诗人李白的故事。

李白生活在唐代,他小时候在象耳山(在今四川省境内)学习，但他可不是一个好学生，他很能偷懒。

Key points

poet 诗人 dynasty 朝代 ancient 古代的

Li Bai's teachers often talked about him. They said, “Li Bai hasbrains! But he's too lazy to use them!”

李白的老师们经常谈论他，他们都说：“李白很聪明，但是不在学习上下功夫。”

You see, Li Bai did not enjoy studying much. He thought it wasboring. He just wanted to play in the forests upon the mountains.

的确是这样，李白不喜欢学习，他认为学习是件无聊的事情。他只想在山林里玩耍。

Key points

brain 智慧；脑 boring 无聊的

One day,whilstLi Bai was out playing, he

stumbled uponan old womangrinding iron pestlebesides a mountaincreek.

一天，李白在玩耍时遇到了一个正在小溪边大石头上磨铁杵的老婆婆。

Her hair was long and white, and her skin was

crackedlikebark.But when she looked up at Li Bai,her eyes were full of warmth.

老婆婆的头发很长也很白，她的皮肤皱得像树皮。但当她抬头看向李白时，她的眼神里充满了温暖。

Key points

whilst 当……的时候 stumble upon 偶然遇见 grind 磨

iron 铁器；铁制的 pestle （捣碎或碾磨用的）杵

creek 小溪 cracked 干裂的，有裂纹的 bark 树皮

Li Bai asked her why she wasbotheringwith such a difficult andmind-numbingwork.

李白问她为什么要做这份既艰辛又无聊的工作。

“As long as I work hard, this iron pestle will turn into aneedle.”said she. Then she went back to her work, and Li Bai went back to his fun. But her wordslingeredin Li Bai's mind.

老婆婆答道：“只要功夫深，铁杵也能磨成针。”说完，她又继续工作了。李白也回去玩耍了，可老婆婆的话一直回荡在李白的脑海中。

Key points

bother 操心，烦恼

mind-numbing （糟糕、无聊或程度强烈到）令人头脑麻木的

needle 针

linger 徘徊；逗留

Li Bai found it dif fi cult to

forget what she had said. Her words were stuck in his head all day and night.

李白怎么也忘不了老妇人说的话，那句话整日整夜地在他脑子里回旋。

A week later, while sitting alone in his room, Li Bai realized why he could not forget those words.

一周后，李白独自坐在房间里，他突然明白自己为什么忘不掉那句话了。

He realized that he should work hard like the old woman with her iron pestle. If he worked hard, he could achieve anything that he wanted to.

他明白了，他应该像那位认真磨铁杵的老妇人一样刻苦努力。如果他努力学习，他就能收获他想要的。

Based onthisrealization, Li Bai began to study hard. Eventually he became one of the greatest poets in Chinese history.

认识到这一点，李白开始刻苦学习，并最终成为中国历史上最伟大的诗人之一。

Key points

base on 使建立在……基础上realization 认识；领会

（剧 本）

第一幕

场景：学堂里 角色：旁白者、李白、李白的老师

旁白：Li Bai is in class. His teacher is criticizing（批评） him for being lazy again.

老师大声训斥：Li Bai! Are you listening to me?

李白迷茫地回答：Hmmmm?

老师：You must concentrate! If you don't study hard, you won't get far in life!

李白无奈地说：But studying is so boring!

老师肯定道：No! It is interesting! And it is useful. You must study.

李白：But I want to go out and play.

老师：You can play after class! Now is the time for study.

李白叹气道：OK.

旁白：The teacher and students resume their class. However, after 2 minutes later,Li Bai starts staring out of the window again.

第二幕

场景：小溪旁 角色：旁白者、李白、老婆婆

旁白：Li Bai is out playing. He stumbled upon an old woman grinding an iron pestle besides a creek.

老婆婆一边磨着手里的铁杵一边抬头问：Hello, there young man. What are you chasing?

李白停止了追逐，回答道：A rabbit, but I lost it. What are you doing?

老婆婆拿起手里的铁杵，在李白面前晃了晃，说：I'm grinding my pestle.

李白疑惑地问：Why are you doing that?

老婆婆：I need a needle.

李白惊讶地说：But it's so boring.

老婆婆：Somebody has to do it.

李白不放弃地说：And it's dif fi cult.

老婆婆和蔼地说：Listen to me, young one. As long as I work hard, this iron pestle will turn into a needle. Maybe you should try working hard too. It will make you better.

李白：Maybe, but now I'm going to chase the rabbit! Good luck with your grinding.李白跑远了。

老婆婆：Good luck with your chasing.

老婆婆又继续磨铁杵。

旁白：Li Bai continued with his chase, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not forget what the old woman had said to him.

第三幕

场景：学堂里 角色：旁白者、李白、李白的老师

旁白：Li Bai's teacher notices a change in Li Bai's attitude towards study.

老师惊喜又疑惑地说：You're working much harder these days! What has happened?

李白：I've realized that sometimes people need to work hard. And I want to be a better person.

老师拍着李白的肩膀，欣慰地说：Good for you, boy. Your grades are much better.I think you will achieve your potential in the fi nal.

李白感谢道：Thank you, teacher. I certainly hope so.

旁白：Li Bai continued to work hard and he eventually became, as we all know,one of the greatest poets in Chinese history.