帶著兩把劍的

王子

OWIDJU
 SHORT INTRO...

This book is for those who want to learn Mandarin Chinese

in a fun way.

I am deeply committed to the idea that reading books

can help us build vocabulary and strengthen grammar
without much pressure.

While learning Mandarin,

reading should be one of your primary activities.

Don’t try to remember words or grammar.

Don’t try to put pressure on yourself.

Just get to know the language through the story,

as if it were a person.

This book has three parts:

1. The story in Chinese Traditional Characters.

2. The text in the Pinyin Romanization.
3. The story in English.

My recommendation:

● Start with the English part and read the story twice.
● Read my pronunciation guide.
● Read the Pinyin version once.
● Try reading the story in the original text.

This short story will add to your knowledge of Chinese.

It will be an excellent step toward helping you
enjoy content in the language.

Thank you!

owidju.com
 帶著兩把劍的王子

約翰是一名鐵匠。
他從事鐵匠已有五 (5) 年的時間。
他不是一名普通的鐵匠，因為他只打造劍和矛。
夜晚來臨，
村莊昏暗，和那條滿是泥濘的道路，
約翰關店，把籬笆的燈點亮。
接著，他走進去房子，坐在他的妻子，海倫身邊。
一群馬術師出現在道路上。
他們在約翰的店面前停下。
第一個騎手下馬了。其他的騎手也陸續下馬。
“ 我先進去，” 其中一個男人說。
“ 請，” 年輕的男人說。

兩個男人各自點亮了燈。
在燈光下，武器和盾牌發著光。
他們是國王的士兵。
那個拿著燈的士兵拔劍出鞘，踢開了門。
其他的士兵也一擁而入。
他們都已經各自握著自己的武器。
約翰和海倫驚恐地看著那兩個士兵。
“ 你！開店！”，士兵對著約翰說。
約翰和海倫慢慢離開桌子。
那個女人和其中一個士兵呆在房裏。
約翰往店裏走去，開鎖。
其他的士兵跟著約翰進到店裏去，關上了門。
“ 除了你們兩個，還有誰在屋裏？”士兵問。
“ 沒有。”
“ 你確定？”
“ 是。我們獨自生活著，沒有孩子。”
士兵看著門大喊：准備！
門被打開了，剩下的士兵都進來了。
接著，有個年輕的騎士進來。他看著約翰說：
“ 你就是那個鐵匠，約翰？“
“ 是。“
“ 我是亞利，國王的兒子。“
“ 我的陛下！我尊貴的。。“
“ 我在說話！“
約翰閉上了嘴。士兵們也安靜了下來。亞利王子問：
“ 我需要兩把劍。兩把都是給我的，要有標志，不要
有國王的三字。我要它們一模一樣，你有五天的時間。
“ 我的陛下，可是。。“
“ 我說，我在說話！“
一名士兵走過來小聲威脅到：“聽不懂中文嗎？“
全體肅靜。
王子無聊看向四周。
屋裏只有寥寥無幾的東西。
亞利說：
“ 我的到來是秘密。
如果你告訴任何人，你知道你的下場。知道嗎？“
“ 知道。”約翰小聲說道。
“ 很好。我們出發吧！”

約翰快速說到：
“ 我的陛下，請原諒我。
可是五天的時間不足以讓我打造兩把劍！
一把劍至少需要一星期！”
王子微笑說到：
“ 好，那你有七天來打造一把劍。
在同一時間讓你的妻子打造另一把劍。”
“ 陛下。。”
“ 拿到手，我便會比較。如果她的劍沒有你的好，
我會逮捕她。如果她的劍比你好，我就會把你帶走。”
王子離開了，跟隨著士兵們。

約翰把所有的事情告訴了海倫。
“ 我們可以求救于誰？”妻子問道。
“ 我知道！我會去鎮上。
我知道有個人一定會幫助我們。”
“ 小心！“

約翰慢慢離開。
黑暗之中，他慢慢走路去了鎮上。
鐵匠沒有馬和燈。
泥濘的聲響清晰聽見。

***
 PRONUNCIATION

Pinyin / IPA

Sounds appearing at the beginning of the syllable

”yi” / [ʔi] like ”ee” in ”see”

”yu” / [y] , [ɥ] like ”ee” in ”see” but the lips are rounded
”o” / [ʔo] like ”oo” in ”floor”
”wu” / [ʔu] like ”ue” in ”sue”
”a” / [ʔa] like ”a” in ”father
”b” / [p] like ”p” in ”spot” or [b] ”b” in ”bee”
”p” / [pʰ] like ”p” in ”pot”
”m” / [m] like ”m” in ”man”
”f” / [f] like ”f” in ”fine”
”d” / [t] like ”t” in ”stop” or [d] like ”d” in ”dog”
”t” / [tʰ] like ”t” in ”top”
”z” / [ʦ] like ”ts” in ”nuts” or [ʣ] like ”ds” in ”meds”
”c” / [ʦʰ] like ”ts” in ”nuts” but more air is expelled
”s” / [s] like ”s” in ”see”
”j” / [ʨ] softer ”tch” in ”batch” or softer [ʥ] ”dge” in ”badge”
”q” / [ʨʰ] softer ”tch” in ”batch” but more air is expelled
”x” / [ɕ] softer ”sh” in ”show”
”zh” / [ʈʂ] like ”tch” in ”batch” or [ɖʐ ] like ”dge” in ”badge”
”ch” / [ʈʂʱ] like ”tch” in ”batch” but more air is expelled
”r” / [ʐ ] like ”s” in ”pleasure” or like [ɹ] in ”ring”
”sh” / [ʂ] like ”sh” in ”show”
”n” / [n] like ”n” in ”nut”
”l” / [l] like ”l” in ”lake”
”y” / [j] like ”y” in ”yes”
”g” / [k] like ”k” in ”skate” or [g] like ”g” in ”go”
”k” [kʰ] like ”k” in ”key”
”h” / [x] like ”h” in ”hello” but with more frication
Sounds appearing at the end of the syllable

”i” / [i] like ”ee” in ”see”; if ”i” comes after ”z”, ”c”, ”s”, ”zh”, ”ch”, ”r”
or ”sh”, it becomes [ɨ] like like ”ue” in ”sue” but the lips are not
rounded
”e” / [ə] like the first ”a” in away”; if ”e” comes after ”i” , ”y” or ”yu”
or before ”i” , it becomes [ɛ] like ”e” in ”bet”
”u” / [u] like ”ue” in ”sue”; if ”u” comes after ”j”, ”q” or ”x” it becomes
[y] , [ɥ] like ”ee” in ”see” but the lips are rounded; to obtain this sound
after other letters, the character ”ü” is used
”a” / [a] like ”a” in ”father”
”o” / [o] like ”oo” in ”floor”
”ai” / [aj] like ”eye”
”ao” / [aw] like ”ow” in ”cow”
”ou” / [ow] like ”ow” in ”low”
”an” / [an] like ”a” in ”man”
”en” / [ən] like ”one” in ”done”
”ong” / [ʊŋ] like ”oon” in ”soon”
”iu” / [jow] like ”yo-yo”
”ian” / [jɛn] like ”Yen” (Japanese currency)
”iang” / [jaŋ] like ”young”
”uo” / [wo] like ”wa” in ”wall”; if ”uo” comes after ”b”, ”p”, ”m” or ”f”,
it is written as ”o”
”uai” / [waj] like ”why”
”ui” / [wɛj] like ”whey”
”un” / [wən] like ”won”
”n” / [n] like ”n” in ”nut”
”ng” / [ŋ] like ”ng” in ”king”
”r” / [ɹ] like in ”car” (General American)

Tones

First: / ā / this tone mark indicate a higher pitched flat tone;

Second: / á / rising tone;
Third: / ǎ / usually low level tone; rising tone after another third tone;
Fourth: / à / falling tone
 DÀI ZHÁO LIǍNG BǍ JIÀN DE WÁNGZǏ

Yuēhàn shì yī míng tiějiàng.

Tā cóngshì tiějiàng yǐ yǒu wǔ (5) nián de shíjiān.
Tā bùshì yī míng pǔtōng de tiějiàng, yīnwèi tā zhǐ dǎzào jiàn hé máo.

Yèwǎn láilín, cūnzhuāng hūn'àn, hé nà tiáo mǎn shì nínìng de dàolù,

Yuēhàn guān diàn, bǎ líbā de dēng diǎn liàng.
Jiēzhe, tā zǒu jìnqù fángzi, zuò zài tā de qīzi, Hǎilún shēnbiān.
Yīqún mǎshù shī chūxiànzài dàolù shàng.
Tāmen zài Yuēhàn de diànmiànqián tíng xià.
Dì yīgè qíshǒu xiàmǎle.
Qítā de qíshǒu yě lùxù xiàmǎ.
“Wǒ xiān jìnqù,” qízhōng yīgè nánrén shuō.
“Qǐng,” niánqīng de nánrén shuō.

Liǎng gè nánrén gèzì diǎn liàngle dēng.

Zài dēngguāng xià, wǔqì hé dùnpái fāzhe guāng.
Tāmen shì guówáng dí shìbīng.
Nàgè názhe dēng dí shìbīng bá jiàn chū qiào, tī kāile mén.
Qítā dí shìbīng yě yī yǒng ér rù.
Tāmen dōu yǐjīng gèzì wòzhe zìjǐ de wǔqì.
Yuēhàn hé Hǎilún jīngkǒng de kànzhe nà liǎng gè shìbīng.
“Nǐ! Kāidiàn!”, shìbīng duìzhe Yuēhàn shuō.
Yuēhàn hé Hǎilún màn man líkāi zhuōzi.
Nàgè nǚrén hé qízhōng yīgè shìbīng dāi zài fáng lǐ.

Yuēhàn wǎng diàn lǐ zǒu qù, kāisuǒ.

Qítā dí shìbīng gēnzhe Yuēhàn jìn dào diàn lǐ qù, guānshàngle mén.
“Chúle nǐmen liǎng gè, hái yǒu shuí zài wū lǐ?” shìbīng wèn.
“Méiyǒu.”
“Nǐ quèdìng?”
“Shì. Wǒmen dúzì shēnghuózhe, méiyǒu háizi.”
Shìbīng kànzhe mén dà hǎn: “Zhǔnbèi!”
Mén bèi dǎkāile, shèng xià dí shìbīng dōu jìnláile.
Jiēzhe, yǒu gè niánqīng de qíshì jìnlái. Tā kànzhe Yuēhàn shuō:
“Nǐ jiùshì nàgè tiějiàng, Yuēhàn?“
“Shì.“
“Wǒ shì Yǎ Lì, guówáng de érzi.“
“Wǒ de bìxià! Wǒ zūnguì de..“
“Wǒ zài shuōhuà!“
Yuēhàn bì shàngle zuǐ. Shìbīngmen yě ānjìngle xiàlái. Yǎ Lì wángzǐ wèn:
“Wǒ xūyào liǎng bǎ jiàn.
Liǎng bǎ dōu shì gěi WǑ de, yào yǒu biāozhì, bùyào yǒu guówáng de sān zì.
Wǒ yào tāmen yīmúyīyàng, nǐ yǒu wǔ tiān de shíjiān.“
“Wǒ de bìxià, kěshì..“
“Wǒ shuō, wǒ zài shuōhuà!“
Yī míng shìbīng zǒu guòlái xiǎo shēng wēixié dào:
“Tīng bù dǒng zhōngwén ma?“
Quántǐ sùjìng.
Wángzǐ wúliáo kàn xiàng sìzhōu.
Wū li zhǐyǒu liáoliáo wújǐ de dōngxī.
Yǎ Lì shuō:
“Wǒ de dàolái shì mìmì.
Rúguǒ nǐ gàosù rènhé rén, nǐ zhīdào nǐ de xiàchǎng. Zhīdào ma?“
“Zhīdào.”
Yuēhàn xiǎoshēng shuōdao.
“Hěn hǎo. Wǒmen chūfā ba!”
Yuēhàn kuàisù shuō dào:
“Wǒ de bìxià, qǐng yuánliàng wǒ.
Kěshì wǔ tiān de shíjiān bùzú yǐ ràng wǒ dǎzào liǎng bǎ jiàn!
Yī bǎ jiàn zhìshǎo xūyào yī xīngqí!”

Wángzǐ wéixiào shuō dào:

“Hǎo, nà nǐ yǒu qītiān lái dǎzào yī bǎ jiàn.
Zài tóngyī shíjiān ràng nǐ de qīzi dǎzào lìng yī bǎ jiàn.”
“Bìxià..”
“Ná dàoshǒu, wǒ biàn huì bǐjiào.
Rúguǒ tā de jiàn méiyǒu nǐ de hǎo, wǒ huì dàibǔ tā.
Rúguǒ tā de jiàn bǐ nǐ hǎo, wǒ jiù huì bǎ nǐ dài zǒu.”
Wángzǐ líkāile, gēnsuízhe shìbīngmen.

Yuēhàn bǎ suǒyǒu de shìqíng gàosùle Hǎilún.

“Wǒmen kěyǐ qiújiù yú shéi?” qīzi wèn dào.
“Wǒ zhīdào! Wǒ huì qù zhèn shàng.
Wǒ zhīdào yǒu gèrén yīdìng huì bāngzhù wǒmen.”
“Xiǎoxīn!“

Yuēhàn màn man líkāi.

Hēi'àn zhī zhōng, tā màn man zǒulù qùle zhèn shàng.
Tiějiàng méiyǒu mǎ hé dēng.
Nínìng de shēngxiǎng qīngxī tīngjiàn.

***
 THE PRINCE
WITH TWO SWORDS

OWIDJU
 THE PRINCE WITH TWO SWORDS

John is a blacksmith.
He has been working as a blacksmith for five years.
He is not a regular blacksmith because he only makes swords and spears.
The night came.
The village could be better-lit, and the streets are mud-filled.
John closes up the workshop and puts out the lamp at the gate.
Then, he enters the house and sits at the table with his wife, Helen.
A group of horsemen appears on the street.
They stop in front of John's workshop.
The first rider gets off the horse.
The other riders also dismount.
"I'll go in first," says one of the men.
"Please," says a young man.

Two of the men each lit a lantern.

Under their light, the armor and the weapons shine.
They are the king's soldiers.
A soldier carrying a lantern draws his sword out of the scabbard and
approaches the door.
The soldiers carrying lanterns enter the house quickly.
They both have their weapons ready.
John and Helen are looking fearfully at the two soldiers.
"You, open up the workshop!" says a soldier to John.
John and Helen slowly get up from the table.
The woman stays in the room with one of the soldiers.

John goes to the workshop's door and unlocks it.

The other soldier follows John into the workshop and shuts the door.
"Who else is in the house, aside from you two?" Asks the soldier.
"No one."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. We live alone. We have no children."
The soldier looks at the door and shouts:
"Ready!"
The door opens, and the rest of the soldiers come in.
Then, a young knight comes in.
He looks at John and says:
"Are you John, the blacksmith?"
"Yes."
"I'm Alex, the king's son."
"Your Highness! I'm honored to...
"I am speaking now!"
John shuts up. The soldiers are silent too.
Prince Alex says:
"I need two swords—both for me, with MY symbol, not the king's.
I want them to be identical. You got five days at your disposal."
"Your Highness, but..."
"I said: I'm speaking now!"
A soldier comes closer to John and whispers threateningly:
"Don't you understand English?"
Everybody is silent.
The Prince looks around with boredom.
There are a few things in the room.
Alex says:
"My visit here is secret.
If you tell someone, you know what expects you. Yes?"
"Yes…" says John softly.
"Good. Then, we're going now.
We'll be back in five days."

John talks fast:

"Your Highness, forgive me, but five days aren't enough
for two royal swords! One sword alone takes a week!"
The Prince smiles and says:
"Well, then. You got seven days for one sword.
Your wife will work on the second sword at the same time."
"Your Highness..."
"When I get back, I'll compare them.
I'll arrest your wife if her sword isn't as good as yours.
If her sword is better than your sword, I'll take you instead."
The Prince exits the door, and soldiers follow him.

John goes to Helen and tells her everything.

"Who can we ask for help?" asks the wife.
"I know who. I'm going to the city.
I know someone there that will surely help us."
"Be careful!"

John slowly exits the gate.

He goes to the city, on foot, through the dark.
The blacksmith has no horse or lantern.
He could hear the gently squashed mud under his feet.

***