(Difficulty Level: Lower Intermediate)
竹子生病了
有一棵竹子刚刚长高，它那靠近地面的一节，就被小蚜虫咬坏了许多地方。
高大的树看见了，对竹子说：“你生病了，快请啄木鸟来替你医病。小病好医，大病难医喔！”
竹子说：“要请啄木鸟？它会啄我，我怕痛，算了吧！小病很快就会好的。”
过了不久，蚜虫又生小蚜虫，越生越多，竹子靠近地面的一节全被咬坏了，站都站不住，只好让人去请啄木鸟医生来医病。
啄木鸟医生刚刚飞到，正好吹来一阵大风，“哗啦”一声，生病的竹子就被吹倒了。
寓意(Moral):
大病从小病开始，小病不医，会造成大病的。竹子不知道这个道理，只因为怕小痛，不想医病，等到病重了，被大风一吹，什么都来不及了。我们平常的毛病，不论是身体方面的，心理方面的，还是行为方面的，都应该赶快医好、改变好，你说对吗？
词汇Vocabulary:
| 1.竹子 | zhúzi | bamboo |
| 有一棵竹子刚刚长高。There was a bamboo tree that had just grown tall. | ||
| 2. 靠近 | kào jìn | to be near |
| 例句: 有一棵竹子刚刚长高，它那靠近地面的一节，就被小蚜虫咬坏了许多地方。Example: There was a bamboo tree that had just grown tall when a section close to the ground was bitten by aphids. | ||
| 3. 蚜虫 | yá chóng | aphid |
| 例句: 有一棵竹子刚刚长高，它那靠近地面的一节，就被小蚜虫咬坏了许多地方。Example: There was a bamboo tree that had just grown tall when a section close to the ground was bitten by aphids. | ||
| 4. 咬 | yǎo | to bite |
| 例句: 有一棵竹子刚刚长高，它那靠近地面的一节，就被小蚜虫咬坏了许多地方。Example: There was a bamboo tree that had just grown tall when a section close to the ground was bitten by aphids. | ||
| 5. 啄木鸟 | zhuó mù niǎo | woodpecker |
| 例句: 你生病了，快请啄木鸟来替你医病。Example: You’re sick. Hurry and tell the woodpecker to come and heal you. | ||
| 6. 医病 | yī bìng | to cure or heal |
| 例句: 你生病了，快请啄木鸟来替你医病。Example: You’re sick. Hurry and tell the woodpecker to come and heal you. | ||
| 7. 啄 | zhuó | to peck |
| 啄木鸟会啄我。The woodpecker will peck me. | ||
| 8. 哗啦一声 | huā lā yī shēng | with a thunderous noise |
| 例句: 恰好吹来一阵大风，“哗啦”一声，生病的竹子就被吹倒了。Example: There was a big gust of wind and, with a thunderous bang, the bamboo tree was blown to the ground. | ||
| 9. 吹倒 | chuī dǎo | to blow over |
| 例句: 恰好吹来一阵大风，“哗啦”一声，生病的竹子就被吹倒了。Example: There was a big gust of wind and, with a thunderous bang, the bamboo tree was blown to the ground. | ||
| 10. 心理 | xīnlǐ | minds |
| 例句:不论是身体方面的，心理方面的，还是行为方面的毛病，都应该赶快医好、改变好。Example: In our own bodies, minds, and behavior, wherever there are shortcomings, we should quickly heal and rectify them。 | ||
| 11. 行为 | xíngwéi | behavior |
| 例句:不论是身体方面的，心理方面的，还是行为方面的毛病，都应该赶快医好、改变好。Example: In our own bodies, minds, and behavior, wherever there are shortcomings, we should quickly heal and rectify them。 | ||
| 12. 毛病 | máobìng | shortcoming |
| 例句:不论是身体方面的，心理方面的，还是行为方面的毛病，都应该赶快医好、改变好。Example: In our own bodies, minds, and behavior, wherever there are shortcomings, we should quickly heal and rectify them。 | ||
讨论的问题：
1． 为什么竹子开始不想请啄木鸟医治它？
Why did the bamboo not want the woodpecker to cure its sickness at first?
2． 为什么竹子后来被吹倒了？
Why was the bamboo blown over at the end?
3． 这个故事告诉我们如果生病了应该怎么办？
What does this story suggest us to do when one is sick？
4. 你有什么小毛病，你觉得希望快点儿改好？
Do you have a small shortcoming that you hope to overcome quickly?
Transcript:
There was a bamboo tree that had just grown tall when a section close to the ground was bitten by aphids.
The tall and mighty banyan tree saw this and quickly told the bamboo tree, “You’re sick. Hurry and tell the woodpecker to come and heal you. Small illnesses are easy to heal, but big illnesses are difficult to heal!”
The bamboo tree responded as if he didn’t care, “You want me to cal the woodpecker? He will peck me, and I’m afraid that will hurt. Forget it! It’s only a small sickness, it will heal soon.”
Soon the aphids had given birth to baby aphids, and they continued to multiply, so that the section of the bamboo tree near the round was eaten until it was full of holes. The bamboo tree couldn’t even stand up straight, and thus had no choice but to ask someone to call the woodpecker to come and heal him.
Just as the woodpecker arrived, there was a big gust of wind and, with a thunderous bang, the bamboo tree was blown to the ground.
Moral:
A small sickness may be came from a big sickness. If you don’t cure the small sickness, it may turn into a big sickness. The bamboo tree of this fable didn’t understand this concept. Because he was afraid of a little pain, he didn’t want to cure his illness. By the time his illness had become serious and he was blown over by the wind, it was even too late for regrets. In our own bodies, minds and behavior, wherever there are faults, we should quickly heal and rectify them, don’t you think?
竹子生病了
有一棵竹子剛剛長高，它那靠近地面的一節，就被小蚜虫咬壞了許多地方。
高大的樹看見了，對竹子說：“你生病了，快請啄木鳥來替你醫病。小病好醫，大病難醫喔！”
竹子說：“要請啄木鳥？它會啄我，我怕痛，算了吧！小病很快就會好的。”
過了不久，蚜虫又生小蚜虫，越生越多，竹子靠近地面的一節全被咬壞了，站都站不住，隻好讓人去請啄木鳥醫生來醫病。
啄木鳥醫生剛剛飛到，正好吹來一陣大風，“嘩啦”一聲，生病的竹子就被吹倒了。
寓意(Moral):
大病從小病開始，小病不醫，會造成大病的。竹子不知道這個道理，隻因為怕小痛，不想醫病，等到病重了，被大風一吹，什麼都來不及了。我們平常的毛病，不論是身體方面的，心理方面的，還是行為方面的，都應該趕快醫好、改變好，你說對嗎？
詞匯Vocabulary:
1.竹子 zhúzi bamboo
有一棵竹子剛剛長高。There was a bamboo tree that had just grown tall.
2. 靠近 kào jìn to be near
例句: 有一棵竹子剛剛長高，它那靠近地面的一節，就被小蚜虫咬壞了許多地方。Example: There was a bamboo tree that had just grown tall when a section close to the ground was bitten by aphids.
3. 蚜虫 yá chóng aphid
例句: 有一棵竹子剛剛長高，它那靠近地面的一節，就被小蚜虫咬壞了許多地方。Example: There was a bamboo tree that had just grown tall when a section close to the ground was bitten by aphids.
4. 咬 yǎo to bite
例句: 有一棵竹子剛剛長高，它那靠近地面的一節，就被小蚜虫咬壞了許多地方。Example: There was a bamboo tree that had just grown tall when a section close to the ground was bitten by aphids.
5. 啄木鳥 zhuó mù niǎo woodpecker
例句: 你生病了，快請啄木鳥來替你醫病。Example: You’re sick. Hurry and tell the woodpecker to come and heal you.
6. 醫病 yī bìng to cure or heal
例句: 你生病了，快請啄木鳥來替你醫病。Example: You’re sick. Hurry and tell the woodpecker to come and heal you.
7. 啄 zhuó to peck
啄木鳥會啄我。The woodpecker will peck me.
8. 嘩啦一聲 huā lā yī shēng with a thunderous noise
例句: 恰好吹來一陣大風，“嘩啦”一聲，生病的竹子就被吹倒了。Example: There was a big gust of wind and, with a thunderous bang, the bamboo tree was blown to the ground.
9. 吹倒 chuī dǎo to blow over
例句: 恰好吹來一陣大風，“嘩啦”一聲，生病的竹子就被吹倒了。Example: There was a big gust of wind and, with a thunderous bang, the bamboo tree was blown to the ground.
10. 心理 xīnlǐ minds
例句:不論是身體方面的，心理方面的，還是行為方面的毛病，都應該趕快醫好、改變好。Example: In our own bodies, minds, and behavior, wherever there are shortcomings, we should quickly heal and rectify them。
11. 行為 xíngwéi behavior
例句:不論是身體方面的，心理方面的，還是行為方面的毛病，都應該趕快醫好、改變好。Example: In our own bodies, minds, and behavior, wherever there are shortcomings, we should quickly heal and rectify them。
12. 毛病 máobìng shortcoming
例句:不論是身體方面的，心理方面的，還是行為方面的毛病，都應該趕快醫好、改變好。Example: In our own bodies, minds, and behavior, wherever there are shortcomings, we should quickly heal and rectify them。
討論的問題：
1． 為什麼竹子開始不想請啄木鳥醫治它？
Why did the bamboo not want the woodpecker to cure its sickness at first?
2． 為什麼竹子后來被吹倒了？
Why was the bamboo blown over at the end?
3． 這個故事告訴我們如果生病了應該怎麼辦？
What does this story suggest us to do when one is sick？
4. 你有什麼小毛病，你覺得希望快點兒改好？
Do you have a small shortcoming that you hope to overcome quickly?
Transcript:
There was a bamboo tree that had just grown tall when a section close to the ground was bitten by aphids.
The tall and mighty banyan tree saw this and quickly told the bamboo tree, “You’re sick. Hurry and tell the woodpecker to come and heal you. Small illnesses are easy to heal, but big illnesses are difficult to heal!”
The bamboo tree responded as if he didn’t care, “You want me to cal the woodpecker? He will peck me, and I’m afraid that will hurt. Forget it! It’s only a small sickness, it will heal soon.”
Soon the aphids had given birth to baby aphids, and they continued to multiply, so that the section of the bamboo tree near the round was eaten until it was full of holes. The bamboo tree couldn’t even stand up straight, and thus had no choice but to ask someone to call the woodpecker to come and heal him.
Just as the woodpecker arrived, there was a big gust of wind and, with a thunderous bang, the bamboo tree was blown to the ground.
Moral:
A small sickness may be came from a big sickness. If you don’t cure the small sickness, it may turn into a big sickness. The bamboo tree of this fable didn’t understand this concept. Because he was afraid of a little pain, he didn’t want to cure his illness. By the time his illness had become serious and he was blown over by the wind, it was even too late for regrets. In our own bodies, minds and behavior, wherever there are faults, we should quickly heal and rectify them, don’t you think?