画鬼最容易 The easiest thing to draw
cóngqián yǒu yí gè hěn gāomíng de huàjiā. yǒu yìtiān, tā bèi qǐng lái gěi guówáng huà xiàng.
从前有一个很 高明 的画家。有一天,他被请来给 国王画像 。
huà huà de shí hou, guó wáng wèn huà jiā : “ bǐ jiào qǐ lái , shénme dōngxi zuì nán huà ne?”
画画的时候,国王问画家: “ 比较起来 ,什么东西最难画呢?”
huà jiā huí dá shuō: “ huó dòng de gǒu hé mǎ, dōu shì zuì nán huà de, wǒ zì jǐ yě huà de bù zěn me hǎo.”
画家回答说:“ 活动的 狗和马,都是最难画的,我自己也画得不怎么好。”
guó wáng yòu wèn tā: “nà me, shén me dōngxi zuì róngyì huà ne?”
国王又问他:“那么,什么东西最容易画呢?”
huà jiā shuō:“huà guǐ zuì róngyì.”
画家说:“画 鬼 最容易。”
“wèi shén me ?”
“为什么?”
“yīn wéi gǒu hé mǎ zhè xiē dōngxi rénmen dōu shúxī , jīngcháng chūxiàn zài rénmen de yǎn qián, zhǐyào huà cuò yìdiǎnr,jiù huì bèi rén fā xiàn, suǒ yǐ nán huà. tèbié shì dòngtài de gǒu hé mǎ .”
“因为狗和马这些东西人们都 熟悉 ,经常出现在人们的眼前,只要画错一点儿,就会被人发现,所以难画. 特别 是 动态 的狗和马.”
huàjiā jiē zhe shuō: “ zhì yǔ guǐ, shuí yě méi jiàn guò, méi yǒu quèdìng de xíngzhuàng , yě méi yǒu míngquè de xiàngmào .
画家接着说:” 至于 鬼,谁也没见过,没有 确定 的 形状 ,也没有 明确 的 相貌 。
nà me, wǒ jiù kě yǐ suíbiàn huà, xiǎng zěn yàng huà jiù zěn yàng huà. huà chū lái hòu, shuí yě bùnéng zhèngmíng tā bú xiàng guǐ, suǒ yǐ wǒ cái shuō huà guǐ zuì róngyì.”
那么,我就可以 随便 画, 想怎样画就怎样画 . 画出来后,谁也不能 证明 它不 像 鬼,所以我才说画鬼最容易.”
Vocabs:
gāo míng 高明: brilliant
guó wáng 国王: King
huà xiàng 画像: to paint portrait
bǐ jiào qǐ lái 比较起来: comparatively, in comparison
huó dòng de 活动的: in action, moving
guǐ 鬼: ghost
shú xī 熟悉: familiar
tè bié 特别: especially
dòng tài 动态: in motion
zhì yǔ 至于: as for, in regards to
què dìng 确定: fixed, certain
xíng zhuàng 形状: shape
míng què 明确: clear
xiàng mào 相貌: appearance
suí biàn 随便: casually, as one wishes
xiǎng zěn yàng …jiù zěn yàng … 想怎样…就怎样…: do whatever one wishes
zhèng míng 证明: to prove
xiàng 像: to look alike, to be similar to
Show English Translation
During painting, the King asked the painter: “In comparison, what item is most difficult to paint?”
The painter answered: ” the moving dogs and horses, are all most difficult to paint. I myself also can’t draw (them) that well.”
The king asked him again: “in that case, what item is most easy to paint?”
The painter said:” painting ghost is the easiest.”
“Why?”
“Because these things like dogs and horses are familiar to people, (and) often appear in front of people’s eyes. Only drawing a little bit wrong, it would be noticed by people, thus difficult to paint. Especially dogs and horses in motion.”
The painter continued: “as for ghosts, nobody has ever seen it. (it) has no fixed shape, nor clear appearance.
Therefore, I can draw casually, in whatever way I like to draw. After drawing it, nobody can prove that it doesn’t look like ghost, therefore I say drawing ghost is the easiest.”
Homework:
1. 画家觉得什么东西最容易画? 什么东西最难画?
2. 为什么画家说画鬼最容易?
English