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Fable: 《沉默的狗》The Silent Dog

Welp, I swore I would never do this again but I found this (and several other short stories) in Hainan Airlines’ in-flight magazine (I’m in Prague!) and couldn’t resist typing it up (as opposed to copy-pasting from an online source). I’ve checked and checked for typos, but I’m not always the best at that, so if you run across one, please comment.

This is one of those reads where the sentence structure is basic and in parts very repetitive, but quite a few advanced words are used – “advanced” only because they’re not used often in casual conversation, like parts of an animal (hooves, horns, etc.) So beginners, you can give this a go if you’re feeling very patient but you’ll be looking up every other word in some paragraphs even though you will be able to predict generally what the next few sentences are about.

I wanted to post a quick comment about the words 一箭一般, because this looks like a typical four-character idiom, but it’s actually two separate words, 一箭 (an arrow) and 一般 (like, as if). Together this means “like an arrow”, or in context of this sentence “to take off (running) like a shot”.

There’s also the phrase 从草丛中闪出. We’re talking here about a dog that is “[darting] out in a flash” (闪出) “from the middle of a cluster of grasses” (从草丛中). We can imagine a dog charging out of a field of tall grass and into a clearing.

沉默的狗

傍晚，一只羊独自在山坡上玩，突然从树木中窜出一只狼来，要吃羊，羊跳起来，拼命用角抵抗，并大声地向朋友喊救命。

牛在树丛中向这个地方望了一眼，发现是狼，跑走了。

马低头一看，发现是狼，一溜烟跑了。

驴停下脚步，发现是狼，悄悄溜下山坡。

猪经过这里，发现是狼，冲下山坡。

兔子一听，更是一箭一般离去。

山下的狗听见羊的呼喊，急忙奔上坡来，从草丛中闪出，一下咬住了狼的脖子，狼疼得直叫唤, 趁够换气时，怆惶挑走了。

回到家，朋友都来了，
牛说：你怎么不告诉我？我的角可以剜出狼的肠子。
马说：你怎么不告诉我？我的蹄子能踢碎狼的脑袋。
驴说：你怎么不告诉我？我一声吼叫，吓破狼的胆。
猪说：你怎么不告诉我？ 我用嘴一拱，就让它摔下山去。
兔子说：你怎么不告诉我？ 我跑得快，可以传信呀。

在这闹嚷嚷的一群中，唯独没有狗。

Show English translation »
One nightfall, a sheep was playing alone on the mountainside, when suddenly a wolf emerged from among the trees, wanting to eat the sheep, so the sheep jumped up, using his horns to defend himself with all his might, and loudly called out for his friends to save his life.

The bull looked over from among a cluster of trees, saw there was a wolf, and ran away.

The horse lowered its head and looked, discovered there was a wolf, and slipped away in a puff of smoke.

The mule stopped walking for a moment, discovered there was a wolf, and quietly slipped down the mountain.

The pig passed through there, found out there was a wolf, and rushed down the mountainside.

The rabbit listened a moment, then took off like a shot.

From the bottom of the mountain, the dog heard the sheep’s cry, and ran quickly up the mountainside, came out of the grass in a flash, and in a moment had grabbed the wolf’s neck in his teeth, the wolf cried out in pain, and taking advantage of the dog’s intake of breath, ran away full of sorrow and fear.

[When the sheep] returned home, his friends all came over.

The bull said: Why didn’t you tell me? My horns could have gouged out the wolf’s intestines.
The horse said: Why didn’t you tell me? My hooves could have kicked the wolf’s skull apart.
Donkey said: Why didn’t you tell me? I could have brayed and startled the wolf so as to break his courage.
Pig said: Why didn’t you tell me? I could nuzzle him with my snout, and make him fall down the mountain.
Rabbit said: Why didn’t you tell me? I run fast, I could have spread the word.
In this noisy group, the only one who wasn’t present was the dog.

23 replies on “Fable: 《沉默的狗》The Silent Dog”

In the first paragraph, ‘羊挑起来’ , should the ‘tiao’ be 跳 rather than 挑? That’s more of a question than a correction, since I’m not familiar with 挑 but 跳, to jump, seems like it would (also) be appropriate in the context. From the numerous definitions of 挑, ‘to raise’ or ‘to stir up’ seem to be the most appropriate fit. Thanks.

Not sure if you are still reading this, but at the end of the 7th paragraph it should be “趁狗换气时，怆惶跳走了”.

I am here for an internship in china and as I have a own blog I know how greatful I are for comments. I just wanted to say, that I am really a big fan of this site. And I just had an idea: Can you post perhaps a part of this book modified for beginners? 致我们终将逝去的青春- it is a film which is really famous right here, but my friens said it is based on a book. I woul be very happy about that!

Thanks Pia, very nice of you. My Chinese is not good enough to take an existing work and simplify it – I wouldn’t trust myself to write or edit native-level texts, only read them! But if you post a link to something you’d like me to translate, I can do that.

Wow,impressive. I have no idea how to get there. Just remember I was searching for the chinese social media icon.Btw,the kendraschaefer.com is AWESOME!

Um, shouldn’t it be “bing da sheng xiang peng you men han jiu ming?” You forgot “han”. Sorry I couln’t type in chinese characters cos my com has some problem

I don’t understand 传心. (can’t find this combination in dictionary)
You translate this as “spread the word”
but wouldn’t 传布 be better for this?

I’m not sure about this at all (I am also still learning), but shouldn’t the 得 in “狼疼得直叫唤” be 地 instead? Since it’s after an adverb and describes the verb?

Wow they are perfect “friends” they are. I wonder about the dog, he problebly chased the wolf. Do you know what happend? Problebly not because that’s all the story right? Anyways good story thanks. (still thinking about the dog). 🙁

Being a Chinese native speaker, I am positive that 并大声向朋友们救命 should be 并大声地向朋友喊救命。Thanks。

Hey Kendra,

I’m not sure if you are still active on this blog, but first of all I want to say thank you for your work! It really makes practising easier, if you have the pop-up function and a translation and it’s much more fun this way.

One minor comment:
I think the pig suggests with 我用嘴一拱 that it could have dug a hole in the earth with its snout to make the wolf fall down the mountain.

Best wishes!

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