Categories
Beginner

History: 纸的故事 – The Story of Paper

You’re holding a book, writing on a notebook, maybe even wrapping a gift – but have you ever wondered who invented the paper that makes all this possible?

Key vocab

纸 – zhǐ – paper
竹子 – zhú zi5 – bamboo
丝绸 – sī chóu – silk
皇帝 – huáng dì – emperor
发明 – fā míng – invention
试验 – shì yàn – experiment
便宜 – pián yi5 – cheap
改变 – gǎi biàn – to change
世界 – shì jiè – world

纸的故事

两千年前，中国人写字用竹子。竹子很重，带着很不方便。有钱的人用丝绸写字，但是丝绸太贵了。

东汉时候，有一个人叫蔡伦。他在皇帝的宫里工作。他很聪明，喜欢想新办法。

蔡伦用树、旧布和水做了很多试验。公元105年，他做出了好的纸。这种纸又轻又便宜。

皇帝很高兴，让大家都用这种纸。后来，纸从中国去了世界很多地方。

因为有了纸，更多人可以读书学习。蔡伦的发明改变了世界。

Show English translation

The Story of Paper

Two thousand years ago, Chinese people wrote on bamboo. Bamboo was very heavy and inconvenient to carry. Rich people wrote on silk, but silk was too expensive.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a man named Cai Lun. He worked in the emperor’s palace. He was very clever and liked to think of new ways to do things.

Cai Lun used trees, old cloth, and water to do many experiments. In the year 105 CE, he made [a new kind of] good paper. This kind of paper was both light and cheap.

The emperor was very happy and made everyone use this paper. Later, paper traveled from China to many places in the world.

Because of paper, more people could read and study. Cai Lun’s invention changed the world.

6 replies on “History: 纸的故事 – The Story of Paper”

I found your site recently, you’ve been working here for a long time! The stories are interesting and at my level, so I am glad to read them, especially since I can mouseover unknown words to reveal them.

Great website! Thanks for providing these reading resources for Chinese learners. The layout is very tasteful as well — I love the typography and overall design!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *