The chess players 1
1. In a little village in the south of China lives a little boy whose name*
is Chao Yen. He is a good boy, strong and intelligent, and his parents
are very proud* of him.
2. One day, when he is eighteen years old, Chao Yen's father takes
him* to the village temple. There is a priest here who reads sacred*
books, studies the stars, and tells the people all the things that are
going to happen to them* in their lives*.
3. He tells them* how many years they will live, what kind* of work they
will do, how many children they will have, and many other things.
4. But this time* the priest gives a cry* of surprise, and then for a long
time* he says nothing. He looks very unhappy*. "What is the matter*?"
asks Chao Yen's father. "Your son* will die* when he is* nineteen years
old," says the priest.
5. At first* neither Chao Yen nor* his father can believe* it. But the priest
insists that there is no mistake*. It is written* in the sacred books that
Chao Yen will die at the age of nineteen, and there is nothing he can do
to change it.
6. One day, a few weeks before his nineteenth birthday*, Chao Yen
goes hunting* in the mountains. He kills two deer*. Tired*, he lies down*
under a tree and he falls asleep*.
7. But when he wakes up*, thinking* he has been sleeping only a few
minutes*, he is surprised to see that it is already evening*.
8. He is even more surprised* when he sees that only a few metres
away* from where he is lying* are two men he has never seen before.
They are playing chess*.
9. Chao Yen is afraid. He watches* the two men. One is dressed in all
red. The other is wearing* a long blue robe. They are so close to* Chao
Yen that he can hear every word they say. But he cannot understand*
them.
10. Every few minutes* they call out a number* — "Forty-two, Twenty-
five, Sixty-seven" — and so on. At last, after a long pause, one of them
cries, "Eighty-two! What a lucky man* to Iive for for eighty-two years!"
1.
Whose name. Proud (au)
Dont le nom. Fier
2.
Takes him. Sacred (ei-i)
Le conduit. Sacré.
That are going to happen to them Qui vont leur arriver.
In their lives (ai)
Dans leur vie.
3.
He tells them
II leur dit.
What kind (ai)
Quelle sorte.
4.
This time (ai). Your son
Cette fois-ci. Votre fils.
To give a cry (ai)
Pousser un cri.
For a long time (ai)
Pendant un long moment.
To look unhappy
Paraître malheureux.
What is the matter?
Qu'y a-t-il?
Will die (ai). When he is
Mourra. Quand il aura (sera).
5.
At first. Neither... nor
D'abord, au début. Ni... ni.
To believe (i-i:) No mistake (ei).
Croire. Pas d'erreur.
It is written (i-)
C'est écrit.
6.
His birthday (-ei)
Son anniversaire.
To go hunting (-i)
Aller à la chasse.
A deer (i:). Tired (taid)
Un daim. Fatigué.
To lie (ai) down. To fall asleep.
S'étendre, se coucher. S'endormir.
7.
To wake (ei) up. To think
Se réveiller. Penser, croire.
Only a few minutes (i-i)
Seulement quelques minutes.
That it is already evening
Que c'est déjà le soir.
8.
Even more surprised (-ai)
Encore plus surpris.
Only a few metres away
A quelques mètres seulement.
From where he is lying (ai-i)
De l'endroit où il est couché.
To play chess
Jouer aux échecs.
9.
To watch. To wear (e)
Regarder. Porter
So close to. To understand
Si près de. Comprendre
10.Every few minutes
Toutes les 2 ou 3 minutes.
To call out a number
Crier un numéro.
What a lucky (-i) man!
Quel homme chanceux I
The chess players 1
1. In a little village in the south of
China lives a little boy whose name*
is Chao Yen. He is a good boy,
strong and intelligent, and his
parents are very proud* of him.
2. One day, when he is eighteen
years old, Chao Yen's father takes
him* to the village temple. There is a
priest here who reads sacred*
books, studies the stars, and tells
the people all the things that are
going to happen to them* in their
lives*.
3. He tells them* how many years
they will live, what kind* of work they
will do, how many children they will
have, and many other things.
4. But this time* the priest gives a
cry* of surprise, and then for a long
time* he says nothing. He looks very
unhappy*. "What is the matter*?"
asks Chao Yen's father. "Your son*
will die* when he is* nineteen years
old," says the priest.
5. At first* neither Chao Yen nor* his
father can believe* it. But the priest
insists that there is no mistake*. It is
written* in the sacred books that
Chao Yen will die at the age of
nineteen, and there is nothing he
can do to change it.
6. One day, a few weeks before his
nineteenth birthday*, Chao Yen goes
hunting* in the mountains. He kills
two deer*. Tired*, he lies down*
under a tree and he falls asleep*.
7. But when he wakes up*, thinking*
he has been sleeping only a few
minutes*, he is surprised to see that
it is already evening*.
8. He is even more surprised* when
he sees that only a few metres
away* from where he is lying* are
two men he has never seen before.
They are playing chess*.
9. Chao Yen is afraid. He watches*
the two men. One is dressed in all
red. The other is wearing* a long
blue robe. They are so close to*
Chao Yen that he can hear every
word they say. But he cannot
understand* them.
10. Every few minutes* they call out
a number* — "Forty-two, Twenty-
five, Sixty-seven" — and so on. At
last, after a long pause, one of them
cries, "Eighty-two! What a lucky
man* to Iive for for eighty-two years!"
1.
Whose name. Proud (au)
Dont le nom. Fier
2.
Takes him. Sacred (ei-i)
Le conduit. Sacré.
That are going to happen to them
Qui vont leur arriver.
In their lives (ai)
Dans leur vie.
3.
He tells them
II leur dit.
What kind (ai)
Quelle sorte.
4.
This time (ai). Your son
Cette fois-ci. Votre fils.
To give a cry (ai)
Pousser un cri.
For a long time (ai)
Pendant un long moment.
To look unhappy
Paraître malheureux.
What is the matter?
Qu'y a-t-il?
Will die (ai). When he is
Mourra. Quand il aura (sera).
5.
At first. Neither... nor
D'abord, au début. Ni... ni.
To believe (i-i:) No mistake (ei).
Croire. Pas d'erreur.
It is written (i-)
C'est écrit.
6.
His birthday (-ei)
Son anniversaire.
To go hunting (-i)
Aller à la chasse.
A deer (i:). Tired (taid)
Un daim. Fatigué.
To lie (ai) down. To fall asleep.
S'étendre, se coucher.
S'endormir.
7.
To wake (ei) up. To think
Se réveiller. Penser, croire.
Only a few minutes (i-i)
Seulement quelques minutes.
That it is already evening
Que c'est déjà le soir.
8.
Even more surprised (-ai)
Encore plus surpris.
Only a few metres away
A quelques mètres seulement.
From where he is lying (ai-i)
De l'endroit où il est couché.
To play chess
Jouer aux échecs.
9.
To watch. To wear (e)
Regarder. Porter
So close to. To understand
Si près de. Comprendre
10.Every few minutes
Toutes les 2 ou 3 minutes.
To call out a number
Crier un numéro.
What a lucky (-i) man!
Quel homme chanceux I
