Mandarin Companion - The Monkey's Paw (Sample)

8/11/2019 Mandarin Companion - The Monkey's Paw (Sample)

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Mandarin Companion Graded Readers

Level 1: 300 characters

Hu Zhu

The Monkey's Paw (Sample)

by W.W. Jacobs

Mind Spark Press LLC

SHANGHAI


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Mandarin Companion Graded Readers

Mandarin Companion creates books you can read! This series offers Chinese

learners enjoyable and interesting reading materials to accelerate language

learning. Each book uses characters, words, and grammar that a learner is most

likely to know at each level based on in-depth analysis of textbooks, education

programs, and natural Chinese language. Every story is written in a style that is

easy for a learner to understand and enjoyable to read.

Mandarin Companion Level 1

Level One is intended for Chinese learners who have obtained an elementary lev

of Chinese. Most students will be able to approach this book after one to two

years of traditional formal study, depending on the learner and program. In

creating this story we have carefully balanced the need for level-appropriate

simplicity against the needs of the story's plot.

When writing a story in Chinese, close attention must be paid to both Chinese

characters and vocabulary words. The level is designed around Mandarin

Companion's core set of 300 basic charactersensuring that most vocabulary wi

be simple, everyday words, composed of characters that the learner is most likely

to know. This book contains approximately 400 unique words, a figure similar

low-level graded readers for English learners. New words and characters may be

added as the plot requires but are strictly limited to fall within the principles of

extensive reading. Corresponding pinyin readings and English definitions are


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provided at each occurrence.

What level is right for me?

If you are able to read this book without stopping every sentence to pull out a

dictionary to look up a character, then this book is probably at your level. If you

are able to ready fluidly and quickly without interruption, then you may be ready

for a higher level. Even if you can read all of the characters and words but are no

able to read fluidly, it is recommended that you build your reading speed before

moving to a higher level.

Learners should read at a level where they can understand most of the words in t

book. It is ideal to have only one unknown word or character for every 40-50

words or characters. New characters and words that fall outside the level of this

story are introduced throughout the book with numbered footnotes referenced in

the glossary with pinyin and an English definition.

How will this help my Chinese?

Reading extensively in a language you are learning is one of the most effective

ways to build fluency. However, the key is to read at a level of high

comprehension. Reading at the appropriate level in Chinese will increase the

speed of your character recognition, help you acquire vocabulary faster, allow yo

to naturally learn grammar, and train your brain to think in Chinese. It also make

learning Chinese fun and enjoyable. You'll finally be able to experience the sens

of accomplishment and confidence that only comes from reading entire books in

Chinese.

Please visit the chapter Extensive Reading and Graded Readersfor more


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information.


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Table of Contents (Sample)

Story Adaptation Notes

Characters and Locations

1

2

3

4 "..."

5

6

7

8

9

10

Key Words

Discussion Questions

Extensive Reading and Graded Readers

Credits and Acknowledgements

About Mandarin Companion

Other Stories from Mandarin Companion


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Story Adaptation Notes

This story is an adaptation of English author W. W. Jacobs' 1902 classic horror

story, The Monkey's Paw. This Mandarin Companion graded reader has been

adapted into a fully localized Chinese version of the original story. The characte

have been given authentic Chinese names as opposed to transliterations of Engli

names, and the locations have been adapted to well-known places in China. We

have used the English language classic title's official translation in Chinese, but

we have converted all character names to natural Chinese names and changed

some details to better fit a Chinese setting.

The period of this adaptation is the 1980's not long after Deng Xiaoping famous

instituted China's new policies of "Reforms and Openness". China was gearing u

its industrialization to eventually become known as "the world's factory." In this

time period, 10,000 RMB was a substantial amount of money, similar to the

feeling of "a million dollars" in early 21st century America.

Character Adaptations

The following is a list of the characters from The Monkey's Paw in Chinese

followed by their corresponding English names from W.W. Jacobs' original story

The names below aren't translations; they're new Chinese names used for theChinese version of the original characters. Think of them as all-new characters in

a Chinese story.

(Zhng Xpng) - Mr. White

(Zhng Titai) - Mrs. White


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(Zhng Gushng) - Herbert White

(Qin Ynli) - Sergeant-Major Morris


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Cast of Characters

Locations

Ynnn Yunnan Province in southwest China, which borders on

Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar. It is home to many Chinese ethnic

minorities, and even today has a bit of an exotic feel for many Chinese


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1

1986 [1] [2] [3]

[4]

[5]20 [2]

[6]

[7]

[2]

[2]

[8]


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[1]

[9] [10]

[11]

[12]

[1] [8]


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[13]

[14] [10] [15] [16]

[6] [17]

[4]

[10]


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[4]

[18] [19]


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2

[17]

[18] [21]

[7]

[2] [22] [23]

[24]

[18] [25] [21]

[26] [27] [20]

[19]

[20] [28] [20]

[20] [29]

[10]


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[30]

[22]

[27] [26] [27]


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[26] [27] [21]

[10] [20]

[31] [20] [18] [32]

[33]

[18] [20] [20]

[32] [34] [35]


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[36]

[35] [34] [12]

[37]

[38]

[35] [34]

[5] [17] [35]

[22]

[39]

[20]

[35]

[36]

[10] [35]


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[35] [40]

[5] [41]

[70]

[42] [24] [39]

[43] [17]

[20] [18]

We hope you enjoyed this sample! Please visit www.MandarinCompanion.comf

a full copy of this book and to browse other titles in this series.
http://mandarincompanion.com/


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Key Words

(Gunjinc)

1. wimian n. outside

2. yzh adv. continuously, all along

3. xiy vo. to rain

4. nunhuo adj. warm

5. knqlai vc. to appear, to look (a certain way)

6. gngchng n. factory

7. shng v. to give birth to

8. hoxing v. to seem that

9. chmn vo. to go out; to leave home

10. shshu n. uncle

11. zuyu suffix approximately, around (lit. "left-right")

12. knng adv. maybe, possibly

13. hish adv. still


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14. shudo vc. to talk about, to mention

15. tngsh n. co-worker

16. huli tn. afterward

17. shngyi n. business

18. shnq adj. mystical, magical

19. gshi n. story

20. huzhu n. monkey paw

21. yuysi adj. interesting

22. hip v. to fear

23. lki v. to leave

24. du li shu phrase for..., as regards...

25. ydng adv. definitely, certainly

26. huzi n. monkey

27. zhuzi n. claw, paw

28. yxizi adv. all at once, all of a sudden

29. qgui adj. strange, weird

30. yjirn phrase the whole family


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31. xiokn v. to look down on, to think little of

32. ml n. magical power, magic

33. rnzhn adj. serious, earnest

34. shxin v. to realize, to make real

35. yunwng n. a wish

36. hoq adj. curious

37. ddo vc. get, gain

38. shq v. to lose (something)

39. jirn n. family, family member

40. xioshng n. (in a) low voice

41. nngu adj. sad, upset

42. lopo n. wife (informal)

43. miyng adj. useless

44. snggi vc. to give to (someone)

45. fshng v. to happen, to occur

46. yx adv. perhaps, maybe

47. xingxn v. to believe


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48. xyun vo. to make a wish

49. xioxn v. to be careful

50. ynggi aux. should, ought to

51. xingho vc. to think over

52. jde v. to remember

53. yngzi n. appearance

54. buydng adv. not necessarily

55. xwng v. to hope

56. hungi vc. to return (something) to (someone)

57. xyo v. to need

58. dintu vo. to nod one's head

59. kp adj. frightening, scary

60. dshang phrase on the ground

61. knli v. to appear (that)

62. fngf n. method, manner, way

63. chungwi phrase outside the window

64. pngchng adj. ordinary, common


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65. shwng v. to be disappointed

66. ... gn...yyng phrase the same as...

67. wfn n. lunch

68. zu gulai vc. to walk over

69. zhnqlai vc. to stand up

70. yuqin adj. rich

71. chsh vo. to have an accident

72. jq n. machine

73. md n. grave, cemetery

74. ziy b phrase never again

75. bitin tn. daytime

76. shubuzho vc. to be unable to sleep

77. hudo... shnbin phrase to return to... (someone)

78. ziy mi phrase never again have

79. shngyn n. noise

80. lotin n. heaven

81. minqin phrase in front of (one's face)


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82. fch vc. to let out, to send out

83. po guqu vc. to run over (to)


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Part of Speech Key

adj. Adjective

adv. Adverb

aux. Auxiliary Verb

conj. Conjunction

mw. Measure word

n. Noun

on. Onomatopoeia

part. Particle

pn. Proper noun

tn. Time Noun

v. Verb

vc. Verb plus complement

vo. Verb plus object


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Extensive Reading

After years of studying Chinese, many people ask, "Why can't I speak Chinese?

I've been studying for years but I still can't speak!" Fluent speaking only happens

when the language enters our "comfort zone." This comfort only comes from

experience with the language. The more times you meet a word, phrase, or

grammar point, the more likely it will enter your comfort zone.

In the world of language research, the experts agree that learners can acquire new

vocabulary through reading if the overall text can be understood. Decades of

research indicate that if we know approximately 98% of the words in a book, we

can comfortably "pick up" the 2% that is unfamiliar. Reading at this 98%

comprehension level is called "Extensive Reading."

Research in extensive reading has shown that it accelerates vocabulary learning

and helps the learner to naturally understand grammar. Perhaps most importantly

it trains the brain to automatically process the language thereby leaving space in

the memory for other things. As they build reading speed and fluency, learners

will move from reading "word by word" to starting to process "chunks of

language" at a time. A defining feature is that it's lesspainfulthan the "intensive

reading" commonly used in textbooks. In fact, extensive reading can be downrigh

fun.

Graded Readers

Graded readersare the best books for learners to "extensively" read. Research

has taught us that learners need to "encounter" a word 10-30 times before truly


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learning it, often many more times for especially complicated or abstract words.

Learners can read a graded reader because the language is controlled and

simplified to their level, as opposed to reading native texts, which are inevitably

slow, difficult, and demotivating. Reading extensively with graded readers allow

learners to bring together all of the language they have studied and absorb how t

words naturally work together.

To become fluent, learners must not only understand the meaning of a word, but

also understand its nuances, how to use it in conversation, how to pair it with

other words, where it fits into natural word order, and how it is used in grammar

structures. No textbook could ever be written to teach all of this explicitly. Whe

used properly, a textbook introducesthe language and provides the basic

meanings, while graded readers consolidate,strengthen, and deepen

understanding.

Without graded readers, learners would have to study dictionaries, textbooks,

sample dialogs, and simple conversations until they have randomly encountered

enough Chinese for it to enter their comfort zones. With proper use of graded

readers, learners can tackle this issue and develop greater fluency now, at their

currentlevels, instead of waiting until some period in the distant future. With a

stronger foundation and greater confidence at their current levels, learners are

encouraged and motivated to continue their Chinese studies to ever greater

heights. Plus they'll quickly learn that reading Chinese is fun!


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Thank you to Heather Turner for being the inspiration behind the entire series an

never wavering in her belief. Thank you to Song Shen for supporting us, handlin

all the small thankless tasks, and spurring us forward if we dared to fall behind.

Moreover, we will be forever grateful for Yuehua Liu and Chengzhi Chu for

pioneering the first graded readers in Chinese and to whom we owe a debt of

gratitude for their years of tireless work to bring these type of materials to the

Chinese learning community.


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About Mandarin Companion

Mandarin Companion was started by Jared Turner and John Pasden who met one

fateful day on a bus in Shanghai when the only remaining seat left them sitting

next to each other. A year later, Jared had greatly improved his Chinese using

extensive reading but was frustrated at the lack of suitable reading materials. He

approached John with the prospect of creating their own series. Having worked i

Chinese education for nearly a decade, John was intrigued with the idea and thu

began the Mandarin Companion series.

John majored in Japanese in college, but started learning Mandarin and later

moved to China where his learning accelerated. After developing language

proficiency, he was admitted into an all-Chinese masters program in applied

linguistics at East China Normal University in Shanghai. Throughout his learnin

process, John developed an open mind to different learning styles and a tendency

to challenge conventional wisdom in the field of teaching Chinese. He has since

worked at ChinesePod as academic director and host, and opened his own

consultancy, AllSet Learning, in Shanghai to help individuals acquire Chinese

language proficiency. He lives in Shanghai with his wife and daughter.

After graduate school and with no Chinese language skills, Jared decided to mov

to China with his young family in search of career opportunities. Later while

working on a investment project, Jared learned about extensive reading and

decided that if it was as effective as it claimed to be, it could help him learn

Chinese. In three months, he read 10 Chinese graded readers and his ability

quickly improved from speaking words and phrases to a conversational level. Jar

has an MBA from Purdue University and a bachelor in Economics from the

University of Utah. He lives in Shanghai with his wife and three kids.


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Other Stories from Mandarin Companion

Level 1 Readers: 300 Characters

The Secret Garden

by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Li Ye grew up never knowing the love and affection of her parents. After an

epidemic leaves her an orphan, Li Ye is sent off to live with her reclusive

Uncle in his sprawling estate in Nanjing. She learns of a secret garden where

no one has set foot in ten years. Li Ye finds the garden and slowly discovers

the secrets of the manor. With the help of new friends, she brings the garden

back to life, a decision that forever changes several lives.

The Country of the Blind

y H.G. Wells

"In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king" repeats in Chen

Fangyuan's mind after he finds himself trapped in a valley holding a

community of people for whom a disease has long since eliminated the sense

of sight. Chen Fangyuan quickly discovers these people have developed their

other senses to compensate for the lack of sight and indeed no longer even

understand what it means "to see." His insistence that he can see only causes

the entire community to believe he is crazy. With no way out, Chen Fangyua


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begins to accept his fate until one day the village doctors believe they now

understand the cause of his insanity: those useless round objects in his eye

sockets.

The Sixty-Year Dream

ased on "Rip Van Winkle" by Washington Irving

Zhou Xuefa is well loved by everyone in his town, but always given a hard

time by his nagging wife. With his faithful dog Blackie, Zhou Xuefa spends

his time playing with kids, helping neighbors, and discussing politics in theteahouse. One day after a bad scolding from his wife, he goes for a walk into

the mountains and meets a mysterious old man who appears to be from an

ancient time. The man invites Zhou Xuefa into his mountain home for a mea

and after drinking some wine, Zhou Xuefa falls into a deep sleep. He awakes

to a time very different than what he once knew.

Sherlock Holmes and the Red-Headed League

dapted into The Case of the Curly Haired Company by Sir Arthur Conan

oyle

Mr. Xie was recently offered admission into the Curly-Haired League. He ha

answered an advertisement in the paper, and although thousands of people

applied, he was the only one selected because of his very curly hair. For a

handsome weekly allowance, Mr. Xie was required to sit in an office and cop

articles from a book, while his assistant looked after his shop. When the


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league unexpectedly dissolved, Mr. Xie sought out Gao Ming (Sherlock

Holmes) and shared his strange story. Gao Ming is certain trouble is afoot, b

will he solve the mystery in time?

Mandarin companion is producing a growing library of graded readers for Chine

language learners. Visit our website for the newest books available:www.MandarinCompanion.com


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Mandarin Companion is a trademark of Mind Spark Press LLC.

www.MandarinCompanion.com

Design and Illustrations contained herein are Mind Spark Press 2013.

First published 2013. This Chinese language original adaption AllSet Learnin

2013,

licensed exclusively to Mandarin Companion.

ISBN 978-0-9910052-2-2

All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in aretrieval system, transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanica

photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of t

publishers.

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Mandarin Companion - The Monkey's Paw (Sample)