Chinese Folktale: The Long King Loses Chess

Preface: This is a folk tale of human beings’ victory over the immortal gods in chess, expressing the spirit of people’s courageous challenge and defiance.

东Dōng海hǎi有yǒu一yī个gè著zhù名míng的de乘chéng山shān渔yú场chǎng ， 一yī年nián四sì季jì鱼yú虾xiā不bù断duàn 。
In the East Sea, there is a famous fishing ground called Chengshan. It is full of fish and shrimp all year round.

传Chuán说shuō早zǎo先xiān这zhè里lǐ海hǎi水shuǐ混hún浊zhuó ， 鱼yú虾xiā稀xī少shǎo ， 根gēn本běn不bù成chéng渔yú场chǎng 。
According to legend, a long time ago, the sea water here was turbid, and there were few fish and shrimp, so it couldn’t be considered a fishing ground at all.

后Hòu来lái ， 岛dǎo上shàng出chū现xiàn了le一yī个gè名míng叫jiào陈chén棋qí的de孩hái子zi ， 他tā下xià棋qí很hěn厉lì害hài ， 甚shèn至zhì赢yíng了le神shén仙xiān 。
Later, a child named Chen Qi appeared on the island. He was very skilled at playing chess and even defeated a god.

陈Chén棋qí从cóng小xiǎo爱ài下xià棋qí ， 白bái天tiān讲jiǎng下xià棋qí ， 晚wǎn上shàng梦mèng下xià棋qí ， 棋qí艺yì越yuè来lái越yuè好hǎo 。
Chen Qi loved playing chess since childhood. He talked about chess during the day and dreamed about it at night. His chess skills became better and better.

大Dà家jiā都dōu叫jiào他tā “ 东dōng海hǎi棋qí怪guài ”， 这zhè事shì传chuán到dào了le东dōng海hǎi龙lóng王wáng敖áo广guǎng的de耳ěr朵duǒ里lǐ 。
Everyone called him the “Chess Monster of the East Sea”. This news spread to the ears of the Long King of the East Sea, Ao Guang.

敖Áo广guǎng也yě是shì个gè棋qí迷mí ， 他tā想xiǎng看kàn看kàn陈chén棋qí有yǒu多duō厉lì害hài 。
Ao Guang was also a chess enthusiast. He wanted to see how skilled Chen Qi was.

他Tā变biàn成chéng一yī个gè渔yú夫fū ， 来lái到dào乘chéng山shān找zhǎo陈chén棋qí下xià棋qí 。
He turned into a fisherman and came to Chengshan to find Chen Qi and play chess with him.

敖Áo广guǎng和hé陈chén棋qí开kāi始shǐ下xià棋qí ， 陈chén棋qí用yòng一yī只zhī拐guǎi脚jiǎo马mǎ就jiù把bǎ敖áo广guǎng逼bī入rù了le绝jué境jìng 。
Ao Guang and Chen Qi began to play chess. Chen Qi used a crippled horse to force Ao Guang into a desperate situation.

敖Áo广guǎng输shū了le ， 但dàn他tā不bù服fú气qì ， 要yāo求qiú再zài来lái一yī局jú 。
Ao Guang lost, but he was not satisfied and demanded to play again.

陈Chén棋qí笑xiào笑xiào说shuō ：“ 你nǐ下xià棋qí的de本běn领lǐng我wǒ已yǐ经jīng知zhī道dào了le ， 不bù必bì再zài下xià吧ba 。”
Chen Qi smiled and said, “I already know your chess skills. There’s no need to play again.”

敖Áo广guǎng非fēi常cháng生shēng气qì ， 现xiàn出chū真zhēn身shēn ， 威wēi胁xié陈chén棋qí说shuō ， 如rú果guǒ输shū了le就jiù要yào年nián年nián进jìn献xiàn鱼yú鲜xiān 。
Ao Guang became very angry and revealed his true form. He threatened Chen Qi that if he lost, he would have to present fish and shrimp every year.

陈Chén棋qí答dā应yìng了le ， 两liǎng人rén再zài次cì下xià棋qí 。 敖Áo广guǎng请qǐng来lái了le师shī父fù南nán斗dǒu仙xiān翁wēng帮bāng忙máng ， 但dàn还hái是shì输shū了le 。
Chen Qi agreed, and they played chess again. Ao Guang asked his master, Nan Dou Xian Wweng, for help, but he still lost.

南Nán斗dǒu仙xiān翁wēng发fā现xiàn陈chén棋qí是shì北běi斗dǒu棋qí盘pán上shàng的de棋qí子zǐ变biàn的de ， 他tā们men不bù是shì对duì手shǒu ， 只zhǐ好hǎo离lí开kāi 。
Nan Dou Xian Weng discovered that Chen Qi was a chess piece from Bei Dou’s chessboard. They knew they couldn’t defeat him and had to leave.

那Nà盘pán棋qí掉diào进jìn东dōng海hǎi后hòu ， 变biàn成chéng了le星xīng罗luó棋qí布bù的de小xiǎo岛dǎo 。
The chessboard and pieces fell into the East Sea and turned into scattered islands.

从Cóng此cǐ ， 东dōng海hǎi龙lóng王wáng兑duì现xiàn诺nuò言yán ， 年nián年nián进jìn献xiàn鱼yú鲜xiān ， 乘chéng山shān渔yú场chǎng也yě变biàn得de兴xīng旺wàng起qǐ来lái 。
From then on, the Long King of the East Sea kept his promise and presented fish and shrimp every year. The Chengshan fishing ground became prosperous.

一Yī座zuò座zuò岛dǎo屿yǔ都dōu成chéng了le渔yú民mín们men保bǎo养yǎng生shēng息xī的de好hǎo地dì方fāng 。
The islands became good places for fishermen to live and work.

通过阅读中国神话、民间故事、历史典故、人物传记学汉语，简单易学，中英对照，适合初学者！
Learning Chinese through reading Chinese mythology, folk stories, historical allusions, and biographies is easy to learn and bilingual, suitable for beginners!