novel klasik = 古典小说

Bacaan ini diolah daripada novel klasik Kisah Tiga Kerajaan karya Luo Guanzhong. Ia menceritakan Pertempuran Tebing Merah, apabila tentera Cao Cao yang sangat besar menyerang ke selatan. Pihak Zhou Yu dan Zhuge Liang yang lebih kecil merancang serangan api untuk menewaskannya.

Contoh: Cao Cao mempunyai banyak kapal dan askar, tetapi pihak lawan menang dengan helah dan bantuan angin.

Awas: Ini cerita yang diolah daripada novel, jadi baca untuk memahami helah dan watak, bukan untuk menghafal tarikh.

classic novel = 古典小说

This reading is adapted from the classic novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong. It tells of the Battle of Red Cliffs, when Cao Cao led a huge army south. The smaller side led by Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang planned a fire attack to defeat him.

Example: Cao Cao had far more ships and soldiers, yet the other side won through clever plans and the help of the wind.

Watch out: Read it to follow the plans and the characters, not to memorise historical dates.

jalan cerita = 内容脉络

Cerita disusun mengikut urutan masa. Mula-mula Huang Gai dipukul supaya Cao Cao percaya dia mahu menyerah diri. Kemudian kapal Cao Cao dirantai bersama. Selepas angin tenggara bertiup, Huang Gai datang dengan bot penuh bahan mudah terbakar dan menyalakannya.

Contoh: Hukuman ke atas Huang Gai berlaku dahulu, barulah dia boleh berpura-pura menyerah diri kepada Cao Cao.

Awas: Setiap langkah bergantung pada langkah sebelumnya, jadi jangan tukar susunannya.

plot sequence = 内容脉络

The story moves in time order. First Huang Gai is beaten so that Cao Cao will believe he truly wants to defect. Next Cao Cao chains his warships together. When the south-east wind arrives, Huang Gai sails in with boats full of fuel and sets them alight.

Example: Huang Gai is punished first, and only then can his fake surrender look believable.

Watch out: Each step depends on the one before, so keep the order straight.

sebab dan akibat = 因果

Cao Cao tidak terus percaya pada surat Huang Gai. Dia menyiasat dahulu sama ada Huang Gai benar-benar dipukul oleh Zhou Yu. Apabila berita itu didapati benar, barulah dia gembira menerima tawaran itu. Hukuman itu menjadi bukti palsu yang meyakinkan.

Contoh: Huang Gai menghantar surat secara rahsia pada waktu malam, bukan datang sendiri ke kem Cao Cao.

Awas: Teks tidak menyebut mereka kawan lama.

cause and effect = 因果

Cao Cao did not trust the letter straight away. He first checked whether Huang Gai had really been beaten by Zhou Yu. Only when the report proved true did he happily accept. The real beating became false proof that fooled him.

Example: Huang Gai sent a secret letter at night; he did not walk into Cao Cao’s camp himself.

Watch out: Nothing in the story says the two men were old friends.

watak = 人物

Setiap watak dikenal melalui tindakan masing-masing. Huang Gai sanggup dipukul demi rancangan. Zhuge Liang mengkaji cuaca dan tahu angin tenggara akan bertiup. Cao Cao pula terlalu yakin, mengabaikan amaran penasihatnya dan mudah percaya kepada musuh.

Contoh: Cao Cao berkata angin musim sejuk hanya dari barat laut, jadi dia tidak takut serangan api.

Awas: Cao Cao memang bijak, tetapi kesombongan membuatnya tewas.

characters = 人物

We learn about each character from what they do. Huang Gai accepts a beating for the plan. Zhuge Liang studies the sky and knows a south-east wind is coming. Cao Cao is overconfident, brushes aside his adviser’s warning and trusts the enemy too easily.

Example: Cao Cao claimed winter only brings a north-west wind, so he did not fear fire.

Watch out: Cao Cao is clever, but pride is what defeats him.

alasan watak = 人物的理由

Cao Cao berfikir dari sudut arah angin. Kapalnya berada di barat laut pihak musuh. Jika angin bertiup dari barat laut, api akan ditiup balik ke arah musuh sendiri. Dia lupa cuaca boleh berubah, dan itulah kesilapan besarnya.

Contoh: Zhuge Liang sudah memerhati langit dan tahu angin tenggara akan bertiup dalam beberapa hari.

Awas: Teks tidak menyebut askar Cao Cao boleh memadam api dengan cepat atau musuh tiada kapal.

a character’s reasoning = 人物的理由

Cao Cao reasoned from the wind direction. His fleet lay north-west of the enemy. With a north-west wind, any fire would blow back onto the enemy’s own ships. He forgot that the weather could change, and that was his big mistake.

Example: Zhuge Liang had already watched the sky and knew a south-east wind would come within days.

Watch out: The story never says Cao Cao’s soldiers could put out any fire quickly.

simpulan bahasa = 成语

Bacaan ini banyak menggunakan chengyu untuk menunjukkan perasaan dan keadaan watak. Ada yang menggambarkan kemarahan, ada yang menggambarkan kerisauan, dan ada yang menggambarkan ketenangan. Bandingkan pasangan yang bertentangan supaya lebih mudah diingat.

Contoh: Zhou Yu yōu xīn rú fén kerana menunggu angin, tetapi Zhuge Liang qì dìng shén xián kerana sudah tahu angin akan datang.

Awas: Sān zú dǐng lì bermaksud tiga kuasa yang seimbang, seperti tiga kaki sebuah periuk purba.

idioms = 成语

This reading uses many four-character idioms to show how characters feel and how things turn out. Some show anger, some show worry, and some show calm. Comparing opposite pairs makes them easier to remember.

Example: Zhou Yu was yōu xīn rú fén, burning with worry about the wind, while Zhuge Liang stayed qì dìng shén xián, calm and relaxed.

Watch out: Sān zú dǐng lì means three powers standing balanced, like the three legs of an ancient cooking vessel.

pilih chengyu = 选成语

Perhatikan keadaan Xiaomei. Dia sudah bersedia dengan baik, jadi dia kelihatan tenang walaupun orang lain gementar. Cari chengyu yang bermaksud tenang dan tidak tergesa-gesa. Dua pilihan lain menggambarkan perasaan risau dan panik.

Contoh: Seperti Zhuge Liang yang sudah tahu angin akan datang, Xiaomei tenang kerana persediaannya cukup.

Awas: Jangan terkeliru dengan chengyu yang menggambarkan rakan-rakan yang gementar.

choosing an idiom = 选成语

Look at Xiaomei’s situation. She has revised well, so she stays calm while everyone else is nervous. Find the idiom that means calm and unhurried. The other two options describe burning worry and panic.

Example: Like Zhuge Liang, who already knew the wind would come, Xiaomei is calm because she is prepared.

Watch out: Do not pick an idiom that describes her nervous classmates instead of her.

peribahasa = 俗语

Peribahasa ini lahir daripada cerita ini. Zhou Yu sudah menyediakan segala-galanya untuk serangan api, tetapi masih memerlukan angin tenggara. Kini ia digunakan apabila semua persiapan sudah siap dan hanya tinggal satu syarat penting yang belum dipenuhi.

Contoh: Khemah dan makanan sudah siap, cuma menunggu kebenaran guru: wàn shì jù bèi, zhǐ qiàn dōng fēng.

Awas: Ungkapan ini bukan tentang cuaca sahaja; ia boleh digunakan untuk apa-apa persiapan.

saying = 俗语

This saying comes from this very story. Zhou Yu had prepared everything for the fire attack but still needed the south-east wind. Today people use it when every preparation is done and only one key condition is still missing.

Example: The tents and food are ready and we only need the teacher’s approval: wàn shì jù bèi, zhǐ qiàn dōng fēng.

Watch out: It is not only about weather; it fits any situation of waiting for one last thing.

menyatakan pendapat = 发表看法

Soalan ini tidak mempunyai satu jawapan tetap. Pilih seorang watak yang anda rasa paling menentukan kemenangan atau kekalahan, kemudian berikan bukti daripada cerita. Akhir sekali, bayangkan apa yang mungkin berlaku jika watak itu membuat keputusan lain.

Contoh: Jika Cao Cao mendengar amaran penasihatnya dan tidak merantai kapal, kapal-kapalnya boleh berpecah dan lari apabila api datang.

Awas: Pendapat tanpa bukti daripada cerita tidak cukup kuat.

giving an opinion = 发表看法

This question has no single fixed answer. Choose the character you think decided the battle, then back your choice with events from the story. Finally, imagine what might have happened if that person had decided differently.

Example: If Cao Cao had listened to his adviser and not chained the ships, they could have scattered when the fire came.

Watch out: An opinion without evidence from the story is not convincing.

kelebihan menjadi kelemahan = 优点变缺点

Rantai besi membuat kapal stabil sehingga askar tidak lagi pening. Itulah sebabnya Cao Cao suka rancangan itu. Tetapi apabila api datang, kapal yang terikat bersama tidak dapat berpecah, jadi api merebak dari satu kapal ke kapal yang lain.

Contoh: Semasa air tenang, kapal yang dirantai terasa seperti daratan; semasa kebakaran, ia menjadi perangkap.

Awas: Kelebihan sesuatu rancangan boleh menjadi kelemahan dalam keadaan lain.

a strength becomes a weakness = 优点变缺点

The iron chains made the fleet steady, so the soldiers stopped feeling seasick, which is why Cao Cao liked the plan. But once fire broke out, ships tied together could not pull apart, so the flames spread from one ship to the next.

Example: On calm water the chained ships felt like solid ground; in a fire they became a trap.

Watch out: What helps in one situation can hurt badly in another.

pengajaran = 道理

Cao Cao mempunyai tentera yang jauh lebih besar, tetapi dia kalah. Dia terlalu yakin, tidak mendengar amaran penasihat dan mudah percaya kepada musuh. Pengajaran cerita ini ialah sikap sombong dan memandang rendah lawan boleh membawa kekalahan.

Contoh: Pihak yang lebih kecil menang kerana merancang dengan teliti dan memerhati cuaca.

Awas: Angin membantu, tetapi kemenangan juga datang daripada perancangan dan keberanian.

the lesson = 道理

Cao Cao had a far larger army, yet he lost. He was overconfident, ignored his adviser’s warning and trusted the enemy too easily. The story teaches that pride and underestimating others can lead to defeat.

Example: The smaller side won because it planned carefully and watched the weather.

Watch out: The wind helped, but victory also came from planning and courage.

ringkasan bacaan = 小结

Bacaan ini menceritakan bagaimana pihak yang kecil menewaskan tentera besar Cao Cao melalui beberapa helah yang bersambung dan bantuan angin tenggara. Anda juga mempelajari chengyu tentang perasaan watak serta satu peribahasa terkenal yang lahir daripada cerita ini.

Contoh: Ingat urutan helah: pukulan Huang Gai, kapal dirantai, menunggu angin, kemudian bot api.

Awas: Ulang semula skrin perbincangan jika belum pasti cara memberi pendapat dengan bukti.

reading summary = 小结

This reading showed how a smaller side defeated Cao Cao’s huge army through a chain of clever plans and the help of the south-east wind. You also learned idioms about the characters’ feelings and a famous saying that grew out of this story.

Example: Remember the order: Huang Gai’s beating, the chained ships, waiting for the wind, then the fire boats.

Watch out: Revisit the discussion screen if you are unsure how to support an opinion with evidence.