大象，兔子，驴子。大象,兔子和驴子，决定要修一座桥。是该造一座桥，石头桥墩应该用钢筋混凝土铸造！大象说道。不行！什么桥墩,水泥，简直是胡闹！桥要建得轻巧，材料轻些才好！兔子反驳说。驴子昂起头来呃啊直叫：朋友们，听着！咱们该先来表决怎样造桥？是顺着堤坝？还是横跨河道？大家争论来争论去，这座桥始终没有建起来。寓言启示：要想干成一件大事情，就应该发挥集体的力量，彼此之间相互合作，如果每个人都各自为政，各行其是，那么，将很难取得成功。
大象，兔子，驴子。
Elephants, rabbits, donkeys.
大象，
dà xiàng
Elephant.
大象 (dà xiàng) elephant/CL:隻|只[zhi1]
大 (dà) big/huge/large/major/great/wide/deep/older (than)/oldest
象 (xiàng) elephant/CL:隻|只[zhi1]/shape/form/appearance/to imitate
兔子，
tù zǐ
Rabbit.
兔子 (tù zǐ) hare/rabbit/CL:隻|只[zhi1]
兔 (tù) rabbit
子 (zǐ) son/child/seed/egg/small thing/1st earthly branch: 11
驴子。
lǘ zǐ
Donkeys.
驴子 (lǘ zǐ) ass/donkey
驴 (lǘ) donkey/CL:頭|头[tou2]
子 (zǐ) son/child/seed/egg/small thing/1st earthly branch: 11
大象,兔子和驴子，决定要修一座桥。
The elephant, the rabbit and the donkey decided to build a bridge.
大象,
dà xiàng
Elephant,
大象 (dà xiàng) elephant/CL:隻|只[zhi1]
大 (dà) big/huge/large/major/great/wide/deep/older (than)/oldest
象 (xiàng) elephant/CL:隻|只[zhi1]/shape/form/appearance/to imitate
兔子和驴子，
tù zǐ hé lǘ zǐ
rabbits and donkeys.
兔子 (tù zǐ) hare/rabbit/CL:隻|只[zhi1]
兔 (tù) rabbit
子 (zǐ) son/child/seed/egg/small thing/1st earthly branch: 11
和 (hé) and/together with/with/sum/union/peace/harmony/Taiwan pr.
驴子 (lǘ zǐ) ass/donkey
驴 (lǘ) donkey/CL:頭|头[tou2]
子 (zǐ) son/child/seed/egg/small thing/1st earthly branch: 11
决定要修一座桥。
jué dìng yāo xiū yī zuò qiáo
It was decided that a bridge would be built.
决定 (jué dìng) to decide (to do something)/to resolve/decision
决 (jué) to decide/to determine/to execute (sb)/(of a dam etc) to
定 (dìng) to set/to fix/to determine/to decide/to order
要 (yāo) to demand/to request/to coerce/important/vital/to want/to
修 (xiū) to decorate/to embellish/to repair/to build/to write/to
一 (yī) one/1/single/a (article)/as soon as/entire/whole/all
座 (zuò) seat/base/stand/CL:個|个[ge4]/classifier for buildings
桥 (qiáo) bridge/CL:座[zuo4]
是该造一座桥，石头桥墩应该用钢筋混凝土铸造！大象说道。
It is time to build a bridge, stone piers should be cast in steel and concrete! said the elephant.
是该造一座桥，
shì gāi zào yī zuò qiáo
It's time to build a bridge.
是 (shì) is/are/am/yes/to be
该 (gāi) should/ought to/probably/must be/to deserve/to owe/to be
造 (zào) to make/to build/to manufacture/to invent/to fabricate/to
一 (yī) one/1/single/a (article)/as soon as/entire/whole/all
座 (zuò) seat/base/stand/CL:個|个[ge4]/classifier for buildings
桥 (qiáo) bridge/CL:座[zuo4]
石头桥墩应该用钢筋混凝土铸造！
dàn tóu qiáo dūn yīng gāi yòng gāng jīn hùn níng tǔ zhù zào
Stone piers should be cast in reinforced concrete!
石头 (dàn tóu) stone/CL:塊|块[kuai4]
石 (dàn) dry measure for grain equal to ten dou 斗/ten pecks/one
头 (tóu) head/hair style/the top/end/beginning or end/a stub/remnant
桥墩 (qiáo dūn) bridge pier
桥 (qiáo) bridge/CL:座[zuo4]
墩 (dūn) block/gate pillar/pier/classifier for clusters of plants
应该 (yīng gāi) ought to/should/must
应 (yīng) to agree (to do sth)/should/ought to/must/(legal) shall/to
该 (gāi) should/ought to/probably/must be/to deserve/to owe/to be
用 (yòng) to use/to employ/to have to/to eat or drink/expense or
钢筋混凝土 (gāng jīn hùn níng tǔ) reinforced concrete
钢 (gāng) steel
筋 (jīn) muscle/tendon/veins visible under the skin/sth resembling
混 (hùn) to mix/to mingle/muddled/to drift along/to muddle along/to
凝 (níng) to congeal/to concentrate attention/to stare
土 (tǔ) earth/dust/clay/local/indigenous/crude opium
铸造 (zhù zào) to cast (pour metal into a mold)
铸 (zhù) to cast or found metals
造 (zào) to make/to build/to manufacture/to invent/to fabricate/to
大象说道。
dà xiàng shuì dào
The elephant said.
大象 (dà xiàng) elephant/CL:隻|只[zhi1]
大 (dà) big/huge/large/major/great/wide/deep/older (than)/oldest
象 (xiàng) elephant/CL:隻|只[zhi1]/shape/form/appearance/to imitate
说道 (shuì dào) to state/to say (the quoted words)/to discuss/reason
说 (shuì) to persuade/to speak/to say/to explain/to scold/to tell off
道 (dào) road/path/CL:條|条[tiao2]股[gu3]/principle/truth/morality
不行！什么桥墩,水泥，简直是胡闹！桥要建得轻巧，材料轻些才好！兔子反驳说。
No! What bridge piers, cement, it's nonsense! The bridge should be built lighter, with lighter materials! The rabbit retorted.
不行！
bù háng
No way!
不行 (bù háng) won't do/be out of the question/be no good/not work/not be
不 (bù) (negative prefix)/not/no
行 (háng) row/line/commercial firm/line of business/profession/to
什么桥墩,
shén me qiáo dūn
What bridge pier,
什么 (shén me) what?/something/anything
什 (shén) what/ten (used in fractions writing checks etc)/assorted
么 (me) exclamatory final particle/interrogative final particle
桥墩 (qiáo dūn) bridge pier
桥 (qiáo) bridge/CL:座[zuo4]
墩 (dūn) block/gate pillar/pier/classifier for clusters of plants
水泥，
shuǐ ní
Cement.
水泥 (shuǐ ní) cement/CL:袋[dai4]
水 (shuǐ) water/river/liquid/beverage/additional charges or income
泥 (ní) mud/clay/paste/pulp/restrained
简直是胡闹！
jiǎn zhí shì hú nào
What a nonsense!
简直 (jiǎn zhí) simply/at all/practically
简 (jiǎn) simple/uncomplicated/letter/to choose/to select/bamboo
直 (zhí) straight/to straighten/fair and reasonable/frank
是 (shì) is/are/am/yes/to be
胡闹 (hú nào) to act willfully and make a scene/to make trouble
胡 (hú) non-Han people esp. from central Asia/reckless/outrageous
闹 (nào) noisy/cacophonous/to make noise/to disturb/to vent
桥要建得轻巧，
qiáo yāo jiàn dé qīng qiǎo
The bridge should be built lightly.
桥 (qiáo) bridge/CL:座[zuo4]
要 (yāo) to demand/to request/to coerce/important/vital/to want/to
建 (jiàn) to establish/to found/to set up/to build/to construct
得 (dé) to obtain/to get/to gain/to catch (a disease)/proper
轻巧 (qīng qiǎo) dexterous/deft/easy/light and easy to use/nimble/agile
轻 (qīng) light/easy/gentle/soft/reckless/unimportant/frivolous/small
巧 (qiǎo) opportunely/coincidentally/as it happens/skillful/timely
材料轻些才好！
cái liào qīng xiē cái hǎo
Lighter material is better!
材料 (cái liào) material/data/makings/stuff/CL:個|个[ge4]種|种[zhong3]
材 (cái) material/timber/ability/aptitude/a capable individual
料 (liào) material/stuff/grain/feed/to expect/to anticipate/to guess
轻 (qīng) light/easy/gentle/soft/reckless/unimportant/frivolous/small
些 (xiē) classifier indicating a small amount or small number
才 (cái) ability/talent/sb of a certain type/a capable individual
好 (hǎo) good/well/proper/good to/easy to/very/so/(suffix indicating
兔子反驳说。
tù zǐ fǎn bó shuì
The rabbit retorted.
兔子 (tù zǐ) hare/rabbit/CL:隻|只[zhi1]
兔 (tù) rabbit
子 (zǐ) son/child/seed/egg/small thing/1st earthly branch: 11
反驳 (fǎn bó) to retort/to refute
反 (fǎn) contrary/in reverse/inside out or upside down/to reverse/to
驳 (bó) variegated/heterogeneous/to refute/to contradict/to ship by
说 (shuì) to persuade/to speak/to say/to explain/to scold/to tell off
驴子昂起头来呃啊直叫：朋友们，听着！咱们该先来表决怎样造桥？是顺着堤坝？还是横跨河道？大家争论来争论去，这座桥始终没有建起来。
The donkey raises his head and barks: Listen up, friends! We should first vote on how to build a bridge? Should we follow the dam? Or across the river? We argued and argued, but the bridge was never built.
驴子昂起头来呃啊直叫：
lǘ zǐ áng qǐ tóu lái è ā zhí jiào
The donkey raises its head and barks.
驴子 (lǘ zǐ) ass/donkey
驴 (lǘ) donkey/CL:頭|头[tou2]
子 (zǐ) son/child/seed/egg/small thing/1st earthly branch: 11
昂 (áng) to lift/to raise/to raise one's head/high/high spirits
起头 (qǐ tóu) to start/at first/beginning
起 (qǐ) to rise/to raise/to get up/to set out/to start/to appear/to
头 (tóu) head/hair style/the top/end/beginning or end/a stub/remnant
来 (lái) to come/to arrive/to come round/ever since/next
呃 (è) (exclamation)/to hiccup
啊 (ā) interjection of surprise/Ah!/Oh!/interjection expressing
直 (zhí) straight/to straighten/fair and reasonable/frank
叫 (jiào) to shout/to call/to order/to ask/to be called/by (indicates
朋友们，
péng yǒu mén
Friends.
朋友 (péng yǒu) friend/CL:個|个[ge4]位[wei4]
朋 (péng) friend
友 (yǒu) friend
们 (mén) plural marker for pronouns and nouns referring to
听着！
tīng zhāo
Listen!
听 (tīng) smile (archaic)
着 (zhāo) (chess) move/trick/all right!/(dialect) to add/to touch/to
咱们该先来表决怎样造桥？
zán mén gāi xiān lái biǎo jué zěn yàng zào qiáo
Should we first vote on how to build a bridge?
咱们 (zán mén) we or us (including both the speaker and the person(s)
咱 (zán) see 咱[zan2]/I or me/we (including both the speaker and the
们 (mén) plural marker for pronouns and nouns referring to
该 (gāi) should/ought to/probably/must be/to deserve/to owe/to be
先 (xiān) early/prior/former/in advance/first
来 (lái) to come/to arrive/to come round/ever since/next
表决 (biǎo jué) to decide by vote/to vote
表 (biǎo) exterior surface/family relationship via females/to show
决 (jué) to decide/to determine/to execute (sb)/(of a dam etc) to
怎样 (zěn yàng) how/what kind
怎 (zěn) how
样 (yàng) manner/pattern/way/appearance/shape/classifier: kind type
造桥 (zào qiáo) Zaoqiao or Tsaochiao township in Miaoli county
造 (zào) to make/to build/to manufacture/to invent/to fabricate/to
桥 (qiáo) bridge/CL:座[zuo4]
是顺着堤坝？
shì shùn zhāo dī bà
Is it down the dike?
是 (shì) is/are/am/yes/to be
顺着 (shùn zhāo) to follow/following/along
顺 (shùn) to obey/to follow/to arrange/to make reasonable/along
着 (zhāo) (chess) move/trick/all right!/(dialect) to add/to touch/to
堤坝 (dī bà) dam/dike
堤 (dī) dike/Taiwan pr. [ti2]
坝 (bà) dam/dike/embankment/CL:條|条[tiao2]
还是横跨河道？
hái shì héng kuà hé dào
Or across the river?
还是 (hái shì) or/still/nevertheless/had better
还 (hái) still/still in progress/still more/yet/even more/in
是 (shì) is/are/am/yes/to be
横跨 (héng kuà) to span/to stretch across/to travel across
横 (héng) horizontal/across/(horizontal character stroke)/harsh and
跨 (kuà) to step across/to stride over/to straddle/to span
河道 (hé dào) river course/river channel
河 (hé) river/CL:條|条[tiao2]道[dao4]
道 (dào) road/path/CL:條|条[tiao2]股[gu3]/principle/truth/morality
大家争论来争论去，
dà jiā zhēng lún lái zhēng lún qù
People argued and argued and argued.
大家 (dà jiā) everyone/influential family/great expert
大 (dà) big/huge/large/major/great/wide/deep/older (than)/oldest
家 (jiā) home/family/(polite) my (sister uncle etc)/classifier for
争论 (zhēng lún) to argue/to debate/to contend/argument/contention
争 (zhēng) to strive for/to vie for/to argue or debate/deficient or
论 (lún) abbr. for 論語|论语[Lun2 yu3] The Analects (of Confucius)
来 (lái) to come/to arrive/to come round/ever since/next
争论 (zhēng lún) to argue/to debate/to contend/argument/contention
争 (zhēng) to strive for/to vie for/to argue or debate/deficient or
论 (lún) abbr. for 論語|论语[Lun2 yu3] The Analects (of Confucius)
去 (qù) to go/to go to (a place)/(of a time etc) last/just passed
这座桥始终没有建起来。
zhè zuò qiáo shǐ zhōng méi yǒu jiàn qǐ lái
The bridge was never built.
这 (zhè) this/these/(commonly pr. [zhei4] before a classifier esp.
座 (zuò) seat/base/stand/CL:個|个[ge4]/classifier for buildings
桥 (qiáo) bridge/CL:座[zuo4]
始终 (shǐ zhōng) from beginning to end/all along
始 (shǐ) to begin/to start/then/only then
终 (zhōng) end/finish
没有 (méi yǒu) haven't/hasn't/doesn't exist/to not have/to not be
没 (méi) (negative prefix for verbs)/have not/not/drowned/to end/to
有 (yǒu) to have/there is/there are/to exist/to be
建 (jiàn) to establish/to found/to set up/to build/to construct
起来 (qǐ lái) to stand up/to get up/also pr. [qi3 lai2]/(after a verb)
起 (qǐ) to rise/to raise/to get up/to set out/to start/to appear/to
来 (lái) to come/to arrive/to come round/ever since/next
寓言启示：要想干成一件大事情，就应该发挥集体的力量，彼此之间相互合作，如果每个人都各自为政，各行其是，那么，将很难取得成功。
Inspiration of the fable: to do a great thing, we should play the collective strength, cooperate with each other, if each person is working separately, then, it will be difficult to succeed.
寓言启示：
yù yán qǐ shì
Parable of Inspiration.
寓言 (yù yán) fable/CL:則|则[ze2]
寓 (yù) to reside/to imply/to contain/residence
言 (yán) words/speech/to say/to talk
启示 (qǐ shì) to reveal/to enlighten/enlightenment/revelation
启 (qǐ) Qi son of Yu the Great 禹[Yu3] reported founder of the Xia
示 (shì) to show/to reveal
要想干成一件大事情，
yāo xiǎng gān chéng yī jiàn dà shì qíng
To do something big.
要 (yāo) to demand/to request/to coerce/important/vital/to want/to
想 (xiǎng) to think/to believe/to suppose/to wish/to want/to miss
干 (gān) to concern/to interfere/shield/stem
成 (chéng) to succeed/to finish/to complete/to accomplish/to become/to
一 (yī) one/1/single/a (article)/as soon as/entire/whole/all
件 (jiàn) item/component/classifier for events things clothes etc
大事 (dà shì) major event/major political event (war or change of regime)
大 (dà) big/huge/large/major/great/wide/deep/older (than)/oldest
事 (shì) matter/thing/item/work/affair
情 (qíng) feeling/emotion/passion/situation
就应该发挥集体的力量，
jiù yīng gāi fā huī jí tī de lì liáng
It is the collective strength that should be brought to bear.
就 (jiù) at once/right away/only/just (emphasis)/as early as/already
应该 (yīng gāi) ought to/should/must
应 (yīng) to agree (to do sth)/should/ought to/must/(legal) shall/to
该 (gāi) should/ought to/probably/must be/to deserve/to owe/to be
发挥 (fā huī) to display/to exhibit/to bring out implicit or innate
发 (fā) to send out/to show (one's feeling)/to issue/to develop/to
挥 (huī) to wave/to brandish/to command/to conduct/to scatter/to
集体 (jí tī) collective (decision)/joint (effort)/a group/a team/en
集 (jí) to gather/to collect/collected works/classifier for
体 (tī) body/form/style/system/substance/to experience/aspect
的 (de) of/~'s (possessive particle)/(used after an attribute)
力量 (lì liáng) power/force/strength
力 (lì) power/force/strength/ability/strenuously
量 (liáng) to measure/capacity/quantity/amount/to estimate/abbr. for
彼此之间相互合作，
bǐ cǐ zhī jiān xiāng hù gě zuō
cooperating with each other.
彼此 (bǐ cǐ) each other/one another
彼 (bǐ) that/those/(one) another
此 (cǐ) this/these
之间 (zhī jiān) between/among/inter-
之 (zhī) (possessive particle literary equivalent of 的[de5])/him/her
间 (jiān) between/among/within a definite time or space/room/section
相互 (xiāng hù) each other/mutual
相 (xiāng) each other/one another/mutually/fret on the neck of a pipa
互 (hù) mutual
合作 (gě zuō) to cooperate/to collaborate/to work together/cooperation
合 (gě) 100 ml/one-tenth of a peck/measure for dry grain equal to
作 (zuō) worker/workshop/(slang) troublesome/high-maintenance
如果每个人都各自为政，
rú guǒ měi gě rén dōu gè zì wéi zhèng
If everyone goes their own way.
如果 (rú guǒ) if/in case/in the event that
如 (rú) as/as if/such as
果 (guǒ) fruit/result/resolute/indeed/if really
每个人 (měi gě rén) everybody/everyone
每 (měi) each/every
个 (gě) individual/this/that/size/classifier for people or objects
人 (rén) man/person/people/CL:個|个[ge4]位[wei4]
都 (dōu) all/both/entirely/(used for emphasis) even/already/(not) at
各自为政 (gè zì wéi zhèng) to do things each in one's own way
各 (gè) each/every
自 (zì) self/oneself/from/since/naturally/surely
为 (wéi) as (in the capacity of)/to take sth as/to act as/to serve
政 (zhèng) political/politics/government
各行其是，
gè háng qí shì
each in his own way.
各行其是 (gè háng qí shì) each one does what he thinks is right (idiom)/each goes his
各 (gè) each/every
行 (háng) row/line/commercial firm/line of business/profession/to
其 (qí) his/her/its/their/that/such/it (refers to sth preceding it)
是 (shì) is/are/am/yes/to be
那么，
nā me
Then.
那么 (nā me) like that/in that way/or so/so/so very much/about/in that
那 (nā) that/those/then (in that case)/commonly pr. [nei4] before a
么 (me) exclamatory final particle/interrogative final particle
将很难取得成功。
jiāng hěn nán qǔ dé chéng gōng
It will be very difficult to succeed.
将 (jiāng) will/shall/to use/to take/to checkmate/just a short while
很 (hěn) (adverb of degree)/quite/very/awfully
难 (nán) difficult (to...)/problem/difficulty/difficult/not good
取得 (qǔ dé) to acquire/to get/to obtain
取 (qǔ) to take/to get/to choose/to fetch
得 (dé) to obtain/to get/to gain/to catch (a disease)/proper
成功 (chéng gōng) Chenggong or Chengkung town in Taitung County 臺東縣|台东县[Tai2
成 (chéng) to succeed/to finish/to complete/to accomplish/to become/to
功 (gōng) meritorious deed or service/achievement/result/service