Antarctic Adventure: My Story with the Penguins - Intermediate
🌏 Explore the Adventure of “我和企鹅” 🐧
In this latest Mapping Mandarin™ post, we dive into the exciting journey of traveling from Beijing to Antarctica in 我和企鹅. This story takes readers through the thrilling experience of arriving at the South Pole, encountering penguins, and learning about their unique habits and behaviors. Through the eyes of a young traveler, we explore themes of curiosity, wonder, and the awe of nature.
Join us for this reading to enrich your Mandarin comprehension, while discovering how the simple observations of animals can lead to deeper reflections on life.
我和企鹅
作者杨海蓝
一月八日，我们从首都北京出发，乘飞机从东半球飞到西半球，从北半球飞到南半球，一月十四日才到达目的地——南极大陆。我们高兴得又蹦又跳。
尽管南半球正是夏天，可是南极大陆上仍然覆盖着厚厚的白雪，仅仅在我国南极考察队建立的长城站附近才露出一些地面。我看到长城站旁边有几只黑白相间的小动物，啊，原来是企鹅。早就听考察队的高伯伯说过，长城站对面有个企鹅岛，上面的企鹅成千上万，可壮观了。我真想早一点儿到企鹅岛去看看！
高伯伯好像看出了我的心思，当天下午带我们登上了企鹅岛。我以前从电视里看到，企鹅差不多有小孩子那么高。可现在一看，未成年的就更小了，只有小猫那么大。岛上一共有三种企鹅，最漂亮的是金企鹅，嘴是金红色的，头部有两块白毛，又叫花脸企鹅。还有一种企鹅颈部有一圈黑毛，好像系帽子的带儿，叫帽带儿企鹅。它们彬彬有礼，站在远处向我们点头，像欢迎我们似的。最凶猛的是阿德雷企鹅，我刚迈进它们的“领地”，一只企鹅就叫着把我“驱逐出境”了。它们的叫声很像毛驴，所以又叫驴企鹅。
企鹅不同于别的鸟，它们身上的毛很特别，小企鹅浑身是绒毛，成年企鹅的毛是鱼鳞状的。它们的躯体呈流线型，背部黑色，腹部白色，对比鲜明；翅膀退化成鳍状，走起路来一摇一摆，十分有趣。我抱起一只全身灰色的小企鹅，跟他合影留念。高伯伯告诉我们，这只毛茸茸的小企鹅是刚孵化出来的。果然，我看到有的小企鹅追着母企鹅，用嘴挠它的脖子挠了几次以后，母企鹅只得张开嘴，让小企鹅把嘴伸到它的嘴里，吃它从胃里呕出来的食物。
高伯伯还告诉我们，过几个月，小企鹅就要换毛了，换毛以后才能自己下海捕食。再过几个月，小企鹅第二次换毛，再长出来的毛就成了鱼鳞状。这时候，它就是成年企鹅了。我仔细观察，果然看到有的小企鹅肚皮上的毛一块块脱落了。看来，那些全身光滑油亮的就是成年的企鹅了。
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感谢合作！
Download the PDF file HERE.
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Reading breakdown by paragraph with vocabulary and audio.
企鹅 (qǐ é) – penguin
作者 (zuò zhě) – author
杨海蓝 (Yáng Hǎi lán) – Yang Hailan (author's name)
首都 (shǒu dū) – capital
出发 (chū fā) – to set off, to depart
乘飞机 (chéng fēi jī) – to take a plane, to fly
东半球 (dōng bàn qiú) – Eastern Hemisphere
西半球 (xī bàn qiú) – Western Hemisphere
北半球 (běi bàn qiú) – Northern Hemisphere
南半球 (nán bàn qiú) – Southern Hemisphere
目的地 (mù dì dì) – destination
南极大陆 (nán jí dà lù) – Antarctic continent
高兴得 (gāo xìng de) – happily
蹦 (bèng) – to jump
跳 (tiào) – to leap, to hop
尽管 (jǐn guǎn) – although
夏天 (xià tiān) – summer
覆盖 (fù gài) – to cover
厚厚的 (hòu hòu de) – thick
白雪 (bái xuě) – white snow
我国 (wǒ guó) – my country, our country
南极考察队 (nán jí kǎo chá duì) – Antarctic expedition team
建立 (jiàn lì) – to establish
长城站 (cháng chéng zhàn) – Great Wall Station (Antarctic research base)
附近 (fù jìn) – nearby
露出 (lù chū) – to reveal, to show
地面 (dì miàn) – ground, surface
黑白相间 (hēi bái xiāng jiàn) – black and white intermingled
早就 (zǎo jiù) – long ago, already
对面 (duì miàn) – opposite, across from
企鹅岛 (qǐ é dǎo) – Penguin Island
成千上万 (chéng qiān shàng wàn) – in thousands and tens of thousands
壮观 (zhuàng guān) – magnificent, grand
早一点儿 (zǎo yī diǎn er) – a little earlier
高伯伯 (gāo bó bo) – Uncle Gao (an affectionate term for an older man)
看出人的心思 – to know one’s thoughts
心思 (xīn sī) – thought, idea
登上 (dēng shàng) – to board, to climb onto
差不多 (chà bu duō) – almost, nearly
未成年 (wèi chéng nián) – underage, not yet fully grown
漂亮 (piào liàng) – beautiful
金企鹅 (jīn qǐ é) – golden penguin
金红色 (jīn hóng sè) – golden red
头部 (tóu bù) – head, head area
白毛 (bái máo) – white fur
花脸企鹅 (huā liǎn qǐ é) – masked penguin (literally "flower face penguin")
颈部 (jǐng bù) – neck
一圈 (yī quān) – a circle, a loop
黑毛 (hēi máo) – black fur
帽带儿企鹅 (mào dài er qǐ é) – chinstrap penguin
彬彬有礼 (bīn bīn yǒu lǐ) – polite, courteous
远处 (yuǎn chù) – distant place
点头 (diǎn tóu) – to nod
凶猛 (xiōng měng) – fierce, ferocious
阿德雷企鹅 (ā dé léi qǐ é) – Adelie penguin
领地 (lǐng dì) – territory
驱逐出境 (qū zhú chū jìng) – to expel from the territory
叫声 (jiào shēng) – sound, cry
毛驴 (máo lǘ) – donkey
驴企鹅 (lǘ qǐ é) – donkey penguin
Let’s take a closer look.
The translation shows the characters followed by English, arranged by meaning.
高伯伯 (uncle Gao) 好像 (it seems) 看出了 (saw through/understood) 我的心思 (my thought)，当天下午 (that afternoon) 带我们登上了企鹅岛 (took us to Penguin Island)。我以前 (before) 从电视里看到 (saw on television)，企鹅差不多 (penguins are almost) 有小孩子那么高 (as tall as a young child)。可现在一看 (but now at a glance)，未成年的就更小了 (the immature ones are even smaller) ，只有小猫那么大 (only as big as a kitten)。岛上一共有三种企鹅 (in all, there are three types of penguins on the island) ，最漂亮的是金企鹅 (the prettiest is the Golden Penguin)，嘴是金红色的 (their beak a golden-red)，头部有两块白毛 (there are two patches of white fir on their heads)，又叫花脸企鹅 (they are called Masked Penguins)。还有一种企鹅颈部有一圈黑毛 (there is another kind of penguin with a ring of black fur around its neck)，好像系帽子的带儿 (as if it’s the strap of a hat)，叫帽带儿企鹅 (it’s called the Chinstrap Penguin)。它们彬彬有礼 (they are very polite)，站在远处 (standing at a distance) 向我们点头 (nodding at us)，像欢迎我们似的 (as if to bid us welcome)。最凶猛的是阿德雷企鹅 (the fiercest is the Adelie Penguin)，我刚迈进它们的“领地” (just as I stepped into their “territory”，一只企鹅就叫着 (one penguin called out) 把我“驱逐出境”了 (expelling me from their territory)。它们的叫声像想毛驴 (their call is very much like a donkey，所以又叫驴企鹅 (so they are also called Donkey Penguins)。
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不同于 (bù tóng yú) – different from
绒毛 (róng máo) – down, fluffy fur
成年 (chéng nián) – adult, fully grown
鱼鳞状 (yú lín zhuàng) – fish scale-shaped
躯体 (qū tǐ) – body, torso
流线型 (liú xiàn xíng) – streamlined
背部 (bèi bù) – back (part of the body)
腹部 (fù bù) – abdomen, belly
对比鲜明 (duì bǐ xiān míng) – sharp contrast, clearly defined
退化 (tuì huà) – to degenerate, to atrophy
鳍状 (qí zhuàng) – fin-shaped
一摇一摆 (yī yáo yī bǎi) – swaying, waddling
有趣 (yǒu qù) – interesting, amusing
合影 (hé yǐng) – to take a photo together
留念 (liú niàn) – to keep as a souvenir
毛茸茸 (máo róng róng) – furry, fluffy
孵化 (fū huà) – to hatch
追着 (zhuī zhe) – chasing
母企鹅 (mǔ qǐ é) – mother penguin
挠 (náo) – to scratch
张开 (zhāng kāi) – to open wide
呕 (ǒu) – to vomit
食物 (shí wù) – food
换毛 (huàn máo) – to shed, to molt
捕食 (bǔ shí) – to hunt for food, to feed
下海 (xià hǎi) – to go into the sea
第二次 (dì èr cì) – second time
脱落 (tuō luò) – to fall off
光滑 (guāng huá) – smooth
油亮 (yóu liàng) – glossy, shiny
Character Radical
The 鸟 (niǎo) radical represents birds and appears in many characters related to birds and flying creatures. It’s a key radical in the Chinese language, connecting to the natural world and animals. In the story 我和企鹅, penguins are central, even though they are unique birds that cannot fly. This radical helps us explore bird-related vocabulary and deepens our understanding of how animals are represented in the language.
Examples from the reading:
企鹅 (qǐ é) – penguin
鸟 (niǎo) – bird (general term for birds, not in the story but worth including for radical recognition)
Other Common Examples of the 鸟 radical:
鹤 (hè) – crane (a bird often featured in Chinese culture)
鹰 (yīng) – eagle
鸽 (gē) – pigeon, dove
鸡 (jī) – chicken
Yin-yang Character Groups
Yin-yang character groups illustrate the balance and complementary nature of concepts in the Chinese language. Here are three pairs that align with the reading:
轻 (qīng) – 重 (zhòng): light and heavy
厚 (hòu) – 薄 (báo): thick and thin
吉 (jí) – 凶 (xiōng): auspicious and fierce
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Pretty good