【英语文化】初中英语传统文化阅读56Practice Makes Perfect熟能生巧

Practice Makes Perfect

During the Northern Song Dynasty, there lived a man named Chen Yaozi. He was excellent at archery and could always hit the target, no matter how far away it stood. As his fame spread, people around him admired him greatly.

Praise, however, can be a dangerous thing. The more praise Chen Yaozi received, the prouder he became. One day, at the shooting range, he proudly showed off his amazing skill — shooting through willow branches from a great distance. The crowd burst into cheers and begged for another shot.

Just then, an old oil seller happened to pass by. He watched for a moment, then laughed and said, "It's not a big deal. You're just skilled." Chen Yaozi flushed with anger. "What right do you have to look down on me?" he demanded.

Calmly, the old man replied, "I've poured oil for decades, and I know the truth behind it — practice makes perfect." With that, he placed a gourd on the ground, set a copper coin with six holes on its mouth, scooped up some oil, and poured it from high above. The oil streamed down like a thin, unbroken line, threading straight through the coin hole. When he finished, not a single drop had stained the coin. Everyone watching was deeply impressed.

The old man smiled and said, "I'm just good at it because of practice. Skill comes from repetition, not from talent alone."

Hearing this, Chen Yaozi stood silent for a moment, then left without a word. He finally understood that true mastery belongs to those who never stop practicing.

This story reminds us that no matter what we set out to do, as long as we keep practicing and learn the rules behind it, we can all do it well.

熟能生巧

北宋时期，有一位名叫陈尧咨的人。他擅长射箭，无论目标多远，总能命中靶心。随着名声远播，身边的人都非常钦佩他。

然而，赞扬有时是危险的。陈尧咨受到的夸奖越多，就变得越发骄傲。一天，在射箭场上，他得意地向众人炫耀自己惊人的技艺 —— 从很远处射穿柳枝。人群爆发出阵阵喝彩，纷纷要求他再来一箭。

就在这时，一位卖油的老翁恰好经过。他看了一会儿，笑着说道：“这没什么大不了的，你只不过手熟罢了。” 陈尧咨气得涨红了脸，质问道：“你有什么资格轻视我？”

老翁不慌不忙地答道：“我卖油几十年，深知其中的道理 —— 熟能生巧。” 说完，他把一个葫芦放在地上，在葫芦口上放了一枚铜钱，舀起一勺油，从高处往下倒。油像一条细细的、连绵不断的线，直直穿过铜钱的小孔。倒完之后，铜钱上没有沾上一滴油。在场的所有人都被深深震撼了。

老翁微笑着说道：“我不过是手熟罢了。技艺源于反复练习，而非仅靠天赋。”

听到这话，陈尧咨沉默片刻，然后一言不发地离开了。他终于明白：真正的技艺，属于那些从不停止练习的人。

这个故事提醒我们：无论我们想做成什么事，只要不断练习、掌握其中的规律，就都能把它做好。

重点短语

阅读理解题

Q1.（细节理解） What was Chen Yaozi especially good at?

Answer:

He was especially good at archery. He could always hit the target, even from a great distance. (陈尧咨擅长射箭，总能命中靶心，哪怕目标很远。)

Q2.（细节理解・因果） Why did the old oil seller say Chen Yaozi's skill was "not a big deal"?

Answer:

Because he believed that such skill was simply the result of long-time practice rather than something extraordinary, and he wanted to prove that he, too, had mastered a skill through years of practice. (因为他认为这不过是长期练习的结果，并非什么了不起的事，并想证明自己也有靠多年练习练成的技艺。)

Q3.（细节理解・过程排序） How did the old man prove his point?

Answer:

He placed a copper coin on the mouth of a gourd, scooped up some oil, and poured it from high above. The oil went through the coin hole like a thin line, and there was no oil stain on the coin when he finished. (他把铜钱放在葫芦口上，舀起油从高处倒下，油像细线一样穿过钱孔，倒完后铜钱上没有一滴油渍。)

Q4.（推断・人物心理） How did Chen Yaozi feel and what did he do after hearing the old man's words? Why?

Answer:

He felt ashamed and realized that his pride was wrong. So he left without a word, because he finally understood that true skill comes from practice, not from bragging. (他感到羞愧，意识到自己的骄傲是错误的，于是一言不发地离开，因为他终于明白真正的技艺源于练习，而非炫耀。)

Q5.（主旨大意） What lesson does the story teach us?

Answer:

The story teaches us that practice makes perfect. No matter what we do, if we keep practicing and learn the rules behind it, we can do it well. It also reminds us to stay humble and never look down on others. 

(故事告诉我们熟能生巧的道理 —— 无论做什么，只要坚持练习并掌握规律，就能做好；同时提醒我们要保持谦逊，不要轻视他人。)

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