Two ants tackle the same problem, but one does it recklessly, while the other exercises patience. Who do you think succeeds?
Key vocab
蚂蚁 – mǎyǐ – ant
对岸 – duìàn – the other side (of river)
树叶 – shùyè – leaf
观察 – guānchá – to observe
上游 – shàngyóu – upstream
绕路 – ràolù – to take a detour
满载而归 – mǎnzàiérguī – to return fully loaded
心急 – xīnjí – impatient/anxious
盲目 – mángmù – blind/blindly
欲速则不达 – yùsùzébùdá – haste makes waste
两只蚂蚁过河
从前，有两只蚂蚁住在河边。一天，它们决定去河对岸寻找食物。
第一只蚂蚁叫小急，它看见河水就说：’我要马上过去！’它找到一片小树叶，跳上去就出发了。
可是风很大，树叶在水上转来转去，小急害怕极了。最后，树叶翻了，小急差点淹死，好不容易才爬回岸边。
第二只蚂蚁叫小稳，它没有着急。它先观察河水，发现上游有一座小石桥。虽然绕路要走很远，但是很安全。小稳慢慢地走，傍晚时分安全到达了对岸，找到了很多食物。
小急看着小稳满载而归，后悔地说：’我太心急了，差点丢了性命。’
这个故事告诉我们：做事不要只图快，找到正确的方法比盲目行动更重要。欲速则不达。
Two Ants Crossing the River
Once upon a time, two ants lived by a river. One day, they decided to cross to the other side to find food.
The first ant was named Xiaoji (Little Hasty). When it saw the river, it said: ‘I must cross immediately!’ It found a small leaf, jumped on it, and set off.
But the wind was strong, and the leaf kept spinning on the water. Xiaoji was terrified. Finally, the leaf flipped over, and Xiaoji nearly drowned, barely managing to crawl back to the shore.
The second ant was named Xiaowen (Little Steady). It didn’t rush. It first observed the river and discovered a small stone bridge upstream. Although the detour was much longer, it was very safe. Xiaowen walked slowly and arrived safely on the other side by evening, finding plenty of food.
Xiaoji watched Xiaowen return loaded with food and said regretfully: ‘I was too hasty and almost lost my life.’
This story tells us: Finding the right method is more important than acting blindly. Haste makes waste.
