英语绘本 ▏每日一读之《曹冲称象 Cao Chong Weighs An Elephant》

古时候，有一个叫曹冲的小朋友，他非常聪明。他的父亲曹操是个丞相。

In ancient times, there was a boy named Cao Chong who was very smart. His father Cao Cao was a prime minister.

有一次，孙权送给曹操一只大象，曹操带领很多人和小儿子曹冲一同去看大象是什么样子的。

Once, Sun Quan gave Cao Cao an elephant. Cao Cao led many people and his youngest son Cao Chong to see what the elephant looked like.

曹操对大家说：“这只大象是真大啊，可是到底有多重呢？你们谁有办法称出它的重量？”

Cao Cao said to everyone: "This elephant is really big, but how heavy is it? Who of you can weigh it?"

大臣们纷纷议论开了，每个人都绞尽脑汁地想着办法。

The ministers started to discuss, and everyone racked their brains to think of a solution.

过了一会，有人提议说：“我认为可以命人造一个很大的天秤，把大象赶到称上，这样就可以称出大象的重量了。”

After a while, someone suggested: "I think we can order people to build a big scale and drive the elephant onto the scale, so that the weight of the elephant can be weighed."

这时有人反对说：“不行不行，那得造一杆多大的称啊？这个办法不好。”

At this time, someone objected and said: "No, no, how big a scale would it take to build? This method is not good."

这时候又有人提议说：“我看不如把大象杀了，切成一块一块的，这样就可以称了。”

At this time, someone else suggested: "I think it is better to kill the elephant and cut it into pieces, so that it can be weighed."

所有的人都说：“不行，太残忍了！为了称重量就把大象杀掉多可惜啊！”

Everyone said: "No, it's too cruel! It's a pity to kill the elephant just to weigh it!"

这时曹冲走过来说道：“我想出来一个好主意。”

At this time, Cao Chong came over and said: "I have a good idea."

曹操说：“儿子，你说说你想到了什么好主意？”

Cao Cao said: "Son, what good idea do you have?"

曹冲说：“父亲，你看我的，等我称完你们就知道怎么回事了。”

Cao Chong said: "Father, watch me, you will know what's going on after I weigh it."

曹冲叫仆人牵着大象，跟着他走到河边去，还叫人划了一艘大船到河边等着。到了河边，曹冲对仆人说：“请你把大象牵到船上去吧。”

Cao Chong asked the servant to lead the elephant and follow him to the river, and asked someone to row a big boat to the river to wait. When they arrived at the river, Cao Chong said to the servant: "Please lead the elephant to the boat."

大象上了船，船身向下沉了好多，浸泡在水里。曹冲吩咐道：“在齐水面的船上帮我划一道记号。”

The elephant got on the boat, and the boat sank a lot and was soaked in water. Cao Chong ordered: "Please help me make a mark on the boat that is level with the water."

记号划好了之后，曹冲又命仆人把大象牵上岸来，这时船又上浮到了原来的位置。

After the mark was made, Cao Chong ordered his servants to bring the elephant to the shore, and the boat floated to its original position.

接着，曹冲又叫人搬来了很多的石头，并让他们把石头都装到大船里去。石头越装越多，大船又慢慢地往下沉，船身一直沉到刻线的地方。

Then, Cao Chong asked people to bring a lot of stones and put them into the boat. As more and more stones were put in, the boat slowly sank, and the hull sank to the place where the engraved line was.

曹冲看见船身上的记号齐到了水面，赶紧喊停：“不要再装了。”

When Cao Chong saw that the mark on the hull was level with the water, he quickly called for a stop: "Don't load any more."

曹冲让仆人把石头从船上搬下来，说道：“你们把这些石头称一称，石头的重量加起来就是大象的重量了。”

Cao Chong asked the servants to take the stones off the boat and said: "Weigh these stones, and the weight of the stones together is the weight of the elephant."

大家都说：“这办法真是太好了，我们怎么想不出来呢？”大家都夸曹冲真是个聪明的孩子啊。

Everyone said: "This is a great idea, why can't we think of it?" Everyone praised Cao Chong for being a smart child.

曹冲称象的故事告诉我们：年龄不在大小，关键是遇事要善于观察，开动脑筋想办法，小孩也能办大事。

The story of Cao Chong weighing the elephant tells us: age is not important, the key is to be good at observation when encountering things, use your brain to think of ways, and children can also do great things.