1. 晋代有一个人叫祖逖，他是个有远大抱负的人。
In the Jin Dynasty（265-420）, there was a man called Zu Ti. He was a farsighted man with great ambitions.
2. 祖逖和好友刘琨感情深厚，而且有着共同的远大理想：建功立业，复兴晋国。
Zu Ti and his close friend Liu Kun cherished a deep affection for each other. They shared the same lofty goal of rendering meritorious service in rejuvenating the Jin Dynasty while playing the part of pillars of the state.
3. 一天半夜里，祖逖在睡梦中听到鸡叫声，他把刘琨叫醒，说：“咱们以后一听到鸡叫声就起床练剑吧。”刘琨同意。
Once, Zu Ti heard a cock crow in the wasteland in his dream at midnight. He then woke Liu Kun up and said to him, "Why not get up to practice the sword the moment we hear the cock crow form now on?" Liu Kun agreed readily.
4. 从此以后，他们每天听到鸡叫后就起床练剑，春去冬来，从不间断。
From then on they got up and practiced the sword every day when the cock crowed. Day by day and year in, year out, they never stopped.
5. 功夫不负有心人，经过长期的刻苦练习，他们终于成了能文能武的全才，实现了自己的理想。
“Constant effort yields sure success”, as the saying goes. Through long periods of hard study and training, they finally became dually versed in both civil and military affairs. They were then able to achieve their ideals.
New Words
①抱负：ambition ②练剑：practice the sword ③间断：stop ④全才：all-rounder ⑤理想：ideal
Culture Tips
The idiom “闻鸡起舞” is from this story, signifying that a person of noble aspirations exerts himself in time.
Language Points
功夫不负有心人 Constant effort yields sure success
Here “功夫” means “success” or “result”, while “负” has the meaning of “to fail to live up to” or “to disappoint”. This saying means that one could be successful as long as he or she puts a lot of effort in his/her work.
eg: 西西坚持上中文课，功夫不负有心人，她现在可以讲一口流利的中文了。
Xixi persevered with her Chinese lessons. Now she can speak very good Chinese. This is just as the saying goes, “Constant effort yields sure success”.
Reading Comprehension
1. What is the common ideal which Zu Ti and Liu Kun shared?
(a) to render meritorious service (b) to practice the sword
2. When did they begin to practice the sword every day?
(a) in the spring (b) when the cock crowed
3. Did Zu Ti and Liu Kun finally achieve their common ideals?
(a) Yes, they did (b) No, they didn’t