Reader Level

Level One

Unique Characters
300

秘密花园
Mìmì Huāyuán

TheSecret
Garden
Frances Hodgson Burnett

Chinese Graded Readers

Published by Mind Spark Press LLC Shanghai, China

Mandarin Companion is a trademark of Mind Spark Press LLC.

Copyright © Mind Spark Press LLC, 2013

For information about educational or bulk purchases, please contact Mind

Spark Press at [email protected].

Instructor and learner resources and traditional Chinese editions of the

Mandarin Companion series are available at
WWW.MANDARINCOMPANION.COM.

First paperback print edition 2013

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The Secret

Garden: Mandarin Companion Graded Readers: Level 1 , Simplified
Chinese Edition / Frances Hodgson Burnett; [edited by] John Pasden,
Yang Renjun, Yu Cui Shanghai, China: Mind Spark Press LLC, 2013
Library of Congress Control Number: 2014943472

ISBN: 9781941875001 (Paperback)

ISBN: 9781941875131 (Paperback/traditional ch)
ISBN: 9780991005208 (ebook)
ISBN: 9780991005253 (ebook/traditional ch)

MCID: SSS20220926T174547

All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in

a retrieval system, transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, me-
chanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of the publishers.
 i

What Graded Readers

can do for you

Welcome to Mandarin Companion!

We’ve worked hard to create enjoyable stories that can help you
build confidence and competence and get better at Chinese–at the
right level for you.
Our graded readers have controlled and simplified language that
allows you to bring together the language you’ve learned so far and
absorb how words work naturally together. Research suggests that
learners need to“encounter”a word 10-30 times before truly learn-
ing it. Graded readers provide the repetition that you need to de-
velop fluency NOW at your level.
In the next section, you can take an assessment and discover if
this is the right level for you. We also explain how it won’t just im-
prove your Chinese skills but will have a wide range of benefits, from
better test scores to increased confidence.
We hope you enjoy our books, and best of luck with your studies.
Jared and John

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have versions with pinyin over the charac-

ters?
No. Although this method is common for native Chinese learners,
research and experience show it distracts a second language learner
and slows down their ability to learn the characters. If you require
pinyin to read most of the characters at this level, you should read
something easier.
 ii

Is there an English translation of the story?

No. Research and experience show that an English translation will
slow down the development of your Chinese language learning skills.

Is this the right level for me?

Let’s find out. Open to a story page with characters and start read-
ing. Keep track of the number of characters you don’t know but
don’t count any key words you don’t know. If there are more than 6
unknown characters on that page, you may want to consider reading
our books at a lower level. If the unknown characters are fewer than
6, then this book is likely at your level! If you find that you know all
the characters, you may be ready for a higher level. However, even
if you know all the characters but are reading slowly, you should
consider building reading speed before moving up a level.

How do you decide which characters to include at

each level?
Each level includes a core set of characters based on our extensive
analysis of the most common characters and words taught to and used
by those learning Chinese as a second language. All books at each level
are based on the same core set and they can be read in any order.

What to expect in a Level 1 book?

It’s important that you read at the level that is right for you. Check
out the next page to learn more about Extensive Reading and how
we use that in graded readers to support the learning of Chinese by
just enjoying a good story.
Books in our Level 1 like this one:

• Include a core set of 300 Chinese words and characters learners are
most likely to know.
• Are about 10,000 characters in length
• Use level appropriate grammar
• Include pinyin and a translation of words and characters you are not
 iii

expected to know at this level

• Include a glossary at the back of book
• Include proper nouns that are underlined

What is Extensive Reading?

It will improve test scores, your reading speed and comprehension,

speaking, listening and writing skills. You’ll pick up grammar nat-
urally, you’ll begin understanding in Chinese, your confidence will
improve, and you’ll enjoy learning the language.
Graded Readers are based on science that is backed by mountains
of research and proven bylearners all over the world. They are founded
on the theories of Extensive Reading and Comprehensible Input.
Extensive Reading is reading at a level where you can understand
almost all of what you are reading (ideally 98%) at a comfortable
speed, as opposed to stumbling through dense paragraphs word by
word.
When you read extensively, you’ll understand most of the words
and find yourself fully engaged with the story.

Reading Intensive Extensive

Pain Reading Reading
READING LEVEL:

COMPREHENSION: 90% 98% 100%

Reading at 98% comprehension is the sweet spot to max out your

learning gains. You do still learn at the Intensive Reading level (90–
98%), but the closer you are to the Extensive level, the faster your
progress.
No one should be reading below a 90% comprehension level.
It’s called Reading Pain for a reason. You spend so much time in
a dictionary and after 30 painful minutes on ONE paragraph, you’re
not even sure what you’ve just read!

If you want to know more, check out our website

www.mandarincompanion.com
iv
 v

Table of Contents

Story Notes vii

Character Adaptations viii
Cast of Characters viii
Locations x

Chapter 1 没有人喜欢的女孩 1
Chapter 2 去南京 7
Chapter 3 这个阿姨不一样 13
Chapter 4 有人在哭 14
Chapter 5 秘密花园 15
Chapter 6 两个人的秘密 16
Chapter 7 是他在哭！ 17
Chapter 8 三个人的秘密 18
Chapter 9 一起去花园 19
Chapter 10 “你可以做到！” 20
Chapter 11 “在花园里！” 21
Chapter 12 没有秘密了 22

Key Words 23
Grammar Points 26
Credits and Acknowledgments 32
About Mandarin Companion 33
Other Stories from Mandarin 34
Companion
vi
 vii

Story Notes

A celebrated author of her day, Frances Hodgson Burnett be-

gan writing children’s fiction later in her career. The Secret Garden
was first published in serialized form beginning in 1910. Interest-
ingly enough, the publication was a magazine with adult readers, but
Burnett intended the story for children, perhaps the first instance of
this, foreshadowing its appeal to readers of all ages.
At the time of Burnett’s death in 1924, The Secret Garden was
not considered to be among her greatest works, not even garnering
a mention in her obituary. Today, The Secret Garden is considered
among the best children’s novels of all time, and in a 2003 survey of
the British public, was identified as the“Nation’s Best-loved Novel,”
not just children’s novels.
The original story begins in India and later moves to Yorkshire.
In this adaptation, the story begins on the tropical southern island
of Hainan and then moves to the city of Nanjing.
In adapting this work, decisions were faced on how to portray
aspects of the story in ways that were both culturally accurate to
Chinese culture and culturally acceptable to Western audiences. For
example, Chinese culture traditionally has limited physical expres-
sion of affection between a parent and child, whereas the original
version of the story portrays a tearful embrace between a parent and
child. Regardless of your cultural frame of reference, we think you’ll
enjoy how this story was adapted.
This was the first story published in the Mandarin Companion
series and, arguably, still one of the best. After all, it is a classic.
 viii

Character Adaptations

The following is a list of the characters from this Chinese story

followed by their corresponding English names from Frances Hodg-
son Burnett’s original story. The names below are not translations;
they are new Chinese names used for the Chinese versions of the
original characters. Think of them as all-new characters in a Chi-
nese story.

李叶 (Lǐ Yè) – Mary Lennox

马阿姨 (Mǎ Āyí) – Mrs. Medlock
文先生 (Wén Xiānsheng) – Archibald Craven
文太太 (Wén Tàitai) – Mistress Craven
王乐心 (Wáng Lèxīn) – Martha Sowerby
林爷爷 (Lín Yéye) – Ben Weatherstaff
王乐天 (Wáng Lètiān) – Dickon Sowerby
文思远 (Wén Sīyuǎn) – Colin Craven

Cast of Characters

李叶 马阿姨
(Lǐ Yè) (Mǎ Āyí)
 ix

文先生 文太太
(Wén Xiānsheng) (Wén Tàitai)

王乐心 林爷爷
(Wáng Lèxīn) (Lín Yéye)

王乐天 文思远
(Wáng Lètiān) (Wén Sīyuǎn)
 Locations

海南 (Hǎinán)
The southernmost province of China, Hainan is
a large tropical island off the southern coast of
mainland China. Today it is known as a popular
tourist destination for its clear water and white
sandy beaches.

南京 (Nánjīng)
A prominent place in Chinese history and cul-
ture, Nanjing has long been one of China’s
most important cities. It is recognized as one
of the Four Great Ancient Capitals and today is
one of China’s largest cities and commercial
centers.
 Mandarin Companion 1

One

没有人喜欢的女孩

她叫李叶，是一个不太好看的女孩。

李叶出生在海南。海南在中国的最南

边，很远很远。李叶的爸爸经常在外面，

很少在家。李叶的妈妈是个很好看的女人，

她有很多朋友，每天都和朋友一起玩。李
1

叶的爸爸妈妈都很忙，他们没有时间理
2

他们的女儿。还有，李叶的妈妈好像一点
3

也不喜欢李叶，她觉得李叶一点也不像

1 玩 (wán) v. to play 3 好像 (hǎoxiàng) v. it seems

2 理 (lǐ) v. to pay attention to
 2 The Secret Garden

她。李叶出生以后，她就告诉家里的阿

姨：“如果你们想让我开心，就不要让我
4 5

看到这个孩子。”所以，李叶很少能见到

她的爸爸妈妈。

李叶真的跟她的妈妈不一样，她看起

来又瘦又小，还经常生病。她总是喜欢生
6 7 8 9

气，生气的时候总是哭。如果李叶的妈妈
10 10 9 11

听到她哭，就会很生气。所有的人都不
11 10

喜欢这个孩子，他们从来没有见过这样

的孩子。为了不让李叶哭，她的阿姨总是
12 11 4 9

很听李叶的话。李叶喜欢什么，她的阿姨
4

4 阿姨 (āyí) n. maid, housekeeper 9 总是 (zǒngshì) adv. always

5 开心 (kāixīn) adj. happy 10 生气 (shēngqì) vo. to get angry
6 看起来 (kànqǐlai) vc. to look (a certain 11 哭 (kū) v. to cry
way) 12 为了 (wèile) conj. for the purpose of, in
7 瘦 (shòu) adj. thin order to
8 生病 (shēngbìng) v. to get sick
Mandarin Companion 3
 4 The Secret Garden

就给她什么。李叶觉得在这个家里只有她

的阿姨关心她。
4 13

李叶还不到十岁的时候，有一天，她

早上起来以后看到一个新的阿姨，又生气
4 10

了，因为她想要以前的阿姨。阿姨告诉李
4 4

叶：“她不会来了。”李叶更生气了，她
10

让这个新阿姨马上出去，让以前的阿姨
4 4

马上来。可是很长时间，她的新阿姨没有
4

回来，她以前的阿姨也没来。
4

那一天和平时不一样，没有人跟她说
14

话，也没有人跟她玩。她很不开心，不
1 5

知 道 为 什 么 今 天 只 有 她 一 个 人。一定
15

13 关心 (guānxīn) v. to be concerned about 15 一定 (yīdìng) adv. definitely

14 平时 (píngshí) tn. usual; usually
 Mandarin Companion 5

出事了！
16

后来， 她 听 到 妈 妈 和 别 人 说 话， 才
17

知道真的出事了。她家里很多人都生病
16 8

了，不到两天就死了很多人。李叶很难

过，因为所有人都不理她。她一个人回到
18 2

房间哭了一会儿，然后睡了很久。她起来
11

16 出事 (chūshì) vo. to have an accident 18 难过 (nánguò) adj. to feel upset

17 后来 (hòulái) tn. afterwards
 6 The Secret Garden

的时候，还是没有人来看她。

“这儿有个孩子！”后来，几个人发现
17 19

了又瘦又小的李叶，她一个人在房间里。
7

“孩子，你是谁？为什么在这里？”有

个人问她。

“我叫李叶，我睡了很久。为什么我的阿

姨不来？
”李叶问。
4

“孩子，他们都死了。”

后来李叶才知道，她的爸爸妈妈和以
17

前的阿姨都死了，别人都走了。没有人想
4

到这个孩子，因为他们不喜欢她，所以没

有人关心她。
13

19 发现 (fāxiàn) v. to discover
 Mandarin Companion 7

Two

去南京

李叶的爸爸妈妈死了以后，她在海南

没有别的家人了，但是她有一个叔叔在南
20 21

京。

他的叔叔是一个很有钱的人。知道李
21

叶的 事 以 后，叔叔让 家 里 的阿姨带李叶
21 4 22

来南京。

叔叔家的阿姨姓马，是一个又高又瘦
21 4 7

的女人。李叶很不喜欢她，也不理她。
2

20 家人 (jiārén) n. family 22 带 (dài) v. to bring

21 叔叔 (shūshu) n. uncle, father’s
younger brother
 8 The Secret Garden

马阿姨好像也不喜欢李叶。她觉得孩
3

子应该可爱听话，但是李叶又瘦又黄，总
23 24 7

是不理别人，她从来没有见过这么不可爱
9 2

的孩子。

但是马阿姨很喜欢说话，
看到李叶不理
2

她，她就问：“你认识你的叔叔吗？”
21

“不认识。”李叶说。

“你的爸爸妈妈没有跟你说过他吗？”

马阿姨又问。

“没有。”想到爸爸妈妈很少跟她说话，

李叶更不开心了。
5

“你知不知道你要去一个很奇怪的地
25

23 应该 (yīnggāi) aux. should, ought to 25 奇怪 (qíguài) adj. weird, strange

24 听话 (tīnghuà) vo. to obey, lit. “to listen
to (someone’s) words”
 Mandarin Companion 9

方？
”马阿姨问。李叶不说话。马阿姨觉得

这个孩子真奇怪，一点也不关心她要去哪
25 13

儿。

看见李叶不说话，马阿姨又说：
“文先

生的房子很老，已经六百年了。房子里有
 10 The Secret Garden

一百个房间，房间里面的东西都很贵。但
26

是很多房间都关着，我们都不可以进去。

房子外面有几个很大的花园，有很多树。”

李叶觉 得叔叔的 家 很有意思， 跟海南

21 27

很不一样。但是她不想让马阿姨知道她

的想法，所以还是不说话。
28

“你觉得怎么样？”马阿姨问。

“我没有想法。”李叶说。
28

“你跟文先生一样奇怪。我不知道你为
25

什么要去南京，但是我知道文先生一定不
15

会跟你说话，因为他从来不关心别人。文
13

先生的身体有病，认识他的太太以前，他

26 里面 (lǐmiàn) n. inside 28 想法 (xiǎngfǎ) n. thinking, idea

27 有意思 (yǒuyìsi) adj. interesting
 Mandarin Companion 11

从来没有开心过。”马阿姨说。
5

李叶没想到这个奇怪的叔叔有太太，
马
25 21

阿姨觉得李叶很想听，又说：“他的太太

是一个很好看的女人，文先生很爱他的太

太，她死的时候⋯⋯”

“什么？她死了？
”李叶觉得很奇怪，马
25

上问。

“对。太太死了以后，文先生又像以前

一样奇怪了。他在家的时候，总是在房间
25 9

里，不想见人，只有很少的人可以看到他。

你也别想看到他，你只能自己玩。”马阿
1

姨说。

李叶坐在车上，想了很久：叔叔家有
21
12 The Secret Garden

很大的花园，花园里有很多树，很多花；

还有一百个房间，但是不可以进去；叔叔
21

是一个奇怪的人⋯⋯她在南京会怎么样，
25

她也不知道。
 Mandarin Companion 13

Three

这个阿姨不一样
14 The Secret Garden

Four

有人在哭
Mandarin Companion 15

Five

秘密花园
16 The Secret Garden

Six

两个人的秘密
Mandarin Companion 17

Seven

是他在哭！
18 The Secret Garden

Eight

三个人的秘密
Mandarin Companion 19

Nine

一起去花园
20 The Secret Garden

Ten

“你可以做到！”
Mandarin Companion 21

Eleven

“在花园里！”
22 The Secret Garden

Twelve

没有秘密了
 Mandarin Companion 23

Key Words 关键词

(Guānjiàncí)

1. 玩 wán v. to play
2. 理 lǐ v. to pay attention to
3. 好像 hǎoxiàng v. it seems
4. 阿姨 āyí n. maid, housekeeper
5. 开心 kāixīn adj. happy
6. 看起来 kànqǐlai vc. to look (a certain way)
7. 瘦 shòu adj. thin
8. 生病 shēngbìng v. to get sick
9. 总是 zǒngshì adv. always
10. 生气 shēngqì vo. to get angry
11. 哭 kū v. to cry
12. 为了 wèile conj. for the purpose of, in order to
13. 关心 guānxīn v. to be concerned about
14. 平时 píngshí tn. usual; usually
15. 一定 yīdìng adv. definitely
16. 出事 chūshì vo. to have an accident
17. 后来 hòulái tn. afterwards
18. 难过 nánguò adj. to feel upset
19. 发现 fāxiàn v. to discover
20. 家人 jiārén n. family
21. 叔叔 shūshu n. uncle, father’s younger brother
22. 带 dài v. to bring
23. 应该 yīnggāi aux. should, ought to
24. 听话 tīnghuà vo. to obey, lit.“to listen to (someone’s) words”
25. 奇怪 qíguài adj. weird, strange
26. 里面 lǐmiàn n. inside
 24 The Secret Garden

27. 有意思 yǒuyìsi adj. interesting

28. 想法 xiǎngfǎ n. thinking, idea
29. 草地 cǎodì n. lawn, grassy area
30. 记住 jìzhu vc. to remember, to memorize
31. 衣服 yīfu n. clothing
32. 健康 jiànkāng adj. healthy
33. 一直 yīzhí adv. all along
34. 学会 xuéhuì vc. to learn
35. 往前 wǎngqián phr. forward
36. 样子 yàngzi n. appearance
37. 种 zhòng v. to plant (a tree or other plant)
38. 不怎么 bùzěnme adv. not very
39. 做事 zuòshì vo. to do things
40. 墙 qiáng n. wall
41. 忘记 wàngjì v. to forget
42. 打理 dǎlǐ v. to take care of
43. 掉 diào v. to fall
44. 声 shēng n. noise, sound
45. 紧张 jǐnzhāng adj. nervous
46. 记得 jìde v. to remember
47. 试 shì v. to try
48. 打开 dǎkāi vc. to open
49. 方向 fāngxiàng n. direction
50. 不然 bùrán conj. otherwise
51. 树林 shùlín n. forest
52. 小心 xiǎoxīn v. to be careful
53. 亮 liàng adj. bright
54. 钥匙 yàoshi n. key
55. 秘密 mìmì n. secret
56. 关上 guānshang vc. to close
57. 工具 gōngjù n. tool
58. 问题 wèntí n. problem
59. 种子 zhǒngzi n. seed
60. 放心 fàngxīn v. to relax, to be relieved
61. 办法 bànfǎ n. way, method
62. 睡觉 shuìjiào vo. to sleep
 Mandarin Companion 25

63. 家具 jiājù n. furniture

64. 左右 zuǒyòu adv. about, more or less, lit. “left-right”
65. 常常 chángcháng adv. often
66. 旅行 lǚxíng v. to travel
67. 恨 hèn v. to hate
68. 起床 qǐchuáng vo. to get out of bed
69. 可能 kěnéng adv. possibly, maybe
70. 走路 zǒulù vo. to walk
71. 轮椅 lúnyǐ n. wheelchair
72. 认真 rènzhēn adj. serious, earnest
73. 有用 yǒuyòng adj. useful

Part of Speech Key

adj. Adjective prep. Preposition
adv. Adverb pr. Pronoun
aux. Auxiliary Verb pn. Proper noun
conj. Conjunction tn. Time Noun
cov. Coverb v. Verb
mw. Measure word vc. Verb plus complement
n. Noun vo. Verb plus object
on. Onomatopoeia
part. Particle
 26 The Secret Garden

Grammar Points
For learners new to reading Chinese, an understanding of grammar
points can be extremely helpful for learners and teachers. The fol-
lowing is a list of the most challenging grammar points used in this
graded reader.
These grammar points correspond to the Common European
Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) level A2 or above.
The full list with explanations and examples of each grammar point
can be found on the Chinese Grammar Wiki, the definitive source
of information on Chinese grammar online.

ENGLISH CHINESE

CHAPTER 1

Modifying nouns with phrase + “de” [Phrase] + 的 + Noun

Measure words for counting Number + Measure Word + Noun

“Not very”with “bu tai” 不太 + Adj.

Modifying nouns with adjective + “de” Adj. + 的 + Noun

“Zai”following verbs Verb + 在 + Place

The “zui”superlative 最 + Adj.

Pronoun “mei”for “every” 每 + Measure Word (+ Noun)

Expressing “every”with “mei”and “dou” 每 + Measure Word + Noun + 都 +

Adj./Verb

Expressing “and”with “he” Noun 1 + 和 + Noun 2

Expressing “together”with “yiqi” 一起 + Verb

The “all”adverb 都 + Verb/ 都 + Adj.

 Mandarin Companion 27

Expressing “in addition”with “haiyou” Clause 1 ，还有 + (，)+ Clause 2

“It seems”with “haoxiang” 好像⋯⋯

“Not at all” 一点 (儿) 也不⋯⋯

“If⋯, then⋯”with “ruguo⋯, jiu⋯” 如果⋯⋯，就⋯⋯

Causative verbs Noun 1 + 让/叫/请 + Noun 2⋯⋯

Result complements “dao”and “jian” Verb+ 到 / 见

Measure words to differentiate 这 / 那 + Measure Word (+ Noun)

Expressing ability or possibility 能 + Verb

“Both A and B”with “you” 又⋯⋯又⋯⋯

Expressing “and also”with “hai” 还 + Verb

“Always”with “zongshi” 总是 + Verb

At the time when ⋯⋯的时候

Auxiliary verb “hui”for “will” 会 + Verb

Special verbs with “hen” 很 + Verb

Referring to “all”using “suoyou” 所有⋯⋯都⋯⋯

“Never”with “conglai” 从来不/从来没 (有)

Expressing experiences with “guo” Verb + 过

Comparing specifically with “xiang” Noun 1 + 像 + Noun 2 + (那么⋯⋯)

Explaining results with “suoyi” ⋯⋯，所以⋯⋯

Expressing purpose with “weile” 为了 + Purpose + Verb

Expressing “as one likes”with “jiu” 还 + Verb/ Adj.

Continuation with “hai” 还 + Verb/ Adj.

Again in the past with “you” 又 + Verb

Explaining causes with “yinwei” Result ，因为 + Reason

“Would like to”with “xiang” 想 + Verb

Wanting to do something with “yao” 要 + Verb

“Before”in general 以前 + Subj. + Verb + Obj.

 28 The Secret Garden

“Even more”with “geng” 更 + Adj.

Expressing “with”with “gen” 跟⋯⋯+ Verb

Change of state with “le” ⋯⋯了

Expressing lateness with “cai” 才

Emphasizing quantity with “dou” 大家 / 很多人 + 都⋯⋯

Expressing earliness with “jiu” 就

Expressing completion with “le” Subj. + Verb + 了 + Obj.

Complements with “dao”, “gei”and “zai” V + 到 / 给 / 在⋯⋯

Expressing duration with “le” Verb + 了 + Duration

Sequencing past events with “houlai” ⋯⋯，后来⋯⋯

Using “ji”to mean “several” Subj. + 在 + Place + Verb

CHAPTER 2

After a specific time Time/Time phrase + 以后

Two words for “but” Statement, 可是/但是 + transitional

statement

“Yinggai”for should 应该 / 该 + Verb

Adjectives with “name”and “zheme” 那么 / 这么 + Adj.

Yes-no questions with “ma” ⋯⋯吗?

Modifying nouns with phrase + “de” (Phrase) + 的 + Noun

“Already”with “yijing” 已经⋯⋯了

Aspect particle “zhe” Verb+ 着

Expressing permission 可以 + Verb

Basic comparisons with “yiyang” Noun 1 + 跟 + Noun 2 + 一样 + Adj.

Before a specific time Time / Verb+ 以前

Negative commands with “bie” 别 + Verb

 Mandarin Companion 29

CHAPTER 3

Positive and negative potential complements Verb + 得 / 不⋯⋯

Expressing “a little too”with “you dian” 有点 (儿) + Adj.

Using “dui” 对 + Noun⋯⋯

Using “zai”with verbs Subj. + 在 + Place + Verb

Ordinal numbers with “di” 第 + Number (+ Measure Word)

“Just”with “gang” Subj. + 刚 + Verb

Expressing “a bit too” Adj.+（一）点儿

Verbing briefly Verb + 一下

“Some”using “yixie” 一些 + Noun

Verbs with “gei” Subj. + 给 + Target + Verb + Obj.

Expressing a learned skill Subj. + 会 + Verb + Obj.

Simultaneous tasks with “yibian” (一) 边 + Verb, (一) 边 + Verb

Suggestions with “ba” ⋯⋯吧

Expressing location with “zai...shang/xia/li” 在 + Location + 上/下/里/旁边

“Shi... de”construction 是⋯⋯的

Turning adjectives into adverbs Adj. + 地 + Verb

Measure words for verbs Verb + Number + Measure Word

“-wan”result complement Subj. + Verb + 完 + Obj.

Verb reduplication with “yi” Verb + 一 + Verb

Comparing “chao”“xiang”and “wang” 朝 vs 向 vs 往

CHAPTER 4

Expressing actions in progress (正) 在 + Verb

Reduplication of adjectives Adj. + Adj.

Softening speech with “ba” ⋯⋯吧。

“Not very”with “bu zenme” 不怎么 + Adj.

 30 The Secret Garden

Adding emphasis with “jiushi” 就是

Indicating a number in excess Number + 多

Appearance with “kanqilai” 看起来⋯⋯

Basic comparisons with “bi” Noun 1 + 比 + Noun 2 + Adj.

Negative commands with “bu yao” 不要 + Verb

Direction complement Verb (+ Direction) + 来 / 去

Questions with “le ma” Verb + 了 + 吗？

Result complement “-cuo” Verb + 错

CHAPTER 5

Expressing “excessively”with “tai” 太 + Adj. + 了

“De”(modal particle) ⋯⋯的

Expressing “otherwise”with “yaobu” 要不⋯⋯

CHAPTER 6

Verbs with “gei” Subj. + 给 + Target + Verb + Obj.

CHAPTER 7

About to happen with “kuai... le” 快 + Verb/Verb Phrase + 了

Intensifying with “duo” Subj. + 多 + Adj.

CHAPTER 8

“As long as”with “zhiyao” 只要⋯⋯，就⋯⋯

Expressing duration (ongoing) Verb + 了 + Duration + 了

“Never again”with “zai ye bu” 再也不 + Verb

 Mandarin Companion 31

CHAPTER 9

Expressing purpose with “weile” 为了 + Purpose + Verb

Mistakenly think that 以为⋯⋯

Expressing duration of inaction Subj. + Duration + 没 + Verb + Obj.+

了

CHAPTER 10

Asking why with “zenme” 怎么⋯⋯？

CHAPTER 12

Softening the tone of questions with “ne” ⋯⋯呢?

 32 The Secret Garden

Credits
Original Author : Frances Hodgson Burnett
Editor-in-Chief : John Pasden
Content Editor : Yu Cui
Adapted by : Yang Renjun
Illustrator : Hu Shen
Producer : Jared Turner

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Yang Renjun, Yu Cui, Song Shen and the entire
team at AllSet Learning for working on this project and contributing
the perfect mix of talent to produce this series.
Thank you to Mark Neville who tested it with students in his
Chinese class and offered valuable insights and edits. We’re grateful
to Dong Hua for her academic feedback, and to our enthusiastic
testers Erick Garcia, Ben Slye, Brandon Sanchez, and Mary Ann
Abejuro.
Thank you to Heather Turner for being the inspiration behind
the entire series, and to Song Shen for supporting us and handling
all the small thankless tasks.
Special thanks are due Rob Waring, to whom we refer to as the
“godfather of extensive reading,”for his encouragement, expert ad-
vice, and support with this project. Moreover, we will be forever
grateful for Yuehua Liu and Chengzhi Chu for pioneering the first
graded readers in Chinese and to whom we owe a debt of gratitude
for their years of tireless work to bring these type of materials to the
Chinese learning community.
 Mandarin Companion 33

About Mandarin
Companion

Mandarin Companion was started by Jared Turner and John Pas-

den, who met one fateful day on a bus in Shanghai when the only
remaining seats forced them to sit next to each other.
John majored in Japanese in college in the US and later learned
Mandarin before moving to China, where he was admitted into an
all-Chinese masters program in applied linguistics at East China
Normal University in Shanghai. John lives in Shanghai with his wife
and children. John is the editor-in-chief at Mandarin Companion
and ensures each story is written at the appropriate level.
Jared decided to move to China with his young family in search
of career opportunities, despite having no Chinese language skills.
When he learned about Extensive Reading and started using graded
readers, his language skills exploded. In 3 months, he had read 10
graded readers and quickly became conversational in Chinese. Jared
lives in the US with his wife and children. Jared runs the business
operations and focuses on bringing stories to life.
John and Jared work with Chinese learners and teachers all over
the world. They host a podcast, You Can Learn Chinese, where
they discuss the struggles and joys of learning to speak the language.
They are active on social media, where they share memes and stories
about learning Chinese.

You can connect with them through the website

www.mandarincompanion.com
 34 The Secret Garden

Other Stories from

Mandarin Companion

Breakthrough Readers: 150 Characters

The Misadventures of Zhou Xiao Ming, Boy Sherlock
Haisheng 《小明》
《周海生》 by John Pasden, Jared Turner
by John Pasden, Jared Turner
In Search of Hua Ma
My Teacher Is a Martian 《花马》
《我的老师是火星人》 by John Pasden, Jared Turner
by John Pasden, Jared Turner
Just Friends?
《我们是朋友吗？》
by John Pasden, Jared Turner

Level 1 Readers: 300 Characters

The Sixty Year Dream The Prince and the Pauper
《六十年的梦》 《王子和穷孩子》
by Washington Irving by Mark Twain
The Monkey’s Paw Emma
《猴爪》 《安末》
by W. W. Jacobs by Jane Austen
The Country of the Blind The Ransom of Red Chief
《盲人国》 《红猴的价格》
by H. G. Wells by O. Henry
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of
the Curly-Haired Company
《卷发公司的案子》
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
 Mandarin Companion 35

Level 2 Readers: 450 Characters

Great Expectations: Part 1 Journey to the Center of the Earth
《美好的前途（上） 》 《地心游记》
by Charles Dickens by Jules Verne
Great Expectations: Part 2 Jekyll and Hyde
《美好的前途（下） 》 《江可和黑德》
by Charles Dickens by Robert Louis Stevenson

Mandarin companion is producing

a growing library of graded readers
for Chinese language learners.

Visit our website for the newest books available:

WWW.MANDARINCOMPANION.COM