The Butterfly Lovers · chapter 2 of 25
The Scholar in Disguise
女扮男装
Next morning a polite young scholar from out of town comes to talk books with Master Zhu. Will the proud father know who is standing in front of him?
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 第二天早上，祝老爷正坐在家里喝茶。
Dì èr tiān zǎoshang, Zhù lǎoye zhèng zuò zài jiā lǐ hē chá.
The next morning, Master Zhu was sitting at home, drinking his tea.
- The Old Steward 老爷，门外来了一位年轻的读书人，还带着一个书童。
Lǎoye, mén wài lái le yí wèi niánqīng de dúshūrén, hái dàizhe yí gè shūtóng.
Master, a young scholar is at the gate, and he has a book boy with him.
- Master Zhu 读书人？他从哪儿来？找我做什么？
Dúshūrén? Tā cóng nǎr lái? Zhǎo wǒ zuò shénme?
A scholar? Where's he from? What does he want with me?
- The Old Steward 他说他是外地人，听说老爷读过很多书，想来看看您。
Tā shuō tā shì wàidì rén, tīngshuō lǎoye dú guo hěn duō shū, xiǎng lái kànkan nín.
He says he's from out of town. He's heard you've read a great many books, and he'd like to pay his respects.
- Master Zhu 哈哈，这个年轻人不错！快请他进来！
Hāhā, zhège niánqīngrén búcuò! Kuài qǐng tā jìnlái!
Ha! A young man with good sense! Show him in, quick!
- Narrator 进来的年轻人穿着蓝衣服，头上包着头巾，后面跟着一个小书童。
Jìnlái de niánqīngrén chuānzhe lán yīfu, tóu shàng bāozhe tóujīn, hòumiàn gēnzhe yí gè xiǎo shūtóng.
The young man who came in wore a blue robe and a cloth head-wrap, and a little book boy followed behind him.
- Zhu Yingtai 祝老爷好！我早就听说，您家里的书比谁都多。
Zhù lǎoye hǎo! Wǒ zǎo jiù tīngshuō, nín jiā lǐ de shū bǐ shéi dōu duō.
Good day, Master Zhu! I've long heard that you have more books than anyone.
- Master Zhu 哈哈哈，哪里，哪里！年轻人，你都读过什么书？
Hāhāhā, nǎlǐ, nǎlǐ! Niánqīngrén, nǐ dōu dú guo shénme shū?
Ha ha ha, oh, not at all, not at all! Young man, what have you read?
- Zhu Yingtai 您家里有的书，我差不多都读过。
Nín jiā lǐ yǒu de shū, wǒ chàbuduō dōu dú guo.
I've read nearly every book in your house, sir.
- Master Zhu 是吗？那我问你：什么书最好？
Shì ma? Nà wǒ wèn nǐ: shénme shū zuì hǎo?
Is that so? Then tell me: which book is the best?
- Zhu Yingtai 最好的书，是还没有读过的书。读过的书，都在我心里了。
Zuì hǎo de shū, shì hái méiyǒu dú guo de shū. Dú guo de shū, dōu zài wǒ xīn lǐ le.
The best book is the one you haven't read yet. The ones I've read are already in my heart.
- Master Zhu 说得好！说得好！你这个年轻人真聪明，以后要常来我家喝茶！
Shuō de hǎo! Shuō de hǎo! Nǐ zhège niánqīngrén zhēn cōngming, yǐhòu yào cháng lái wǒ jiā hē chá!
Well said! Well said! What a clever young man you are. You must come and drink tea with me often!
- Zhu Yingtai 祝老爷，听说您的女儿也很聪明，也读过很多书。我能见见她吗？
Zhù lǎoye, tīngshuō nín de nǚ'ér yě hěn cōngming, yě dú guo hěn duō shū. Wǒ néng jiànjian tā ma?
Master Zhu, I hear your daughter is clever too, and has read a great deal. May I meet her?
- Master Zhu 什么？我的女儿，是你想见就能见的吗？
Shénme? Wǒ de nǚ'ér, shì nǐ xiǎng jiàn jiù néng jiàn de ma?
What? You think you can see my daughter just because you want to?
- Master Zhu 老管家！快送他出去！
Lǎo guǎnjiā! Kuài sòng tā chūqù!
Steward! Show him out, now!
- The Old Steward 是，老爷……这位公子，请吧。
Shì, lǎoye… Zhè wèi gōngzǐ, qǐng ba.
Yes, Master... This way, please, young sir.
- Zhu Yingtai 爸爸！是我啊！您好好看看我！
Bàba! Shì wǒ a! Nín hǎohǎo kànkan wǒ!
Father! It's me! Take a good look at me!
- Narrator 祝老爷吃惊得站了起来。
Zhù lǎoye chījīng de zhàn le qǐlái.
Master Zhu jumped to his feet in shock.
- Master Zhu 你……你是英台？
Nǐ… nǐ shì Yīngtái?
You... you're Yingtai?
- Yinxin 老爷，还有我，银心！我扮的是公子的书童！
Lǎoye, hái yǒu wǒ, Yínxīn! Wǒ bàn de shì gōngzǐ de shūtóng!
And me, Master, Yinxin! I'm playing the young master's book boy!
- The Old Steward 小姐？天哪，我在门口看了半天，也没看出来！
Xiǎojie? Tiān na, wǒ zài ménkǒu kàn le bàntiān, yě méi kàn chūlái!
Miss? Heavens, I looked at you for ages at the gate and never saw it!
- Master Zhu 这身打扮……我自己的女儿，我都没认出来！
Zhè shēn dǎban… wǒ zìjǐ de nǚ'ér, wǒ dōu méi rèn chūlái!
Dressed like that... My own daughter, and I didn't know her!
- Master Zhu 好啊！一个女儿，一个丫鬟，一起来骗我！
Hǎo a! Yí gè nǚ'ér, yí gè yāhuan, yìqǐ lái piàn wǒ!
Well, well! My daughter and my maid, ganging up to trick me!
- Zhu Yingtai 爸爸，打赌是您输了。您说过的话，要算话！
Bàba, dǎdǔ shì nín shū le. Nín shuō guo de huà, yào suànhuà!
Father, you lost the bet. You have to keep your word!
- Master Zhu 好，好，傻孩子。我们祝家的人，说话算话。你去吧。
Hǎo, hǎo, shǎ háizi. Wǒmen Zhù jiā de rén, shuōhuà suànhuà. Nǐ qù ba.
All right, all right, you silly child. We Zhus keep our word. You may go.
- Master Zhu 可是你要记住两件事。第一，谁也不能知道你是女孩子。这是我们家的秘密。
Kěshì nǐ yào jìzhù liǎng jiàn shì. Dì yī, shéi yě bù néng zhīdào nǐ shì nǚháizi. Zhè shì wǒmen jiā de mìmì.
But remember two things. First: no one may know you're a girl. That is our family's secret.
- Master Zhu 第二，我叫你回家，你就马上回来。三年，一天也不能多！
Dì èr, wǒ jiào nǐ huí jiā, nǐ jiù mǎshàng huílái. Sān nián, yì tiān yě bù néng duō!
Second: when I call you home, you come at once. Three years, and not one day more!
- Zhu Yingtai 女儿记住了！
Nǚ'ér jìzhù le!
I'll remember, Father!
- Yinxin 老爷放心！我这个书童，一定好好照顾公子，不让别人看出来！
Lǎoye fàngxīn! Wǒ zhège shūtóng, yídìng hǎohǎo zhàogù gōngzǐ, bú ràng biérén kàn chūlái!
Don't worry, Master! This book boy will take good care of the young master, and nobody will find out!
- Master Zhu 还有……三年以后你回来，别人会说：一个女孩子，在男孩子中间住了三年！
Hái yǒu… sān nián yǐhòu nǐ huílái, biérén huì shuō: yí gè nǚháizi, zài nánháizi zhōngjiān zhù le sān nián!
And another thing... When you come back in three years, people will say: a girl, living among boys for three years!
- Master Zhu 到那时候，你怎么让大家相信，你还是一个好女孩？
Dào nà shíhou, nǐ zěnme ràng dàjiā xiāngxìn, nǐ háishì yí gè hǎo nǚhái?
Then how will you make everyone believe you're still a good girl?
- Narrator 英台看着花园里的石榴树，树上的石榴花开得红红的。
Yīngtái kànzhe huāyuán lǐ de shíliushù, shù shàng de shíliuhuā kāi de hónghóng de.
Yingtai looked out at the pomegranate tree in the garden. Its flowers were bright red.
- Zhu Yingtai 爸爸，我知道怎么做了。
Bàba, wǒ zhīdào zěnme zuò le.
Father, I know how.
What changed in the story?
- Who does the old steward say is at the gate?
“门外来了一位年轻的读书人，还带着一个书童”
- Which book does the scholar say is the best?
“最好的书，是还没有读过的书”
- Why does Master Zhu suddenly get angry with the scholar?
“听说您的女儿也很聪明……我能见见她吗？”
- What are Master Zhu's two rules?
“谁也不能知道你是女孩子……我叫你回家，你就马上回来”
- What worries Master Zhu at the end?
“你怎么让大家相信，你还是一个好女孩？”