Cinderella · chapter 4 of 5
Midnight
十二点
At the palace, the prince dances with no one else. Cinderella is so happy that she forgets to watch the clock.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 王宫里有很多人。音乐很好听，大家都在跳舞。
Wánggōng lǐ yǒu hěn duō rén. Yīnyuè hěn hǎotīng, dàjiā dōu zài tiàowǔ.
The palace was full of people. The music was lovely, and everyone was dancing.
- The Prince 大家怎么都不跳了？……啊，那个女孩是谁？
Dàjiā zěnme dōu bú tiào le? … À, nàge nǚhái shì shéi?
Why has everyone stopped dancing? … Oh! Who is that girl?
- The Prince 金色的衣服，玻璃鞋……她真漂亮！
Jīnsè de yīfu, bōlixié… tā zhēn piàoliang!
A golden gown, glass slippers… she's so beautiful!
- The Prince 你好！我可以请你跳舞吗？
Nǐ hǎo! Wǒ kěyǐ qǐng nǐ tiàowǔ ma?
Good evening! May I have this dance?
- Cinderella 王子……好，好的。
Wángzǐ… hǎo, hǎo de.
Your Highness… y-yes, I'd love to.
- Cinderella 王子一直和我跳舞。别的女孩，他都不看。
Wángzǐ yìzhí hé wǒ tiàowǔ. Bié de nǚhái, tā dōu bú kàn.
The prince has danced with me all night. He won't even look at the other girls.
- The Prince 你跳得真好！你是哪国人？叫什么名字？
Nǐ tiào de zhēn hǎo! Nǐ shì nǎ guó rén? Jiào shénme míngzi?
You dance beautifully! Where are you from? What's your name?
- Cinderella 这个……我不能说。
Zhège… wǒ bù néng shuō.
That… I'm afraid I can't say.
- The Prince 今天晚上，我什么都没吃。我只想看着你。
Jīntiān wǎnshang, wǒ shénme dōu méi chī. Wǒ zhǐ xiǎng kànzhe nǐ.
I haven't eaten a thing all evening. All I want to do is look at you.
- Cinderella 那是姐姐！她在看我……可是她不知道我是谁！
Nà shì jiějie! Tā zài kàn wǒ… kěshì tā bù zhīdào wǒ shì shéi!
That's my stepsister! She's looking right at me… and she has no idea who I am!
- Narrator 这时，王宫的大钟响了。一下，两下，三下……
Zhèshí, wánggōng de dà zhōng xiǎng le. Yí xià, liǎng xià, sān xià…
Just then, the great palace clock began to strike. One, two, three…
- Cinderella 十二点！我忘了！仙女说，十二点以前一定要回家！
Shí'èr diǎn! Wǒ wàng le! Xiānnǚ shuō, shí'èr diǎn yǐqián yídìng yào huí jiā!
Twelve o'clock! I forgot! The fairy said I had to be home before twelve!
- Cinderella 对不起，王子，我要走了！
Duìbuqǐ, wángzǐ, wǒ yào zǒu le!
I'm sorry, Your Highness, I have to go!
- The Prince 等一等！你去哪儿？
Děng yi děng! Nǐ qù nǎr?
Wait! Where are you going?
- Narrator 她跑下楼梯，一只玻璃鞋掉了。可是她没有停下来。
Tā pǎo xià lóutī, yì zhī bōlixié diào le. Kěshì tā méiyǒu tíng xiàlái.
She ran down the stairs, and one glass slipper fell off. But she didn't stop.
- The Prince 你的鞋！别走！
Nǐ de xié! Bié zǒu!
Your slipper! Don't go!
- Cinderella 对不起……我不能停！
Duìbuqǐ… wǒ bù néng tíng!
I'm sorry… I can't stop!
- The Prince 她走了……只留下了这只玻璃鞋。
Tā zǒu le… zhǐ liú xià le zhè zhī bōlixié.
She's gone… and all she left behind is this glass slipper.
- The Prince 我一定要找到她！
Wǒ yídìng yào zhǎodào tā!
I have to find her. And I will!
- Narrator 十二点了。马车变回了南瓜。金色的衣服，也变回了灰衣服。
Shí'èr diǎn le. Mǎchē biàn huí le nánguā. Jīnsè de yīfu, yě biàn huí le huī yīfu.
It was midnight. The carriage was a pumpkin again, and the golden gown was the old grey dress once more.
- Cinderella 都没有了……可是，这只玻璃鞋还在。
Dōu méiyǒu le… kěshì, zhè zhī bōlixié hái zài.
It's all gone… but this glass slipper is still here.
What changed in the story?
- What does everyone at the ball do when Cinderella arrives?
“大家怎么都不跳了？”
- What does Cinderella say when the prince asks her name?
“我不能说。”
- Why hasn't the prince eaten anything all evening?
“我只想看着你。”
- What surprises Cinderella about her stepsister at the ball?
“她不知道我是谁！”
- What does Cinderella still have after the magic is gone?
“这只玻璃鞋还在。”