Creation of the Gods: Daji the Fox Spirit · chapter 1 of 5
The Rude Poem
墙上的诗
A proud king writes a rude poem on the goddess Nuwa's temple wall. That night, a thousand-year-old fox hears her plan.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 很久以前，商朝的大王来到女娲的神庙。今天是女神的生日。
Hěn jiǔ yǐqián, Shāngcháo de dàwáng láidào Nǚwā de shénmiào. Jīntiān shì nǚshén de shēngrì.
Long ago, the king of the Shang dynasty came to the temple of the goddess Nuwa. Today was her birthday.
- Shang Rong 大王，请上香。要小声一点，这里是女神的家。
Dàwáng, qǐng shàng xiāng. Yào xiǎoshēng yìdiǎn, zhèlǐ shì nǚshén de jiā.
Your Majesty, please light the incense. Speak softly. This is the goddess's home.
- King Zhou 上香？我是大王，谁都要拜我。为什么我要拜别人？
Shàng xiāng? Wǒ shì dàwáng, shéi dōu yào bài wǒ. Wèishénme wǒ yào bài biérén?
Incense? I'm the king. Everyone bows to me. Why should I bow to anyone else?
- Shang Rong 大王！小声一点！女神会听见的。
Dàwáng! Xiǎoshēng yìdiǎn! Nǚshén huì tīngjiàn de.
Your Majesty! Softly! The goddess will hear you.
- King Zhou 好，好，我上一支香。咦，风来了！
Hǎo, hǎo, wǒ shàng yì zhī xiāng. Yí, fēng lái le!
Fine, fine, one stick of incense. Oh, the wind!
- King Zhou 那是……女神的像？她真美！
Nà shì… nǚshén de xiàng? Tā zhēn měi!
That is… the goddess's statue? She is so beautiful!
- Shang Rong 大王，她是女神，您不能这样看她。请快走吧！
Dàwáng, tā shì nǚshén, nín bù néng zhèyàng kàn tā. Qǐng kuài zǒu ba!
Your Majesty, she is a goddess. You must not stare at her like that. Please, let us go!
- King Zhou 我的宫里，没有一个人这么美。拿笔来！
Wǒ de gōng lǐ, méiyǒu yí gè rén zhème měi. Ná bǐ lái!
Nobody in my palace is this beautiful. Bring me a brush!
- Shang Rong 笔？大王要做什么？
Bǐ? Dàwáng yào zuò shénme?
A brush? What does Your Majesty want to do?
- King Zhou 我要在墙上写一首诗！我写得很好，你等着看！
Wǒ yào zài qiáng shàng xiě yì shǒu shī! Wǒ xiě de hěn hǎo, nǐ děngzhe kàn!
I'm going to write a poem on the wall! I write very well, just watch!
- Shang Rong 大王，不要写！女神会生气的！
Dàwáng, bú yào xiě! Nǚshén huì shēngqì de!
Your Majesty, don't write it! The goddess will be angry!
- King Zhou 她只是石头，怎么会生气？看我写！
Tā zhǐ shì shítou, zěnme huì shēngqì? Kàn wǒ xiě!
She's just stone. How could she be angry? Watch me write!
- Shang Rong 天啊……他写，他要把女神带回宫里！
Tiān a… Tā xiě, tā yào bǎ nǚshén dài huí gōng lǐ!
Heavens… He is writing that he'll take the goddess home to his palace!
- King Zhou 写好了！我是大王，我想要谁，就要谁！
Xiě hǎo le! Wǒ shì dàwáng, wǒ xiǎng yào shéi, jiù yào shéi!
Done! I'm the king. Whoever I want, I get!
- Narrator 那天晚上，女娲回到她的庙里，看见了墙上的诗。
Nà tiān wǎnshang, Nǚwā huídào tā de miào lǐ, kànjiàn le qiáng shàng de shī.
That night, Nuwa came back to her temple and saw the poem on the wall.
- Nuwa 这是谁写的？商朝的大王？
Zhè shì shéi xiě de? Shāngcháo de dàwáng?
Who wrote this? The king of Shang?
- Nuwa 商朝有这样的大王，会很快完了。
Shāngcháo yǒu zhèyàng de dàwáng, huì hěn kuài wán le.
A dynasty with a king like this will soon be finished.
- Nuwa 我的小狐狸，你在哪儿？
Wǒ de xiǎo húli, nǐ zài nǎr?
My little fox, where are you?
- The Fox Spirit 女神，我在这儿。您叫我吗？
Nǚshén, wǒ zài zhèr. Nín jiào wǒ ma?
Goddess, I'm right here. Did you call me?
- Nuwa 你在山里住了一千年，一定很无聊。你想做什么？
Nǐ zài shān lǐ zhù le yìqiān nián, yídìng hěn wúliáo. Nǐ xiǎng zuò shénme?
You have lived in the mountains for a thousand years. You must be bored. What do you want to do?
- The Fox Spirit 我想有一张最美的脸！我想去大王的宫里玩！
Wǒ xiǎng yǒu yì zhāng zuì měi de liǎn! Wǒ xiǎng qù dàwáng de gōng lǐ wán!
I want the most beautiful face! I want to go and play in the king's palace!
- Nuwa 好。你去吧。让大王爱上你，忘了他的国家。
Hǎo. Nǐ qù ba. Ràng dàwáng àishàng nǐ, wàng le tā de guójiā.
Good. Go. Make the king fall in love with you and forget his country.
- The Fox Spirit 让大王爱我？哈哈，这太容易了！
Ràng dàwáng ài wǒ? Hāhā, zhè tài róngyì le!
Make the king love me? Ha ha, that's way too easy!
- Nuwa 只做这一件事。不要伤害别的人。
Zhǐ zuò zhè yí jiàn shì. Búyào shānghài bié de rén.
Do only this one thing. Do not hurt anyone else.
- The Fox Spirit 我记住了。可是，宫里有很多人。我怎么进去？
Wǒ jìzhù le. Kěshì, gōng lǐ yǒu hěn duō rén. Wǒ zěnme jìnqù?
I'll remember. But there are so many people in the palace. How do I get in?
- Nuwa 有一个女孩，叫苏妲己。她很美，也要去宫里。
Yǒu yí gè nǚhái, jiào Sū Dájǐ. Tā hěn měi, yě yào qù gōng lǐ.
There is a girl named Su Daji. She is very beautiful, and she is going to the palace too.
- The Fox Spirit 苏妲己……我可以用她的脸！
Sū Dájǐ… Wǒ kěyǐ yòng tā de liǎn!
Su Daji… I can use her face!
- Nuwa 去吧。别忘了，是他先写了那首诗。
Qù ba. Bié wàng le, shì tā xiān xiě le nà shǒu shī.
Go. Don't forget: he was the one who wrote that poem first.
- The Fox Spirit 大王，你等着。妲己来了！
Dàwáng, nǐ děngzhe. Dájǐ lái le!
King, you just wait. Daji is coming!
What changed in the story?
- Why must the king speak softly in the temple?
“要小声一点，这里是女神的家。”
- What does the king call for when he sees the statue?
“拿笔来！”
- Why is Nuwa angry?
“看见了墙上的诗”……“这是谁写的？”
- What does Nuwa tell the fox to do?
“让大王爱上你，忘了他的国家。”
- Whose face will the fox borrow?
“苏妲己……我可以用她的脸！”