Erlang Shen, the God with Three Eyes · chapter 1 of 4
The Third Eye
第三只眼
A sleepy boy with a third eye plays a peach-hiding game with his master. Then a white crane brings news that an old fisherman is surrounded by seven shape-shifting monsters.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 玉泉山上有一个金霞洞，年轻的杨戬和师父住在这里。
Yùquán Shān shàng yǒu yí gè Jīnxiá Dòng, niánqīng de Yáng Jiǎn hé shīfù zhù zài zhèlǐ.
On Jade Spring Mountain there was a cave called Golden Light Cave, and young Yang Jian lived there with his master.
- Master Yuding 杨戬，太阳都出来了，你怎么还在睡觉呢？
Yáng Jiǎn, tàiyáng dōu chūlái le, nǐ zěnme hái zài shuìjiào ne?
Yang Jian, the sun is already up. Why are you still asleep?
- Erlang Shen (Yang Jian) 师父，我没有睡。我在想很重要的事情。
Shīfù, wǒ méiyǒu shuì. Wǒ zài xiǎng hěn zhòngyào de shìqíng.
Master, I'm not asleep. I'm thinking about something very important.
- Master Yuding 很重要的事情？你的狗都比你起得早，你看它。
Hěn zhòngyào de shìqíng? Nǐ de gǒu dōu bǐ nǐ qǐ de zǎo, nǐ kàn tā.
Something very important? Your dog got up before you did. Look at him.
- Erlang Shen (Yang Jian) 哮天犬只是饿了，师父。别叫了，哮天犬，我听见了！
Xiàotiānquǎn zhǐshì è le, shīfù. Bié jiào le, Xiàotiānquǎn, wǒ tīngjiàn le!
Xiaotian is just hungry, Master. Stop barking, Xiaotian, I hear you!
- Master Yuding 好了。今天我们玩一个游戏，我藏一个桃子，你来找。
Hǎo le. Jīntiān wǒmen wán yí gè yóuxì, wǒ cáng yí gè táozi, nǐ lái zhǎo.
All right. Today we'll play a game. I'll hide a peach, and you find it.
- Erlang Shen (Yang Jian) 太容易了，我的眼睛是最好的，我一定能找到！
Tài róngyì le, wǒ de yǎnjīng shì zuìhǎo de, wǒ yídìng néng zhǎodào!
Too easy! I have the best eyes, and I'll find it for sure!
- Master Yuding 那你先闭上眼睛，数到十，我去藏桃子。
Nà nǐ xiān bìshàng yǎnjīng, shùdào shí, wǒ qù cáng táozi.
Then close your eyes first and count to ten while I hide the peach.
- Erlang Shen (Yang Jian) 一，二，三，四，五，六，七，八，九，十，师父，我可以看了吗？
Yī, èr, sān, sì, wǔ, liù, qī, bā, jiǔ, shí, shīfù, wǒ kěyǐ kàn le ma?
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Master, can I look now?
- Master Yuding 可以，去找吧，桃子就在这个院子里。
Kěyǐ, qù zhǎo ba, táozi jiù zài zhège yuànzi lǐ.
You may. Go and find it. The peach is somewhere in this yard.
- Erlang Shen (Yang Jian) 桌子下面没有，树上也没有，石头后面也没有。
Zhuōzi xiàmiàn méiyǒu, shùshàng yě méiyǒu, shítou hòumiàn yě méiyǒu.
Not under the table, not in the tree, not behind the rock either.
- Erlang Shen (Yang Jian) 师父，桃子在哪儿？这个院子太大了，我找不到。
Shīfù, táozi zài nǎr? Zhège yuànzi tàidà le, wǒ zhǎo bu dào.
Master, where is the peach? This yard is too big, and I can't find it.
- Master Yuding 你有两只眼睛，还有第三只，你为什么不用它呢？
Nǐ yǒu liǎng zhī yǎnjīng, háiyǒu dìsān zhī, nǐ wèishénme bú yòng tā ne?
You have two eyes and a third one too. Why don't you use it?
- Erlang Shen (Yang Jian) 第三只眼睛？师父，它太亮了，我有点怕。
Dìsān zhī yǎnjīng? Shīfù, tā tàiliàng le, wǒ yǒudiǎn pà.
My third eye? Master, it's too bright. I'm a little scared.
- Master Yuding 怕什么？它是你自己的眼睛，你慢慢打开就好。
Pà shénme? Tā shì nǐ zìjǐ de yǎnjīng, nǐ mànmàn dǎkāi jiù hǎo.
Scared of what? It's your own eye. Just open it slowly.
- Erlang Shen (Yang Jian) 好……我慢慢打开它。师父，你别走开。
Hǎo…… Wǒ mànmàn dǎkāi tā. Shīfù, nǐ bié zǒukāi.
Okay... I'm opening it slowly. Master, don't go away.
- Erlang Shen (Yang Jian) 哇，我看见了，桃子在……师父的袖子里！
Wā, wǒ kànjiàn le, táozi zài…… Shīfù de xiùzi lǐ!
Wow, I can see it! The peach is in... your sleeve, Master!
- Master Yuding 哈哈哈，你看得真清楚，这个桃子是你的了。
Hāhāhā, nǐ kàn de zhēn qīngchǔ, zhège táozi shì nǐ de le.
Ha ha ha, you see so clearly! This peach is yours.
- Erlang Shen (Yang Jian) 太好了！哮天犬，不行，这个桃子是我的，你别看我！
Tàihǎo le! Xiàotiānquǎn, bù xíng, zhège táozi shì wǒ de, nǐ bié kàn wǒ!
Wonderful! No, Xiaotian, this peach is mine, so don't look at me like that!
- Master Yuding 咦，白鹤送信来了，啊，姜子牙有大麻烦了！
Yí, báihè sòngxìn lái le, ā, Jiāng Zǐyá yǒu dà máfán le!
Oh, a white crane has brought a letter. Ah, Jiang Ziya is in big trouble!
- Erlang Shen (Yang Jian) 姜子牙？是那个用直鱼钩钓鱼的老人吗？
Jiāng Zǐyá? Shì nàge yòngzhí yúgōu diàoyú de lǎorén ma?
Jiang Ziya? The old man who fishes with a straight hook?
- Master Yuding 是他。梅山有七个妖怪，把他围住了，他们都会变。
Shì tā. Méishān yǒu qī gè yāoguài, bǎ tā wéizhù le, tāmen dōu huì biàn.
That's him. Seven monsters from Plum Mountain have surrounded him, and they can all change shape.
- Erlang Shen (Yang Jian) 七个妖怪？他们会变，我也会变。我去帮他！
Qī gè yāoguài? Tāmen huì biàn, wǒ yě huì biàn. Wǒ qù bāng tā!
Seven monsters? They can change, and so can I. I'll go and help him!
- Master Yuding 哦，是吗？那你会变几种呢？
Ò, shì ma? Nà nǐ huì biàn jǐ zhǒng ne?
Oh, is that so? How many changes do you know?
- Erlang Shen (Yang Jian) 三十种，可是昨天我变成一只鸟，尾巴还是狗的。
Sānshí zhǒng, kěshì zuótiān wǒ biànchéng yì zhī niǎo, wěiba háishì gǒu de.
Thirty. But yesterday I turned into a bird, and the tail was still a dog's.
- Master Yuding 哈哈，那就在路上再练一练吧。去，帮帮姜子牙！
Hāhā, nà jiù zài lùshàng zài liàn yi liàn ba. Qù, bāngbāng Jiāng Zǐyá!
Ha ha, then practice some more on the road. Go and help Jiang Ziya!
- Erlang Shen (Yang Jian) 好，哮天犬，我们走，老人家，等着我！
Hǎo, Xiàotiānquǎn, wǒmen zǒu, lǎorénjiā, děng zhe wǒ!
Right! Xiaotian, let's go. Old man, wait for me!
- Master Yuding 杨戬，你要小心那个白猿袁洪，他会变成你最想不到的人！
Yáng Jiǎn, nǐ yào xiǎoxīn nàge báiyuán Yuán Hóng, tā huì biànchéng nǐ zuì xiǎng bu dào de rén!
Yang Jian, be careful of that white ape, Yuan Hong. He can turn into the person you least expect!
What changed in the story?
- What game does Master Yuding play with Yang Jian?
“我藏一个桃子，你来找。”
- What helps Erlang find the peach at last?
“你有两只眼睛，还有第三只，你为什么不用它呢？”
- Where was the peach hidden?
“桃子在……师父的袖子里！”
- What news does the white crane bring?
“白鹤送信来了，啊，姜子牙有大麻烦了！”
- What went wrong when Erlang turned into a bird yesterday?
“昨天我变成一只鸟，尾巴还是狗的。”