Lost in the Garden

Nà nín qiānwànbié wǎngdōng zǒu! Wǒ qù jiào rén ná dēnglái, mǎshàng jiù huílái!

Then whatever you do, don't go east! I'll fetch someone with a lantern and be right back!

Dōngbiān yǒu shénme hǎowán de ne? Tā yuè bú ràng wǒ qù, wǒ jiù yuè yào qù kànkan.

What's fun in the east? The more she tells me not to go, the more I want to see.

Zuǒbiān shì zhúzi, yòubiān shì zhúzi, qiánmiàn háishi zhúzi. Shì shuíjiā zài zhèr mài zhúzi ma?

Bamboo on the left, bamboo on the right, and more bamboo ahead. Is somebody selling bamboo here?

Liú lǎolao a Liú lǎolao, nǐ de tuǐ zěnme bù tīnghuà le? Dàodǐ shì jiǔ zài zǒulù, háishi wǒ zài zǒulù?

Oh Granny Liu, why won't your legs behave? Is it the wine walking, or is it me?

Yí, zhèlǐ yǒu yízuò shíqiáo, qiáoxià de shuǐzhēnqīng. Háiyǒu xiǎoyú ne, wǒ yàoshi dài yì tiáo huíqù, Bǎn'ér yídìng gāoxìng.

Oh, a stone bridge, and the water below is so clear, with tiny fish. If I took one home, Banger would be delighted.

Zhètiáo lù wǒ hǎoxiàng zǒuguò, zhèkuài shítou xiàng yì zhī wūguī, wǒ rènshi tā. Bú duì, tā gāngcái míngmíng zài zuǒbiān!

I feel I've walked this path. This rock looks like a turtle and I know it. Wait, it was on the left just now!

Hǎo ba, wǒ rènshū le. Wǒ yìbiān zǒu yìbiān wén, wéndào fàncài xiāng de dìfang, jiùshì yǒurén de dìfang.

All right, I give up. I'll walk and sniff, and where I smell dinner, there must be people.

Yí, nàlǐ yǒu yíshàn hóngqī de mén! Lǐmiàn háiliàng zhe dēng, shuōbúdìng yǒurén zàijiā!

Oh, there's a red-lacquered door over there, and a light is on inside. Someone may be home!

Yǒurén ma? Wǒ shì Liú lǎolao, wǒ mílù le, néng bù néng jiègè dìfang zuò yī zuò?

Is anybody there? I'm Granny Liu and I'm lost. May I borrow a place to sit for a moment?

Tiān nǎ, zhèshì shuíjiā de fángzi? Dìshàng shì huāzhuān, qiángshàng shì huà, bǐ huánggōng hái piàoliang!

Heavens, whose house is this? Patterned tiles on the floor, paintings on the walls, prettier than a palace!

Zhèfú huàlǐ de xiǎogūniáng hǎoxiàng zài duì wǒ xiào ne. Gūniáng, nǐ jīnnián jǐsuì le, jiā zài nǎr?

The little girl in this painting seems to be smiling at me. Miss, how old are you, and where is your home?

Tā bù huídá, ó, wǒ zhīdào le, tā shì huà shàng de rén, wǒ zhēnshì hútú.

She doesn't answer. Oh, I see, she's just a painting. How silly of me.

Shuí zài qiāo tóng hézi? Āiyā, xiàsǐ wǒ le! Zhèlǐ dàodǐ yǒu duōshao gè kànbújiàn de rén?

Who's banging on a copper box? Goodness, you scared me to death! How many unseen people are in here?

Yuánlái shì gè huìxiǎng de dà guìzi. Chénglǐ de dōngxi zhēn yǒuyìsi, lián guìzi dōu huì shuōhuà.

So it's a big cabinet that rings. City things are so interesting, even the cabinets talk.

Yí, duìmiàn lái le yí wèi lǎotàitai. Tóufa luànluànde, liǎn hónghóngde, hái chuānzhe bǔdīng yīfu.

Oh, an old woman is coming toward me, with messy hair, a red face, and a patched jacket.

Lǎo jiějie, nínhǎo a! Nín yě shìcóng xiāng xiàlái de ba, wǒmen liǎ zhēn yǒuyuánfēn.

Hello, old sister! You come from the country too, don't you? We were meant to meet.

Nín zěnme bù shuōhuà ne, shìbúshì wǒ de shēngyīn tàidà le?

Why don't you speak? Is my voice too loud?

Nín de liǎn zěnme hé wǒ zhème xiàng, nín shìbúshì yě hēlejiǔ?

Why does your face look so much like mine? Did you drink wine too?

Wǒlái wòwò nín de shǒu… Āiyō, wǒ de bízi! Zhèlǐ zěnme yǒu yíkuài lěngbīngbīng de yìng bǎnzi?

Let me shake your hand... ouch, my nose! Why is there a cold, hard board here?

Hāhāhā, wǒ míngbai le! Zhèshì yímiàn jìngzi, wǒ gēn zìjǐ shuōle bàntiān huà!

Ha ha ha, now I understand, it's a mirror! I've been talking to myself all this time!

Liú lǎolao ya Liú lǎolao, nǐ zhēnshì gè hútú lǎotàipó. Búguò zhège hútú lǎotàipó, xiào qǐlái hái tǐng hǎokàn de.

Oh Granny Liu, you're a muddled old woman. But this muddled old woman looks rather nice when she laughs.

Hǎo le, bié dānwù wǒ zhǎo lù le. Zhèbiān shì qiáng, nàbiān yě shì qiáng, mén dàodǐ zài nǎr ne?

Enough, I need to find my way out. There's a wall here and a wall there, so where's the door?

Yí, zhèkuài bǎnzi hòumiàn hǎoxiàng yǒugè xiǎo jīguān. Wǒ àn yíxià shìshì, kàn tā huì bù huì yǎo wǒ.

Hm, there seems to be a little latch behind this panel. Let me press it and see whether it bites me.

Āiyā, qiángshàng kāi le yíshànmén! Mén lǐ háiyǒu yìjiān xiǎo wūzi, zhèshì shénme mófǎ?

Goodness, a door has opened in the wall, and there's a little room inside! What kind of magic is this?

Lǐmiàn yǒu yì zhāng dàchuáng, bèizi shì hóng de, liánzi shì lǜ de. Zhè yídìng shì shénxiān shuì de chuáng.

There's a big bed inside, with a red quilt and green curtains. This must be where immortals sleep.

Wǒ jiù zuò yìxiǎo huìr. Wǒ de tuǐ hǎo lèi, tóu yě yǒudiǎnr yūn, jiǔ zhēnshì gèhuài péngyou.

I'll sit down for just a little while. My legs are so tired and my head is dizzy. Wine is a bad friend.

Zhǐ tǎng yíhuìr, jiù yìxiǎo huìr, yàoshi yǒurén lái le, qǐng jiào wǒ yìshēng.

Just lie down for a bit, only a little bit. If anyone comes, please call out to me.