Hercules · chapter 3 of 5
The Dirty Stables
牛的家
Three thousand cows and thirty years of dirt: Hercules gets one day. He does not use a shovel, and the king is still not happy.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 牛的家在山下，是奥革阿斯的家。
Niú de jiā zài shānxià, shì Àogé'āsī de jiā.
The cows' home was at the foot of the hill. It belonged to Augeas.
- Hercules 啊，这是什么味道？我想走开！
A, zhè shì shénme wèidao? Wǒ xiǎng zǒukāi!
Ah, what is that smell? I want to leave!
- Hercules 哪儿都是脏东西，我怎么走进去？
Nǎr dōu shì zāng dōngxi, wǒ zěnme zǒu jìnqù?
There's dirt everywhere. How do I even walk in?
Chapter 3 is part of SayMei Stories Unlimited ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapters 1 and 2 of Hercules are free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, The Ugly Duckling, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- Augeas 你是大力士吗？我有三千头牛。
Nǐ shì dàlìshì ma? Wǒ yǒu sānqiān tóu niú.
Are you the strongman? I have three thousand cows.
- Augeas 三十年了，没有人洗过这个地方！
Sānshí nián le, méiyǒu rén xǐ guo zhège dìfang!
Thirty years, and nobody has cleaned this place!
- Hercules 一天洗干净？这怎么可能！
Yì tiān xǐ gānjìng? Zhè zěnme kěnéng!
Clean in one day? How is that possible!
- Augeas 如果你一天洗干净了，我给你十头牛。
Rúguǒ nǐ yì tiān xǐ gānjìng le, wǒ gěi nǐ shí tóu niú.
If you get it clean in one day, I'll give you ten cows.
- Hercules 好，我们说好了！十头牛，一头也不能少！
Hǎo, wǒmen shuō hǎo le! Shí tóu niú, yì tóu yě bù néng shǎo!
Good, we have a deal! Ten cows, not one less!
- Hercules 我一个人拿不了这么多脏东西……
Wǒ yí gè rén ná bù liǎo zhème duō zāng dōngxi…
I can't carry away this much dirt alone…
- Hercules 水！我要水！山旁边有两条大河！
Shuǐ! Wǒ yào shuǐ! Shān pángbiān yǒu liǎng tiáo dà hé!
Water! I need water! There are two big rivers beside the hill!
- Hercules 河水，你们来帮我吧，一、二、三！
Héshuǐ, nǐmen lái bāng wǒ ba, yī, èr, sān!
Rivers, come and help me! One, two, three!
- Hercules 河水来了！你们快看，水来了！
Héshuǐ lái le! Nǐmen kuài kàn, shuǐ lái le!
The water is coming! Look, look, the water is here!
- Hercules 脏东西都走了，牛也都很高兴！
Zāng dōngxi dōu zǒu le, niú yě dōu hěn gāoxìng!
The dirt is all gone, and the cows are happy!
- Hercules 我一点也不累，我的手也很干净！
Wǒ yìdiǎn yě bú lèi, wǒ de shǒu yě hěn gānjìng!
I'm not tired at all, and my hands are clean too!
- Augeas 什么？已经干净了？这怎么可能！
Shénme? Yǐjīng gānjìng le? Zhè zěnme kěnéng!
What? Already clean? How is that possible!
- Augeas 我……我不给你牛了，你走吧。
Wǒ… wǒ bù gěi nǐ niú le, nǐ zǒu ba.
I… I won't give you the cows. Just go.
- Hercules 奥革阿斯，你说好了要给我十头牛！
Àogé'āsī, nǐ shuō hǎo le yào gěi wǒ shí tóu niú!
Augeas, you promised to give me ten cows!
- Augeas 我没有牛给你！走吧，走吧！
Wǒ méiyǒu niú gěi nǐ! Zǒu ba, zǒu ba!
I have no cows for you! Go away, go away!
- Hercules 好，我不要你的牛了。国王在等我。
Hǎo, wǒ bú yào nǐ de niú le. Guówáng zài děng wǒ.
Fine, I don't want your cows. The king is waiting for me.
- King Eurystheus 赫拉克勒斯！这一件也不能算！
Hèlākèlèsī! Zhè yí jiàn yě bù néng suàn!
Hercules! This one doesn't count either!
- Hercules 为什么不能算？这是我一个人做的！
Wèishénme bù néng suàn? Zhè shì wǒ yí gè rén zuò de!
Why not? I did it all by myself!
- King Eurystheus 是河水做的，不是你做的！
Shì héshuǐ zuò de, bú shì nǐ zuò de!
The rivers did it, not you!
- Hercules 国王，你今天的话真多。
Guówáng, nǐ jīntiān de huà zhēn duō.
King, you have a lot to say today.
- King Eurystheus 你听着，我有新的事给你做！
Nǐ tīngzhe, wǒ yǒu xīn de shì gěi nǐ zuò!
Listen, I have a new task for you!
- King Eurystheus 很远很远的地方，有一个金苹果树。
Hěn yuǎn hěn yuǎn de dìfang, yǒu yí gè jīn píngguǒ shù.
Far, far away there is a tree of golden apples.
- Hercules 金苹果？那是什么？
Jīn píngguǒ? Nà shì shénme?
Golden apples? What are those?
- King Eurystheus 我想吃！可是没有人回来过……
Wǒ xiǎng chī! Kěshì méiyǒu rén huílái guo…
I want to eat one! But nobody has ever come back…
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- How many cows does Augeas have?
“你是大力士吗？我有三千头牛。”
- What does Augeas promise if the place is clean in one day?
“如果你一天洗干净了，我给你十头牛。”
- How does Hercules clean the yard?
“水！我要水！山旁边有两条大河！”
- What does Augeas do when the yard is clean?
“我……我不给你牛了，你走吧。”
- Why does the king say this task does not count?
“是河水做的，不是你做的！”