Hercules · chapter 4 of 5
The Golden Apples
金苹果
At the top of the world stands a man holding up the sky. Hercules offers to help, but Atlas has a sneaky plan of his own.
Read what you hear
- Hercules 好高的山，天好近啊！
Hǎo gāo de shān, tiān hǎo jìn a!
What a high mountain, and the sky is so close!
- Hercules 那边有一个人，他好大啊！
Nàbiān yǒu yí gè rén, tā hǎo dà a!
There's a man over there, and he's huge!
- Hercules 老人家，你在那儿做什么？
Lǎorenjia, nǐ zài nàr zuò shénme?
Old sir, what are you doing over there?
Chapter 4 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.
- Atlas 我叫阿特拉斯，我在拿着天。
Wǒ jiào Ātèlāsī, wǒ zài názhe tiān.
My name is Atlas. I am holding up the sky.
- Hercules 拿着天？你是说真的吗？
Názhe tiān? Nǐ shì shuō zhēn de ma?
Holding up the sky? Are you serious?
- Atlas 天很重，我拿了很多很多年，我好累。
Tiān hěn zhòng, wǒ ná le hěn duō hěn duō nián, wǒ hǎo lèi.
The sky is heavy. I have held it for many, many years, and I'm so tired.
- Hercules 阿特拉斯，你知道金苹果在哪儿吗？
Ātèlāsī, nǐ zhīdào jīn píngguǒ zài nǎr ma?
Atlas, do you know where the golden apples are?
- Atlas 金苹果在我家那边，我去拿很快。
Jīn píngguǒ zài wǒ jiā nàbiān, wǒ qù ná hěn kuài.
The golden apples are near my house. It's quick for me to fetch them.
- Atlas 可是天怎么办？没有人拿着它……
Kěshì tiān zěnme bàn? Méiyǒu rén názhe tā…
But what about the sky? No one would be holding it…
- Hercules 我来拿吧，我的力气也很大！
Wǒ lái ná ba, wǒ de lìqi yě hěn dà!
I'll hold it. I'm very strong too!
- Atlas 你要小心，它真的很重！
Nǐ yào xiǎoxīn, tā zhēn de hěn zhòng!
Be careful, it's really heavy!
- Hercules 啊……真重！可是我可以，你去吧！
A… zhēn zhòng! Kěshì wǒ kěyǐ, nǐ qù ba!
Ah… so heavy! But I can do it. Go!
- Atlas 谢谢你，我很快就回来！
Xièxie nǐ, wǒ hěn kuài jiù huílái!
Thank you, I'll be back very soon!
- Atlas 我能走路了！风、树、花，我都好久没有看到了！
Wǒ néng zǒulù le! Fēng, shù, huā, wǒ dōu hǎojiǔ méiyǒu kàndào le!
I can walk! Wind, trees, flowers, I haven't seen them in ages!
- Atlas 这里有三个金苹果，我都拿上。
Zhèlǐ yǒu sān gè jīn píngguǒ, wǒ dōu ná shàng.
Here are three golden apples. I'll take them all.
- Atlas 我不想回去了，让他拿着天吧！
Wǒ bù xiǎng huíqù le, ràng tā názhe tiān ba!
I don't want to go back. Let him hold the sky!
- Atlas 苹果我自己给国王，我不要别人帮我。
Píngguǒ wǒ zìjǐ gěi guówáng, wǒ bú yào biéren bāng wǒ.
I'll give the apples to the king myself. I don't need anyone's help.
- Hercules 阿特拉斯，你在哪儿？我好累啊！
Ātèlāsī, nǐ zài nǎr? Wǒ hǎo lèi a!
Atlas, where are you? I'm so tired!
- Atlas 我回来了，朋友，谢谢你。
Wǒ huílái le, péngyou, xièxie nǐ.
I'm back, friend. Thank you.
- Atlas 苹果我自己给国王，你拿着天吧。
Píngguǒ wǒ zìjǐ gěi guówáng, nǐ názhe tiān ba.
I'll give the apples to the king myself. You keep holding the sky.
- Hercules 什么？……好，好，没有问题。
Shénme? …Hǎo, hǎo, méiyǒu wèntí.
What? …Fine, fine, no problem.
- Hercules 可是我的头好疼。我想拿一件衣服，放在头上。
Kěshì wǒ de tóu hǎo téng. Wǒ xiǎng ná yí jiàn yīfu, fàng zài tóu shang.
But my head hurts. I want to get a coat and put it on my head.
- Hercules 你拿一下天，好吗？一下就好。
Nǐ ná yíxià tiān, hǎo ma? Yíxià jiù hǎo.
Will you hold the sky for a moment? Just a moment.
- Atlas 一下？好吧，给我。
Yíxià? Hǎo ba, gěi wǒ.
A moment? All right, give it here.
- Hercules 谢谢你，阿特拉斯，再见！
Xièxie nǐ, Ātèlāsī, zàijiàn!
Thank you, Atlas. Goodbye!
- Atlas 等一下！赫拉克勒斯，你回来！
Děng yíxià! Hèlākèlèsī, nǐ huílái!
Wait! Hercules, come back!
- Hercules 我的朋友，天是你的，你拿好吧！
Wǒ de péngyou, tiān shì nǐ de, nǐ ná hǎo ba!
My friend, the sky is yours. Hold it well!
- Messenger 大力士！国王说话了！
Dàlìshì! Guówáng shuōhuà le!
Strongman! The king has spoken!
- Messenger 最后一件事，去地下，找一只有三个头的大狗！
Zuìhòu yí jiàn shì, qù dìxià, zhǎo yì zhī yǒu sān gè tóu de dà gǒu!
The last task: go under the earth and find a dog with three heads!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What is Atlas doing when Hercules finds him?
“我叫阿特拉斯，我在拿着天。”
- What does Hercules offer to do?
“我来拿吧，我的力气也很大！”
- What does Atlas want when he comes back?
“苹果我自己给国王，你拿着天吧。”
- What does Hercules say he wants to get?
“可是我的头好疼。我想拿一件衣服，放在头上。”
- What is the king's last task?
“最后一件事，去地下，找一只有三个头的大狗！”