Hercules · chapter 2 of 5
The Lion and the Hydra
狮子和九头蛇
Hercules meets a lion that arrows cannot hurt and a snake that grows two heads for one. Then the king finds a way to say it all does not count.
Hear the chapter
Read what you hear
- Hercules 这里真安静……狮子，你在哪儿？
Zhèlǐ zhēn ānjìng… Shīzi, nǐ zài nǎr?
It's so quiet here… Lion, where are you?
- Hercules 你看，那边有一个很大的山，山上有大狮子的家！
Nǐ kàn, nàbiān yǒu yí gè hěn dà de shān, shān shàng yǒu dà shīzi de jiā!
Look, there's a big hill over there, and the lion's home is on it!
- Hercules 狮子！你出来！我是赫拉克勒斯！
Shīzi! Nǐ chūlái! Wǒ shì Hèlākèlèsī!
Lion! Come out! I am Hercules!
- Hercules 好大的声音！可是我不怕你！
Hǎo dà de shēngyīn! Kěshì wǒ bú pà nǐ!
What a loud voice! But I'm not afraid of you!
- Hercules 不行！我用手打它，它一点也不怕！
Bù xíng! Wǒ yòng shǒu dǎ tā, tā yìdiǎn yě bú pà!
Not working! I hit it with my hand and it isn't afraid at all!
- Hercules 好，那我就不打了，我们来玩玩！
Hǎo, nà wǒ jiù bù dǎ le, wǒmen lái wánwan!
Fine, then I won't hit you. Let's wrestle!
- Hercules 别跑，狮子！我们来玩一玩！
Bié pǎo, shīzi! Wǒmen lái wán yi wán!
Don't run, lion! Let's play a bit!
- Hercules 你的力气也很大，可是我的力气更大！
Nǐ de lìqi yě hěn dà, kěshì wǒ de lìqi gèng dà!
You are strong too, but I am stronger!
- Hercules 好了，你累了，睡一睡吧。
Hǎo le, nǐ lèi le, shuì yi shuì ba.
There, you're tired. Have a sleep.
- Hercules 我穿上狮子的衣服，你看，我像不像一只大狮子？
Wǒ chuān shàng shīzi de yīfu, nǐ kàn, wǒ xiàng bu xiàng yì zhī dà shīzi?
I'll wear the lion's cloak. Look, do I look like a big lion?
- Iolaus 大力士！你快来！这里有一条大蛇！
Dàlìshì! Nǐ kuài lái! Zhèlǐ yǒu yì tiáo dà shé!
Strongman! Come quick! There is a giant snake here!
- Iolaus 我叫伊俄拉俄斯，我是你的朋友！
Wǒ jiào Yī'élā'ésī, wǒ shì nǐ de péngyou!
My name is Iolaus, and I'm your friend!
- Hercules 伊俄拉俄斯！你好！这条蛇有几个头？
Yī'élā'ésī! Nǐ hǎo! Zhè tiáo shé yǒu jǐ gè tóu?
Iolaus! Hello! How many heads does this snake have?
- Iolaus 九个头！它叫九头蛇！
Jiǔ gè tóu! Tā jiào Jiǔtóushé!
Nine heads! It's called the Hydra!
- Hercules 九个头？好，我来打！
Jiǔ gè tóu? Hǎo, wǒ lái dǎ!
Nine heads? Fine, I'll fight it!
- Hercules 我打了一个头！啊……怎么有两个头了？
Wǒ dǎ le yí gè tóu! A… Zěnme yǒu liǎng gè tóu le?
I hit off one head! Whoa… Why are there two heads now?
- Iolaus 一个头没了，又有两个头长出来了！
Yí gè tóu méi le, yòu yǒu liǎng gè tóu zhǎng chūlái le!
One head is gone and two grow back!
- Hercules 这怎么办？我的手也累了！
Zhè zěnme bàn? Wǒ de shǒu yě lèi le!
What do we do? My hands are getting tired!
- Iolaus 我有火！火一到，头就不长了！
Wǒ yǒu huǒ! Huǒ yí dào, tóu jiù bù zhǎng le!
I have fire! Once fire touches it, the head won't grow back!
- Hercules 这个办法真好！你用火，我用手！
Zhège bànfǎ zhēn hǎo! Nǐ yòng huǒ, wǒ yòng shǒu!
What a good idea! You use fire, I use my hands!
- Iolaus 一个！两个！三个！
Yí gè! Liǎng gè! Sān gè!
One! Two! Three!
- Hercules 再来一个！还有一个！
Zài lái yí gè! Hái yǒu yí gè!
One more! There's one more!
- Iolaus 大力士，你看，蛇不动了！
Dàlìshì, nǐ kàn, shé bú dòng le!
Strongman, look, the snake has stopped moving!
- Hercules 我们做到了，你是我的好朋友！
Wǒmen zuò dào le, nǐ shì wǒ de hǎo péngyou!
We did it! You are my good friend!
- Messenger 赫拉克勒斯！国王说话了！
Hèlākèlèsī! Guówáng shuōhuà le!
Hercules! The king has spoken!
- Messenger 九头蛇不能算，因为有人帮你！
Jiǔtóushé bù néng suàn, yīnwèi yǒu rén bāng nǐ!
The Hydra doesn't count, because someone helped you!
- Messenger 下一件事，你要一天洗干净三千头牛的家！
Xià yí jiàn shì, nǐ yào yì tiān xǐ gānjìng sānqiān tóu niú de jiā!
Next task: clean the home of three thousand cows in one day!
What changed in the story?
- What happens when Hercules hits the lion?
“不行！我用手打它，它一点也不怕！”
- What does Hercules wear after the lion falls asleep?
“我穿上狮子的衣服，你看，我像不像一只大狮子？”
- What happens when Hercules knocks off one of the snake's heads?
“一个头没了，又有两个头长出来了！”
- What does Iolaus use to stop the heads growing?
“我有火！火一到，头就不长了！”
- Why does the king say the Hydra does not count?
“九头蛇不能算，因为有人帮你！”