Journey to the West: The Monkey King · chapter 3 of 25
I Don't Want to Grow Old
我不想老
After hundreds of happy years, the Monkey King weeps: one day every monkey will grow old and die. Then Old Monkey remembers something he once heard.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 美猴王做大王，已经几百年了。这天，水帘洞里，他哭了。
Měi Hóuwáng zuò dàwáng, yǐjīng jǐ bǎi nián le. Zhè tiān, Shuǐlián Dòng li, tā kū le.
The Handsome Monkey King had been king for several hundred years. And that day, in the Water Curtain Cave, he wept.
- Sun Wukong 孩儿们，今天我们很高兴。可是，以后呢？
Hái'érmen, jīntiān wǒmen hěn gāoxìng. Kěshì, yǐhòu ne?
My little ones, today we're happy. But what about later?
- Little Monkey 以后？以后我们还吃果子，还玩儿啊！
Yǐhòu? Yǐhòu wǒmen hái chī guǒzi, hái wánr a!
Later? Later we'll still eat fruit and play, same as now!
- Sun Wukong 有一天，我们都会老。阎王会来找我们……我们都会死。
Yǒu yì tiān, wǒmen dōu huì lǎo. Yánwáng huì lái zhǎo wǒmen… wǒmen dōu huì sǐ.
One day we'll all grow old. King Yama will come for us… and we'll all die.
- Little Monkey 死？大王，我不想死！
Sǐ? Dàwáng, wǒ bù xiǎng sǐ!
Die? Your Majesty, I don't want to die!
- Narrator 猴子们听了，都哭了起来。
Hóuzimen tīng le, dōu kū le qǐlai.
When the monkeys heard this, they all began to cry.
- Old Monkey 大王，别哭！我听说，有人不会老，也不会死！
Dàwáng, bié kū! Wǒ tīngshuō, yǒu rén bú huì lǎo, yě bú huì sǐ!
Don't cry, Your Majesty! I've heard there are some who never grow old, and never die!
- Sun Wukong 谁？谁不会老？
Shéi? Shéi bú huì lǎo?
Who? Who never grows old?
- Old Monkey 佛祖和神仙。阎王不能去找他们。
Fózǔ hé shénxiān. Yánwáng bù néng qù zhǎo tāmen.
The Buddha and the immortals. King Yama can't come for them.
- Sun Wukong 他们住在哪儿？我要去找他们！
Tāmen zhù zài nǎr? Wǒ yào qù zhǎo tāmen!
Where do they live? I'm going to find them!
- Old Monkey 很远很远，在人住的地方。他们住在高山上，老山洞里。
Hěn yuǎn hěn yuǎn, zài rén zhù de dìfang. Tāmen zhù zài gāoshān shang, lǎo shāndòng li.
Far, far away, in the lands where people live. They live on high mountains, in old caves.
- Sun Wukong 好！我去拜神仙，学不老的本领！
Hǎo! Wǒ qù bài shénxiān, xué bù lǎo de běnlǐng!
Then it's settled! I'll go and ask the immortals to teach me how never to grow old!
- Little Monkey 大王，人住的地方？那么远！
Dàwáng, rén zhù de dìfang? Nàme yuǎn!
Your Majesty, the lands of people? That's so far!
- Sun Wukong 我不想老。我也不想你们老。我一定要去！
Wǒ bù xiǎng lǎo. Wǒ yě bù xiǎng nǐmen lǎo. Wǒ yídìng yào qù!
I don't want to grow old. And I don't want you to grow old either. I have to go!
- Little Monkey 大王走了，谁跟我们玩儿呢？
Dàwáng zǒu le, shéi gēn wǒmen wánr ne?
If His Majesty goes, who'll play with us?
- Old Monkey 孩子，大王会回来的！大家快去找桃子、找果子！明天我们一起吃饭，送大王走！
Háizi, dàwáng huì huílai de! Dàjiā kuài qù zhǎo táozi, zhǎo guǒzi! Míngtiān wǒmen yìqǐ chīfàn, sòng dàwáng zǒu!
Child, His Majesty will come back! Everyone, go and find peaches and fruit! Tomorrow we'll have a feast together and see His Majesty off!
- Narrator 第二天，铁桥旁边的石头桌子上，都是桃子和果子。
Dì èr tiān, tiěqiáo pángbiān de shítou zhuōzi shang, dōu shì táozi hé guǒzi.
The next day, the stone tables beside the iron bridge were heaped with peaches and fruit.
- Little Monkey 大王，吃桃子！这个最大，给你！
Dàwáng, chī táozi! Zhège zuì dà, gěi nǐ!
Your Majesty, have a peach! This one's the biggest. It's for you!
- Sun Wukong 哈哈，好吃！孩儿们，等我学了本领，我就回来！
Hāhā, hǎochī! Hái'érmen, děng wǒ xué le běnlǐng, wǒ jiù huílai!
Ha ha, delicious! My little ones, once I've learned what the immortals know, I'll come home!
- Sun Wukong 孩儿们，天亮了！用死了的松树，给我做一条小船！
Hái'érmen, tiān liàng le! Yòng sǐ le de sōngshù, gěi wǒ zuò yì tiáo xiǎochuán!
Little ones, it's morning! Take some dead pine trees and build me a little boat!
- Little Monkey 小船做好了！大王，带上这些桃子，路上吃！一个，两个，三个……一百个！
Xiǎochuán zuò hǎo le! Dàwáng, dàishang zhèxiē táozi, lùshang chī! Yí gè, liǎng gè, sān gè… yìbǎi gè!
The boat's ready! Your Majesty, take these peaches to eat on the way! One, two, three… a hundred!
- Sun Wukong 哈哈，一百个？小船会太重的！十个就够了！
Hāhā, yìbǎi gè? Xiǎochuán huì tài zhòng de! Shí gè jiù gòu le!
Ha ha, a hundred? The little boat would be far too heavy! Ten is plenty!
- Little Monkey 大王，带我去吧！我也想学本领！
Dàwáng, dài wǒ qù ba! Wǒ yě xiǎng xué běnlǐng!
Your Majesty, take me with you! I want to learn too!
- Sun Wukong 不行，路太远了。你在家等我，听爷爷的话。
Bùxíng, lù tài yuǎn le. Nǐ zài jiā děng wǒ, tīng yéye de huà.
No, it's too far. Stay home and wait for me, and listen to Grandpa.
- Old Monkey 大王，你要小心！早点儿回来，我们等你！
Dàwáng, nǐ yào xiǎoxīn! Zǎodiǎnr huílai, wǒmen děng nǐ!
Be careful, Your Majesty! Come back soon. We'll be waiting for you!
- Narrator 猴王一个人上了小船，往大海里去了。
Hóuwáng yí gè rén shàng le xiǎochuán, wǎng dàhǎi li qù le.
All alone, the Monkey King climbed into the little boat and set off across the open sea.
- Sun Wukong 大海这么大……神仙，你们在哪儿？
Dàhǎi zhème dà… shénxiān, nǐmen zài nǎr?
The sea is so big… immortals, where are you?
What changed in the story?
- Why does the Monkey King cry at the feast?
“有一天，我们都会老……我们都会死”
- Who does Old Monkey say never grow old?
“佛祖和神仙。阎王不能去找他们。”
- What does the Monkey King decide to do?
“我去拜神仙，学不老的本领！”
- Why does the Monkey King laugh at Little Monkey's hundred peaches?
“一百个？小船会太重的！”
- Why can't Little Monkey come along?
“不行，路太远了。”