Judge Bao and the Black Pot · chapter 1 of 4
The Black Pot
黑盆
An old coal seller is paid with a big black pot he never asked for. That night, the pot whispers to him: 'Grandpa, I'm cold.'
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 很久以前，有一个卖炭的老人，姓张。他很穷，可是心很好。
Hěn jiǔ yǐqián, yǒu yí gè mài tàn de lǎorén, xìng Zhāng. Tā hěn qióng, kěshì xīn hěn hǎo.
Long ago there was an old coal seller named Zhang. He was poor, but he had a very kind heart.
- Old Zhang 赵大！赵大！你在家吗？你还没给我三个月的炭钱！我家里已经没有米了！
Zhào Dà! Zhào Dà! Nǐ zài jiā ma? Nǐ hái méi gěi wǒ sān gè yuè de tàn qián! Wǒ jiāli yǐjīng méiyǒu mǐ le!
Zhao Da! Zhao Da! Are you home? You still haven't paid me for three months of coal! I have no rice left at home!
- Zhao Da 哎呀，老张，是你啊！快进来坐，快进来坐。
Āiyā, Lǎo Zhāng, shì nǐ a! Kuài jìnlái zuò, kuài jìnlái zuò.
Oh, Old Zhang, it's you! Come in and sit, come in and sit.
- Old Zhang 我不坐。我今天一定要拿到钱，不然我明天没有饭吃。
Wǒ bú zuò. Wǒ jīntiān yídìng yào ná dào qián, bùrán wǒ míngtiān méiyǒu fàn chī.
I won't sit. I must have my money today, or I'll have nothing to eat tomorrow.
- Zhao Da 钱？老张，我现在真的没有钱。这个月，我一个盆也没有卖出去。
Qián? Lǎo Zhāng, wǒ xiànzài zhēnde méiyǒu qián. Zhège yuè, wǒ yí gè pén yě méiyǒu mài chūqù.
Money? Old Zhang, I really don't have any right now. I haven't sold a single pot this month.
- Zhao's Wife 你看，我们家什么都没有，只有盆。
Nǐ kàn, wǒmen jiā shénme dōu méiyǒu, zhǐyǒu pén.
Look, we have nothing in this house except pots.
- Old Zhang 盆？我又不是卖盆的。我要盆做什么？
Pén? Wǒ yòu bú shì mài pén de. Wǒ yào pén zuò shénme?
Pots? I don't sell pots. What would I do with a pot?
- Zhao's Wife 这个盆很好。你可以用，也可以卖钱。
Zhège pén hěn hǎo. Nǐ kěyǐ yòng, yě kěyǐ mài qián.
This is a fine pot. You can use it, or you can sell it for money.
- Old Zhang 你们的盆那么多，为什么今天想给我？
Nǐmen de pén nàme duō, wèishénme jīntiān xiǎng gěi wǒ?
You have so many pots. Why do you want to give me one today?
- Zhao Da 因为你是我的好朋友啊！哈哈哈！
Yīnwèi nǐ shì wǒ de hǎo péngyou a! Hāhāhā!
Because you're my good friend! Ha ha ha!
- Old Zhang 好吧。没有钱，有个盆也好。哪一个？
Hǎo ba. Méiyǒu qián, yǒu gè pén yě hǎo. Nǎ yí gè?
All right. No money, but a pot is better than nothing. Which one?
- Zhao's Wife 就是这个黑盆，又大又好。快拿走吧！
Jiù shì zhège hēi pén, yòu dà yòu hǎo. Kuài ná zǒu ba!
This black one, big and fine. Take it quickly!
- Old Zhang 这个盆真黑，像我的炭一样黑！我看，它比我的炭还要黑！
Zhège pén zhēn hēi, xiàng wǒ de tàn yíyàng hēi! Wǒ kàn, tā bǐ wǒ de tàn hái yào hēi!
This pot is so black. It's as black as my coal! Blacker than my coal, even!
- Zhao Da 对对对！天快黑了，你快回家吧！
Duì duì duì! Tiān kuài hēi le, nǐ kuài huíjiā ba!
Yes, yes, yes! It's getting dark. Hurry home!
- Old Zhang 奇怪。他们为什么这么高兴？
Qíguài. Tāmen wèishénme zhème gāoxìng?
Strange. Why are they so happy?
- Narrator 老张抱着黑盆回到家。夜里，外面很安静。
Lǎo Zhāng bàozhe hēi pén huídào jiā. Yèlǐ, wàimiàn hěn ānjìng.
Old Zhang carried the black pot home. In the night, it was very quiet outside.
- Old Zhang 今天没有钱，只有一个盆。明天我吃什么呢？
Jīntiān méiyǒu qián, zhǐyǒu yí gè pén. Míngtiān wǒ chī shénme ne?
Today, no money, only a pot. What will I eat tomorrow?
- Old Zhang 盆啊盆，你要是金子做的，那就好了。
Pén a pén, nǐ yàoshi jīnzi zuò de, nà jiù hǎo le.
Oh pot, if only you were made of gold.
- Old Zhang 算了，睡觉吧。盆啊，你也好好休息。
Suànle, shuìjiào ba. Pén a, nǐ yě hǎohǎo xiūxi.
Never mind, time for bed. You get some good rest too, pot.
- Liu Shichang 爷爷……
Yéye…
Grandpa…
- Old Zhang 谁？是谁在说话？我这里只有我一个人啊！
Shéi? Shì shéi zài shuōhuà? Wǒ zhèlǐ zhǐyǒu wǒ yí gè rén a!
Who? Who is talking? I'm the only one here!
- Liu Shichang 爷爷，我好冷。
Yéye, wǒ hǎo lěng.
Grandpa, I'm so cold.
- Old Zhang 哎呀！盆……盆会说话？
Āiyā! Pén… pén huì shuōhuà?
Oh no! The pot… the pot can talk?
- Old Zhang 我是不是太饿了？我一定是饿了！
Wǒ shì bu shì tài è le? Wǒ yídìng shì è le!
Am I too hungry? I must be hungry!
- Liu Shichang 您没有听错。对不起，我吓到您了。
Nín méiyǒu tīng cuò. Duìbuqǐ, wǒ xià dào nín le.
You heard right. I'm sorry, I scared you.
- Old Zhang 你……你是鬼吗？
Nǐ… nǐ shì guǐ ma?
Are… are you a ghost?
- Liu Shichang 我以前是人。我叫刘世昌。
Wǒ yǐqián shì rén. Wǒ jiào Liú Shìchāng.
I used to be a person. My name is Liu Shichang.
- Liu Shichang 爷爷，赵大不是您的好朋友。他做了一件很坏的事，这件事和我有关系。
Yéye, Zhào Dà bú shì nín de hǎo péngyou. Tā zuò le yí jiàn hěn huài de shì, zhè jiàn shì hé wǒ yǒu guānxi.
Grandpa, Zhao Da is not your good friend. He did something terrible, and it has to do with me.
What changed in the story?
- Why does old Zhang go to the potter's house?
“你还没给我三个月的炭钱！”
- What does the potter's wife give Zhang instead of money?
“就是这个黑盆，又大又好。”
- What joke does Zhang make about the pot?
“这个盆真黑，像我的炭一样黑！”
- What does the voice in the pot say to Zhang at night?
“爷爷，我好冷。”
- Who does the voice say he used to be?
“我以前是人。我叫刘世昌。”