Les Misérables · chapter 5 of 8
Cosette and the Doll
珂赛特和娃娃
On a freezing Christmas night, a stranger meets a little girl carrying a bucket much too big for her. He has come to keep a promise.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 圣诞节的晚上，森林里又黑又冷，没有一个人。只有一个小女孩，提着一个大水桶。
Shèngdàn jié de wǎnshang, sēnlín lǐ yòu hēi yòu lěng, méiyǒu yí gè rén. Zhǐyǒu yí gè xiǎo nǚhái, tí zhe yí gè dà shuǐtǒng.
On Christmas night the forest was dark and cold, and no one was about. There was only a little girl, carrying a huge bucket.
- Young Cosette 不怕，不怕……水井就在前面。水打不满，太太会骂我的。我一定要快一点。
Bú pà, bú pà…… shuǐjǐng jiù zài qiánmiàn. Shuǐ dǎ bù mǎn, tàitai huì mà wǒ de. Wǒ yídìng yào kuài yìdiǎn.
Don't be scared, don't be scared... the well is just ahead. If I don't fill the bucket, Madame will scold me. I must hurry.
- Jean Valjean 小姑娘，这么晚了，你一个人在这里做什么？
Xiǎo gūniang, zhème wǎn le, nǐ yí gè rén zài zhèlǐ zuò shénme?
Little girl, it's so late. What are you doing here all alone?
Chapter 5 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Les Misérables is free, and so are The Second Cup of Tea, Mulan, The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West: The Monkey King, Cinderella, The Night of the Nian, Chang'e and the Moon, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, Aesop's Fables, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began, Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Lotus Lantern, Alice in Wonderland, Zhong Kui the Demon Queller, The Odyssey, Robin Hood, Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Kitchen God from start to finish.
- Young Cosette 啊！先生……我去打水。客栈里的客人要用水。我的木鞋破了，可是我不冷，我跑得快。
Á! Xiānsheng…… wǒ qù dǎ shuǐ. Kèzhàn lǐ de kèrén yào yòng shuǐ. Wǒ de mù xié pò le, kěshì wǒ bù lěng, wǒ pǎo de kuài.
Oh! Sir... I'm getting water. The guests at the inn need it. My wooden shoes are worn, but I'm not cold, and I run fast.
- Jean Valjean 这个桶这么大，你这么小，你的鞋又破了。来，我帮你提。
Zhège tǒng zhème dà, nǐ zhème xiǎo, nǐ de xié yòu pò le. Lái, wǒ bāng nǐ tí.
This bucket is so big, you are so small, and your shoes are worn. Come, let me carry it.
- Young Cosette 您真的愿意帮我？谢谢您！从来没有人帮过我，连一次也没有。
Nín zhēn de yuànyì bāng wǒ? Xièxie nín! Cónglái méiyǒu rén bāng guo wǒ, lián yí cì yě méiyǒu.
You really want to help me? Thank you! No one has ever helped me, not even once.
- Jean Valjean 你叫什么名字？
Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
What's your name?
- Young Cosette 珂赛特。大家说我起得比小鸟还早。
Kēsàitè. Dàjiā shuō wǒ qǐ de bǐ xiǎo niǎo hái zǎo.
Cosette. People say I get up earlier than the birds.
- Jean Valjean 你的妈妈叫芳汀，对吗？
Nǐ de māma jiào Fāngtīng, duì ma?
Your mother is called Fantine, isn't she?
- Young Cosette 您认识我妈妈？她在哪里？她什么时候来接我？我很想她。
Nín rènshi wǒ māma? Tā zài nǎlǐ? Tā shénme shíhou lái jiē wǒ? Wǒ hěn xiǎng tā.
You know my mother? Where is she? When is she coming to get me? I miss her so much.
- Jean Valjean 她……在一个很好的地方。她让我来接你。
Tā…… zài yí gè hěn hǎo de dìfang. Tā ràng wǒ lái jiē nǐ.
She... is in a very good place. She asked me to come and fetch you.
- Madame Thénardier 珂赛特！你去了多久？水呢？想冻死我们吗？还不快点儿进来！
Kēsàitè! Nǐ qù le duō jiǔ? Shuǐ ne? Xiǎng dòng sǐ wǒmen ma? Hái bù kuài diǎnr jìnlái!
Cosette! How long have you been gone? Where's the water? Do you want us to freeze? Get in here, quick!
- Young Cosette 太太，对不起。这位先生帮我提了水。
Tàitai, duìbuqǐ. Zhè wèi xiānsheng bāng wǒ tí le shuǐ.
Madame, I'm sorry. This gentleman carried the water for me.
- Thénardier 欢迎，欢迎，贵客！外面这么冷，请坐！我是这里的老板，我可以为您做什么？
Huānyíng, huānyíng, guìkè! Wàimiàn zhème lěng, qǐng zuò! Wǒ shì zhèlǐ de lǎobǎn, wǒ kěyǐ wèi nín zuò shénme?
Welcome, welcome, honored guest! It's so cold outside, please sit! I'm the owner here. What can I do for you?
- Jean Valjean 我想带走这个孩子。
Wǒ xiǎng dài zǒu zhège háizi.
I'd like to take this child with me.
- Thénardier 带走？哎呀，我们多爱她啊！她就像我们自己的女儿！你看，她吃得多好，穿得多暖！
Dàizǒu? Āiyā, wǒmen duō ài tā a! Tā jiù xiàng wǒmen zìjǐ de nǚ'ér! Nǐ kàn, tā chī de duō hǎo, chuān de duō nuǎn!
Take her? Oh dear, we love her so much! She's just like our own daughter! Look how well she eats and how warmly she's dressed!
- Madame Thénardier 是啊，她每个月要花我们好多钱！药钱、衣服钱、饭钱……
Shì a, tā měi gè yuè yào huā wǒmen hǎo duō qián! Yào qián, yīfu qián, fàn qián……
Yes, she costs us so much every month! Medicine, clothes, food...
- Jean Valjean 我看见她穿着破衣服，睡在楼梯下面，手上全是冻伤。你们要多少钱？
Wǒ kànjiàn tā chuān zhe pò yīfu, shuì zài lóutī xiàmiàn, shǒu shang quán shì dòngshāng. Nǐmen yào duōshao qián?
I see she wears rags, sleeps under the stairs, and her hands are covered in chilblains. How much do you want?
- Thénardier 一千五百法郎！少一个也不行。
Yì qiān wǔ bǎi fǎláng! Shǎo yí gè yě bù xíng.
Fifteen hundred francs! Not one less.
- Jean Valjean 给你。这是一千五百法郎。把她的东西拿来。
Gěi nǐ. Zhè shì yì qiān wǔ bǎi fǎláng. Bǎ tā de dōngxi ná lái.
Here. Fifteen hundred francs. Bring her things.
- Thénardier 是，是，是！太太，快，把珂赛特的东西拿来！
Shì, shì, shì! Tàitai, kuài, bǎ Kēsàitè de dōngxi ná lái!
Yes, yes, yes! Dear, quick, bring Cosette's things!
- Young Cosette 先生，您真的要带我走吗？可是……我什么都没有，连一件像样的衣服也没有。
Xiānsheng, nín zhēn de yào dài wǒ zǒu ma? Kěshì…… wǒ shénme dōu méiyǒu, lián yí jiàn xiàngyàng de yīfu yě méiyǒu.
Sir, are you really taking me away? But... I have nothing, not even a decent dress.
- Jean Valjean 你什么都不用带。珂赛特，这个娃娃是我在路上买的，给你。圣诞节快乐！
Nǐ shénme dōu búyòng dài. Kēsàitè, zhège wáwa shì wǒ zài lù shang mǎi de, gěi nǐ. Shèngdàn jié kuàilè!
You don't need to bring anything. Cosette, I bought this doll on the way. It's for you. Merry Christmas!
- Young Cosette 一个娃娃……这么大，这么漂亮！我从来没有过娃娃。真的是给我的吗？
Yí gè wáwa…… zhème dà, zhème piàoliang! Wǒ cónglái méiyǒu guo wáwa. Zhēn de shì gěi wǒ de ma?
A doll... so big and so pretty! I've never had a doll. Is it really for me?
- Madame Thénardier 一个孩子要这么大的娃娃做什么？
Yí gè háizi yào zhème dà de wáwa zuò shénme?
What does a child need such a big doll for?
- Narrator 天快亮了。路上有雾，他们手拉着手往前走。
Tiān kuài liàng le. Lù shang yǒu wù, tāmen shǒu lā zhe shǒu wǎng qián zǒu.
Dawn was near. There was mist on the road, and they walked hand in hand.
- Young Cosette 爸爸，天亮了！我从来没有在路上看过天亮。
Bàba, tiān liàng le! Wǒ cónglái méiyǒu zài lù shang kàn guo tiān liàng.
Papa, the sun is coming up! I've never watched the sunrise from a road before.
- Jean Valjean 以后每天早上，你都可以看。我们会走很远很远的路。
Yǐhòu měi tiān zǎoshang, nǐ dōu kěyǐ kàn. Wǒmen huì zǒu hěn yuǎn hěn yuǎn de lù.
From now on you can watch it every morning. We'll travel a very long way.
- Young Cosette 先生，我没有爸爸，只有妈妈。我可以叫您……爸爸吗？
Xiānsheng, wǒ méiyǒu bàba, zhǐyǒu māma. Wǒ kěyǐ jiào nín…… bàba ma?
Sir, I have no father, only my mother. May I call you... Papa?
- Jean Valjean 可以。这是我这一辈子……最好的名字。
Kěyǐ. Zhè shì wǒ zhè yíbèizi…… zuì hǎo de míngzi.
Yes. That is the best name I have had in my whole life.
- Young Cosette 爸爸！那我们要去哪里？
Bàba! Nà wǒmen yào qù nǎlǐ?
Papa! Then where are we going?
- Jean Valjean 去巴黎。我们有一个新家，有花园，还有很多书。
Qù Bālí. Wǒmen yǒu yí gè xīn jiā, yǒu huāyuán, hái yǒu hěn duō shū.
To Paris. We'll have a new home with a garden and lots of books.
- Young Cosette 爸爸，你会一直和我在一起吗？不会把我留在别人家吧？
Bàba, nǐ huì yìzhí hé wǒ zài yìqǐ ma? Bú huì bǎ wǒ liú zài biérén jiā ba?
Papa, will you always stay with me? You won't leave me at someone else's house, will you?
- Jean Valjean 我永远不会。我保证。……嘘，你听。
Wǒ yǒngyuǎn bú huì. Wǒ bǎozhèng. …… Xū, nǐ tīng.
Never. I promise. ... Shh, listen.
- Young Cosette 爸爸……后面有人。
Bàba…… hòumiàn yǒu rén.
Papa... someone is behind us.
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why is Cosette alone in the forest at night?
“我去打水。客栈里的客人要用水。”
- Why has Valjean come for Cosette?
“她让我来接你。”
- How much does Valjean pay the Thénardiers?
“一千五百法郎！”……“这是一千五百法郎。”
- What present does Valjean give Cosette?
“一个娃娃……这么大，这么漂亮！”
- What does Cosette ask him on the misty road?
“我可以叫您……爸爸吗？”