Mulan · chapter 4 of 10
A Letter Home
给家里写信
A year later, under a full moon, Mulan writes a letter home. Captain Li wants to hear every word, and then he asks about her sister.
Hear the chapter
Read what you hear
- Narrator 一年过去了。这天晚上，月亮又大又圆，士兵们都睡了。
Yì nián guòqù le. Zhè tiān wǎnshang, yuèliang yòu dà yòu yuán, shìbīngmen dōu shuì le.
A year went by. One night, the moon was big and round, and the soldiers were all asleep.
- Captain Li 今天的月亮真好看啊……花弟，你还不睡？
Jīntiān de yuèliang zhēn hǎokàn a… Huā Dì, nǐ hái bú shuì?
The moon's so beautiful tonight… Hua Di, still not asleep?
- Mulan 小声点儿，李大哥。我在给家里写信。
Xiǎoshēng diǎnr, Lǐ dàgē. Wǒ zài gěi jiā lǐ xiě xìn.
Keep your voice down, Captain Li. I'm writing a letter home.
- Captain Li 写信？写的什么？读给我听听！我不认识字。
Xiě xìn? Xiě de shénme? Dú gěi wǒ tīngting! Wǒ bú rènshi zì.
A letter? What does it say? Read it to me! I can't read.
- Mulan “爸爸，妈妈：我在这里很好，吃得饱，睡得好……”
“Bàba, māma: wǒ zài zhèlǐ hěn hǎo, chī de bǎo, shuì de hǎo…”
“Dear Father and Mother: I'm doing well here. I eat well and I sleep well…”
- Captain Li 吃得饱？我们天天吃冷饼，还吃不饱呢！
Chī de bǎo? Wǒmen tiāntiān chī lěng bǐng, hái chī bù bǎo ne!
Eat well? We eat cold flatbread every day, and we're still hungry!
- Mulan “……这里有一个李大哥，他很照顾我。”
“…Zhèlǐ yǒu yí gè Lǐ dàgē, tā hěn zhàogù wǒ.”
“…There's a Captain Li here who looks after me.”
- Captain Li 你写了我？快，再写一句：李大哥又高又帅！
Nǐ xiě le wǒ? Kuài, zài xiě yí jù: Lǐ dàgē yòu gāo yòu shuài!
You wrote about me? Quick, add another line: Captain Li is tall and handsome!
- Mulan 好，好，“又高又帅”。
Hǎo, hǎo, “yòu gāo yòu shuài”.
Fine, fine: “tall and handsome.”
- Captain Li 我也想家了。我家里有一个老妈妈，还有三个妹妹。
Wǒ yě xiǎng jiā le. Wǒ jiā lǐ yǒu yí gè lǎo māma, hái yǒu sān gè mèimei.
I miss home too. I've got an old mother back home, and three little sisters.
- Captain Li 我妈做的饼，又大又香，是最好吃的饼！
Wǒ mā zuò de bǐng, yòu dà yòu xiāng, shì zuì hǎochī de bǐng!
My mom's flatbread is big and smells wonderful. It's the best flatbread there is!
- Captain Li 花弟，回家以后，你一定要来我家吃饼！
Huā Dì, huí jiā yǐhòu, nǐ yídìng yào lái wǒ jiā chī bǐng!
Hua Di, once we're home, you've got to come to my place for flatbread!
- Mulan 好，我一定去。
Hǎo, wǒ yídìng qù.
All right. I'll be there.
- Captain Li 你呢？你家里有姐姐妹妹吗？
Nǐ ne? Nǐ jiā lǐ yǒu jiějie mèimei ma?
What about you? Got any sisters at home?
- Mulan 有一个姐姐，还有一个小弟弟。
Yǒu yí gè jiějie, hái yǒu yí gè xiǎo dìdi.
One older sister, and a little brother.
- Captain Li 你姐姐长得像你吗？
Nǐ jiějie zhǎng de xiàng nǐ ma?
Does your sister look like you?
- Mulan 很像。小时候，我们常常穿一样的裙子……
Hěn xiàng. Xiǎo shíhou, wǒmen chángcháng chuān yíyàng de qúnzi…
Very much. When we were little, we often wore matching dresses…
- Captain Li 裙子？
Qúnzi?
Dresses?
- Mulan 不……不是！我是说，一样的衣服！
Bù… bú shì! Wǒ shì shuō, yíyàng de yīfu!
No… no! I mean matching clothes!
- Captain Li 哈哈哈！花弟，你想家想得说错话了！
Hāhāhā! Huā Dì, nǐ xiǎng jiā xiǎng de shuō cuò huà le!
Ha ha ha! Hua Di, you're so homesick you're mixing up your words!
- Narrator 李大哥笑着笑着，就睡着了。
Lǐ dàgē xiàozhe xiàozhe, jiù shuìzháo le.
Still laughing, Captain Li drifted off to sleep.
- Captain Li 花弟……你说话的样子……真像我妹妹……
Huā Dì… nǐ shuōhuà de yàngzi… zhēn xiàng wǒ mèimei…
Hua Di… the way you talk… just like my little sister…
- Mulan 差一点儿……以后，我说话一定要小心。
Chà yìdiǎnr… yǐhòu, wǒ shuōhuà yídìng yào xiǎoxīn.
That was close… From now on, I have to watch every word.
What changed in the story?
- Why does Captain Li ask Hua Di to read the letter aloud?
“读给我听听！我不认识字。”
- What does Captain Li want added to the letter?
“再写一句：李大哥又高又帅！”
- Who is waiting for Captain Li at home?
“我家里有一个老妈妈，还有三个妹妹。”
- What slip almost gives Mulan away?
“我们常常穿一样的裙子……”
- What does Captain Li mumble as he falls asleep?
“你说话的样子……真像我妹妹……”