Mulan · chapter 2 of 10
The Black Mountains
黑山
Mulan rides north past the Yellow River to an army camp below the Black Mountains, where a very loud soldier wants to know her name.
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- Mulan 马，买好了。马鞍，也买好了。爸爸的弓和箭，我也带上了。
Mǎ, mǎi hǎo le. Mǎ'ān, yě mǎi hǎo le. Bàba de gōng hé jiàn, wǒ yě dài shàng le.
The horse, bought. The saddle, bought too. And I've packed Father's bow and arrows.
- Narrator 第二天，天还没亮，木兰就骑上马走了。
Dì èr tiān, tiān hái méi liàng, Mùlán jiù qí shàng mǎ zǒu le.
The next day, before dawn, Mulan rode away.
- Mulan 再见了，爸爸，妈妈，弟弟……我一定会活着回来的。
Zàijiàn le, bàba, māma, dìdi…… Wǒ yídìng huì huózhe huílái de.
Goodbye, Father, Mother, little brother… I will come back alive.
- Mulan 晚上，我睡在黄河边。这里好安静啊。
Wǎnshang, wǒ shuì zài Huáng Hé biān. Zhèlǐ hǎo ānjìng a.
Tonight I sleep by the Yellow River. It's so quiet here.
- Mulan 在家里，妈妈天天叫我吃饭。这里，只有河水在说话。
Zài jiā lǐ, māma tiāntiān jiào wǒ chīfàn. Zhèlǐ, zhǐyǒu héshuǐ zài shuōhuà.
At home, Mother called me to dinner every day. Here, only the river talks.
- Mulan 别哭，木兰。士兵是不哭的。
Bié kū, Mùlán. Shìbīng shì bù kū de.
Don't cry, Mulan. Soldiers don't cry.
- Mulan 明天就到黑山了。风这么冷……山那边，是敌人的马在叫吗？
Míngtiān jiù dào Hēi Shān le. Fēng zhème lěng…… Shān nàbiān, shì dírén de mǎ zài jiào ma?
Tomorrow I reach the Black Mountains. The wind is so cold… Beyond those mountains, is that the enemy's horses neighing?
- Narrator 黑山下面，就是军队的营地。士兵们都坐在火边。
Hēi Shān xiàmiàn, jiù shì jūnduì de yíngdì. Shìbīngmen dōu zuò zài huǒ biān.
At the foot of the Black Mountains lay the army camp. The soldiers sat around the fire.
- Captain Li 喂！新来的！别站在那儿，过来坐！
Wèi! Xīn lái de! Bié zhàn zài nàr, guòlái zuò!
Hey! New guy! Don't just stand there, come sit down!
- Mulan 谢……谢谢。
Xiè…… xièxie.
Th-thanks.
- Captain Li 我姓李，大家都叫我李大哥。你呢？你叫什么名字？
Wǒ xìng Lǐ, dàjiā dōu jiào wǒ Lǐ dàgē. Nǐ ne? Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
The name's Li. Everyone calls me Captain Li. And you? What's your name?
- Mulan 名字？不能说木兰……我家姓花，那就……
Míngzi? Bù néng shuō Mùlán…… Wǒ jiā xìng Huā, nà jiù……
My name? I can't say Mulan… My family name is Hua, so…
- Mulan 我叫……花弟！
Wǒ jiào…… Huā Dì!
My name is… Hua Di!
- Captain Li 花弟？哈哈哈！“花”？这不是女孩子的名字吗？
Huā Dì? Hāhāhā! “Huā”? Zhè bú shì nǚháizi de míngzi ma?
Hua Di? Ha ha ha! “Hua,” like a flower? Isn't that a girl's name?
- Captain Li 你看你，脸这么白，声音这么小，真像个女孩子！
Nǐ kàn nǐ, liǎn zhème bái, shēngyīn zhème xiǎo, zhēn xiàng gè nǚháizi!
Look at you, with that pale face and that little voice. You're just like a girl!
- Narrator 大家都笑了。木兰也笑，可是她的手在发抖。
Dàjiā dōu xiào le. Mùlán yě xiào, kěshì tā de shǒu zài fādǒu.
Everyone laughed. Mulan laughed too, but her hands were shaking.
- Mulan 笑，木兰，大声笑……别让他们看出来！
Xiào, Mùlán, dàshēng xiào…… Bié ràng tāmen kàn chūlái!
Laugh, Mulan. Laugh out loud… Don't let them see!
- Mulan 哈哈……李大哥，我只是饿了，所以脸才这么白！
Hāha…… Lǐ dàgē, wǒ zhǐshì è le, suǒyǐ liǎn cái zhème bái!
Ha ha… Captain Li, I'm just hungry. That's why I look so pale!
- Captain Li 饿了？来，吃饼！吃饱了，脸就红了！
È le? Lái, chī bǐng! Chī bǎo le, liǎn jiù hóng le!
Hungry? Here, have some flatbread! Fill up, and your face will turn red!
- Captain Li 好了，别怕，小兄弟。以后你就跟着我。
Hǎo le, bié pà, xiǎo xiōngdì. Yǐhòu nǐ jiù gēnzhe wǒ.
All right, don't be scared, little brother. From now on, you stick with me.
- Captain Li 你们听着！谁敢笑他，我就打谁！
Nǐmen tīngzhe! Shéi gǎn xiào tā, wǒ jiù dǎ shéi!
Listen up, all of you! Anyone who laughs at him answers to me!
- Mulan 可是……刚才你也笑了，还笑得最大声。
Kěshì…… gāngcái nǐ yě xiào le, hái xiào de zuì dàshēng.
But… you laughed too, just now. Louder than anyone.
- Captain Li 哈哈！我可以笑，别人不可以！
Hāha! Wǒ kěyǐ xiào, biérén bù kěyǐ!
Ha ha! I'm allowed to laugh. Nobody else is!
- Mulan 谢谢你，李大哥。有你在，我就不那么怕了。
Xièxie nǐ, Lǐ dàgē. Yǒu nǐ zài, wǒ jiù bú nàme pà le.
Thank you, Captain Li. With you here, I'm not so scared.
- Captain Li 花弟，听说敌人明天就要来了。你怕不怕？
Huā Dì, tīngshuō dírén míngtiān jiù yào lái le. Nǐ pà bú pà?
Hua Di, word is the enemy's coming tomorrow. Are you scared?
- Mulan 不怕！
Bú pà!
No!
- Captain Li 好！那就早点儿睡吧。明天打仗的时候，你一定要跟紧我。
Hǎo! Nà jiù zǎo diǎnr shuì ba. Míngtiān dǎzhàng de shíhou, nǐ yídìng yào gēn jǐn wǒ.
Good! Then get to sleep early. When we fight tomorrow, you stay close to me.
- Mulan 我怕……我很怕。可是，谁也不能知道。
Wǒ pà…… wǒ hěn pà. Kěshì, shéi yě bù néng zhīdào.
I'm scared… so scared. But no one can ever know.
What changed in the story?
- Where does Mulan sleep on her first night away?
“晚上，我睡在黄河边。”
- Why does Mulan call herself Hua Di?
“不能说木兰……我家姓花”
- Why does Captain Li laugh at the name Hua Di?
“这不是女孩子的名字吗？”
- What does Mulan say is the reason her face is pale?
“我只是饿了，所以脸才这么白！”
- What does Mulan really feel about the battle tomorrow?
“我很怕。可是，谁也不能知道。”