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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Read what you hear
- Mulan 东边的市场买马，西边的市场买马鞍……好了，什么都买好了。
Dōngbian de shìchǎng mǎi mǎ, xībian de shìchǎng mǎi mǎ'ān… Hǎo le, shénme dōu mǎi hǎo le.
A horse from the east market, a saddle from the west market… There. I have everything.
- 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 晚上，我睡在黄河边。听不见爸爸妈妈叫我，只听见黄河的水声。
Wǎnshang, wǒ shuì zài Huáng Hé biān. Tīng bú jiàn bàba māma jiào wǒ, zhǐ tīngjiàn Huáng Hé de shuǐ shēng.
Tonight I sleep by the Yellow River. I can't hear Father and Mother calling me, only the sound of the river.
- Mulan 又走了一天，我到了黑山。风好冷，山那边有敌人的马在叫……
Yòu zǒu le yì tiān, wǒ dào le Hēi Shān. Fēng hǎo lěng, shān nàbiān yǒu dírén de mǎ zài jiào…
One more day's ride, and I've reached the Black Mountains. The wind is so cold, and beyond the mountains, enemy horses are neighing…
- Narrator 黑山下，就是军队的营地。天黑了，士兵们都坐在火边。
Hēi Shān xià, jiù shì jūnduì de yíngdì. Tiān hēi le, shìbīngmen dōu zuò zài huǒ biān.
At the foot of the Black Mountains lay the army camp. Night fell, and the soldiers gathered 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？我不能说“木兰”……我姓花，那就……
Míngzi? Wǒ bù néng shuō “Mùlán”… wǒ 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.
- Captain Li 好了，别怕，小兄弟。以后你就跟着我。
Hǎo le, bié pà, xiǎo xiōngdi. Yǐhòu nǐ jiù gēnzhe wǒ.
All right, don't be scared, little brother. From now on, you stick with me.
- Captain Li 谁敢笑你，我就打谁！
Shéi gǎn xiào nǐ, wǒ jiù dǎ shéi!
Anyone who laughs at you will have to answer to me!
- Mulan 可是……刚才你也笑了。
Kěshì… gāngcái nǐ yě xiào le.
But… you laughed too, just now.
- Captain Li 哈哈！我可以笑，别人不可以！
Hāhā! Wǒ kěyǐ xiào, biérén bù kěyǐ!
Ha ha! I'm allowed to laugh. Nobody else is!
- 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!
- 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?
- What does Mulan hear by the Yellow River at night?
“听不见爸爸妈妈叫我，只听见黄河的水声。”
- What name does Mulan give when Captain Li asks?
“我叫……花弟。”
- Why does Captain Li laugh at the name?
“这不是女孩子的名字吗？”
- What shows that Mulan is afraid when everyone laughs?
“木兰也笑，可是她的手在发抖。”
- What does Captain Li promise the new recruit?
“以后你就跟着我……谁敢笑你，我就打谁！”