Nezha and the Dragon King · chapter 1 of 8
A Strange Child
不一样的孩子
After more than three years of waiting, General Li Jing's third child arrives in a ball of light, and a laughing stranger comes to give the boy a name.
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- Narrator 很久很久以前，东海边有一个地方，叫陈塘关。
Hěn jiǔ hěn jiǔ yǐqián, Dōng Hǎi biān yǒu yí gè dìfang, jiào Chéntáng Guān.
Long, long ago, on the shore of the Eastern Sea, there was a place called Chentang Pass.
- Narrator 陈塘关的将军叫李靖。这天夜里，他一直睡不着。
Chéntáng Guān de jiāngjūn jiào Lǐ Jìng. Zhè tiān yèli, tā yìzhí shuì bù zháo.
The general of Chentang Pass was a man named Li Jing. That night, he could not sleep at all.
- Li Jing 三年多了！这个孩子，怎么还不出来？
Sān nián duō le! Zhège háizi, zěnme hái bù chūlái?
More than three years now! Why won't this baby be born?
- Narrator 忽然，一个亮亮的光球，从房子里飞了出来。
Hūrán, yí gè liàngliàng de guāngqiú, cóng fángzi lǐ fēi le chūlái.
Suddenly, a bright ball of light came flying out of the house.
- Li Jing 什么东西？！
Shénme dōngxi?!
What is that?!
- Narrator 光球在院子里转了转，像莲花一样开了。
Guāngqiú zài yuànzi lǐ zhuàn le zhuàn, xiàng liánhuā yíyàng kāi le.
The ball of light spun around the courtyard, then opened like a lotus flower.
- Li Jing 光里……光里有一个小男孩！
Guāng lǐ… guāng lǐ yǒu yí gè xiǎo nánhái!
In the light… there's a little boy in the light!
- Nezha 爸爸！
Bàba!
Daddy!
- Li Jing 你……你叫我爸爸？
Nǐ… nǐ jiào wǒ bàba?
You… you just called me Daddy?
- Nezha 你是我爸爸，我知道！
Nǐ shì wǒ bàba, wǒ zhīdào!
You're my daddy. I know it!
- Li Jing 一出生就会说话？这个孩子，不一样……
Yì chūshēng jiù huì shuōhuà? Zhège háizi, bù yíyàng…
Talking the moment he's born? This child is not like other children…
- Taiyi Zhenren 哈哈哈！李将军，好孩子，好孩子啊！
Hāhāhā! Lǐ jiāngjūn, hǎo háizi, hǎo háizi a!
Ha ha ha! General Li, what a child! What a wonderful child!
- Li Jing 老人家，您是谁？
Lǎorénjia, nín shì shéi?
Who are you, sir?
- Taiyi Zhenren 我是乾元山的太乙真人。我来看看这个孩子。
Wǒ shì Qiányuán Shān de Tàiyǐ Zhēnrén. Wǒ lái kànkan zhège háizi.
I am Taiyi Zhenren of Qianyuan Mountain. I've come to see this child.
- Taiyi Zhenren 他是你的第三个儿子吧？就叫他哪吒！
Tā shì nǐ de dì sān gè érzi ba? Jiù jiào tā Nézhā!
He's your third son, isn't he? Let's call him Nezha!
- Nezha 哪吒？我叫哪吒！
Nézhā? Wǒ jiào Nézhā!
Nezha? My name is Nezha!
- Taiyi Zhenren 哪吒，你做我的学生，好不好？
Nézhā, nǐ zuò wǒ de xuésheng, hǎo bù hǎo?
Nezha, will you be my student?
- Nezha 好！师父！
Hǎo! Shīfu!
Yes! Master!
- Taiyi Zhenren 这是混天绫，这是乾坤圈。师父送给你！
Zhè shì Hùntiān Líng, zhè shì Qiánkūn Quān. Shīfu sòng gěi nǐ!
This is the Huntian Sash, and this is the Qiankun Ring. They're gifts from your master!
- Nezha 一个红的，一个金的，真好看！谢谢师父！
Yí gè hóng de, yí gè jīn de, zhēn hǎokàn! Xièxie shīfu!
A red one and a gold one! They're beautiful! Thank you, Master!
- Li Jing 太乙真人，这个孩子以后会怎么样？
Tàiyǐ Zhēnrén, zhège háizi yǐhòu huì zěnmeyàng?
Taiyi Zhenren, what will become of this child?
- Taiyi Zhenren 他会做很多大事，也会有很多麻烦！
Tā huì zuò hěn duō dà shì, yě huì yǒu hěn duō máfan!
He'll do great things, and he'll get into a great deal of trouble!
- Li Jing 麻烦？我只想要一个听话的孩子啊……
Máfan? Wǒ zhǐ xiǎng yào yí gè tīnghuà de háizi a…
Trouble? All I wanted was a child who does as he's told…
What changed in the story?
- Why can't Li Jing sleep?
“他一直睡不着……三年多了！这个孩子，怎么还不出来？”
- What comes flying out of the house?
“一个亮亮的光球，从房子里飞了出来”
- Who gives the boy the name Nezha?
“他是你的第三个儿子吧？就叫他哪吒！”
- What does Taiyi give Nezha?
“这是混天绫，这是乾坤圈。师父送给你！”
- What does Taiyi say about Nezha's future?
“他会做很多大事，也会有很多麻烦！”