Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor · chapter 1 of 5
The Well in the Dry Field
井里有泥兵
A farmer and his granddaughter dig a well in a dry year. Instead of water, their shovel hits a clay face looking back at them.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 一九七四年，天很热。很久没有下雨了。
Yī jiǔ qī sì nián, tiān hěn rè. Hěn jiǔ méiyǒu xiàyǔ le.
In 1974 the weather was hot. It had not rained for a long time.
- Xiao Lan 爷爷，我好渴！家里没有水了！我想喝水！
Yéye, wǒ hǎo kě! Jiā lǐ méiyǒu shuǐ le! Wǒ xiǎng hē shuǐ!
Grandpa, I'm so thirsty! We have no water at home! I want a drink!
- Lao Yang 别急，小兰。我们来挖一口井。有了井，就有水。
Bié jí, Xiǎolán. Wǒmen lái wā yì kǒu jǐng. Yǒu le jǐng, jiù yǒu shuǐ.
Don't worry, Xiaolan. We'll dig a well. With a well, we'll have water.
- Xiao Lan 挖井？要挖几天？
Wā jǐng? Yào wā jǐ tiān?
Dig a well? How many days will it take?
- Lao Yang 也许三天，也许十天。
Yěxǔ sān tiān, yěxǔ shí tiān.
Maybe three days, maybe ten.
- Xiao Lan 十天？那我会渴坏的！
Shí tiān? Nà wǒ huì kě huài de!
Ten days? I'll dry up like a raisin!
- Lao Yang 哈哈，不会的。来，你站在这儿。我来挖。
Hāhā, bú huì de. Lái, nǐ zhàn zài zhèr. Wǒ lái wā.
Ha ha, no you won't. Come, stand right here. I'll do the digging.
- Xiao Lan 爷爷，往下挖，会挖到哪儿？
Yéye, wǎng xià wā, huì wā dào nǎr?
Grandpa, if we dig down, where will we get to?
- Lao Yang 会挖到水。
Huì wā dào shuǐ.
We'll get to water.
- Xiao Lan 我想会挖到海！还有一条大鱼！
Wǒ xiǎng huì wā dào hǎi! Hái yǒu yì tiáo dà yú!
I think we'll dig to the sea! And a big fish!
- Lao Yang 大鱼？好，我来找找。
Dà yú? Hǎo, wǒ lái zhǎo zhao.
A big fish? All right, I'll look for it.
- Xiao Lan 爷爷，快一点儿！我想吃鱼！我饿了！
Yéye, kuài yìdiǎnr! Wǒ xiǎng chī yú! Wǒ è le!
Grandpa, hurry up! I want to eat fish! I'm hungry!
- Lao Yang 好好好。你看，我很快就……咦？
Hǎo hǎo hǎo. Nǐ kàn, wǒ hěn kuài jiù… yí?
Fine, fine. Look, I'll soon… huh?
- Lao Yang 这下面有东西。不是水，也不是石头。
Zhè xiàmiàn yǒu dōngxi. Bú shì shuǐ, yě bú shì shítou.
There's something down here. It's not water, and it's not a rock.
- Xiao Lan 爷爷，那是什么？
Yéye, nà shì shénme?
Grandpa, what is that?
- Lao Yang 是一个头！泥做的头！
Shì yí gè tóu! Ní zuò de tóu!
It's a head! A head made of clay!
- Xiao Lan 啊！有人！爷爷，我怕！
Á! Yǒu rén! Yéye, wǒ pà!
Ah! Someone's there! Grandpa, I'm scared!
- Lao Yang 别怕。你看，他有眼睛，有嘴，还有头发。他不会动。
Bié pà. Nǐ kàn, tā yǒu yǎnjing, yǒu zuǐ, hái yǒu tóufa. Tā bú huì dòng.
Don't be scared. Look, he has eyes, a mouth, and even hair. He can't move.
- Lao Yang 他是一个泥兵！不是人，是泥做的兵！
Tā shì yí gè ní bīng! Bú shì rén, shì ní zuò de bīng!
He's a clay soldier! Not a person, a soldier made of clay!
- Xiao Lan 泥兵？他为什么在下面？
Ní bīng? Tā wèishénme zài xiàmiàn?
A clay soldier? Why is he down there?
- Lao Yang 我不知道。我们再挖一点儿。小心一点儿。
Wǒ bù zhīdào. Wǒmen zài wā yìdiǎnr. Xiǎoxīn yìdiǎnr.
I don't know. Let's dig a little more. Be careful.
- Xiao Lan 爷爷！这儿还有！那儿也有！
Yéye! Zhèr hái yǒu! Nàr yě yǒu!
Grandpa! There's another one here! And there!
- Lao Yang 好多泥兵……他们都在看我们。
Hǎo duō ní bīng… tāmen dōu zài kàn wǒmen.
So many clay soldiers… and they're all looking at us.
- Xiao Lan 谁做了这么多泥兵？他们是谁的兵？
Shéi zuò le zhème duō ní bīng? Tāmen shì shéi de bīng?
Who made so many clay soldiers? Whose soldiers are they?
- Lao Yang 我想……我知道是谁。
Wǒ xiǎng… wǒ zhīdào shì shéi.
I think… I know who.
- Xiao Lan 谁？爷爷，快说！
Shéi? Yéye, kuài shuō!
Who? Grandpa, tell me!
- Lao Yang 很久以前，有一个皇帝。他叫秦始皇。
Hěn jiǔ yǐqián, yǒu yí gè huángdì. Tā jiào Qín Shǐhuáng.
Long ago, there was an emperor. His name was Qin Shi Huang.
- Xiao Lan 秦始皇？他是谁？爷爷，你快告诉我！
Qín Shǐhuáng? Tā shì shéi? Yéye, nǐ kuài gàosu wǒ!
Qin Shi Huang? Who was he? Grandpa, tell me everything!
What changed in the story?
- Why do Lao Yang and Xiao Lan dig a well?
“很久没有下雨了。”……“家里没有水了！”
- What does Xiao Lan joke that they will dig to?
“我想会挖到海！还有一条大鱼！”
- What does the shovel hit?
“是一个头！泥做的头！”
- How does Grandpa calm Xiao Lan down?
“别怕。你看，他有眼睛，有嘴，还有头发。”
- Who does Grandpa think made the clay soldiers?
“很久以前，有一个皇帝。他叫秦始皇。”