Qu Yuan and the Dragon Boats · chapter 1 of 3
Your Majesty Is Right
大王说得对
In the palace of Chu, honest Qu Yuan warns his king about a tiger bearing gifts, while a flattering rival agrees with every word the king says.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 中国人过端午节，要划龙舟，吃粽子。人们说，这都是因为一个人。
Zhōngguó rén guò Duānwǔ Jié, yào huá lóngzhōu, chī zòngzi. Rénmen shuō, zhè dōu shì yīnwèi yí gè rén.
When Chinese people celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, they race dragon boats and eat zongzi. People say it's all because of one man.
- Narrator 两千多年以前，这个人住在楚国。他叫屈原。
Liǎngqiān duō nián yǐqián, zhège rén zhù zài Chǔguó. Tā jiào Qū Yuán.
More than two thousand years ago, this man lived in the state of Chu. His name was Qu Yuan.
- Qu Yuan 大王，秦国的人又来了。他们送来了很多东西。
Dàwáng, Qínguó de rén yòu lái le. Tāmen sòng lái le hěn duō dōngxi.
Your Majesty, the men from Qin are here again. They've brought a great many gifts.
- The King of Chu 好啊！秦国是我们的好朋友！上官，对不对？
Hǎo a! Qínguó shì wǒmen de hǎo péngyou! Shàngguān, duì bu duì?
Wonderful! Qin is our good friend! Isn't that right, Shangguan?
- Grand Master Shangguan 大王说得对！大王说得对！
Dàwáng shuō de duì! Dàwáng shuō de duì!
Your Majesty is right! Your Majesty is right!
- Qu Yuan 大王，秦国不是朋友。秦国是一只老虎！
Dàwáng, Qínguó bú shì péngyou. Qínguó shì yì zhī lǎohǔ!
Your Majesty, Qin is no friend. Qin is a tiger!
- The King of Chu 老虎？可是，老虎为什么送我东西？
Lǎohǔ? Kěshì, lǎohǔ wèishénme sòng wǒ dōngxi?
A tiger? But why would a tiger send me gifts?
- Qu Yuan 老虎送您东西，是想吃了您啊！
Lǎohǔ sòng nín dōngxi, shì xiǎng chī le nín a!
When a tiger brings you gifts, it's because it wants to eat you!
- The King of Chu 这……那楚国怎么办？
Zhè… nà Chǔguó zěnme bàn?
Well… then what should Chu do?
- Qu Yuan 我们要和齐国做朋友。楚国和齐国在一起，老虎就不会来了。
Wǒmen yào hé Qíguó zuò péngyou. Chǔguó hé Qíguó zài yìqǐ, lǎohǔ jiù bú huì lái le.
We must be friends with Qi. If Chu and Qi stand together, the tiger won't come.
- The King of Chu 好！这个办法好！
Hǎo! Zhège bànfǎ hǎo!
Good! That's a good plan!
- Grand Master Shangguan 大王说得对！这个办法太好了！
Dàwáng shuō de duì! Zhège bànfǎ tài hǎo le!
Your Majesty is right! It's a wonderful plan!
- The King of Chu 上官，你刚才说秦国好，现在又说齐国好？
Shàngguān, nǐ gāngcái shuō Qínguó hǎo, xiànzài yòu shuō Qíguó hǎo?
Shangguan, a moment ago you said Qin was good. Now you say Qi is good?
- Grand Master Shangguan 我……我听大王的！大王说什么，都对！
Wǒ… wǒ tīng dàwáng de! Dàwáng shuō shénme, dōu duì!
I… I just follow Your Majesty! Whatever Your Majesty says is right!
- The King of Chu 哈哈！屈原，以后我听你的。楚国的新法，你来写！
Hāhā! Qū Yuán, yǐhòu wǒ tīng nǐ de. Chǔguó de xīn fǎ, nǐ lái xiě!
Ha ha! Qu Yuan, from now on I'll listen to you. You shall write Chu's new laws!
- Narrator 那天夜里，屈原在家里写新法。上官大夫来了。
Nà tiān yèli, Qū Yuán zài jiā lǐ xiě xīn fǎ. Shàngguān dàfū lái le.
That night, Qu Yuan was at home writing the new laws. Then Grand Master Shangguan came to call.
- Grand Master Shangguan 屈原，你在写什么？给我看看！
Qū Yuán, nǐ zài xiě shénme? Gěi wǒ kànkan!
Qu Yuan, what are you writing? Let me have a look!
- Qu Yuan 这是给大王的。现在，不能给你看。
Zhè shì gěi dàwáng de. Xiànzài, bù néng gěi nǐ kàn.
This is for the King. I can't show it to you yet.
- Grand Master Shangguan 就看一下！快给我！
Jiù kàn yíxià! Kuài gěi wǒ!
Just one little look! Hand it over!
- Qu Yuan 不给！
Bù gěi!
No!
- Grand Master Shangguan 好，屈原，你等着……我去找大王！
Hǎo, Qū Yuán, nǐ děngzhe… wǒ qù zhǎo dàwáng!
Fine, Qu Yuan. Just you wait… I'm going to see the King!
- Grand Master Shangguan 大王，屈原对大家说，没有他，您什么也做不好！
Dàwáng, Qū Yuán duì dàjiā shuō, méiyǒu tā, nín shénme yě zuò bù hǎo!
Your Majesty, Qu Yuan is telling everyone that without him, you can't do anything right!
- The King of Chu 什么？他这样说我？屈原呢？叫他来！
Shénme? Tā zhèyàng shuō wǒ? Qū Yuán ne? Jiào tā lái!
What? He says that about me? Where's Qu Yuan? Bring him here!
- Qu Yuan 大王，我没有说过这样的话！
Dàwáng, wǒ méiyǒu shuō guo zhèyàng de huà!
Your Majesty, I never said any such thing!
- The King of Chu 别说了！你走吧。我不想再看见你！
Bié shuō le! Nǐ zǒu ba. Wǒ bù xiǎng zài kànjiàn nǐ!
Enough! Go. I never want to see you again!
- Qu Yuan 大王，我走。可是，老虎的话，不能信啊！
Dàwáng, wǒ zǒu. Kěshì, lǎohǔ de huà, bù néng xìn a!
I'll go, Your Majesty. But remember: you can't trust a tiger's word!
- Narrator 屈原走了。不久，秦国的人又来了。
Qū Yuán zǒu le. Bùjiǔ, Qínguó de rén yòu lái le.
So Qu Yuan left. Soon after, the men from Qin came back.
- Grand Master Shangguan 大王！秦国说，我们不和齐国做朋友，就送我们六百里地！
Dàwáng! Qínguó shuō, wǒmen bù hé Qíguó zuò péngyou, jiù sòng wǒmen liùbǎi lǐ dì!
Your Majesty! Qin says that if we stop being friends with Qi, they'll give us six hundred li of land!
- The King of Chu 六百里地？太好了！齐国这个朋友，我不要了！
Liùbǎi lǐ dì? Tài hǎo le! Qíguó zhège péngyou, wǒ bú yào le!
Six hundred li of land? Marvelous! I don't need Qi as a friend anymore!
- Grand Master Shangguan 大王说得对！秦国不是老虎，是好朋友！
Dàwáng shuō de duì! Qínguó bú shì lǎohǔ, shì hǎo péngyou!
Your Majesty is right! Qin is no tiger. Qin is our good friend!
What changed in the story?
- What does Qu Yuan say Qin really is?
“秦国不是朋友。秦国是一只老虎！”
- What plan does Qu Yuan give the King?
“我们要和齐国做朋友。”
- Why does the King tease Shangguan?
“你刚才说秦国好，现在又说齐国好？”
- What does Shangguan tell the King about Qu Yuan?
“屈原对大家说，没有他，您什么也做不好！”
- What must Chu do to get Qin's six hundred li of land?
“秦国说，我们不和齐国做朋友，就送我们六百里地！”