The Count of Monte Cristo: The Prisoner · chapter 1 of 6
The Letter
那封信
Edmond Dantès sails home a hero and is about to marry the girl he loves. Two jealous men write one secret letter, and that night soldiers knock on the door.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 一八一五年，法老号回到了马赛港。年轻的水手爱德蒙站在船头，笑得像个孩子。
Yì bā yì wǔnián, Fǎlǎohào huídào le mǎsàigǎng. Niánqīng de shuǐshǒu Àidéméng zhàn zài chuántóu, xiào dé xiàng gè háizi.
In 1815, the ship Pharaon sailed home to the port of Marseille. The young sailor Edmond stood at the bow, smiling like a child.
- Edmond Dantès 马赛！我又看见马赛了！邓格拉尔，快看，我父亲在码头上等我！
Mǎsài! Wǒ yòu kànjiàn Mǎsài le! Dènggélā'ěr, kuài kàn, wǒ fùqīn zài mǎtóu shàng děng wǒ!
Marseille! I can see Marseille again! Danglars, look, my father is waiting for me on the dock!
- Danglars 别高兴得太早，爱德蒙。船长死在路上，这次回去，谁来当新船长？
Bié gāoxìng détàizǎo, Àidéméng. Chuánzhǎng sǐ zài lùshàng, zhècì huíqù, shuí lái dāng xīn chuánzhǎng?
Don't celebrate too early, Edmond. The captain died on the way. So who will be the new captain?
- Edmond Dantès 我也很难过。船长临死以前，要我去见一位大人物，还给了我一封信，让我送到巴黎。
Wǒ yě hěn nánguò. Chuánzhǎng línsǐ yǐqián, yào wǒ qù jiàn yí wèi dàrénwù, huángěi le wǒ yì fēngxìn, ràng wǒ sòngdào Bālí.
I'm sad about it too. Before he died, the captain sent me to meet an important man, and he gave me a letter to take to Paris.
- Danglars 什么信？给谁的？信里写了什么？
Shénme xìn? Gěi shuí de? Xìnlǐ xiě le shénme?
What letter? Who is it for? What does it say?
- Edmond Dantès 我不知道，我只是听船长的话。邓格拉尔，你今天怎么问个不停？
Wǒ bù zhīdào, wǒ zhǐshì tīng chuánzhǎng dehuà. Dènggélā'ěr, nǐ jīntiān zěnme wèngè bù tíng?
I don't know. I just did what the captain asked. Danglars, why are you asking so many questions today?
- Mr. Morrel 爱德蒙！你把船开得很好，船长走了，从今天起，你就是法老号的新船长！
Àidéméng! Nǐ bǎ chuán kāidé hěn hǎo, chuánzhǎng zǒu le, cóngjīntiānqǐ, nǐ jiùshì Fǎlǎohào de xīn chuánzhǎng!
Edmond! You sailed the ship very well. The captain is gone, so from today you are the new captain of the Pharaon!
- Edmond Dantès 真的吗，莫雷尔先生？谢谢您！我一定不会让您失望！
Zhēnde ma, Mòléi'ěr xiānsheng? Xièxienín! Wǒ yídìng bú huì ràng nín shīwàng!
Really, Mr. Morrel? Thank you! I promise I won't let you down!
- Mr. Morrel 快去吧，你的父亲和梅赛苔丝在等你。听说今晚是你们的订婚宴？
Kuài qù ba, nǐ de fùqīn hé Méisàitāisī zài děng nǐ. Tīngshuō jīnwǎn shì nǐmen de dìnghūnyàn?
Go on, your father and Mercedes are waiting for you. I hear tonight is your engagement feast?
- Danglars 恭喜你啊，船长先生。
Gōngxǐ nǐ a, chuánzhǎng xiānsheng.
Congratulations, Captain.
- Danglars 我做了七年的账，还是个账房先生。他才十九岁，就要当船长？走着瞧。
Wǒ zuò le qīnián de zhàng, háishi gè zhàngfáng xiānsheng. Tā cái shíjiǔsuì, jiùyào dāng chuánzhǎng? Zǒuzheqiáo.
Seven years I kept the ship's accounts, and I'm still a clerk. He's only nineteen and he's a captain? We'll see about that.
- Danglars 费尔南，你的酒快喝完了，你的脸怎么还是这么难看？
Fèi'ěrnán, nǐ de jiǔ kuài hēwán le, nǐ de liǎn zěnme háishi zhème nánkàn?
Fernand, your wine is almost gone, and your face is still that long. Why?
- Fernand 你问我为什么？今晚梅赛苔丝就要和爱德蒙订婚了！我从小爱她，她却只看他一个人！
Nǐ wèn wǒ wèishénme? Jīnwǎn Méisàitāisī jiùyào hé Àidéméng dìnghūn le! Wǒ cóngxiǎo ài tā, tā què zhǐ kàn tā yí gè rén!
You ask me why? Tonight Mercedes gets engaged to Edmond! I have loved her since we were children, and she only looks at him!
- Danglars 我也不喜欢他。这么好的事，为什么全都给他？
Wǒ yě bù xǐhuan tā. Zhème hǎo de shì, wèishénme quándōu gěi tā?
I can't stand him either. Why does every good thing go to him?
- Fernand 我能怎么办？打他一顿？那样，梅赛苔丝会恨我一辈子。
Wǒnéng zěnmebàn? Dǎ tā yí dùn? Nàyàng, Méisàitāisī huìhèn wǒ yí bèizi.
What can I do? Beat him up? Then Mercedes will hate me for the rest of her life.
- Danglars 不用打人，你听我说。爱德蒙从一个小岛带回来一封信，那个岛上住着拿破仑。
Bú yòng dǎrén, nǐ tīng wǒ shuō. Àidéméng cóng yí gè xiǎodǎo dài huílái yì fēngxìn, nàge dǎoshàng zhù zhe Nápòlún.
No need to fight. Listen. Edmond brought back a letter from a little island, and Napoleon lives on that island.
- Fernand 拿破仑？国王最怕的人？
Nápòlún? Guówáng zuìpà de rén?
Napoleon? The man the king fears most?
- Danglars 没错。要是有人说，爱德蒙在替国王的敌人送信……你想想，会怎么样？
Méicuò. Yàoshi yǒurén shuō, Àidéméng zài tì guówáng de dírén sòngxìn… Nǐ xiǎngxiǎng, huì zěnmeyàng?
Exactly. If someone says Edmond is carrying letters for the king's enemy, well, what do you think would happen?
- Fernand 他会被抓起来，永远不能回来。梅赛苔丝……就没有人可以嫁了。
Tāhuì bèi zhuā qǐlái, yǒngyuǎn bù néng huílái. Méisàitāisī… Jiù méiyǒu rén kěyǐ jià le.
He'll be arrested and never come back. Then Mercedes will have nobody to marry.
- Danglars 来，我来写。我用左手写字，谁也认不出来。
Lái, wǒlái xiě. Wǒyòng zuǒshǒu xiězì, shuí yě rènbùchūlái.
Come, I'll write it. I'll use my left hand so nobody will recognize the writing.
- Fernand 我……我不写名字。我只帮你把信送去。
Wǒ… Wǒ bù xiě míngzi. Wǒ zhǐ bāng nǐ bǎ xìnsòng qù.
I... I won't sign anything. I'll just take the letter there for you.
- Danglars 对，你走一趟就够了。明天，你就赢了，费尔南。
Duì, nǐ zǒu yí tàng jiùgòu le. Míngtiān, nǐ jiù yíng le, Fèi'ěrnán.
Right, one walk is all it takes. Tomorrow, you'll have won, Fernand.
- Edmond's Father 朋友们，喝吧！我的儿子当船长了，还要娶最好的姑娘！
Péngyou men, hē ba! Wǒ de érzi dāng chuánzhǎng le, háiyào qǔ zuìhǎo de gūniáng!
Friends, drink up! My son is a captain now, and he's marrying the finest girl around!
- Mercédès 爱德蒙，你笑得像个孩子，我从来没见过你这么开心。
Àidéméng, nǐ xiào dé xiàng gè háizi, wǒ cónglái méijiàn guò nǐ zhème kāixīn.
Edmond, you're smiling like a child. I've never seen you so happy.
- Edmond Dantès 我怎么能不开心？我有父亲，有你，还有一条船，人生没有比这更好的了！
Wǒ zěnme néng bù kāixīn? Wǒ yǒu fùqīn, yǒu nǐ, háiyǒu yì tiáo chuán, rénshēng méiyǒu bǐ zhè gènghǎo de le!
How can I not be happy? I have my father, I have you, and I have a ship. Life can't get better than this!
- Mercédès 那你要答应我：以后不管去多远，一定要平安回来。
Nà nǐ yào dāying wǒ: yǐhòu bù guǎn qù duō yuǎn, yídìng yào píng'ān huílái.
Then promise me: no matter how far you sail, you'll always come back safe.
- Edmond Dantès 我答应你。就算海那么大，我也会游回来找你。
Wǒ dāying nǐ. Jiùsuàn hǎi nàme dà, wǒ yě huì yóuhuílái zhǎo nǐ.
I promise. Even if the sea is that wide, I'll swim back to find you.
- Edmond's Father 好了好了，你们两个别只顾着说话，快来尝尝我的鱼汤！
Hǎo le hǎo le, nǐmen liǎnggè bié zhǐgù zhe shuōhuà, kuài lái chángcháng wǒ de yútāng!
All right, all right, you two, stop talking and come taste my fish soup!
- Soldier 开门！以国王的名义，开门！
Kāimén! Yǐ guówáng de míngyì, kāimén!
Open up! In the king's name, open the door!
- Mercédès 这么晚了，会是谁？爱德蒙……我有点怕。
Zhèmewǎn le, huì shì shuí? Àidéméng… Wǒ yǒudiǎn pà.
So late at night, who could it be? Edmond... I'm a little scared.
- Edmond Dantès 别怕，一定是弄错了什么事。我去看看。
Biépà, yídìng shì nòngcuò le shénme shì. Wǒ qù kànkan.
Don't be afraid. It must be some mistake. I'll go and see.
- Soldier 你是水手唐泰斯吗？你被抓了，跟我们走！
Nǐ shì shuǐshǒu Tángtàisī ma? Nǐ bèi zhuā le, gēn wǒmen zǒu!
Are you the sailor Dantès? You're under arrest. Come with us!
- Mercédès 爱德蒙！你们要带他去哪儿？
Àidéméng! Nǐmen yào dài tā qù nǎ'ér?
Edmond! Where are you taking him?
What changed in the story?
- Why does Danglars dislike Edmond?
“我做了七年的账，还是个账房先生。他才十九岁，就要当船长”
- What does Edmond carry from the island?
“还给了我一封信，让我送到巴黎”
- Why is Fernand so unhappy?
“我从小爱她，她却只看他一个人”
- How does Danglars hide who wrote the letter?
“我用左手写字，谁也认不出来”
- What does Edmond promise Mercedes?
“就算海那么大，我也会游回来找你”