The Count of Monte Cristo: The Return · chapter 4 of 6
The Mother's Plea
母亲的请求
The night before the duel, a veiled woman comes to the Count's door and says one name. At dawn, someone comes running for help.
Read what you hear
- The Count of Monte Cristo 海黛，你看这份报纸。邓格拉尔的银行，今天早上关门了。
Hǎidài, nǐ kàn zhèfèn bàozhǐ. Dènggélā'ěr de yínháng, jīntiān zǎoshang guānmén le.
Haydée, look at this newspaper. Danglars's bank closed this morning.
- Haydée 关门了？他不是巴黎最有钱的人吗？
Guānmén le? Tā bú shì Bālí zuì yǒuqián de rén ma?
Closed? Wasn't he one of the richest men in Paris?
- The Count of Monte Cristo 他一直用别人的钱做生意，还告诉大家一切都很好。我只是在他最需要钱的那一天，把我自己的钱拿了回来。
Tā yìzhí yòng biérén de qián zuòshēngyì, hái gàosu dàjiā yíqiè dōu hěn hǎo. Wǒ zhǐshì zài tā zuì xūyào qián de nà yì tiān, bǎ wǒ zìjǐ de qián ná le huílái.
He always did business with other people's money and told everyone that all was well. I only took back my own money on the day he needed it most.
Chapter 4 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of The Count of Monte Cristo: The Return is free, and so are The Second Cup of Tea, Mulan, The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West: The Monkey King, Cinderella, The Night of the Nian, Chang'e and the Moon, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, Aesop's Fables, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began, Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Lotus Lantern, Alice in Wonderland, Zhong Kui the Demon Queller, The Odyssey, Robin Hood, Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Kitchen God from start to finish.
- Haydée 那他现在在哪儿？他会不会……
Nà tā xiànzài zài nǎr? Tā huì bu huì…
Where is he now? Will he...
- The Count of Monte Cristo 他带着最后一点钱，逃到了意大利，在山里饿了三天。我让人给了他一点钱，放他回家。他还活着。
Tā dài zhe zuìhòu yìdiǎn qián, táo dào le Yìdàlì, zài shānlǐ è le sāntiān. Wǒ ràng rén gěi le tā yìdiǎn qián, fàng tā huíjiā. Tā hái huózhe.
He fled to Italy with his last bit of money and went hungry in the mountains for three days. I had someone give him a little money and let him go home. He is alive.
- The Count of Monte Cristo 我要的不是他的命，而是他的骄傲。他现在明白了，钱不是永远都在的。
Wǒ yào de bú shì tā de mìng, érshì tā de jiāo'ào. Tā xiànzài míngbai le, qián bú shì yǒngyuǎn dōu zài de.
What I wanted was not his life, but his pride. Now he knows that money does not last forever.
- Haydée 先生，您的脸色不太好。是因为明天早上吗？
Xiānsheng, nín de liǎnsè bú tài hǎo. Shì yīnwèi míngtiān zǎoshang ma?
Sir, you don't look well. Is it because of tomorrow morning?
- The Count of Monte Cristo 明天，阿尔贝会拿着手枪来找我。他是一个好女人的儿子，也是一个坏人的儿子。
Míngtiān, Ā'ěrbèi huì ná zhe shǒuqiāng lái zhǎo wǒ. Tā shì yí gè hǎo nǚrén de érzi, yě shì yí gè huàirén de érzi.
Tomorrow Albert will come to me with a pistol. He is the son of a good woman, and the son of a bad man.
- Haydée 那您要怎么办？您会……
Nà nín yào zěnmebàn? Nín huì…
What will you do? Will you...
- The Count of Monte Cristo 我不知道。十四年来，这是我第一次，不知道下一步该怎么走。
Wǒ bù zhīdào. Shísìnián lái, zhè shì wǒ dìyīcì, bù zhīdào xià yí bù gāi zěnme zǒu.
I don't know. In fourteen years, this is the first time I do not know what to do next.
- Servant 伯爵，门口有一位夫人，戴着面纱。她说，她不见到您就不走。
Bójué, ménkǒu yǒu yí wèi fūrén, dài zhe miànshā. Tā shuō, tā bú jiàndào nín jiù bù zǒu.
Count, a lady is at the door wearing a veil. She says she will not leave until she sees you.
- The Count of Monte Cristo 请她进来。海黛，你先去休息吧。
Qǐng tā jìnlái. Hǎidài, nǐ xiān qù xiūxi ba.
Ask her in. Haydée, you go and rest.
- Countess Mercédès 爱德蒙。
Àidéméng.
Edmond.
- The Count of Monte Cristo 这里没有叫爱德蒙的人，夫人。
Zhèlǐ méiyǒu jiào Àidéméng de rén, fūrén.
There is no one here named Edmond, Madame.
- Countess Mercédès 别再骗我了。从第一天起，我就认出你了。你的眼睛，你的声音，还有你不肯在我家吃一口东西。
Bié zài piàn wǒ le. Cóng dìyī tiān qǐ, wǒ jiù rènchū nǐ le. Nǐ de yǎnjing, nǐ de shēngyīn, háiyǒu nǐ bù kěn zài wǒ jiā chī yì kǒu dōngxi.
Stop pretending. I knew you from the first day. Your eyes, your voice, and how you would not eat one bite in my house.
- The Count of Monte Cristo 十四年，梅赛苔丝。我在一个小房间里，数了五千多天，每一天我都在想你。
Shísìnián, Méisàitáisī. Wǒ zài yí gè xiǎofángjiān lǐ, shù le wǔqiānduō tiān, měi yì tiān wǒ dōu zài xiǎng nǐ.
Fourteen years, Mercédès. In one small room I counted more than five thousand days, and every day I thought of you.
- Countess Mercédès 我知道……你被带走以后，我天天去问，没有人告诉我你在哪里。
Wǒ zhīdào… Nǐ bèi dàizǒu yǐhòu, wǒ tiāntiān qù wèn, méiyǒu rén gàosu wǒ nǐ zài nǎlǐ.
I know... After they took you away, I asked every day, and no one would tell me where you were.
- Countess Mercédès 你父亲最后的日子，是我照顾他的。他一直说，爱德蒙会回来的。
Nǐ fùqīn zuìhòu de rìzi, shì wǒ zhàogù tā de. Tā yìzhí shuō, Àidéméng huì huílái de.
In your father's last days, I took care of him. He always said Edmond would come back.
- The Count of Monte Cristo 我父亲……他走的时候，很痛苦吗？
Wǒ fùqīn… Tā zǒu de shíhou, hěn tòngkǔ ma?
My father... was he in pain when he died?
- Countess Mercédès 很安静。他一直在等你，一直等到最后。
Hěn ānjìng. Tā yìzhí zài děng nǐ, yìzhí děngdào zuìhòu.
It was very quiet. He waited for you, all the way to the end.
- The Count of Monte Cristo 是费尔南和邓格拉尔害了他，也害了我。
Shì Fèi'ěrnán hé Dènggélā'ěr hài le tā, yě hài le wǒ.
It was Fernand and Danglars who destroyed him, and destroyed me.
- Countess Mercédès 我知道。可是阿尔贝是费尔南的儿子，也是我的一切。我求你，不要伤害他。
Wǒ zhīdào. Kěshì Ā'ěrbèi shì Fèi'ěrnán de érzi, yě shì wǒ de yíqiè. Wǒ qiú nǐ, bú yào shānghài tā.
I know. But Albert is Fernand's son, and he is my whole world. I beg you, do not hurt him.
- The Count of Monte Cristo 我不想伤害一个孩子。可是明天早上，他会带着手枪来，他要为他的父亲决斗。
Wǒ bù xiǎng shānghài yí gè háizi. Kěshì míngtiān zǎoshang, tā huì dài zhe shǒuqiāng lái, tā yào wèi tā de fùqīn juédòu.
I don't want to hurt a child. But tomorrow morning he will come with a pistol, to fight a duel for his father.
- Countess Mercédès 那就让我用我的一生，换我儿子的一天。
Nà jiù ràng wǒ yòng wǒ de yìshēng, huàn wǒ érzi de yì tiān.
Then let me give my whole life for one day of my son's.
- The Count of Monte Cristo 好。梅赛苔丝，明天我会站着不动，我不会开枪。
Hǎo. Méisàitáisī, míngtiān wǒ huì zhàn zhe bú dòng, wǒ bú huì kāiqiāng.
Very well. Mercédès, tomorrow I will stand still. I will not fire.
- Albert de Morcerf 伯爵，我不是来决斗的。我母亲全告诉我了，我要向您道歉。
Bójué, wǒ bú shì lái juédòu de. Wǒ mǔqīn quán gàosu wǒ le, wǒ yào xiàng nín dàoqiàn.
Count, I did not come to fight. My mother told me everything, and I want to apologize to you.
- The Count of Monte Cristo 你为什么改变了主意，子爵？
Nǐ wèishénme gǎibiàn le zhǔyì, zǐjué?
Why did you change your mind, Viscount?
- Albert de Morcerf 因为我父亲做了错事，我不能再帮他。我们要离开巴黎，把他的钱都还给别人。
Yīnwèi wǒ fùqīn zuò le cuòshì, wǒ bù néng zài bāng tā. Wǒmen yào líkāi Bālí, bǎ tā de qián dōu huángěi biérén.
Because my father did wrong, and I cannot help him anymore. We will leave Paris and give all his money back to others.
- The Count of Monte Cristo 你很勇敢，阿尔贝。人是可以从头再来的。
Nǐ hěn yǒnggǎn, Ā'ěrbèi. Rén shì kěyǐ cóngtóuzàilái de.
You are brave, Albert. A person can begin again.
- Maximilien 伯爵！救救瓦朗蒂娜！她快不行了！
Bójué! Jiùjiù Wǎlǎngdìnà! Tā kuài bù xíng le!
Count! Save Valentine! She is dying!
- The Count of Monte Cristo 维尔福家……好，我们走。这一次，我要救人，不是报仇。
Wéi'ěrfú jiā… Hǎo, wǒmen zǒu. Zhè yí cì, wǒ yào jiùrén, bú shì bàochóu.
Villefort's house... all right, let's go. This time I will save someone, not take revenge.
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why did Danglars's bank close?
“他带着最后一点钱，逃到了意大利，在山里饿了三天。我让人给了他一点钱，放他回家。他还活着。”
- What does the Count say he wanted from Danglars?
“他带着最后一点钱，逃到了意大利，在山里饿了三天。我让人给了他一点钱，放他回家。他还活着。”
- What does Mercédès tell the Count about his father?
“你父亲最后的日子，是我照顾他的。他一直说，爱德蒙会回来的。”
- What does Mercédès beg the Count to do?
“我知道。可是阿尔贝是费尔南的儿子，也是我的一切。我求你，不要伤害他。”
- Why does Albert come to the Count at dawn?
“伯爵，我不是来决斗的。我母亲全告诉我了，我要向您道歉。”