SayMei

The Count of Monte Cristo: The Return · chapter 1 of 6

The Punctual Guest

准时的客人

A stranger in Paris arrives exactly on time and will not eat a bite. Why does the countess think she has seen his eyes before?

The Punctual Guest illustration

Hear the chapter

Read what you hear

  1. Narrator 一八三八年,巴黎的一个早上。年轻的阿尔贝在家里,等一位神秘的客人来吃早饭。

    Yì bā sānbā nián, Bālí de yí gè zǎoshang. Niánqīng de Ā'ěrbèi zài jiālǐ, děng yí wèi shénmì de kèrén lái chī zǎofàn.

    Paris, one morning in 1838. Young Albert waits at home for a mysterious guest to come to breakfast.

  2. The Count of Monte Cristo 早安,阿尔贝先生。钟刚刚响,我就到了,希望没有让您久等。

    Zǎo'ān, Ā'ěrbèi xiānsheng. Zhōng gānggāng xiǎng, wǒ jiù dào le, xīwàng méiyǒu ràng nín jiǔděng.

    Good morning, Monsieur Albert. The clock had only just struck when I arrived. I hope I haven't kept you waiting.

  3. Albert de Morcerf 一秒也不差!伯爵,您比我家的钟还准,我的朋友们都不相信,我还和他们打了赌呢!

    Yì miǎo yě bú chà! Bójué, nín bǐ wǒ jiā de zhōng hái zhǔn, wǒ de péngyoumen dōu bù xiāngxìn, wǒ hái hé tāmen dǎ le dǔ ne!

    Not one second off! Count, you're more punctual than my own clock. My friends didn't believe me, and I even made a bet with them!

  4. The Count of Monte Cristo 那您赢了吗?我不喜欢让朋友输钱,所以我只好准时。

    Nà nín yíng le ma? Wǒ bù xǐhuan ràng péngyou shūqián, suǒyǐ wǒ zhǐhǎo zhǔnshí.

    Did you win? I don't like to make a friend lose money, so I had no choice but to be on time.

  5. Albert de Morcerf 当然赢了!您在罗马救了我的命,今天我一定要请您好好吃一顿早饭。

    Dāngrán yíng le! Nín zài Luómǎ jiù le wǒ de mìng, jīntiān wǒ yídìng yào qǐng nín hǎo hǎochī yí dùn zǎofàn.

    Of course I won! You saved my life in Rome, and today I must give you a proper breakfast.

  6. The Count of Monte Cristo 那是小事。朋友有难的时候,谁都应该帮忙,不是吗?

    Nà shì xiǎoshì. Péngyou yǒu nán de shíhou, shuí dōu yīnggāi bāngmáng, bú shì ma?

    That was nothing. When a friend is in trouble, anyone should help. Isn't that so?

  7. Albert de Morcerf 小事?强盗要六千个金币才肯放我走,可是您只写了一封信,他们就把我送回来了!

    Xiǎoshì? Qiángdào yào liùqiāngè jīnbì cái kěn fàng wǒ zǒu, kěshì nín zhǐ xiě le yì fēngxìn, tāmen jiù bǎ wǒ sòng huílái le!

    Nothing? The robbers wanted six thousand gold coins to let me go, but you wrote just one letter and they sent me right home!

  8. The Count of Monte Cristo 有时候,一封信比一百个士兵更有用,阿尔贝先生。

    Yǒu shíhou, yì fēngxìn bǐ yì bǎigè shìbīng gèng yǒuyòng, Ā'ěrbèi xiānsheng.

    Sometimes one letter is worth more than a hundred soldiers, Monsieur Albert.

  9. Albert de Morcerf 您总是这么神秘!现在全巴黎都在说您:有人说您是国王,有人说您是鬼!

    Nín zǒngshì zhème shénmì! Xiànzài quán Bālí dōu zài shuō nín: yǒurén shuō nín shì guówáng, yǒurén shuō nín shì guǐ!

    You're always so mysterious! All of Paris is talking about you. Some say you're a king, and some say you're a ghost!

  10. The Count of Monte Cristo 鬼?那我真得小心一点,不然客人们都被我吓跑了。

    Guǐ? Nà wǒ zhēn dé xiǎoxīn yìdiǎn, bùrán kèrénmen dōu bèi wǒ xiàpǎo le.

    A ghost? Then I must be careful, or I will frighten all my guests away.

  11. Albert de Morcerf 哈哈!今天您要认识我的父母。我父亲是马尔塞夫伯爵,也是国王的将军,他的名字,全法国都知道。

    Hāhā! Jīntiān nín yào rènshi wǒ de fùmǔ. Wǒ fùqīn shì Mǎ'ěrsāifū bójué, yě shì guówáng de jiāngjūn, tā de míngzi, quán Fǎguó dōu zhīdào.

    Ha! Today you'll meet my parents. My father is the Count of Morcerf, and a general of the king. All of France knows his name.

  12. The Count of Monte Cristo 马尔塞夫伯爵……我早就想见他了,想了很多很多年。

    Mǎ'ěrsāifū bójué… Wǒ zǎojiù xiǎngjiàn tā le, xiǎng le hěnduō hěnduō nián.

    The Count of Morcerf... I have wanted to meet him for a long time. Many, many years.

  13. Albert de Morcerf 他去议院开会了,中午才回来。不过我母亲就在楼上。妈妈!妈妈!我们的客人到了!

    Tā qù yìyuàn kāihuì le, zhōngwǔ cái huílái. Búguò wǒ mǔqīn jiù zài lóushàng. Māma! Māma! Wǒmen de kèrén dào le!

    He's at a meeting of the Chamber and won't be back until noon. But my mother is upstairs. Mother! Mother! Our guest has arrived!

  14. Countess Mercédès 来了,阿尔贝。这位就是救过你的基督山伯爵吗?欢迎您来我们家。

    Lái le, Ā'ěrbèi. Zhè wèi jiùshì jiù guò nǐ de Jīdūshān bójué ma? Huānyíng nín lái wǒmen jiā.

    Coming, Albert. Is this the Count of Monte Cristo, who saved you? Welcome to our home.

  15. The Count of Monte Cristo 伯爵夫人,能见到您,是我的荣幸。

    Bójué fūrén, néng jiàndào nín, shì wǒ de róngxìng.

    Countess, it is my honor to meet you.

  16. Countess Mercédès 这个声音……不,不可能,我一定是听错了。

    Zhège shēngyīn… Bù, bù kěnéng, wǒ yídìng shì tīngcuò le.

    That voice... No, it can't be. I must have heard wrong.

  17. Albert de Morcerf 妈妈,您怎么了?您的脸色这么白,是不是不舒服?

    Māma, nín zěnme le? Nín de liǎnsè zhème bái, shì bu shì bù shūfú?

    Mother, what's wrong? You've gone so pale. Are you unwell?

  18. Countess Mercédès 没什么,我只是有点累。伯爵,请坐。桌上有水果,也有热茶,请您用一点。

    Méi shénme, wǒ zhǐshì yǒudiǎn lèi. Bójué, qǐng zuò. Zhuōshàng yǒu shuǐguǒ, yě yǒu rèchá, qǐng nín yòng yìdiǎn.

    It's nothing, I'm just a little tired. Count, please sit. There is fruit and hot tea on the table. Please have some.

  19. The Count of Monte Cristo 谢谢您,夫人。可是在您家里,我什么也不吃,什么也不喝,请您原谅。

    Xièxie nín, fūrén. Kěshì zài nín jiālǐ, wǒ shénme yě bù chī, shénme yě bù hē, qǐng nín yuánliàng.

    Thank you, Madame. But in your house I will not eat or drink anything. Please forgive me.

  20. Countess Mercédès 奇怪……从前有一个人对我说过,只有和真正的朋友,他才会坐下来一起吃饭。

    Qíguài… Cóngqián yǒu yí gè rén duì wǒ shuō guò, zhǐyǒu hé zhēnzhèng de péngyou, tā cái huì zuòxià lái yìqǐ chīfàn.

    How strange... Long ago someone told me he would sit down to eat only with a true friend.

  21. Albert de Morcerf 连一口水也不喝?伯爵,这是为什么?

    Lián yì kǒu shuǐ yě bù hē? Bójué, zhè shì wèishénme?

    Not even a sip of water? Count, why is that?

  22. The Count of Monte Cristo 我在东方住了很多年,学会了很多奇怪的习惯。这只是其中的一个。

    Wǒ zài dōngfāng zhù le hěnduō nián, xuéhuì le hěnduō qíguài de xíguàn. Zhè zhǐshì qízhōng de yí gè.

    I lived in the East for many years and picked up many strange habits. This is only one of them.

  23. Albert de Morcerf 好吧,好吧!可是我家的厨师会哭的。妈妈,我去拿罗马买的那幅画给伯爵看,马上回来!

    Hǎo ba, hǎo ba! Kěshì wǒ jiā de chúshī huì kū de. Māma, wǒ qù ná Luómǎ mǎi de nà fú huà gěi bójué kàn, mǎshàng huílái!

    All right, all right! But our cook will cry. Mother, I'll get the painting I bought in Rome to show the Count. Back in a moment!

  24. Countess Mercédès 伯爵,请您看着我。您的眼睛,我好像很久以前就见过。

    Bójué, qǐng nín kànzhe wǒ. Nín de yǎnjing, wǒ hǎoxiàng hěn jiǔ yǐqián jiù jiàn guò.

    Count, please look at me. Your eyes... I feel I saw them long ago.

  25. The Count of Monte Cristo 夫人,我们是第一次见面。也许您是在梦里见过我。

    Fūrén, wǒmen shì dìyīcì jiànmiàn. Yěxǔ nín shì zài mèng lǐ jiàn guò wǒ.

    Madame, this is the first time we have met. Perhaps you saw me in a dream.

  26. Countess Mercédès 我有一个朋友,他的眼睛和您一样。他去了海上,再也没有回来。

    Wǒ yǒu yí gè péngyou, tā de yǎnjing hé nín yíyàng. Tā qù le hǎishàng, zàiyě méiyǒu huílái.

    I had a friend whose eyes were just like yours. He went to sea and never came back.

  27. The Count of Monte Cristo 海上的路很长,夫人。也许他并没有忘记您。

    Hǎishàng de lù hěn zhǎng, fūrén. Yěxǔ tā bìng méiyǒu wàngjì nín.

    The sea road is long, Madame. Perhaps he did not forget you.

  28. Countess Mercédès 爱德蒙……是您吗?

    Àidéméng… Shì nín ma?

    Edmond... is it you?

  29. The Count of Monte Cristo 爱德蒙·唐泰斯,已经死了很多年了,夫人。

    Àidéméng Tángtàisī, yǐjīng sǐ le hěnduō nián le, fūrén.

    Edmond Dantès has been dead for many years, Madame.

  30. Countess Mercédès 不。一个死去的人,不会用这样的眼睛看着我。

    Bù. Yí gè sǐqù de rén, bú huì yòng zhèyàng de yǎnjing kànzhe wǒ.

    No. A dead man would not look at me with such eyes.

What changed in the story?

  1. Why is Albert amazed when the Count walks in?

    “一秒也不差!伯爵,您比我家的钟还准,我的朋友们都不相信,我还和他们打了赌呢!”

  2. How did the Count help Albert in Rome?

    “小事?强盗要六千个金币才肯放我走,可是您只写了一封信,他们就把我送回来了!”

  3. What does the Count refuse to do in the countess's house?

    “谢谢您,夫人。可是在您家里,我什么也不吃,什么也不喝,请您原谅。”

  4. What does Mercédès feel about the Count's eyes?

    “伯爵,请您看着我。您的眼睛,我好像很久以前就见过。”

  5. What does Mercédès whisper at the end?

    “爱德蒙……是您吗?”

All chapters in The Count of Monte Cristo: The Return.