The Emperor's New Clothes · chapter 1 of 3
The Emperor Who Loved Clothes
爱新衣服的皇帝
An emperor who changes his clothes every hour meets a stranger with an irresistible offer: cloth so fine that fools can't see it.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 很久很久以前，有一个皇帝。他最爱新衣服。
Hěn jiǔ hěn jiǔ yǐqián, yǒu yí gè huángdì. Tā zuì ài xīn yīfu.
Long, long ago, there lived an emperor who loved new clothes more than anything.
- Narrator 他的房间里，都是新衣服和大镜子。
Tā de fángjiān lǐ, dōu shì xīn yīfu hé dà jìngzi.
His rooms were full of new clothes and big mirrors.
- The Old Minister 陛下，陛下！大家都在等您开会呢！
Bìxià, bìxià! Dàjiā dōu zài děng nín kāihuì ne!
Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Everyone is waiting for you to start the council!
- The Emperor 开会？老大臣，等一下！现在十点了，我要换十点的衣服。
Kāihuì? Lǎo dàchén, děng yíxià! Xiànzài shí diǎn le, wǒ yào huàn shí diǎn de yīfu.
The council? Wait a minute, Old Minister! It's ten o'clock. Time for my ten o'clock outfit.
- The Old Minister 可是陛下，您九点换了一次，八点也换了一次……
Kěshì bìxià, nín jiǔ diǎn huàn le yí cì, bā diǎn yě huàn le yí cì…
But Your Majesty, you changed at nine, and you changed at eight…
- The Emperor 镜子里的这个人是谁？这么好看！啊，是我。
Jìngzi lǐ de zhège rén shì shéi? Zhème hǎokàn! À, shì wǒ.
Who's this in the mirror? So handsome! Ah, it's me.
- Narrator 这时候，一个人走了进来。
Zhè shíhou, yí gè rén zǒu le jìnlái.
Just then, a stranger walked in.
- The Swindler 陛下，您好！我会织布。我的布，是最好看的布！
Bìxià, nín hǎo! Wǒ huì zhī bù. Wǒ de bù, shì zuì hǎokàn de bù!
Good day, Your Majesty! I'm a weaver, and my cloth is the most beautiful cloth there is!
- The Emperor 最好看的布？我有很多好看的衣服。你看！
Zuì hǎokàn de bù? Wǒ yǒu hěn duō hǎokàn de yīfu. Nǐ kàn!
The most beautiful? I have plenty of beautiful clothes. Look around you!
- The Swindler 可是陛下，我的布不一样。笨人看不见它。
Kěshì bìxià, wǒ de bù bù yíyàng. Bèn rén kàn bú jiàn tā.
Ah, but my cloth is different, Your Majesty. Fools can't see it.
- The Emperor 看不见？
Kàn bú jiàn?
Can't see it?
- The Swindler 对。笨人看不见，做不好工作的人，也看不见。
Duì. Bèn rén kàn bú jiàn, zuò bù hǎo gōngzuò de rén, yě kàn bú jiàn.
That's right. Fools can't see it, and neither can anyone who's bad at their job.
- The Old Minister 做不好工作的人……也看不见？
Zuò bù hǎo gōngzuò de rén… yě kàn bú jiàn?
Anyone who's bad at their job… can't see it either?
- The Emperor 太好了！我穿上它，就知道谁笨，谁不笨了！
Tài hǎo le! Wǒ chuān shàng tā, jiù zhīdào shéi bèn, shéi bú bèn le!
Perfect! Once I'm wearing it, I'll know exactly who's a fool and who isn't!
- The Emperor 我要！你要多少钱？
Wǒ yào! Nǐ yào duōshao qián?
I want it! How much?
- The Swindler 不多，不多。一千块金子，就够了。
Bù duō, bù duō. Yìqiān kuài jīnzi, jiù gòu le.
Oh, not much, not much. A thousand pieces of gold will do.
- The Old Minister 一千块？！
Yìqiān kuài?!
A thousand?!
- The Emperor 给他！都给他！
Gěi tā! Dōu gěi tā!
Give it to him! Give him all of it!
- The Swindler 谢谢陛下！我和我朋友，今天晚上就织布！
Xièxie bìxià! Wǒ hé wǒ péngyou, jīntiān wǎnshang jiù zhī bù!
Thank you, Your Majesty! My partner and I will start weaving tonight!
- Narrator 骗子拿着金子，笑着走了。
Piànzi názhe jīnzi, xiàozhe zǒu le.
The swindler took the gold and went off, smiling.
- The Emperor 最好看的新衣服，笨人看不见……
Zuì hǎokàn de xīn yīfu, bèn rén kàn bú jiàn…
The most beautiful new clothes of all, and fools can't see them…
- The Emperor 等一下……那我呢？我能看见吗？
Děng yíxià… Nà wǒ ne? Wǒ néng kànjiàn ma?
Wait a moment… what about me? Will I be able to see them?
What changed in the story?
- What does the emperor love more than anything?
“他最爱新衣服。”
- Why won't the emperor go to the council right away?
“现在十点了，我要换十点的衣服。”
- What is special about the stranger's cloth?
“笨人看不见，做不好工作的人，也看不见。”
- Why does the emperor want the cloth so much?
“我穿上它，就知道谁笨，谁不笨了！”
- What worries the emperor at the end of the chapter?
“那我呢？我能看见吗？”