The Fisherman and the Golden Fish · chapter 1 of 4
The Golden Fish
金鱼说话了
A poor old fisherman catches a golden fish that can talk, and lets it go for free. His wife has other ideas.
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- Narrator 海边有一个老渔夫。他很老，家里没有钱。
Hǎibiān yǒu yí gè lǎo yúfū. Tā hěn lǎo, jiālǐ méiyǒu qián.
An old fisherman lived by the sea. He was very old, and his family had no money.
- The Old Fisherman 海啊海，请给我一条鱼吧。
Hǎi a hǎi, qǐng gěi wǒ yì tiáo yú ba.
Oh sea, dear sea, please give me one fish.
- The Old Fisherman 第一次，只有水。第二次，还是水。
Dì yī cì, zhǐyǒu shuǐ. Dì èr cì, háishi shuǐ.
The first time, only water. The second time, still just water.
- The Old Fisherman 我老了，我的手好累啊。
Wǒ lǎo le, wǒ de shǒu hǎo lèi a.
I'm old, and my hands are so tired.
- The Old Fisherman 三十年了，我每天都来海边。
Sānshí nián le, wǒ měitiān dōu lái hǎibiān.
Thirty years, and I come to the sea every day.
- The Old Fisherman 第三次！这次好重！
Dì sān cì! Zhè cì hǎo zhòng!
The third time! This one is so heavy!
- The Old Fisherman 哎呀！是一条金鱼！
Āiyā! Shì yì tiáo jīnyú!
Oh my! It's a golden fish!
- The Golden Fish 老爷爷，请放了我！
Lǎo yéye, qǐng fàng le wǒ!
Grandfather, please let me go!
- The Old Fisherman 你会说话？！
Nǐ huì shuōhuà?!
You can talk?!
- The Golden Fish 我会。放了我，你要什么，我都给你。
Wǒ huì. Fàng le wǒ, nǐ yào shénme, wǒ dōu gěi nǐ.
I can. Let me go, and I will give you whatever you want.
- The Old Fisherman 什么都给我？
Shénme dōu gěi wǒ?
Anything at all?
- The Golden Fish 对，什么都可以。请让我回家。
Duì, shénme dōu kěyǐ. Qǐng ràng wǒ huí jiā.
Yes, anything. Please let me go home.
- The Old Fisherman 好，好。小鱼，回家吧。我什么都不要。
Hǎo, hǎo. Xiǎo yú, huí jiā ba. Wǒ shénme dōu bú yào.
All right, all right. Little fish, go home. I don't want anything.
- The Golden Fish 谢谢您！您真好！我不会忘记您！
Xièxie nín! Nín zhēn hǎo! Wǒ bú huì wàngjì nín!
Thank you! You are so kind! I will never forget you!
- The Old Fisherman 再见，金鱼。小心一点儿。
Zàijiàn, jīnyú. Xiǎoxīn yìdiǎnr.
Goodbye, golden fish. Be careful out there.
- The Old Fisherman 今天没有鱼，可是我很高兴。
Jīntiān méiyǒu yú, kěshì wǒ hěn gāoxìng.
No fish today, but I feel happy.
- Narrator 老渔夫回到家。老太太在门口。
Lǎo yúfū huídào jiā. Lǎo tàitai zài ménkǒu.
The old fisherman came home. His wife was at the door.
- The Old Wife 鱼呢？今天有几条鱼？我们要吃饭！
Yú ne? Jīntiān yǒu jǐ tiáo yú? Wǒmen yào chīfàn!
Where are the fish? How many fish today? We have to eat!
- The Old Fisherman 没有鱼。可是，我看见一条金鱼！真的！
Méiyǒu yú. Kěshì, wǒ kànjiàn yì tiáo jīnyú! Zhēn de!
No fish. But I saw a golden fish! Really!
- The Old Wife 金鱼？金鱼能吃吗？
Jīnyú? Jīnyú néng chī ma?
A golden fish? Can you eat it?
- The Old Fisherman 它会说话！它说，我要什么，它都给我。
Tā huì shuōhuà! Tā shuō, wǒ yào shénme, tā dōu gěi wǒ.
It can talk! It said it would give me whatever I asked for.
- The Old Wife 什么都给你？那你要了什么？
Shénme dōu gěi nǐ? Nà nǐ yào le shénme?
Anything? So what did you ask for?
- The Old Fisherman 我……什么都没要。我让它回家了。
Wǒ… shénme dōu méi yào. Wǒ ràng tā huí jiā le.
I... didn't ask for anything. I let it go home.
- The Old Wife 什么？！你这个老头子！你不要，我要！
Shénme?! Nǐ zhège lǎo tóuzi! Nǐ bú yào, wǒ yào!
What?! You silly old man! If you won't ask, I will!
- The Old Wife 我们还在用那个旧木盆！
Wǒmen hái zài yòng nà ge jiù mùpén!
We're still using that old washtub!
- The Old Wife 你看！我们的木盆都坏了！
Nǐ kàn! Wǒmen de mùpén dōu huài le!
Look! Our washtub is broken!
- The Old Fisherman 是啊……木盆是坏了。
Shì a… mùpén shì huài le.
Yes... the washtub is broken.
- The Old Wife 去！马上去海边，要一个新木盆！
Qù! Mǎshàng qù hǎibiān, yào yí gè xīn mùpén!
Go! Go to the sea right now and ask for a new washtub!
- The Old Fisherman 可是，那条金鱼……
Kěshì, nà tiáo jīnyú…
But that golden fish...
- The Old Wife 去！不去，别回家！
Qù! Bú qù, bié huí jiā!
Go! If you don't, don't come home!
What changed in the story?
- Why does the fisherman let the golden fish go?
“老爷爷，请放了我！”……“小鱼，回家吧。我什么都不要。”
- What does the golden fish promise?
“你要什么，我都给你。”
- What does the fisherman say he asked for?
“我……什么都没要。”
- What is broken at home?
“我们的木盆都坏了！”
- What does the wife tell him to do?
“马上去海边，要一个新木盆！”