The Fisherman and the Golden Fish · chapter 3 of 4
The Noblewoman
贵妇人
The wife has a big house, but she does not want to be an old woman anymore. What will the sea say now?
Read what you hear
- The Old Fisherman 哇！这是我们的家吗？
Wā! Zhè shì wǒmen de jiā ma?
Wow! Is this our home?
- The Old Wife 是的，老头子！你看，我们的大房子！
Shì de, lǎo tóuzi! Nǐ kàn, wǒmen de dà fángzi!
Yes, old man! Look, a big house!
- The Old Fisherman 有大门，有大床，还有很多房间！
Yǒu dàmén, yǒu dà chuáng, hái yǒu hěn duō fángjiān!
A big gate, a big bed, and so many rooms!
Chapter 3 is part of SayMei Stories Unlimited ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapters 1 and 2 of The Fisherman and the Golden Fish are free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, The Ugly Duckling, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- The Old Wife 我的房子真漂亮，你每天可以睡一个房间！可是……
Wǒ de fángzi zhēn piàoliang, nǐ měitiān kěyǐ shuì yí gè fángjiān! Kěshì…
My house is so pretty, you can sleep in a different room every night! But...
- The Old Fisherman 可是什么？
Kěshì shénme?
But what?
- The Old Wife 我不想做老太太了。我要做贵妇人！
Wǒ bù xiǎng zuò lǎo tàitai le. Wǒ yào zuò guìfùrén!
I don't want to be an old woman anymore. I want to be a noblewoman!
- The Old Fisherman 贵妇人？
Guìfùrén?
A noblewoman?
- The Old Wife 对。贵妇人不用洗衣服。很多人给她做事。
Duì. Guìfùrén bú yòng xǐ yīfu. Hěn duō rén gěi tā zuò shì.
Yes. A noblewoman doesn't wash clothes. Many people work for her.
- The Old Fisherman 老太太，你要得太多了。我们有房子了。
Lǎo tàitai, nǐ yào de tài duō le. Wǒmen yǒu fángzi le.
Wife, you're asking for too much. We have a house now.
- The Old Wife 你说什么？去！现在就去！
Nǐ shuō shénme? Qù! Xiànzài jiù qù!
What did you say? Go! Go right now!
- The Old Fisherman 金鱼……你在吗？海好冷啊。
Jīnyú… nǐ zài ma? Hǎi hǎo lěng a.
Golden fish... are you there? The sea is so cold.
- The Golden Fish 我在。老爷爷，您又来了。
Wǒ zài. Lǎo yéye, nín yòu lái le.
I'm here. Grandfather, you've come again.
- The Old Fisherman 对不起。我的老太太要做贵妇人。
Duìbuqǐ. Wǒ de lǎo tàitai yào zuò guìfùrén.
I'm sorry. My wife wants to be a noblewoman.
- The Golden Fish 好。回家吧。她会是贵妇人。
Hǎo. Huí jiā ba. Tā huì shì guìfùrén.
All right. Go home. She will be a noblewoman.
- The Old Fisherman 谢谢。我不知道说什么。
Xièxie. Wǒ bù zhīdào shuō shénme.
Thank you. I don't know what to say.
- The Golden Fish 什么都不要说。回家吧，老爷爷。
Shénme dōu bú yào shuō. Huí jiā ba, lǎo yéye.
Say nothing. Go home, grandfather.
- The Noblewoman 老头子！你看我！
Lǎo tóuzi! Nǐ kàn wǒ!
Old man! Look at me!
- The Old Fisherman 老太太，你的衣服真漂亮！我没见过这么漂亮的！
Lǎo tàitai, nǐ de yīfu zhēn piàoliang! Wǒ méi jiànguo zhème piàoliang de!
Wife, your dress is so beautiful! I have never seen anything so beautiful!
- The Noblewoman 叫我贵妇人！你是老头子，我是贵妇人。
Jiào wǒ guìfùrén! Nǐ shì lǎo tóuzi, wǒ shì guìfùrén.
Call me Noblewoman! You're the old man, and I'm the noblewoman.
- The Old Fisherman 是，贵妇人。
Shì, guìfùrén.
Yes, Noblewoman.
- The Noblewoman 以前我每天洗衣服。现在我说水，就有人给我水。水！
Yǐqián wǒ měitiān xǐ yīfu. Xiànzài wǒ shuō shuǐ, jiù yǒu rén gěi wǒ shuǐ. Shuǐ!
I used to wash clothes every day. Now when I say water, someone brings me water. Water!
- The Servant 来了，贵妇人！水在这儿！
Lái le, guìfùrén! Shuǐ zài zhèr!
Coming, Noblewoman! Here is your water!
- The Noblewoman 太慢了！
Tài màn le!
Too slow!
- The Servant 对不起，贵妇人！我马上再来！
Duìbuqǐ, guìfùrén! Wǒ mǎshàng zài lái!
So sorry, Noblewoman! I'll be right back!
- The Old Fisherman 老太太……你不是以前的老太太了。
Lǎo tàitai… nǐ bú shì yǐqián de lǎo tàitai le.
Wife... you're not the wife you used to be.
- The Noblewoman 以前？我不要以前！我要更大！
Yǐqián? Wǒ bú yào yǐqián! Wǒ yào gèng dà!
The past? I don't want the past! I want something bigger!
- The Old Fisherman 更大？
Gèng dà?
Bigger?
- The Noblewoman 老头子，我要做女王！我要一个金帽子！去！
Lǎo tóuzi, wǒ yào zuò nǚwáng! Wǒ yào yí gè jīn màozi! Qù!
Old man, I want to be queen! I want a golden hat! Go!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does the wife want now?
“我要做贵妇人！”
- What does the fisherman say about her wish?
“你要得太多了。”
- What does the golden fish answer?
“她会是贵妇人。”
- Why does the noblewoman snap at the servant?
“太慢了！”
- What does she want at the end?
“我要做女王！”