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 ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of The Fisherman and the Golden Fish 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.
- 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！”