The Happy Prince · chapter 1 of 4

The Prince Who Cried

会哭的王子

A late little swallow lands at the feet of a golden statue and gets dripped on. Why is the Happy Prince crying, and what does he want from a bird in a hurry?

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Narrator 秋天到了，别的燕子都飞去南方了。只有一只小燕子，还在慢慢地飞。
Qiūtiān dào le, biéde yànzi dōu fēiqù nánfāng le. Zhǐyǒu yì zhī xiǎoyànzi, hái zài mànmàn de fēi.
Autumn had come, and all the other swallows had flown south. Only one little swallow was still flying along, slowly.
The Little Swallow 等等我！你们飞得太快了！
Děng děng wǒ! Nǐmen fēi de tài kuài le!
Wait for me! You're flying too fast!
The Little Swallow 不行了，天黑了，我飞不动了。我得找个地方睡觉。
Bùxíng le, tiān hēi le, wǒ fēi bu dòng le. Wǒ děi zhǎo gè dìfang shuìjiào.
That's it, it's dark and I can't fly any more. I have to find a place to sleep.
The Little Swallow 咦，这儿有一个金色的雕像！他站得很高，风也很小。
Yí, zhèr yǒu yí gè jīnsè de diāoxiàng! Tā zhàn de hěn gāo, fēng yě hěn xiǎo.
Oh, look, a golden statue! He stands so high up, and there's hardly any wind.
The Little Swallow 今天我睡在金子做的床上！真舒服！
Jīntiān wǒ shuì zài jīnzi zuò de chuáng shàng! Zhēn shūfu!
Tonight I'm sleeping in a bed made of gold! How comfy!
The Little Swallow 咦？下雨了？可是天上没有云啊。
Yí? Xiàyǔ le? Kěshì tiānshàng méiyǒu yún a.
Huh? Is it raining? But there isn't a cloud in the sky.
The Little Swallow 又来了！水是从雕像的眼睛里出来的！他在哭！
Yòu lái le! Shuǐ shì cóng diāoxiàng de yǎnjing lǐ chūlái de! Tā zài kū!
There it is again! The water is coming from the statue's eyes! He's crying!
The Little Swallow 喂，你是谁？你为什么哭？
Wèi, nǐ shì shéi? Nǐ wèishénme kū?
Hey, who are you? Why are you crying?
The Happy Prince 我是快乐王子。
Wǒ shì Kuàilè Wángzǐ.
I am the Happy Prince.
The Little Swallow 快乐？快乐的人不会哭啊！
Kuàilè? Kuàilè de rén bú huì kū a!
Happy? Happy people don't cry!
The Happy Prince 以前我住在王宫里，每天都很快乐。我不知道什么是难过。
Yǐqián wǒ zhù zài wánggōng lǐ, měi tiān dōu hěn kuàilè. Wǒ bù zhīdao shénme shì nánguò.
I used to live in the palace, and every day was happy. I didn't know what sadness was.
The Happy Prince 现在我站得这么高，能看见这个城市里所有难过的事。
Xiànzài wǒ zhàn de zhème gāo, néng kànjiàn zhège chéngshì lǐ suǒyǒu nánguò de shì.
Now I stand up here so high, and I can see every sad thing in this city.
The Happy Prince 我的心是铅做的，可是我还是想哭。
Wǒ de xīn shì qiān zuò de, kěshì wǒ hái shi xiǎng kū.
My heart is made of lead, but still I want to cry.
The Happy Prince 燕子，你看那个小房子。一个妈妈在给别人做衣服，她的手又冷又累。
Yànzi, nǐ kàn nàge xiǎofángzi. Yí gè māma zài gěi biérén zuò yīfu, tā de shǒu yòu lěng yòu lèi.
Swallow, look at that little house. A mother is sewing clothes for other people, and her hands are cold and tired.
The Happy Prince 她的孩子发烧了，想吃橘子。可是她没有钱买。
Tā de háizi fāshāo le, xiǎng chī júzi. Kěshì tā méiyǒu qián mǎi.
Her boy has a fever and wants an orange. But she has no money to buy one.
The Happy Prince 请你把我剑上的红宝石带给她，好吗？
Qǐng nǐ bǎ wǒ jiàn shàng de hóngbǎoshí dàigěi tā, hǎo ma?
Please take the ruby from my sword to her. Will you?
The Little Swallow 不行不行！我的朋友在埃及等我！
Bùxíng bùxíng! Wǒ de péngyou zài Āijí děng wǒ!
No, no, no! My friends are waiting for me in Egypt!
The Little Swallow 那儿有太阳，有大河，我明天就要走了！
Nàr yǒu tàiyang, yǒu dàhé, wǒ míngtiān jiùyào zǒu le!
There's sunshine there, and a big river. I'm leaving tomorrow!
The Happy Prince 燕子，只要一个晚上。你听，那个孩子在叫妈妈……
Yànzi, zhǐyào yí gè wǎnshang. Nǐ tīng, nàge háizi zài jiào māma…
Swallow, just one night. Listen, that boy is calling for his mother...
The Little Swallow 唉……好吧。就一个晚上！
Āi… hǎo ba. Jiù yí gè wǎnshang!
Sigh... Oh, all right. Just one night!
The Little Swallow 嘘……妈妈睡着了。我把红宝石放在桌子上，她早上就会看到。
Xū… māma shuìzháo le. Wǒ bǎ hóngbǎoshí fàngzài zhuōzi shàng, tā zǎoshang jiù huì kàndào.
Shh... Mother is asleep. I'll put the ruby on the table, and she'll see it in the morning.
The Sick Boy 妈妈……我发烧了……我想吃橘子……
Māma… wǒ fāshāo le… wǒ xiǎng chī júzi…
Mama... I have a fever... I want an orange...
The Little Swallow 别怕，我在这儿。我给你吹吹风。
Bié pà, wǒ zài zhèr. Wǒ gěi nǐ chuī chuī fēng.
Don't be scared, I'm here. I'll blow some cool air on you.
The Sick Boy 好舒服……我不热了。谢谢你，小鸟。
Hǎo shūfu… wǒ bú rè le. Xièxie nǐ, xiǎoniǎo.
That feels nice... I'm not hot anymore. Thank you, little bird.
The Little Swallow 睡吧，小朋友。发烧会好的。
Shuì ba, xiǎopéngyou. Fāshāo huì hǎo de.
Sleep now, little one. Fevers go away.
The Sick Boy 小鸟……你明天还会来吗？
Xiǎoniǎo… nǐ míngtiān hái huì lái ma?
Little bird... will you come back tomorrow?
The Little Swallow 明天？明天我要去埃及了……可是他还想吃橘子……
Míngtiān? Míngtiān wǒ yào qù Āijí le… kěshì tā hái xiǎng chī júzi…
Tomorrow? Tomorrow I'm off to Egypt... but he still wants his orange...
The Little Swallow 天这么冷，我的心怎么这么暖？我明天……好像走不了了。
Tiān zhème lěng, wǒ de xīn zěnme zhème nuǎn? Wǒ míngtiān… hǎoxiàng zǒu bu liǎo le.
It's so cold out, so why is my heart so warm? I don't think I can leave tomorrow after all.

What changed in the story?

Why does the swallow stop at the statue?
“天黑了，我飞不动了。我得找个地方睡觉。”
What is the Happy Prince's heart made of?
“我的心是铅做的”
What does the prince ask the swallow to carry to the mother?
“请你把我剑上的红宝石带给她”
Why is the mother worried?
“她的孩子发烧了，想吃橘子。可是她没有钱买。”
How does the swallow feel at the end?
“我的心怎么这么暖？我明天……好像走不了了。”

All chapters in The Happy Prince.