The Nightingale · chapter 1 of 4
The Kitchen Girl
厨房里的小兰
An emperor learns of a bird whose song is the finest in the world, and only a kitchen girl knows where to find it. But can a wild bird live in a palace?
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 很久以前，中国的皇宫是用瓷做的，又白又漂亮。
Hěn jiǔ yǐqián, Zhōngguó de huánggōng shì yòng cí zuò de, yòu bái yòu piàoliang.
Long ago, the palace in China was made of porcelain, so white and beautiful.
- The Emperor 咦？书上说，我的国家有一只夜莺！
Yí? Shū shàng shuō, wǒ de guójiā yǒu yì zhī yèyīng!
Hm? The book says my country has a nightingale!
- The Emperor 大臣！大臣！你快来！
Dàchén! Dàchén! Nǐ kuài lái!
Chamberlain! Chamberlain! Come quickly!
- The Chamberlain 皇上，我来了！有什么事？
Huángshang, wǒ lái le! Yǒu shénme shì?
Your Majesty, I'm here! What is it?
- The Emperor 书上说，夜莺的歌是世界上最好听的。你听过吗？
Shū shàng shuō, yèyīng de gē shì shìjiè shang zuì hǎotīng de. Nǐ tīng guo ma?
The book says the nightingale's song is the most beautiful in the world. Have you heard it?
- The Chamberlain 夜莺？我……我没听过，皇上。
Yèyīng? Wǒ… wǒ méi tīng guo, Huángshang.
A nightingale? I... I have never heard it, Your Majesty.
- The Emperor 什么？我的国家有夜莺，可是我不知道！
Shénme? Wǒ de guójiā yǒu yèyīng, kěshì wǒ bù zhīdào!
What? My country has a nightingale, and I don't even know it!
- The Emperor 今天晚上，我要听它唱歌。找不到它，大家都别吃饭！
Jīntiān wǎnshang, wǒ yào tīng tā chànggē. Zhǎo bú dào tā, dàjiā dōu bié chīfàn!
Tonight I want to hear it sing. If you can't find it, nobody eats!
- The Chamberlain 天哪！夜莺在哪儿？有谁知道？
Tiān na! Yèyīng zài nǎr? Yǒu shéi zhīdào?
Oh no! Where is the nightingale? Does anyone know?
- Xiao Lan 大人，我……我知道夜莺。
Dàrén, wǒ… wǒ zhīdào yèyīng.
Sir, I... I know the nightingale.
- The Chamberlain 你？你是谁？
Nǐ? Nǐ shì shéi?
You? Who are you?
- Xiao Lan 我是厨房的小兰。每天晚上，我走路回家，都听见它唱歌。
Wǒ shì chúfáng de Xiǎo Lán. Měitiān wǎnshang, wǒ zǒulù huíjiā, dōu tīngjiàn tā chànggē.
I'm Xiao Lan from the kitchen. Every night when I walk home, I hear it sing.
- The Chamberlain 太好了！小兰，快带我们去找夜莺！
Tài hǎo le! Xiǎo Lán, kuài dài wǒmen qù zhǎo yèyīng!
Wonderful! Xiao Lan, take us there quickly!
- The Chamberlain 啊，我听到了！这个声音真大！
Ā, wǒ tīngdào le! Zhège shēngyīn zhēn dà!
Ah, I hear it! What a loud voice!
- Xiao Lan 大人，那是牛。
Dàrén, nà shì niú.
Sir, that's a cow.
- The Chamberlain 那这个呢？“呱，呱，呱”，多好听！
Nà zhège ne? “Guā, guā, guā”, duō hǎotīng!
Then what about this one? "Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit"—how lovely!
- Xiao Lan 大人，那是青蛙。夜莺在那棵树上。
Dàrén, nà shì qīngwā. Yèyīng zài nà kē shù shàng.
Sir, that's a frog. The nightingale is in that tree.
- Xiao Lan 小夜莺，皇上想听你唱歌。你愿意去吗？
Xiǎo yèyīng, Huángshang xiǎng tīng nǐ chànggē. Nǐ yuànyì qù ma?
Little nightingale, the emperor wants to hear you sing. Will you come?
- The Nightingale 愿意！不过，我的歌在绿树里最好听。
Yuànyì! Búguò, wǒ de gē zài lǜ shù lǐ zuì hǎotīng.
Yes! But my song sounds best among green trees.
- The Nightingale 好，我先为你们唱一首。听着！
Hǎo, wǒ xiān wèi nǐmen chàng yì shǒu. Tīngzhe!
All right, first I'll sing one for you. Listen!
- The Chamberlain 太美了……像风在唱歌，像水在跳舞。
Tài měi le… xiàng fēng zài chànggē, xiàng shuǐ zài tiàowǔ.
So beautiful... like the wind singing, like water dancing.
- Xiao Lan 大人，我没说错吧？
Dàrén, wǒ méi shuō cuò ba?
Sir, I wasn't wrong, was I?
- The Emperor 夜莺呢？我已经等了很久！
Yèyīng ne? Wǒ yǐjīng děng le hěn jiǔ!
Where's the nightingale? I've waited so long!
- The Chamberlain 皇上，夜莺来了！就是这只小鸟。
Huángshang, yèyīng lái le! Jiù shì zhè zhī xiǎo niǎo.
Your Majesty, the nightingale is here! It's this little bird.
- The Nightingale 皇上，我可以开始了吗？
Huángshang, wǒ kěyǐ kāishǐ le ma?
Your Majesty, may I begin?
- The Emperor 唱吧，小夜莺。让我听听，你有多好听。
Chàng ba, xiǎo yèyīng. Ràng wǒ tīngting, nǐ yǒu duō hǎotīng.
Sing, little nightingale. Let me hear how lovely you are.
- Narrator 夜莺唱起歌来。皇上听着听着，眼泪流下来了。
Yèyīng chàng qǐ gē lái. Huángshang tīngzhe tīngzhe, yǎnlèi liú xiàlái le.
The nightingale began to sing. As the emperor listened, tears ran down his face.
- The Emperor 我哭了……我从来没有这样哭过！
Wǒ kū le… wǒ cónglái méiyǒu zhèyàng kū guo!
I'm crying... I have never cried like this before!
- The Emperor 夜莺，我要把我的金拖鞋给你！
Yèyīng, wǒ yào bǎ wǒ de jīn tuōxié gěi nǐ!
Nightingale, I will give you my golden slipper!
- The Nightingale 不用了，皇上。我看见了你的眼泪，这就是最好的礼物。
Bú yòng le, Huángshang. Wǒ kànjiàn le nǐ de yǎnlèi, zhè jiù shì zuì hǎo de lǐwù.
No need, Your Majesty. I saw your tears, and that is the best gift.
- The Emperor 从今天起，你住在皇宫里，做我的歌手！
Cóng jīntiān qǐ, nǐ zhù zài huánggōng lǐ, zuò wǒ de gēshǒu!
From today, you will live in the palace and be my singer!
- The Nightingale 住在皇宫里？可是……我的森林呢？
Zhù zài huánggōng lǐ? Kěshì… wǒ de sēnlín ne?
Live in the palace? But... what about my forest?
What changed in the story?
- What does the emperor read in his book?
“夜莺的歌是世界上最好听的。”
- What does the chamberlain first mistake for the nightingale?
“大人，那是牛。”
- How does Xiao Lan know the nightingale?
“每天晚上，我走路回家，都听见它唱歌。”
- Why does the emperor cry?
“夜莺唱起歌来。皇上听着听着，眼泪流下来了。”
- What does the nightingale call the best gift?
“我看见了你的眼泪，这就是最好的礼物。”