The Odyssey · chapter 20 of 29
A Ball by the River
河边的球
Two days and two nights in the sea with only Ino's veil: if Odysseus ever reaches land, whose land will it be, and will its people be kind?
Read what you hear
- Narrator 木筏没有了。奥德修斯拿着伊诺的头巾，在海里游了两天两夜。
Mùfá méiyǒu le. Àodéxiūsī názhe Yīnuò de tóujīn, zài hǎi li yóu le liǎng tiān liǎng yè.
The raft was gone. Holding Ino's veil, Odysseus swam in the sea for two days and two nights.
- Odysseus 风停了，海也不生气了……是哪一位神在帮我？
Fēng tíng le, hǎi yě bù shēngqì le… shì nǎ yí wèi shén zài bāng wǒ?
The wind has stopped, and the sea isn't angry anymore... Which god is helping me?
- Odysseus 那边有石头……还有一条河！
Nàbiān yǒu shítou… hái yǒu yì tiáo hé!
Rocks over there... and a river!
Chapter 20 is part of SayMei Stories Unlimited ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Part 1 of The Odyssey (chapters 1–4) is free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- Odysseus 我游到了！我没有死！
Wǒ yóu dào le! Wǒ méiyǒu sǐ!
I made it! I'm not dead!
- Odysseus 谢谢您，女神！头巾还给您。
Xièxie nín, nǚshén! Tóujīn huán gěi nín.
Thank you, goddess! I'm giving your veil back.
- Odysseus 两棵小橄榄树……我就在这儿睡吧。
Liǎng kē xiǎo gǎnlǎnshù… wǒ jiù zài zhèr shuì ba.
Two little olive trees... I'll sleep right here.
- Narrator 那天晚上，一位公主在睡觉。雅典娜来了，样子像她的好朋友。
Nà tiān wǎnshang, yí wèi gōngzhǔ zài shuìjiào. Yǎdiǎnnà lái le, yàngzi xiàng tā de hǎo péngyou.
That night a princess was asleep. Athena came to her, looking like her good friend.
- Athena 瑙西卡，你还有好多衣服没洗呢！明天去河边洗一洗吧。
Nǎoxīkǎ, nǐ hái yǒu hǎo duō yīfu méi xǐ ne! Míngtiān qù hé biān xǐ yi xǐ ba.
Nausicaa, you still have so many clothes to wash! Go and wash them at the river tomorrow.
- Narrator 第二天，瑙西卡和她的女孩子们坐着车，去了河边。
Dì èr tiān, Nǎoxīkǎ hé tā de nǚháizimen zuòzhe chē, qù le hé biān.
The next day, Nausicaa and her maids rode a wagon to the river.
- Nausicaa 衣服都洗好了！来，我们玩球吧！
Yīfu dōu xǐ hǎo le! Lái, wǒmen wán qiú ba!
The clothes are all washed! Come on, let's play ball!
- Nausicaa 天哪！球飞到河里去了！
Tiān na! Qiú fēi dào hé li qù le!
Oh no! The ball flew into the river!
- Odysseus 谁在叫？是女孩子们吗？
Shéi zài jiào? Shì nǚháizimen ma?
Who's shouting? Are those girls?
- Odysseus 这里的人，也像巨人一样坏吗？
Zhèlǐ de rén, yě xiàng jùrén yíyàng huài ma?
Are the people here as bad as the giant?
- Odysseus 我没有衣服……先拿着这棵小树吧。
Wǒ méiyǒu yīfu… xiān názhe zhè kē xiǎo shù ba.
I have no clothes... I'll hold this little tree in front of me for now.
- Narrator 他走了出来。女孩子们都跑了，公主没有跑。
Tā zǒu le chūlai. Nǚháizimen dōu pǎo le, gōngzhǔ méiyǒu pǎo.
He stepped out. The maids all ran away, but the princess did not.
- Odysseus 别怕……您是女神，还是人？
Bié pà… nín shì nǚshén, háishi rén?
Don't be afraid... Are you a goddess, or human?
- Nausicaa 我不是女神，我是这里的公主。你从哪儿来？
Wǒ bú shì nǚshén, wǒ shì zhèlǐ de gōngzhǔ. Nǐ cóng nǎr lái?
I'm not a goddess. I'm the princess here. Where do you come from?
- Odysseus 我从海上来。我很累，很饿，什么都没有。
Wǒ cóng hǎi shang lái. Wǒ hěn lèi, hěn è, shénme dōu méiyǒu.
I come from the sea. I'm tired and hungry, and I have nothing.
- Nausicaa 客人是宙斯送来的。女孩子们，快回来，给他衣服！
Kèrén shì Zhòusī sònglai de. Nǚháizimen, kuài huílai, gěi tā yīfu!
Strangers come from Zeus. Girls, come back, quick, and give him clothes!
- Nausicaa 客人，你先洗一洗吧，你身上都是海水。
Kèrén, nǐ xiān xǐ yi xǐ ba, nǐ shēn shang dōu shì hǎishuǐ.
Stranger, wash first. You're covered in seawater.
- Odysseus 洗？我在海里洗了两天两夜！
Xǐ? Wǒ zài hǎi li xǐ le liǎng tiān liǎng yè!
Wash? I've been washing in the sea for two days and two nights!
- Nausicaa 我爸爸是这里的国王。你跟着我的车走吧。
Wǒ bàba shì zhèlǐ de guówáng. Nǐ gēnzhe wǒ de chē zǒu ba.
My father is the king here. Follow my wagon.
- Nausicaa 到了我家，别去找我爸爸。先去找我妈妈，请她帮你。
Dào le wǒ jiā, bié qù zhǎo wǒ bàba. Xiān qù zhǎo wǒ māma, qǐng tā bāng nǐ.
At my home, don't go to my father. Go to my mother first and ask her for help.
- Odysseus 一座不认识的城……他们是什么人？会帮我回家吗？
Yí zuò bú rènshi de chéng… tāmen shì shénme rén? Huì bāng wǒ huí jiā ma?
A city I don't know... Who are these people? Will they help me get home?
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does Odysseus do with Ino's veil when he reaches land?
“头巾还给您”
- What does Athena tell Nausicaa to do tomorrow?
“明天去河边洗一洗吧”
- What wakes Odysseus up by the river?
“谁在叫？是女孩子们吗？”
- What does Odysseus fear about the people here?
“这里的人，也像巨人一样坏吗？”
- Who does Nausicaa tell Odysseus to go to first?
“先去找我妈妈，请她帮你”