The Odyssey · chapter 17 of 29
News from Sparta
斯巴达的消息
Telemachus slips away by night with food, wine and a promise from his old nurse, bound for Sparta and any news of his father.
Read what you hear
- Telemachus 奶妈，请给我拿吃的和酒。今天晚上，我要坐船走。
Nǎimā, qǐng gěi wǒ ná chī de hé jiǔ. Jīntiān wǎnshang, wǒ yào zuò chuán zǒu.
Nurse, please bring me food and wine. Tonight I'm leaving by ship.
- The Old Nurse 孩子，你要去哪儿？你爸爸走了，你也要走吗？
Háizi, nǐ yào qù nǎr? Nǐ bàba zǒu le, nǐ yě yào zǒu ma?
My child, where are you going? Your father left, and now you want to go too?
- Telemachus 奶妈，别告诉我妈妈。十二天以后，您再告诉她。
Nǎimā, bié gàosu wǒ māma. Shí'èr tiān yǐhòu, nín zài gàosu tā.
Nurse, don't tell my mother. Wait twelve days, then tell her.
Chapter 17 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.
- The Old Nurse 好，我不说。可是你一定要回来！
Hǎo, wǒ bù shuō. Kěshì nǐ yídìng yào huílai!
All right, I won't tell. But you must come back!
- Narrator 那天晚上，忒勒马科斯和门托尔坐船走了。
Nà tiān wǎnshang, Tèlèmǎkēsī hé Méntuō'ěr zuò chuán zǒu le.
That night, Telemachus and Mentor sailed away.
- Mentor 别怕，忒勒马科斯。风很好，船也很快。
Bié pà, Tèlèmǎkēsī. Fēng hěn hǎo, chuán yě hěn kuài.
Don't be afraid, Telemachus. The wind is good, and the ship is fast.
- Telemachus 门托尔，有您在，我不怕。
Méntuō'ěr, yǒu nín zài, wǒ bú pà.
Mentor, with you here, I'm not afraid.
- Narrator 他们到了一个老国王的城。门托尔变成了一只大鸟，飞走了。
Tāmen dào le yí gè lǎo guówáng de chéng. Méntuō'ěr biànchéng le yì zhī dà niǎo, fēi zǒu le.
They reached an old king's city. Mentor turned into a great bird and flew away.
- Telemachus 那是女神雅典娜！她一直在我的船上！
Nà shì nǚshén Yǎdiǎnnà! Tā yìzhí zài wǒ de chuán shang!
That was the goddess Athena! She was on my ship the whole time!
- Narrator 两天以后，忒勒马科斯到了斯巴达。海伦看着他。
Liǎng tiān yǐhòu, Tèlèmǎkēsī dào le Sībādá. Hǎilún kànzhe tā.
Two days later, Telemachus reached Sparta. Helen kept looking at him.
- Helen 墨涅拉奥斯，你看这个年轻人。他的脸，他的眼睛……是奥德修斯的儿子！
Mònièlā'àosī, nǐ kàn zhège niánqīngrén. Tā de liǎn, tā de yǎnjing… shì Àodéxiūsī de érzi!
Menelaus, look at this young man. His face, his eyes... he is Odysseus's son!
- Telemachus 您认识我爸爸？
Nín rènshi wǒ bàba?
You knew my father?
- Helen 孩子，很久以前，在特洛伊，一个乞丐走进了城。
Háizi, hěn jiǔ yǐqián, zài Tèluòyī, yí gè qǐgài zǒu jìn le chéng.
My child, long ago in Troy, a beggar walked into the city.
- Helen 大家都不认识他。可是我一看就知道：是你爸爸！
Dàjiā dōu bú rènshi tā. Kěshì wǒ yí kàn jiù zhīdào: shì nǐ bàba!
Nobody knew him. But I knew at one look: it was your father!
- Helen 他穿得像乞丐，可是走路像国王！
Tā chuān de xiàng qǐgài, kěshì zǒulù xiàng guówáng!
He was dressed like a beggar, but he walked like a king!
- Telemachus 我爸爸真聪明！
Wǒ bàba zhēn cōngming!
My father is so clever!
- Menelaus 孩子，我也有消息。是海里的老人告诉我的。
Háizi, wǒ yě yǒu xiāoxi. Shì hǎi li de lǎorén gàosu wǒ de.
My boy, I have news too. The Old Man of the Sea told me.
- Menelaus 你爸爸没有死。他在女神卡吕普索的岛上，天天哭。
Nǐ bàba méiyǒu sǐ. Tā zài nǚshén Kǎlǚpǔsuǒ de dǎo shang, tiāntiān kū.
Your father is alive. He's on the goddess Calypso's island, crying every day.
- Menelaus 他没有船，也没有人。他回不了家。
Tā méiyǒu chuán, yě méiyǒu rén. Tā huí bu liǎo jiā.
He has no ship and no men. He can't get home.
- Telemachus 爸爸还活着！国王，谢谢您！
Bàba hái huózhe! Guówáng, xièxie nín!
Father's alive! Thank you, great king!
- Narrator 这个时候，在伊萨卡，求婚的人在喝酒。
Zhège shíhou, zài Yīsàkǎ, qiúhūn de rén zài hē jiǔ.
Meanwhile, in Ithaca, the suitors were drinking.
- Antinous 什么？借船给他的人说，忒勒马科斯真的走了？
Shénme? Jiè chuán gěi tā de rén shuō, Tèlèmǎkēsī zhēn de zǒu le?
What? The man who lent him the ship says Telemachus really left?
- Antinous 给我一条船，二十个人。我们在小岛后边等他。
Gěi wǒ yì tiáo chuán, èrshí gè rén. Wǒmen zài xiǎo dǎo hòubian děng tā.
Give me a ship and twenty men. We'll wait for him behind the little island.
- Antinous 他回来的时候，我们就杀了他。
Tā huílai de shíhou, wǒmen jiù shā le tā.
When he comes back, we kill him.
- Antinous 天黑了。忒勒马科斯，快回来吧，我们在这儿等你！
Tiān hēi le. Tèlèmǎkēsī, kuài huílai ba, wǒmen zài zhèr děng nǐ!
It's dark now. Hurry home, Telemachus. We're waiting for you right here!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does Telemachus ask the old nurse to keep from his mother?
“今天晚上，我要坐船走。”……“别告诉我妈妈。”
- What happens to Mentor at the old king's city?
“门托尔变成了一只大鸟，飞走了。”
- How does Helen know who Telemachus is?
“他的脸，他的眼睛……是奥德修斯的儿子！”
- In Helen's story, how did Odysseus get into Troy?
“一个乞丐走进了城”……“他穿得像乞丐”
- Where does Antinous plan to wait for Telemachus?
“我们在小岛后边等他。”