The Odyssey · chapter 13 of 29
Scylla and Charybdis
两个怪物
Smoke, huge waves and a roar lie ahead. Odysseus knows exactly what waits in the narrow sea, but he tells his men only half of it.
Read what you hear
- The Crew 蜡呢？我们想放回耳朵里！
Là ne? Wǒmen xiǎng fàng huí ěrduo li!
Where's the wax? We want to put it back in our ears!
- The Crew 我们怕！桨都拿不住了！
Wǒmen pà! Jiǎng dōu ná bu zhù le!
We're scared! We can't even hold our oars!
- Odysseus 朋友们，别怕！还记得巨人的山洞吗？
Péngyoumen, bié pà! Hái jìde jùrén de shāndòng ma?
Friends, don't be afraid! Remember the giant's cave?
Chapter 13 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 我们用一根橄榄树的木头，就出来了。今天也一样！
Wǒmen yòng yì gēn gǎnlǎnshù de mùtou, jiù chūlai le. Jīntiān yě yíyàng!
With one log from an olive tree, we got out. Today will be the same!
- The Crew 好！奥德修斯，我们听你的！
Hǎo! Àodéxiūsī, wǒmen tīng nǐ de!
All right, Odysseus! We'll do as you say!
- Odysseus 开船的，别往烟和浪那边开！往山那边开！
Kāi chuán de, bié wǎng yān hé làng nàbiān kāi! Wǎng shān nàbiān kāi!
Helmsman, keep away from the smoke and the waves! Steer toward the cliff!
- Odysseus 那个怪物的事，我不能说。他们一怕，就不走了。
Nàge guàiwù de shì, wǒ bù néng shuō. Tāmen yí pà, jiù bù zǒu le.
I can't tell them about that monster. Once they're scared, they'll stop rowing.
- Narrator 奥德修斯带着剑，站在船的前边，看着山上。
Àodéxiūsī dàizhe jiàn, zhàn zài chuán de qiánbian, kànzhe shān shang.
Odysseus, his sword at his side, stood at the front of the ship and watched the cliff.
- Odysseus 斯库拉，你在哪儿？
Sīkùlā, nǐ zài nǎr?
Scylla, where are you?
- The Crew 看！海里的水都没有了！
Kàn! Hǎi li de shuǐ dōu méiyǒu le!
Look! The water in the sea is all gone!
- Narrator 那是卡律布狄斯。大家都看着她，一个水手叫了起来。
Nà shì Kǎlǜbùdísī. Dàjiā dōu kànzhe tā, yí gè shuǐshǒu jiào le qǐlai.
That was Charybdis. Everyone stared at her, and one sailor cried out.
- A Sailor 看下边！都是黑的！
Kàn xiàbian! Dōu shì hēi de!
Look down there! It's all black!
- Narrator 这时候，斯库拉的六个头从山上来了。
Zhè shíhou, Sīkùlā de liù gè tóu cóng shān shang lái le.
Just then, Scylla's six heads came down from the cliff.
- The Crew 奥德修斯！救我们！
Àodéxiūsī! Jiù wǒmen!
Odysseus! Save us!
- Odysseus 不！他们在叫我的名字！
Bù! Tāmen zài jiào wǒ de míngzi!
No! They're calling my name!
- Narrator 斯库拉抓了六个人，带到了山上。
Sīkùlā zhuā le liù gè rén, dài dào le shān shang.
Scylla seized six men and carried them up the cliff.
- Odysseus 在海上，这是我见过的最可怕的事。
Zài hǎi shang, zhè shì wǒ jiànguo de zuì kěpà de shì.
Of everything I've ever seen at sea, this is the worst.
- Odysseus 拿好桨，快走！别停，停了会死！
Náhǎo jiǎng, kuài zǒu! Bié tíng, tíng le huì sǐ!
Grip your oars and go! Don't stop, or we'll die!
- The Crew 我们出来了……可是那六个朋友……
Wǒmen chūlai le… kěshì nà liù gè péngyou…
We're through... but those six friends...
- Odysseus 我没有告诉他们。对不起，朋友们。
Wǒ méiyǒu gàosu tāmen. Duìbuqǐ, péngyoumen.
I didn't tell them. I'm sorry, my friends.
- A Sailor 天快黑了……听！是牛！还有羊！
Tiān kuài hēi le… tīng! Shì niú! Hái yǒu yáng!
It's getting dark... Listen! Cows! And sheep!
- The Crew 有岛！今天晚上有肉吃了！
Yǒu dǎo! Jīntiān wǎnshang yǒu ròu chī le!
An island! There'll be meat tonight!
- A Sailor 奥德修斯，我们去那个岛吧？
Àodéxiūsī, wǒmen qù nàge dǎo ba?
Odysseus, shall we go to that island?
- Odysseus 太阳神的岛……特瑞西阿斯说过：别碰那些牛。
Tàiyángshén de dǎo… Tèruìxī'āsī shuōguo: bié pèng nàxiē niú.
The Sun god's island... Tiresias told me: don't touch those cows.
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- How does Odysseus cheer up his frightened men?
“还记得巨人的山洞吗”
- Why doesn't Odysseus tell his men about the monster?
“他们一怕，就不走了”
- What is everyone staring at when Scylla comes?
“那是卡律布狄斯。大家都看着她”
- How many men does Scylla take?
“斯库拉抓了六个人”
- What do Odysseus's men hear as it gets dark?
“听！是牛！还有羊”