The Odyssey · chapter 26 of 29
Odysseus's Bow
奥德修斯的弓
The nurse's cry still hangs in the air. Penelope has a plan of her own: Odysseus's old bow, twelve axes and one winner she must leave with.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 老奶妈答应了，什么也不说。佩涅洛佩还坐在那边，不知道他是谁。
Lǎo nǎimā dāying le, shénme yě bù shuō. Pèinièluòpèi hái zuò zài nàbiān, bù zhīdào tā shì shéi.
The old nurse promised to say nothing. Penelope was still sitting over there, not knowing who he was.
- Penelope 客人，明天，我要选一个人了。
Kèrén, míngtiān, wǒ yào xuǎn yí gè rén le.
Stranger, tomorrow I must choose a man.
- Odysseus 夫人，您怎么选？
Fūrén, nín zěnme xuǎn?
My lady, how will you choose?
Chapter 26 is part of SayMei Stories Unlimited ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapters 1–3 of The Odyssey are free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, The Ugly Duckling, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- Penelope 谁拉得开奥德修斯的弓，让箭穿过十二把斧头，我就跟谁走。
Shéi lā de kāi Àodéxiūsī de gōng, ràng jiàn chuānguò shí'èr bǎ fǔtóu, wǒ jiù gēn shéi zǒu.
Whoever can draw Odysseus's bow and send an arrow through twelve axes is the man I'll go with.
- Narrator 第二天，斧头放成了一排。佩涅洛佩拿来了奥德修斯的弓。
Dì èr tiān, fǔtóu fàng chéng le yì pái. Pèinièluòpèi ná lái le Àodéxiūsī de gōng.
The next day, the axes stood in a row. Penelope brought out Odysseus's bow.
- Penelope 这是他的弓……他去特洛伊的时候，没有带走。
Zhè shì tā de gōng… tā qù Tèluòyī de shíhou, méiyǒu dàizǒu.
This is his bow... When he went to Troy, he left it behind.
- Telemachus 我先来！我要试试爸爸的弓！
Wǒ xiān lái! Wǒ yào shìshi bàba de gōng!
I'll go first! I want to try my father's bow!
- Narrator 第四次，他差一点儿拉开了。奥德修斯看了他一眼。
Dì sì cì, tā chà yìdiǎnr lākāi le. Àodéxiūsī kàn le tā yì yǎn.
On the fourth try, he almost drew it. But Odysseus gave him a look.
- Telemachus 天哪，我还是太小了！你们来吧！
Tiān na, wǒ háishi tài xiǎo le! Nǐmen lái ba!
Oh no, I'm still too young! You try!
- The Suitors 我来！……怎么拉不开？
Wǒ lái! … Zěnme lā bu kāi?
My turn! ...Why won't it draw?
- Antinous 放羊的，快拿火和油来！
Fàngyáng de, kuài ná huǒ hé yóu lái!
Goatherd, quick, bring fire and fat!
- The Suitors 热了，也拉不开！这是神的弓吧？
Rè le, yě lā bu kāi! Zhè shì shén de gōng ba?
Even warm, it won't draw! This must be a god's bow!
- Odysseus 欧迈俄斯，外边没有别人。你看，这个伤疤。
Ōumài'ésī, wàibian méiyǒu biérén. Nǐ kàn, zhège shāngbā.
Eumaeus, there's no one else out here. Look, this scar.
- Eumaeus 主人！真的是您！我认出您了！
Zhǔrén! Zhēn de shì nín! Wǒ rènchū nín le!
Master! It's really you! I recognize you!
- Odysseus 朋友，别抱了，有人会看见。
Péngyou, bié bào le, yǒu rén huì kànjiàn.
Friend, let go of me, someone will see.
- Odysseus 一会儿，你拿弓给我。再告诉奶妈，关上门，别让女人们出来。
Yíhuìr, nǐ ná gōng gěi wǒ. Zài gàosu nǎimā, guānshàng mén, bié ràng nǚrénmen chūlai.
In a moment, bring me the bow. And tell the nurse to shut the doors and keep the women inside.
- Odysseus 我这个老乞丐，也想试一试，好吗？
Wǒ zhège lǎo qǐgài, yě xiǎng shì yi shì, hǎo ma?
May this old beggar try too?
- Antinous 老乞丐，你喝多了吧？你也想要国王的妻子？
Lǎo qǐgài, nǐ hē duō le ba? Nǐ yě xiǎng yào guówáng de qīzi?
Old beggar, have you had too much wine? You want the king's wife too?
- Penelope 安提诺奥斯，让他试试吧。他不会要我做妻子的！
Āntínuò'àosī, ràng tā shìshi ba. Tā bú huì yào wǒ zuò qīzi de!
Antinous, let him try. He won't want me for a wife!
- Telemachus 妈妈，您去楼上吧。弓的事，我说了算。
Māma, nín qù lóushàng ba. Gōng de shì, wǒ shuō le suàn.
Mother, go upstairs. I'm the one who decides about this bow.
- Narrator 佩涅洛佩已经走了。乞丐坐在小椅子上，拿起弓，很快就拉开了。
Pèinièluòpèi yǐjīng zǒu le. Qǐgài zuò zài xiǎo yǐzi shang, ná qǐ gōng, hěn kuài jiù lākāi le.
Penelope had already gone. On his little stool, the beggar picked up the bow and drew it in a moment.
- The Suitors 那是什么声音？像小鸟在叫……
Nà shì shénme shēngyīn? Xiàng xiǎoniǎo zài jiào…
What's that sound? Like a little bird singing...
- Antinous 别怕！一个老乞丐，射不过去的！
Bié pà! Yí gè lǎo qǐgài, shè bu guòqù de!
Don't be afraid! An old beggar can't shoot through those!
- Odysseus 宙斯的雷！谢谢您。现在，看我的！
Zhòusī de léi! Xièxie nín. Xiànzài, kàn wǒ de!
Zeus's thunder! Thank you. Now, watch me!
- Telemachus 一箭！十二把斧头，都穿过去了！
Yí jiàn! Shí'èr bǎ fǔtóu, dōu chuān guòqù le!
One arrow! Through all twelve axes!
- Narrator 他扔了乞丐的衣服，拿着箭，跑到了门口。
Tā rēng le qǐgài de yīfu, názhe jiàn, pǎo dào le ménkǒu.
He threw off the beggar's clothes and ran to the doorway with the arrows.
- Odysseus 斧头射完了。现在，我射另一个！
Fǔtóu shè wán le. Xiànzài, wǒ shè lìng yí gè!
The axes are done. Now I'll shoot at another one!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- How will Penelope choose the man she goes with?
“谁拉得开奥德修斯的弓，让箭穿过十二把斧头，我就跟谁走”
- Why does Telemachus stop on his fourth try?
“第四次，他差一点儿拉开了。奥德修斯看了他一眼”
- What does Antinous tell the goatherd to bring?
“放羊的，快拿火和油来”
- What does Odysseus show Eumaeus outside?
“你看，这个伤疤”……“我认出您了”
- What happens when Odysseus shoots from his stool?
“一箭！十二把斧头，都穿过去了”