The Odyssey · chapter 5 of 6
The Old Beggar
老乞丐
Odysseus is finally home, but his house is full of rude guests, and no one knows him. Only an old dog does. Tomorrow, a contest will decide everything.
Hear the chapter
Read what you hear
- The Crew 我们好饿！奥德修斯在睡觉。我们吃牛吧！
Wǒmen hǎo è! Àodéxiūsī zài shuìjiào. Wǒmen chī niú ba!
We're so hungry! Odysseus is asleep. Let's eat the cattle!
- Narrator 太阳神很生气。大风来了，船坏了。只有奥德修斯，一个人到了岸上。
Tàiyángshén hěn shēngqì. Dàfēng lái le, chuánhuài le. Zhǐyǒu Àodéxiūsī, yígè réndào le ànshàng.
The sun god was angry. A great storm came and broke the ship. Only Odysseus reached the shore.
- Odysseus 朋友们……你们都在哪儿？这是哪儿？
Péngyou men… nǐmen dōu zài nǎ'ér? Zhèshì nǎ'ér?
Friends... where are you all? Where is this?
- Athena 老人家，你在找什么？
Lǎorénjiā, nǐ zài zhǎo shénme?
Old fellow, what are you looking for?
- Odysseus 这里是哪儿？我是一个水手。
Zhèlǐ shì nǎ'ér? Wǒ shì yígè shuǐshǒu.
Where is this place? I'm a sailor.
- Athena 这里是伊萨卡。
Zhèlǐ shì Yīsàkǎ.
This is Ithaca.
- Odysseus 伊萨卡？！我回家了！
Yīsàkǎ?! Wǒ huíjiā le!
Ithaca?! I'm home!
- Athena 我是雅典娜。海神不喜欢你，可是我一直在帮你。你家里不太好。
Wǒ shì Yǎdiǎnnà. Hǎishén bù xǐhuan nǐ, kěshì wǒ yìzhí zài bāng nǐ. Nǐ jiālǐ bútàihǎo.
I am Athena. The sea god dislikes you, but I have helped you all along. Things are not well at your home.
- Athena 一百个人住在你家，吃你的，喝你的。他们都想娶你的太太。
Yìbǎigè rénzhù zài nǐjiā, chī nǐ de, hē nǐ de. Tāmen dōu xiǎng qǔ nǐ de tàitai.
A hundred men live in your house, eating and drinking your food. They all want to marry your wife.
- Odysseus 一百个人？那我不能这样回去。
Yìbǎigè rén? Nà wǒ bùnéng zhèyàng huíqù.
A hundred men? Then I can't go back like this.
- Athena 我把你变成一个老乞丐。谁也认不出你。
Wǒ bǎ nǐ biànchéng yígè lǎoqǐgài. Shuí yě rènbùchū nǐ.
I'll turn you into an old beggar. No one will know you.
- Odysseus 二十年了……门还是那个门。
Èrshínián le… mén háishi nàge mén.
Twenty years... the gate is the same gate.
- Odysseus 那条老狗……阿尔戈斯？是你吗？
Nàtiáo lǎogǒu… Ā'ěrgēsī? Shì nǐ ma?
That old dog... Argos? Is that you?
- Odysseus 别叫，好朋友。别让他们知道。
Bié jiào, hǎo péngyou. Bié ràng tāmen zhīdào.
Don't bark, old friend. Don't let them know.
- Odysseus 你还认得我。谢谢你。躺下吧。
Nǐ hái rènde wǒ. Xièxie nǐ. Tǎng xià ba.
You still know me. Thank you. Lie down now.
- Telemachus 老人家，你站在门口做什么？进来吧，你一定饿了。
Lǎorénjiā, nǐ zhàn zài ménkǒu zuò shénme? Jìnlái ba, nǐ yídìng è le.
Old man, why are you standing at the gate? Come in, you must be hungry.
- Odysseus 谢谢你，年轻人。你是谁？
Xièxie nǐ, niánqīngrén. Nǐ shì shuí?
Thank you, young man. Who are you?
- Telemachus 我叫忒勒马科斯。我爸爸出去很多年了。我一直在等他。
Wǒ jiào Tèlèmǎkēsī. Wǒ bàba chūqù hěnduōnián le. Wǒ yìzhí zài děng tā.
I'm Telemachus. My father has been gone for many years. I keep waiting for him.
- Odysseus 你爸爸也一定很想你。
Nǐ bàba yě yídìng hěn xiǎng nǐ.
Your father must miss you very much too.
- Antinous 看！家里来了一个老乞丐！哈哈哈！
Kàn! Jiālǐ lái le yígè lǎoqǐgài! Hāhāhā!
Look! An old beggar has come! Ha ha ha!
- Antinous 老头儿，这里没有你的吃的！快走！
Lǎotou'er, zhèlǐ méiyǒu nǐ de chī de! Kuài zǒu!
Old man, there's no food for you here! Get out!
- Penelope 够了，安提诺奥斯！他是客人。请给他吃的。
Gòu le, Āntínuò'àosī! Tā shì kèrén. Qǐng gěi tā chī de.
Enough, Antinous! He is a guest. Give him something to eat.
- Odysseus 谢谢您，太太。
Xièxienín, tàitai.
Thank you, madam.
- Penelope 各位！我等了二十年。我不想再等了。
Gèwèi! Wǒ děng le èrshínián. Wǒ bùxiǎng zài děng le.
Everyone! I have waited twenty years. I don't want to wait any longer.
- Penelope 明天，谁能拉开奥德修斯的大弓，我就跟谁走。
Míngtiān, shuí néng lākāi Àodéxiūsī de dàgōng, wǒ jiù gēn shuí zǒu.
Tomorrow, whoever can bend Odysseus's great bow, I will go with him.
- Antinous 哈哈！明天，那把大弓是我的！
Hāhā! Míngtiān, nà bǎ dàgōng shì wǒ de!
Ha ha! Tomorrow, that great bow will be mine!
- Odysseus 明天……会很有意思。
Míngtiān… huì hěn yǒuyìsi.
Tomorrow... will be very interesting.
What changed in the story?
- Why does the ship break?
“太阳神很生气。大风来了，船坏了。”
- Where is Odysseus when he wakes up?
“这里是伊萨卡。”
- What does Athena do to Odysseus?
“我把你变成一个老乞丐。”
- How does the old dog react to the beggar?
“你还认得我。”
- What will happen tomorrow?
“明天，谁能拉开奥德修斯的大弓，我就跟谁走。”