The Odyssey · chapter 29 of 29
The Orchard
果园里
Odysseus has one more person to find: an old man working alone among his trees, who stopped hoping long ago that his son would come home.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 早上，奥德修斯和儿子到了拉埃尔特斯的果园。
Zǎoshang, Àodéxiūsī hé érzi dào le Lā'āi'ěrtèsī de guǒyuán.
In the morning, Odysseus and his son reached Laertes's orchard.
- Odysseus 那是我爸爸……他这么老了，还一个人在地里干活。
Nà shì wǒ bàba… tā zhème lǎo le, hái yí gè rén zài dì li gànhuó.
That's my father... So old now, and still working the land all alone.
- Telemachus 爸爸，您又要骗爷爷吗？
Bàba, nín yòu yào piàn yéye ma?
Father, are you going to trick Grandpa too?
Chapter 29 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 就一会儿，孩子。
Jiù yíhuìr, háizi.
Just for a moment, son.
- Odysseus 老人家，您好。我在找奥德修斯。
Lǎorénjiā, nín hǎo. Wǒ zài zhǎo Àodéxiūsī.
Good day, sir. I'm looking for Odysseus.
- Odysseus 五年以前，他在我家住过。他说，他会回伊萨卡。
Wǔ nián yǐqián, tā zài wǒ jiā zhùguo. Tā shuō, tā huì huí Yīsàkǎ.
Five years ago he stayed at my house. He said he would go back to Ithaca.
- Laertes 客人，他是我的儿子……他回不来了，死在海上了！
Kèrén, tā shì wǒ de érzi… tā huí bu lái le, sǐ zài hǎi shang le!
Stranger, he is my son... He's never coming back. He died at sea!
- Narrator 老人坐在地上，哭了。
Lǎorén zuò zài dì shang, kū le.
The old man sat down on the ground and wept.
- Odysseus 爸爸，别哭！是我！二十年了，我回来了！
Bàba, bié kū! Shì wǒ! Èrshí nián le, wǒ huílai le!
Father, don't cry! It's me! After twenty years, I'm home!
- Laertes 你是我的孩子？你这张脸，我不认识……我怎么知道是真的？
Nǐ shì wǒ de háizi? Nǐ zhè zhāng liǎn, wǒ bú rènshi… wǒ zěnme zhīdào shì zhēn de?
You're my child? I don't know this face of yours... How can I know it's true?
- Odysseus 您看，这个伤疤。山上那头大猪，您还记得吗？
Nín kàn, zhège shāngbā. Shān shang nà tóu dà zhū, nín hái jìde ma?
Look, this scar. The big pig on the mountain, do you still remember?
- Odysseus 还有这些树。我小的时候，您给了我六十三棵。
Hái yǒu zhèxiē shù. Wǒ xiǎo de shíhou, nín gěi le wǒ liùshísān kē.
And these trees. When I was little, you gave me sixty-three of them.
- Laertes 我的孩子！我站不住了……
Wǒ de háizi! Wǒ zhàn bu zhù le…
My child! My legs won't hold me...
- Odysseus 爸爸，我抱着您。
Bàba, wǒ bàozhe nín.
Father, I've got you.
- Laertes 宙斯啊，神还在看着我们！
Zhòusī a, shén hái zài kànzhe wǒmen!
Zeus! The gods are still watching over us!
- Telemachus 爸爸！干活的人说，安提诺奥斯的爸爸带着很多人来了！
Bàba! Gànhuó de rén shuō, Āntínuò'àosī de bàba dàizhe hěn duō rén lái le!
Father! The workers say Antinous's father is coming with lots of men!
- Odysseus 孩子，别怕。我们三个人一起打！
Háizi, bié pà. Wǒmen sān gè rén yìqǐ dǎ!
Son, don't be afraid. The three of us will fight together!
- Laertes 我是老了，可是我也要打！
Wǒ shì lǎo le, kěshì wǒ yě yào dǎ!
I'm old, yes, but I'll fight too!
- Narrator 门托尔来了。这是雅典娜。
Méntuō'ěr lái le. Zhè shì Yǎdiǎnnà.
Mentor came. This was Athena.
- Mentor 拉埃尔特斯，你还不老！拿起剑！
Lā'āi'ěrtèsī, nǐ hái bù lǎo! Ná qǐ jiàn!
Laertes, you're not old yet! Pick up your sword!
- Narrator 老人拿起剑，走了过去。安提诺奥斯的爸爸倒下了。
Lǎorén ná qǐ jiàn, zǒu le guòqù. Āntínuò'àosī de bàba dǎoxià le.
The old man picked up a sword and went forward. Antinous's father fell.
- Mentor 住手！伊萨卡人，都别打了！
Zhùshǒu! Yīsàkǎ rén, dōu bié dǎ le!
Stop! People of Ithaca, no more fighting!
- Odysseus 宙斯的雷……好，门托尔，我听你的。
Zhòusī de léi… hǎo, Méntuō'ěr, wǒ tīng nǐ de.
Zeus's thunder... All right, Mentor. I'll do as you say.
- Narrator 雅典娜让大家放下了剑。从那天起，伊萨卡安静了。
Yǎdiǎnnà ràng dàjiā fàngxià le jiàn. Cóng nà tiān qǐ, Yīsàkǎ ānjìng le.
Athena had everyone put down their swords. From that day on, Ithaca was at peace.
- Telemachus 爷爷，爸爸，我们回家吧！妈妈在等我们！
Yéye, bàba, wǒmen huí jiā ba! Māma zài děng wǒmen!
Grandpa, Father, let's go home! Mother's waiting for us!
- Odysseus 好，回家。这一次，我哪儿也不去了。
Hǎo, huí jiā. Zhè yí cì, wǒ nǎr yě bú qù le.
Yes, home. This time, I'm not going anywhere.
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What is Laertes doing when Odysseus finds him?
“他这么老了，还一个人在地里干活”
- What does Odysseus, as a stranger, tell his father?
“五年以前，他在我家住过”
- Which gift from Laertes does Odysseus remember?
“还有这些树……您给了我六十三棵”
- Who is coming to the orchard with many men?
“安提诺奥斯的爸爸带着很多人来了”
- Why does Odysseus stop fighting?
“住手！伊萨卡人，都别打了！……好，门托尔，我听你的。”