The Odyssey · chapter 21 of 29
The Singer
唱歌的老人
A little girl leads Odysseus to a palace with gold and silver dogs, and a blind singer begins a song that Odysseus knows far too well.
Read what you hear
- Odysseus 天快黑了，城就在前边……国王的家在哪儿呢？
Tiān kuài hēi le, chéng jiù zài qiánbian… guówáng de jiā zài nǎr ne?
It's almost dark, and the city is just ahead... Where is the king's house?
- Athena 找国王的家吗？跟我来，我知道！
Zhǎo guówáng de jiā ma? Gēn wǒ lái, wǒ zhīdào!
Looking for the king's house? Come with me, I know the way!
- Narrator 这个拿着水的小女孩，是雅典娜。她让别人都看不见他。
Zhège názhe shuǐ de xiǎo nǚhái, shì Yǎdiǎnnà. Tā ràng biérén dōu kàn bu jiàn tā.
The little girl carrying water was Athena. She made sure no one else could see him.
Chapter 21 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 好高的墙！门口还有金狗和银狗！
Hǎo gāo de qiáng! Ménkǒu hái yǒu jīn gǒu hé yín gǒu!
What high walls! And there are gold dogs and silver dogs at the door!
- Athena 进去吧！先去找国王的妻子。
Jìnqu ba! Xiān qù zhǎo guówáng de qīzi.
In you go! Find the king's wife first.
- Odysseus 请您帮帮我！我很久没有回家了。
Qǐng nín bāngbang wǒ! Wǒ hěn jiǔ méiyǒu huí jiā le.
Please help me! I haven't been home for a very long time.
- Alcinous 客人，起来吧。坐到火边来。
Kèrén, qǐlai ba. Zuò dào huǒ biān lái.
Stranger, get up. Come and sit by the fire.
- Alcinous 我是这里的国王。你想回家，我们就送你回家。
Wǒ shì zhèlǐ de guówáng. Nǐ xiǎng huí jiā, wǒmen jiù sòng nǐ huí jiā.
I am the king here. If you want to go home, we will take you home.
- Nausicaa 客人，你要走了吗？回家以后，别忘了我。
Kèrén, nǐ yào zǒu le ma? Huí jiā yǐhòu, bié wàng le wǒ.
Stranger, are you leaving? When you get home, don't forget me.
- Odysseus 公主，是您救了我。我会天天想着您。
Gōngzhǔ, shì nín jiù le wǒ. Wǒ huì tiāntiān xiǎngzhe nín.
Princess, you saved me. I will think of you every day.
- Narrator 第二天，国王请大家喝酒。有一个唱歌的老人，眼睛看不见。
Dì èr tiān, guówáng qǐng dàjiā hē jiǔ. Yǒu yí gè chànggē de lǎorén, yǎnjing kàn bu jiàn.
The next day, the king invited everyone to drink. There was an old singer there who was blind.
- Odysseus 老人家，请您唱一唱木马的故事吧！
Lǎorénjiā, qǐng nín chàng yi chàng mùmǎ de gùshi ba!
Sir, please sing the story of the wooden horse!
- The Singer 木马里边，都是希腊人，手里拿着剑……
Mùmǎ lǐbian, dōu shì Xīlàrén, shǒu li názhe jiàn…
Inside the wooden horse were Greeks, swords in their hands...
- The Singer 特洛伊人把木马拉进了城……
Tèluòyīrén bǎ mùmǎ lā jìn le chéng…
The Trojans pulled the wooden horse into their city...
- The Singer 木马的门，在聪明的奥德修斯手里！
Mùmǎ de mén, zài cōngming de Àodéxiūsī shǒu li!
And the horse's door was in the hands of clever Odysseus!
- Odysseus 我的木马……我的朋友们，都不在了……
Wǒ de mùmǎ… wǒ de péngyoumen, dōu bú zài le…
My wooden horse... my friends, all gone...
- Alcinous 客人，大家都在笑，你为什么哭？你是谁？
Kèrén, dàjiā dōu zài xiào, nǐ wèishénme kū? Nǐ shì shéi?
Stranger, everyone is laughing. Why are you crying? Who are you?
- Odysseus 我是伊萨卡的奥德修斯。
Wǒ shì Yīsàkǎ de Àodéxiūsī.
I am Odysseus of Ithaca.
- Alcinous 奥德修斯？木马的奥德修斯？
Àodéxiūsī? Mùmǎ de Àodéxiūsī?
Odysseus? Odysseus of the wooden horse?
- Narrator 那天晚上，奥德修斯说了他这十年的事，说到了很晚。
Nà tiān wǎnshang, Àodéxiūsī shuō le tā zhè shí nián de shì, shuō dào le hěn wǎn.
That night Odysseus told them about his ten years, talking late into the night.
- Alcinous 奥德修斯，这些礼物都给你。我们的船很快，送你回家！
Àodéxiūsī, zhèxiē lǐwù dōu gěi nǐ. Wǒmen de chuán hěn kuài, sòng nǐ huí jiā!
Odysseus, all these gifts are for you. Our ships are fast. We'll take you home!
- Narrator 第二天晚上，奥德修斯上了船，船走得像飞一样快。
Dì èr tiān wǎnshang, Àodéxiūsī shàng le chuán, chuán zǒu de xiàng fēi yíyàng kuài.
The next evening, Odysseus boarded the ship, and it sped off as if it were flying.
- Odysseus 坐别人的船回家……巨人说得对。
Zuò biérén de chuán huí jiā… jùrén shuō de duì.
Going home on another man's ship... The giant was right.
- Odysseus 伊萨卡……我睡一会儿……就到家了……
Yīsàkǎ… wǒ shuì yíhuìr… jiù dào jiā le…
Ithaca... I'll sleep a little... and then I'll be home...
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Who leads Odysseus to the king's house?
“这个拿着水的小女孩，是雅典娜”
- What does the king promise the stranger?
“你想回家，我们就送你回家”
- What does Nausicaa ask the stranger?
“回家以后，别忘了我”
- What does Odysseus ask the old singer to sing about?
“请您唱一唱木马的故事吧”
- Who sees that Odysseus is crying?
“大家都在笑，你为什么哭？”