The Odyssey · chapter 1 of 6
The Wooden Horse
大木马
After ten years of war, clever Odysseus has one wild idea to get his men home, but the sea has other plans.
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Read what you hear
- The Sailor 十年了！奥德修斯，我们还是进不去。
Shí nián le! Àodéxiūsī, wǒmen háishi jìn bú qù.
Ten years! Odysseus, we still can't get in.
- Odysseus 十年了……我好想家。我的太太和儿子，都在等我。
Shí nián le… wǒ hǎo xiǎng jiā. Wǒ de tàitai hé érzi, dōu zài děng wǒ.
Ten years… I miss home so much. My wife and my son are waiting for me.
- The Sailor 可是那个城又高又大。我们怎么进去？
Kěshì nàge chéng yòu gāo yòu dà. Wǒmen zěnme jìnqù?
But the walls are so tall and thick. How do we get in?
- Odysseus 等一等！我有办法了！
Děng yi děng! Wǒ yǒu bànfǎ le!
Wait a moment! I've got it!
- The Sailor 什么办法？快说！
Shénme bànfǎ? Kuài shuō!
What is it? Tell me!
- Odysseus 我们做一个大木马。木马里可以坐很多人。
Wǒmen zuò yí gè dà mùmǎ. Mùmǎ lǐ kěyǐ zuò hěn duō rén.
We build a big wooden horse. Lots of men can sit inside it.
- The Sailor 木马？奥德修斯，你是不是太累了？
Mùmǎ? Àodéxiūsī, nǐ shì bu shì tài lèi le?
A wooden horse? Odysseus, are you just too tired?
- Odysseus 听我说。我们让木马站在门外，然后坐船走。
Tīng wǒ shuō. Wǒmen ràng mùmǎ zhàn zài mén wài, ránhòu zuò chuán zǒu.
Listen. We leave the horse standing outside the city, and then we sail away.
- The Sailor 走？真的回家吗？
Zǒu? Zhēn de huíjiā ma?
Sail away? Are we really going home?
- Odysseus 不是真的。他们会把木马拉进城。晚上，我们再出来！
Bú shì zhēn de. Tāmen huì bǎ mùmǎ lā jìn chéng. Wǎnshang, wǒmen zài chūlái!
Not really. They'll pull the horse into their city. And at night, we come out!
- Narrator 第二天，大木马站在门外。希腊人的船，都走了。
Dì èr tiān, dà mùmǎ zhàn zài mén wài. Xīlà rén de chuán, dōu zǒu le.
The next day, the big wooden horse stood outside the city. The Greek ships were all gone.
- The Sailor 别说话！有人来了！他们来看木马了！
Bié shuōhuà! Yǒu rén lái le! Tāmen lái kàn mùmǎ le!
Shh! Someone's coming! They've come to look at the horse!
- Odysseus 别怕。他们在笑。他们喜欢这个礼物。
Bié pà. Tāmen zài xiào. Tāmen xǐhuan zhège lǐwù.
Don't be afraid. They're laughing. They love their gift.
- The Sailor 我们在动！他们在拉木马！
Wǒmen zài dòng! Tāmen zài lā mùmǎ!
We're moving! They're pulling the horse!
- Odysseus 对。我们进城了。现在，别说话。等到晚上。
Duì. Wǒmen jìn chéng le. Xiànzài, bié shuōhuà. Děngdào wǎnshang.
Yes. We're in the city. Now, not a word. We wait until night.
- The Sailor 这里又黑又小。我不喜欢小的地方。
Zhèlǐ yòu hēi yòu xiǎo. Wǒ bù xǐhuan xiǎo de dìfang.
It's dark and tiny in here. I don't like small places.
- Odysseus 那你想在外面再住十年吗？
Nà nǐ xiǎng zài wàimiàn zài zhù shí nián ma?
Then would you like to camp outside the city for ten more years?
- The Sailor 不想不想！我不说话了。
Bù xiǎng bù xiǎng! Wǒ bù shuōhuà le.
No, no! I'll stop talking.
- Odysseus 听。这里安静了。他们都睡了。出去！去开大门！
Tīng. Zhèlǐ ānjìng le. Tāmen dōu shuì le. Chūqù! Qù kāi dàmén!
Listen. It's quiet now. They're all asleep. Out we go! Open the big gate!
- The Sailor 我第一个去！朋友们，跟我来！
Wǒ dì yī gè qù! Péngyoumen, gēn wǒ lái!
I'll go first! Friends, follow me!
- Narrator 天亮了。希腊人赢了！他们可以回家了。
Tiānliàng le. Xīlà rén yíng le! Tāmen kěyǐ huíjiā le.
Dawn came. The Greeks had won! Now they could go home.
- The Sailor 我们走了好多天了。奥德修斯，我们的家在哪一边？
Wǒmen zǒu le hǎo duō tiān le. Àodéxiūsī, wǒmen de jiā zài nǎ yì biān?
We've been sailing for so many days. Odysseus, which way is home?
- Odysseus 风把我们吹到了一个不认识的岛上。
Fēng bǎ wǒmen chuī dào le yí gè bú rènshi de dǎo shang.
The wind has blown us to an island I don't know.
- The Sailor 你看！山上有一个洞，洞里有火！
Nǐ kàn! Shān shang yǒu yí gè dòng, dòng lǐ yǒu huǒ!
Look! There's a cave on the hill, and there's a fire inside!
- Odysseus 去看看。也许有吃的，有水。
Qù kànkan. Yěxǔ yǒu chī de, yǒu shuǐ.
Let's go and see. Maybe there's food and water.
- The Sailor 这个洞……比我们的房子还大！这里住的是谁？
Zhège dòng… bǐ wǒmen de fángzi hái dà! Zhèlǐ zhù de shì shéi?
This cave… it's bigger than our house! Who lives here?
- Odysseus 这么多羊，这么多奶。住在这里的人，一定很大。别说话。
Zhème duō yáng, zhème duō nǎi. Zhù zài zhèlǐ de rén, yídìng hěn dà. Bié shuōhuà.
So many sheep, so much milk. Whoever lives here must be huge. Not a sound.
- The One-Eyed Giant 谁在我的家里？！
Shéi zài wǒ de jiā lǐ?!
Who is in my home?!
What changed in the story?
- What does Odysseus want most?
“我好想家。我的太太和儿子，都在等我。”
- What is Odysseus's clever idea?
“我们做一个大木马。木马里可以坐很多人。”
- Why does the Trojans' pulling the horse into the city help the Greeks?
“他们会把木马拉进城。晚上，我们再出来！”
- Why does the sailor complain inside the horse?
“这里又黑又小。我不喜欢小的地方。”
- How does the chapter end?
“谁在我的家里？！”