The Three Musketeers · chapter 7 of 8
The Night of the Ball
舞会之夜
The queen walks into the ball wearing her diamonds, and the Cardinal has a trick of his own ready.
Read what you hear
- The Queen 康斯坦斯，钻石在哪里？国王已经在等我了！
Kāngsītǎnsī, zuànshí zài nǎlǐ? Guówáng yǐjīng zài děng wǒ le!
Constance, where are the diamonds? The king is already waiting for me!
- Constance 在这儿，夫人！钻石回来了，一颗也不少！
Zài zhèr, fūrén! Zuànshí huílái le, yì kē yě bù shǎo!
Here, madam! The diamonds are back, and not one is missing!
- The Queen 真的？让我看看……一，二，三……十二颗！都在！
Zhēn de? Ràng wǒ kànkan… yī, èr, sān… shí'èr kē! Dōu zài!
Really? Let me see... one, two, three... twelve! They're all here!
Chapter 7 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of The Three Musketeers is free, and so are The Second Cup of Tea, Mulan, The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West: The Monkey King, Cinderella, The Night of the Nian, Chang'e and the Moon, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, Aesop's Fables, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began, Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Lotus Lantern, Alice in Wonderland, Zhong Kui the Demon Queller, The Odyssey, Robin Hood, Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Kitchen God from start to finish.
- The Queen 是谁去了伦敦？是谁比风还快？
Shì shéi qù le Lúndūn? Shì shéi bǐ fēng hái kuài?
Who went to London? Who was faster than the wind?
- Constance 一个火枪手。一个十八岁的孩子。他叫达达尼昂。
Yí gè huǒqiāngshǒu. Yí gè shíbā suì de háizi. Tā jiào Dádá Ní'áng.
A musketeer. An eighteen-year-old boy. His name is D'Artagnan.
- The Queen 达达尼昂……我要记住这个名字。
Dádá Ní'áng… wǒ yào jìzhù zhège míngzi.
D'Artagnan... I will remember that name.
- Constance 夫人，快一点！舞会已经开始了，国王会等不及的。
Fūrén, kuài yìdiǎn! Wǔhuì yǐjīng kāishǐ le, guówáng huì děng bù jí de.
Madam, hurry! The ball has begun, and the king won't be able to wait.
- The Queen 你帮我戴。我的手，一直在发抖。
Nǐ bāng wǒ dài. Wǒ de shǒu, yìzhí zài fādǒu.
You put them on for me. My hands keep shaking.
- Constance 不要怕，夫人。今晚，您是最美的王后。
Bú yào pà, fūrén. Jīn wǎn, nín shì zuì měi de wánghòu.
Don't be afraid, madam. Tonight you're the most beautiful queen.
- The Queen 好了吗？我们走吧。国王和大家，都在等我。
Hǎo le ma? Wǒmen zǒu ba. Guówáng hé dàjiā, dōu zài děng wǒ.
Are they on? Shall we go? The king and everyone are waiting for me.
- Constance 好了。夫人，我在门口看着您。
Hǎo le. Fūrén, wǒ zài ménkǒu kàn zhe nín.
They're on. Madam, I'll be watching from the door.
- Constance 夫人，听。外面的音乐响了。
Fūrén, tīng. Wàimiàn de yīnyuè xiǎng le.
Madam, listen. The music has started outside.
- The Queen 我一直想着那个孩子。他在路上，一定很辛苦。
Wǒ yìzhí xiǎng zhe nà ge háizi. Tā zài lù shang, yídìng hěn xīnkǔ.
I keep thinking of that boy. The road must have been so hard for him.
- The Queen 今晚我本来很怕。可是现在，我什么都不怕了。
Jīn wǎn wǒ běnlái hěn pà. Kěshì xiànzài, wǒ shénme dōu bú pà le.
I was so afraid tonight. But now I'm not afraid of anything.
- Narrator 舞会的大厅里，灯光很亮，人很多。红衣主教站在国王身边，手里有一个小盒子。
Wǔhuì de dàtīng lǐ, dēngguāng hěn liàng, rén hěn duō. Hóngyī zhǔjiào zhàn zài guówáng shēnbiān, shǒu lǐ yǒu yí gè xiǎo hézi.
In the ballroom the lights were bright and the crowd was large. The Cardinal stood beside the king with a small box in his hand.
- The Cardinal 国王，您送给王后的十二颗钻石，今晚她戴了吗？请您数一数。
Guówáng, nín sòng gěi wánghòu de shí'èr kē zuànshí, jīn wǎn tā dài le ma? Qǐng nín shǔ yi shǔ.
King, the twelve diamonds you gave the queen: is she wearing them tonight? Please count them.
- The King 哈，我当然要数。来，王后，请你站到灯下面来。
Hā, wǒ dāngrán yào shǔ. Lái, wánghòu, qǐng nǐ zhàn dào dēng xiàmiàn lái.
Ha, of course I will count. Come, Queen, please stand under the lamp.
- The King 一，二，三，四……十，十一，十二。
Yī, èr, sān, sì… shí, shíyī, shí'èr.
One, two, three, four... ten, eleven, twelve.
- The King 十二颗，一颗也不少！红衣主教，你说什么？
Shí'èr kē, yì kē yě bù shǎo! Hóngyī zhǔjiào, nǐ shuō shénme?
Twelve, not one missing! Cardinal, what do you say?
- The Cardinal 这……这真是想不到。
Zhè… zhè zhēn shì xiǎng bú dào.
This... this is quite unexpected.
- The King 红衣主教，你的脸怎么这么白？
Hóngyī zhǔjiào, nǐ de liǎn zěnme zhème bái?
Cardinal, why is your face so pale?
- The Cardinal 没……没什么。大厅里，有点热。
Méi… méi shénme. Dàtīng lǐ, yǒudiǎn rè.
N-nothing. It's just a little warm in the hall.
- The Queen 红衣主教，您手里的小盒子，是什么？
Hóngyī zhǔjiào, nín shǒu lǐ de xiǎo hézi, shì shénme?
Cardinal, what is that little box in your hand?
- The Cardinal 是……是两颗钻石。我想，王后也许还需要两颗，让她更美。
Shì… shì liǎng kē zuànshí. Wǒ xiǎng, wánghòu yěxǔ hái xūyào liǎng kē, ràng tā gèng měi.
It's... it's two diamonds. I thought the queen might want two more to make her even lovelier.
- The King 两颗？王后身上有十二颗，你这里有两颗。那就是十四颗！
Liǎng kē? Wánghòu shēn shang yǒu shí'èr kē, nǐ zhèlǐ yǒu liǎng kē. Nà jiù shì shísì kē!
Two? The queen wears twelve and you hold two. That makes fourteen!
- The Queen 红衣主教真是太好了。他送我两颗钻石，我就有十四颗了！
Hóngyī zhǔjiào zhēn shì tài hǎo le. Tā sòng wǒ liǎng kē zuànshí, wǒ jiù yǒu shísì kē le!
The Cardinal is so kind. He's giving me two diamonds, so now I have fourteen!
- The King 哈哈哈！红衣主教，你今晚真大方！
Hāhāhā! Hóngyī zhǔjiào, nǐ jīn wǎn zhēn dàfang!
Ha ha ha! Cardinal, you are so generous tonight!
- The Cardinal 是……是我送给王后的礼物。
Shì… shì wǒ sòng gěi wánghòu de lǐwù.
It... it is my gift to the queen.
- The Queen 谢谢您，红衣主教。我会记得今晚的。
Xièxie nín, hóngyī zhǔjiào. Wǒ huì jìdé jīn wǎn de.
Thank you, Cardinal. I will remember tonight.
- The King 哈哈，你们两位真是好朋友！来，我们跳舞吧！
Hāhā, nǐmen liǎng wèi zhēn shì hǎo péngyou! Lái, wǒmen tiàowǔ ba!
Ha ha, you two are such good friends! Come, let's dance!
- The Cardinal 十二颗，一颗不少……这不可能。有人帮了她。
Shí'èr kē, yì kē bù shǎo… zhè bù kěnéng. Yǒu rén bāng le tā.
Twelve, and not one missing... impossible. Someone helped her.
- The Cardinal 是谁去了伦敦？是谁比我的人还快？
Shì shéi qù le Lúndūn? Shì shéi bǐ wǒ de rén hái kuài?
Who went to London? Who was faster than my own men?
- The Cardinal 米拉迪的信里说过，有一个孩子会坏我的事。他叫……达达尼昂！
Mǐlādí de xìn lǐ shuō guò, yǒu yí gè háizi huì huài wǒ de shì. Tā jiào… Dádá Ní'áng!
Milady's letter said a boy would spoil my plans. His name is... D'Artagnan!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why is the queen so worried at the start?
“钻石在哪里？国王已经在等我了！”
- Who does Constance say went to London?
“一个火枪手。一个十八岁的孩子。”
- What does the Cardinal hope will happen at the ball?
“您送给王后的十二颗钻石，今晚她戴了吗？请您数一数。”
- What does the queen do when the Cardinal shows his little box?
“他送我两颗钻石，我就有十四颗了！”
- Who does the Cardinal suspect at the end?
“有一个孩子会坏我的事。他叫……达达尼昂！”