The Twelve Labors of Hercules · chapter 7 of 8
The Golden Apples and the Sky
金苹果
Nobody knows where the golden apples grow except a giant who holds up the sky. Hercules offers to help him, but the giant may never want the sky back.
Read what you hear
- Hercules 我已经走了一个月，金苹果园到底在哪儿呢？
Wǒ yǐjīng zǒu le yígèyuè, jīnpíngguǒ yuán dàodǐ zài nǎr ne?
I have walked for a month. Where on earth is the garden of golden apples?
- Old Traveler 年轻人，你走路的样子，像是在找一样东西。
Niánqīngrén, nǐ zǒulù de yàngzi, xiàngshì zài zhǎo yíyàng dōngxi.
Young man, the way you walk looks like you are searching for something.
- Hercules 老爷爷，您说对了。我走了很久，水也喝完了。
Lǎoyéye, nín shuō duì le. Wǒ zǒu le hěn jiǔ, shuǐ yě hēwán le.
You're right, grandfather. I've walked for a long time, and my water is gone.
Chapter 7 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of The Twelve Labors of Hercules 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.
- Old Traveler 来，先喝一口我的水，找东西也要有力气。
Lái, xiānhē yìkǒu wǒ de shuǐ, zhǎo dōngxi yě yào yǒu lìqi.
Here, have a sip of mine first. Even searching takes strength.
- Hercules 老爷爷，我在找金苹果园，您知道它在哪儿吗？
Lǎoyéye, wǒ zài zhǎo jīnpíngguǒ yuán, nín zhīdào tā zài nǎr ma?
Grandfather, I'm looking for the garden of golden apples. Do you know where it is?
- Old Traveler 我听说，只有阿特拉斯知道，他是撑着天空的巨人。
Wǒ tīngshuō, zhǐyǒu Ātèlāsī zhīdào, tā shì chēng zhe tiānkōng de jùrén.
I hear that only Atlas knows. He is the giant who holds up the sky.
- Hercules 撑着天空？他一定很累吧？
Chēng zhe tiānkōng? Tā yídìng hěnlèi ba?
Holds up the sky? He must be very tired.
- Old Traveler 累得不得了，他站在那里，已经站了很多年了。
Lèi dé bùdéle, tā zhàn zài nàlǐ, yǐjīng zhàn le hěnduōnián le.
Terribly tired. He has been standing there for many, many years.
- Hercules 谢谢您，我马上就去找他。
Xièxienín, wǒ mǎshàng jiù qù zhǎo tā.
Thank you. I'll go find him right away.
- Old Traveler 小心，苹果树下有一条大龙看着，谁也拿不走。
Xiǎoxīn, píngguǒshù xià yǒu yìtiáo dàlóng kànzhe, shuí yě ná bù zǒu.
Be careful. A big dragon watches the apple tree, and no one can take anything.
- Hercules 大龙？好，国王听了一定会觉得很有意思。
Dàlóng? Hǎo, guówáng tīng le yídìng huì juédehěnyǒu yìsi.
A dragon? Good. The king will find that very interesting.
- Atlas 谁在下面？我的肩膀上有天空，我不能低头看你。
Shuí zài xiàmiàn? Wǒ de jiānbǎng shàng yǒu tiānkōng, wǒ bùnéng dītóu kàn nǐ.
Who is down there? I have the sky on my shoulders, so I can't look down at you.
- Hercules 阿特拉斯先生，我是赫拉克勒斯，我想要三个金苹果。
Ātèlāsī xiānsheng, wǒ shì Hèlākèlèsī, wǒ xiǎngyào sāngè jīnpíngguǒ.
Mr. Atlas, I am Hercules. I would like three golden apples.
- Atlas 金苹果是我女儿们的，我可以去拿，可是我走了，谁来扛天空？
Jīnpíngguǒ shì wǒ nǚ'ér men de, wǒ kěyǐ qù ná, kěshì wǒ zǒu le, shuí lái káng tiānkōng?
The golden apples belong to my daughters. I can fetch them, but if I go, who will hold the sky?
- Hercules 我来扛，好不好？你放心去吧。
Wǒlái káng, hǎobùhǎo? Nǐ fàngxīn qù ba.
I'll hold it, how about that? Go ahead without worry.
- Atlas 你？天空很重，比一百座山还重。你的肩膀，可能会断。
Nǐ? Tiānkōng hěn zhòng, bǐ yìbǎi zuòshān hái zhòng. Nǐ de jiānbǎng, kěnéng huìduàn.
You? The sky is heavy, heavier than a hundred mountains. Your shoulders might break.
- Hercules 我试一试，来，放在我的肩膀上。
Wǒ shìyíshì, lái, fàngzài wǒ de jiānbǎng shàng.
Let me try. Come on, put it on my shoulders.
- Atlas 哦，我的肩膀，我的肩膀好舒服啊！
Ó, wǒ de jiānbǎng, wǒ de jiānbǎng hǎo shūfú a!
Oh, my shoulders, my shoulders feel so good!
- Hercules 天空真重……阿特拉斯先生，请你快去快回。
Tiānkōng zhēn zhòng…… Ātèlāsī xiānsheng, qǐng nǐ kuàiqùkuàihuí.
The sky is really heavy... Mr. Atlas, please go quickly and come back quickly.
- Narrator 阿特拉斯走了，天空压在赫拉克勒斯的肩膀上，一天，又一天。
Ātèlāsī zǒu le, tiānkōng yāzài Hèlākèlèsī de jiānbǎng shàng, yìtiān, yòu yìtiān.
Atlas left. The sky pressed on Hercules's shoulders, one day after another.
- Atlas 我回来了，三个金苹果在这儿，可是我不想再扛天空了。
Wǒ huílái le, sāngè jīnpíngguǒ zài zhèr, kěshì wǒ bùxiǎng zài káng tiānkōng le.
I'm back, and here are the three golden apples. But I don't want to hold the sky again.
- Hercules 我懂了，可是我的肩膀太硬了，请你帮我拿一下，我放一个软垫子。
Wǒ dǒng le, kěshì wǒ de jiānbǎng tàiyìng le, qǐng nǐ bāng wǒ ná yíxià, wǒfàng yígè ruǎndiàn zi.
I see. But my shoulders are too hard. Please hold it for me while I put down a soft pad.
- Atlas 好吧，就一下，你要快一点儿。
Hǎo ba, jiù yíxià, nǐ yào kuài yìdiǎnr.
All right, just for a moment, so be quick.
- Hercules 谢谢你，再见了，阿特拉斯先生，苹果我拿走了！
Xièxie nǐ, zàijiàn le, Ātèlāsī xiānsheng, píngguǒ wǒ názǒu le!
Thank you, goodbye, Mr. Atlas. I'm taking the apples!
- Hercules 国王，你看，三个金苹果，我带回来了！
Guówáng, nǐ kàn, sāngè jīnpíngguǒ, wǒdài huílái le!
Your Majesty, look, three golden apples. I brought them back!
- King Eurystheus 啊，好亮，好漂亮！可是我不敢拿，你先拿着。
A, hǎoliàng, hǎo piàoliang! Kěshì wǒ bùgǎn ná, nǐ xiān ná zhe.
Ah, so bright, so pretty! But I don't dare take them. You hold them.
- Hercules 国王，苹果是要给你的。
Guówáng, píngguǒ shì yào gěi nǐ de.
Your Majesty, the apples are for you.
- King Eurystheus 不不不，这个苹果太亮了，我怕它，你拿去还给神吧！
Bú bú bù, zhège píngguǒ tàiliàng le, wǒpà tā, nǐ ná qù huángěi shén ba!
No, no, no, these apples are too bright and I'm afraid of them. Take them back to the gods!
- Hercules 好，好，我送回去，国王，还有别的事吗？
Hǎo, hǎo, wǒ sòng huíqù, guówáng, háiyǒu biéde shì ma?
Fine, fine, I'll take them back. Your Majesty, is there anything else?
- King Eurystheus 有，最后一项，也是最难的一项。
Yǒu, zuìhòu yíxiàng, yě shì zuìnán de yíxiàng.
Yes, the last task, and the hardest one.
- Hercules 最难的？是什么？
Zuìnán de? Shì shénme?
The hardest? What is it?
- King Eurystheus 去地下的世界，把三个头的大狗带上来，我在罐子里等你！
Qù dìxià de shìjiè, bǎ sāngè tóu de dàgǒu dàishànglái, wǒ zài guànzi lǐ děng nǐ!
Go to the world below and bring up the dog with three heads. I'll wait for you in my jar!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Who knows where the golden apples are?
“我听说，只有阿特拉斯知道，他是撑着天空的巨人。”
- What does Hercules offer to do for Atlas?
“我来扛，好不好？你放心去吧。”
- Why is Atlas so happy after he puts the sky down?
“哦，我的肩膀，我的肩膀好舒服啊！”
- How does Hercules trick Atlas into taking the sky back?
“我懂了，可是我的肩膀太硬了，请你帮我拿一下，我放一个软垫子。”
- What is the last task the king gives?
“去地下的世界，把三个头的大狗带上来，我在罐子里等你！”