The Twelve Labors of Hercules · chapter 1 of 8
The Lion of Nemea
第一项任务
A frightened king sends the strongest man alive after a lion no weapon can hurt. Hercules wins with his bare hands, but the king hides in a jar and thinks up something worse.
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- Narrator 赫拉女神让赫拉克勒斯发了一次疯，他做了一件让自己难过一辈子的事，所以神要他去给国王做事。
Hèlā nǚshén ràng Hèlākèlèsī fāle yícì fēng, tā zuò le yíjiàn ràng zìjǐ nánguò yíbèizi de shì, suǒyǐ shényào tā qù gěi guówáng zuòshì.
The goddess Hera made Hercules go mad for a while, and he did something that would make him sad for the rest of his life. So the gods told him to go and serve a king.
- Narrator 神说：“做完十项任务，你才能自由。”
Shénshuō: “Zuò wán shíxiàng rènwù, nǐ cáinéng zìyóu.”
The gods said, "Finish ten tasks, and then you will be free."
- Hercules 国王，我是赫拉克勒斯。神让我来听你的话，请你告诉我，我该做什么。
Guówáng, wǒ shì Hèlākèlèsī. Shénràng wǒ lái tīng nǐ dehuà, qǐng nǐ gàosu wǒ, wǒ gāi zuò shénme.
Your Majesty, I am Hercules. The gods sent me to do what you say, so please tell me what I must do.
- King Eurystheus 你、你就是那个大力士？请你站远一点，我不喜欢太大的人！
Nǐ, nǐ jiùshì nàge dàlìshì? Qǐng nǐ zhàn yuǎn yìdiǎn, wǒ bù xǐhuan tàidà de rén!
You... you are the strong man? Please stand farther away. I don't like people who are too big!
- Hercules 国王，我离你有十步远呢。你放心，我今天的心情很好。
Guówáng, wǒlí nǐ yǒu shíbù yuǎn ne. Nǐ fàngxīn, wǒ jīntiān de xīnqíng hěn hǎo.
Your Majesty, I'm ten steps away from you. Relax, I'm in a very good mood today.
- King Eurystheus 好。城外有一头大狮子，刀和箭都伤不了它。你去把它的皮拿来给我！
Hǎo. Chéngwài yǒu yìtóu dà shīzi, dāo hé jiàn dōu shāng bùliǎo tā. Nǐ qù bǎ tā de pí nálái gěi wǒ!
Fine. There is a big lion outside the city. No knife or arrow can hurt it. Go and bring me its skin!
- Hercules 狮子？好，我天黑以前就回来，你可以先准备晚饭。
Shīzi? Hǎo, wǒ tiānhēi yǐqián jiù huílái, nǐ kěyǐ xiān zhǔnbèi wǎnfàn.
A lion? Good. I'll be back before dark, so you can start making dinner.
- King Eurystheus 不要吹牛。那头狮子的皮比铁还要硬，很多人都没有回来。
Búyào chuīniú. Nàtóu shīzi de pí bǐtiě háiyào yìng, hěnduō rén dōu méiyǒu huílái.
Don't brag. That lion's skin is harder than iron, and many men never came back.
- Hercules 那我更想去看看了。我会带着我的木棒和我的箭。
Nà wǒ gèng xiǎng qù kànkan le. Wǒhuì dài zhe wǒ de mùbàng hé wǒ de jiàn.
Then I want to go see it even more. I'll take my club and my arrows.
- King Eurystheus 还有，你回来以后不要进我的房子，你身上会有狮子的味道，我的鼻子会不舒服。
Háiyǒu, nǐ huílái yǐhòu búyào jìn wǒ de fángzi, nǐ shēnshàng huì yǒu shīzi de wèidao, wǒ de bízi huì bù shūfú.
And when you come back, don't come into my house. You'll smell like a lion, and my nose won't like it.
- Hercules 放心吧，国王。我会站在门口，一步也不进去。
Fàngxīn ba, guówáng. Wǒhuì zhàn zài ménkǒu, yíbù yě bú jìnqù.
Don't worry, Your Majesty. I'll stand at the door and not take a single step inside.
- Hercules 山洞里这么黑，我什么也看不见……可是我听见有东西在动。
Shāndòng lǐ zhème hēi, wǒ shénme yě kànbújiàn…… Kěshì wǒ tīngjiàn yǒu dōngxi zài dòng.
It's so dark in the cave that I can't see anything... but I hear something moving.
- The Nemean Lion 谁在我的山洞外面吵？我正在睡觉，你不知道吗？
Shuí zài wǒ de shāndòng wàimiàn chǎo? Wǒ zhèngzài shuìjiào, nǐ bù zhīdào ma?
Who is making noise outside my cave? I'm sleeping. Don't you know that?
- Hercules 出来吧，大狮子，我是来找你玩的，你别不好意思！
Chūlái ba, dà shīzi, wǒ shì lái zhǎo nǐ wán de, nǐbié bùhǎoyìsī!
Come out, big lion. I came to play with you, so don't be shy!
- Hercules 先用我的箭，看，中了！咦，箭怎么掉在地上了？它的皮真的比铁还硬！
Xiānyòng wǒ de jiàn, kàn, zhòng le! Yí, jiàn zěnme diào zài dìshàng le? Tā de pí zhēnde bǐtiě hái yìng!
First my arrows. Look, a hit! Huh, why did my arrow fall on the ground? Its skin really is harder than iron!
- The Nemean Lion 有虫子在咬我吗？你的箭比虫子还要小。
Yǒu chóngzi zài yǎo wǒ ma? Nǐ de jiàn bǐ chóngzi háiyào xiǎo.
Is a bug biting me? Your arrows are smaller than bugs.
- Hercules 那就用我的大木棒，看我的！哎呀，木棒断了，我只剩一双手了。
Nà jiù yòng wǒ de dà mùbàng, kàn wǒ de! Āiyā, mùbàng duàn le, wǒ zhǐ shèngyì shuāngshǒu le.
Then I'll use my big club. Watch this! Oh no, the club broke. All I have left is my two hands.
- The Nemean Lion 你的木头比我的爪子还脆，回家去吧。
Nǐ de mùtou bǐ wǒ de zhuǎzi háicuì, huíjiā qù ba.
Your wood is more brittle than my claws. Go home.
- Hercules 我不回去。来吧，狮子，我们比比谁的力气大！
Wǒ bù huíqù. Lái ba, shīzi, wǒmen bǐbǐ shuí de lìqi dà!
I won't go home. Come on, lion, let's see who is stronger!
- Hercules 别跑，我抱住你的脖子了，我不放手，你也不要动！
Biépǎo, wǒ bàozhù nǐ de bózi le, wǒ bú fàngshǒu, nǐ yě búyào dòng!
Don't run. I've got your neck, and I won't let go, so hold still!
- The Nemean Lion 放开……我的脖子……我不行了……
Fàngkāi…… Wǒ de bózi…… Wǒ bùxíng le……
Let go... of my neck... I can't...
- Narrator 过了很久，大狮子不动了，赫拉克勒斯也累坏了，可是他赢了。
Guò le hěn jiǔ, dà shīzi búdòng le, Hèlākèlèsī yě lèihuài le, kěshì tā yíng le.
After a long time, the big lion lay still. Hercules was worn out, but he had won.
- Hercules 可是我没有刀，要怎么切开它的皮呢？等一下，它自己的爪子也许可以！
Kěshì wǒ méiyǒu dāo, yào zěnme qièkāi tā de pí ne? Děng yíxià, tā zìjǐ de zhuǎzi yěxǔ kěyǐ!
But I have no knife. How do I cut its skin? Wait, maybe its own claws will work!
- King Eurystheus 谁在那儿？啊，狮子！
Shuí zài nàr? A, shīzi!
Who's there? Ahh, a lion!
- Hercules 国王，别怕。这只是狮子的皮，狮子不在里面。你看，它一点儿也不会动。
Guówáng, biépà. Zhè zhǐshì shīzi de pí, shīzi bú zài lǐmiàn. Nǐ kàn, tā yìdiǎnr yě búhuì dòng.
Don't be afraid, Your Majesty. It's only the lion's skin. The lion isn't in it. See? It doesn't move at all.
- King Eurystheus 它的头在看我。你把它拿走，快拿走！
Tā de tóu zài kàn wǒ. Nǐ bǎ tā názǒu, kuài názǒu!
Its head is looking at me! Take it away, quick!
- Hercules 它看不见你，你在罐子里，我也看不见你。
Tā kànbújiàn nǐ, nǐ zài guànzi lǐ, wǒ yě kànbújiàn nǐ.
It can't see you. You're in a jar, and I can't see you either.
- King Eurystheus 我就住在这个罐子里了，你别过来！
Wǒ jiù zhù zài zhège guànzi lǐ le, nǐ biéguòlái!
I'm going to live in this jar from now on. Don't come near!
- Hercules 好，好。国王，第一项任务做完了，还有九项呢。你想好下一项了吗？
Hǎo, hǎo. Guówáng, dìyíxiàng rènwù zuò wán le, háiyǒu jiǔxiàng ne. Nǐ xiǎng hǎo xià yíxiàng le ma?
All right, all right. Your Majesty, the first task is done, with nine more to go. Have you thought of the next one?
- King Eurystheus 九项……我要想一想……有了！去杀勒拿的九头蛇！
Jiǔxiàng…… Wǒyào xiǎngyìxiǎng…… Yǒu le! Qù shā Lèná de jiǔtóushé!
Nine... I have to think... I've got it! Go and kill the nine-headed snake of Lerna!
- Hercules 九头蛇？听起来很有意思。它有什么特别的地方吗？
Jiǔtóushé? Tīng qǐlái hěn yǒuyìsi. Tā yǒu shénme tèbié de dìfang ma?
A nine-headed snake? That sounds interesting. What's special about it?
- King Eurystheus 它的头砍掉一个，会长出两个。你去吧，你不会回来了！
Tā de tóu kǎndiào yígè, huìzhǎng chū liǎnggè. Nǐ qù ba, nǐ búhuì huílái le!
Chop off one head and two grow back! Go on, you'll never come back!
What changed in the story?
- Why does Hercules need to do these tasks for the king?
“神说：“做完十项任务，你才能自由。””
- What is special about the lion's skin?
“好。城外有一头大狮子，刀和箭都伤不了它。你去把它的皮拿来给我！”
- What happens to Hercules's club?
“那就用我的大木棒，看我的！哎呀，木棒断了，我只剩一双手了。”
- How does Hercules win?
“别跑，我抱住你的脖子了，我不放手，你也不要动！”
- Where does the king hide when he sees the lion skin?
“它看不见你，你在罐子里，我也看不见你。”