The White Snake · chapter 1 of 25
A Snake from Mount Emei
峨眉山的白蛇
A white snake who has practiced magic for over a thousand years learns she owes a debt in Hangzhou, swears an oath to a god, and wins a fierce new friend.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 很久很久以前，峨眉山上住着一条白蛇。
Hěn jiǔ hěn jiǔ yǐqián, Éméi Shān shàng zhùzhe yì tiáo báishé.
Long, long ago, a white snake lived on Mount Emei.
- Bai Suzhen 我修行了一千多年，没做过一件坏事。
Wǒ xiūxíng le yìqiān duō nián, méi zuò guo yí jiàn huàishì.
I've practiced for more than a thousand years and never done a single bad thing.
- Bai Suzhen 可是，我什么时候能变成神仙呢？
Kěshì, wǒ shénme shíhou néng biànchéng shénxiān ne?
But when will I ever become an immortal?
- Guanyin 白蛇，王母娘娘请你去天宫，跟我来吧。
Báishé, Wángmǔ Niángniang qǐng nǐ qù Tiāngōng, gēn wǒ lái ba.
White snake, the Queen Mother invites you to the Heavenly Palace. Come with me.
- Bai Suzhen 观音菩萨，我是一条蛇，也能去天宫吗？
Guānyīn Púsà, wǒ shì yì tiáo shé, yě néng qù Tiāngōng ma?
Guanyin, I'm only a snake. Can I really go to the Heavenly Palace?
- the Queen Mother 白蛇，你还记得吗？很久以前，你是一条很小的蛇。
Báishé, nǐ hái jìde ma? Hěn jiǔ yǐqián, nǐ shì yì tiáo hěn xiǎo de shé.
White snake, do you remember? Long ago, you were a tiny little snake.
- the Queen Mother 有一个人想把你卖了换钱。一个好心人给了他一百个钱，放你走了。
Yǒu yí gè rén xiǎng bǎ nǐ mài le huàn qián. Yí gè hǎoxīnrén gěi le tā yìbǎi gè qián, fàng nǐ zǒu le.
A man wanted to sell you for money. A kind man paid him a hundred coins and let you go.
- Bai Suzhen 一百个钱……那个好心人救了我！他现在在哪儿？
Yìbǎi gè qián… nàge hǎoxīnrén jiù le wǒ! Tā xiànzài zài nǎr?
A hundred coins... that kind man saved my life! Where is he now?
- the Queen Mother 这一次，他生在杭州，叫许仙。你去报恩吧。
Zhè yí cì, tā shēng zài Hángzhōu, jiào Xǔ Xiān. Nǐ qù bào'ēn ba.
In this life he was born in Hangzhou, and his name is Xu Xian. Go and repay his kindness.
- the Queen Mother 报恩以后，你就能变成神仙。
Bào'ēn yǐhòu, nǐ jiù néng biànchéng shénxiān.
Once you have repaid him, you can become an immortal.
- Bai Suzhen 好，我这就去杭州！
Hǎo, wǒ zhè jiù qù Hángzhōu!
Then I'll go to Hangzhou right away!
- Narrator 白蛇变成一个漂亮的年轻女人，坐着白云飞向杭州。
Báishé biànchéng yí gè piàoliang de niánqīng nǚrén, zuòzhe báiyún fēi xiàng Hángzhōu.
The white snake turned into a beautiful young woman and flew toward Hangzhou on a white cloud.
- a god from heaven 站住！妖怪，你去哪儿？
Zhànzhù! Yāoguài, nǐ qù nǎr?
Halt! Demon, where are you going?
- Bai Suzhen 我是去杭州报恩的。我修行了这么久，不会做坏事。
Wǒ shì qù Hángzhōu bào'ēn de. Wǒ xiūxíng le zhème jiǔ, bú huì zuò huàishì.
I'm going to Hangzhou to repay a kindness. After all my years of practice, I won't do anything wrong.
- a god from heaven 妖怪的话，我不信！你发誓：做了坏事，就压在雷峰塔下！
Yāoguài de huà, wǒ bú xìn! Nǐ fāshì: zuò le huàishì, jiù yā zài Léifēng Tǎ xià!
I don't trust a demon's word! Swear it: if you do wrong, you'll be pressed under Leifeng Pagoda!
- Bai Suzhen 好，我发誓。可是，雷峰塔是什么地方？
Hǎo, wǒ fāshì. Kěshì, Léifēng Tǎ shì shénme dìfang?
Very well, I swear it. But where is Leifeng Pagoda?
- Narrator 那天晚上，白蛇来到西湖边，走进一个没有人的老花园。
Nà tiān wǎnshang, báishé láidào Xī Hú biān, zǒujìn yí gè méiyǒu rén de lǎo huāyuán.
That night, the white snake came to West Lake and walked into an empty old garden.
- Xiaoqing 谁？这是我的花园，看剑！
Shéi? Zhè shì wǒ de huāyuán, kàn jiàn!
Who's there? This is my garden! Have at you!
- Bai Suzhen 一条青蛇，还会用剑？好，来吧！
Yì tiáo qīngshé, hái huì yòng jiàn? Hǎo, lái ba!
A green snake with a sword? All right, come on!
- Xiaoqing 我的剑！你……你的法术太高了！
Wǒ de jiàn! Nǐ… nǐ de fǎshù tài gāo le!
My sword! Your... your magic is too strong!
- Xiaoqing 我不打了，不打了！你修行了多少年？
Wǒ bù dǎ le, bù dǎ le! Nǐ xiūxíng le duōshao nián?
I give up, I give up! How long have you practiced?
- Bai Suzhen 一千多年了，你呢？
Yìqiān duō nián le, nǐ ne?
More than a thousand years. And you?
- Xiaoqing 几百年……一千多年？那你比我奶奶的奶奶还老！
Jǐ bǎi nián… yìqiān duō nián? Nà nǐ bǐ wǒ nǎinai de nǎinai hái lǎo!
A few hundred... more than a thousand? Then you're older than my grandma's grandma!
- Bai Suzhen 不可以说我老。
Bù kěyǐ shuō wǒ lǎo.
You mustn't call me old.
- Xiaoqing 是，是！让我跟着你吧，我给你做丫头！
Shì, shì! Ràng wǒ gēnzhe nǐ ba, wǒ gěi nǐ zuò yātou!
Yes, yes! Let me follow you. I'll be your maid!
- Bai Suzhen 好，我叫白素贞。你是青蛇，以后就叫小青吧。
Hǎo, wǒ jiào Bái Sùzhēn. Nǐ shì qīngshé, yǐhòu jiù jiào Xiǎoqīng ba.
Very well. My name is Bai Suzhen. You're a green snake, so from now on you'll be Xiaoqing.
- Xiaoqing 小青？真好听！小姐，小青以后什么都听你的！
Xiǎoqīng? Zhēn hǎotīng! Xiǎojiě, Xiǎoqīng yǐhòu shénme dōu tīng nǐ de!
Xiaoqing? I love it! Miss, from now on Xiaoqing will do whatever you say!
- Xiaoqing 小姐，天亮了！你看湖那边，那座高高的塔，叫雷峰塔。
Xiǎojiě, tiān liàng le! Nǐ kàn hú nàbiān, nà zuò gāogāo de tǎ, jiào Léifēng Tǎ.
Miss, it's morning! Look across the lake. That tall pagoda is called Leifeng Pagoda.
- Bai Suzhen 雷峰塔？就是那座塔？
Léifēng Tǎ? Jiù shì nà zuò tǎ?
Leifeng Pagoda? That one, over there?
- Xiaoqing 对，就是它。小姐，你的脸怎么这么白？
Duì, jiù shì tā. Xiǎojiě, nǐ de liǎn zěnme zhème bái?
Yes, that's the one. Miss, why has your face gone so white?
- Bai Suzhen 做了坏事……就压在雷峰塔下……
Zuò le huàishì… jiù yā zài Léifēng Tǎ xià…
If I do wrong... I'll be pressed under Leifeng Pagoda...
What changed in the story?
- How was the little snake saved long ago?
“一个好心人给了他一百个钱，放你走了”
- What must the white snake do before she can become an immortal?
“你去报恩吧……报恩以后，你就能变成神仙”
- What does the god from heaven make her promise?
“做了坏事，就压在雷峰塔下”
- Why does the green snake stop fighting?
“我的剑！你……你的法术太高了！”
- What does Xiaoqing show Bai across the lake the next morning?
“那座高高的塔，叫雷峰塔”