The White Snake · chapter 18 of 25
Under the Golden Bowl
金钵下
Xu tries with all his strength to free his wife, Xiaoqing comes flying in, and Jiaorong finally learns the truth.
Read what you hear
- Xu Xian 娘子，别怕，我来把金钵拿开！
Niángzǐ, bié pà, wǒ lái bǎ jīnbō ná kāi!
My dear, don't be afraid! I'll get the bowl off you!
- Narrator 白素贞跪在地上。金钵盖在她的头上，像大树一样，一动也不动。
Bái Sùzhēn guì zài dìshang. Jīnbō gài zài tā de tóu shàng, xiàng dà shù yíyàng, yí dòng yě bú dòng.
Bai Suzhen knelt on the floor. The golden bowl sat over her head like a great tree, and it would not move at all.
- Xu Xian 拿不起来，怎么也拿不起来！
Ná bu qǐlái, zěnme yě ná bu qǐlái!
It won't come off! Whatever I do, it won't come off!
Chapter 18 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Part 1 of The White Snake (chapters 1–5) is free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- Bai Suzhen 官人，别拿了。这是佛祖的金钵，你拿不动的。
Guānrén, bié ná le. Zhè shì Fózǔ de jīnbō, nǐ ná bu dòng de.
Stop, dear. This is the Buddha's golden bowl. You can't lift it.
- Xu Xian 金钵是我拿上来的，都是我的错！娘子，你能原谅我吗？
Jīnbō shì wǒ ná shànglái de, dōu shì wǒ de cuò! Niángzǐ, nǐ néng yuánliàng wǒ ma?
I'm the one who carried the bowl up here. It's all my fault! My dear, can you forgive me?
- Bai Suzhen 官人，这不是你的错，你什么都不知道啊。
Guānrén, zhè bú shì nǐ de cuò, nǐ shénme dōu bù zhīdào a.
This isn't your fault, dear. You didn't know anything.
- Bai Suzhen 别哭了，你哭得比梦蛟还大声。
Bié kū le, nǐ kū de bǐ Mèngjiāo hái dàshēng.
Don't cry. You're crying louder than Mengjiao.
- Bai Suzhen 官人，你听我说。我们的梦蛟，就交给姐姐吧。
Guānrén, nǐ tīng wǒ shuō. Wǒmen de Mèngjiāo, jiù jiāo gěi jiějie ba.
Listen to me, dear. Give our Mengjiao to your sister.
- Xu Xian 娘子，别说了！梦蛟不能没有妈妈！
Niángzǐ, bié shuō le! Mèngjiāo bù néng méiyǒu māma!
My dear, don't say that! Mengjiao can't be without his mother!
- Xiaoqing 小姐，小姐，你怎么了？
Xiǎojiě, xiǎojiě, nǐ zěnme le?
Miss! Miss! What's happened to you?
- Xiaoqing 金钵？许官人，是你拿上来的？
Jīnbō? Xǔ guānrén, shì nǐ ná shànglái de?
A golden bowl? Mr. Xu, did you bring this up here?
- Narrator 小青变成了一条青蛇，向许仙飞了过去。
Xiǎoqīng biànchéng le yì tiáo qīngshé, xiàng Xǔ Xiān fēi le guòqù.
Xiaoqing turned into a green snake and flew at Xu Xian.
- Xiaoqing 是你害了小姐，我要咬你！
Shì nǐ hài le xiǎojiě, wǒ yào yǎo nǐ!
You did this to Miss! I'll bite you!
- Bai Suzhen 小青，不要咬他！这不是他的错！
Xiǎoqīng, bú yào yǎo tā! Zhè bú shì tā de cuò!
Xiaoqing, don't bite him! This isn't his fault!
- Xiaoqing 小姐，他害了你，你还要原谅他？
Xiǎojiě, tā hài le nǐ, nǐ hái yào yuánliàng tā?
Miss, he's done this to you, and you still forgive him?
- Bai Suzhen 法海就在楼下，他也会抓你的！小青，快走！
Fǎhǎi jiù zài lóuxià, tā yě huì zhuā nǐ de! Xiǎoqīng, kuài zǒu!
Fahai is right downstairs, and he'll catch you too! Xiaoqing, go, quickly!
- Xiaoqing 小青不走！小青要跟小姐在一起！
Xiǎoqīng bù zǒu! Xiǎoqīng yào gēn xiǎojiě zài yìqǐ!
Xiaoqing won't go! Xiaoqing is staying with Miss!
- Bai Suzhen 听话，快走啊！
Tīnghuà, kuài zǒu a!
Do as I say! Go!
- Xiaoqing 小姐，小青走了！法海，你等着！
Xiǎojiě, Xiǎoqīng zǒu le! Fǎhǎi, nǐ děngzhe!
Miss, Xiaoqing is going! Fahai, you just wait!
- Narrator 小青哭着飞走了。金钵一点一点往下压。
Xiǎoqīng kūzhe fēi zǒu le. Jīnbō yìdiǎn yìdiǎn wǎng xià yā.
Xiaoqing flew away in tears. Little by little, the golden bowl pressed down.
- Xu Xian 娘子，娘子，你怎么越来越小了？
Niángzǐ, niángzǐ, nǐ zěnme yuè lái yuè xiǎo le?
My dear, my dear, why are you getting smaller and smaller?
- Bai Suzhen 官人，别怕，你要照顾好我们的梦蛟。
Guānrén, bié pà, nǐ yào zhàogù hǎo wǒmen de Mèngjiāo.
Don't be afraid, dear. Take good care of our Mengjiao.
- Narrator 最后，金钵里的白素贞，变成了一条小小的白蛇。
Zuìhòu, jīnbō lǐ de Bái Sùzhēn, biànchéng le yì tiáo xiǎoxiǎo de báishé.
In the end, inside the golden bowl, Bai Suzhen became a tiny white snake.
- Jiaorong 弟弟，我听见有人在哭，这是怎么了？
Dìdi, wǒ tīngjiàn yǒu rén zài kū, zhè shì zěnme le?
Brother, I heard someone crying. What's happened?
- Xu Xian 姐姐，娘子是一条白蛇。法海师父的金钵，是我拿上来的。
Jiějie, niángzǐ shì yì tiáo báishé. Fǎhǎi shīfu de jīnbō, shì wǒ ná shànglái de.
Sister, my wife is a white snake. And I'm the one who carried Master Fahai's golden bowl up to her.
- Jiaorong 白蛇？弟弟，你怎么什么都听和尚的！
Báishé? Dìdi, nǐ zěnme shénme dōu tīng héshang de!
A white snake? Brother, why do you always do what monks tell you!
- Jiaorong 是你！你这个坏和尚，孩子才一个月，你就让他没有了妈妈！
Shì nǐ! Nǐ zhège huài héshang, háizi cái yí gè yuè, nǐ jiù ràng tā méiyǒu le māma!
It's you! You cruel monk! The baby is only a month old, and you've taken away his mother!
- Fahai 她是妖怪。她的水，害了镇江很多人。
Tā shì yāoguài. Tā de shuǐ, hài le Zhènjiāng hěn duō rén.
She is a demon. Her flood brought harm to many people in Zhenjiang.
- Jiaorong 可是她对我弟弟那么好！你要拿她怎么样？
Kěshì tā duì wǒ dìdi nàme hǎo! Nǐ yào ná tā zěnmeyàng?
But she was so good to my brother! What are you going to do with her?
- Fahai 到西湖来。她还能跟你们说最后几句话。
Dào Xī Hú lái. Tā hái néng gēn nǐmen shuō zuìhòu jǐ jù huà.
Come to West Lake. She can speak to you one last time.
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What happens when Xu tries to lift the bowl?
“一动也不动”
- What does Bai ask Xu to do with Mengjiao?
“我们的梦蛟，就交给姐姐吧”
- Why does Bai stop Xiaoqing from biting Xu?
“不要咬他！这不是他的错”
- Why does Bai tell Xiaoqing to run?
“法海就在楼下，他也会抓你的”
- What is left inside the golden bowl in the end?
“金钵里的白素贞，变成了一条小小的白蛇”