Three Kingdoms: Lu Bu and Diaochan · chapter 2 of 6
The Gift Sword
送给董卓的剑
A young official walks into Dong Zhuo's room with a sword hidden in his sleeve. One look in a mirror could end everything.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 董卓一天比一天坏。人人怕他，可是有一个年轻人不怕。
Dǒng Zhuō yì tiān bǐ yì tiān huài. Rénrén pà tā, kěshì yǒu yí gè niánqīng rén bú pà.
Dong Zhuo grew crueler every day. Everyone feared him, but one young man did not.
- Young Cao Cao 这个人再不倒，天下的人都要哭了。今天，我一定要成功。
Zhège rén zài bù dǎo, tiānxià de rén dōu yào kū le. Jīntiān, wǒ yídìng yào chénggōng.
If this man doesn't fall, everyone under heaven will weep. Today I must succeed.
- Young Cao Cao 董大人，我是曹操。我来看您了。
Dǒng dàren, wǒ shì Cáo Cāo. Wǒ lái kàn nín le.
Lord Dong, it's Cao Cao. I've come to see you.
Chapter 2 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Three Kingdoms: Lu Bu and Diaochan 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 and Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing from start to finish.
- Dong Zhuo 曹操？这么早来做什么？我还没吃饭呢！你最好有重要的事！
Cáo Cāo? Zhème zǎo lái zuò shénme? Wǒ hái méi chīfàn ne! Nǐ zuì hǎo yǒu zhòngyào de shì!
Cao Cao? Why so early? I haven't even eaten yet! This had better be important!
- Young Cao Cao 那大人先吃，我在这儿等着。听说您有几匹新马，我想看看。
Nà dàren xiān chī, wǒ zài zhèr děng zhe. Tīngshuō nín yǒu jǐ pǐ xīn mǎ, wǒ xiǎng kànkan.
Then please eat first, and I'll wait. I heard you have some new horses. I'd love to see them.
- Dong Zhuo 不吃了，心情不好。吕布，你去后面，把那几匹新马带来！
Bù chī le, xīnqíng bù hǎo. Lǚ Bù, nǐ qù hòumiàn, bǎ nà jǐ pǐ xīn mǎ dàilái!
Forget eating, I'm in a bad mood. Lu Bu, go out back and bring the new horses!
- Lu Bu 是，爸爸。我马上就回来。
Shì, bàba. Wǒ mǎshàng jiù huílái.
Yes, Father. I'll be right back.
- Dong Zhuo 唉，我的肚子太大，坐着也累。我躺一下。曹操，你等着。
Āi, wǒ de dùzi tài dà, zuò zhe yě lèi. Wǒ tǎng yíxià. Cáo Cāo, nǐ děng zhe.
Ugh, my belly is so big that even sitting tires me. I'll lie down. Cao Cao, wait.
- Dong Zhuo 我这个背，最近总是不舒服。你说，是不是吃得太多了？
Wǒ zhège bèi, zuìjìn zǒngshì bù shūfu. Nǐ shuō, shì bu shì chī de tài duō le?
My back has been aching lately. Tell me, is it because I eat too much?
- Young Cao Cao 是……是的，大人。不过很快就会好了。
Shì… shì de, dàren. Búguò hěn kuài jiù huì hǎo le.
Y-yes, my lord. But it will feel better very soon.
- Young Cao Cao 他转过身去了……只有现在！
Tā zhuǎn guò shēn qù le… Zhǐyǒu xiànzài!
He's turned away... it's now or never!
- Dong Zhuo 等一下……墙上那面镜子里……你手里拿着什么？
Děng yíxià… qiáng shang nà miàn jìngzi lǐ… nǐ shǒu lǐ názhe shénme?
Wait... in the mirror on the wall... what are you holding?
- Young Cao Cao 糟了！他看见了！快想，快想……我不能死在这里！
Zāo le! Tā kànjiàn le! Kuài xiǎng, kuài xiǎng… Wǒ bù néng sǐ zài zhèlǐ!
Oh no! He saw! Think, think... I can't die here!
- Young Cao Cao 这是我给您带来的礼物！一把七星宝剑，天下只有一把！
Zhè shì wǒ gěi nín dàilái de lǐwù! Yì bǎ qīxīng bǎojiàn, tiānxià zhǐyǒu yì bǎ!
It's a gift for you! The Seven Star Sword, the only one in the world!
- Dong Zhuo 礼物？拿来我看看。
Lǐwù? Nálái wǒ kànkan.
A gift? Bring it here, let me see.
- Young Cao Cao 请大人看。剑很快，一定合您的手。
Qǐng dàren kàn. Jiàn hěn kuài, yídìng hé nín de shǒu.
Please look. The blade is very sharp. It will suit your hand.
- Dong Zhuo 哦，这把宝剑真漂亮，剑上还有七颗星。
Ò, zhè bǎ bǎojiàn zhēn piàoliang, jiàn shang hái yǒu qī kē xīng.
Oh, this sword is beautiful. It even has seven stars on it.
- Lu Bu 爸爸，马带来了！
Bàba, mǎ dàilái le!
Father, I've brought the horses!
- Dong Zhuo 好。曹操，你也去试试我的马，骑一圈再回来。
Hǎo. Cáo Cāo, nǐ yě qù shìshi wǒ de mǎ, qí yì quān zài huílái.
Good. Cao Cao, try one of my horses too. Ride a circle and come back.
- Young Cao Cao 谢谢大人！我骑一圈就回来！
Xièxie dàren! Wǒ qí yì quān jiù huílái!
Thank you, my lord! I'll be back after one lap!
- Dong Zhuo 我的饭呢？曹操怎么还没回来？他不是说骑一圈吗？
Wǒ de fàn ne? Cáo Cāo zěnme hái méi huílái? Tā bú shì shuō qí yì quān ma?
Where's my food? Why isn't Cao Cao back yet? Didn't he say one lap?
- Lu Bu 爸爸，他从东门跑出去了。马跑得很快！
Bàba, tā cóng dōngmén pǎo chūqù le. Mǎ pǎo de hěn kuài!
Father, he rode out the east gate. The horse is very fast!
- Dong Zhuo 东门？我说的是骑一圈，不是出城！
Dōngmén? Wǒ shuō de shì qí yì quān, bú shì chū chéng!
The east gate? I said ride a circle, not leave the city!
- Dong Zhuo 东门……宝剑……镜子……他不是来送礼的！
Dōngmén… bǎojiàn… jìngzi… Tā bú shì lái sòng lǐ de!
The east gate... the sword... the mirror... he didn't come to give a gift!
- Dong Zhuo 吕布！快追！关上所有的城门！
Lǚ Bù! Kuài zhuī! Guānshang suǒyǒu de chéngmén!
Lu Bu! After him! Close every city gate!
- Lu Bu 我马上去！可是他骑的是我们最快的马。
Wǒ mǎshàng qù! Kěshì tā qí de shì wǒmen zuì kuài de mǎ.
I'm going! But he took our fastest horse.
- Dong Zhuo 那就让他跑。可是他会告诉天下所有的人。
Nà jiù ràng tā pǎo. Kěshì tā huì gàosu tiānxià suǒyǒu de rén.
Then let him run. But he'll tell everyone under heaven.
- Lu Bu 让他们来！有我在，一百个曹操也不用怕！
Ràng tāmen lái! Yǒu wǒ zài, yì bǎi gè Cáo Cāo yě bú yòng pà!
Let them come! With me here, a hundred Cao Caos are nothing to fear!
- Dong Zhuo 一百个曹操，我不怕。可是……如果天下的人都不怕我了呢？
Yì bǎi gè Cáo Cāo, wǒ bú pà. Kěshì… rúguǒ tiānxià de rén dōu bú pà wǒ le ne?
A hundred Cao Caos, I don't fear. But... what if everyone under heaven stops fearing me?
- Lu Bu 爸爸，您怎么了？您的手在发抖。
Bàba, nín zěnme le? Nín de shǒu zài fādǒu.
Father, what's wrong? Your hands are shaking.
- Dong Zhuo 没什么！我饿了！去，叫他们把饭拿来！
Méi shénme! Wǒ è le! Qù, jiào tāmen bǎ fàn nálái!
It's nothing! I'm hungry! Go tell them to bring my food!
- Lu Bu 您的肚子在响，可是您的手，还在发抖。
Nín de dùzi zài xiǎng, kěshì nín de shǒu, hái zài fādǒu.
Your stomach is growling, but your hands are still shaking.
- Dong Zhuo 还有，虎牢关那边，你要看好。我有一种不好的感觉。
Hái yǒu, Hǔláo Guān nà biān, nǐ yào kànhǎo. Wǒ yǒu yì zhǒng bù hǎo de gǎnjué.
And watch the Hulao Gate. I have a bad feeling.
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why does Dong Zhuo send Lu Bu out of the room?
“吕布，你去后面，把那几匹新马带来！”
- How does Dong Zhuo spot Cao Cao's plan?
“墙上那面镜子里……你手里拿着什么？”
- What does Cao Cao say the sword is?
“这是我给您带来的礼物！一把七星宝剑”
- How does Cao Cao escape?
“你也去试试我的马，骑一圈再回来。”
- What scares Dong Zhuo after Cao Cao leaves?
“如果天下的人都不怕我了呢？”