Three Kingdoms: Red Cliff · chapter 6 of 8
Ships That Came to Surrender
来投降的船
Cao Cao is finally comfortable on his linked ships, until the wind turns and Huang Gai's fleet sails toward him under a green flag.
Read what you hear
- The Young Soldier 大人，您看，船一点儿也不晃了！我今天中午吃了三碗饭，一口也没有吐，我现在觉得自己像一只老虎！
Dàrén, nín kàn, chuán yìdiǎnr yě bùhuǎng le! Wǒ jīntiān zhōngwǔ chī le sān wǎn fàn, yì kǒu yě méiyǒu tǔ, wǒ xiànzài juéde zìjǐ xiàng yì zhī lǎohǔ!
Look, sir, the ship doesn't rock at all! I ate three bowls of rice at noon and didn't throw up once. I feel like a tiger now!
- Cao Cao 哈哈，很好。人吃饱了，才有力气打周瑜，才能早点儿回家。
Hāhā, hěn hǎo. Rén chībǎo le, cái yǒu lìqi dǎ Zhōu Yú, cáinéng zǎodiǎnr huíjiā.
Ha ha, very good. A man needs a full stomach to beat Zhou Yu, and to get home sooner.
- The Young Soldier 大人，我们什么时候打他？我的鼓棒已经等不及了！
Dàrén, wǒmen shénme shíhou dǎ tā? Wǒ de gǔbàng yǐjīng děng bù jí le!
When do we attack him, sir? My drumsticks can't wait any longer!
Chapter 6 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Three Kingdoms: Red Cliff 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.
- Cao Cao 别急，小子。等打完仗，我在苏州请你吃三天饭。你想吃什么，我就给你做什么。
Biéjí, xiǎozi. Děng dǎ wánzhàng, wǒ zài sūzhōu qǐng nǐ chī sān tiān fàn. Nǐ xiǎng chī shénme, wǒ jiù gěi nǐ zuò shénme.
Don't rush, boy. After the war, I'll feast you for three days in Suzhou. Whatever you want to eat, I'll have it made.
- The Young Soldier 我想吃苏州的甜糕，还想喝一碗热汤！大人，您不会忘了吧？
Wǒ xiǎng chī sūzhōu de tiángāo, hái xiǎng hē yì wǎn rètāng! Dàrén, nín búhuì wàng le ba?
I want Suzhou sweet cakes and a bowl of hot soup! You won't forget, will you, sir?
- Cao Cao 忘不了，忘不了。只要你以后别再吐在我的鞋上就行。
Wàng bù liǎo, wàng bù liǎo. Zhǐyào nǐ yǐhòu bié zài tǔ zài wǒ de xié shàng jiù xíng.
I won't forget, I won't forget. Just don't be sick on my shoes again.
- Cao Cao's Adviser 大人……风变了。刚才还是北风，现在怎么从东边吹过来了？
Dàrén… fēngbiàn le. Gāngcái háishi běifēng, xiànzài zěnme cóng dōngbiān chuīguòlái le?
Sir... the wind has changed. It was a north wind a moment ago. Why is it coming from the east now?
- Cao Cao 冬天里，偶尔也有一阵东风，这有什么奇怪？你不要一看到风就怕。
Dōngtiān lǐ, ǒu'ěr yě yǒu yí zhèn dōngfēng, zhèyǒu shénme qíguài? Nǐ búyào yí kàndào fēng jiù pà.
Now and then there's a burst of east wind in winter. What's so strange about that? Don't be scared every time you feel a breeze.
- Cao Cao's Adviser 大人，我们的船连在一起。如果周瑜用火烧过来……
Dàrén, wǒmen de chuán lián zài yìqǐ. Rúguǒ Zhōu Yú yòng huǒshāo guòlái…
Sir, our ships are linked together. If Zhou Yu sends fire our way...
- Cao Cao 周瑜的火？他的船都在江对面，怎么可能过得来？别说了！
Zhōu Yú de huǒ? Tā de chuán dōu zài jiāng duìmiàn, zěnme kěnéng guò dé lái? Biéshuō le!
Zhou Yu's fire? His ships are all on the far shore. How could they possibly get across? Enough!
- The Young Soldier 大人！江上有船！很多很多的船！船头有青色的大旗！
Dàrén! Jiāngshàng yǒu chuán! Hěnduō hěnduō de chuán! Chuántóu yǒu qīngsè de dàqí!
Sir! There are boats on the river! Lots and lots of boats! There's a big green flag on the lead boat!
- Cao Cao 青色大旗！是黄盖！哈哈，他真的来了！我没有看错人！
Qīngsè dàqí! Shì Huáng Gài! Hāhā, tā zhēnde lái le! Wǒ méiyǒu kàncuò rén!
A green flag! It's Huang Gai! Ha ha, he really came! I wasn't wrong about him!
- Cao Cao 传令下去：所有人都不许放箭！这是我们自己人！
Chuánlìng xiàqù: suǒyǒurén dōu bùxǔ fàngjiàn! Zhèshì wǒmen zìjǐ rén!
Pass the word: nobody is to shoot! These are our own people!
- The Young Soldier 他们的船好快啊！风一吹，就像飞一样！
Tāmen de chuán hǎo kuài a! Fēngyìchuī, jiù xiàng fēi yí yàng!
Their boats are so fast! With the wind behind them, they fly!
- Cao Cao's Adviser 大人，你看……那些船，好像很轻。黄盖说，他带了很多粮食。粮食很重，船应该沉得很深才对。
Dàrén, nǐ kàn… nà xiē chuán, hǎoxiàng hěn qīng. Huáng Gài shuō, tā dài le hěnduō liángshí. Liángshí hěn zhòng, chuán yīnggāi chéndé hěn shēncái duì.
Sir, look... those ships seem light. Huang Gai said he was bringing a lot of grain. Grain is heavy, and the ships should sit deep in the water.
- Cao Cao 轻？你说……
Qīng? Nǐ shuō…
Light? You mean...
- Cao Cao's Adviser 可是，那些船高高地浮在水面上……大人，快让他们停下来！让他们离我们远一点儿！
Kěshì, nà xiē chuán gāogāodì fúzài shuǐmiàn shàng… dàrén, kuài ràng tāmen tíngxiàlái! Ràng tāmen lí wǒmen yuǎn yìdiǎnr!
But those ships are floating high on the water... Sir, make them stop! Keep them far away from us!
- Cao Cao 你怕什么？他们只有几十条船，我们有几百条！
Nǐ pà shénme? Tāmen zhǐyǒu jǐ shí tiáo chuán, wǒmen yǒu jǐbǎitiáo!
What are you afraid of? They have a few dozen ships and we have hundreds!
- Cao Cao ……不对。你说得有道理。传令！让他们停下！停下！
… Bú duì. Nǐ shuō dé yǒu dàolǐ. Chuánlìng! Ràng tāmen tíngxià! Tíngxià!
Pass the order! Tell them to stop! Stop!
- The Young Soldier 大人……他们没有停。他们……越来越近了……
Dàrén… tāmen méiyǒu tíng. Tāmen… yuèláiyuè jìn le…
Sir... they aren't stopping. They're... getting closer and closer...
- Huang Gai 弟兄们，风来了！老天在帮我们！
Dìxiōngmen, fēnglái le! Lǎotiān zài bāng wǒmen!
Brothers, the wind is here! Heaven is helping us!
- Sailor 老将军，船里的稻草和油都盖好了，外面看不出来。
Lǎo jiàngjūn, chuánlǐ de dàocǎo hé yóu dōu gài hǎo le, wàimiàn kàn bù chūlái.
General, the straw and oil inside the ships are covered up. Nobody can tell from outside.
- Huang Gai 很好。盖得再好一点儿，不要让他们提前看见。
Hěn hǎo. Gàidé zài hǎo yìdiǎnr, búyào ràng tāmen tíqián kànjiàn.
Good. Cover them even better. Don't let them see early.
- Sailor 老将军，前面就是曹操的大船了！那么多，一条连着一条！
Lǎo jiàngjūn, qiánmiàn jiùshì Cáo Cāo de dàchuán le! Nàme duō, yì tiáo lián zhe yì tiáo!
General, Cao Cao's great ships are just ahead! So many, one linked to the next!
- Huang Gai 很好。他们还以为我们是来投降的。让他们再高兴一会儿。
Hěn hǎo. Tāmen hái yǐwéi wǒmen shì lái tóuxiáng de. Ràng tāmen zài gāoxìng yíhuì'er.
Good. They still think we've come to surrender. Let them be happy a little longer.
- Sailor 老将军，您背上的伤，还疼不疼？
Lǎo jiàngjūn, nín bèishàng de shāng, hái téng bù téng?
General, does the wound on your back still hurt?
- Huang Gai 疼？我打了三十年的仗，早就忘了什么叫疼。今天晚上，该让曹操疼一疼了！
Téng? Wǒ dǎ le sān shí nián de zhàng, zǎojiù wàng le shénme jiào téng. Jīntiān wǎnshang, gāi ràng Cáo Cāo téng yì téng le!
Hurt? I've fought for thirty years and forgot what pain is long ago. Tonight it's Cao Cao's turn to hurt!
- Sailor 曹操的人在喊了！他们叫我们停下来！
Cáo Cāo de rén zài hǎn le! Tāmen jiào wǒmen tíngxiàlái!
Cao Cao's men are shouting! They're telling us to stop!
- Huang Gai 不停！他们喊得越大声，我们越要往前冲！准备好了吗？
Bùtíng! Tāmen hǎn dé yuè dàshēng, wǒmen yuè yào wǎngqián chōng! Zhǔnbèi hǎo le ma?
Don't stop! The louder they shout, the harder we charge! Are you ready?
- Sailor 准备好了，老将军！
Zhǔnbèi hǎo le, lǎo jiàngjūn!
Ready, General!
- Huang Gai 点火！所有人点火，然后跳上后面的小船！让这场火，烧遍整条大江！
Diǎnhuǒ! Suǒyǒurén diǎnhuǒ, ránhòu tiàoshàng hòumiàn de xiǎochuán! Ràng zhè chǎng huǒ, shāobiàn zhěngtiáo dàjiāng!
Light the fire! Everyone, light it, then jump onto the small boats behind us! Let this fire burn across the whole great river!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why is the young soldier happy at the start of the chapter?
“船一点儿也不晃了”
- What does the wind do?
“现在怎么从东边吹过来了”
- How does Cao Cao recognize the approaching fleet as friendly?
“船头有青色的大旗”
- What odd thing does the adviser notice about the ships?
“那些船高高地浮在水面上”
- What does Huang Gai order at the end?
“点火！所有人点火，然后跳上后面的小船”