Urashima Taro · chapter 2 of 4
The Dragon Palace
龙宫
Hold on tight: the slowest turtle on land is the fastest in the sea. Far below the waves wait a princess, a feast, and a crowd of fish who all seem to know Taro.
Read what you hear
- Urashima Taro 等一下！在水里，我不能说话，也不能……咦？我能说话！
Děng yíxià! Zài shuǐ lǐ, wǒ bù néng shuōhuà, yě bù néng… Yí? Wǒ néng shuōhuà!
Wait! Underwater I can't talk, and I can't... Huh? I can talk!
- The Turtle 别怕，别怕。坐在我的背上，你在水里也能说话，也能看。
Bié pà, bié pà. Zuò zài wǒ de bèi shang, nǐ zài shuǐ lǐ yě néng shuōhuà, yě néng kàn.
Don't be scared, don't be scared. As long as you sit on my back, you can talk and see under the water.
- Urashima Taro 哇！好多鱼！红的，黄的，蓝的……还有会发光的！
Wā! Hǎo duō yú! Hóng de, huáng de, lán de… hái yǒu huì fāguāng de!
Wow! So many fish! Red ones, yellow ones, blue ones... and some that glow!
Chapter 2 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Urashima Taro 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 and The Odyssey from start to finish.
- The Turtle 抓好了，浦岛先生！在地上，我走得很慢。可是在水里……
Zhuā hǎo le, Pǔdǎo xiānsheng! Zài dì shang, wǒ zǒu de hěn màn. Kěshì zài shuǐ lǐ…
Hold on tight, Mr. Urashima! On land, I walk very slowly. But in the water...
- Narrator 海龟游得像风一样快。水越来越蓝，越来越深。
Hǎiguī yóu de xiàng fēng yíyàng kuài. Shuǐ yuè lái yuè lán, yuè lái yuè shēn.
The turtle swam as fast as the wind. The water grew bluer and bluer, and deeper and deeper.
- Urashima Taro 慢一点儿！慢一点儿！你不是一只很慢的海龟吗？
Màn yìdiǎnr! Màn yìdiǎnr! Nǐ bú shì yì zhī hěn màn de hǎiguī ma?
Slow down! Slow down! Aren't you supposed to be a slow turtle?
- The Turtle 在地上慢，在水里快！你看，前面就是龙宫！
Zài dì shang màn, zài shuǐ lǐ kuài! Nǐ kàn, qiánmiàn jiù shì Lónggōng!
Slow on land, fast in the sea! Look, there's the Dragon Palace, just ahead!
- Narrator 白沙上有一座红色的大门，后面是金色的房子。门口站着一个美丽的女孩子。
Bái shā shang yǒu yí zuò hóngsè de dàmén, hòumiàn shì jīnsè de fángzi. Ménkǒu zhànzhe yí gè měilì de nǚháizi.
On the white sand stood a great red gate, with golden buildings behind it. And at the gate stood a beautiful girl.
- Princess Otohime 欢迎你，浦岛太郎。我等你很久了。
Huānyíng nǐ, Pǔdǎo Tàiláng. Wǒ děng nǐ hěn jiǔ le.
Welcome, Urashima Taro. I've been waiting for you for a long time.
- Urashima Taro 您……您是公主吗？对不起，我只是一个钓鱼的，身上都是鱼的味道……
Nín… nín shì gōngzhǔ ma? Duìbuqǐ, wǒ zhǐ shì yí gè diàoyú de, shēn shang dōu shì yú de wèidao…
Are... are you the princess? I'm sorry, I'm only a fisherman. I smell of fish all over...
- Princess Otohime 我叫乙姬。海龟是我的老朋友。你救了他，就是龙宫最好的客人。
Wǒ jiào Yǐjī. Hǎiguī shì wǒ de lǎo péngyou. Nǐ jiù le tā, jiù shì Lónggōng zuì hǎo de kèrén.
My name is Otohime. The turtle is an old friend of mine. You saved him, so you are the Dragon Palace's most honored guest.
- The Turtle 浦岛先生，别站着了，快说“谢谢”！
Pǔdǎo xiānsheng, bié zhànzhe le, kuài shuō “xièxie”!
Mr. Urashima, don't just stand there. Say “thank you”!
- Urashima Taro 谢……谢谢公主！
Xiè… xièxie gōngzhǔ!
Th-thank you, Princess!
- Narrator 公主请太郎坐下。桌子上的菜，太郎一个也没见过。
Gōngzhǔ qǐng Tàiláng zuòxià. Zhuōzi shang de cài, Tàiláng yí gè yě méi jiànguo.
The princess invited Taro to sit down. He had never seen a single one of the dishes on the table.
- Urashima Taro 这是什么？真好吃！这个也好吃！
Zhè shì shénme? Zhēn hǎochī! Zhège yě hǎochī!
What's this? It's delicious! And this one too!
- Urashima Taro 妈妈要是能吃到，一定很高兴……
Māma yàoshi néng chīdào, yídìng hěn gāoxìng…
If only Mom could taste this. She'd be so happy...
- Princess Otohime 太郎，你看！海里的鱼，都来为你跳舞了！
Tàiláng, nǐ kàn! Hǎi lǐ de yú, dōu lái wèi nǐ tiàowǔ le!
Look, Taro! The fish of the sea have all come to dance for you!
- Narrator 红色的鱼，白色的鱼，一条一条游了进来，在水里跳起了舞。
Hóngsè de yú, báisè de yú, yì tiáo yì tiáo yóu le jìnlái, zài shuǐ lǐ tiào qǐ le wǔ.
Red fish and white fish swam in, one after another, and began to dance in the water.
- Urashima Taro 真漂亮！可是……它们怎么都看着我笑？
Zhēn piàoliang! Kěshì… tāmen zěnme dōu kànzhe wǒ xiào?
How beautiful! But... why are they all looking at me and smiling?
- Princess Otohime 因为它们都认识你。它们说，你是海边最不会钓鱼的人。
Yīnwèi tāmen dōu rènshi nǐ. Tāmen shuō, nǐ shì hǎibiān zuì bú huì diàoyú de rén.
Because they all know you. They say you're the worst fisherman on the whole shore.
- Urashima Taro 啊？这……这是真的。
Á? Zhè… zhè shì zhēn de.
What? Well... that's true.
- Princess Otohime 它们还说，你钓到小鱼，总是放它们回家。所以大家都喜欢你。
Tāmen hái shuō, nǐ diàodào xiǎo yú, zǒngshì fàng tāmen huí jiā. Suǒyǐ dàjiā dōu xǐhuan nǐ.
They also say that whenever you catch a little fish, you always let it go home. That's why everyone loves you.
- Urashima Taro 原来是这样！那……昨天那条小鱼，也在这里吗？
Yuánlái shì zhèyàng! Nà… zuótiān nà tiáo xiǎo yú, yě zài zhèlǐ ma?
So that's why! Then... is yesterday's little fish here too?
- Princess Otohime 在啊。你看，跳得最高的那条，就是它！
Zài a. Nǐ kàn, tiào de zuì gāo de nà tiáo, jiù shì tā!
It is. Look, the one jumping highest, that's him!
- The Turtle 吃饱了……我睡一会儿……呼……呼……
Chībǎo le… wǒ shuì yíhuìr… hū… hū…
So full... I'll just have a little nap... Zzz... zzz...
- Urashima Taro 公主，你看，海龟睡着了！
Gōngzhǔ, nǐ kàn, hǎiguī shuìzháo le!
Look, Princess, the turtle's fallen asleep!
- Urashima Taro 啊，我得回家了！现在几点了？妈妈在等我吃晚饭！
À, wǒ děi huí jiā le! Xiànzài jǐ diǎn le? Māma zài děng wǒ chī wǎnfàn!
Oh no, I have to go home! What time is it? Mom's waiting for me with dinner!
- Princess Otohime 在海下面，看不见太阳，也看不见月亮。你怎么知道现在几点呢？
Zài hǎi xiàmiàn, kàn bu jiàn tàiyáng, yě kàn bu jiàn yuèliang. Nǐ zěnme zhīdào xiànzài jǐ diǎn ne?
Down here under the sea, you can't see the sun or the moon. So how can you tell what time it is?
- Princess Otohime 再住一天吧，就一天。我带你去看龙宫的四个窗户。
Zài zhù yì tiān ba, jiù yì tiān. Wǒ dài nǐ qù kàn Lónggōng de sì gè chuānghu.
Stay one more day. Just one. I'll show you the four windows of the Dragon Palace.
- Urashima Taro 一天……就住一天，应该没关系吧？
Yì tiān… jiù zhù yì tiān, yīnggāi méi guānxi ba?
One day... Just one more day. That can't hurt, can it?
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What surprises Taro once they are under the water?
“咦？我能说话！”
- What is funny about the way the turtle moves?
“在地上慢，在水里快！”
- Why do all the fish in the palace know Taro?
“你钓到小鱼，总是放它们回家。”
- Why does Taro say he has to go home?
“妈妈在等我吃晚饭！”
- Why can't Taro tell what time it is?
“在海下面，看不见太阳，也看不见月亮。”