Wu Song and the Tiger · chapter 1 of 4
Three Bowls and No More
三碗不过冈
A thirsty traveler stops at a little inn whose banner warns that three bowls of its wine will keep anyone off the ridge. Wu Song orders a fourth.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 很久以前，景阳冈下有一家小酒店。一天中午，来了一个高高大大的客人。
Hěn jiǔ yǐqián, Jǐngyáng Gāng xià yǒu yì jiā xiǎo jiǔdiàn. Yì tiān zhōngwǔ, lái le yí gè gāogāo dàdà de kèrén.
Long ago, at the foot of Jingyang Ridge, there was a little inn. One day at noon, a great big fellow walked in.
- Wu Song 好热，好渴啊！店家，有酒吗？
Hǎo rè, hǎo kě a! Diànjiā, yǒu jiǔ ma?
So hot, and so thirsty! Innkeeper, have you got any wine?
- The Innkeeper 有，有！客人快请进！我们的酒，是这里最好的酒！
Yǒu, yǒu! Kèrén kuài qǐng jìn! Wǒmen de jiǔ, shì zhèlǐ zuì hǎo de jiǔ!
We do, we do! Come in, sir, come in! Our wine is the best for miles around!
- Wu Song 门口写着“三碗不过冈”。这是什么意思？
Ménkǒu xiězhe “Sān wǎn bú guò gāng”. Zhè shì shénme yìsi?
Your banner says, “Three bowls and you won't cross the ridge.” What does that mean?
- The Innkeeper 客人先坐。喝了我的酒，你就知道了。
Kèrén xiān zuò. Hē le wǒ de jiǔ, nǐ jiù zhīdào le.
Have a seat first, sir. Drink my wine, and you'll find out.
- Wu Song 好！先来三碗酒，再来两斤牛肉。我饿死了！
Hǎo! Xiān lái sān wǎn jiǔ, zài lái liǎng jīn niúròu. Wǒ è sǐ le!
Fine! Three bowls of wine to start, and two pounds of beef. I'm starving!
- The Innkeeper 来了！客人一个人出门，要去哪儿啊？
Lái le! Kèrén yí gè rén chū mén, yào qù nǎr a?
Coming right up! Traveling all on your own, sir? Where are you headed?
- Wu Song 我叫武松，是清河县人。我要回家看我哥哥！我们一年多没见了。
Wǒ jiào Wǔ Sōng, shì Qīnghé Xiàn rén. Wǒ yào huí jiā kàn wǒ gēge! Wǒmen yì nián duō méi jiàn le.
The name's Wu Song, from Qinghe County. I'm on my way home to see my big brother! We haven't seen each other in over a year.
- Narrator 武松很快就喝了三碗酒，又吃了很多牛肉。
Wǔ Sōng hěn kuài jiù hē le sān wǎn jiǔ, yòu chī le hěn duō niúròu.
Wu Song soon downed three bowls of wine, and a heap of beef as well.
- Wu Song 好酒！真是好酒！店家，再来一碗！
Hǎo jiǔ! Zhēn shì hǎo jiǔ! Diànjiā, zài lái yì wǎn!
Good wine! Really good wine! Innkeeper, another bowl!
- The Innkeeper 不行，不行。三碗不过冈！你不能再喝了。
Bù xíng, bù xíng. Sān wǎn bú guò gāng! Nǐ bù néng zài hē le.
No, no. Three bowls and you won't cross the ridge! You can't have any more.
- Wu Song 为什么不卖？我有钱，我给你钱！
Wèishénme bú mài? Wǒ yǒu qián, wǒ gěi nǐ qián!
Why won't you sell me any? I've got money. I'll pay you!
- The Innkeeper 不是钱的事。我的酒有个名字，叫“出门倒”。
Bú shì qián de shì. Wǒ de jiǔ yǒu ge míngzi, jiào “Chūméndǎo”.
It's not the money. My wine has a name. It's called “Out the Door and Down.”
- The Innkeeper 喝了三碗的人，一出门就倒。这样的人，怎么过景阳冈？
Hē le sān wǎn de rén, yì chū mén jiù dǎo. Zhèyàng de rén, zěnme guò Jǐngyáng Gāng?
Anyone who drinks three bowls falls flat the moment he steps outside. How's a man like that going to cross Jingyang Ridge?
- Wu Song 哈哈哈！我喝了三碗，你看，我倒了吗？
Hāhāhā! Wǒ hē le sān wǎn, nǐ kàn, wǒ dǎo le ma?
Ha ha ha! I've had three bowls. Look at me. Am I falling down?
- The Innkeeper 这……好像没醉。
Zhè… hǎoxiàng méi zuì.
Well... you don't look drunk.
- Wu Song 三碗算什么？怕什么！快倒酒！
Sān wǎn suàn shénme? Pà shénme! Kuài dào jiǔ!
Three bowls? That's nothing! What's there to be afraid of? Pour!
- Narrator 店家没有办法，只好又拿来了酒。
Diànjiā méiyǒu bànfǎ, zhǐhǎo yòu ná lái le jiǔ.
The innkeeper had no choice, so he brought more wine.
- Wu Song 等等……你的酒里，没放别的东西吧？
Děngdeng… Nǐ de jiǔ lǐ, méi fàng bié de dōngxi ba?
Hold on... You haven't slipped anything into this wine, have you?
- The Innkeeper 客人！我们是好店，酒里只有酒！
Kèrén! Wǒmen shì hǎo diàn, jiǔ lǐ zhǐ yǒu jiǔ!
Sir! This is an honest inn. There's nothing in my wine but wine!
- Wu Song 哈哈，我相信你！再来一碗！
Hāhā, wǒ xiāngxìn nǐ! Zài lái yì wǎn!
Ha, I believe you! Another bowl!
- The Innkeeper 四碗……五碗……六碗……客人，你还好吗？
Sì wǎn… wǔ wǎn… liù wǎn… Kèrén, nǐ hái hǎo ma?
Four bowls... five... six... Sir, are you all right?
- Wu Song 好得很！再来！
Hǎo de hěn! Zài lái!
Never better! Keep it coming!
- The Innkeeper 十碗……十二碗……十五碗……我的酒快没有了！
Shí wǎn… shí'èr wǎn… shíwǔ wǎn… Wǒ de jiǔ kuài méiyǒu le!
Ten bowls... twelve... fifteen... I'm almost out of wine!
- Wu Song 十八碗！好了，不喝了。店家，多少钱？
Shíbā wǎn! Hǎo le, bù hē le. Diànjiā, duōshao qián?
Eighteen bowls! That'll do, I'm done. Innkeeper, what do I owe you?
- Narrator 武松站了起来。他站得直直的，一点儿也没有倒。
Wǔ Sōng zhàn le qǐlái. Tā zhàn de zhízhí de, yìdiǎnr yě méiyǒu dǎo.
Wu Song stood up, straight as a pole, without the slightest wobble.
- The Innkeeper 十八碗？还能站着？我开店二十年了，没见过这样的人！
Shíbā wǎn? Hái néng zhànzhe? Wǒ kāi diàn èrshí nián le, méi jiànguo zhèyàng de rén!
Eighteen bowls? And still on your feet? I've run this inn for twenty years, and I've never seen a man like you!
- Wu Song 钱给你！你的酒是好酒，我武松也是好汉！走了！
Qián gěi nǐ! Nǐ de jiǔ shì hǎo jiǔ, wǒ Wǔ Sōng yě shì hǎohàn! Zǒu le!
Here's your money! Your wine's a mighty wine, and I, Wu Song, am a mighty man! I'm off!
- The Innkeeper 等一等！客人，你要去哪儿？
Děng yi děng! Kèrén, nǐ yào qù nǎr?
Wait, wait! Sir, where are you going?
- Wu Song 过景阳冈啊。天黑以前，我要走到山那边。
Guò Jǐngyáng Gāng a. Tiān hēi yǐqián, wǒ yào zǒu dào shān nà biān.
Over Jingyang Ridge, of course. I want to be on the other side before dark.
- The Innkeeper 不行，不能去！景阳冈上有一只大老虎。天一黑，它就出来吃人！
Bù xíng, bù néng qù! Jǐngyáng Gāng shàng yǒu yì zhī dà lǎohǔ. Tiān yì hēi, tā jiù chūlái chī rén!
No, you can't go! There's a huge tiger up on Jingyang Ridge. The moment it gets dark, it comes out to eat people!
- Wu Song 老虎？哈哈，怕什么！我还没见过老虎呢，正好去看看！
Lǎohǔ? Hāhā, pà shénme! Wǒ hái méi jiànguo lǎohǔ ne, zhènghǎo qù kànkan!
A tiger? Ha! What's there to be afraid of? I've never seen a tiger. Now's my chance!
What changed in the story?
- Where is Wu Song going?
“我要回家看我哥哥！”
- Why won't the innkeeper pour a fourth bowl?
“喝了三碗的人，一出门就倒。”
- How many bowls does Wu Song drink in the end?
“十八碗！好了，不喝了。”
- What amazes the innkeeper after the last bowl?
“他站得直直的，一点儿也没有倒。”……“十八碗？还能站着？”
- Why does the innkeeper try to stop Wu Song from crossing the ridge?
“景阳冈上有一只大老虎。天一黑，它就出来吃人！”