Narrator

很久很久以前，有一个女孩。天刚亮，她已经在火边干活了。

Hěn jiǔ hěn jiǔ yǐqián, yǒu yí gè nǚhái. Tiān gāng liàng, tā yǐjīng zài huǒ biān gànhuó le.

Long, long ago, there was a girl. The sun was barely up, and she was already at work by the fire.

Cinderella

妈妈不在了，爸爸又结婚了。

Māma bú zài le, bàba yòu jiéhūn le.

Mother is gone, and Father has married again.

Cinderella

继母和姐姐来了以后，家里的事都是我一个人做。

Jìmǔ hé jiějie lái le yǐhòu, jiā lǐ de shì dōu shì wǒ yí gè rén zuò.

Ever since my stepmother and stepsister came, I've done all the work in this house by myself.

The Stepmother

灰姑娘！水热了吗？早饭好了吗？

Huī gūniang! Shuǐ rè le ma? Zǎofàn hǎo le ma?

Cinderella! Is the water hot? Is breakfast ready?

Cinderella

水热了。早饭……马上就好！

Shuǐ rè le. Zǎofàn… mǎshàng jiù hǎo!

The water's hot. Breakfast is… almost ready!

The Stepmother

快一点儿！你看，地上都是灰！

Kuài yìdiǎnr! Nǐ kàn, dì shang dōu shì huī!

Hurry up! And look at this floor. It's covered in ash!

Cinderella

对不起，我现在就扫。

Duìbuqǐ, wǒ xiànzài jiù sǎo.

I'm sorry. I'll sweep it up right now.

The Stepmother

扫完了，去洗衣服。我的，姐姐的，都要洗。

Sǎo wán le, qù xǐ yīfu. Wǒ de, jiějie de, dōu yào xǐ.

Then go and do the washing. My clothes and your sister's, every piece.

Cinderella

好的。洗完衣服，我可以吃饭吗？

Hǎo de. Xǐ wán yīfu, wǒ kěyǐ chīfàn ma?

Yes, ma'am. After the washing, may I have something to eat?

The Stepmother

吃饭？先干活，再吃饭！

Chīfàn? Xiān gànhuó, zài chīfàn!

Eat? Work first, eat later!

The Stepsister

妈妈，你看她的脸！都是灰！

Māma, nǐ kàn tā de liǎn! Dōu shì huī!

Mom, look at her face! It's all ash!

The Stepmother

她天天晚上都坐在火边。

Tā tiāntiān wǎnshang dōu zuò zài huǒ biān.

That's because she sits by the fire every night.

The Stepsister

灰衣服，灰脸……灰姑娘！灰姑娘！

Huī yīfu, huī liǎn… Huī gūniang! Huī gūniang!

Ashy clothes, ashy face… Cinderella! Cinderella!

Cinderella

灰姑娘……她们天天这样叫我。

Huī gūniang… tāmen tiāntiān zhèyàng jiào wǒ.

Cinderella… that's what they call me, every single day.

Cinderella

我的小房间在楼上，晚上很冷。可是火边不冷。

Wǒ de xiǎo fángjiān zài lóushàng, wǎnshang hěn lěng. Kěshì huǒ biān bù lěng.

My little room upstairs gets cold at night. But it's never cold by the fire.

Cinderella

我不能告诉爸爸。爸爸只听继母的话。

Wǒ bù néng gàosu bàba. Bàba zhǐ tīng jìmǔ de huà.

I can't tell Father. Father only listens to my stepmother.

Cinderella

妈妈，您在天上，看见我了吗？我没事，我很好。

Māma, nín zài tiānshàng, kànjiàn wǒ le ma? Wǒ méi shì, wǒ hěn hǎo.

Mother, can you see me from up in heaven? I'm all right. Really, I am.

Narrator

这时，有人从王宫送来了一封信。

Zhèshí, yǒu rén cóng wánggōng sòng lái le yì fēng xìn.

Just then, someone brought a letter from the palace.

The Stepsister

妈妈！王宫的信！快看！

Māma! Wánggōng de xìn! Kuài kàn!

Mom! A letter from the palace! Quick, look!

The Stepmother

王子要开一个大舞会……请你去！

Wángzǐ yào kāi yí gè dà wǔhuì… qǐng nǐ qù!

The prince is giving a grand ball… and you're invited!

The Stepsister

舞会！我要穿最漂亮的衣服，和王子跳舞！

Wǔhuì! Wǒ yào chuān zuì piàoliang de yīfu, hé wángzǐ tiàowǔ!

A ball! I'll wear my most beautiful dress and dance with the prince!

Cinderella

舞会……那是什么样子的呢？

Wǔhuì… nà shì shénme yàngzi de ne?

A ball… I wonder what that's like.