Chapter OneA joyous homecoming
One day in February 1810, the ship Pharaoh came into the French port of Marseilles.1
A man watched it from the harbor.
When he saw the Pharaoh, he got into a small boat and went out to it.2
A young, handsome man stood waiting on the Pharaoh.
The older man in the small boat called out to the young man.
“Is it you, Dantes?
What happened to the captain?”
“A very sad thing, Mr. Morrel,” answered the young man.
“When our ship was near Civitavecchia, we lost brave Captain Leclere.”
“The cargo? Is the cargo safe?” asked the older man.
“Yes, Mr. Morrel. The cargo is safe,” replied the young man.
Then he suddenly turned and gave some orders to the men in his crew.3
The crew obeyed quickly and well.
Key Words
joyous (joyful) (adj): vui mừng, vui sướng
homecoming (n): sự trở về
port (n): hải cảng
harbor (n): bến tàu
get into (v): bước vào
(get - got - gotten)
call out to (v): gọi với lên
happen (v): xảy ra
captain (n): thuyền trưởng
lose (v): mất, mất dấu, thất lạc
(lose - lost - lost)
brave (adj): can đảm, dũng cảm
cargo (n): hàng hóa
safe (adj): an toàn
reply (v): đáp lại
(reply - replied - replied)
turn (v): quay đi
give orders (v): ra lệnh
men (n): người đàn ông
crew (n): đội thủy thủ trên tàu
obey (v): nghe theo
Key Sentences
1 One day in February 1810, the ship Pharaoh came into the French port of Marseilles.
2 When he saw the Pharaoh, he got into a small boat and went out to it.
3 Then he suddenly turned and gave some orders to the men in his crew.
“But the poor captain. . .” said Dantes.
“Yes, yes, tell me about the captain,” said Morrel.
“Did he fall overboard?”
“No, sir. He died of a fever a few days after we left Naples.”
Dantes said as his eyes watched the crew.
“Now please excuse me, sir.
I have to help the men with the ship.
Please come onboard and Danglars, the business manager, will explain the cargo and profit.”1
Morrel looked at Dantes, and his smile got bigger.
Dantes, though young, was doing a fine job running the ship.
Morrel began to think that maybe he had already found a captain to replace the dead Leclere.2
He watched Dantes a little longer, then came onboard the Pharaoh.
Danglars helped him onto the larger ship.
Danglars was a few years older than Dantes.
No one on the ship liked Danglars.
Key Words
fall overboard (v): ngã xuống biển (overboard: qua mạn tàu, từ trên mạn tàu)
die of (v): chết vì
fever (n): bệnh sốt
leave (v): rời
(leave - left - left)
onboard (adv): lên tàu
business manager (n): kế toán
explain (v): giải thích
profit (n): lợi nhuận
though (conj): mặc dù
do a fine job: làm rất tốt công việc
run (v): quản lý, vận hành
begin to (v): bắt đầu
(begin - began - begun)
replace (v): thay thế
dead (adj): chết
Key Sentences
1 Please come onboard and Danglars, the business manager, will explain the cargo and profit.
2 Morrel began to think that maybe he had already found a captain to replace the dead Leclere.
“Welcome back to your ship, Mr. Morrel,” Danglars said with a smile.
“I think you will find our business was very good.”
“Yes, Danglars, I heard from Dantes the trip went well, except for the poor captain.”1
Morrel answered, his eyes still watching Dantes.
“Yes, the loss of the captain was terrible,” answered Danglars.
“He was a fine captain for you and your company.”
“Yes, but it appears young Dantes is doing well,” said Morrel.2
“Maybe a young man can also make a good captain.”
Danglars did not like young Dantes.
“Yes, but a young captain can make mistakes.
Because of Dantes, we are late getting home,”
Danglars said with an evil look on his face.
“After the captain died, we didn’t come straight to Marseilles.
Instead we went to the island of Elba for a couple of days.”3
Check up
What is not true about the story?
a. The business of the ship Pharaoh was successful.
b. Danglars was jealous of Dantes.
c. When the captain died, the ship Pharaoh came to Marseilles without stopping.
Key Words
go well (v): diễn biến tốt
(go - went - gone)
except for (prep): ngoại trừ
loss (n): sự mất mát
terrible (adj): kinh hoàng
company (n): toàn thể thủy thủ
(trên tàu)
make (v): trở thành, làm nên
(make - made - made)
make a mistake (v): mắc sai lầm
because of (prep): bởi vì
evil (adj): xấu xa, nham hiểm
look (n): cái nhìn
straight (adv): thẳng, trực tiếp
instead (prep): thay vì
island (n): hòn đảo
a couple of (adj): một vài
Key Sentences
1 Yes, Danglars, I heard from Dantes the trip went well, except for the poor captain.
2 “Yes, but it appears young Dantes is doing well,”said Morrel.
3 Instead we went to the island of Elba for a couple of days.
The happy look on Morrel’s face suddenly changed.
“Why did you stop at Elba?
Was there a problem with the boat?”1
“No, nothing was wrong.
We just stopped and did nothing,” answered the clever Danglars.
Morrel left Danglars and called to Dantes.
“Dantes, come here. I need to talk to you.”
Dantes came up to Morrel. “What is it, sir?”
“Why did you stop at Elba?” Morrel asked.
“It was the captain’s last order,” Dantes answered.
“He told me before he died to take a letter to someone on the island.”2
Morrel got a worried look on his face.
He pulled Dantes closer and spoke softly, so no one could hear.3
“Did you meet Napoleon? Did you talk to him?
You know this could be very dangerous!”
“He talked to me. I did not talk to him,”
Dantes answered.
“Now I need to deliver a letter to Paris.”
Key Words
change (v): thay đổi
stop at (v): dừng ở
wrong (adj): trục trặc
clever (adj): ranh mãnh
need to + V (v): cần phải
come up to (v): tới gần
tell A to do something (v): yêu cầu A làm gì
take A to B (v): mang A cho B
(take - took - taken)
worried (adj): lo lắng
pull (v): kéo lại
softly (adv): (nói) nhỏ
dangerous (adj): nguy hiểm
deliver (v): giao
Key Sentences
1 Was there a problem with the boat?
2 He told me before he died to take a letter to someone on the island.
3 He pulled Dantes closer and spoke softly, so no one could hear.
“What does the letter say?” Morrel asked.
“I do not know,” Dantes answered.
“I didn’t read it.
I will just take it to Paris, if you give me the time.”1
“Alright, Dantes. But tell no one about the letter.
It could be dangerous if the King or his men learn of it. Understand?”
Morrel said this quietly, looking around to see if anyone was listening.
Danglars was watching, but was too far away to hear anything.2
“Yes, Mr. Morrel,” Dantes answered.
Morrel looked at Dantes carefully.
“You are young, but wise.
Dantes, are you busy?
Have dinner with me.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but it’s been too long since I saw my father.
After meeting my father, there is one other
I have to see,” Dantes answered.
“Ah, yes, the beautiful Mercedes. I understand,” Morrel said with a smile.
Key Words
say (v): nói về
learn of (v): biết về
look around (v): nhìn quanh
see if…: nhìn xem liệu rằng…
far away (adv): xa
carefully (adv): một cách cẩn thận
wise (adj): thông minh, khôn khéo
since (conj): kể từ khi
Key Sentences
1 I will just take it to Paris, if you give me the time.
2 Danglars was watching, but was too far away to hear anything.
“Could I have some time off?” asked Dantes.
“To go to Paris to deliver the letter?” Morrel asked.
“Yes, but also to get married,” Dantes answered.
“Mercedes has promised to marry me.”
“Congratulations, Dantes!
Of course you can have some time off.
But hurry back. . . A ship should not be long
without her captain,”1 Morrel said with a smile.
“Really, Mr. Morrel? Me? Captain of the Pharaoh?”
Dantes was very happy.
“Yes, Dantes. Now, visit your father, see Mercedes, and then come to have dinner with me,” Morrel said.
As Dantes left the ship,
Danglars watched him walk away.
He heard the last part of the conversation, the part about Dantes being the new captain of the Pharaoh.2
The look on Danglars’ face was different from Dantes and Morrel’s expressions.3
He did not look happy.
Key Words
have + …+ off (v): nghỉ ngơi
get married (v): làm đám cưới
promise to (v): hứa hôn với
marry (v): kết hôn
Congratulations! (n): Xin chúc mừng!
hurry back (v): quay lại nhanh
without (prep): mà không có, thiếu/vắng
visit (v): ghé thăm
walk away (v): đi khỏi
last (adj): mới nhất, gần đây nhất
conversation (n): cuộc nói chuyện
different from (adj): khác hẳn với
Key Sentences
1 A ship should not be long without her captain.
2 He heard the last part of the conversation, the part about Dantes being the new captain of the Pharaoh.
3 The look on Danglars’face was different from Dantes and Morrel’s expressions.
Comprehension Quiz
A. Complete the following sentences with the names of the characters given.
Dantes
Morrel
Danglars
1. ______________ owns the Pharaoh.
2. No one on the Pharaoh likes_____________.
3. ______________ is a young man who is about to get married.
B. Complete the sentences with the words given.
harbor - captain - boat - time off
1. A ship is big, but a ______________ is small.
2. If you want a few day’s vacation from work, you can ask for ______________.
3. A man or woman who is the boss of a ship is a __________.
4. The place where a ship goes to pick up people or cargo is a ______________.
C. Choose to complete the following sentences.
1. Dantes visited __________ on the island of Elba.
(a) Napoleon
(b) Mercedes
(c) Captain Leclere
2. The Pharaoh got into Marseilles __________.
(a) early
(b) on time
(c) late
3. Dantes will deliver __________ to Paris.
(a) a package
(b) a letter
(c) money
4. Mercedes is Dantes’ __________.
(a) ship
(b) sister
(c) girlfriend
D. Put the sentences in order.
1. Dantes talked to Morrel.
2. The Pharaoh came back to Marseilles.
3. Dantes met Napoleon.
4. Captain Leclere died