Chapter OneAmneris vs. Aida
Iam Princess Amneris. My father is the King of Egypt. I live in a wonderful place. It is the most beautiful palace, and I can have anything I want. I never have to work because there are servants to do everything for me.1 I wear the most beautiful clothes everyday. They are made by hand from the best silk in the world. I wear diamonds, rubies, emeralds, gold and silver. I have the best of everything.2
But it is not enough. It will never be enough unless I can have Radames.3 I am so in love with Radames. He is the general of my father’s army, and he is such a handsome and powerful man.
I am so miserable. No one knows how miserable I am. Every night, I cry myself to sleep because Radames does not love me the way I love him.4 No one can give me any comfort except for him.
Check up
Why is Princess Amneris so miserable?
a. She doesn’t have enough rubies.
b. The palace is not comfortable.
c. Radames does not love her.
Key Words & Sentences
servant (n): người hầu, đầy tớ
by hand: bằng tay
ruby (n): đá hồng ngọc
emerald (n): ngọc lục bảo, ngọc xanh
unless (conj): trừ phi
be in love with: phải lòng
general (n): người chỉ huy,
người đứng đầu
such (adv): quả là, thật là
miserable (adj): khổ sổ, đáng thương
cry oneself to sleep: khóc cho đến khi ngủ thiếp đi
comfort (n): sự vui vẻ
except for: ngoại trừ
1 I never have to work because there are servants to do everything for me.
2 I have the best of everything.
3 It will never be enough unless I can have Radames.
4 Every night, I cry myself to sleep because Radames does not love me the way I love him.
Yesterday was a terrible day. We are at war with the Ethiopians, and Ramfis, the High Priest, said to Radames, “The King wants you to take our army to Ethiopia to fight our enemies.”1
Everyone in the palace thinks it is such a high honor. I guess it really is, but I worry so much about him. I cannot help but imagine his body lying dead on the ground somewhere.2 Men never know how women worry about them so much.
But then I also had an idea. If Radames is victorious, then my father will order him to marry me. That would be wonderful.
Some time ago, I thought he would come to love me. We used to spend a lot of time together. We used to walk together beside the River Nile in the evening. My servants would always stay further behind.3 They knew that I wanted to be alone with him. No doubt they gossiped a lot about Radames and myself.4 It has always been hard to hide my feelings but now I am better at it. Even my closest friend doesn’t know how I feel about Aida.5
Key Words
terrible (adj): khủng khiếp, tồi tệ
be at war with: đang có chiến tranh với
Ethiopian (n): người Ethiopia
priest (n): quan tư tế, thầy tế
enemy (n): kẻ thù, quân địch
honor (n): vinh dự
cannot help but: không thể ngừng
lie dead: nằm bất động
victorious (adj): chiến thắng
used to + V: đã từng
beside (prep): bên cạnh
stay (v): ở, dừng lại
further (adv): xa hơn
alone (adj): một mình
gossip (v): tán gẫu, ngồi lê đôi mách
closest (adj): thân nhất, gần gũi nhất
Key Sentences
1 We are at war with the Ethiopians, and Ramfis, the High Priest, said to Radames, “The King wants you to take our army to Ethiopia to fight our enemies.”
2 I cannot help but imagine his body lying dead on the ground somewhere.
3 My servants would always stay further behind.
4 No doubt they gossiped a lot about Radames and myself.
5 Even my closest friend doesn’t know how I feel about Aida.
Aida! She is an Ethiopian woman. She was caught in battle and my father gave her to me as a slave.1 She really is an amazing woman. She speaks so well and when she walks, she is so elegant. It almost seems that she is a noble woman instead of a slave.2 In the palace, she learned to do everything so quickly, and she never seems to be bitter. In the beginning, it was very easy to be friendly and kind to her. I often forgot that she was born an enemy of my country.3
There is one problem. She is beautiful. It wouldn’t matter if I was more beautiful than her, but Radames seems interested in her.4 I detest that. When they are in the same room together, they act differently. Radames gazes at her repeatedly.5 She catches her breath when he speaks. Every time I see this, I am filled with jealousy. Why does Radames want her more than me? She is only a slave but I am a princess!
Yesterday, in the ceremony when Radames became the General of the Army, Aida was there.6 She was shaking. I know what she was thinking. She doesn’t want to think of him dying in battle.7 At the end of the ceremony, everyone cried out, “Victory to Egypt!” At that moment, she turned pale and later I heard her crying. I was the only one who knew why.
Check up
Which can be replaced with the words in bold letters?
She was shaking.
a. moving
b. nodding
c. trembling
Key Words & Sentences
catch (v): bắt
(catch - caught - caught)
battle (n): trận đánh, cuộc chiến
slave (n): nô lệ
amazing (adj): đáng kinh ngạc, tài giỏi
elegant (adj): thanh thoát, nhẹ nhàng
noble (adj): cao quý, quý phái
instead of (prep): thay vì
bitter (adj): gay gắt, khó chịu
friendly (adj): thân thiết, thân thiện
detest (v): ghét, không thích
gaze at: nhìn say đắm, nhìn chăm chú
catch one’s breath: nín thở
jealousy (n): sự đố kỵ
ceremony (n ): nghi lễ, buổi lễ
shake (v): run, mất bình tĩnh
pale (adj): tái nhợt, xanh xao
1 She was caught in battle and my father gave her to me as a slave.
2 It almost seems that she is a noble woman instead of a slave.
3 I often forgot that she was born an enemy of my country.
4 It wouldn’t matter if I was more beautiful than her, but Radames seems interested in her.
5 Radames gazes at her repeatedly.
6 Yesterday, in the ceremony when Radames became the General of the Army, Aida was there.
7 She doesn’t want to think of him dying in battle.
My name is Aida. I became a slave in the Egyptian palace after I was caught in a battle. No one really knows who I am. I am an Ethiopian princess.
When I first came here, it was a horrible time for me.1 Everyone treated me terribly. Every night, I used to cry from homesickness.2
Now I keep my pain deep inside and do not let anyone see it.3 And I have to be careful that no one finds out that I’m a princess.
Sometimes I wonder how I can continue with my life in this palace.4 But there is one thing that even though it gives me pain, it also gives me happiness.5 I am in love with Radames. So I have two secrets that I must keep. Both are very hard to keep.
Check up
Based on the text, mark ‘T’ if true or ‘F’ if false.
a. Aida was always a slave. ______
b. Aida misses her home. ______
c. Only Amneris knows that Aida is a princess. ______
Key Words & Sentences
Egyptian (n): người Ai Cập
horrible (adj): kinh khủng, tồi tệ
treat (v): đối xử
cry from: khóc vì
homesickness (n): nỗi nhớ nhà
keep (v): giữ, giấu,
chôn sâu (tình cảm)
pain (n): nỗi đau
wonder (v): muốn biết, tự hỏi
continue (v): tiếp tục, duy trì
even though: dẫu là, mặc dù
keep a secret: giữ bí mật
1 When I first came here, it was a horrible time for me.
2 Every night, I used to cry from homesickness.
3 Now I keep my pain deep inside and do not let anyone see it.
4 Sometimes I wonder how I can continue with my life in this palace.
5 But there is one thing that even though it gives me pain, it also gives me happiness.
I sometimes wonder how I can love an Egyptian. He is the enemy of my country. In fact, he is probably the greatest enemy. It is his job to plan battles against my country. This tears me apart. I feel that if I love him, I am betraying my country and people.1 But also, if I am loyal to my country, then I am lying to the man I love.2
Yesterday, Radames became the General of the Army. It was all I could do to stop myself from running from the ceremony.3 It was very hard for me to see. Of course I had to shout out, “Victory to Egypt.”
Later, Ramades came to me and said, “I can ask to marry you if I return victorious. The King will have to allow me to marry you.”
When I heard him say that, my heart jumped for joy. But I cannot wish for him to return victorious if it means the defeat of my people.4
Check up
What is troubling Aida?
______________________________
Key Words & Sentences
probably (adv): có thể, có lẽ
tear apart: dằn vặt, giằng xé
(tear (v): xé, làm rách)
betray (v): phản bội
loyal (adj): trung thành
shout out: hô to
allow to do something: cho phép làm gì
for joy: vì sung sướng
defeat (n): sự thua trận
1 I feel that if I love him, I am betraying my country and people.
2 But also, if I am loyal to my country, then I am lying to the man I love.
3 It was all I could do to stop myself from running from the ceremony.
4 But I cannot wish for him to return victorious if it means the defeat of my people.
Princess Amneris is another problem. At first, she was very kind to me. But that slowly changed as time went on.1
I know, as well as many of the other slaves and servants, that she loves Radames. I have heard her laughing and talking about him with other servants and slaves.2 But she never does this in front of me.
Has she discovered that Radames and I love each other? She almost never speaks to me now.3 Did she see us together? I need to be more careful.
“Amneris! You are being foolish.” I have thought about this so many times. My suspicions are making my life miserable. I cannot live like this, worrying about Radames and Aida.4
The battle is over and Radames is coming home. But Aida does not know this yet. I spoke to my father and he agreed to tell Radames that he must marry me.5 So it won’t matter anymore if Aida loves Radames.
Still, I must find out if Aida loves Radames.6 If I don’t, I will never be able to sleep at night.
Check up
From the text, choose the expression that has the same meaning as the word ‘discover’?
_______________________
Key Words & Sentences
at first: lúc đầu
go on: trôi qua
as well as: cũng như là
suspicion (n): sự nghi ngờ,
sự ngờ vực
matter (v): trở nên quan trọng,
find out: tìm hiểu xem, làm rõ
1 But that slowly changed as time went on.
2 I have heard her laughing and talking about him with other servants and slaves.
3 She almost never speaks to me now.
4 I cannot live like this, worrying about Radames and Aida.
5 I spoke to my father and he agreed to tell Radames that he must marry me.
6 Still, I must find out if Aida loves Radames.
Comprehension Quiz
A. Write the name of the person that the word ‘I’ refers to in the following sentences.
Aida
Amneris
1. I am princess of Egypt. I live in a wonderful place. ________
2. I became a slave in the Egyptian palace after I was caught in a battle. ________
3. I sometimes wonder how I can love an Egyptian. ________
4. I spoke to my father and he agreed to tell Radames that he would marry me. ________
5. I have the best of everything. ________
B. Rewrite the following sentences using ‘used to.’
1. I thought that one day he would love me.
_______________________
2. It was easy to be kind and friendly to Aida.
_______________________
C. Based on the story, mark ‘T’ if true or ‘F’ if false.
1. Radames loved Amneris a long time ago.
2. Radames has been the priest of the Country for a long time.
3. Every servant knew that Amneris loved Radames.
4. Aida was an ordinary woman in her country.
5. It is difficult for Aida to love Radames.
D. Complete the sentences with the words below.
comfort - myself - army - miserable - honor - enemies
No one knows how __________ I am. Every night, I cry __________ to sleep because Radames does not love me the way I love him. No one can give me any __________ except for him. Yesterday was a terrible day. Because we are at war with the Ethiopians, Ramfis, the High Priest, said to Radames, “The King wants you to take our __________ to Ethiopia to fight our __________.” Everyone in the palace thinks it is such a high __________.
Understanding the Story
Although Aida was a princess of a kingdom, she became a slave due to the war. Let’s find out more about the slaves in ancient Egypt.
Slaves in Ancient Egypt
It was common in ancient times for warring nations to take slaves from enemy countries. This is what happened to Aida, the Ethiopian princess. Although she is a slave and Ethiopian, she falls in love with an Egyptian general. When a war breaks out again between Ethiopia and Egypt, she is torn between her country and her new love.
Slaves in ancient Egypt were of many kinds. Some people were born into slavery, some were bought and sold like cattle, and some were won in war. While slaves did die from overwork in the desert mines or in large buildings like the pyramids, many royal slaves were treated quite well. They were actually better off than many free Egyptian peasants. Aida is a slave to royalty, so she is treated well. However, many other slaves were beaten, or did not receive enough food and water to live well. Life was very hard for slaves in ancient times.
common (adj): phổ biến, ai cũng biết
ancient (adj): cổ đại
warring (adj): đang có chiến tranh
slave (n): nô lệ
break out: bùng nổ, xảy ra
tear (v): giằng xé
(tear - tore - torn)
cattle (n): gia súc
win (v): chiến thắng
die from: chết vì, chết bởi
overwork (n): sự làm việc quá sức
mine (n): mỏ (muối)
pyramid (n): kim tự tháp
royal (adj): (thuộc) hoàng tộc
treat (v): đối xử
be better off: khá khẩm hơn,
được ưu tiên hơn
peasant (n): nông dân
royalty (n): hoàng thân, hoàng tộc
beaten (v): đánh đập