十二生肖都咋来的？为啥鼠是第一个？怎么没猫？
中新网客户端北京1月22日电(记者 上官云)时间慢慢向前走，春节即将来临。按照生肖纪年的说法，2020年应该是农历鼠年。同样，按照出生年份来算，我们也都有一个“属相”。那么，十二生肖是怎么来的？为什么看上去很不起眼的老鼠会排在首位呢？
生肖的“演化史”：先秦时已有相关记载
十二生肖，又叫“属相”，包括鼠、牛、虎、兔、龙、蛇、马、羊、猴、鸡、狗、猪。它们的历史很悠久，早在先秦时期，典籍中就出现了相关记载。
资料图：图为鼠年元素灯组。 俞靖 摄
1975年12月，湖北云梦睡虎地发掘出两批秦代竹简：其中，《日书》里有关“盗者”的内容与十二生肖比较接近，如“子，鼠也，盗者锐口，稀须；丑，牛也，盗者大鼻长颈……”
到了汉代，十二生肖基本定型。东汉时期，王充写了一部《论衡》，其中提到：“寅，木也，其禽虎也……亥，水也，其禽豕也……”写明了十二生肖和对应的十二地支属性。
随着时间流逝，有关十二生肖的说法不断完善，逐渐被人们接受并流传至今。
比如，南朝时，沈炯写过一首《十二属》，诗中写道：“鼠迹生尘案，牛羊暮下来。虎啸坐空谷，兔月向窗开。龙隰远青翠，蛇柳近徘徊。马兰方远摘，羊负始春栽。猴栗羞芳果，鸡跖引清杯。狗其怀物外，猪蠢官悠哉。”
十二生肖是怎么来的？
有关生肖的掌故，人们总能聊上几句，但它们的由来却尚无定论。
资料图：展览上鼠年吉祥剪纸夺人眼球。 汤彦俊 摄
有一种说法认为，生肖文化起源于图腾文化，有不同的象征意义：上古以来，不同部落有自己崇拜的动物，例如牛是农耕社会的象征，相传神农氏炎帝是“牛头人身”，所以炎帝的后裔就以牛为图腾。
还有人表示，十二生肖起源于动物崇拜。在原始社会中，人类的生产力很差，猪、牛、羊等牲畜与农事活动关系密切，虎、蛇等动物可能威胁到人的自身安全，人们也会感到恐惧……以上种种原因，最终导致生肖形成。
除此之外，有学者提出一种观点：十二生肖既与真实动物有关，也有“天文学”背景，与古人对星象的联想有关系。午马、辰龙、寅虎，就与这些星座的形象有关系。
当然，还有“十二生肖是外来的”等说法，但并未得到广泛认可。
老鼠因何排在十二生肖首位？
十二生肖作为纪年的一套符号体系，看似不起眼而且有点讨人嫌的老鼠，在其中名列榜首，这是啥原因？
资料图：卡通老鼠造型的彩灯很是醒目。 泱波 摄
中国古代学者曾经从一昼夜十二时辰的角度作出解释。天地混沌一片时，鼠类正好在时近夜半时出来活动，将天地咬出一道缝隙，就是“鼠咬天开”，所以子属鼠；开天辟地后，人们要种田为生，牛在那时是耕田的主力，所以丑对应牛等等。
中国民间则认为，老鼠繁殖力强，古人期待生命的繁衍、大家庭子孙兴旺，于是产生了敬奉子鼠的多子多福的生育观。清末画家任预的《十二生肖图册》中，《子鼠图》五鼠正抢食罐中瓜籽，“籽”与“子”音同，也代表“多子”。
以前还有一个问题很有趣：十二生肖里为何没有猫？其实答案很简单，猫原产于埃及，十二生肖已经定型以后才传入中国，所以没办法列入其中。
传说与故事中的生肖鼠
不过，老鼠在古代传说、故事或者书中也并不总是贼头贼脑的形象。
资料图：南京秦淮花灯传承艺人曹真荣展示他设计制作的“掌中鼠”迷你花灯。 泱波 摄
还有清代晚期的一本小说，名字叫《八仙全传》，其中也提到一个与老鼠有关的传说：在一次大水灾中，桥梁被冲毁，有老鼠衔枝搭桥救人，最后耗尽力气被大水吞没。仙人被感动了，赐给老鼠一枚仙果，并收其为徒，最终帮助老鼠成仙得道。
另外，清代有一本书叫《梦园丛说》，记载粤东有一种玩具叫“钱鼠”，叫声好像数钱。老鼠能发出数钱般的声音。旧时一些地方以此声为吉祥之兆。在寓意吉祥的年画、剪纸、花灯中，也有老鼠形象。
其实，在某种程度上，十二生肖是十二地支的形象化代表，各自拥有丰富的传说，后来逐渐与一些民间信仰观念融合。现代社会，它们也被视作春节的吉祥物。(完)
责编：秦璐敏
十二生肖都咋来的？为啥鼠是第一个？怎么没猫？
时间慢慢向前走，春节即将来临。按照生肖纪年的说法，2020年应该是农历鼠年。同样，按照出生年份来算，我们也都有一个“属相”。那么，十二生肖是怎么来的？为什么看上去很不起眼的老鼠会排在首位呢？
生肖的“演化史”：先秦时已有相关记载
十二生肖，又叫“属相”，包括鼠、牛、虎、兔、龙、蛇、马、羊、猴、鸡、狗、猪。它们的历史很悠久，早在先秦时期，典籍中就出现了相关记载。
资料图：图为鼠年元素灯组。 俞靖 摄
1975年12月，湖北云梦睡虎地发掘出两批秦代竹简：其中，《日书》里有关“盗者”的内容与十二生肖比较接近，如“子，鼠也，盗者锐口，稀须；丑，牛也，盗者大鼻长颈……”
到了汉代，十二生肖基本定型。东汉时期，王充写了一部《论衡》，其中提到：“寅，木也，其禽虎也……亥，水也，其禽豕也……”写明了十二生肖和对应的十二地支属性。
随着时间流逝，有关十二生肖的说法不断完善，逐渐被人们接受并流传至今。
比如，南朝时，沈炯写过一首《十二属》，诗中写道：“鼠迹生尘案，牛羊暮下来。虎啸坐空谷，兔月向窗开。龙隰远青翠，蛇柳近徘徊。马兰方远摘，羊负始春栽。猴栗羞芳果，鸡跖引清杯。狗其怀物外，猪蠢官悠哉。”
十二生肖是怎么来的？
有关生肖的掌故，人们总能聊上几句，但它们的由来却尚无定论。
资料图：展览上鼠年吉祥剪纸夺人眼球。 汤彦俊 摄
有一种说法认为，生肖文化起源于图腾文化，有不同的象征意义：上古以来，不同部落有自己崇拜的动物，例如牛是农耕社会的象征，相传神农氏炎帝是“牛头人身”，所以炎帝的后裔就以牛为图腾。
还有人表示，十二生肖起源于动物崇拜。在原始社会中，人类的生产力很差，猪、牛、羊等牲畜与农事活动关系密切，虎、蛇等动物可能威胁到人的自身安全，人们也会感到恐惧……以上种种原因，最终导致生肖形成。
除此之外，有学者提出一种观点：十二生肖既与真实动物有关，也有“天文学”背景，与古人对星象的联想有关系。午马、辰龙、寅虎，就与这些星座的形象有关系。
当然，还有“十二生肖是外来的”等说法，但并未得到广泛认可。
老鼠因何排在十二生肖首位？
十二生肖作为纪年的一套符号体系，看似不起眼而且有点讨人嫌的老鼠，在其中名列榜首，这是啥原因？
资料图：卡通老鼠造型的彩灯很是醒目。 泱波 摄
中国古代学者曾经从一昼夜十二时辰的角度作出解释。天地混沌一片时，鼠类正好在时近夜半时出来活动，将天地咬出一道缝隙，就是“鼠咬天开”，所以子属鼠；开天辟地后，人们要种田为生，牛在那时是耕田的主力，所以丑对应牛等等。
中国民间则认为，老鼠繁殖力强，古人期待生命的繁衍、大家庭子孙兴旺，于是产生了敬奉子鼠的多子多福的生育观。清末画家任预的《十二生肖图册》中，《子鼠图》五鼠正抢食罐中瓜籽，“籽”与“子”音同，也代表“多子”。
以前还有一个问题很有趣：十二生肖里为何没有猫？其实答案很简单，猫原产于埃及，十二生肖已经定型以后才传入中国，所以没办法列入其中。
传说与故事中的生肖鼠
不过，老鼠在古代传说、故事或者书中也并不总是贼头贼脑的形象。
资料图：南京秦淮花灯传承艺人曹真荣展示他设计制作的“掌中鼠”迷你花灯。泱波 摄
还有清代晚期的一本小说，名字叫《八仙全传》，其中也提到一个与老鼠有关的传说：在一次大水灾中，桥梁被冲毁，有老鼠衔枝搭桥救人，最后耗尽力气被大水吞没。仙人被感动了，赐给老鼠一枚仙果，并收其为徒，最终帮助老鼠成仙得道。
另外，清代有一本书叫《梦园丛说》，记载粤东有一种玩具叫“钱鼠”，叫声好像数钱。老鼠能发出数钱般的声音。旧时一些地方以此声为吉祥之兆。在寓意吉祥的年画、剪纸、花灯中，也有老鼠形象。
其实，在某种程度上，十二生肖是十二地支的形象化代表，各自拥有丰富的传说，后来逐渐与一些民间信仰观念融合。现代社会，它们也被视作春节的吉祥物。(记者上官云)
8大中国传统故事英文版，值得收藏！（中英文本）
英语口语·吉米老师说
我们耳熟能详的中国传统故事竟然也有英文版，吉米老师搜集了10个中国传统故事的英语版，一起来学习吧！
英语·传统故事
本文音频整理自：英文教学（ID：yingwenjiaoxue），版权归原作者所有
吉米老师碎碎念：同学们在听第一遍音频的时候最好先不要看文本，采用盲听的方式，看看自己能听懂多少。
然后对照原文听第二遍，注意每个单词的发音。第三遍继续盲听，再对照，以此反复，精听至少4遍，直到自己能够听清每个单词及发音技巧。
这个方法能够帮助你提升英语的语感和听力。如果同学们在听第一遍的时候已经能够听清 80% 的单词，证明你的英语水平真的很了不起哦。
1、The Tortoise and the Hare
龟兔赛跑
兔子向动物们吹嘘自己的奔跑速度，动物们有的为它喝彩，有的感到十分无聊。这时，乌龟却说，自己能在跑步上打败兔子，并邀请兔子与之一战。比赛开始了，兔子跑得很快，一会儿乌龟就落在了后面，兔子便在一棵树下打起盹来。乌龟爬啊爬，它能战胜兔子吗？
Welcome to ALO7’s Power to Learn. Today’s story is The Tortoise and the Hare, retold by Jenny Lam and Sheila Higginson, and narrated by Judy Luxton.
HOP! HOP! HOP! Rabbit jumped very fast.
HIPPITY! HOPPITY! HOP! HOP! Rabbit jumped even faster.
“Look at me,” bragged Rabbit. “I am the fastest!”
His animal friends watched. Some cheered. Some were bored. They had seen Rabbit run many times before.
“Here he goes again,” said Cat. “Rabbit is always running.”
“And he is always bragging about being the fastest runner,” said Owl.
“He does run fast,” said Monkey.
Tortoise walked up slowly to the other animals.
Tortoise spoke slowly. “Is Rabbit bragging about being the fastest runner again?” he asked.
The animals nodded their heads yes.
“I will challenge Rabbit to a race. I can beat him,” said Tortoise calmly.
All the animals got excited. “A race!” they cried.
Rabbit laughed. “All right. Let’s race. I will win anyway.”
Tortoise and Rabbit went to the starting line.
“On your mark. Get set. Go!” cried Owl. He flapped his wings! Rabbit and Tortoise crossed the starting line. The race began!
Rabbit ran fast. He hopped, and he ran. He hopped again. He ran even faster.
Rabbit was far ahead of Tortoise. He kept running. He kept hopping.
He stopped by a tree. He looked behind him. Where was Tortoise?
Tortoise walked slowly. He was far behind.
Rabbit yelled, “Hey, how do you expect to beat me? You are walking so slowly! You will never beat me. You will never win!”
Rabbit sat down under the tree.
“I will take a rest,” said Rabbit. “Tortoise is slow. He will never catch up. I have plenty of time to relax.”
Rabbit rested under the tree. He got comfortable. Then he stretched out.
Soon he was lying flat on the ground. He fell asleep. He snored loudly.
Tortoise walked slowly. He kept walking. And walking. And walking.
He walked to the tree where Rabbit was sleeping. He did not stop. He kept walking and walking and walking.
Tortoise never stopped. He didn’t take a rest. He just walked.
He kept walking until he got to the finish line.
All the animals cheered. They were amazed that Tortoise won. He never gave up. He just kept walking and walking and walking.
The cheering was very loud. It woke Rabbit. He jumped up from his sleep!
“What happened? What’s that noise?” asked Rabbit. He began to run.
He ran faster and faster and faster. But he was too late. Tortoise had already crossed the finish line. Tortoise won the race.
以下翻译来自百度翻译：
欢迎使用ALO7的学习能力。今天的故事是《乌龟和兔子》，由林珍妮和希拉·希金森复述，朱迪·卢克斯顿讲述。
单足蹦跳单足蹦跳单足蹦跳兔子跳得很快。
嬉皮士！希望怜悯！单足蹦跳单足蹦跳兔子跳得更快。
“看看我，”兔子自夸道。“我跑得最快！”
他的动物朋友们看着他。一些人欢呼起来。有些人感到无聊。他们以前见过兔子跑很多次。
“他又来了，”猫说。“兔子总是在跑。”
“他总是吹嘘自己跑得最快，”猫头鹰说。
“他确实跑得很快，”猴子说。
乌龟慢慢地向其他动物走去。
乌龟说话很慢。“兔子又在吹嘘自己跑得最快了吗？”他问道。
动物们点头表示同意。
乌龟平静地说：“我要和兔子赛跑，我能打败它。”。
所有的动物都兴奋起来。“比赛！”他们喊道。
兔子笑了。“好吧。我们比赛吧。反正我会赢的。”
乌龟和兔子去了起跑线。
猫头鹰叫道：“按你的指示，准备好，走！”。他拍打着翅膀！兔子和乌龟越过了起跑线。比赛开始了！
兔子跑得很快。他跳了起来，然后跑了。他又跳了起来。他跑得更快。
兔子远远领先于乌龟。他一直在跑。他不停地跳。
他在一棵树旁停了下来。他回头看了看。乌龟在哪里？
乌龟走得很慢。他远远落后了。
兔子喊道：“嘿，你怎么能打败我？你走得这么慢！你永远也赢不了我。你永远也赢不了！”
兔子在树下坐了下来。
“我要休息一下，”兔子说。“乌龟很慢。他永远也赶不上。我有足够的时间放松。”
兔子在树下休息。他感到很舒服。然后他伸了伸懒腰。
很快他就平躺在地上。他睡着了。他鼾声很大。
乌龟走得很慢。他继续走。还有走路。还有走路。
他走到兔子睡觉的树旁。他没有停下来。他不停地走啊走啊走。
乌龟从不停下来。他没有休息。他只是走路。
他一直走到终点线。
所有的动物都欢呼起来。他们很惊讶乌龟赢了。他从未放弃。他一直走啊走啊走。
欢呼声非常响亮。它惊醒了兔子。他从睡梦中跳了起来！
“怎么回事？那是什么声音？”兔子问。他开始奔跑。
他跑得越来越快。但是他太晚了。乌龟已经过了终点线。乌龟赢得了比赛。
2 Folktale_Pangu Separates the Sky and the Earth
盘古开天
很久很久以前，世界上没有天，也没有地，宇宙是一片混沌。直到有一天，盘古在混沌中苏醒，却发现自己无法伸展。他在混沌中挪动着，企图脱离困境。终于，他发现一把斧头，他向上一砍，砍出了天，向下一劈，劈出了地。他将天与地撑开，随着盘古越来越高，天与地的距离也越来越大。直到 18000 年后，盘古死去，他的头和身体成为五座大山，眼睛成为月亮和太阳，毛发成为星星，血液成为水，填充江河湖海。盘古终于与天地同一。
Welcome to ALO7’s Power to Learn! Today’s story is Pangu Separates the Sky and the Earth, retold by Melinda Lilly Thompson and narrated by Janet Martin.
It was the beginning. There was no sky. There was no Earth.
The universe was a big black egg.
Inside the egg it was dark. It was still. Something grew inside the black egg. It was not a baby bird. It was not a baby snake. What was it?
Something grew for 18,000 years. Something slept. Something dreamed. It was the dream of the universe.
Finally, something stopped dreaming inside the black egg. Something woke up. It was Pangu! In the darkness, his eyes shone like the sun and moon. He stretched. Bump! He hit his head on the egg. Pangu yawned.
Good morning, Pangu!
Pangu moved around in the darkness. He was too big for the egg. He felt trapped inside. He tried to break free. He reached out his hand and touched something sharp. Ouch!
It was an axe! Great! It was just what he needed!
Swing! Pangu hit the egg with his axe. The egg got a crack.
Swing! Pangu hit it again. Pangu broke the egg!
He took a deep breath. He pushed up. Above him it became light and airy. He pushed higher and higher. It became the sky.
Pangu pushed down. Below him it was dark and heavy. He pushed lower and lower. It became the Earth.
Pangu did not let the egg close. He pushed apart the sky and the earth.
He kept pushing for 18,000 years. The sky became thicker.
It spread out. The Earth became thicker. It got bigger.
The more Pangu grew, the farther apart he pushed the Earth and the sky. The sky grew very high. The Earth grew very big. In between the Earth and the sky, Pangu grew very tall. He spread the Earth and sky apart once more.
Finally, Pangu got tired. He died. Then . . . His head and body became the Five Sacred Mountains. They are 'Mount Tai, Mount Heng in Hunan, Mount Hua, Mount Heng in Shanxi, and Mount Song. Pangu’s eyes turned into the sun and moon. His blood changed into water. It filled the river and sea. His hair turned into stars.
The universe and Pangu became one.
以下翻译来自百度翻译：
欢迎来到ALO7的学习力量！今天的故事是《盘古分隔天地》，由梅琳达·莉莉·汤普森重述，珍妮特·马丁讲述。
这是一个开始。没有天空。没有地球。
宇宙是一个巨大的黑蛋。
鸡蛋里面是黑的。它仍然是。黑鸡蛋里长出了什么东西。那不是一只小鸟。那不是一条小蛇。那是什么？
有些东西生长了18000年。有东西睡着了。梦见了什么。这是宇宙的梦想。
最后，黑鸡蛋里的东西停止了梦想。有东西醒了。是盘古！在黑暗中，他的眼睛像太阳和月亮一样闪闪发光。他伸懒腰。碰撞他的头撞到了鸡蛋上。盘古打了个哈欠。
早上好，盘古！
盘古在黑暗中四处走动。他太大了，不能吃鸡蛋。他觉得自己被困在里面了。他试图挣脱。他伸出手去碰了碰锋利的东西。哎哟
那是一把斧头！伟大的这正是他所需要的！
摆动盘古用斧头砍鸡蛋。鸡蛋裂开了。
摆动盘古再次击中它。盘古打碎了鸡蛋！
他深吸了一口气。他向上推。在他头顶上，天空变得明亮而通风。他推得越来越高。它变成了天空。
盘古推倒了。在他的下面是黑暗和沉重的。他推得越来越低。它变成了地球。
盘古没有让鸡蛋关上。他推开了天空和大地。
他坚持了18000年。天空变得更厚了。
它蔓延开来。地球变厚了。它变大了。
盘古越长，他把地球和天空推得越远。天空变得很高。地球变得很大。盘古在天地之间长得很高。他把大地和天空再次分开。
最后，盘古累了。他死了。然后他的头和身体成了五岳。它们是"泰山,湖南衡山,华山,山西衡山,嵩山"。盘古的眼睛转向太阳和月亮。他的血变成了水。它充满了河流和海洋。他的头发变成了星星。
宇宙与盘古融为一体。
3、Monkeys Try to Save the Moon
猴子捞月
小猴子在树林中玩耍，看见井中有光亮透出，它以为月亮掉到了井里，它的惊呼声吸引了许多猴子围观，他们齐心协力，想把月亮从井中取出来。在它们几乎就要碰到井水时，大猴子看到天空中的月亮，潘然醒悟：井中的月亮不过是天空中月亮的倒影啊！
Welcome to ALO7’s Power to Learn. Today’s story is Monkeys Try to Save the Moon, written by Jenny Lam and Sheila Higginson, and narrated by Aaron Smith.
Little Monkey plays in the forest.
He jumps. He hangs from a tree. He swings from tree to tree. He swings over a well.
He sees a glow from the well.
“Oh no!” cries Little Monkey. “The moon fell into the well!”
Big Monkey hears Little Monkey. She swings over from a nearby tree.
She looks into the well.
“Oh no! You’re right,” cries Big Monkey. “The moon fell into the well!”
Bigger Monkey swings over, too. He looks into the well.
“Oh my!” he cries. “The moon fell into the well! What can we do?”
Other monkeys hear the noise. They are curious. They wonder what is going on. They swing over to the well.
“Oh no!” the first monkey cries.
“Oh no!” the second monkey cries.
“Oh my!” the third monkey cries.
“The moon fell into the well!” they all howl.
“What can we do?” asks Little Monkey.
“We have to get it out!” yells Big Monkey.
“Let’s get to it!” says Bigger Monkey.
He climbs up the tree next to the well. He wraps his tail around a branch.
Bigger Monkey hangs upside down. He holds onto Big Monkey’s feet with his hands.
Big Monkey hangs upside down. She holds Little Monkey’s feet with her hands.
Little Monkey hangs upside down. He holds another monkey’s feet with his hands.
Monkey by monkey, they form a chain. The chain reaches all the way down into the well.
Soon, they can almost touch the water in the well. They see the moon in the water. It looks very close! Stretch, monkeys!
Just then, Bigger Monkey looks up at the sky.
“Wait a minute! The moon is not in the well!” he cries. “It is in the sky! It is shining bright.”
“We’ve been so foolish,” laugh the other monkeys.
The moon was never in the well. It only looked like it was in the well. It was just the moon’s reflection in the water!
以下翻译来自百度翻译：
欢迎使用ALO7的学习能力。今天的故事是猴子试图拯救月球，由林珍妮和希拉·希金森撰写，艾伦·史密斯讲述。
小猴子在森林里玩耍。
他跳了起来。他挂在树上。他从一棵树荡到另一棵树。他在井上荡秋千。
他看到井里有亮光。
“哦，不！”小猴子喊道。“月亮掉到井里了！”
大猴子听到小猴子说话。她在附近的一棵树上荡来荡去。
她往井里看。
“哦，不！你说得对，”大猴子喊道。“月亮掉到井里了！”
更大的猴子也会荡过来。他往井里看。
“哦，天哪！”他喊道。“月亮掉到井里了！我们该怎么办？”
其他猴子听到了噪音。他们很好奇。他们想知道发生了什么事。他们转向井边。
“哦，不！”第一只猴子喊道。
“哦，不！”第二只猴子叫道。
“哦，天哪！”第三只猴子叫道。
“月亮掉到井里去了！”他们都嚎啕大哭。
“我们能做什么？”小猴子问。
“我们必须把它弄出来！”大猴子喊道。
“让我们开始吧！”大猴子说。
他爬上井旁的树。他把尾巴绕在树枝上。
大猴子倒挂着。他用手抓住大猴子的脚。
大猴子倒挂着。她用手握住小猴子的脚。
小猴子倒挂着。他用手握住另一只猴子的脚。
一只接一只，它们形成了一条链条。链条一直延伸到井里。
很快，他们几乎可以接触到井里的水。他们看见月亮在水里。看起来很近！伸懒腰，猴子们！
就在这时，大猴子抬头看着天空。
“等等！月亮不在井里！”他喊道。“它在天上！它闪闪发光。”
“我们太傻了，”其他猴子笑着说。
月亮从来不在井里。它看起来只是在井里。那只是月亮在水中的倒影！
4、Kua Fu Chases the Sun 夸父追日
从前，有个巨人叫夸父，他高大到能触到天空，既勇敢，又善良。有一年，天气极其炎热，草木枯死，人们十分口渴。夸父看着天空，决定抓住太阳。夜里，夸父找到一株很高的桃树，高到能触到天空，他将树连根拔起，并将桃子吃尽。之后的每一天，夸父都拿着树，拼命奔跑，他能追到太阳吗？
Welcome to ALO7’s Power to Learn! Today’s story is Kua Fu Chases the Sun, retold by Jenny Lam and Sheila Higginson and narrated by Aaron Smith.
Long ago, there was a giant named Kua Fu. He was giant enough to touch the sky. He could cross Mount Erlang with one giant step.
Kua Fu was brave. He was also kind.
One year, the weather was very hot. Rivers dried up. Plants died. The people were very thirsty.
Kua Fu wanted to help. He looked up at the Sun. It moved across the sky. It baked the ground below.
Kua Fu wanted to catch the Sun. Then he could stop it from baking the ground. That night, Kua Fu found a tall peach tree. It was so tall it reached heaven. It looked like a good tree to catch the Sun. He pulled up the tree. Then he ate the peaches.
When the Sun rose, Kua Fu picked up the tree. He ran fast. He ran hard.
Mountains shook. Wind storms blew. The Gods watched.
“Kua Fu is very fast!” they said. “Can he catch the Sun?”
The Sun wasn’t worried. Every morning, it came up. Every day it crossed the sky. Every evening it set.
Every day, Kua Fu ran. He ran, and his shoes filled with dirt. He stopped to empty his shoes. The dirt that fell out of his shoes turned into a hill.
Then Kua Fu ran up Dirty Shoes Hill.
Kua Fu ran each day. He stretched up his arms to reach the sky. But he still didn’t catch the Sun.
After many days, Kua Fu got thirsty. He went to the nearest stream. He drank the stream dry! But it was not enough. He was still thirsty!
He ran to the Yellow River. He drank it dry, too. But he was still thirsty!
He drank every stream and lake he passed. He drank them all dry.
Kua Fu pushed on. He jumped as high as he could. He jumped at the Sun. He was good at playing ball with giants and shorter people. But he couldn’t catch the biggest ball of all. He couldn’t catch the Sun. He felt very mad. He roared! He shook his fist at the Sun! He threw the peach tree at the Sun! Then he fell to the ground, tired to death.
The Sun set that night, just like it always did. When it rose, the Gods saw that Kua Fu had turned into a mountain. The peach tree he had carried had become a grove of peach trees. The Sun no longer baked the ground.
Today that land is called Denglin Forest. It is lush. It is beautiful. Its peaches are sweet and juicy. They can quench the thirst of anyone who tries to chase the Sun!
以下翻译来自百度翻译：
欢迎来到ALO7的学习力量！今天的故事是《夸父追太阳》，由林珍妮和希拉·希金森复述，艾伦·史密斯讲述。
很久以前，有一个巨人叫夸父。他足够大，可以触摸到天空。他可以用一大步跨过厄尔朗山。
夸父很勇敢。他也很善良。
有一年，天气很热。河流干涸了。植物死亡。人们非常口渴。
夸父想帮忙。他抬头看着太阳。它在天空中移动。它把下面的地面烤焦了。
夸父想抓住太阳。然后他就可以阻止它烘烤地面。那天晚上，夸父发现了一棵高大的桃树。它是如此之高，以至于到达了天堂。它看起来像一棵晒太阳的好树。他把树拔了起来。然后他吃了桃子。
太阳升起时，夸父捡起了那棵树。他跑得很快。他拼命地跑。
群山摇晃。刮起了暴风雨。众神注视着。
“夸父跑得很快！”他们说。“他能赶上太阳吗？”
太阳并不担心。每天早上，它都会出现。每天它都会划过天空。每天晚上都有。
每天，夸父都跑。他跑了，鞋子里满是灰尘。他停下来把鞋子倒空。从他鞋子上掉下来的泥土变成了一座小山。
然后夸父跑上山去。
夸父每天都跑步。他伸出双臂向天空伸展。但是他还是没有赶上太阳。
几天后，夸父渴了。他去了最近的小溪。他把小溪喝干了！但这还不够。他还口渴！
他跑向黄河。他也喝干了。但他还是口渴！
他喝下他经过的每一条小溪和每一个湖泊。他把它们全喝干了。
夸父继续往前走。他跳得尽可能高。他扑向太阳。他擅长与巨人和矮个子打球。但他没能接住最大的球。他抓不到太阳。他感到非常生气。他吼道！他对着太阳挥舞着拳头！他把桃树扔向太阳！然后他倒在地上，累得要死。
那天晚上太阳落山了，就像往常一样。当它升起时，众神看到夸父已经变成了一座山。他抱着的那棵桃树变成了一片桃树林。太阳不再炙烤大地。
今天，这片土地被称为邓林森林。它郁郁葱葱。它很漂亮。它的桃子又甜又多汁。他们可以解渴的任何人谁试图追逐太阳！
5、The Jade Emperor's Zodiac Calender
生肖来源
很久很久以前，玉帝想制定一个计算时间的方式。他将十二年算作一个周期，却不知如何命名。正一筹莫展之时，他看到动物们，于是决定开展一场赛跑，用最先冲过终点线的十二种动物来命名十二年。动物们都迫不及待了，采用各种小诡计，各显神通。最后，玉帝以“鼠牛虎兔龙蛇马羊猴鸡狗猪”的顺序命名了一个周期中的十二年。
Welcome to ALO7's Power to Learn! Today's story is The Jade Emperor’s Zodiac Calendar, retold by Jenny Lam and Sheila Higginson and narrated by Megann Wither.
Let’s take a trip. We will go to a place before time. The Jade Emperor rules over the Heavens. He is kind. He is wise.
The Jade Emperor wants a way to tell time. He makes hours and days.
He makes months and years. Each year has twelve months. Twelve years make one cycle.
He wants to name the years in each cycle. He is not sure what to name them. Then he sees the animals.
“I will have a race!” he says. “The first twelve animals to finish the race will have a year named for them!”
The animals hear about the race. They can’t wait!
Cat lives next door to Rat.
“We could win!” Cat tells Rat.
“I will wake up extra early,” says Rat. “I will be a winner.”
“Wake me up early, too,” Cat says to Rat. “We can go together.”
The next day, Rat wakes up extra early. He is very excited. He runs straight to the race. He forgets all about Cat!
Rat gets to the start of the race. He sees a lot of animals there. Ox is there. Horse and Pig are there. Even Dragon is there, along with others!
“Oh no!” thinks Rat. “Those animals are much bigger. They are much stronger. I am tiny. I am a bad swimmer. I can’t run fast.”
Rat is smart, though. He has an idea.
Rat runs up to Ox.
“Can you help me?” he asks. “I can ride on your head. I will sing songs in your ear.”
(Rats are smart and charming, too.)
“Okay. I like songs. That sounds good.”
Rat climbs on Ox’s head. He sings and sings. Ox swims and swims.
Ox is first to climb out of the river. He runs toward the finish line.
“We are going to win!” shouts Ox.
Rat jumps off Ox’s head. He runs ahead!
“Yes!” cheers the clever Rat. “I will be FIRST!”
And he is! Jade Emperor names the first year after Rat. Ox is second.
Tiger is third. Then comes Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.
Rat walks home with the First Prize.
Cat wakes up late. He runs outside. He sees Rat with the prize. Cat gets very angry. Rat did not wake him! That is why cats have been chasing after rats ever since.
以下翻译来自百度翻译：
欢迎来到ALO7的学习力量！今天的故事是玉皇大帝的黄道年历，由林珍妮和希拉·希金森复述，梅根·威瑟尔讲述。
我们去旅行吧。我们会提前去一个地方。玉皇大帝统治着天空。他很善良。他很聪明。
玉皇大帝想要一种报时的方法。他日复一日地工作。
他赚了好几个月又好几年。每年有十二个月。十二年为一个周期。
他想说出每个周期的年份。他不知道该给他们取什么名字。然后他看到了动物。
“我要参加一场比赛！”他说。“第一批完成比赛的十二只动物将有一个以它们命名的年份！”
动物们听说了这场比赛。他们等不及了！
猫住在老鼠的隔壁。
“我们可以赢！”猫对老鼠说。
“我会起得特别早，”老鼠说。“我会成为赢家。”
“也早点叫醒我，”猫对老鼠说。“我们可以一起去。”
第二天，老鼠醒得特别早。他非常激动。他直奔终点。他把猫忘得一干二净！
老鼠到达了赛跑的起点。他在那里看到很多动物。牛在那里。马和猪在那里。甚至龙也在那里，和其他人一起！
“哦，不！”老鼠想。“那些动物更大。它们更强壮。我很小。我游泳游得不好。我跑不快。”
不过，老鼠很聪明。他有个主意。
老鼠跑到牛跟前。
“你能帮我吗？”他问道。“我可以骑在你头上。我会在你耳边唱歌。”
（老鼠也聪明迷人。）
“好的。我喜欢歌曲。听起来不错。”
老鼠爬到牛头上。他唱啊唱啊。牛游啊游啊。
牛是第一个从河里爬出来的。他朝终点线跑去。
“我们要赢了！”公牛喊道。
老鼠从牛头上跳下来。他跑在前面！
“是的！”聪明的老鼠欢呼着。“我会第一个！”
他是！玉皇大帝以老鼠的名字命名第一年。牛是第二。
老虎排第三。然后是兔子、龙、蛇、马、羊、猴、鸡、狗和猪。
老鼠带着一等奖走回家。
猫醒得晚。他跑到外面。他看见老鼠拿着奖品。猫非常生气。老鼠没有吵醒他！这就是为什么从那以后猫一直在追逐老鼠。
6 Jing wei Fills the Sea
精卫填海
女娃到东海游玩，溺于水中，因心中不平化为神鸟，名曰精卫。她每天衔石子企图填满大海，大海嘲笑精卫，以她微薄之力几万年也填不满大海。精卫仍然坚持不懈，相信再困难的事只要有毅力终能完成。
Welcome to ALO7’s Power to Learn! Today’s story is Jingwei Fills the Sea, retold by Jenny Lam and Sheila Higginson and narrated by Edward Scott.
The sun shone on the calm sea. Princess Nuwa smiled at its reflection.
It looked like a gold pebble in the water.
Nuwa walked down to the beach. She slid her small boat into the water.
She rowed out to sea.
Suddenly, clouds hid the sun. Birds returned to the beach.
Rain poured down. A strong wind blew across the sea. The wind made the waves rise. Higher! Higher! Waves pounded her boat.
The strong waves tipped over Nuwa’s boat. The boat sank into the sea.
Princess Nuwa sank too. She fought against the waves. They seemed higher than the sun. She reached upward. Was she swimming? Was she flying?
Nuwa turned into a beautiful bird! She spread her wings. She flew high above the water.
“Jingwei! Jingwei!” the princess bird cried. That’s how Princess Nuwa got her new name.
Jingwei was mad at the sea. It had sunk her boat!
She cried her name as she flew. “Jingwei! Jingwei!”
She picked up a stick in her beak. She dropped the stick into the sea.
On the second day, Jingwei dropped a rock into the sea.
On the third day, Jingwei found a gold pebble. It looked like the sun. She dropped it into the sea.
Day after day, Jingwei dropped a pebble, rock, or stick into the sea.
The sea laughed at Jingwei. “Your pebbles can never fill me up! Not in a million years!” Its waves grew higher. They almost reached Jingwei.
She flew higher. “I will still try!” Jingwei cried. “I will never give up!”
She flew in the sunshine. “I will fill you up, Sea! I will stop you from sinking any more boats!
Jingwei never gives up. She is small. The sea is big and strong. Still, Jing Wei does not stop. Every day, she makes the long, tiring trip. Every day, she drops a pebble, rock, or stick into the sea.
On calm days, she smiles at the sun's reflection in the sea.
Jingwei teaches a lesson. She shows us to never give up even when it is hard.
以下翻译来自百度翻译：
欢迎来到ALO7的学习力量！今天的故事是《精卫填海》，由林珍妮和希拉·希金森复述，爱德华·斯科特讲述。
阳光照在平静的海面上。女娲公主对它的倒影微笑。
它看起来像水中的一颗金卵石。
女娲走向海滩。她把小船滑入水中。
她划船出海。
突然，云层遮住了太阳。鸟儿回到了海滩。
倾盆大雨。一阵强风吹过海面。风使波浪上升。较高的！较高的！海浪冲击着她的船。
巨浪掀翻了女娲的船。船沉入海中。
女娲公主也沉没了。她与海浪搏斗。它们似乎比太阳还高。她向上伸手。她在游泳吗？她在飞吗？
女娲变成了一只美丽的鸟！她展开翅膀。她在水面上飞得很高。
“精卫！精卫！”小鸟公主叫道。这就是女娲公主的新名字。
精卫对大海很生气。它把她的船弄沉了！
她边飞边喊自己的名字。“精卫！精卫！”
她用嘴叼起一根棍子。她把棍子掉进海里。
第二天，精卫把一块石头扔到海里。
第三天，精卫发现了一块金卵石。它看起来像太阳。她把它扔到海里。
日复一日，精卫将一块卵石、岩石或棍子扔进海里。
大海嘲笑精卫。“你的鹅卵石永远也填不饱我！一百万年也填不饱我！”它的波浪越来越高。他们几乎到达了精卫。
她飞得更高。“我还是要试试！”精卫喊道。“我永远不会放弃！”
她在阳光下飞翔。“我会把你填满，大海！我会阻止你再沉下去！
精卫从不放弃。她很小。大海又大又壮。但是，精卫并没有停下来。每天，她都会进行漫长而疲惫的旅行。每天，她都会往海里扔一块卵石、石头或棍子。
在风平浪静的日子里，她对着阳光在海里的倒影微笑。
精卫给了我们一个教训。她告诉我们即使在困难的时候也不要放弃。
7、Ox's Big Mix-Up
神牛下凡
很久以前，日子过得很艰难，天帝听到了人们的哭喊，决定帮助人类。牛也住在天宫中，它勤劳又诚实，天帝十分信任它。天帝让牛告诉人们，要勤劳工作，三天就能有一顿饭了。牛飞速跑到人间，却忘了自己要说什么，错说成了一天三顿饭。天帝十分生气，将牛留在了人间。人们最终将如何呢？
Welcome to ALO7’s Power to Learn. Today’s story is Ox’s Big Mix-Up, written by Jenny Lam and Sheila Higginson, and narrated by Aaron Smith.
A long, long time ago, times were tough.
“My rice is not growing,” cried the farmer.
“My cabbage is not growing,” cried another farmer.
“My beans are not growing,” cried another farmer.
“We have no food for dinner,” cried his wife.
“I’m hungry!” cried their son.
The Emperor of Heaven heard the people’s cries. He felt bad for them.
He wanted to help.
Ox lived in heaven, too. Ox was a hard worker. Ox was honest. The Emperor trustedOx to help him.
“Ox!” called the Emperor. “Go down to the people. Tell them that they must work hard. Then they can have one meal every three days.”
“Yes, I’ll do it right away!” said Ox.
Ox started to run. He ran and ran and ran. He ran so far that he forgot what he had to say. Was it something about three meals and one day?
He could not remember.
Finally, Ox got to the people.
He told them, “You must work hard. Then you can have three meals each day.”
The people cheered. They began to work. They worked and worked and worked. Even when they were tired, they worked.
The Emperor asked Ox, “What did you tell them?”
“I told them to work hard. Then they would get three meals a day,” answered Ox.
“No!” said the Emperor. “It was one meal every three days!”
The Emperor remembered something.
Ox was a hard worker. Ox was honest. But Ox was not good at talking to others.
“What can I do?” the Emperor worried. “The people can’t work hard enough. They won’t make enough food. Not by themselves. They will think that I lied.”
The Emperor got angry. He wanted Ox to pay for his mistake.He kept Ox in the human world.
Ox had to help the people. He helped with farm work. He helped grow food. The people were able to eat three meals a day!
The Emperor never let Ox back into heaven. That is why oxen still work hard in the fields today.
以下翻译来自百度翻译：
欢迎使用ALO7的学习能力。今天的故事是《牛的大混乱》，由林珍妮和希拉·希金森撰写，艾伦·史密斯讲述。
很久很久以前，日子很艰难。
“我的稻子不长了，”农夫喊道。
“我的卷心菜不长了，”另一个农民喊道。
“我的豆子不长了，”另一个农民喊道。
“我们晚餐没有吃的，”他的妻子喊道。
“我饿了！”他们的儿子喊道。
天皇听到了人民的呼声。他为他们感到难过。
他想帮忙。
牛也住在天堂里。牛是个勤劳的工人。牛是诚实的。皇帝相信多克斯会帮助他。
“牛！”皇帝喊道。“到人民那里去。告诉他们必须努力工作。这样他们就可以每三天吃一顿饭。”
“是的，我马上就做！”牛说。
牛开始跑了。他跑啊跑啊跑。他跑得太远，忘了该说什么。是关于三餐一天的事吗？
他记不得了。
最后，牛来到了人民面前。
他告诉他们：“你必须努力工作，然后你可以每天吃三顿饭。”
人们欢呼起来。他们开始工作。他们工作，工作，工作。即使累了，他们也在工作。
皇帝问牛：“你对他们说了什么？”
“我告诉他们要努力工作。然后他们一天可以吃三顿饭，”牛回答。
“不！”皇帝说。“那是每三天吃一顿饭！”
皇帝想起了一件事。
牛是个勤劳的工人。牛是诚实的。但牛不善于与人交谈。
“我能做什么？”皇帝担心。“人们工作不够努力。他们不会制造足够的食物。不是靠他们自己。他们会认为我撒谎。”
皇帝生气了。他想让牛为他的错误付出代价。他把牛养在人间。
牛不得不帮助人们。他帮助做农活。他帮助种植粮食。人们一天能吃三顿饭！
皇帝从不让牛回天堂。这就是为什么牛今天还在地里辛勤劳作的原因。
8、The Four Dragons
四条龙
曾经，古代中国没有雨。农民们向玉帝哭诉，但始终得不到雨。中国东海里有四条龙，它们十分同情人类，于是将海水舀起，飞上天，用翅膀、尾巴和嘴洒水，水到处都是，形成了雨。人们十分感激，对四条龙鞠躬致敬。玉帝见此却十分生气，他让山神将四条龙囚禁起来。这之后东海一分为四，流过了四条龙被囚禁的山峰，形成了四条著名的大河。
Once, in ancient China, there was no rain.
“No rain!” the farmers cried.
Months later they cried, “Still no rain!”
Years later they cried, “No rain! “Still no rain!”
The farmers cried to the Jade Emperor. They asked for rain. But they did not get it.
Four great dragons lived in the East China Sea. They were Long Dragon, Yellow Dragon, Black Dragon, and Pearl Dragon.
The dragons felt sad for the people.
“We must help them!” said Pearl Dragon. “What can we do?”
The four dragons looked at the sea. The sea was filled with water. They could scoop up the water and fly high into the sky. They would make it rain!
"We can save the people!" cried Black Dragon.
The dragons dove into the sea. They scooped up all the water they could carry.
Then they flew high into the sky. Black Dragon flew north. Long Dragon flew west. Pearl Dragon flew south. Yellow Dragon flew to the center of China.
They spilled water from their wings. They spilled water from their tails.
They spilled water from their mouths. The water fell everywhere!
The people looked up. They did not see the dragons. They only saw the rain.
"Finally!" cried the people. “Rain!”
They were so happy. Everyone ran out to enjoy the rain. They opened their mouths to taste the cool water.
The people bowed to the sky. They thanked Jade Emperor.
Jade Emperor saw the rain falling. He wondered who had changed his world.
He saw the four dragons up in the sky. He got very angry at them. He called out to the Mountain God.
“Jail them!” the Emperor said. “Trap the dragons inside four mountains!”
The Mountain God trapped the dragons. They could not escape.
Then something strange happened.
The East China Sea split into four rivers. They flowed from the four mountains.
People say this is how the four great rivers of China were created. They gave water to the people. The four great dragons saved the people of China forever!
以下翻译来自百度翻译：
从前，在古代中国，没有雨。
“不下雨！”农民们喊道。
几个月后，他们喊道：“还是没有下雨！”
几年后，他们喊道：“不下雨！”
农民们向玉皇大帝哭诉。他们要求下雨。但是他们没有得到。
东海有四条巨龙，它们是长龙、黄龙、黑龙和珍珠龙。
龙为人民感到悲伤。
“我们必须帮助他们！”珠龙说。“我们能做什么？”
四条龙看着大海。大海充满了水。它们可以舀起水，飞到天上。它们会让天下雨的！
“我们可以拯救人民！”黑龙喊道。
龙潜入大海。它们把能携带的水都舀了起来。
然后他们飞到了高空。黑龙飞到了北方。长龙飞到了西部。珠龙飞到了南方。黄龙飞到了中国的中心。
它们从翅膀上溅水，从尾巴上溅水。
他们把水从嘴里泼了出来，到处都是水！
人们抬起头来。他们没有看到龙。他们只看到了雨。
“终于！”人们喊道，“下雨了！”
他们非常高兴。每个人都跑出去享受雨。他们张开嘴品尝凉水。
人们向天空鞠躬。他们感谢玉皇大帝。
玉皇大帝看见雨下了，他想知道是谁改变了他的世界。
他看到天上有四条龙。他对它们非常生气。他向山神喊道。
“四条龙！”皇帝说。“四条龙在山里面！”
山神困住了龙，它们无法逃脱。
然后奇怪的事情发生了。
东海成四条河流，它们从四座山流出。
人们说中国四大河就是这样产生的。他们给了人民水。四大龙永远拯救了中国人民！
