欧美人文风情第81篇:中秋节的故事(上)

 One morning, Houyi was practicing his sword fencing in the woods near the Heavenly Palace. 一日早晨，后羿正在天宫旁的森林里练习剑术。

Suddenly, he saw a raindrop slipping down from the leaf. 突然，他看到一滴雨水从树叶上滑下。
He drew his bow, and shot the raindrop. It hit, and splashed 1 everywhere. 他抽出弓，并射向那雨滴。射中了，还四处喷溅。
This happened to be seen by a group of fairy maidens 2 who were flying past the woods. 这碰巧被一群飞过树林的仙女看到了。
They started to praise Houyi's great shot. The most beautiful fairy maiden 3, whose name was Chang'e, 她们开始赞赏后羿完美的箭术。最美丽的仙女，她的名字是嫦娥，
exclaimed 4, "What a master archer 5!" But Houyi was very modest. 惊叹道：“真是个神射手!”但后羿非常地谦虚。
Chang'e and the other maidens danced for this master archer, 嫦娥和其他仙女为这名神射手跳舞，
and Houyi is very much attracted by Chang'e's beauty. 而后羿深深受到嫦娥美貌的吸引。
Suddenly, there were dark clouds, and some terrible sounds could be heard. 乌云乍现，且可以听到一些可怕的声响。
There, amidst the dark clouds came running a fierce wolf. 在那儿，在乌云中跑出一匹凶猛的狼。
The fairy maidens went into a panic, and did not know where to hide. 仙女们惊慌失措，且不知道要躲哪去。
The wolf dashed at the young ladies with its big mouth wide open, and the girls were scared to death. 那匹狼大嘴开开冲向那年轻的女士们，而女孩们都吓死了。
The wolf ran towards Chang'e, who was frightened out of her wits 6. 那匹狼跑向嫦娥，她已吓到不知所措。
And at this moment, just before the wolf ran towards Chang'e, Houyi drew the bow and shot the wolf dead. 而在这时，就在狼跑向嫦娥前，后羿抽出弓并将狼给射死。
The news of Houyi killing 7 the wolf was soon known by everyone in the Palace. 后羿杀死狼的消息很快地就让天宫里所有人给知道了。
The Lord 8 of Heaven decided 9 that Chang'e should marry Houyi. 天神决定嫦娥应该许配给后羿。
They lived together very happily until one day Houyi was showing off, and he shot down the sun. 他们非常快乐地生活在一起，直到有天后羿在炫耀卖弄，射下了太阳。
The Lord of Heaven got very angry, and sent them down to earth. 天神非常地生气，并将他们贬下凡间。
Chang'e did not want to leave the Palace, but she had to go with her husband to the human world. 嫦娥并不想离开天宫，但她必须和她的丈夫一起去人类的世界。
After Houyi shot down the sun, the weather on the earth became good for crops to grow, and people lived happily. 在后羿射下太阳后，地球上的天气变得适合谷物生长，且人们活得很开心。
But in the mountains, rivers and lakes, there lived wild beasts and monsters who came out to hurt people. 但在山上、河流和湖泊里，住着会出来伤害人们的猛兽和怪物。
Houyi heard that there was a monster with nine heads in the north who often did horrible things to people, and even ate people. 后羿听说北部有个常对人类做出恐怖事情的九头怪物，甚至会吃人。
Houyi decided to fight it. 后羿决定要对付它。
Houyi fought against the nine-headed monster for three days, but neither of them could win. 后羿和九头怪物奋战了三天，但他们俩没有一个可以胜出。
Later on, Houyi learned 10 that the only way to kill the monster was to cut off all of its nine heads. 后来，后羿得知要杀死怪物的唯一办法就是砍下它全部九颗头。
Otherwise, it would get even stronger. Houyi drew his big bow, and shot nine arrows all at the same time at the nine heads of the monster. 否则，它会变得更加强大。后羿抽出他的大弓，并同时将九支箭射向怪物的九颗头。
The nine heads all fell down, and the monster died immediately. 九颗头全都落下，而怪物随即死了。
From then on, Houyi got lots of love and respect from the people. 自此后，后羿得到许多人们的爱戴以及尊敬。
He began to like his new life in the human world. 他开始喜欢他在人类世界的新生活。
But his wife still felt very sad, and missed her life in the Heaven very much. 但他的妻子还是感到非常难过，且非常想念她在天堂的生活。
One day, Chang'e was sitting at the table, waiting for her husband. 有一天，嫦娥坐在桌前，等待她的丈夫。
She felt sad and began crying at the thought of her unhappy life in the human world. 她一想到她在人类世界的不开心生活就感到难过且开始哭起来。
When she heard Houyi's footsteps 11, she did not go out to welcome him as usual. 当她听到后羿的脚步声，她没有像往常一样出去迎接他。
Houyi entered the room, and found Chang'e was so sad. 后羿进到房间，发现嫦娥非常难过。
He asked, "What is wrong with you? Don't you enjoy our life here?" 他问：“你怎么了？你不喜欢我们在这里的生活吗？”
Chang'e answered, "Ever since we arrived in the human world, my life has not been happy at all. 嫦娥回道：“自从我们抵达人类世界，我的生活就一点也不快乐。
You spend your time outside. Do you know how lonely and bored I am?" 你把时间都花在外头。你知道我有多孤单多无聊吗？”
Houyi smiled and said, "I will keep you company from now on. I'm going to take you to a deep valley in the mountain tomorrow. 后羿微笑并说：“从现在起我会陪着你。我明天会带你到山中的深谷。
I guarantee that the valley is more beautiful than anything you have seen in the Heaven." 我保证那个溪谷比起任何你在天堂看到的东西都还要美丽。”
The valley was indeed beautiful, quiet and cool, with many butterflies flying around. 那溪谷确实很美、宁静且凉爽，有许多蝴蝶四处飞舞。
Chang'e sat by the river to comb her long hair, looking at her reflection 12 in the water. 嫦娥坐在河边梳着她的长发，看着她在水中的倒影。
Houyi put some flowers in his wife's head. Chang'e was very happy and thought, "This is just the life I want." 后羿插了一些花在他妻子的头上。嫦娥非常开心并想着：“这就是我想要的生活。”
Suddenly, the quietness was interrupted by some screaming voices in the distance. 突然间，那平静被一些远方的尖叫声给打断了。
Houyi knew the beasts were hurting the villages. 后羿知道野兽正在蹂躏村庄。
So he quickly took his bow and arrows, and was about to hurry away, but Chang'e was very angry and cried. 所以他迅速地拿了他的弓箭，即将匆匆离开，但嫦娥非常生气而且哭了。
Houyi said, "It is my job to remove evils 14 from this world to protect the people. Forgive me." 后羿说：“将妖魔从这世界除掉来保护人们是我的职责。原谅我。”
And then he rushed away. Chagn'e cried and returned home alone. 接着他就仓促跑走了。嫦娥边哭边独自返家。
The following weeks Houyi went out to get rid of evils almost every day. 接下来几周后羿几乎每天都出去斩妖除魔。
It took a long time, but at last, he wiped out all the evils. 花上很长一段时间，但最后，他除掉了所有的妖魔。
When he happily returned home, he saw the sad look in Chang'e's face. 当他开心地回到家，他看见嫦娥脸上的伤心神情。
Houyi understood that he had made his wife suffer a lot, and he should treat her better. 后羿了解他已经让妻子受了很多苦，他应该要对她更好。
He also knew his wife didn't blame him. She was just worried about his safety. 他同样也知道妻子并不怪他。她只是担心他的安危。
After all, he was the only person she can depend on. 毕竟，他是她唯一可以依靠的人。
Now that all the evil 13 beasts were killed, Houyi and Chang'e lived peacefully, and happily, and spent their time together. 现在所有邪恶的野兽都被杀掉了，后羿和嫦娥平静且快乐地生活着，共度光阴。
Chang'e began to love her life on earth until one day she realized that she and Houyi would die someday, 嫦娥开始爱上她在地球的生活，直到有天她领悟到她和后羿有天都会死，
just as the ordinary people of the earth would. 就像世界上一般人一样。
Houyi knew that there was a Queen Mother who knew magic. 后羿知道有个懂魔法的王母娘娘。
If he could get one of her magic potions, 如果他可以得到她的一剂神奇药水，
he and his wife could live hundreds of years until the Lord of Heaven let them go back to the Heaven. 他和他的妻子就可以活数百年，直到天神让他们回到天堂。
So, having made up his mind, he set out with his bow and arrows to find the Queen Mother. 所以，下定了决心，他带着弓箭启程去找王母娘娘。