Chang'e Flies to the Moon

Illustration for the Chinese story “Chang'e Flies to the Moon”

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很久hěn jiǔ以前yǐ qián,天上tiān shàng突然tū rán出现chū xiàn十个shí gè太阳tài yang!Long ago, ten suns suddenly appeared in the sky!大地dà dì被bèi烤kǎo得de冒烟mào yān,人们rén men热rè得de喘chuǎn不过bù guò气qì。The earth was scorched and smoking, and people were so hot they couldn't breathe.神箭手shén jiàn shǒu后羿hòu yì举起jǔ qǐ弓箭gōng jiàn,"嗖嗖嗖sōu sōu sōu"射下shè xià九个jiǔ gè太阳tài yang。The divine archer Houyi raised his bow and arrow, and with a "whoosh whoosh whoosh," shot down nine suns.只zhǐ留liú一个yī ge照亮zhào liàng人间rén jiān。He left only one to illuminate the world.

天帝tiān dì奖励jiǎng lì后羿hòu yì一颗yī kē长生不老药cháng shēng bù lǎo yào,说shuō:"吃下chī xià就jiù能néng成仙chéng xiān!"The Heavenly Emperor rewarded Houyi with an immortality pill, saying, "Eat this and you can become an immortal!"

后羿hòu yì把bǎ药yào交给jiāo gěi妻子qī zi嫦娥Cháng é保管bǎo guǎn。Houyi entrusted the pill to his wife Chang'e for safekeeping.可是kě shì,坏huài徒弟tú dì蓬蒙péng méng偷偷tōu tōu想xiǎng抢qiǎng药yào。However, the wicked disciple Peng Meng secretly wanted to steal the pill.

一天yī tiān晚上wǎn shang,蓬蒙péng méng趁chèn后羿hòu yì不在bù zài,举刀jǔ dāo冲进chōng jìn屋子wū zi:"快kuài把bǎ仙药xiān yào交出来jiāo chū lái!"One night, when Houyi was not home, Peng Meng rushed into the house with a knife, shouting, "Hand over the immortality pill!"嫦娥Cháng é急中生智jí zhōng shēng zhì,抓起zhuā qǐ药yào吞了tūn le下去xià qù!In a moment of desperation, Chang'e grabbed the pill and swallowed it!突然tū rán,她tā身子shēn zi变轻biàn qīng飘了piāo le起来qǐ lai,越yuè飞fēi越yuè高gāo。Suddenly, her body became light and she floated up, flying higher and higher.最后zuì hòu落到luò dào了le冷清lěng qīng的de月亮yuè liang上shàng。Finally, she landed on the desolate moon.

后羿hòu yì回家huí jiā后hòu伤心shāng xīn极了jí le,每晚měi wǎn都dōu望着wàng zhe月亮yuè liang。When Houyi returned home, he was heartbroken and gazed at the moon every night.他tā发现fā xiàn月亮yuè liang上shàng有yǒu个gè晃动huàng dòng的de影子yǐng zi,就jiù像xiàng嫦娥Cháng é在zài跳舞tiào wǔ。He noticed a swaying shadow on the moon, as if Chang'e was dancing.人们rén men说shuō,嫦娥Cháng é身边shēn biān有yǒu只zhī雪白xuě bái的de玉兔yù tù陪péi她tā捣药dǎo yào。People say that beside Chang'e, there is a snow-white jade rabbit accompanying her in pounding medicine.还有hái yǒu棵kē永远yǒng yuǎn砍kǎn不bù倒dǎo的de桂树guì shù飘香piāo xiāng。There is also an ever-fragrant osmanthus tree that can never be chopped down.

寓意yù yì:有时候yǒu shí hou为了wèi le保护bǎo hù爱ài的de人rén,我们wǒ men需要xū yào勇敢yǒng gǎn的de牺牲xī shēng。即使jí shǐ分离fēn lí,美好měi hǎo的de记忆jì yì也yě会huì像xiàng月光yuè guāng一样yī yàng永远yǒng yuǎn明亮míng liàng。Moral: Sometimes, to protect the ones we love, we need to make brave sacrifices. Even in separation, beautiful memories will shine forever like moonlight.

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