HSK 5 · Story · 620 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/hou-yi-shoots-the-suns

后羿射日

Hou Yi shoots the nine suns

Name: ________________ Date: ________

你nǐ有没有yǒuméiyǒu想xiǎng过guò,天上tiānshàng为什么wèishénme只有zhíyǒu一yí个gè太阳tàiyáng?中国zhōngguó古代gǔdài的de神话shénhuà说shuō,以前yǐqián其实qíshí有yǒu十shí个gè。

这zhè十shí个gè太阳tàiyáng是shì天上tiānshàng的de大神dàshén帝俊dìjùn的de儿子érzi。他们tāmen住zhù在zài东边dōngbiān大海dàhǎi里的de一yì棵kē大树dàshù上shàng,九jiǔ个gè在zài下面xiàmiàn休息xiūxi,一个yígè在zài最zuì上面shàngmiàn。每天měitiān早上zǎoshang,只有zhíyǒu一yí个gè太阳tàiyáng去qù天上tiānshàng上班shàngbān,其他qítā的de在家zàijiā等děng着zhe。十shí兄弟xiōngdì就jiù这样zhèyàng轮流lúnliú,一yì人rén一天yìtiān。

可是kěshì过guò了le很hěn久jiǔ,太阳tàiyáng们men觉得juéde一yí个gè人rén上班shàngbān太tài无聊wúliáo了le。有yǒu一天yìtiān,他们tāmen商量shāngliang好hǎo了le:“今天jīntiān我们wǒmen一起yìqǐ去qù!”

于是yúshì,十shí个gè太阳tàiyáng同时tóngshí出现chūxiàn在zài了le天上tiānshàng。

这下zhèxià,地上dìshang的de人rén可kě受不了shòubuliǎo了le。河hé里的de水shuǐ被bèi晒干shàigān了le,地dì里的de庄稼zhuāngjia被bèi晒shài死sǐ了le,树木shùmù和hé小草xiáocǎo都dōu干gān死sǐ了le,人们rénmen没有méiyǒu东西dōngxī吃chī,也yě没有méiyǒu水shuǐ喝hē。山shān里的de怪物guàiwu也yě跑pǎo了le出来chūlái,到处dàochù害人hàirén。

那nà时候shíhou管理guánlǐ天下tiānxià的de是shì尧yáo,他tā急jí得de吃不下chībuxià饭fàn,睡不着shuìbuzháo觉jiào。最后zuìhòu,他tā找zhǎo来lái了le一个yígè射箭shèjiàn特别tèbié厉害lìhai的de人rén,名字míngzi叫jiào羿yì。今天jīntiān的de人rén一般yìbān叫jiào他tā后羿hòuyì。古书gǔshū上shàng说shuō,帝俊dìjùn送给sònggěi了le他tā一yì张zhāng红色hóngsè的de弓gōng和hé一些yìxiē白色báisè的de箭jiàn,让ràng他tā去qù帮助bāngzhù地上dìshang的de人rén。

后羿hòuyì先xiān对duì着zhe天tiān大喊dàhǎn:“快kuài回去huíqù,一个yígè一个yígè来lái!”太阳tàiyáng们men根本gēnběn不bù听tīng,还hái在zài天上tiānshàng哈哈大笑hāhā-dàxiào。

后羿hòuyì生气shēngqì了le。他tā拉开lākāi弓gōng,一yí箭jiàn射shè了le出去chūqu。只zhǐ听见tīngjiàn天上tiānshàng一yì声shēng大dà响xiǎng,一yí个gè太阳tàiyáng就jiù掉diào了le下来xiàlai。人们rénmen跑pǎo过去guòqu一yí看kàn,掉diào在zài地上dìshang的de不是búshì火球huǒqiú,而是érshì一yì只zhī三sān条tiáo腿tuǐ的de大dà黑hēi鸟niǎo。

后羿hòuyì一yí箭jiàn接jiē一yí箭jiàn,太阳tàiyáng一个接一个yígèjiēyígè地dì掉diào下来xiàlai。天上tiānshàng越来越yuèláiyuè凉快liángkuai,人们rénmen越来越yuèláiyuè高兴gāoxìng。

射shè到dào第九dìjiǔ个gè的de时候shíhou,后羿hòuyì又yòu拿起náqǐ了le一yì支zhī箭jiàn。这时候zhèshíhou,尧yáo赶紧gánjǐn拦住lánzhù了le他tā:“别bié射shè了le,一个yígè都dōu不bù留liú的话dehuà,世界shìjiè就jiù永远yóngyuǎn是shì黑夜hēiyè了le!”有yǒu一种yìzhǒng说法shuōfǎ是shì,尧yáo偷偷tōutōu拿走názǒu了le后羿hòuyì的de最后zuìhòu一yì支zhī箭jiàn。

就jiù这样zhèyàng,天上tiānshàng只zhǐ剩下shèngxia了le一yí个gè太阳tàiyáng。它tā再也zàiyě不bù敢gǎn偷懒tōulǎn,也yě不bù敢gǎn乱跑luànpǎo,每天měitiān按时ànshí升shēng起来qǐlai,按时ànshí落下luòxià去qù,一直yìzhí到dào今天jīntiān。

不过búguò,帝俊dìjùn知道zhīdào自己zìjǐ的de九jiǔ个gè儿子érzi死sǐ了le,心里xīnli很hěn难过nánguò。后来hòulái的de一些yìxiē故事gùshi说shuō,羿yì本来běnlái是shì天上tiānshàng的de神shén,帝俊dìjùn一yì生气shēngqì,就jiù不bú让ràng他tā回huí天上tiānshàng了le。后羿hòuyì只好zhíhǎo留liú在zài人间rénjiān,和hé嫦娥cháng’é一起yìqǐ过日子guòrìzi。他们tāmen后来hòulái怎么样zěnmeyàng了le,又yòu是shì另lìng一个yígè有名yǒumíng的de传说chuánshuō。

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
棵kēclassifier for trees, plants and vegetables
兄弟xiōngdìbrother; bro (friendly address among men)
无聊wúliáoboring; bored
商量shāngliangto discuss; to consult
同时tóngshíat the same time; simultaneously
出现chūxiànto appear; to emerge; to arise
死sǐto die; dead
管理guánlǐmanagement; administration; to manage; to administer
厉害lìhaiimpressive; amazing; really good (at it)
响xiǎngto sound; to ring; sound; noise
掉diàoto fall; to drop
永远yóngyuǎnforever; always; eternally

English (for the teacher)

Have you ever wondered why there is only one sun in the sky? Ancient Chinese myth says there used to be ten.

The ten suns were the sons of Dijun, a great god in the sky. They lived in a great tree in the eastern sea: nine rested lower down and one at the very top. Every morning only one sun went up into the sky to work, while the others waited at home. The ten brothers took turns like this, one day each.

But after a long time the suns found working alone too boring. One day they agreed: “Today we all go together!”

And so ten suns appeared in the sky at once.

Now the people on earth could not bear it. The sun dried up the rivers and scorched the crops in the fields to death; trees and grass withered, and people had nothing to eat and nothing to drink. Monsters came out of the mountains too and attacked people everywhere.

The ruler of the land at that time was Yao, and he was so worried he could neither eat nor sleep. At last he sent for a man who was a superb archer, named Yi. Today people usually call him Hou Yi. The old books say Dijun gave him a red bow and white arrows and told him to help the people on earth.

First Hou Yi shouted at the sky: “Go back! One at a time!” The suns didn’t listen at all; they just laughed up in the sky.

Hou Yi got angry. He drew his bow and let fly. There was a loud crack in the sky, and one sun fell. People ran over to look, and what lay on the ground was not a ball of fire but a big black bird with three legs.

Hou Yi shot arrow after arrow, and the suns fell one after another. The sky grew cooler and cooler, and the people happier and happier.

When he had shot the ninth, Hou Yi picked up another arrow. At that moment Yao rushed to stop him: “Stop shooting! If you leave none, the world will be night forever!” One version says Yao secretly took away Hou Yi’s last arrow.

And so only one sun was left in the sky. It never dared to slack off or wander again: it rose on time and set on time every day, right up to today.

But when Dijun learned that nine of his sons were dead, he was heartbroken. Some later stories say that Yi had been a god from heaven, and in his anger Dijun would not let him go back. Hou Yi had to stay in the human world and live there with Chang’e. What became of them is another famous legend.