元宵节的传说

Written and illustrated by Linda Yi | Chinese Translations by 竻竻

A long, long time ago – the world was a dangerous place. The 山were full of ferocious beasts (like the terrible Nian, with its sharp gnashing teeth)!  Unlucky villagers, who wandered too far into the mountains, would be gobbled up alive！

很久很久以前，我们生活的世界是个非常危险的地方！山里有很多凶猛的野兽。（比如一只名叫“年”的尖牙利齿的怪兽！）不幸的村民们, 如果不小心走进了深山老林，就会被猛兽活活吞掉！

 Finally, the people of the village had had enough. They fashioned bows and arrows out of bamboo, and set out into the 山. It was time to hunt monsters!

后来，村民们实在忍无可忍了，便用竹子做成弓和箭，走进山去捕杀怪兽!

***

**

While the people in the village were making their bows and arrows, a snowy white crane was preening its feathers, high up in the clouds! This was a beautiful bird – a magical bird. It had lived its entire life in the cloud gardens in the sky, and was a favorite of the Jade Emperor – the ruler of the heavens above.

而他们在做弓箭的同时，一只雪白的仙鹤正站在高高的云端上整理着自己的羽毛！多美丽的一只鸟呀！这可是一只仙鸟啊！它一直住在天宫中的御花园里,是玉皇大帝最喜爱的仙鹤。

As day became night, the heavenly crane decided to leave the garden, and to explore the skies beyond its home. The sun was beginning to set in the west, and the sky was changing into oranges and pinks. As the crane flew, it stretched out its wings… and admired how its white feathers glowed pink under the setting sun! 

那天傍晚，西边的太阳快要落山了，天空也被霞光映成了美丽的橙色和粉红色。这只仙鹤决定要离开花园, 去看看外面的世界。它飞啊飞啊，一边拍打着翅膀，一边欣赏着自己洁白的羽毛慢慢被夕阳涂上粉色的光！

As the crane flew on, the pink sky darkened… there was a flash of lightning, and a rumble of thunder. Suddenly,heavy rain began to pour – heaving drops beating against the crane! Caught by surprise, the crane began to fly downward, towards the misty mountains down below…

仙鹤飞着飞着，一路上那粉色的天空渐渐暗了下来。紧接着，一道闪电划破天际，轰隆隆的雷声在耳边响起！突然，倾盆大雨哗哗哗开始降落，豆大的雨点狠狠地打在仙鹤的身上，发出了啪啪啪的响声！仙鹤不知所措，只好向下面那条挂着迷雾的山飞去… 

Perhaps it could find shelter in a mountain cave?

它想，也许能在某个山洞里避一避雨?

**

***

In the mountains below, the villagers had been caught in the rain – and had taken shelter in a nearby cave.

这时，山中的村民们也被大雨困住了，便找了个山洞躲了起来。

They glanced out, towards the sky, and were terrified to see a dark shape flying straight at them!

他们望向洞外，惊恐地发现一个黑黑的东西直冲着他们飞来！

**

Monster！” Somebody shrieked. 

“妖怪!“ 一个人尖叫道！

“Shoot it down! shouted another. 

““把它射下来！“ 另一个人喝到。 

And so the villagers lifted their bows… and fired their arrows!

于是，村民们举起了弓箭…射了出去！

***

Arrows flew – and one of them struck the white crane in its wing! The crane tumbled from the sky, and landed with a thud… right in front of the villagers! “Is the monster dead?” somebody asked. “Don’t think this is a monster”, said another. “It’s  hurt – come, lets bring it back to the village”. And so,the villagers picked up the injured crane, and hurried down the mountain.

箭飞了出去，射中了仙鹤的翅膀！那仙鹤从天空中坠落下来，咚的一声掉在村民的面前。“妖怪死了吗？”有人问道. “好像不是妖怪哦…”另一个人说. “它受伤了！来，我们把它带回村里吧”。于是，村民们抱起受伤的仙鹤，急匆匆地下了山。

**

***

As all this was happening, the Jade Emperor was strolling through the cloud gardens behind his palace in the sky. As he walked… he frowned. Something was missing. 

这时，天上的玉帝正在玉花园中散步。他一边走，一边皱着眉头。咦，好像少了点什么东西呢？

 “Where is the white crane?” the Jade Emperor asked. “Why hasn’t it come?”

“白鹤呢？”玉帝问到，“它为什么没来见我？”

The Jade Emperor called for his two captains, 千里眼(Qiānlǐyǎn) and 顺风耳（Shùnfēng'ěr),  to find the white crane. With ears that can hear as far as the wind blows, 顺风耳（Shùnfēng'ěr) pricked up his ears... and heard a voice from the misty mountains below. “Is the monster dead?” 

玉帝便命千里眼、顺风耳去找那只白鹤。 顺风耳竖起耳朵使劲地听…听得人间山中传来一个人的声音：“妖怪死了吗？”

 And then, with sharp eyes that could see for a thousand miles,  千里眼(Qiānlǐyǎn) looked down to the earth and saw… a group of villagers carrying bows and arrows… and a single white crane. 

紧接着，千里眼瞪大eyes往人间一望，只见一大伙村民们，手里拿着弓和箭，还抬着一只白鹤。

Thus, 千里眼(Qiānlǐyǎn) and 顺风耳（Shùnfēng'ěr) reported back to the Jade Emperor: human villagers in the land below called your crane a monster, and shot it dead.  

于是，千里眼和顺风耳禀报玉帝说: “人间的村民把您的仙鹤当成妖怪射死了!” 

The Jade Emperor was furious! 

玉帝气坏了！

Believing that his favorite crane had been killed, he commanded: On the 15th day of the new lunar year, his armies would rain fire down on the village below. 

他以为自己心爱的仙鹤被人类杀死了，便下旨：正月十五，天兵到人间放火。

“Burn them!”

“把他们全烧了！” 

Thundered the Jade Emperor, “until not a single house, not a single person, and not a single blade of grass shall remain!”  

玉帝喝到， ”一座房子、一个人、一根草都不能留！“

***

**

Startled by her father’s fury, the Jade princess slipped silently from the Jade palace. She rode a silver moonbeam down to the village below!  At first villagers were awed by the beautiful maiden who appeared before them – with starlight twinkling in her hair. But, when the Jade Princess spoke, their eyes widened in fear.

玉帝的女儿被父王吓了一跳，便悄悄地离开了天宫。她驾着月光，来到了村庄里。一开始, 村民们被这位突然出现的少女给迷住了– 她真美呀，连头发里都闪着星星！不过，当玉女开口说话时，村民们睁大了眼睛，开始害怕起来。

The Princess said:

玉女说：

 “My father, Yu-Di,is angry that you have killed his favorite crane. On zheng-yue-shi-wu, heavenly fire will rain down on this village, until not a single blade of grass remains.  “Oh no!”The villagers gasped, “what shall we do?!” They cried. 

“你们杀了玉帝心爱的仙鹤，他非常愤怒。正月十五那天，会有大火降临在你们这里，把村子烧得一根草也不剩。“完了，完了！“ 村民们惊恐万分，“我们可怎么办呢？”他们哭喊到。

“But, but – “ came a child’s voice. “But the crane is not dead!” 

“可~是~“，一个孩子说“那只仙鹤没死啊！”

The Jade Princess looked down, and saw a young girl. In one hand, she held a bucket of water. In the other hand, she carried a small, glowing lantern. “I’ve just gone to get some water for the crane”, said the girl to the princess. “It is resting now.”

玉女低头一看，看见一个小女孩。她一只手拿着水桶，另一只手拿着一盏小灯笼。“我刚去给仙鹤打了点水“，女孩儿告诉玉女。“它正在休息呢”.

The Jade Princess gazed at the girl… and gave a slight smile. Then, she turned back to the villagers and said: “Even if you did not kill the crane, harming a heavenly creature is still a serious crime.” “Still, I can see you carry no evil in your hearts. So, I offer you these words before I go: the way to save you all… lies in the hands of a child. “ And with that, the Jade Princess vanished.

玉女看了看这女孩，微微一笑。然后，她转身对村民们说：“虽然你们没有杀害仙鹤，但是射伤天宫的神物也是重罪难逃。”“不过，我看得出来你们并没恶意。送给你们一句话：能救所有人的办法…掌握在一个孩子的手中。“说完这句话，玉女便消失了

“ A 孩子?!””What does it mean?” the villagers cried. 

“一个child？!”,  “这话什么意思啊？”, 村民疑惑道。

Just then, an old woman noticed little girl– still carrying her water bucket, and a little paper lantern. “I know what to do”, the old woman said. “Listen closely，everyone!…”

就在这时，一位老奶奶看到了刚才手里提着小灯笼的小女孩。老奶奶说：“我知道应该怎么做了，大家听好了！……

**

***

The next day, the villagers made hundreds and hundreds of red lanterns. They hung the lanterns from every roof and on every street.  On the 14th night of the new lunar year, the villagers lit their lanterns. Then, they set off all the firecrackers – and the village was ablaze with light and sound! 

第二天, 村民们做了上百盏红灯笼。他们在每个屋顶和每条街上都挂满了灯笼。正月十四那天晚上，村民们把灯笼统统点亮了。他们又点燃了鞭炮，灯火辉煌，炮声雷动，热闹极了！

For three days, and three nights, the villagers kept the lanterns burning bright –

村民们连续三天三夜点亮了灯笼，

and in the evenings, the sound of firecrackers and bright lights of fireworks filled the skies! 

点燃了鞭炮！噼噼叭叭的鞭炮声响彻云霄，红红艳艳的灯光照亮了村庄！

***

**

As for the Sky armies the Jade Emperor sent? By the time they flew to the village– all they saw was a blaze of red. All they heard was the sound of loud explosions！And so, they  flew back to the Jade Palace and reported to the Jade Emperor: “The village is ablaze and burning bright. By morning, not a single blade of grass shall remain!” 

再说回玉帝的天兵天将，当他们奉命飞到村子上空时，只见一片红光。到处都是噼噼叭叭的响声！于是，他们飞回天宫，禀报玉帝：“村子已被大火吞没了。到了早上，一根草都不剩了。”

“Excellent”,

“很好”,

replied the Jade Emperor, nodding his approval.

玉帝点头道。

***

**

Dawn came and went, the sun was rising into a clear blue sky. And in the village - not one house was damaged, and not one villager was hurt. The white crane was healed (for magical creatures heal quite quickly!), and the villagers waved goodbye as it flew away into the bright blue sky…

新的一天，太阳又升起来了，而村子里，一座房子都没被烧毁，一个人都没受到伤害。仙鹤的伤势也完全愈合了 （毕竟，它是一只仙鹤嘛！）它拍打着翅膀，飞向了蔚蓝色的天空。村民们向着它的背影挥手告别…

And from that day on, on the 15thday of each lunar year (Which is the Chinese lantern festival, 元宵节), we would light bright lanterns … and celebrate the night the village was saved!

从那天起，每年正月十五(元宵节)，家家户户都会点亮灯笼，纪念这个日子！

Mandarin Video Version: