Chinese Folktale: Huang Di Xuan Yuan

Preface: The Three Emperors and the Five Emperors are all legendary tribal leaders in ancient China, and the most familiar of them is Huang Di (the Yellow Emperor). The Huang Di was devoted to solving problems for the people. It is said that he invented things such as boats, hats and tripods for mankind.

黄Huáng帝dì的de诞dàn生shēng有yǒu个gè美měi丽lì传chuán说shuō 。
There is a beautiful legend about the birth of Huang Di.

黄Huáng帝dì的de母mǔ亲qīn叫jiào附fù宝bǎo ， 是shì有yǒu熊xióng国guó国guó君jūn的de妻qī子zi 。
Huang Di’s mother was Fubao, the wife of the ruler of Youxiong.

附Fù宝bǎo多duō年nián未wèi孕yùn ， 非fēi常cháng焦jiāo虑lǜ 。
Fubao had been unable to conceive for many years and was very anxious.

一Yī天tiān晚wǎn上shàng ， 她tā睡shuì不bù着zháo ， 决jué定dìng出chū门mén散sàn步bù 。
One night, she couldn’t sleep and decided to go for a walk.

她Tā仰yǎng望wàng星xīng空kōng ， 向xiàng上shàng苍cāng祈qí祷dǎo 。
She gazed at the stars and prayed to the heavens.

忽Hū然rán ， 她tā看kàn到dào北běi斗dǒu七qī星xīng的de天tiān枢shū星xīng周zhōu围wéi闪shǎn耀yào着zhe光guāng芒máng 。
Suddenly, she saw a bright light surrounding Tianshu, the first star of the Big Dipper.

附Fù宝bǎo头tóu晕yūn目mù眩xuàn ， 感gǎn到dào腹fù中zhōng隐yǐn约yuē有yǒu东dōng西xī在zài动dòng 。
Fubao felt dizzy and sensed something moving in her abdomen.

她Tā就jiù这zhè样yàng怀huái孕yùn了le 。
In this way, she became pregnant.

附Fù宝bǎo怀huái孕yùn两liǎng年nián生shēng下xià男nán孩hái ， 这zhè就jiù是shì黄huáng帝dì 。
After two years of pregnancy, Fubao gave birth to a boy, who was Huang Di.

黄Huáng帝dì一yī生shēng下xià来lái就jiù会huì说shuō话huà ， 十shí五wǔ岁suì时shí无wú所suǒ不bù能néng 。
Huang Di could speak as soon as he was born and was omnipotent when he was fifteen.

人Rén们men称chēng他tā是shì天tiān之zhī骄jiāo子zǐ 。
People called him the son of heaven.

黄Huáng帝dì有yǒu四sì张zhāng面miàn孔kǒng ， 眼yǎn观guān六liù路lù ， 耳ěr听tīng八bā方fāng 。
Huang Di had four faces, could see in all directions, and hear from afar.

炎Yán帝dì神shén农nóng氏shì势shì力lì扩kuò大dà ， 与yǔ黄huáng帝dì争zhēng夺duó首shǒu领lǐng地dì位wèi 。
Yan Di, Shen Nong, expanded his influence and competed with Huang Di for leadership.

双Shuāng方fāng在zài阪bǎn泉quán之zhī野yě发fā动dòng战zhàn争zhēng ， 炎yán帝dì败bài退tuì南nán方fāng 。
The two sides fought a war in the field of Banquan, and Yan Di retreated south.

黄Huáng帝dì成chéng为wéi最zuì高gāo统tǒng治zhì者zhě后hòu ， 为wèi百bǎi姓xìng排pái忧yōu解jiě难nàn 。
After Huang Di became the supreme ruler, he worked to solve the problems of the people.

黄Huáng帝dì发fā明míng了le许xǔ多duō生shēng活huó用yòng品pǐn ， 如rú帽mào子zi 、 鼎dǐng 。
Huang Di invented many daily necessities, such as hats and cauldrons.

黄Huáng帝dì看kàn到dào树shù叶yè上shàng的de蚂mǎ蚁yǐ ， 想xiǎng到dào发fā明míng船chuán 。
Seeing an ant on a floating leaf inspired Huang Di to invent boats.

人Rén们men用yòng树shù干gàn尝cháng试shì ， 但dàn无wú法fǎ保bǎo持chí平píng衡héng 。
People tried using tree trunks but couldn’t maintain balance.

后Hòu来lái ， 人rén们men挖wā空kōng树shù干gàn ， 终zhōng于yú能néng坐zuò稳wěn 。
Later, they hollowed out the trunk and could sit stably.

黄Huáng帝dì又yòu指zhǐ导dǎo人rén们men用yòng木mù头tou做zuò桨jiǎng ， 控kòng制zhì船chuán的de方fāng向xiàng 。
Huang Di then instructed people to make oars from wood to control the boat’s direction.

这Zhè就jiù是shì中zhōng国guó最zuì早zǎo的de船chuán ， 叫jiào “ 舟zhōu ”。
This was the earliest boat in China, called “zhou”.

黄Huáng帝dì还hái发fā明míng了le车chē ， 因yīn此cǐ被bèi称chēng为wéi “ 轩xuān辕yuán氏shì ”。
Huang Di also invented the chariot, earning him the name “Xuan Yuan”.

人Rén们men需xū要yào迁qiān徙xǐ时shí ， 行xíng李lǐ太tài重zhòng很hěn不bù方fāng便biàn 。
When people needed to migrate, heavy luggage caused great inconvenience.

黄Huáng帝dì在zài黄huáng土tǔ高gāo原yuán避bì难nàn时shí ， 发fā现xiàn草cǎo帽mào被bèi风fēng吹chuī立lì在zài地dì上shàng滚gǔn动dòng 。
While seeking refuge on the Loess Plateau, Huang Di noticed his straw hat rolling upright in the wind.

他Tā受shòu此cǐ启qǐ发fā ， 用yòng柳liǔ条tiáo扎zhā成chéng圆yuán圈quān ， 做zuò成chéng车chē的de雏chú形xíng 。
Inspired by this, he used willow branches to make circular frames, forming the prototype of a chariot.

风Fēng后hòu用yòng石shí盘pán和hé木mù棍gùn改gǎi进jìn ， 做zuò成chéng更gèng牢láo固gù的de车chē 。
Feng Hou improved it with stone disks and wooden sticks, making a more sturdy vehicle.

仓Cāng颉jié给gěi这zhè个gè东dōng西xī起qǐ名míng “ 车chē ”。
Cang Jie named this invention “chariot”.

黄Huáng帝dì晚wǎn年nián发fā明míng鼎dǐng ， 铸zhù造zào时shí金jīn龙lóng从cóng天tiān而ér降jiàng 。
In his later years, Huang Di invented the cauldron, and a golden Long descended from the sky during its casting.

金Jīn龙lóng说shuō天tiān帝dì派pài它tā来lái带dài黄huáng帝dì升shēng天tiān 。
The Long said that the Heavenly Emperor sent it to take Huang Di to heaven.

黄Huáng帝dì跨kuà上shàng龙lóng背bèi ， 对duì大dà臣chén们men告gào别bié后hòu升shēng天tiān 。
Huang Di mounted the Long and bid farewell to his ministers before ascending.

后Hòu人rén把bǎ黄huáng帝dì升shēng天tiān的de地dì方fāng称chēng为wéi “ 鼎dǐng湖hú ”。
Later generations named the place where Huang Di ascended “Dinghu”.

因Yīn为wèi金jīn龙lóng是shì在zài鼎dǐng湖hú载zài着zhe黄huáng帝dì升shēng天tiān的de ， 世shì就jiù常cháng以yǐ “ 龙lóng去qù鼎dǐng湖hú ” 形xíng容róng帝dì王wáng去qù世shì 。
As the golden Long carried Huang Di to heaven at Dinghu, people often use “Long leaves Dinghu” to describe the death of an emperor.

通过阅读中国神话、民间故事、历史典故、人物传记学汉语，简单易学，中英对照，适合初学者！
Learning Chinese through reading Chinese mythology, folk stories, historical allusions, and biographies is easy to learn and bilingual, suitable for beginners!