Chinese Folktale: The Long (Dragon) King of the East Sea Sinking Dong Jing

Preface: This story is widely spread in Chinese folklore, telling people to cherish what they currently have and not to be too greedy.

很Hěn久jiǔ很hěn久jiǔ以yǐ前qián ， 玉yù皇huáng大dà帝dì派pài敖áo广guǎng治zhì理lǐ东dōng海hǎi 。
A long time ago, Yu Huang Da DI (the Jade Emperor) sent Ao Guang to govern the East Sea.

东Dōng海hǎi只zhǐ有yǒu现xiàn在zài的de一yī半bàn大dà ， 靠kào西xī的de大dà洋yáng都dōu是shì东dōng京jīng辖xiá地dì 。
The East Sea was only half its current size, and the vast ocean to the west belonged to the Dong Jing..

敖Áo广guǎng想xiǎng扩kuò展zhǎn地dì盘pán ， 但dàn北běi有yǒu北běi海hǎi ， 南nán有yǒu南nán海hǎi ， 都dōu有yǒu玉yù帝dì的de界jiè碑bēi 。
Ao Guang wanted to expand his territory, but there were boundary markers of Yu Huang Da Di in the North Sea to the north and the South Sea to the south.

唯Wéi有yǒu东dōng海hǎi与yǔ东dōng京jīng的de壤rǎng界jiè ， 玉yù帝dì没méi有yǒu立lì碑bēi 。
The only boundary between the East Sea and the Dong Jing was not marked by a monument from Yu Huang Da Di.

敖Áo广guǎng与yǔ七qī须xū龙lóng王wáng商shāng量liáng ， 想xiǎng并bìng吞tūn东dōng京jīng 。
Ao Guang plotted with the Seven-Whisker Long (Dragon) King to annex the Dong Jing.

敖Áo广guǎng送sòng奇qí珍zhēn异yì宝bǎo给gěi妙miào庄zhuāng王wáng ， 还hái将jiāng龙lóng女nǚ嫁jià给gěi妙miào庄zhuāng王wáng 。
Ao Guang sent precious treasures to King Miaozhuang and even gave his sixth daughter to the king as a concubine.
(Remarks: King Miaozhuang is the father of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy in Buddhist legend.)

妙Miào庄zhuāng王wáng迷mí恋liàn龙lóng女nǚ ， 不bù理lǐ朝cháo政zhèng ， 东dōng京jīng衰shuāi败bài 。
King Miaozhuang became obsessed with the Long (dragon) princess and neglected his duties, leading to the decline of the Dong Jing.

敖Áo广guǎng上shàng奏zòu天tiān庭tíng ， 恳kěn请qǐng玉yù帝dì塌tā掉diào东dōng京jīng 。
Ao Guang petitioned the Heavenly Court, requesting Yu Huang Da Di to destroy the Dong Jing.

玉Yù帝dì准zhǔn奏zòu ， 但dàn被bèi吕lǚ洞dòng宾bīn阻zǔ止zhǐ 。
Yu Huang Da Di agreed but was stopped by Lu Dong Bin.

吕Lǚ洞dòng宾bīn说shuō ， 这zhè样yàng会huì冤yuān屈qū东dōng京jīng的de善shàn者zhě 。
Lu Dong Bin said it would wrong the good people in the Dong Jing.

吕Lǚ洞dòng宾bīn下xià凡fán ， 检jiǎn查chá东dōng京jīng是shì否fǒu有yǒu善shàn者zhě 。
Lu Dong Bin descended to Earth to check if there were any good people in the Eastern Capital.

吕Lǚ洞dòng宾bīn开kāi了le家jiā “ 勿wù过guò秤chèng油yóu店diàn ”， 油yóu随suí便biàn拿ná ， 只zhǐ收shōu三sān个gè铜tóng钱qián 。
Lu Dong Bin opened an “Unweighed Oil Shop,” where people could take as much oil as they wanted for just three copper coins.

葛Gě虹hóng用yòng三sān个gè铜tóng钱qián买mǎi了le一yī瓶píng油yóu ， 母mǔ亲qīn让ràng她tā还hái回huí多duō余yú的de油yóu 。
Ge Hong bought a full bottle of oil with three copper coins and her mother asked her to return the excess.

葛Gě虹hóng把bǎ油yóu还huán回huí ， 吕lǚ洞dòng宾bīn给gěi她tā一yī个gè葫hú芦lú瓢piáo ， 让ràng她tā看kàn石shí狮shī子zi是shì否fǒu出chū血xiě 。
Ge Hong returned the oil, and Lu Dong Bin gave her a gourd ladle, telling her to watch for blood on the stone lions.

七Qī须xū龙lóng杀shā猪zhū ， 把bǎ猪zhū血xuè泼pō在zài石shí狮shī子zi上shàng 。
The Seven-Whisker Long King killed a pig and poured its blood on the stone lions.

葛Gě虹hóng看kàn到dào石shí狮shī子zi出chū血xiě ， 石shí狮shī子zi飞fēi走zǒu ， 城chéng门mén倒dǎo塌tā ， 地de开kāi始shǐ塌tā陷xiàn 。
Ge Hong saw the bloody stone lions, which flew away, causing the city gate to collapse and the ground to sink.

葛Gě虹hóng和hé母mǔ亲qīn用yòng葫hú芦lú瓢piáo变biàn成chéng的de小xiǎo船chuán逃táo生shēng 。
Ge Hong and her mother escaped using the boat transformed from the gourd ladle.

小Xiǎo船chuán漂piāo到dào古gǔ樟zhāng树shù下xià ， 吕lǚ洞dòng宾bīn在zài树shù上shàng ， 葛gě虹hóng救jiù他tā上shàng船chuán 。
The boat drifted to an ancient camphor tree where Lu Dong Bin was, and Ge Hong rescued him onto the boat.

吕Lǚ洞dòng宾bīn让ràng葛gě虹hóng把bǎ杂zá物wù放fàng地dì上shàng ， 四sì周zhōu成chéng了le汪wāng洋yáng大dà海hǎi ， 只zhǐ有yǒu放fàng杂zá物wù的de地dì方fāng没méi事shì 。
Lu Dong Bin told Ge Hong to put household items on the ground, and amid the surrounding sea, only those places remained safe.

葫Hú芦lú船chuán变biàn成chéng了le舟zhōu山shān岛dǎo ， 葛gě虹hóng母mǔ女nǚ歇xiē着zhe的de地dì方fāng成chéng了le岱dài山shān岛dǎo 。
The gourd boat turned into Zhoushan Island, and where Ge Hong and her mother rested became Daishan Island.

塌Tā东dōng京jīng的de波bō浪làng平píng息xī后hòu ， 敖áo广guǎng的de子zǐ孙sūn占zhàn领lǐng了le舟zhōu山shān海hǎi域yù 。
After the waves subsided, the descendants of Ao Guang occupied various bays and holes in the Zhoushan Sea area.

妙Miào庄zhuāng王wáng失shī去qù东dōng京jīng ， 玉yù帝dì让ràng他tā治zhì理lǐ崇chóng明míng岛dǎo ， 两liǎng千qiān年nián后hòu再zài回huí东dōng京jīng为wéi王wáng 。
King Miaozhuang lost the Dong Jing and was given Chongming Island to govern by Yu Huang Da Di, with the promise to return to the Dong Jing as king after two thousand years.

因Yīn此cǐ ， 流liú传chuán下xià这zhè样yàng的de歌gē谣yáo ： 涨zhǎng崇chóng明míng ， 要yào还huán东dōng京jīng地dì ， 再zài过guò两liǎng千qiān年nián ！
Thus, the following ballad spread: “Rise Chongming, reclaim the land of the Dong Jing, after another two thousand years!”

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!