Chinese Folk Stories: The Legend of Transparent mesa

Preface: The Transparent mesa of Yimeng Seventy Two mesas. There is a cave at the top of the mesa, and at one end of the cave, you can see through to the sky at the other end. Regarding it, there is a beautiful legend about Er Lang Shen helping mortals.

很Hěn早zǎo很hěn早zǎo以yǐ前qián ， 在zài沂yí蒙méng山shān区qū ， 有yǒu两liǎng户hù人rén家jiā ， 一yī户hù在zài山shān前qián姓xìng王wáng ， 一yī户hù在zài山shān后hòu姓xìng赵zhào ， 两liǎng家jiā都dōu很hěn穷qióng 。
Long, long ago, in the Yi Meng mesas, there were two families. One lived in front of the mesa and was surnamed Wang, while the other lived behind the mesa and was surnamed Zhao. Both families were very poor.

一Yī年nián ， 两liǎng家jiā在zài同tóng一yī天tiān各gè添tiān了le一yī个gè孩hái子zi ， 王wáng家jiā生shēng了le女nǚ儿ér叫jiào水shuǐ秀xiù ， 赵zhào家jiā生shēng了le儿ér子zi叫jiào山shān明míng 。
One year, both families had a new baby on the same day. The Wang family had a daughter named Shuixiu, and the Zhao family had a son named Shanming.

两Liǎng家jiā人rén经jīng常cháng来lái往wǎng ， 关guān系xì很hěn好hǎo ， 老lǎo人rén们men就jiù决jué定dìng让ràng他tā们men结jié为wéi亲qìng家jiā 。
The two families visited each other often and had a good relationship, so the elders decided to make a marriage contract between them.

等Děng孩hái子zi们men长zhǎng到dào十shí六liù七qī岁suì时shí ， 王wáng家jiā开kāi始shǐ做zuò生shēng意yì ， 变biàn得de富fù有yǒu ， 而ér赵zhào家jiā还hái是shì一yī样yàng穷qióng 。
When the children grew up to be sixteen or seventeen years old, the Wang family started doing business and became rich, while the Zhao family remained poor.

王Wáng家jiā开kāi始shǐ看kàn不bù起qǐ赵zhào家jiā ， 不bù想xiǎng把bǎ水shuǐ秀xiù嫁jià给gěi山shān明míng了liǎo 。
The Wang family began to look down on the Zhao family and didn’t want to marry Shuixiu to Shanming anymore.

但Dàn两liǎng家jiā已yǐ有yǒu婚hūn约yuē ， 王wáng家jiā不bù好hǎo意yì思sī直zhí接jiē说shuō退tuì婚hūn ， 就jiù想xiǎng着zhe怎zěn么me找zhǎo个gè借jiè口kǒu 。
But since there was already a marriage contract between the two families, the Wang family was embarrassed to say they wanted to break it and tried to find an excuse.

水Shuǐ秀xiù和hé山shān明míng从cóng小xiǎo感gǎn情qíng就jiù很hěn好hǎo ， 长zhǎng大dà了le更gèng相xiāng爱ài了le 。
Shuixiu and Shanming had been close since childhood and loved each other even more when they grew up.

山Shān明míng的de父fù亲qīn看kàn到dào孩hái子zi们men感gǎn情qíng好hǎo ， 就jiù想xiǎng早zǎo点diǎn给gěi他tā们men订dìng婚hūn 。
Shanming’s father saw how much the children loved each other and wanted to engage them early.

他Tā带dài着zhe礼lǐ物wù去qù王wáng家jiā商shāng量liáng婚hūn事shì ， 却què遭zāo到dào王wáng家jiā刁diāo难nàn ， 要yāo求qiú三sān天tiān内nèi开kāi条tiáo山shān洞dòng才cái能néng嫁jià女nǚ儿ér 。
He brought gifts to the Wang family to discuss the marriage, but was bullied by them. They demanded that a tunnel be dug within three days before they would marry their daughter.

山Shān明míng的de父fù亲qīn觉jué得de这zhè是shì不bù可kě能néng的de ， 忍rěn气qì吞tūn声shēng地de回huí家jiā了le 。
Shanming’s father thought it was impossible and returned home feeling humiliated.

山Shān明míng听tīng说shuō后hòu非fēi常cháng伤shāng心xīn ， 想xiǎng自zì杀shā 。 幸Xìng运yùn的de是shì ， 二èr郎láng神shén路lù过guò ， 听tīng到dào了le他tā的de哭kū声shēng ， 决jué定dìng帮bāng他tā 。
Shanming was very sad when he heard the news and wanted to kill himself. Fortunately, Er Lang Shen of the Second Heaven passed by, heard his cries, and decided to help him.

二Èr郎láng神shén用yòng扁biǎn担dàn在zài山shān中zhōng间jiān捅tǒng了le个gè大dà洞dòng ， 赵zhào家jiā到dào王wáng家jiā就jiù有yǒu了le近jìn道dào 。
Er Lang Shen of the Second Heaven used his pole to make a big hole in the middle of the mesa, creating a shortcut from the Zhao family’s home to the Wang family’s.

王Wáng家jiā没méi办bàn法fǎ ， 只zhǐ好hǎo把bǎ水shuǐ秀xiù嫁jià给gěi了le山shān明míng 。
The Wang family had no choice but to marry Shuixiu to Shanming.

从Cóng此cǐ ， 山shān明míng做zuò生shēng意yì ， 水shuǐ秀xiù持chí家jiā ， 生shēng活huó越yuè过guò越yuè好hǎo 。
From then on, Shanming did business and Shuixiu took care of the household. Their life got better and better.

二Èr郎láng神shén因yīn为wèi帮bāng助zhù百bǎi姓xìng触chù怒nù了le玉yù帝dì ， 扁biǎn担dàn被bèi收shōu回huí天tiān宫gōng ， 但dàn山shān还hái在zài那nà里lǐ ， 人rén们men称chēng它tā为wéi “ 透tòu明míng崮gù ”。
Er Lang God of the Second Heaven angered the Jade Emperor by helping the people, and his pole was taken back to heaven. But the mesa remained there, and people called it “Transparent mesa.”

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!