中国故事英文版年英文二篇

年兽Nian

年兽Onceuponatime,therewasaferociousmonsternamed"Nian".Heranaround,harmingpeople'shorses,cattle,sheep,pigs,dogsandchickens,andhurtmanypeople.Shennong,theancientone,decidedtopunish"Nian"andlockhiminthemountains.Hewasonlyallowedtocomeoutonceayear.Butwhenwould"Nian"comeout?Peopledidn'tknow,sotheywerealwaysafraid.Onedaypassed,and"Nian"didnotcome.Amonthpassed,and"Nian"didnotcome.Oh,hewasstillsoferocious!"Nian"huntedsheepandbitdogswhenhesawone.Hiseyeswerewidened,seekingforprey.Untiloneday,Shennong,theancientone,heldawhipinhishand,andhelashedthebeastonthebackside,andtheferocious"Nian"felltotheground.Nianranbacktothemountainsandneverdaredtocomeoutagain.Sincethen,peoplequicklygetreadyeverytwelfthlunarmonth:theystoregraininthewarehouse，putvegetablesinbigjars，drivetheirchickensintothenestand

theircattlebacktothecattlepen.EveryonehasbecomefamiliarwithNian'stemperandfoundthatheismostafraidofthecolorred.Heisalsoparticularlyafraidoffireandnoise-easy-peasy!Attheendofthetwelfthlunarmonth,"Nian"came.Helookedtotheleft:everydoorhadredpaperonit,andthepaperwascoveredwithblockshecouldn'trecognize,whichterrified"Nian"alot!"Nian"lookedtotheright:everyhouseholdwasbrightlylit,withlotuslanterns,rabbitlanternsandredlanternshangingonthedoors.Nianwasscaredandstartedto

scream!Nowadays,celebratingtheSpringFestivalisstillatraditionalcustomofChinesepeople.EveryfamilyhastoprepareabigNewYear'sEvedinner.Mothersarebusyinthekitchen,andchildrenareplayinginthelivingroom.EveryfamilywillbereunitedonthisdayandwillcelebratetheNewYearhappily!AftertheSpringFestival,peoplewillhappilywelcomethearrivalofspring!CaochongweighedanElephantIntheperiodoftheThreeKinodoms.SunQuanoftheWuKingdomoncegaveCaoCaoanelephantas

a

present.Onhearingthis,CaoCaoandhistopofficialsweresohappythattheyallwentoutsidetolookat

it.AyoungboyfollowedCaoCaoclosely.HewasCaoChong,CaoCao'sson.Wow！Theelephantwassohuge！Thefourlegsasalonewereasthickasthepillarsofapalace,Despiteitssize,theelephantwasquitetame.Wantingtoseehowbigtheelephantwas,CaoChonggotveryclosetoit,onlytofindthathecoudbarelyreachuptotheelephant'sbelly.Onseeingthis,CaoCaosaidtoeveryone,"I

wonderhowmuchthishugeelephantweighsDoesanyonehave

anyideahowtoweighit?""Howcanweweigh

athingthisbig?"Allthecivilandmilitaryofficialstartedtotalktoeachother,searching

for

anidea.Someonesaid,"Wecanonlyweighitifwebuildahugesetofscales."Butimaginehowbigthatsetofscaleswouldhavetobe!Andevenwithsuchscales,itwouldbeimpossibletoweighalivingelephantonthem!Ageneralspokeinagruffvoice,"Thisiseasy!Weonlyhavetokillit,cutitup,andthenweighthepiecesonebyone."Onhearingthis,everyoneburstintolaughter.Whywouldanyonekillanelephantjusttohaveitweighed!Nooneelsecouldfigureoutabetteridea.Thecivilandmilitaryofficialsallhungtheirheadsinshameandstoppedtalking.Justthen,CaoChongwalkedinfrontofeverybodyandsaid,"Ihaveasolutiontoweightheelephantproperly.”SeeingthatitwashisbelovedsonCaoChong,CaoCaopretendedtobeangry,andsaid,"Nooneinmycourtcanfigureouthowtoweighanelephant.Sohowcanyou,amerechild,solvethisproblem?"CaoChongthenwhisperedsomethingintoCaoCao'searsthatmadeCaoCaosmile.CaoCaoimmediatelytoldeveryone,"Followme!Let'sgototheriversideandwatchthiselephantbeingweighed!"AbigboatwasmooredintheriverCaoChongaskedsomeonetoleadtheelephantontotheboat.Theelephantwassoheavy!Themomentitgotontotheboat,theboatwentdownalot.Whentheboatstoppedrocking,CaoChongcutamarkalongthewaterlineonthesideoftheboatwithasmalldagger.Thenheaskedsomeonetoleadtheelephantbackontothebank.Everybodywatchedwiththeireyeswideopen,butnobodyhadtheslightestcluewhatwasgoingon.Afterthat,CaoChongaskedpeopletoaetalotofrocksandslowlyloadthemontotheboat.Themorerocksthatwereloaded,thedeepertheboatsank.Assoonastheboatsanktothelevelwherethewaterlinemetthemarkonthesideoftheboat,CaoChongshouted,"Stop!"Atlast,everbodyrealizedwhatwasgoingon."Hooray!Hooray!"Peoplestartedcheerinqandclapping,marvelingatthiscleveridea.Nowtheonlythingthathadtobedonewastoweighalltherocksandthenaddupthetotaltoknowtheexactweightoftheelephant.Whentheweighingofalltherockswasfinished,thesoldierinchargewasjustabouttoreportthefinalnumber.CaoChongstoppedhim,"Holdon!WhenImadethemark,Iwasalsoonboardwiththeelephant,somyweightshouldbesubtractedfromthefinalnu