In this passage, we get to read a retelling of one of China’s most beloved myths: 后羿射日 (Hòu Yì shè rì) — “Houyi Shoots the Suns.” This story is ancient, showing up in texts going back thousands of years. Houyi is a really iconic figure in Chinese mythology; you can think of him as China’s version of a Greek hero like Hercules, someone with superhuman ability who steps up to save humanity. He’s also famous for another story involving his wife 嫦娥 (Cháng’é). I haven’t posted that legend yet, maybe I’ll do so next week. Point is, Houyi sits at the heart of a whole web of Chinese cultural stories.
Key vocab
轮流 – lún liú – to take turns
庄稼 – zhuāng jia5 – crops
惩罚 – chéng fá – to punish
射箭 – shè jiàn – to shoot arrows
准确 – zhǔn què – accurate
弓箭 – gōng jiàn – bow and arrows
恢复 – huī fù – to recover, restore
勇气 – yǒng qì – courage
英雄 – yīng xióng – hero
后羿射日
很久很久以前，天上有十个太阳。它们是天帝的儿子，每天轮流出来照亮大地。但是有一天，十个太阳觉得很无聊，决定一起出来玩。
十个太阳同时出现在天空中，大地变得非常热。河流干了，庄稼死了，人们没有水喝，也没有食物吃。很多人因为太热而生病，甚至死去。人们向天帝求救，但天帝太爱他的儿子们，不愿意惩罚他们。
这时候，有一位叫后羿的英雄站了出来。他是世界上最厉害的射箭手，箭法非常准确。后羿看到人们受苦，心里非常难过。他决定用自己的弓箭射下多余的太阳。
后羿爬上最高的山，拿起他的弓，对准天空射箭。第一支箭射中了一个太阳，那个太阳立刻掉了下来。后羿继续射箭，一个接一个地射下太阳。当他射下第九个太阳时，人们大声喊道：”英雄，请留下最后一个太阳吧！我们需要它的光和温暖。”
后羿听了人们的话，放下了弓箭。从此以后，天上只剩下一个太阳。大地恢复了正常，河流又有了水，庄稼又长出来了。人们非常感谢后羿，把他当作伟大的英雄。
这个故事告诉我们：真正的英雄不仅要有勇气和能力，还要懂得什么时候该停下来。
Houyi Shoots the Suns
A very long time ago, there were ten suns in the sky. They were the sons of the Heavenly Emperor, and they took turns coming out each day to illuminate the earth. But one day, the ten suns felt bored and decided to come out together to play.
When the ten suns appeared in the sky at the same time, the earth became extremely hot. Rivers dried up, crops died, and people had no water to drink and no food to eat. Many people got sick from the heat, and some even died. People begged the Heavenly Emperor for help, but he loved his sons too much and was unwilling to punish them.
At this time, a hero named Houyi stepped forward. He was the best archer in the world, with extremely accurate aim. When Houyi saw the people suffering, he felt very sad. He decided to use his bow and arrows to shoot down the extra suns.
Houyi climbed to the highest mountain, picked up his bow, and aimed at the sky to shoot. The first arrow hit one sun, and that sun immediately fell down. Houyi continued shooting arrows, shooting down the suns one after another. When he had shot down the ninth sun, the people shouted loudly: “Hero, please leave the last sun! We need its light and warmth.”
Houyi listened to the people and put down his bow and arrows. From then on, only one sun remained in the sky. The earth returned to normal, the rivers had water again, and crops grew once more. People were very grateful to Houyi and regarded him as a great hero.
This story tells us: A true hero must not only have courage and ability, but also know when to stop.
