Isn’t it weird that most cultures have an ancient flood myth? China actually has a couple of them, but this one is the most well-known. Unlike Noah’s ark, where Noah seeks to ride out the floodwaters, in this story, a father and son try to tame the raging waters, with mixed results.
Key vocab
治水 – zhìshuǐ – to control/tame floods
堵 – dǔ – to block/dam up
疏导 – shūdǎo – to channel/dredge
大坝 – dàbà – dam
倒塌 – dǎotā – to collapse
渠道 – qúdào – channel/canal
敬佩 – jìngpèi – to admire/respect
皇位 – huángwèi – throne/imperial position
道理 – dàolǐ – principle/reasoning
鲧禹治水
鲧禹治水
很久很久以前，天下发了大水。洪水淹没了农田，冲走了房子，老百姓没有地方住，没有东西吃。大家都非常痛苦。
尧帝看到这种情况，决定找一个人来治水。大臣们说：”鲧可以。”于是尧帝派鲧去治水。
鲧有一个办法。他说：”水来了，我就堵。”他带领百姓建造了许多大坝，把水拦住。但是水越来越多，大坝一个一个地倒塌了。九年过去了，洪水还在。鲧失败了。
新皇帝舜帝非常生气，把鲧处死了。然后他把治水的任务交给了鲧的儿子禹。
禹站在洪水边，想了很长时间。他想：”父亲用堵的办法失败了。也许我应该换一个办法。”
禹决定不堵水，而是疏导水。他带领百姓挖渠道，开山路，把洪水一点一点地引向大海。
禹治水十三年。这十三年里，他走遍了天下，吃了很多苦。他的脚因为长期走路，指甲都脱落了。有三次，他经过自己的家门口，听到了妻子和孩子的声音。但是他没有进去。他对自己说：”洪水还没有治好，我不能休息。”
第一次路过，他听到屋里有哭声。那是他的妻子在生孩子。他停下来听了一会儿，然后继续走了。
第二次路过，他的孩子已经会走路了，跑到门口叫他：”爸爸！爸爸！”禹摸了摸孩子的头，说：”乖，爸爸还有事情要做。”然后他走了。
第三次路过，孩子已经长大了一些。孩子问：”爸爸，你什么时候回家？”禹看着孩子，眼睛红了。但是他说：”等爸爸把洪水治好，就回来。”
终于，十三年后，禹成功了。洪水被引向大海，土地重新出现了，老百姓可以种田、盖房子了。天下太平了。
百姓们非常感激禹，称他为”大禹”。舜帝也非常敬佩他，后来把皇位传给了他。大禹成为了中国历史上最受尊敬的人之一。
人们说，鲧用堵的办法，失败了。禹用疏的办法，成功了。堵不如疏，这是大自然的道理，也是做人的道理。
Gun and Yu Tame the Flood
Gun and Yu Tame the Flood
A long, long time ago, a great flood covered the land. The floodwaters submerged the farmland and washed away houses. The common people had nowhere to live and nothing to eat. Everyone was suffering greatly.
Emperor Yao saw this situation and decided to find someone to control the flood. His ministers said: ‘Gun can do it.’ So Emperor Yao sent Gun to control the flood.
Gun had one method. He said: ‘When water comes, I will block it.’ He led the people to build many dams to hold back the water. But the water kept increasing, and the dams collapsed one after another. Nine years passed, and the flood was still there. Gun had failed.
The new emperor, Emperor Shun, was very angry and had Gun executed. Then he gave the task of controlling the flood to Gun’s son, Yu.
Yu stood at the edge of the floodwater and thought for a very long time. He thought: ‘My father used the blocking method and failed. Perhaps I should try a different approach.’
Yu decided not to block the water, but to channel it instead. He led the people to dig channels, cut paths through mountains, and guide the floodwater bit by bit toward the sea.
Yu worked on controlling the flood for thirteen years. During these thirteen years, he traveled across the entire land and endured many hardships. Because of his constant walking, even his toenails fell off. Three times, he passed by his own home and heard the voices of his wife and child. But he did not go in. He said to himself: ‘The flood is not yet controlled. I cannot rest.’
The first time he passed by, he heard crying inside the house. His wife was giving birth. He stopped to listen for a moment, then continued on his way.
The second time he passed by, his child could already walk and ran to the door calling: ‘Daddy! Daddy!’ Yu patted the child’s head and said: ‘Be good. Daddy still has work to do.’ Then he left.
The third time he passed by, the child had grown a bit older. The child asked: ‘Daddy, when will you come home?’ Yu looked at the child, and his eyes turned red. But he said: ‘When Daddy finishes controlling the flood, I will come back.’
Finally, after thirteen years, Yu succeeded. The floodwater was channeled to the sea, the land reappeared, and the common people could farm and build houses again. Peace returned to the land.
The people were very grateful to Yu and called him ‘Da Yu’ (Great Yu). Emperor Shun also greatly admired him and later passed the throne to him. Da Yu became one of the most respected figures in Chinese history.
People say that Gun used the blocking method and failed. Yu used the channeling method and succeeded. Blocking is not as good as channeling – this is a principle of nature, and also a principle of life.
