Mythology
神话传说
The Creation of the World
开天辟地
Chinese creation myth is so unique in that heaven, earth, gods and man are an undifferentiated whole.
中国人创造的神话是与众不同的，其中的上天、土地、神和人类是一个无区别的整体。
That is the origin of the Chinese world view of harmony of man and nature.
那是中国人的世界观中对于人和自然的和谐的来源。
The most popular myth in this respect is Pangu the Creator.
在这一方面最著名的神话故事就是“盘古开天辟地”。
It is popular among most peoples in China.
这个神话在中国家喻户晓。它拥有口头和书面传播的十个版本。
There are almost ten versions, oral and written.
让我们来看看这个有名的神话故事并了解中国最基本的文化主题。
Let us look at this most well-known one and work out some most basic motifs of Chinese culture.
万物之处，一只鸡蛋包含着整个混沌的宇宙。
At first the universe was in chaos.
鸡蛋中是一片未分化的没有分割的整体。
In the shape of an egg, it was an undifferentiated, indivisible whole.
盘古就在这只大鸡蛋里被孕育成人。
Pangu the Creator was bom into this entity.
他是一个法力无边的巨人。
He was an almighty giant.
他每一天都在不断长大，直到他用自己的力量将宇宙分为了天和地。
He kept growing every day until he separated the universe into heaven and earth with his sheer muscular strength.
天地被分开后，它们在某一些地方仍然连接在一起。
When this was done，the sky and the earth were still connected at various points.
于是盘古用凿和斧子继续自己的工作，最后完成这项伟大的壮举。
So he stuck to his work with a chisel and an axe until the great feat was accomplished.
在这之后，盘古和世界仍在一起长大，天和地越分越远。
After this, he continued growing and so was the world， with the sky and the earth farther and farther apart.
盘古活了几千年最终力竭而死。
He lived for thousands of years till he died of exhaustion.
盘古死后，他的身体变成了很多东西。
Upon his death, his body changed into various things.
他的呼吸变成了风和云，轻一点儿的气息飘上了天，重一些的坠入了地里。
His breath became winds and clouds, with the clearer breath going up to heaven, the coarser part sinking down to earth.
他的左眼变成了太阳，右眼变成了月亮。
His left eye turned into the sun and his right eye became the moon.
他的四肢变成了大地的四个角，他身体的一部分成为了山川。
His arms and legs were transformed into the four corners of the earth and parts of his body turned into the various mountains.
他的血液汇成了河流，脉络构成了道路。
His blood formed the rivers and his veins the roads.
他身上的肉变成了泥土，他的皮肤和毛发成为了树木和植物。
His flesh became the soil and his skin and body hair were transformed into the trees and plants.
他的牙齿和骨骼变成了岩石和金属，他的骨髓变成了珍珠和玉石。
His teeth and bones turned into rocks and metals，his marrow changed into pearls and jade.
他的头发和胡须变成了星星。
His hair and mustache were transformed into stars.
他的汗水落下来变成了雨，滋润万物。
His sweat fell as rain, nourishing all things.
他身上的昆虫幻化成了男人和女人。
The insects on his body took the shape of men and women.
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