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張貼日期：Jan 23, 2011 12:35:43 PM
A long, long time ago, the Jade Emperor was celebrating his birthday. Unfortunately, at that time there was no way of counting the years so he couldn't be sure how old he was. It was then that he decided to come up with a method for counting the years.
很久很久以前，玉皇大帝想為自己慶生，可惜當時還沒有計算歲數的方法，所以祂也不確定自己到底是幾歲。因此，他決定要制定一套計算年紀的方法。
He sent his servant into the forest to announce that there would be a race amongst the animals with a special prize for the 12 winners. When the animals heard the news they all wondered what the prize would be.
玉皇大帝派手下到森林裡向動物們宣佈，祂將舉辦一場賽跑，獲得前十二名的動物將得到特殊的獎賞。動物們聽到這個消息都很好奇獎賞是什麼。
On the day of the race, the emperor arrived on a golden chariot. As he cleared his voice to speak, the animals fell silent. "There will be a race across the river. The first 12 animals to reach the opposite bank will have a year named after them. The first year will be named after the first animal across, and so on," said the emperor.
比賽那天，玉帝乘坐一輛金色馬車來到現場。祂清了清喉嚨準備說話，眾動物都安靜下來。玉帝說：「這是一場渡河比賽，最先抵達對岸的十二種動物，名字就會拿來命名年份。第一年用第一名抵達的動物命名，依此類推。」
On the day of the race all the animals lined up on the starting line. With the drop of a flag the race began and the animals sprinted toward the river. The first to arrive were the cat and the rat, but they soon realized that it was further than they had thought. In fact, it looked pretty dangerous. They sat around wondering what to do, when the ox arrived. Suddenly the rat had an idea. "Hey ox, do you mind carrying us across the river?" he asked. The ox was a kind animal, so he readily agreed. .(John Phillips, staff writer)
比賽當天，所有動物都在起跑線上列隊準備。旗子往下一揮，比賽開始，動物們無不卯足全力衝向河邊。首先跑到河邊的是貓和老鼠，但牠們很快就發現這條河比想像中寬多了。事實上，這河看起來相當危險。牠們坐在河邊不知道要怎麼辦時，牛也到了。老鼠忽然想到一個主意，牠問說：「嘿，牛啊，你可以載我們渡河嗎？」牛因為個性溫和，於是一口答應了。.（翻譯：袁星塵）
t he cat and the rat jumped on the ox’s head and together they crossed the river. Just as they were about to make landfall on the opposite the bank, the rat jumped off the ox’s head making him the first one across. “Congratulations!” said the emperor. “The first year shall be named after you.” The ox was furious about being cheated, but as the second animal across he got the second year.
貓和老鼠跳到牛的頭上後，牠們三個就一起渡河。正當要上岸時，老鼠搶先從牛背上跳下來，成為第一個抵達終點的動物。玉帝說：「恭喜！第一年將命名為鼠年。」牛被騙覺得很火大，但因為牠是第二名，所以玉帝將第二年命名為牛年。
There was a long gap until the tiger arrived, exhausted after a difficult swim. The emperor was pleased with his efforts and named the third year after him. The tiger was followed by the rabbit, which surprised the emperor. “Everyone knows rabbits can’t swim. Surely you cheated!” The rabbit explained that it was true, he couldn’t swim, but he had managed to cross the river by jumping across the stones and sailing on a log. This impressed the emperor who awarded him the fourth year.
過了許久，費盡九牛二虎之力游泳過河的老虎氣喘吁吁地上岸。牠的努力讓玉帝龍心大悅，於是將第三年命為虎年。接著抵達的是兔子，玉帝吃驚地說：「大家都知道兔子不會游泳，你一定作弊！」兔子解釋說，牠的確不會游泳，但牠是靠著踩跳石塊和利用圓木漂浮才順利渡河。玉帝非常賞識牠的才智，因此將第四年命名為兔年。
The emperor was delighted with what he had seen so far. All the animals had shown tremendous resourcefulness to cross the river, but he had expected the dragon, who could both swim and fly, to easily win. Yet the dragon was nowhere in sight. Just then a shadow descended over the animals as the dragon swooped in to land. “You finally made it. Where have you been?” asked the emperor. “I had to make it rain and then I saw a rabbit trying to cross the river on a log, so I had to create some wind to help him cross,” said the dragon. “Very well. You’re the fifth animal so you get the fifth year,” said the emperor. (JOHN PHILLIPS, STAFF WRITER)
到目前為止，玉帝對這些動物的表現都非常滿意。所有動物都各盡所能渡河，祂本以為能游能飛的龍可以在比賽中輕易獲勝，沒想到到現在都還不見龍的蹤影。就在此時，動物們上方出現一團黑影，原來是龍從天而降。玉帝問：「終於到了，你剛剛跑去哪了？」龍說：「我得去造雨啊。之後我看到一隻兔子站在一根圓木上想渡河，所以我又造風助牠一臂之力。」玉帝說：「非常好。你是第五名，所以第五年就是龍年。」
t he successful animals gathered on the bank and watched as the rest of the contestants swam across. Before long, the horse came into view. The horse was swimming furiously and was just about to make land when a snake slithered out from under his hooves. The horse was so surprised that he reared up in shock, allowing the snake to slither across the line for sixth place. The horse got seventh, and was happy enough with that.
成�?F終點的動物們聚在岸邊，等著其他參賽動物游泳渡河。沒多久，牠們就看見馬的身影。馬奮力划水，就在要上岸時，一條蛇從馬蹄下竄出。牠大吃一驚高舉前蹄，讓蛇逮到機會滑過終點成為第六名。得到第七名的馬對自己拿到這個名次感到很滿意。
Then came the most amazing sight of an amazing day — a rooster, a monkey and a goat traveling together on a raft. The rooster had found the raft and the other two had helped to navigate and clear away reeds. When they finally touched down on the bank, the emperor was delighted. “I have never seen such a remarkable display of teamwork!” and with that he granted the goat the eighth year, the monkey the ninth and the rooster the tenth.
接下來是這了不起的一天最令人嘆為觀止的一幕──一隻公雞、一隻猴子和一頭山羊一起划著一艘木筏前來。公雞發現了這艘木筏，另外兩隻動物則幫忙划船和清開水面的蘆葦。等木筏終於靠岸時，玉帝非常高興，祂說：「我從未見過這麼合作無間的團隊！」隨後祂宣佈第八年為羊年，第九年為猴年，第十年為雞年。
There was long gap until the next animal arrived. The emperor was beginning to wonder if any other animals would make it across and if he had made his challenge too difficult. But he needn’t have worried because just then the dog appeared, nearing the shore. The dog explained that the water had been so clean that he couldn’t resist bathing in it. The emperor laughed and duly awarded him the eleventh year.
接下來很久很久都不見下一個動物出現。玉帝開始納悶是否還有動物能成�?e？祂的挑戰是否太過嚴苛？但祂無須操心，因為此時離岸不遠處出現了狗的身影。狗解釋說，因為河水實在太乾淨了，所以牠忍不住洗了個澡。玉帝大笑並名正言順宣佈第十一年為狗年。
So it just remained to be seen which animal would get the final place. The animals were discussing the subject when the pig appeared on the bank, earning him the twelfth year. The emperor’s trumpet players issued a fanfare and the emperor began to speak. “Congratulations to all the animals that made it across the river today. Your names will be remembered forever because of your amazing efforts today,” he said.
現在大家就等著看哪個動物會贏得最後一名。就在動物們議論紛紛時，豬上岸了，贏得第十二名。玉帝的傳令手吹鳴喇叭後，玉帝開始說話，祂說：「恭喜今天所有成�?e的動物們。你們今天令人驚嘆的表現，將讓你們名垂千古。」
But whatever happened to the cat who had sat on the ox’s head? The rat pushed him back into the river and he was swept back to the other bank, and since that day rats and cats have been enemies..(John Phillips, staff writer)
但原本坐在牛頭上的貓到哪兒去了呢？原來老鼠把牠推下河後，牠就被河水沖回對岸；自那天起，老鼠和貓便一直水火不容。.（翻譯：袁星塵）
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資料來源： Taipei Times
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