中英雙語話史記 第15期:夏朝大禹

Xia Dynasty

夏朝

Yu the Great

大禹

Yu the Great is still remembered and respected as the ruler who got the Yellow River back under control.

大禹因是使黃河流域再度得到控制的君主而仍被銘記與尊敬。

He lived about four thousand years ago. At that time， people suffered from a big flood of the Yellow River King Shun,

他大約生活在4000年前。那個時候，人民遭受着君主舜時期的一場大洪水。

the ruler before Yu, initially assigned Yu’s father Gun to handle the problem.

舜是大禹之前的統治者，他一開始指派禹的父親鯀去解決這個問題。

Gun tried out a method that consisted of blocking up the water wherever the flooding occurred.

鯀嘗試了一個方法，在洪水出沒的地方將水堵住。

Nine years later, the situation had become even worse with the river overflowing everywhere.

9年後，情況變得更糟，河水四溢。

King Shun was very angry about what Gun had done, and ended up dismissing Gun and appointing Yu.

君主舜對於鯀的所作所爲非常生氣並最終棄用了鯀，任命了禹。

Yu learned techniques from his father and adopted a new way of dredging water channels and conducting the river to the sea.

禹從他的父親那裏學到了技術並採用了疏通水道、引河入海的新方法。

He went into this project of water control with all his heart,

他全心全意進行治水的工程。

and it was said that during this period of time, he passed by his house three times but never went inside.

據傳在治水期間，禹曾三過家門而不入。

It took him 13 years to tame the river.

征服河流花了他13年的時間。

The story of Yu’s battle against the flood speaks of the fearless spirit of ancient people faced with natural disaster.

大禹治水的故事描述了古人們遇到自然在還是無所畏懼的精神。

King Shun was impressed by Yu's endeavors and passed his throne to Yu later on.

君主舜對禹的努力印象深刻，後來把自己的王位傳給了禹。

Yu the Great was the last legendary leader of the primitive society, in which the election of the leader followed the merit system.

大禹是遠古社會最後一位傳說中的君主，那時君主的選拔唯纔是用。

It was Qi, the son of Yu, who violated this practice.

禹的兒子啓違反了這個慣例。

He killed the person Yu the Great had appointed and succeeded his father’s power.

他殺掉了大禹任命的的人，承襲了他父親的權力。

Qi founded the Xia Dynasty (21st-16th century BC) and initiated the hereditary system of monarchy.

啓建立了夏朝（公元前21世紀至公元前16世紀）並開啓了君主世襲制。