源远的中华文化给我们留下来不少传统佳节，这不，今天就是“七夕”，又称“乞巧节”，先祝各位老师节日快乐
虽说目前这还没开学，不过也是近在眼前了，开学不久之后，我们又即将迎来中秋佳节……播种阅读在之前的一篇推文中提及过——
教师在教学过程中也可以借助当下事件“蹭热点”，例如，在“世界候鸟日”、“母亲节”来临前开展“主题阅读”课堂，将阅读内容与节日相结合，在一定程度上更能引发学生阅读兴趣并加深学生对相关知识的记忆。
因而，在这些中国传统节日面前，老师们当然不可错过这些给学生普及中国传统文化的好机会，比如，在七夕这样具有浪漫传说背景的节日下，老师们可以趁此给学生带来丰富多样的中国古代神话故事主题阅读课。别忘了，教育可不仅仅局限于课本哦。本期播种阅读给各位老师备几篇中国古代神话故事的英文版本，建议老师们可以先收藏，在下一个传统节日之时，阅读课堂上的阅读素材就齐活咯！
牛郎织女Long, long ago, there was an honest and kind-hearted fellow named Niu Lang (Cowhand). His parents died when he was a child. Later he was driven out of his home by his sister-in-law. So he lived by himself herding cattle and farming. One day, a fairy from heaven Zhi Nu (Weaver Maid) fell in love with him and came down secretly to earth and married him. The cowhand farmed in the field and the Weaver Maid wove at home. They lived a happy life and gave birth to a boy and a girl. Unfortunately, the God of Heaven soon found out the fact and ordered the Queen Mother of the Western Heavens to bring the Weaver Maid back.
With the help of celestial cattle, the Cowhand flew to heaven with his son and daughter. At the time when he was about to catch up with his wife, the Queen Mother took off one of her gold hairpins and made a stroke. One billowy river appeared in front of the Cowhand. The Cowhand and Weaver Maid were separated on the two banks forever and could only feel their tears. Their loyalty to love touched magpies, so tens of thousands of magpies came to build a bridge for the Cowhand and Weaver Maid to meet each other. The Queen Mother was eventually moved and allowed them to meet each year on the 7th of the 7th lunar month. Hence their meeting date has been called "Qi Xi" (Double Seventh).
嫦娥奔月
According to legend, ancient times, heaven appeared ten SUNS, baking to the earth, and the sea dry, the common people smoldering eyes cannot live. This matter stirred a call after yi hero, he climbed the kunlun peak power, hiking, beginning god arch, breath next nine extra SUNS, save the people to come to this. Before long, after yi has married a beautiful wife, that fragrance.
One day, after yi to seek ways, kunlun visits of erreth-akbe from after the heavenly queen, then to the heavenly queen obtained a pack of undead medicine, according to persuade under the drug, can instantly into heaven, however, after yi won't immortal, leaving his wife to will not die medicine to charng-er stash.
And, behold, it was MenKe caravans have saw yi yi montmorillonite, peng out after it was such bullying charng-er surrender not die medicine, charng-er know not peng have opponent, juncture horns, remove the undead medicine one mouthful swallowed it. Charng-er swallowed the medicine, the body immediately after flying off the ground, fly to the sky, because charng-er cared about her husband, then a hope of the moon from the earth recently became a fairy.
After yi after come back, the maids sobbing everything. The grief-stricken vision, after the night sky call the names of his beloved wife, then, she was surprised to find that today at night, the moon special circle, especially bright bright, but a dime on the scene resembles fragrance. After yi busy orders placed XiangAn, put on charng-er favorite eat fresh fruit, honey in remote offering chang-e charng-er. People smell know chang e become immortal shaw interest in in succession months after XiangAn, hem on to a good Chang nine pray lucky and peace. From then on, the Mid-Autumn festival in folk customs of worship months out.
精卫填海
Once upon a time, the youngest daughter of Emperor Yan, legendary ruler of primitive China, went boating on the Eastern Sea. While she was enjoying herself, a strong wind rose on the sea and her boat capsized. Just before she was buried by the surging waves, her spirit turned into a beautiful bird. As it flew over the roaring sea, it cried sadly in the sound "jinwei, jingwei". That was why people called it "Jingwei".
The bird lived on a mountain near the sea. It hated the sea so much that it decided to fill it up. Every day, it flew to and fro between the mountain and the sea, carrying in a twig or a pebble from the mountain and dropping it into the sea.
One day, the roaring sea said to Jingwei, "Poor little bird, stop doing that meaningless thing! You'll never fill me up." Jingwei replied, "I'll fill you up no doubt! I will, even if it'll take me thousands of years! I'll fight on until doomsday!"
The brave little bird kept carrying twigs and pebbles from the mountain to the Eastern Sea without taking a rest.
From this fable comes the idiom "The bird Jingwei trying to fill the sea". We use it to describe people who are firm and indomitable and will not stop until they reach their goal.
愚公移山
Yugong was a ninety-year-old man who lived at the north of two high mountains, Mount Taixing and Mount Wangwu.Stretching over a wide expanse of land, the mountains blocked yugong's way making it inconvenient for him and his family to get around.
One day yugong gathered his family together and said,"Let's do our best to level these two mountains. We shall open a road that leads to Yuzhou. What do you think?"
All but his wife agreed with him."You don't have the strength to cut even a small mound," muttered his wife. "How on earth do you suppose you can level Mount Taixin and Mount Wanwu? Moreover, where will all the earth and rubble go?"
"Dump them into the Sea of Bohai!" said everyone.
So Yugong, his sons, and his grandsons started to break up rocks and remove the earth. They transported the earth and rubble to the Sea of Bohai.
Now Yugong's neighbour was a widow who had an only child eight years old. Evening the young boy offered his help eagerly.
Summer went by and winter came. It took Yugong and his crew a full year to travel back and forth once.
On the bank of the Yellow River dwelled an old man much respected for his wisdom. When he saw their back-breaking labour, he ridiculed Yugong saying,"Aren't you foolish, my friend? You are very old now, and with whatever remains of your waning strength, you won't be able to remove even a corner of the mountain."
Yugong uttered a sigh and said,"A biased person like you will never understand. You can't even compare with the widow's little boy!""Even if I were dead, there will still be my children, my grandchildren, my great grandchildren, my great great grandchildren. They descendants will go on forever. But these mountains will not grow any taler. We shall level them one day!" he declared with confidence.The wise old man was totally silenced.
When the guardian gods of the mountains saw how determined Yugong and his crew were, they were struck with fear and reported the incident to the Emperor of Heavens.Filled with admiration for Yugong, the Emperor of Heavens ordered two mighty gods to carry the mountains away.
