最初，人类还不会自己种植粮食，只能靠采摘野果和打猎维持生计。一旦摘不着果子或打不到猎物，他们就只能挨饿了。
At first, human beings would not grow food by themselves, but could only make a living by picking wild fruits and hunting. Once they can't pick the fruit or hunt the prey, they could only go hungry.
这时，大地上出现了一个小伙子，他就是神农氏。神农是黄河流域一个部落的首领，他看到部落中的人经常因为缺少食物而备受折磨，便想：“得想个办法让人们不再挨饿。”
At this time, a young man appeared on the earth. He was Shennong. Shennong was the leader of a tribe in the Yellow River Basin. Seeing that the people in the tribe were often tortured for lack of food, he thought, "we must find a way to make people no longer hungry."
有一天，神农在山路上走着，满山茂盛的花花草草进入他的视线，树上的雀鸟在吃各种果实，山上的草丛引来了野鹿、山羊。
One day, Shennong was walking on the mountain road. The lush flowers and plants of the mountain came into his sight. The birds on the tree were eating various fruits. The grass on the mountain attracted wild deer and goats.
神农心想：“这些树木的果实、茎叶不是也能吃吗？况且有这么多动物都在吃。”于是，神农决定亲口尝一尝这些野生植物，看看哪些好吃、哪些不好吃。
Shennong thought to himself, "can't the fruits, stems and leaves of these trees be eaten? Besides, so many animals are eating them." so Shennong decided to taste these wild plants to see what was delicious and what wasn't.
他摘了许多植物的果实，包括种子和根、茎、叶，一样一样地亲口品尝。有些东西又苦又涩，有些尝起来味道还不错。神农将这些他冒着生命危险得到的知识和经验，一一做了记录。
He picked the fruits of many plants, including seeds, roots, stems and leaves, and tasted them with his own hands. Some things were bitter and astringent, and some things tasted good. Shennong made a record of the knowledge and experience he gained at the risk of his life.
经过长时间的观察，神农不但知道了植物什么时候开花结果，还发明了种植稻子和小麦的方法。
After a long time of observation, Shennong not only knew when plants would bloom and bear fruit, but also invented the method of planting rice and wheat.
为了让自己的部落强大起来，让人们衣食无忧地生活，他经常会把大伙聚在一起，不断地总结植物的种植经验，并学着改进生产工具。
In order to make his tribe strong and let people live without worry, he often brought people together to constantly summarize the planting experience of plants and learn to improve production tools.
神农做任何事情都尽心尽责。据说，为了找一块适合种植的土地，他竟然不远千里来到天上，从天神那里取来红色的神鞭，鞭打百草。
Shennong was conscientious in everything he did. It is said that in order to find a suitable land for planting, he came to the sky thousands of miles away and took a red whip from the God of heaven to whip hundreds of grasses.
为什么呢？因为这根神鞭可以让植物的属性完全显露出来，这样就能在它们周围种上合适的作物。功夫不负有心人，人类最终掌握了各种作物的播种方法。
Why? Because this divine whip could fully reveal the properties of plants, so that suitable crops could be planted around them. Hard work may pay off. Human beings have finally mastered the sowing methods of various crops.
