中国神话希腊神话英文版
Chinese mythology 中国神话传说 英文版的
Chinese MythologyChinese mythology (中国神话) is a collection of cultural history, folktales, and religions that have beenpassed down in oral or written tradition. These include creation myths and legends and myths concerning the founding of Chinese culture and the Chinese state. Like many mythologies, it has in the past been believed to be, at least in part, a factual recording of history.Historians have conjectured that the Chinese mythology began in the 12th century BCE. The myths and legends were passed down in oral form for over a thousand years, before being written in books such as Shan Hai Jing. Other myths continued to be passed down through oral traditions like theater and song, before being recorded as novels such as Hei'an Zhuan - Epic of Darkness (literally Epic of the Darkness). This collection of epic legends is preserved by a community of Chinese Han nationality, inhabitants of the Shennongjia mountain area in Hubei, and contains accounts from the birth of Pangu up to the historical era.Imperial historical documents and philosophical canons such as Shangshu, Shiji, Liji, Lüshi Chunqiu, and others, all contain Chinese myths.Creation mythsChinese creation myths explain the legendary beginnings of the universe, earth, and life.Early Chinese texts recorded fragments of creation stories. The Zhuangzi and Huainanzi cosmogonically mention Hundun. The Shujing and Guoyu describe the separation of Heaven and Earth during the legendary era of Zhuanxu. The Huainanzi and Chuci say that Nüwa created the first humans from yellow clay and repaired the fallen pillars of Heaven (cf. Axis mundi).One of the most popular creation myth in Chinese mythology describes Pangu 盤古separating the world egg-like Hundun 混沌"primordial chaos" into Heaven and Earth. However, none of the ancient Chinese classics mentions the Pangu myth, which was first recorded in the (3rd century CE) Sanwu Liji三五歴記"Record of Cycles in Threes and Fives", written by Three Kingdoms period Daoist author Xu Zheng. Derk Bodde paraphrases.Heaven and Earth were once inextricably commingled (hun-tun) like a chicken's egg, within which was engendered P'an-ku (a name perhaps meaning "Coiled-up Antiquity"). After 18,000 years, this inchoate mass split apart, what was bright and light forming Heaven, and what was dark and heavy forming Earth. Thereafter, during another 18,000 years, Heaven daily increased ten feet in height, Earth daily increased ten feet in thickness, and P'an-ku, between the two, daily increased ten feet in size. This is how Heaven and Earth came to be separated by their present distance of 9 million li (roughly 30,000 English miles). (1961:382-3)The (ca. 4th century BCE) Daodejing suggests a less mythical Chinese cosmogony and has some of the earliest allusions to creation.There was something featureless yet complete, born before heaven and earth; Silent – amorphous – it stood alone and unchanging. We may regard it as the mother of heaven and earth. Not knowing its name, I style it the "Way." (tr. Mair 1990:90)The Way gave birth to unity, Unity gave birth to duality, Duality gave birth to trinity, Trinity gave birth to the myriad creatures. The myriad creatures bear yin on their back and embrace yang in their bosoms. They neutralize these vapors and thereby achieve harmony. (tr. Mair 1990:9)Later Daoists interpreted this sequence to mean the Dao "Way", formless Wuji "Without Ultimate", unitary Taiji "Great Ultimate", and binary yin and yang or Heaven and Earth.The (ca. 4th-3rd centuries BCE) Taiyi Shengshui "Great One gave birth to water", a Daoist text recently excavated in the Guodian Chu Slips, offers an alternate creation myth, but analysis remains uncertain.The (ca. 120 CE) Lingxian靈憲, by the polymath Zhang Heng, thoroughly accounts for the creation of Heaven and Earth.Before the Great Plainness (or Great Basis, Taisu 太素) came to be, there was dark limpidity and mysterious quiescence, dim and dark. No image of it can be formed. Its midst was void; its exterior was non-existence. Things remained thus for long ages; this is called obscurity (mingxing溟涬). It was the rootof the Dao. … When the stem of the Dao had been grown, creatures ca me into being and shapes were formed. At this stage, the original qi split and divided, hard and soft first divided, pure and turbid took up different positions. Heaven formed on the outside, and Earth became fixed within. Heaven took it body from the Yang, so it was round and in motion; Earth took its body from the Yin, so it was flat and quiescent. Through motion there was action and giving forth; through quiescence there was conjoining and transformation. Through binding together there was fertilization, and in time all the kinds of things werebrought to growth. This is called the Great Origin (Taiyuan 太元). It was the fruition of the Dao. (tr. Cullen 2008:47)The Neo-Confucianist philosopher Zhou Dunyi provided a multifaceted cosmology in his Taiji tushuo太極圖說"Diagram Explaining the Supreme Ultimate", which integrated the Yijing with Daoism and Chinese Buddhism.Zhou's Taiji tushuo diagramMajor concepts and figuresSome myths survive in theatrical or literary formats, as plays or novels. Important mythological fiction which is seen as definitive records of these myths include:•Verse poetry of ancient states such as Lisao by Qu Yuan of the Chu state.•Fengshen Bang (封神榜), or Investiture of the Gods, a mythological fiction dealing with the founding of the Zhou dynasty.•Journey to the West, by Wu Cheng'en and published in the 1590s, a fictionalised account of the pilgrimage of Xuanzang to India to obtain Buddhist religious texts, in which the pilgrims encounter ghosts, monsters, and demons as well as the Flaming Mountains.•Baishe Zhuan, a romantic tale set in Hangzhou involving a female snake who attained human form and fell in love with a man.Shangdi (上帝)Shangdi (上帝, pinyin: Shàngdì, Wade-Giles Shang Ti, lit. "High Sovereign") refers to a god or a powerregarded as the spiritual ultimate by the Chinese people during the Shang Dynasty.[1] According to Yanxia Zhao, evidence shows that Shangdi was probably more transcendental than immanent, only workingthrough lesser gods.[2] During the Zhou Dynasty, Shangdi was associated with Heaven (天Tiān).[3] By thetime of the Han dynasty, the influential Confucian scholar Zheng Xuan declared that "Shangdi is another name for Tian." Shangdi remains chiefly synonymous with Heaven in modern Chinese thought.First mentionThe earliest references to Shangdi are found in Oracle Bone inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty (ca. 1600 –ca. 1046 BC). Shangdi is first mentioned in Chinese Literature in the Five Classics, allegedly compiled by Confucius in the 6th century BC. The Wujing was a collection of five books that represented the pinnacle of Chinese culture at that time. The oldest parts of the Wujing were first written around 1000 BC, apparently relying on older texts. All of the five classics include references to Shangdi:Occurrences of Shangdi (上帝) in Wujing (五經)char pinyin English occurrence書經 Shujing Classic of History 32 times詩經 Shijing Classic of Poetry 24 times禮記 Liji Classic of Rites 20 times春秋 Chunqiu Spring and Autumn Annals 8 times易經 Yijing Classic of Changes 2 timesOther classics mention Shangdi as well. Another "Classic" collection, the Four Books (四書, pinyin: SìShū), mentions Shangdi also, but it is a later compilation and the references are much more sparse andabstract. The highest number of occurrences appear in the earliest references; this pattern may reflect increasing rejection of Shangdi over time.One of the five books in the Wujing is the Classic of History, (書經, pinyin: Shujing), aka Book of History, aka Esteemed Book (尚書, pinyin: Shangshu). The Shujing is possibly the earliest narrative of China, andmay predate the European historian Herodotus (about 440 BC) as a history by many centuries. This implies that Shangdi is the oldest deity directly referenced by any Chinese narrative literature. The Shujing itself is also divided into 5 parts, and those parts were actually considered books as well. However, the number of books or "documents" is a division that varies depending on the version or compilation. Therefore, quoted references may not match in different compilations.The 2nd of the 5 "books" inside the Shujing is called the "Book of Yu" (虞書, pinyin: Yushu). Yu, in this title, is a location, not the popular hero Yu (禹). This "book" has 4 "chapters"; and the 1st "chapter" is called the "Canon of Shun" (舜典, pinyin: Shun Dian). Emperor Shun was the predecessor to the heroic Da Yu (大禹), or Great Yu, the first emperor of the Xia Dynasty. About the third sentence is the first mentionof Shangdi. And, as it was mentioned in the previous section how yearly sacrifices to Shangdi were made by Emperor Shun, the Chinese belief in Shangdi may have been regarded as predating the Xia Dynasty.WorshipFrom the earliest eras of Chinese history, Shangdi was officially worshipped through sacrificial rituals. Shangdi is believed to rule over natural and ancestral spirits, who act as His ministers. Shangdi is thought to be the Supreme Guide of both the natural order and the human order. The ruler of China in every Chinese dynasty would perform annual sacrificial rituals to Shangdi at the great Temple of Heaven in the imperial capital. During the ritual a completely healthy bull would be slaughtered and presented as an animal sacrifice to Shangdi. It is important to note that Shangdi is never represented with either images or idols. Instead, in the center building of the Temple of Heaven, in a structure called the "Imperial Vault ofHeaven", a "spirit tablet" (神位, or shénwèi) inscribed with the name of Shangdi is stored on the throne,Huangtian Shangdi (皇天上帝). During an annual sacrifice, the emperor would carry these tablets to thenorth part of the Temple of Heaven, a place called the "Prayer Hall For Good Harvests", and place them on that throne.[4]Jade Emperor)Jade Emperor in a Ming Dynasty ink and color painting on silk, 16th century.The Jade Emperor (Chinese: 玉皇; pinyin: Yù Huáng or 玉帝Yù Dì) in Chinese folk culture, is the rulerof Heaven and all realms of existence below including that of Man and Hell, according to a version of Taoist mythology. He is one of the most important gods of the Chinese traditional religion pantheon. In actual Taoism, the Jade Emperor governs all of the mortals' realm and below, but ranks below the Three Pure Ones.The Jade Emperor is known by many names, including Heavenly Grandfather (天公Tiān Gōng) which is used by commoners; the Pure August Jade Emperor, August Personage of Jade (玉皇上帝Yu Huang Shangdi or 玉皇大帝Yu Huang Dadi); the Xuanling High Sovereign; and his rarely used, formal title, Peace Absolving, Central August Spirit Exalted, Ancient Buddha, Most Pious and Honorable, His Highness the Jade-Emperor, Xuanling High Sovereign (太平普度皇靈中天至聖仁義古佛玉皇大天尊).There are many stories in Chinese mythology involving the Jade Emperor.OriginIt was said that the Jade Emperor was originally the crown prince of the kingdom of Pure Felicity and Majestic Heavenly Lights and Ornaments. At birth, he emitted a wondrous light that filled the entire kingdom. When he was young, he was kind, intelligent and wise. He devoted his entire childhood to helping the needy (the poor and suffering, the deserted and single, the hungry and disabled). Furthermore, he showed respect and benevolence to both men and creatures. After his father died, he ascended the throne. He made sure that everyone in his kingdom found peace and contentment. After that, he told his ministers that he wished to cultivate Tao on the Bright and Fragrant Cliff.After 1,550 kalpas, each kalpa lasting for 129,600 years, he attained Golden Immortality. After another one hundred million years of cultivation, he finally became the Jade Emperor. (Using the given figures, this period before his becoming the Jade Emperor lasted for a total of about 200,880,000 years.)Vanquishing evilOne of the myths describes how the Jade Emperor became the monarch of all the deities in heaven. It is one of the few myths in which the Jade Emperor really shows his might.In the beginning of time, the earth was a very difficult place to live; a much harsher place to live in than itis now. People were having tremendous difficulty coping with existence; not only did they have to deal with harsh conditions, but also with all kinds of monstrous beings. At this time, there were also not many gods or deities to protect them. Furthermore, a lot of powerful, evil demons were defying the immortals of heaven. The Jade Emperor was still at the time an ordinary immortal who roamed earth to help as many people as he could. He was, however, saddened by the fact that his powers were limited and could onlyease the sufferings of humans. He decided to retreat in a mountain cave and cultivate his Tao. He passed 3,200 trials, each trial lasting about 3 million years.Unfortunately, a powerful, evil entity—a demon of sorts, which dwelt on earth—had the ambition to conquer the immortals and gods in heaven and proclaim sovereignty over the entire universe. This evil entity also went into retreat and meditation to expand its power, though later than the Jade Emperor. He passed through 3,000 trials each trial lasting for about 3 million years too. After it passed its final trial, it felt confident that no one could defeat it anymore. It re-entered the world again, and recruited an army of demons with the purpose of attacking heaven.The immortals, being aware of the threat, gathered themselves and prepared for war. The gods were unable to stop the powerful demon and it defeated them all.Fortunately, the Jade Emperor finished his cultivation in the midst of this war. He was changing the land to make it more liveable for men and repelling all kinds of monstrous beasts. Suddenly, he saw an evil glow emitting from heaven and knew something was amiss. He ascended and saw that a war was going on, he saw that the demon was too powerful to be stopped by any of the gods present. He went up and challenged the demon, and a battle ensued between them. Mountains shook and rivers and seas toppled; however, the Jade Emperor stood victorious due to his deeper and wiser cultivation, not for might but for benevolence. After defeating the demon, all the other demons were scattered by the gods and immortals.Because of his noble and benevolent deeds, the gods, immortals and humans proclaimed the Jade Emperor the supreme sovereign of all.CreationJade EmperorThe world started with 無極(wuji: nothingness) according to the Chinese creation myth, Jade Emperor was the head of the pantheon but not responsible to the creation process itself.According to another version of creation myth, the Jade Emperor fashioned the first humans from clay, but as he left them to harden in the sun, it rained, misshaping some of the figures, thus explaining the origin of sickness and physical abnormalities (The most common alternative Chinese creation myth states that human beings were once fleas on the body of Pangu.)The story above is also told as Nüwa, who fashions evil out of the mud from the Yellow River by hand. Those she made became the richer people of the earth. After getting lazy, she used a rope and swung it around. The drops that fell from the rope became the poorer humans.The princess and the cowherdIn another story[citation needed], popular throughout Asia and with many differing versions, the Jade Emperor has a daughter named Zhinü (simplified Chinese: 织女; traditional Chinese: 織女; pinyin: zhī nǚ orChih'nü, literally: weaver girl). She is most often represented as responsible for weaving colorful clouds in the heaven. In some versions she is the Goddess Weaver, daughter of the Jade Emperor and the Celestial Queen Mother, who weaves the Silver River (known in the West as the Milky Way), which gives light to heaven and earth. In other versions, she is a seamstress who works for the Jade Emperor.Every day Zhinü descended to earth with the aid of a magical robe to bathe. One day, a lowly cowherd named Niu Lang (Chinese: 牛郎; pinyin: niú láng) spotted Zhinü as she bathed in a stream. Niu Lang fellinstantly in love with her and stole her magic robe which she had left on the bank of the stream, leaving her unable to escape back to Heaven. When Zhinü emerged from the water, Niu Lang grabbed her and carried her back to his home.When the Jade Emperor heard of this matter, he was furious but unable to intercede, since in the meantime his daughter had fallen in love and married the cowherd. As time passed, Zhinü grew homesick and began to miss her father. One day, she came across a box containing her magic robe which her husband had hidden. She decided to visit her father back in Heaven, but once she returned, the Jade Emperor summoned a river to flow across the sky (the Milky Way), which Zhinü was unable to cross to return to her husband. The Emperor took pity on the young lovers, and so once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, he allows them to meet on a bridge over the river.The story refers to constellations in the night sky. Zhinü is the star Vega in the constellation of Lyra east of the Milky Way, and Niu Lang is the star Altair in the constellation of Aquila west of the Milky Way. Under the first quarter moon (7th day) of the seventh lunar month (around August), the lighting condition in the sky causes the Milky Way to appear dimmer, hence the story that the two lovers are no longer separated in that one particular day each year.The seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar is a holiday in China called Qixi Festival, which is a day for young lovers much like Valentine's Day in the West. In Japan, it is called Tanabata (star day), and in Korea, it is called Chilseok. If it rains on that day, it is said to be Zhinü crying tears of happiness in being reunited with her husband.The zodiacThere are several stories as to how the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac were chosen. In one, the Jade Emperor, although having ruled Heaven and Earth justly and wisely for many years, had never had the time to actually visit the Earth personally. He grew curious as to what the creatures looked like. Thus, he asked all the animals to visit him in heaven. The cat, being the most handsome of all animals, asked his friend the rat to wake him on the day they were to go to Heaven so he wouldn't oversleep. The rat, however, was worried that he would seem ugly compared to the cat, so he didn't wake the cat. Consequently, the cat missed the meeting with the Jade Emperor and was replaced by the pig. The Jade Emperor was delighted with the animals and so decided to divide the years up amongst them. When the cat learned of what had happened, he was furious with the rat and that, according to the story, is why cats and rats are enemies to this day. The cat however, does have a place in the Vietnamese zodiac, replacing the rabbit.His predecessor and successorThe Jade Emperor was originally the assistant of the Divine Master of the Heavenly Origin, Yuanshi Tianzun. Yuanshi Tianzun is said to be the supreme beginning, the limitless and eternal creator of Heaven and Earth, who picked Yu-huang, or the Jade Emperor, as his personal successor. The Jade Emperor willeventually be succeeded by the Heavenly Master of the Dawn of Jade of the Golden Door (金闕玉晨天尊).[1] The characters for both are stamped on the front of the arms of his throne. In two folk automaticwriting texts in 1925 and 1972 Guan Yu became the 18th Jade Emperor in about 1840 AD,[2][3][4] however some have disagreed that Guan Yu has succeeded, and thus the Jade Emperor and Guan Yu are often worshiped separately.[5] In Tienti teachings, the current jade emperor has 55 predecessors.[6]Worship and festivalsThe Jade Emperor's Birthday is said to be the ninth day of the first lunar month. On this day Taoist temples hold a Jade Emperor ritual (拜天公bài tiān gōng, literally "heaven worship") at which priests and laymen prostrate themselves, burn incense, and make food offerings.Chinese New Year's Eve is also a day of worship as it is said to be the day the Jade Emperor makes his annual inspection of the deeds of mortals and rewards or punishes them accordingly. On this day incense is burned in the home and offerings are made to the Jade Emperor and also to Zao Jun, the god of kitchen who reports to the Emperor on each family.Yuk Wong Po Tin in A Kung Ngam, Hong Kong.A temple in Hong Kong is located at A Kung Ngam and is also called "Yuk Wong Po Tin" (玉皇寶殿YuHuang Bao Dian). In the mid 19th century, people from Huizhou and Chaozhou mined stones in the hill for the development of the central urban area. They set up a shrine to worship Yuk Wong. At the beginning of the 20th century, the shrine was developed into a small temple and was renovated many times. The latest renovation was in 1992.Tian ( or Heaven)Tian (Chinese: 天; pinyin: tiān; Wade–Giles: t'ien; literally "Sky or heaven, heavens; god, gods") is one of the oldest Chinese terms for the cosmos and a key concept in Chinese mythology, philosophy, and religion. During the Shang Dynasty (17–11th centuries BCE) the Chinese called god Shangdi (上帝"lord on high")or Di ("lord"), and during the Zhou Dynasty (11th–3rd centuries BCE) Tian "heaven; god" became synonymous with Shangdi. Heaven worship was, for thousands of years, the orthodox state religion of imperial China.In the Chinese philosophical systems of Taoism and Confucianism, Tian is often translated as "Heaven"and is mentioned in relationship to its complementary aspect of Dì (地), which is most often translated as "Earth". These two aspects of Daoist cosmology are representative of the dualistic nature of Taoism. They are thought to maintain the two poles of the Three Realms (三界) of reality, with the middle realm occupied by Humanity (人Ren).Chinese Bronze script for tian天"heaven" Chinese Oracle script for tian天"heaven" CharactersTian's modern Chinese character 天combines da大"great; large" and yi一"one", but some of the original characters in Shang oracle bone script and Zhou bronzeware script anthropomorphically portray a large head on a great person. The ancient oracle and bronze ideograms for da大depict a stick figure person with arms stretched out denoting "great; large". The oracle and bronze characters for tian天emphasize the cranium of this "great (person)", either with a square or round head, or head marked with one or two lines. Since Shang scribes cut oracle inscriptions on bone or shell, their characters often have straight lines where later bronze inscriptions have curved lines. Schuessler (2007:495) notes the bronzegraphs for tian, showing a person with a round head, resemble those for ding丁"4th Celestial stem", andsuggests "The anthropomorphic graph may or may not indicate that the original meaning was 'deity', rather than 'sky'."Besides the usual 天, tian "heaven" has variant Chinese characters. Two early examples are 兲(written with 王"king" and 八"8") and the Daoist coinage 靝(with 青"blue" and 氣"qi", i.e., "blue sky"). OriginsThe sinologist Herrlee Creel, who wrote a comprehensive study on "The Origin of the Deity T'ien" (1970:493–506), gives this overview.For three thousand years it has been believed that from time immemorial all Chinese revered T'ien 天, "Heaven," as the highest deity, and that this same deity was also known as Ti 帝or Shang Ti 上帝. But the new materials that have become available in the present century, and especially the Shang inscriptions, make it evident that this was not the case. It appears rather that T'ien is not named at all in the Shang inscriptions, which instead refer with great frequency to Ti or Shang Ti. T'ien appears only with the Chou, and was apparently a Chou deity. After the conquest the Chou considered T'ien to be identical with the Shang deity Ti (or Shang Ti), much as the Romans identified the Greek Zeus with their Jupiter. (1970:493)Creel refers to the historical shift in ancient Chinese names for "god"; from Shang oracles that frequently used di and shangdi and rarely used tian to Zhou bronzes and texts that used tian more frequently than its synonym shangdi.First, Creel analyzes all the tian and di occurrences meaning "god; gods" in Western Zhou era Chinese classic texts and bronze inscriptions. The Yi Jing "Classic of Changes" has 2 tian and 1 di; the Shi Jing "Classic of Poetry" has 140 tian and 43 di or shangdi; and the authentic portions of the Shu Jing "Classic of Documents" have 116 tian and 25 di or shangdi. His corpus of authenticated Western Zhou bronzes (1970:464–75) mention tian 91 times and di or shangdi only 4 times. Second, Creel contrasts the disparity between 175 occurrences of di or shangdi on Shang era oracle inscriptions with "at least" 26 occurrences oftian. Upon examining these 26 oracle scripts that scholars (like Guo Moruo) have identified as tian天"heaven; god" (1970:494–5), he rules out 8 cases in fragments where the contextual meaning is unclear. Of the remaining 18, Creel interprets 11 cases as graphic variants for da "great; large; big" (e.g., tian i shang天邑商for da i shang大邑商"great settlement Shang"), 3 as a place name, and 4 cases of oracles recording sacrifices yu tian于天"to/at Tian" (which could mean "to Heaven/God" or "at a place called Tian".)The Shu Jing chapter "Tang Shi" (湯誓"Tang's Speech") illustrates how early Zhou texts used tian"heaven; god" in contexts with shangdi "god". According to tradition, Tang of Shang assembled his subjects to overthrow King Jie of Xia, the infamous last ruler of the Xia Dynasty, but they were reluctant to attack.The king said, "Come, ye multitudes of the people, listen all to my words. It is not I, the little child [a humble name used by kings], who dare to undertake what may seem to be a rebellious enterprise; but for the many crimes of the sovereign of Hsiâ [Xia] Heaven has given the charge [tianming, see Compounds below] to destroy him. Now, ye multitudes, you are saying, 'Our prince does not compassionate us, but (is calling us) away from our husbandry to attack and punish the ruler of Hsiâ.' I have indeed heard these words of you all; but the sovereign of Hsiâis an offender, and, as I fear God [shangdi], I dare not but punish him. Now you are saying, 'What are the crimes of Hsiâ to us?' The king of Hsiâ does nothing but exhaust the strength of his people, and exercise oppression in the cities of Hsiâ. His people have all become idle in his service, and will not assist him. They are saying, 'When will this sun expire? We will all perish with thee.' Such is the course of the sovereign of Hsiâ, and now I must go and punish him. Assist, I pray you, me, the one man, to carry out the punishment appointed by Heaven [tian]. I will greatly reward you. On no account disbelieve me; —I will not eat my words. If you do not obey the words which I have spoken to you, I will put your children with you to death; —you shall find no forgiveness." (tr. James Legge 1865:173–5)Having established that Tian was not a deity of the Shang people, Creel (1970:501–6) proposes a hypothesis for how it originated. Both the Shang and Zhou peoples pictographically represented da大as。
中国神话与希腊神话的对比英语作文
Title: A Comparison of Chinese Mythology and Greek MythologyChinese mythology and Greek mythology are two rich and diverse cultural traditions that have captivated audiences for centuries. While each mythology has its unique characteristics and stories, there are also notable similarities and differences between the two. Let's explore the contrasts and comparisons between Chinese and Greek mythology:1. Creation Stories:-Chinese Mythology: Chinese mythology features creation stories such as Pangu creating the world from chaos, Nuwa creating humans from clay, and the myth of the Ten Suns.-Greek Mythology: Greek mythology includes creation myths like the birth of the world from Chaos, the Titans ruling before the Olympian gods, and the story of Prometheus creating humans from clay.2. Pantheons and Deities:-Chinese Mythology: Chinese mythology revolves around deities such as the Jade Emperor, Guanyin, and Sun Wukong (the Monkey King) who play significant roles in folklore and legends.- Greek Mythology: Greek mythology showcases gods and goddesses like Zeus, Athena, Apollo, and Aphrodite, each with their unique domains and powers.3. Heroes and Epics:- Chinese Mythology: Chinese mythology features legendary heroes like Hou Yi, who shot down the ten suns, and Mulan, a brave warrior who disguised herself as a man to fight in the army.- Greek Mythology: Greek mythology highlights heroes such as Hercules, known for his strength and labors, and Odysseus, famed for his cunning and adventures in the Odyssey.4. Themes and Symbolism:- Chinese Mythology: Chinese mythology often emphasizes harmony with nature, filial piety, and the balance of yin and yang. Symbolism like dragons, phoenixes, and the five elements are prevalent.- Greek Mythology: Greek mythology explores themes of fate, hubris, heroism, and the power struggles among gods and mortals. Symbols like the olive tree, laurel wreath, and the labyrinth are significant.5. Moral Lessons and Values:- Chinese Mythology: Chinese mythology conveys moral lessons on virtues like respect for elders, loyalty, humility, and the importance of family bonds.-Greek Mythology: Greek mythology imparts lessons on hubris, consequences of actions, the power of destiny, and the complexities of human nature.In conclusion, while Chinese and Greek mythology have distinct cultural backgrounds and narratives, both traditions share common themes of heroism, divine intervention, and the exploration of human nature. By comparing and contrasting these mythologies, we gain a deeper understanding of the diverse beliefs, values, and storytelling traditions that have shapedcivilizations throughout history.。
中国神话故事英语版短篇
中国神话故事英语版短篇Short Chinese Mythological Story: The Cowherd and the Weaver GirlOnce upon a time in ancient China, there was a young cowherd named Niulang. He lived a simple life with his only companion, an old cow. Every day, he would take the cow to graze in the pastures, singing songs to the melodies of the water and the wind.On the other side of the Milky Way, in the heavenly realm, lived Zhinü, the Weaver Girl. She was the daughter of the Jade Emperor and skillful in weaving clouds with her celestial silk. However, she had grown tired of her celestial duties and longed to experience life on earth.One summer evening, while the stars twinkled and the moon illuminated the earth, Zhinü and her sisters descended to the mortal realm disguised as beautiful maidens. They wanted to explore the world beneath the heavens. As fate would have it, Zhinü crossed paths with Niulang while he was tending to his cows.Niulang was captivated by Zhinü's beauty and kind-heartedness. The two instantly fell in love and were soon married. They lived happily together and even had two children, a boy and a girl. However, the Jade Emperor soon discovered that Zhinü had married a mortal and was living on earth. Filled with anger, he summoned Zhinü back to the heavens, splitting the sky with a violent thunderstorm.Niulang returned home to find his wife and children gone. Overwhelmed by grief, he wept bitterly. The old cow, moved by his sadness, miraculously opened its mouth and spoke. It revealed to Niulang that one of its horns possessed magical powers and could bridge the gap between the mortal and celestial realms.With the cow's help, Niulang made a pair of magical ox-hide shoes, which allowed him to fly across the Milky Way. Determined to reunite with his wife, he embarked on a dangerous journey to the heavens.Niulang braved perilous rivers of stars and fierce storms, enduring countless challenges along the way. Finally, he reached the heavenly palace and found Zhinü beside a celestial river.Moved by Niulang's unwavering love, the Queen Mother of the West allowed the couple to reunite on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month each year. On this special day, magpies would form a bridge over the Milky Way, allowing Niulang, Zhinü, and their children to be together.And so, to this day, the Chinese people celebrate the Qixi Festival, also known as the Double Seventh Festival, as a testament to the enduring love between Niulang and Zhinü, the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.Note: This is a short retelling of the Chinese mythological story known as "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl" or "The Butterfly Lovers." The original story has various versions and interpretations, but this retelling captures its essence in a concise manner.。
古希腊神话故事英文版
古希腊神话故事英文版推荐文章最经典的希腊神话故事热度：关于希腊神话阿波罗的故事热度：中国经典神话故事大全热度：古希腊那些经典的神话故事雅典娜热度：有关于希腊神话宙斯的故事热度：希腊文化是西方文明的一大源头，而希腊文化中的希腊神话更是对英语影响深远。
那么关于古希腊神话故事的英文版你读过吗?下面是店铺为大家准备的古希腊神话故事英文版，希望大家喜欢!古希腊神话故事英文版篇一Between Macedon and Thessaly of eastern Greece there stood a high mountain.Its cloudy top rushed into the very heavens.On the top of the mountain， the home of the gods was bathed in brightness. At Olympus Zeus ruled as the father of gods and men. Zeus was not a crude ruler by any standards.All the gods listened to his final words，it was true.But Zeus made them all sit on a committee of twelve members，including six gods and six goddesses. The first in the Olympian crowd sat Zeus himself. He was the overlord of gods and men and the operator of the thunderbolt .Next to him was Hera，his proud and greeneyed queen.Poseidon was ruler of the sea，And Hades，king of the lower world，had no seat in the committee.Apollo was the god of the sun，music and poetry，while his twinsister Artemis was the goddess of the moon and the chase. Athena was the goddess of wisdom and patroness of house holdarts.Hestin，the goddess of the family，represented home life and family happiness.The frightening Ares was the god of war，and the charming Aphrodite the goddess of love and beauty.The god of fire，Hephaestus，was the forger of the thunderbolts of Zeus.The wing footed messenger Hermes was the god ofinvention and commerce;and the goddess of grains and harvests，Demeter，looked after agriculture and stood for mother ofcivilization.All the chief gods mentioned above took human forms of incomparable beauty and grace. Often moved by human feelings and desires，they frequently gave way to anger and jealousy.They became involved in ceaseless battles with the world of man. Among themselves at Olympus they plotted and struggled for power.In the human world they experienced competitions and difficulties.They enjoyed earthly friendships and loves.Acrowd of everlasting gods looked and acted in a perfectly human fashion that is what all gods at Olympus actually were.古希腊神话故事英文版篇二After the stealing of fire，Zeus became increasingly unkind to men.One day he ordered his son Hephaestus tobuild an image of a beautiful maiden out of clay.He then asked the gods and goddesses to award her with different kinds of gifts.Among others，Athena clothed her in an attractive coat and Hermes gave her the power of telling lies.A charming young lady，she was the first woman that ever lived.Zeus called her Pandora.Because she had received from each of the gods and goddesses a gift.The gift was harmful to men.Zeus decided to send her down to men as a present.So Hermes them essenger brought her to Epimetheus，brother of Prometheus.The greatness of her beauty touched the hearts of all who looked upon her，and Epimetheus happily received her into his house.He had quite forgotten Pometheus' warning：never to accept anything from Zeus.The couple lived a happy life for some time.Then trouble came on to the human world.When he was busy with teaching men the art of living，Prometheus had left a bigcask in the care of Epimetheus.He had warned his brother not to open the lid.Pandora was a curious woman.She had been feeling very disappointed that her husband did not allow her to take a look at the contents of the cask.One day，when Epimetheus was out，she lifted the lid and out itcame unrest and war，Plague and sickness，theft and violence，grief sorrow，and all the other evils.The human world was hence to experience these evils.Only hope stayed within the mouth of the jar and never flew out.So men always have hope within their hearts.古希腊神话故事英文版篇三Of all the small sea divinities Nereus and Proteus stood out as Peculiar sea-gods.Nereus，known as“the Old Man of the sea”，represented the pleasant aspect of ocean waters.He lived beneath the sea with his fifty lovely daughters，of whom the most famous were Amphritrite，Thetis，Galate a and Panope.It was Nereus who advised Heracles to seek Prometheus in the hero's search of the golden apples.Proteus was Poseidon's herdsman. He was well known for two qualities：the gift of prophecy and the power to take various forms.At one time he was a lion with a curly wavy hairs;at another he appeared in the shape of a wild boar;and still another he stood a stately tree covered with rich leaves.When，after all these and many other changes，he failed to get rid of his questioner， the god offered detailed answers.。
中国古代神话故事英文版
中国古代神话故事英文版Sure! Here is a brief introduction of two famous Chinese ancient mythological stories in English:1. "The Legend of Nüwa"In ancient Chinese mythology, it is believed that the world was once in chaos. Nüwa, a goddess with a human form and a serpent's tail, came to the world with the mission to create balance. She molded yellow clay into human figures, bringing them to life and establishing the human race. Nüwa also repaired the broken heavens, propping them up with stones to restore order. She is revered as the goddess of creation and restoration.2. "The Monkey King""The Monkey King," also known as "Journey to the West," is a renowned Chinese mythological tale. It follows the adventures of Sun Wukong, a mischievous and rebellious Monkey King endowed with incredible strength and magical abilities. Sun Wukong accompanies the monk Xuanzang on a pilgrimage to retrieve the sacred Buddhist scriptures from India. Along the journey, they encounter numerous challenges and face mythical creatures. Sun Wukong's bravery, intelligence, and loyalty make him a beloved and legendary character in Chinese mythology.These are just a glimpse of the vast collection of Chinese ancient mythological stories. They are filled with symbolism, cultural significance, and moral teachings, showcasing the rich imagination and beliefs of ancient Chinese civilization.。
中国神话故事英语版
中国神话故事英语版In ancient China, there are numerous fascinating myths and legends that have been passed down through generations. These stories are not only entertaining, but also carry profound cultural and historical significance. Today, let's explore some of the most well-known Chinese mythological stories in English.The Legend of Nüwa。
One of the most famous Chinese myths is the legend of Nüwa, the goddess who created humanity. According to the myth, the world was in chaos, and Nüwa decided to create humans out of clay. She molded each person by hand, and as she breathed life into them, they came to life. Nüwa also repaired the broken sky by using colorful stones to patch up the holes, bringing order and harmony to the world.The Story of the Monkey King。
Another beloved Chinese myth is the story of the Monkey King, also known as Sun Wukong. This mischievous and powerful character is a central figure in the classic novel "Journey to the West." The Monkey King possesses incredible strength and magical abilities, and he embarks on a journey to obtain immortality. Along the way, he faces numerous challenges and battles, showcasing his bravery and cleverness.The Tale of Chang'e and Houyi。
中国神话与希腊神话的比较英语作文
中国神话与希腊神话的比较英语作文全文共3篇示例，供读者参考与希腊神话相关的英语范文【一】midas,son of the great goddess of ida,by a hero whosename is not remembered ,was a pleasureloving king of macedonian bromium,where he ruled over the brigians and planted his famous rose gardens.one day,the old hero silenus,dionysus'' formerteacher,happened to straggle from the main body of the dionysian army as it marched out of thrace into boeotia,and was found sleeping and drunken in the rose gardens.the gardeners tied him and ledhim before midas,to whom he told wonderful tales of a big continent lying beyond the ocean''s stream ——altogether separatefrom the united mass of europe,asia,or africa——where gigantic,happy,and longlived people lived in splendid cities,enjoying a wonderful law systemidas,delighted with silenus'' fictions,entertained him for five days and nights,and then ordered a guide to lead him to dionysus'' headquarters.dionysus,who had been worrying about silenus,sent toask how midas wished to be rewarded.he replied without hesitation：‘please turn all i touch into gold.'' however,notonlystones,flowers,and the furnishings of his house turned to gold but,when he sat down to table,so did the food he ate and the water he drank .midas soon begged to be freed from his wish,because he was fast dying of hunger andthirst.highlyamused ,dionysus told him to visit the source of the river pactolus and there wash himself.he obeyed,and was at oncefreed from the golden touch,but the sands of the river pactolusare bright with gold to this day.与希腊神话相关的'英语范文【二】tag:eros(cupid) eros was the god of love,better known by hislatin name cupid.son of aphrodite by ares ,he took his place among the small gods of olympus.he was represented asa little naked boy,with sparkling wings,and he carried his bowand arrows wherever he wandered.shooting his thrilling arrows in evils,he inspired the passion of love and provided all nature with life and power of reproduction.the lovely,naughty god had two kinds of arrows:the gold tipped arrows used to quicken the pulse of love and the lead tipped ones to palsy it. besides,he had a torch to light hearts with. though sometimes he wasblindfolded ,no man nor god,zeus himself included,was safe from his evils.at one time the little naughty god was wounded by his own arrows and suchburning love was awakened in him for the human maiden psyche that he disregarded the constant interference of his mother and plucked up his courage to beg zeus for justice.another famousstory where eros played an important part was the argonautic expedition.medea,daughter of king aeetes,was wounded by eros arrows,took jasons part in recovering the golden fleece and eventually became the heros wife.与希腊神话相关的.英语范文【三】long long ago,in the face of the earth there was a big drought:all the rivers and wells to dry up.vegetation jungle also are dry,many people and animal are thirsty to death.one night,a little girl holding a jug out of the house,for her sick mother to look for water.the little girl can't find it anywhere water,collapsed on the grass and fell asleep.when she woke up,picked up a jar at the jar was full,clear and fresh water.the little girl be overjoyed,really want to drink your fill,but another want,these mothers is not enough water to it,quickly ran home to hold water.she hurriedly,did not pay attention to the foot of a dog,suddenly stumble on it,the pitcher also fall in theunderground.bi puppy to screathe little girl hurried to pick up tank.she thought,the water must be spilled,but no,the jar squarely in lying on the ground,water in the pot is full.the little girl pour water in the palm of your hand a little,little dog lick it all the net,be glad.when the little girl to the pitcher,wood has become a silver pitcher.the little girl brought the tank home,to the mother.mother said:" i'm going to die,or for you to drink." jug and handed the little girl again.at that moment,and from silver jug was changed into gold.at this time,the little girl couldn't help,is to collect the pitcher to drink when,suddenly from the outside into a passerby,to discuss water to drink,the little girl swallowed a spittle,put the jug to passers-by.when suddenly from the pitcher out of seven large diamonds,then from the inside out a huge clear and fresh water.and the higher the seven diamond more rose,rose to the sky,to become seven star,this is what people say the bear constellation.。
中国神话与希腊神话的区别 Different myth system between China and Greece
Different myth system between china and GreeceIf you pay little attention to the myth system, you will find that in Greek mythology the relationship between each god and goddess is pretty clear. It has an explicit system. All the gods and goddess in Greece were multiplied from generation to generation whereas Chinese myth mentioned very little information about the god couples and there are no clear connections between ordinary gods and major gods. In one word Greek myth has a clear system but Chinese myth does not.Why is there such an obvious difference between Chinese and Greek myth's system? What is it that made Chinese myth's system so vague? There are many possible reasons.The first possible reason is about the different region. Ancient Chinese lived by the Yellow River Basin. They lived a hard life mainly based on agriculture, therefore they paid more attention to the practice rather than fantasy. The Greek peninsula, however, were surrounded by ocean. Obviously the view of the vast ocean brought ancient Greece unlimited imagination and this unlimited imagination made them more active in creating imaginative myth stories, so there is no doubt that ancient Greece have more myth works than Chinese. What made things worse is that Greese is just a small island on the Aegean Sea but China is known as a vast land country. Of course the broad land led the Chinese myth to a very embarrassed situation--because of the difficulties in communicating with each other through the vast land at that time an abundant statements of myth system which are totally different from each other sprang up there and made it a really hard work to unite an authoritative system from all. The birthplace of Greek mythology was much smaller than that of China that it is absolutely easier to unite an authoritative system and then to popularize the works after the myth stories were completed.compared to the Greek mythology Chinese mythology seemed lost at the very beginning.The second reason that made Chinese myth so vague is a inevitable one. That is the trend of the development of character. The ancient myth were spread by words of mouth, however, the character appeared gradually. The ancient people have to replace the flexible spoken words of the myth with rigid character to save the stories. As you know the limitation of the character made the written myth stories lost their fun and some part of the truth of their own. Needless to say that it is impossible to bring the half-human beast image in the ancient storiesinto historical pedigree completely. On solving this difficult task ancient Greece obviously showed much more talent than ancient Chinese for Greece has evidently more famous painters than China at that time.This all result the first loss of Chinese myth.The last one, also the most important one, is about the Chinese social institution. Central Plains Civilization before the Warring States Period was the dominate culture in ancient China. Before that was the 800 years domination of Chou Dynasty. People in Chou Dynasty created very little myth themselves but they tried their best to abandon the spread of myth of every ethnic which ruled by them. That made the ancient Chinese heavily destroyed. After Chinese entered the feudal system they paid more and more attention to the real world rather than the supernatural beings. The ancient sages especially Confucian equaled myth to the ghosts an superstition.They not only did not attach any importance to collect the myth stories but also demoted them. We all know that all the Greek gods or goddess are related to Zeus in some way just because Zeus is a famous merry god. He has many lovers except his legal wife so that he has many legitimate children and illegitimate children. All his children are different gods or god-men or supermen. Greek myth system could be so clear apparently depended on the merry god Zeus. Compared with Greek myth Chinese myth could be described as a purest shy girl because you can not even find any single hair of a merry god. It can not be proved but it seems quiet possible that because of the thought of Confucian and their high requirement for the morality that they bowdlerized the merry stories of the Chinese gods. What is quiet certain is that the actions that the sages took did lead to the annihilation of a large number of myth and made the ancient absurd fantasy story not inherited by orthodox literator for future generations.(BRIEF HISTORY OF CHINESE FICTION BY LUXUN) Otherwise, for the needs of themselves the governing class also took many actions to bowdlerize the myth at will. Such as the revise of the book IMPERIAL COLLECTION OF FOUR of Qing Dynasty. They ruined a horrible number of books. In addition to intentional damage the damage caused by wars such the YongJia Rebelion and the Wu Dai Shi Guo is also very serious. After suffering so many misfortune the Chinese myth only can be seen in very small number of books which are ShanHai Classic, HuaiNan Tzu and ShiBen.Compared to China the fate of Greek mythology is much more lucky.I have been wondering that how the Chinese myth would develope if there were not so many misfortune. I even have wept for its imperfect. But after i finishing finding out all the reasons i realized in a flash that incomplete is also an appealing beauty. The incomplete myth developed together with China, witnessed the hardships that Chinese had been through from ancient times to modern times and saw the growth of China. Even if it does not have a completed system i still love the Chinese myth because it has its own characteristic. Every time i read it i feel my country .。
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Chinese civilization is one of the most splendid cultures in the world, which dates back to thousands of years ago. Similar to many old civilizations, its early culture is integrated with legends and myths. As described in mythology, Chinese civilization begins with Pangu, the creator of the universe, and Nvwa, the creator of mankind.
In ancient myths Pangu was a giant and the offspring of Nether God Houtu, who lived in the northern wilderness. His ears hung two yellow snakes, holding two yellow snakes, to catch up with the sun. When he arrived at where the sun sets he felt thirty so he drunk up the Yellow River and Wei-Shui, still not enough, he went to the north of the Great Lakes. Have not arrived at the Great Lakes, he died of thirst on the ha, there was a cute little fairy, named baby girl, she was the youngest daughter of Emperor Yan, and he loved her very much. Baby girl wanted to visit the sun rises place – the east sea. But her father was too busy to take her there. One day she sailed a boat to the depths of the east sea. Farther and farther away from land, sea waves were more and more big and her boat capsized.
The creator of the universe
According to legend, in the beginning of the world , the heaven and earth were integrated into one body that is just like an egg. And in the “egg” Pangu slept for thousands of years. One day he suddenly woke up. Opening his eyes, he found everything was blurred and invisible. Angrily, he grasped an axe and wielded it with an effort. The heaven and the earth started to split. He feared that the heaven and the earth got integrated into one body again. So he decided to hold the heaven with his hands and feet.
One day, she found the villain she originally created has been hair snow-white and died. Looked at this kind of situation , she felt secretly worry. So Nuwa reference everything pick generation method, divided human into men and women, so that human can also cooperate, reproduce. Because human is god-like creature, not equal with animals, so she again established marriage system which is different from animals promiscuity-after.
Nuwa was grieved that mankind should undergo such suffering. She decided to mend the sky and end this catastrophe. She melted together various kinds of colored stones and with the molten mixture patched up the sky. Then she killed a giant turtle and used its four legs as four pillars to support the fallen part of the sky. She caught and killed a dragon and this scared the other beasts away. Then she gathered and burned a huge quantity of reeds and with the ashes stopped the flood from spreading, so that the people could live happily again.
It is said that Nüwa existed in the beginning of the world. She was a goddess had human face with a snake-like body. She felt lonely as there were no animals so she began the creation of animals and humans. On the first day she created chickens. On the second day she created dogs. On the third day she created sheep. On the fourth day she created pigs. On the fifth day she created cows. On the sixth day she created horses. On the seventh day she began creating men from yellow clay.
After Gonggong struck against the Buzhou Mountain. Half of the sky fell in, leaving a big black hole. The earth cracked open, forests went up in flames, floodwaters sprouted from beneath the earth and dragons, snakes and fierce animals leaped out at the people. Many people were drowned and more were burned or devoured. It was an unprecedented disaster.
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 a twig or a pebble from the mountain and dropping it into the sea
Thousands of years passed ,the heaven and the earth finally separated ,but Pangu fell down exhaustedly . Following his death ,his breath turned into the wind and cloud, his voice the thunder; his eyes the sun and the moon. His four limbs and body became the four quadrants of the globe, and his blood the rivers and his muscle and bones the layers of the earth . His flesh became the soil , his hairs and furs the stars, flowers and trees. Pangu created the rich and beautiful world with his body.