山Shān精jīng和hé水Shuǐ精jīng

很hěn久jiǔ很hěn久jiǔ以yǐ前qián，第dì十shí八bā代dài雄Xióng王wáng有yǒu一yī个gè女nǚ儿ér，叫jiào媚Mèi娘niáng。

Long, long ago, the eighteenth Hùng king had a daughter called Mị Nương.

媚Mèi娘niáng长zhǎng得de像xiàng花huā一yī样yàng漂piào亮liang，人rén也yě非fēi常cháng好hǎo。

Mị Nương was as lovely as a flower, and very good-hearted too.

雄Xióng王wáng想xiǎng给gěi她tā找zhǎo一yī个gè最zuì好hǎo的de丈zhàng夫fu。

The king wanted to find her the very best husband.

有yǒu一yī天tiān，来lái了le两liǎng个gè年nián轻qīng人rén，他tā们men都dōu想xiǎng娶qǔ媚Mèi娘niáng。

One day two young men came, and both of them wanted to marry Mị Nương.

一yī个gè是shì山Shān精jīng，他tā住zhù在zài伞Sǎn圆yuán山Shān上shàng。

One was Sơn Tinh, the mountain god, who lived on Mount Tản Viên.

山Shān精jīng的de本běn领lǐng很hěn大dà：他tā一yī挥huī手shǒu，地dì上shang就jiù能néng长zhǎng出chū一yī座zuò山shān。

Sơn Tinh had great powers: with one wave of his hand, he could make a mountain rise from the ground.

还hái有yǒu一yī个gè是shì水Shuǐ精jīng，他tā住zhù在zài海hǎi里lǐ。

The other was Thủy Tinh, the water god, who lived in the sea.

水Shuǐ精jīng的de本běn领lǐng也yě很hěn大dà：他tā叫jiào风fēng，风fēng就jiù来lái；叫jiào雨yǔ，雨yǔ就jiù来lái。

Thủy Tinh’s powers were just as great: when he called the wind, the wind came; when he called the rain, the rain came.

雄Xióng王wáng不bù知zhī道dào应yīng该gāi选xuǎn谁shéi。

The king did not know which one to choose.

他tā想xiǎng了le想xiǎng，说shuō：“明míng天tiān早zǎo上shang，谁shéi先xiān送sòng来lái礼lǐ物wù，谁shéi就jiù可kě以yǐ娶qǔ媚Mèi娘niáng。”

He thought for a moment and said, “Whoever brings the gifts first tomorrow morning may marry Mị Nương.”

“礼lǐ物wù是shì一yī百bǎi盘pán糯nuò米mǐ饭fàn、一yī百bǎi个gè粽zòng子zi。”

“The gifts are a hundred trays of sticky rice and a hundred rice cakes.”

“还hái要yào九jiǔ根gēn长cháng牙yá的de大dà象xiàng、九jiǔ个gè距jù的de公gōng鸡jī、九jiǔ条tiáo红hóng鬃zōng的de马mǎ，每měi样yàng一yī对duì。”

“I also want an elephant with nine tusks, a rooster with nine spurs and a horse with nine red manes, a pair of each.”

第dì二èr天tiān早zǎo上shang，山Shān精jīng第dì一yī个gè到dào了le，带dài来lái了le所suǒ有yǒu的de礼lǐ物wù。

The next morning Sơn Tinh arrived first, bringing every one of the gifts.

雄Xióng王wáng很hěn满mǎn意yì，山Shān精jīng就jiù带dài着zhe媚Mèi娘niáng回huí山shān上shàng去qù了le。

The king was pleased, and Sơn Tinh took Mị Nương home with him to his mountain.

水Shuǐ精jīng来lái晚wǎn了le。他tā知zhī道dào媚Mèi娘niáng已yǐ经jīng走zǒu了le，非fēi常cháng生shēng气qì。

Thủy Tinh came too late. When he learned that Mị Nương was gone, he was furious.

他tā叫jiào来lái大dà风fēng大dà雨yǔ，去qù追zhuī山Shān精jīng。

He called up great winds and heavy rain and went after Sơn Tinh.

河hé里lǐ的de水shuǐ越yuè来lái越yuè多duō，越yuè来lái越yuè高gāo。

There was more and more water in the rivers, and it rose higher and higher.

大dà水shuǐ进jìn了le田tián里lǐ，进jìn了le家jiā里lǐ，还hái往wǎng山shān上shàng爬pá。

The flood got into the fields and into people’s homes, and even crept up the hills.

可kě是shì山Shān精jīng一yī点diǎn儿r也yě不bù怕pà。

But Sơn Tinh was not the least bit afraid.

他tā搬bān来lái一yī座zuò又yòu一yī座zuò小xiǎo山shān，不bù让ràng大dà水shuǐ过guò来lai。

He moved in hill after hill to hold back the flood.

水shuǐ涨zhǎng多duō高gāo，山shān就jiù长zhǎng多duō高gāo。

However high the water rose, the mountains grew just as high.

他tā们men打dǎ了le几jǐ个gè月yuè。

They fought for months.

最zuì后hòu，水Shuǐ精jīng打dǎ累lèi了le，回huí到dào了le海hǎi里lǐ。

In the end Thủy Tinh grew tired of fighting and went back to the sea.

但dàn是shì水Shuǐ精jīng一yī直zhí没méi有yǒu忘wàng记jì这zhè件jiàn事shì。

But Thủy Tinh never forgot this.

每měi年nián夏xià天tiān，他tā都dōu会huì带dài着zhe大dà风fēng大dà雨yǔ，再zài来lái打dǎ山Shān精jīng。

Every summer he comes back with great winds and heavy rain to fight Sơn Tinh again.

所suǒ以yǐ，越Yuè南nán北běi方fāng每měi年nián都dōu会huì发fā大dà水shuǐ。

That is why the north of Vietnam has floods every year.

但dàn是shì每měi一yī次cì，山Shān精jīng都dōu把bǎ水Shuǐ精jīng打dǎ回huí了le海hǎi里lǐ。

But every time, Sơn Tinh drives Thủy Tinh back into the sea.