大禹治水

古gǔ时候shí hou洪水hóng shuǐ滔tāo天tiān，鲧gǔn治zhì水shuǐ九jǐu年nián，用yòng堵dǔ的de办法bàn fǎ，失败shī bài了liǎo。

In a time of world flood, Gun spent nine years damming it — and failed.

他tā的de儿子ér zi禹yǔ接着jiē zhe治zhì。禹yǔ改gǎi了liǎo办法bàn fǎ：不bù堵dǔ，疏通shū tōng河hé道dào，让ràng水shuǐ流líu进jìn大海dà hǎi。

His son Yu took over, changing the method: not blocking but dredging channels so water ran to the sea.

禹yǔ治zhì水shuǐ十shí三sān年nián，三sān次cì路过lù guò自己zì jǐ的de家jiā门mén，都dōu没有méi yǒu进去jìn qù。

Yu worked thirteen years; three times he passed his own door without going in.

大dà水shuǐ终于zhōng yú退tuì了liǎo，百bǎi姓xìng能néng种zhòng田地tián dì了liǎo。禹yǔ成chéng了liǎo人人rén rén尊敬zūn jìng的de王wáng，建立jiàn lì了liǎo夏xià朝cháo。

The waters fell, the fields were planted, and Yu became the honoured king who founded the Xia dynasty.