Thus the sky was mended,its four corners lifted, the flood tamed, Jizhou pacified, and harmful birds and beasts killed, and the innocent people were able to live on the square earth under the dome of the sky. It was a time when birds, beasts, insects and snakes no longer used their claws or teeth or poisonous stings, for they did not want to catch or eat weaker things.
2. 寓言（fable）
画蛇添足·战国策
画蛇添足
[西汉 刘向]
楚有祠者，赐其舍人卮酒。舍人相谓曰：“数人饮之不足，一人饮之有余。请画地为蛇，先成者饮酒。”
一人蛇先成，引酒且饮之，乃左手执卮，右手画蛇，曰：“吾能为之足！”未成，一人之蛇成，夺其卮，曰：“蛇固无足，子安能为之足？”遂饮其酒。
为蛇足者，终亡其酒。
Then Nuwa melted rocks of five colors and used them to mend the cracks in the sky. She supported the four corners of the sky with the legs she had cut offfrom a giant turtle. She killed the black dragon to save the people of Jizhou, and blocked the flood with the ashes of reeds.
The man who added feet to the snake lost his prize at last.
Trans. by Qian Gechuan
3. 诗经 （Book of Songs或Book of Odes）
中国文化典籍英译
An Anthology of Chinese Masterpieces in English Translation I
1. 神话传说（Myth）
女娲补天·淮南子
女娲补天
[汉 刘安]
往古之时，四极废，九州裂，天不兼覆，地不周载。火爁焱而不灭，水浩洋而不息。猛兽食颛民，鸷鸟攫老弱。
于是女娲炼五色石以补苍天，断鳌足以立四极，杀黑龙以济冀州，积芦灰以止淫水。
The Man Who Draws a Snake and Adds Feet to It
By Liu Xiang
A native of Chu after worshipping his ancestors gave his retainers a pot of wine. One of the retainers said, “It’s insufficient for all of us, but too much for one of us. I suggest, therefore, that we draw snakes on the ground, and the one who first finished drawing the snake will win the pot of wine.”
苍天补，四极正，淫水涸，冀州平；狡虫死，颛民生，背方州，抱圆天。当此之时，禽兽虫蛇，无不匿其爪牙，藏其蛰毒，无有攫噬之心。
考其功烈，上际九天，下契黄垆，名声被后世，光辉熏万物。
Nuwa Mends the Sky
By Liu An
In ancient times, the four corners of the sky collapsed and the world with its nine regห้องสมุดไป่ตู้ons split open.The sky could not cover all the things under it, nor could the earth carry all the things on it.A great fire raged and would not die out; a fierce flood raced about and could not be checked.Savage beasts devoured innocent people; vicious birds preyed on the weak and old.
When one retainer had completed his drawing, he took the pot to drink. As he held it in his left hand, he continued to draw the snake with his right hand, saying: “I can add feet to it.” While he was adding feet to his snake, another man who had then drawn his snake snatched the pot from his hand, protesting: “No snake has feet. How can you add feet to it?” then he drank the wine.
Nuwa’s deeds benefited the heavens above and the earth below. Her name was remembered by later generations and her light shone on every creation.
Trans. by Ding Wangdao