十二生肖Chinese zodiac

玉皇大帝要選十二生肖, 新年那天，他請各種動物來南天門吃午飯。On New Year’s Day, he invited the animals to have lunch in the Gate of South Heaven.

貓知道了，就告訴老鼠。When the cat knew it, it told the mouse.

他們約好了，新年早上一起去南天門。The cat told the rat when he heard about it, and they agreed to go to the Gate of South Heaven together in the morning of the New Year’s Day.

可是，除夕晚上，老鼠睡不著，他就起來，先跑到南天門去了。However, on New Year’s Eve, the mouse could not sleep, so he got up and went to the Gate of South Heaven by himself.

老鼠第一個來到南天門，過一會兒，牛也走來了。Therefore, the rat was the first animal who got there. The ox got there after him.

又過了一會兒，老虎跑來了，兔子跳來了，龍飛來了，蛇也爬來了。Not long after that, the tiger ran over, the rabbit hopped over, the dragon flew over, and the snake crawled over.

天亮了，雞把馬、羊、猴子，狗和豬都叫起來了。At dawn (when morning came), the rooster awaked the horse, the goat, the monkey, the dog and  the pig (boar).

馬走在最前面，豬跟在最後頭。 這六個動物一起來到南天門。The horse went first in line, and the pig (boar) was the last.  All six animals arrived at the Gate of South Heaven.

到了中午，玉皇大帝說：恭喜你們！ 你們十二種動物就是十二生肖了。At noon, the Jade Emperor announced to them, Congratulations! Your twelve animals will represent the twelve zodiacs.

老鼠第一個到，今年就叫鼠年，以後就招照鼠牛虎兔龍蛇馬羊猴雞狗豬的順序輪下去。Since the rat arrived first, the first year will be the Year of the Rat, and the rest of the eleven animals will be in order of ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

大家沒看見貓，就問：貓怎麼沒來？Then they noticed that the cat was not there. How come the cat isn’t here?

老鼠說：他還在睡覺，我沒叫醒他。They ask the rat.  He is still asleep; I did not wake him up.  Answered the rat.

大家說： 啊哈！ 你完蛋了，你完蛋了！Everyone said: Aha! You are finished!  They warned the rat.

貓以後不會原諒你的。The cat is not going to forgive you.