女娲创造人类之后，许多年来平安无事，人类一直过着快乐幸福的日子。
After Nüwa created humankind, many peaceful years passed. Humans lived happily and contentedly, enjoying a life of joy and harmony.
不料有一年，不知道什么缘故，也许是神国出了大乱子，或者天地还不够牢固，宇宙间突然发生了一场大变动。
Unexpectedly, one year—perhaps because turmoil broke out in the divine realm, or because heaven and earth were not yet stable—a tremendous upheaval suddenly occurred in the universe.
半边天塌了下来，大地上也出现了横一道竖一道的黑黝黝的裂缝。
Half the sky collapsed, and across the land appeared dark, crisscrossing裂缝 that split the earth open.
在这场大变动中，山林燃起了熊熊大火，洪水从地底喷涌出来，波浪滔天，使大地成了海洋。
During this catastrophe, forests burst into raging flames, floods surged up from beneath the ground, and towering waves turned the land into a vast sea.
同时，人类还遭受到从山林大火中逃窜出来的各种恶禽猛兽的残害。
At the same time, humans were attacked by vicious birds and ferocious beasts fleeing from the burning mountains.
人类的处境十分艰难，他们已经无法生存下去。
Humanity was pushed into desperate circumstances and could no longer survive on its own.
女娲看见自己创造的人类遭遇如此可怕的大灾难，痛心极了。
Seeing the terrible disaster that had befallen the humans she created, Nüwa was filled with deep sorrow.
她来不及追究灾祸的起因，便亲自动手，勇敢地担负起拯救人类的重任。
She had no time to investigate the cause of the calamity and instead took action herself, bravely shouldering the responsibility of saving humankind.
她先在大江大河里选取许多五色石子，架起火堆，将石子熔化成胶状物。
She first gathered many five-colored stones from great rivers, built a fire, and melted the stones into a molten, glue-like substance.
她用这些胶状物把天上的一个个窟窿补好，远看几乎和原来的天空没有两样。
With this molten material, she repaired the holes in the sky. From afar, the heavens looked nearly the same as before.
她担心天空再次塌陷，便杀了一只大乌龟，砍下它的四条腿，当作擎天大柱。
Fearing the sky might collapse again, she killed a giant turtle and cut off its four legs to serve as pillars holding up the heavens.
她将这些柱子竖立在大地四方，把天空像帐篷一样牢牢撑起。
She erected these pillars at the four corners of the earth, propping up the sky like a vast tent.
从此，天空再也没有塌下来的危险了。
From that moment on, the sky was no longer in danger of falling.
那时，中原一带还有一条凶恶的黑龙，兴风作浪，危害人类。
At that time, a vicious black dragon roamed the Central Plains, stirring storms and wreaking havoc on humanity.
女娲杀死了黑龙，又驱逐了各种恶禽猛兽，使人类免受残害。
Nüwa slew the black dragon and drove away the ferocious beasts, freeing humans from their suffering.
接着，她把河边的蘧草烧成灰，将灰堆积起来，挡住了滔天的洪水。
Next, she burned reeds by the riverbanks into ashes and piled them up to block the raging floods.
这场大灾祸终于被女娲平息，人类死里逃生，得到了拯救。
At last, the great catastrophe was quelled by Nüwa, and humankind escaped death and was saved.
此后，大地重新焕发生机，春夏秋冬依序更替，井然有序。
Afterward, the earth regained vitality, and the four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—followed one another in perfect order.
恶禽猛兽大多灭绝，幸存的也渐渐变得温顺。
Most of the vicious beasts perished, and those that survived gradually became gentle.
原野里长满天然的食物，人类只需付出少许劳动，便能衣食无忧。
The plains were filled with natural food, and humans needed only a little effort to live free from hunger and worry.
人类快乐地生活着，无忧无虑。
Humankind lived happily, without fear or care.
女娲见人类生活安稳，心中欣慰，又创造了一种名为“笙簧”的乐器。
Seeing humans living in peace, Nüwa felt pleased and created a musical instrument called the shenghuang.
这种乐器用葫芦制成，插有十三根管子，形如凤凰尾羽，能奏出清悦的乐声。
Made from a gourd with thirteen pipes shaped like a phoenix’s tail feathers, the instrument produced clear and melodious sounds.
她将它作为礼物赠予人类，从此人类的生活更加欢乐。
She gifted it to humankind, and from then on, human life became even more joyful.
女娲补好了天地，完成了一切能为人类做的事情，精疲力竭，不得不休息。
After repairing heaven and earth and completing all she could for humanity, Nüwa was utterly exhausted and had to rest.
所谓“休息”，也就是死亡，她像盘古一样化成了宇宙中的万物。
This “rest” meant death; like Pangu, she transformed into many things within the universe.
传说在大荒西方，有一片原野叫栗广之野，那里有十位神人，名为“女娲之肠”。
Legend says that in the far western wilderness lies the Field of Liguang, where ten divine beings known as the “Intestines of Nüwa” dwell.
他们是女娲肠子所化，横列成行，守护原野。
They were formed from Nüwa’s intestines, lined up side by side to guard the land.
另有一种说法认为女娲并未死，而是完成使命后乘雷车、驾飞龙升天。
Another version of the legend claims that Nüwa did not die, but ascended to heaven in a thunder chariot drawn by flying dragons.
在众神护送下，她登上九重天，朝见天帝，并汇报了自己的功绩。
Escorted by gods and spirits, she rose to the Ninth Heaven, met the Heavenly Emperor, and reported her deeds.
此后，她悄然居于天庭，从不夸耀自己的功劳。
After that, she lived quietly in the heavenly court, never boasting of her achievements.
她将一切归功于自然，只认为自己不过顺应天道，略尽绵薄之力。
She attributed everything to nature, believing she had merely followed the natural order and offered only a small, humble effort.
