▸ 很久以前hěn jiǔ yǐ qián，玉皇大帝yù huáng dà dì说shuō：“我要wǒ yào选xuǎn十二shí èr只zhī动物dòng wù，给gěi每měi一yī年nián一个yī ge名字míng zi。”

Long ago, the Jade Emperor said, "I will choose twelve animals, and give each year a name."

▸ 他说tā shuō：“明天míng tiān早上zǎo shang过河guò hé，谁shéi先xiān到dào，谁shéi就是jiù shì第一dì yī。”

He said, "Tomorrow morning, cross the river — whoever arrives first will be first."

▸ 老鼠lǎo shǔ很hěn聪明cōng ming，它tā跳tiào到dào牛niú的de背上bèi shàng。

The rat was clever: it jumped onto the ox's back.

▸ 牛niú游yóu得de最zuì快kuài，快到kuài dào的de时候shí hou，老鼠lǎo shǔ跳tiào了le下来xià lai，跑pǎo到dào了le第一dì yī。

The ox swam fastest, and just before the shore, the rat jumped down and took first place.

▸ 牛niú是shì第二dì èr，老虎lǎo hǔ是shì第dì三sān，兔子tù zi是shì第dì四sì。

The ox was second, the tiger third, and the rabbit fourth.

▸ 龙lóng会huì飞fēi，但dàn它tā停下来tíng xià lái帮bāng别人bié ren，所以suǒ yǐ是shì第五dì wǔ。

The dragon could fly, but it stopped to help others, so it came fifth.

▸ 蛇shé、马mǎ、羊yáng、猴子hóu zi、鸡jī、狗gǒu也yě一个yī ge一个yī ge到dào了le。

The snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, and dog arrived one after another.

▸ 猪zhū吃完chī wán饭fàn才cái慢慢来màn màn lái，所以suǒ yǐ是shì最后zuì hòu一个yī ge。

The pig only ambled over after finishing a meal, so it came last.

▸ 从cóng那时nà shí起qǐ，每měi一yī年nián都有dōu yǒu一只yī zhī动物dòng wù的de名字míng zi。

From then on, every year carries an animal's name.

▸ 你nǐ是shì哪nǎ一年生yī nián shēng的de？你的nǐ de生肖shēng xiào是shì什么shén me？

Which year were you born in? What's your zodiac animal?

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