The story of the zodiac animals has many versions. The version I'm talking about is engraved on the outside wall of an elementary school.
English & Explanation
傳說中有一年，玉皇大帝過生日。他下令所有的動物在農曆正月初九這天前來祝壽，並決定按前來祝賀生日的報到顺序選定十二種動物，作為通往上天之路的守衛，並按年輪流值班。
Legend has it that one year the Supreme Deity celebrated his birthday. He ordered all the animals to come and celebrate his birthday on the ninth day of the first lunar month. He planned to select twelve animals in the order of their arrival to serve as guards on the road to the Divine Realm, and to rotate their duties every year.
- 正月 The first month of the lunar calendar.
當時老鼠和貓是鄰居，但平時體大的貓常常欺負弱小的老鼠，老鼠對貓往往也只是敢怒而不敢言。
At that time, the rat and the cat were neighbors, but the bigger cat often bullied the smaller rat, and the rat just seethed with anger, but didn't have the courage to speak out against the cat.
- 敢怒而不敢言 It means that someone was seething with anger, but didn't dare to speak out against the cause.
貓有個貪睡的毛病，接到玉皇大帝下的命令後，老鼠竊喜：報復貓的機會終於來了。
The cat has a weakness, he often sleeps too much. After receiving the order from the Supreme Deity, the rat rejoiced inwardly: the opportunity to take revenge on the cat had finally come.
- 毛病 can refer to the shortcomings of a person or thing, or a person's bad habit. Sometimes it is used to refer to diseases.
- You can add a word "壞" to describe a flaw in the character. 壞毛病 flaw
- 拖延是他最大的壞毛病。Procrastination is one of his biggest flaws.
- Or, to describe a long-term disease or illness, add the other word, "老" so that it becomes "老毛病".
- 對他而言，腰酸背痛已是老毛病。For him, back pain is a long-term illness.
- 竊喜 (rejoice inwardly) means that you are happy in your mind, but you don't show it.
果不其然，貓叩響了老鼠家的門，請求老鼠在給玉皇大帝祝壽時，叫醒牠一同前往，老鼠滿口答應。
As expected, the cat knocked on the door of the rat's house and asked the rat to wake him up in time to hit the road so that they could go together to celebrate the birthday of the Supreme Deity. The rat agreed without hesitation.
- 果不其然 (as expected) is used to express that the result of something is as expected. It can be abbreviated to "果然".
- 滿口答應 Imagine that when you speak, you only say the same word, which is "滿口". So "滿口答應" is like when someone asks you for a favor and you say, "OK! OK! No problem!"
為了報復貓，到了正月初九清晨，老鼠便悄悄地出發了。
To take revenge on the cat, the rat quietly left early in the morning of the ninth day of the first lunar month.
老鼠雖然起得很早，跑得也很快，但到了寬寬的河邊，面對著濤濤的河水，牠發愁了，只好坐在河邊等其他動物渡河時，跳到牠們的背上藉助牠們的力量渡河。
Although the rat got up early and ran very fast, when he reached the wide river and faced the turbulent water, he could only sit helplessly by the river and wait for other animals to let him jump on their backs and use their strength to cross.
等了好一會兒，最早出門的牛，默默地一步一步地走到了河邊，老鼠趁牛泅入水中的瞬間，敏捷地跳到牛耳朵裏，牛平時就以憨厚、助人為樂著稱，因此牠對老鼠這種投機行為毫不在意。
After waiting for a long time, the ox that was the first to set out walked silently, step by step, toward the river. The rat took advantage of the moment when the ox swam into the water and quickly jumped into the ox's ear. Ox is known for being honest and helpful, so he doesn't care about the rat's speculative behavior.
- 著稱 (be known for sth:) This word is mainly used for positive things.
渡過了河，老鼠覺得躺在牛耳朵裏既舒服，又省力，並沒有跳下來的意思，
When the rat crossed the river, he felt comfortable and effortless in the ox's ear and had no intention of getting out.
- 既舒服又省力 this sentence pattern is 既...又...
not only...but also...
他既是個老師，又是個研究員。
He is not only a teacher but also a researcher.
天近傍午時，牛載著老鼠到 了玉帝的家門外，當牛剛要進門時，誰知老鼠迫不及待地從牛耳朵裏竄出來，搶先跳到了玉帝面前，就這樣，老鼠終於取得了第一名。
When it was close to noon, the ox carried the rat to the door of the Supreme Deity's palace. When the ox reached the door, the rat jumped out of the ox's ear and ran straight to the Supreme Deity. As a result, the rat won first place.
- 天近傍午時 This sentence with the omission of many words is a kind of literary modification technique.
- 天--天空的顏色 sky color
- 近--接近 close to
- 傍午時 around noon
而載了牠一路的牛，僅獲得第二名。稍後老虎、兔、龍、蛇、馬 、羊、猴、雞、狗也陸續到達。豬雖然很蠢。但也按時到達，名列第十二名。
Despite carrying the rat the entire way, the cow only managed second place.
Then the tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, and dog came in succession. Although the pig is stupid, he arrived on time and placed 12th.
- 豬很蠢 Pigs are stupid：In Chinese culture, the belief is that pigs are stupid, so pigs are often used to scold people, such as:
- 你笨得跟豬一樣 You're as dumb as a pig
or - 連豬都比你聰明 Even a pig is smarter than you.
玉帝按牠們報到的先後次序一一賜封牠們為每年的輪值生， 十二生肖的順序就這樣確定下來。
The Supreme Deity, following their order of arrival, designated them as the annual zodiacal duty animals, and in this way the order of the twelve zodiacs was determined.
- 賜封 Investiture：This word is only used when a monarch gives something to his subjects. The word with the same meaning is "冊封".
正月初十，天還沒有亮，熟睡了幾天的貓終於醒了，牠趁黑就上路了。牠因為一路上的冷清，認為別的動物還沒出發，感到十分得意。
On the tenth day of the first lunar month, the sky was still dark, and the cat, who had been asleep for several days, finally woke up and hit the road while it was still dark. The cat was smug because the road was empty, thinking the other animals were late.
到了玉帝門前，牠一邊敲門，一邊高喊「玉帝！貓來報到了！」。
When he arrived at the door of the Supreme Deity, he knocked and shouted, "Supreme Deity! The cat has come to report for duty!"
前來開門的人，哈哈大笑地對貓說：「你真是一隻大笨貓，你已經遲來一天了，還是回去洗洗臉，清醒清醒腦子吧！不要老是一副睡不醒的樣子，把玉帝的指令也拋諸腦後。」
The person who came to open the door laughed and said to the cat, "You are such a stupid cat. You are already a day late. You should go back and wash your face and clear your head! Don't always look like you are sleepy and forget about the Supreme Deity's instructions."
此時，貓已經憤怒到了極點。從此，牠與老鼠結下了怨仇，一見到老鼠就發誓把牠咬死，大有不吃盡天下老鼠誓不甘休的氣勢！
At that moment, the cat was extremely angry. From then on, the cat held a bitter enmity towards the rat, swearing to kill them whenever he saw one, with a fierce resolve to exterminate all rats.
- 極點 The meaning is similar to "peak," used to describe the extremes of various emotions.
- 大 In this sentence, 大 as an adverb means very or extremely.
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