大禹治水

【Da Yu governed the flood】

范文：It was said that in the reign of Yao and Shun, the overrunning flood was mischievous, so Yao assigned Gun to regulate it.Gun wanted to cut off the flood with stones but failed.

Then, Shun assigned Yu, Gun’s son, to continue the work. Having learned his father’s lesson, Yu dredged new river channels as outlets, guiding water into river and river into sea. Day by day, year by year, Yu spent thirteen years in governing the flood without a break. During these years, Yu passed by his house three times and never went in.

This not only eliminated the flood, but contributed to the development of agriculture.

译文：远古的时候，洪水泛滥。尧帝命鲧（gǔn）治水。鲧用土石来堵掩凶猛的洪水，治理了九年，一直没有成效。

舜即位后，又命令鲧的儿子禹继续治水。禹吸取父亲的教训，改用疏导的办法，把沟渠的水导入江河，又把江河的水导入大海。13年如一日，他天天带领百姓奋战在治水工地。这十三年间，禹曾三次经过自己的家门，第一次孩子还在襁褓中哭；第二次孩子刚学会喊爸爸；第三次孩子已长大，想留住爸爸。但是因为时间太匆忙，治水的工程一刻也不能耽误，禹一次也没进入自己的家门。他这种三过家门而不入的牺牲精神得到后人的称颂。

重难点词汇及短语：
govern治理；
reign 统治；
overrun泛滥成灾；
mischievous有害的；
assign指派；
cut off中断；
dredge挖掘；
river channel河道；
without a break不停顿的；
eliminate消除