“孟姜女哭长城”是我国流传千古的古代民间传说，可谓妇儒皆知。为了纪念那位万里寻夫的孟姜女，山海关被后人认为是孟姜女哭长城之地，并在那里盖了姜女庙，登临庙宇的游人，无不动容。虽然有些人对该故事持怀疑态度，但其故事的真实程度早已被撇到一边，人们欣赏的是孟姜女身上那种坚贞不渝的爱情和对统治者的坚定的反抗精神，真是“秦皇安在哉，万里长城筑怨；姜女未亡也，千秋片石铭贞”。

本书为“中国传说故事”系列之一，采用中英文对照的方式，通过喜良逃难、花园邂逅、婚礼猝变、千里送衣、烈女投海等情节讲述一段生动曲折的爱情故事，文字简洁，译文生动。本书不仅可以成为青少年读者的休闲读物，还可以成为青少年读者学习英语的绝佳图书。

“七日里来秋风吹，孟姜烈女送寒衣。哭崩长城八百里，不见范郎来穿衣。”

唱罢了这首民歌，要来讲一讲孟姜女哭长城的故事。这个故事，老人们都会讲，有的人还会编成民歌到处唱呢。据说这个故事起初是流传在山东的，后来又传到西北，传到东北，再传到华北、华中、西南，最后落腳在江南。于是各个地方的人，世世代代说孟姜女，就都说孟姜女是他们那里的人，故事的说法也千姿百态，大家添枝加叶，出现许多版本。不过故事再怎么变，大家都会说到孟姜女路远迢迢，要到长城边上去给她的丈夫送寒衣。当她知道丈夫死了，又被埋在长城底下的时候，她在长城边上号啕大哭。结果呢，那万里长城居然被她哭崩了一大段。

今天我们就来说说孟姜女哭长城的故事吧。

一、姜女出世

1.The Birth ofMeng Jiang Nu

二、喜良逃难

2.The Escape of Wan Xiliang

三、花园邂逅

3.Unexpected Meeting at the Garden

四、婚礼猝变

4.Unexpected Turn at the Wedding

五、千里送衣

5.Covering a Thousand Li to Send Warm Clothes

六、哭崩长城

6.Crying Down the Great Wall

七、昏君吊孝

7.The Self-Indulgent Emperor Mourning for the Dead

八、烈女投海

8.The Heroic Woman Throwing Herself into the Sea to Commit Suicide

万喜良一听，对方在追问他的姓名，倒又有些为难起来。他心里十分明白，倘若说了实话，肯定是凶多吉少，要知道自己是朝廷要犯，万一走漏了风声，可是性命交关的事情。这么说起来，是万万不能说真话的。不过要是骗她，却又觉得于心不忍。站在对面的，是一位花容月貌的妙龄少女，刚才自己又冒冒失失地在这里偷看了她洗澡，已经定很对不住她了。现在她要问自己口鸟什么名字，难道还可以欺骗她吗？万喜良朝孟姜女看了又看，心里就像是十五只吊桶打水，七上八下的乱得不得了。只见孟姜女的一双大眼睛，正在朝自己看着呢，这双眼睛，清澈见底，纯净得就像那荷花上品莹的水珠。这样一个好姑娘，怎么还忍心欺骗她呢？再说了，如果她真的要害自己，把自己交给官府，那也只好认了，就当是自己刚才冒犯了她所应该受到的惩罚吧。他思前想后，最后觉得还是不能欺骗面前的这位姑娘，咬一咬牙，就把自己是万喜良，因为触犯了“烧书令”而受到朝廷通缉的事，毫无隐瞞地说了出来。

wan Xiliang felt embarrassed when he was asked about hiS name。He was afraid that he would bear disasters if he told a11 the truth。As an important criminal if the government got the wind of his track，he was sure to lose his life．In no way Should he teu her everything．But he was not hardhearted enough to cheat such a fair girl to whom he felt terribly sorry {br peeping her bathing．He doubted whether he should tell her hiS real name．In an unsettled state of mind，Wan Xiliang QlanCed at Meng Jiang Nu and found her watery eyes starlng at him．The eyeS were SO pure that they looked like the transparent dew on the lotus flowers．How could he be so Ditiless aS to cheat such a nice girl？He would accept it as the Dunishment for offending her if she were to charge him to the government．He thought over and over．At last he mad up hiS mind not to cheat the girl in front of him．He gritted his teeth and told her frankly that he was Wan Xiliang and was being wanted by the government for breaking the law of burning books．

万喜良说这段话的时候，正好丫环已经取了书回来，一听对面这个人就是朝廷通缉的要犯，丫环吓得双腳乱跳，在边上连连催促孟姜女，要她赶快禀报两家老人，把这个人押送官府。

The maid returned with the book before Wan Xiliang finiShed his statements．When she learnt that the young man was an important criminal of the government，she jumped in fright and urged Meng Jiang Nu to report it to her parents and escorted him to the local authorities．

谁知道孟姜女这的候反倒冷静一了下来。当她知道站在对面的青年人就是万喜良的时候，她那颗刚才还在怦怦乱跳的心，这会儿重新又踏实了起来。在孟姜女看来，这真是老天有眼，给自己安排了这么一个好机会。自己刚才不慎陷进荷花池，在池里洗澡的时候，不小心让一个陌生男子看见了。如果这个男子是个坏人，岂不是太糟糕啦！还好，他非但不是坏人，居然还就是自己仰慕已久的意中人，这不是太好了吗？虽说他万喜良如今成了朝廷要犯，不过在自己看来，他并不是犯人。这样一个才子，这样一个品德高尚、学识渊博的好人，怎么可能是犯人呢？想到这里，孟姜女终于作出了一个果断的决定，要把万喜良留下。她一边拦住了丫环，一边就让万喜良先不要离开她家，说她一定会稟告两家老人，帮他渡过这个难关的。

By then Meng Jiang Nu had calmed down．When she knew that the young man in front of her was Wan Xiliang her heart which was beating fast just now was free from anxiety．She feIt grateful to the fate for offering her such a good opportunity．How terrible it should have been if the stranger who happened to see her bathing after she fell into the pool was a bad guy!HOW fortunate she was when the stranger turned out to be the man she had long since been admiring！Important criminal of the government as he was．Wan Xiliang was not，in her opinion，the guilty but a gifted scholar who excelled both in virtue and in knowledge。How could such a nice man be treated as a prisoner？Finally Meng Jiang Nu made a resolute decision that she would keep Wan Xiliang at her home. She stopped her maid at once. At the same time she persuaded Wan Xiliang to stay there until she reported it to her parents. She promised to help him out.

          P39-P42