Lu Ban was a legendary¹ master carpenter of the Spring and Autumn Period.

鲁班，也写作鲁般，或谓公输般，春秋战国时期鲁国人。

Legends about him were known extensively among the people,

有关鲁班的传说，在民间流传很广。

it was said that Lu Ban made the magnolia boat on the Xunyang River of the Qili Islet，

传说浔阳江七里洲中的木兰舟是鲁班刻木兰造成的。

and the wood crane on the southern summit of the Tianmu Mountain is also said to be his product.

天姥山的南峰上有仙鹤，传说也是鲁班制作的。

Tradition has it that Lu Ban once carved a crane out of the wood,

相传鲁班曾刻木为鹤，

which could take a flight as far as 700 miles each time.

木鹤一下能飞七百里，

Later it was put on the western summit of the North Mountain.

后来放在了北山的西峰上。

Once Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty sent for it,

汉武帝派人去捉取木鹤，

which then flew to the southern summit of the Tianmu Mountain.

木鹤遂飞到了天姥山南峰上。

Often when it was about to rain,

往往天将下雨的时候，

the wood crane would flutter its wings as if it would soar high.

木鹤就振翅摇动，好像要飞上天去的样子。

Lu Ban was ingenious in craftsmanship².

鲁班手艺精巧，造化天工，

When he was building a pagoda³ in Liangzhou,

曾在凉州建造佛塔。

which was far away from his home,

凉州距鲁班的家很远，

he made a wood kite in order to return home.

鲁班又作了一只木鸢，

Each time all he needed to do was just knock on the wedge of the wood kite three times.

每次将木鸢身上的楔子敲三下，

Then he could go home by riding on the wood kite.

就可以乘木鸢回家。

Soon his wife got pregnant,

没过多久，鲁班的妻子怀孕了，

for which his parents became quite suspicious of her chastity because they thought their son was always away from home.

父母觉得奇怪，便问她，

She told them all the details.

她详细地向父母说明了事情的原委。

Later，Lu Ban’s father secretly knocked on the wedge a dozen times，

后来，鲁班的父亲看到木鸢后，偷偷地将木鸢身上的楔子敲了十余下，

which took him to the territory under the Wu people’s control.

结果乘着木鸢一直飞到了吴地。

The people there took him for a monster and killed him.

吴人以为鲁班的父亲是妖怪，就把他杀了。

Lu Ban made another wood kite and found the corpse⁴ of his father by it.

鲁班又制作了一只木鸢，乘着它找到了父亲的尸首。

With a grudge⁵ against the Wu people, Lu Ban created a wood celestial⁶ being, whose hand pointed⁷ southeastwards.

鲁班心中怨恨吴人杀死了自己的父亲，就在肃州城南，用木头制作了一个仙人，仙人举手指向东南，

As a result, the territory of the Wu people was stricken by a three-year drought.

结果吴地大旱三年。

Through divination⁸, the Wu people learned it was due to Lu Ban.

吴人占卜后得到信息：“此乃鲁班所为。”

They presented generous gifts to apologize for the offence.

于是，吴人准备了许多礼物，向鲁班谢罪。

Lu Ban cut off a hand of that wood immortal⁹.

鲁班就砍断了木仙人的一只手。

On that day, a pouring rain fell in the central Wu territory.

当天，吴中便下了一场大雨。

There are two stone bridges over the Xiao River in Zhaozhou,

赵州的河上有两座石桥，

one in the south and the other in the west.

一座在城南，一座在城西。

Legend goes like this. The big one in the south of the town was built by Lu Ban,

传说城南的大石桥是鲁班修的，

while the small one in the west, by Lu Jiang, who was Lu Ban’s younger sister.

城西的小石桥是鲁班的妹妹鲁姜修的。

Once, Lu Jiang wanted to compete in craft with her brother.

有一次，鲁姜要与哥哥比赛技艺，

They agreed that each should build a bridge overnight before the cock's crow.

两人约好从初更到鸡叫，要各修一座石桥。

Lu Jiang hurriedly went to the west of the town to prepare the material.

鲁姜急忙到城西去准备材料，

She finished setting it up at midnight.

刚到半夜，她就把石桥修好了。

Quite contented¹⁰, she went to inspect the work of her brother.

鲁姜很得意，忙跑到城南去看哥哥修桥。

She found Lu Ban herding¹¹ a flock of sheep towards the riverbank.

只见鲁班正赶着一大群绵羊朝河边走来，

As she gazed, she found out that they were not sheep but white rocks,fine and glossy¹².

再仔细一看，鲁班赶的并不是绵羊，而是一块块洁白细润的石头。

She realized that her bridge could not be compared with that of her brother.

鲁姜自知造的桥肯定比不上哥哥的，

She hastened back and began to carve on her bridge with great care.

便急忙回到城西，在自己已经造好的桥上精雕细刻起来。

She carved on the bridge rails the designs of the Cowherd and the Girl Weaver¹³ and of the red phoenix¹⁴ illuminated¹⁵ by the sun.

她在桥栏杆上刻了牛郎织女、丹凤朝阳等图案，

Finishing this, she returned.

刻完后又回到城南看哥哥的进展。

The bridge of Lu Ban was almost finished, only short of two rocks.

这时，鲁班还差两块石头没有铺好。

Lu Jiang could not wait any longer, so she imitated the cock's crow,

鲁姜一急之下，就学起公鸡叫来，

which caused the cocks far and near to follow suit.

结果惹得四里五村的鸡也都叫了起来。

Hearing the crow, Lu Ban put the two rocks down in a hurry,

鲁班听见鸡叫，急忙把两块石头放下，

his construction finished.

桥也就修成了。

Two bridges rose on the river overnight，

一夜之间，河上架起了两座石桥，

which caused a sensation for miles around the next day.

第二天这事就轰动了远近州县，

Even the Eight Genii got the news，

连八洞神仙也知道了。

as well Zhang Guolao, one of them, rode on his donkey, with the sun and the moon in his bag.

于是，张果老就骑上他的毛驴，驴背上的褡裢里左边装着太阳，右边装着月亮；

Furthermore, he invited the Lord of Firewood to come with his one-wheel cart, carrying the four famous mountains.

又邀请柴王推上他的独轮车，车上载着四大名山，

The two arrived in Zhaozhou.

两个人就来到了赵州。

As soon as the donkey and cart were on the bridge it began to shake.

驴和车刚走上桥，桥身就摇晃起来。

Lu Ban ran to support underneath¹⁶ it with his two hands.

鲁班一看不好，急忙跑到桥下用双手把桥托住,这才把桥保住。

With the herculean pressure, the bridge, instead of collapsing¹⁷, was even more solid.

桥身、桥基经这么一压，不但没有损坏，反而更牢固了。

Up to the present, there still remained the footprints of Zhang Guolao’s donkey and the tracks left by the cart of the Lord Firewood.

至今桥面上还留下了七八个张果老的驴蹄印子和一道柴王爷的车辙印子，

Beneath the bridge, Lu Ban's two big palm prints were still distinct.

桥底下还有鲁班的两只大手印。