关于月神嫦娥有着不同的传奇故事。最流行的一个是这样说的。在远古，有一年天上有着10个太阳。它们散发的巨大灼热使湖水干涸，也使得人们濒临死亡。那时，一个叫后羿的英雄听闻了这个不幸。凭借着他无与伦比的力量，他在昆仑山拉出了他的神弓并将9个多余的太阳射下。

There are several legends about the moon fairy lady Chang'E. The most popular one goes like that, in the distant past, there used to be 10 suns in the sky one year. The scorching heat dried up the lake and people were at death's door. Just at that time, a hero named Hou Yi heard about this predicament. With his extraordinary power, he then pulled his supernatural bow and shot 9 needless suns down on the peak of Mount Kunlun.

当然后羿对人民做出了巨大的贡献，自此人们都敬重他，爱护他，支持他。还有一大批志士成群结队地去投靠他，把他当成他们的老师，因仰慕而寻求他的教导。在这些学习者中，不乏奸诈狡猾之徒，比如蓬蒙。

Hou Yi of course made distinguished contributions to people and was respected, loved and supported by them. A large number of persons of ideals and integrity flocked to Hou Yi to take him as their teacher and seek instructions out of admiration. Among those learners, there was no lack of the treacherous and cunning learner, such as a learner named Peng Meng.

不久以后，后羿和一个美丽善良的女孩嫦娥结婚了。他们非常相爱，相处融洽。一天，后羿去昆仑山见他的朋友，正巧遇上了王母娘娘，后者给了他一包长生不老药。传说半包长生不老药就可以让一个人长生不老而整包不老药则可以让一个人立即升天成仙。

Before long, Hou Yi got married to a beautiful and virtuous girl named Chang’e. They loved each other very much and got along very well. One day, Hou Yi went to Mount Kunlun to meet friends when he encountered the Queen of Heaven who gave him an elixir of life. It was said that half of the elixir could make a person live forever and the whole elixir could make a person become an immortal instantly.

但是后羿并不愿意离开他的妻子，于是他把长生不老药交给了嫦娥保管。嫦娥把不老药放进她梳妆台的百宝匣里，却恰巧被奸诈的蓬蒙看到了。三天后，当后羿要出门与他的学徒捕猎时，狡猾的蓬蒙假装生病而没有外出。当他们没走多久，蓬蒙就手持宝剑闯入了后羿的房子，威胁嫦娥交出长生不老药。嫦娥知道自己并没有能力保护这个药，于是在紧急关头，她从百宝匣中取出仙药并立即一口吞下。突然间，嫦娥从地上飘离，冲出窗户飞向天上。据说嫦娥因为对她丈夫后羿的牵挂而留在了离地球最近的月亮上成了仙。

However, Hou Yi was unwilling to leave his wife, and he gave the elixir of life to Chang’e for safekeeping. Chang’e put the elixir of life into a case of her dressing table, which was seen by Peng Meng who was very treacherous. Three days later, when Hou Yi went out for hunting with his disciples, the disingenuous Peng Meng pretended to be ill, so he didn’t go with them. Shortly after their leave, Peng Meng broke into Hou Yi’s House with a double-edged sword in his hand. Peng Meng threatened Chang’e to hand over the elixir of life. Chang’e knew that she couldn’t manage to protect the elixir of life. So, at a crisis, Chang’e fetched the elixir of life from the case and swallowed it promptly. Suddenly, Chang’e floated away from the ground, dashed out of the window and flew towards the sky. It was said that Chang’e became an immortal and stayed on the moon which was the nearest to the earth as she was anxious about his husband Hou Yi.

夜里，当后羿回到家里从女仆中得知他离开妻子后发生的事情时，他异常恼火，当即出去杀孟鹏，无奈蓬蒙已经逃走。悲痛欲绝的后羿仰天大吼，呼唤嫦娥的名字。就在那时他惊奇地发现那晚的月亮非常的明亮。他看见一个摇晃的身影正像他的妻子嫦娥。

At nightfall, Hou Yi went back home and was told what happened during his absence from his maids. Hou Yi became extremely enraged and he immediately went to kill Peng Meng. However, Peng Meng had already escaped. The heart-stricken Hou Yi shouted to the sky and shouted Chang’e, just at that time he surprisingly discovered the moon was extremely bright and clear that night and he caught sight of a swaying figure that was exactly like Chang’e.

后羿急忙让他的女仆在后花园放置了一个大香案，摆上嫦娥最喜欢的食物-新鲜水果和月饼，为住在遥远的月亮上的嫦娥举行了一个难忘的典礼。当地人听说嫦娥飞到月亮上成为神仙后，都在月亮下设大香案以敬拜善良的嫦娥，祈祷她获得快乐和平安。从那以后，在中秋节敬拜赏月就流传到现在。

Hou Yi hastily asked his maids to put an incense table in the back garden and put fresh fruits and moon cakes which were the favorite food of Chang’e on the table, holing a memorable ceremony for Chang’e who lived on the distant moon. When the local people heard that Chang’e flew to the sky and became an immortal on the moon, they all arranged incense tables below the moon for the worship of the goodness Chang’e, praying for happiness and safeness. Since then, worshipping and appreciating the moon during Mid-autumn festival has become popular until now.