据民间神话传说古时盘古生在黑暗团中，他不能忍受黑暗，用神斧劈向四方，逐渐使天空高远，大地辽阔。他为不使天地会重新合并，继续施展法术。每当盘古的身体长高一尺，天空就随之增高一尺，经过1.8万多年的努力，盘古变成一位顶天立地的巨人，而天空也升得高不可及，大地也变得厚实无比。盘古生前完成开天辟地的伟大业绩，死后永远留给后人无穷无尽的宝藏，成为中华民族崇拜的英雄。

　　The sky and the earth were at first one blurred entity like an egg. Pangu was born into it. The separation of the sky and the earth took eighteen thousand years-the yang which was light and pure rose to become the sky, and the yin which was heavy and murky sank to form the earth. Between them was Pangu, who went through nine changes every day, his wisdom greater than that of the sky and his ability greater than that of the earth. Every day the sky rose ten feet higher, the earth became ten feet thicker, and Pangu grew ten feet taller. Another eighteen thousand years passed, and there was an extremely high sky, an extremely thick earth, and an extremely tall Pangu. Then came the Three Emperors.

　　So these numbers came into existence and evolve like this. The numb or begins with one, becomes established at three, is completed at five, prospers at seven, and ends in nine. So the sky is ninety thousand li(2) from the earth.

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（实习编辑：高奕飞）