一千七百多年前，中国北方的西晋王朝发生了大乱。很多地方在打仗，老百姓的日子很苦。
More than seventeen hundred years ago, the Western Jin dynasty in northern China fell into great disorder. Fighting broke out in many places, and ordinary people lived hard lives.
有两个年轻人，一个叫祖逖，一个叫刘琨。他们是最好的朋友，一起在司州做小官。
There were two young men, one named Zu Ti and the other Liu Kun. They were best friends and worked together as minor officials in Sizhou.
白天，他们处理公文；晚上，他们住在同一个房间，睡在同一张床上。
By day they handled documents; at night they lived in the same room and slept in the same bed.
有一天半夜，两个人还在睡觉，忽然听到一声鸡叫。那时候，鸡叫得太早，人们觉得是不好的声音。
One night, while they were still asleep, they suddenly heard a rooster crow. In those days, a rooster crowing too early was thought to be a bad sound.
祖逖踢了踢刘琨，把他叫醒，说：“这不是坏声音。这是叫我们起床的声音。”
Zu Ti kicked Liu Kun to wake him and said, “This is not a bad sound. It is a sound calling us to get up.”
两个人马上穿好衣服，走到院子里，拔出剑来练习。天亮了，他们才停下来。
The two men dressed at once, went out into the courtyard, drew their swords and practised. They only stopped when day broke.
从那天起，只要听到鸡叫，他们就起床练剑。一天又一天，从来没有偷懒。
From that day on, whenever they heard a rooster, they got up and practised with their swords. Day after day, they never once slacked off.
很多年以后，北方被敌人占领，祖逖带兵去打敌人。他坐船过长江，在江中间敲着船桨发誓：不收复北方，就不过这条江。
Many years later, enemies occupied the north, and Zu Ti led soldiers to fight them. He crossed the Yangtze by boat and, in the middle of the river, struck the oars and swore: unless the north was recovered, he would not cross back.
刘琨也在北方守城，抵抗敌人。后来，人们用“闻鸡起舞”形容一个人自觉努力、不怕吃苦，下定决心就马上行动。
Liu Kun also held a city in the north and resisted the enemy. Later, people used 闻鸡起舞 — “hearing the rooster and rising to practise” — to describe someone who works hard of their own accord, fears no hardship, and acts as soon as they have made up their mind.