The Chinese myth of the meddling monk - Shunan Teng

翻译人员: Yisi Zhu 校对人员: Cissy Yun

Xu Xian had just received yet another invitation

许仙刚刚又收到了一封请帖，

to the opening ceremony of the new Jin Shan Temple.

请他去参加金山寺的开光。

His wife, Bai Su Zhen,

他的妻子白素贞

had warned him not to attend.

叫他不要去。

Since she was in fact a benevolent white snake spirit in human form,

因为白素贞其实是 一条善良的白蛇精化成的人，

their marriage had already weathered attacks by meddling monks.

而他们二人的婚礼 曾被心怀鬼胎的僧人攻击过。

But devout Buddhist that he was,

但是许仙是个虔诚的佛教徒，

Xu Xian felt obligated to make an appearance.

觉得自己有责任去参加。

What they didn’t know

但他们不知道的是，

was that these invitations had come from none other than Fa Hai–

发布这些邀请的不是别人， 正是法海 --

the misguided monk who had tried to separate the young lovers,

那个曾试图分开这对年轻恋人的 金山寺僧人。

almost killing Xu Xian in the process.

他在当时几乎杀了许仙。

The monk confronted Xu Xian,

法海这次又找到了许仙，

telling him that because he consorted with a demon,

对许仙讲白素贞乃蛇妖。

he must remain at the monastery and cleanse his soul.

法海要许仙留在寺庙里 净化灵魂。

Xu Xian protested,

许仙不愿留下，

but Fa Hai would not let him escape.

但法海自然不会让他轻易逃脱。

At home, Bai Su Zhen was uneasy.

家中，白素贞惴惴不安。

Her husband had departed so quickly

他的丈夫离开得太突然，

that she hadn’t been able to tell him she was pregnant with his child.

以致她还没能告诉他 自己怀上了他的孩子。

And now he had been gone so long she sensed something must be wrong.

而现在许仙已经离开了很久， 她隐隐觉得事情有些不对。

She made her way to the temple,

素贞于是至寺庙索夫，

and upon encountering Fa Hai the monk threw his prayer mat,

法海僧人将他的蒲团扔出，

which erupted into fire and smoke.

一时间火光闪现，烟雾弥漫。

Weakened from her pregnancy,

因为怀孕而虚弱的白素贞，

Bai Su Zhen desperately summoned a fleet of shrimp soldiers and crab generals

慌忙召唤虾兵蟹将 以压制法海，

to subdue the monk, and waves to put out the blaze.

又唤出水浪扑灭了火焰。

But the water also flooded the surrounding area,

但大水也涌向周围，

drowning many innocent villagers.

淹死了许多无辜的村民。

For the first time, Bai Su Zhen had harmed humans,

生平第一次， 白素贞伤害了人类，

and she fell out of the gods’ favor.

也因此触犯了天界众神。

With their blessing retracted,

在素贞失去众神的保佑后，

Fa Hai attempted to trap her in his magical alms bowl.

法海试图将她困于一钵盂下。

But just when all hope seemed lost,

但就在看似希望渺茫时，

a bright glow came from within her belly,

一道亮光从素贞的肚子里映出，

saving her from the mad monk’s magic.

从愤怒的僧人手下救了她。

The couple fled home,

素贞夫妻二人逃回家中，

grateful to the mysterious power that had saved them,

他们十分感激那救了他们的 神秘力量。

and soon after, Bai Su Zhen gave birth to their son, Xu Shi Lin.

不久之后，白素贞生下了 他们的儿子许仕林。

Yet despite this joyous occasion,

但尽管有着如此快乐的时光，

Xu Xian was uneasy.

许仙仍感到不安，

He was shaken by his wife’s accidental act of destruction,

他无法忘怀妻子在意外中 曾造成的巨大破环。

and he feared the misfortune it might bring upon their home.

他担心他们的家庭 会因此遭遇不幸。

Not a month later,

不到一个月后，

Fa Hai appeared at their doorstep.

法海来到他们门前，

He offered Xu Xian an alms bowl to ensure good fortune for his newborn son.

他给了许仙一个钵盂， 声称可以保佑许仙新出世的儿子。

Still wary of the monk,

许仙对此将信将疑，

but also remembering Bai Su Zhen’s destructive act,

但想到白素贞曾造成的破坏，

Xu Xian accepted the gift.

他接受了这份礼物。

But as soon as the bowl entered their home,

但这钵盂一进到他们家中，

it flew to Bai Su Zhen’s head and trapped her inside.

就飞到白素贞的头顶， 把她困在其中。

Against the family’s wishes,

法海不顾这家人的意愿，

Fa Hai buried the bowl beneath the Lei Feng Pagoda.

把此钵盂埋在了雷峰塔下。

And when Xu Xian begged him to release his wife,

当许仙乞求法海放了他的妻子时，

the monk sternly replied:

法海不为所动，他回答道：

“She will be free when the iron tree blooms.”

“铁树开花时她才能自由。“

Overcome with guilt,

许仙愧疚无比，

Xu Xian ran away to a monastery,

从此长住于寺庙中。

leaving Shi Lin in the care of his aunt.

他把仕林托付给他婶婶照顾。

But there was something neither of them knew.

但有件事他们谁都不知道，

The boy was the reincarnation of Wen Qu Xing,

这个男婴实是天上主文运的

the wisdom god,

星宿文曲的转世，

sent to the family to reward Xu Xian’s devotion.

下凡至这个家庭 以奖励许仙的虔诚。

It was this power that had protected Bai Su Zhen at the temple,

正是这股力量， 曾在寺庙保护了白素贞。

and as he grew, so did his wisdom.

仕林日渐长大，聪颖也渐显。

At age 19, Shi Lin went to the capital city to take the nation-wide imperial exam

在19岁时，他进京赶考，

and obtained the highest score in all the empire.

一举中了状元。

The Emperor himself bestowed Shi Lin’s prize:

皇帝亲自颁奖给仕林：

an ornate hat decorated with jewel-encrusted flowers.

一顶华丽的状元帽， 花朵形的珠玉镶嵌其上。

But though he returned home in glory,

但尽管他载誉归乡，

the fate of his parents still weighed heavy on his mind.

他父母的命运仍如大石般 压在他心上。

Coaxing his father from exile,

仕林说服父亲下山，

Shi Lin took him to visit the Lei Feng Pagoda to pay respects to his mother.

他们一同至雷峰塔前祭母。

Kneeling before it,

于塔前跪下时，

he placed his jeweled prize on the iron tree as an offering.

仕林将他的珠宝奖励作祭品 放在了铁树上。

Suddenly, the ground opened and Bai Su Zhen stepped out.

突然间，大地开裂， 白素贞于其间走了出来。

With her sins absolved by the tribute of a god,

文曲星的孝心感动了上天，

and a blossom on the iron tree,

加上铁树上也实实在在开了花，

Shi Lin had freed his mother,

仕林得以救出他的母亲。

and reunited his family–

一家人于是终能团聚，

both mortal and divine.

功德圆满，重列仙班。