The Chinese myth of the meddling monk - Shunan Teng

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Carol Wang

Xu Xian had just received yet another invitation

許仙剛剛收到了另一則邀請，

to the opening ceremony of the new Jin Shan Temple.

請他出席金山禪寺的開幕式。

His wife, Bai Su Zhen,

他的妻子白素貞

had warned him not to attend.

警告他不要赴約。

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

因為她其實是 仁慈的白蛇精化成人形，

their marriage had already weathered attacks by meddling monks.

他們的婚姻已經受到 管閒事的和尚們的攻擊。

But devout Buddhist that he was,

但許仙是虔誠的佛教徒，

Xu Xian felt obligated to make an appearance.

他覺得自己有義務去露個面。

What they didn’t know

他們有所不知，

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

這些邀請正是來自法海——

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

那個誤入歧途的和尚， 他曾試圖拆散這對年輕戀人，

almost killing Xu Xian in the process.

在過程中還幾乎害死許仙。

The monk confronted Xu Xian,

和尚直面許仙，

telling him that because he consorted with a demon,

告訴他，因為他結交惡魔，

he must remain at the monastery and cleanse his soul.

他必須要留在寺院中， 清洗他的靈魂。

Xu Xian protested,

許仙提出抗議，

but Fa Hai would not let him escape.

但法海不讓他逃離。

At home, Bai Su Zhen was uneasy.

在家中的白素貞感到不安。

Her husband had departed so quickly

她的先生出發得太趕，

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

她沒有機會告訴他， 她懷了他的孩子。

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

現在，他已經離開了好久， 她覺得一定出問題了。

She made her way to the temple,

她動身前往禪寺，

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

遇到法海時，這位和尚 擲出他的拜墊，

which erupted into fire and smoke.

拜墊立刻爆出火和煙。

Weakened from her pregnancy,

白素貞因為懷孕而比較虛弱，

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

她拼命召喚出蝦兵蟹將來制服法海，

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

召喚海浪來撲滅烈火。

But the water also flooded the surrounding area,

但水也淹向附近的區域，

drowning many innocent villagers.

讓許多無辜的村民溺死。

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

這是白素貞第一次傷害人類，

and she fell out of the gods’ favor.

她因此失去了神的庇佑。

With their blessing retracted,

神靈收回了祝福，

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

法海試圖將她困在 他的魔法缽盂中。

But just when all hope seemed lost,

但就在所有希望似乎都破滅時，

a bright glow came from within her belly,

她的肚子內發出了一道亮光，

saving her from the mad monk’s magic.

把她從瘋狂和尚的魔法中解救出来。

The couple fled home,

這對夫妻逃回家，

grateful to the mysterious power that had saved them,

十分感激拯救他們的神秘力量，

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

沒多久，白素貞生出了 他們的兒子許士林。

Yet despite this joyous occasion,

雖然在這喜悅的時刻，

Xu Xian was uneasy.

許仙卻感到不安。

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

他妻子意外傷害了其他生靈 讓他深感不安，

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

他擔心這可能會給他們家帶來不幸。

Not a month later,

不到一個月之後，

Fa Hai appeared at their doorstep.

法海來到了他們家門口。

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

他給了許仙一個缽盂，祐助 他們新生的兒子能有好運。

Still wary of the monk,

許仙仍然對這個和尚有戒心，

but also remembering Bai Su Zhen’s destructive act,

但記起白素貞的破壞性行為，

Xu Xian accepted the gift.

仍接受了這份禮物。

But as soon as the bowl entered their home,

但剛進家門，

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

缽盂就飛向白素貞的頭， 將她困在其中。

Against the family’s wishes,

法海違背這個家庭的意願，

Fa Hai buried the bowl beneath the Lei Feng Pagoda.

將缽盂埋在了雷峰塔底下。

And when Xu Xian begged him to release his wife,

當許仙求他放了他的妻子時，

the monk sternly replied:

和尚嚴厲地回覆：

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

「當鐵樹開花時， 她就會得到自由。」

Overcome with guilt,

許仙滿心都是罪惡感，

Xu Xian ran away to a monastery,

跑到了一間寺院，

leaving Shi Lin in the care of his aunt.

把士林留給他的姑姑照顧。

But there was something neither of them knew.

但有件事他們兩個都不知道，

The boy was the reincarnation of Wen Qu Xing,

這個男孩是文曲星的轉世，

the wisdom god,

即智慧之神，

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

被送到這個家庭， 是獎勵許仙的奉獻。

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

在禪寺時，就是這股力量 保護了白素貞，

and as he grew, so did his wisdom.

隨著他長大，他的智慧也增長了。

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

十九歲時，士林進京考試，

and obtained the highest score in all the empire.

取得狀元。

The Emperor himself bestowed Shi Lin’s prize:

皇帝本人親自頒獎給士林：

an ornate hat decorated with jewel-encrusted flowers.

一頂裝飾華麗的狀元帽， 上面有珠寶外殼的花朵。

But though he returned home in glory,

雖然他榮歸故里，

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

但父母的命運仍然讓他憂心忡忡。

Coaxing his father from exile,

士林將離家出走的爸爸勸誘回來，

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

帶他去造訪雷峰塔， 向他的媽媽致意。

Kneeling before it,

跪在鐵樹前，

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

他將珠寶狀元帽放在 鐵樹上，當作祭品。

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

突然，地面打開了， 白素貞走了出來。

With her sins absolved by the tribute of a god,

文曲星駕臨感動神靈而免了她的罪，

and a blossom on the iron tree,

加上鐵樹開花讓法力失效，

Shi Lin had freed his mother,

士林解救了他的母親，

and reunited his family–

讓這個家重新團聚——

both mortal and divine.

有凡人也有神仙的家。