The Chinese Myth of the White Snake and the Meddling Monk
Xu Xian had just received yet another invitation to the opening ceremonyof the new Jin Shan Temple. His wife, Bai Suzhen, had warned him not to attend.Since she was in fact a benevolent white snake spirit in human form, theirmarriage had already weathered attacks by meddling monks. But devout Buddhistthat he was, Xu Xian felt obligated to make an appearance.
許仙剛剛收到另一個邀請，參加新金山寺的落成儀式。他的妻子白素貞曾警告他不要參加。由於她是善良的白蛇妖精，他們的婚姻已經經受住了多管閒事的僧侶們的攻擊。但徐賢身為虔誠的佛教徒，許仙覺得有義務出席。
What they didn’t know was that these invitations had come from noneother than Fa Hai – the misguided monk who had tried toseparate the young lovers, almost killing Xu Xian in the process. The monkconfronted Xu Xian, telling him that because he consorted with a demon, he mustremain at the monastery and cleanse his soul. Xu Xian protested, but Fa Haiwould not let him escape.
而他們不知道的是，這些請帖不是別人發出的，而是法海發出的。法海是一個誤入歧途的僧人，他試圖將這對年輕的戀人分開，差點殺死了許仙。僧人與許仙對質，告訴他，因為他與妖魔相戀，他必須留在寺院裡淨化自己的靈魂。許仙抗議，但是法海阻止他逃走。
At home, Bai Suzhen was uneasy. Her husband had departed so quickly thatshe hadn’t been able to tell him she was pregnant with his child.And now he had been gone so long she sensed something must be wrong. She madeher way to the temple, and upon encountering Fa Hai the monk threw his prayermat, which erupted into fire and smoke. Weakened from her pregnancy, Bai Suzhendesperately summoned a fleet of shrimp soldiers and crab generals to subdue themonk, and waves to put out the blaze. But the water also flooded the surroundingarea, drowning many innocent villagers. For the first time, Bai Suzhen hadharmed humans, and she fell out of the gods’ favor.
回到家裡，白素貞很不安。她丈夫走得太匆忙了，她沒能告訴許仙現在已經懷上了他的孩子。現在他走了這麼久，白素貞感覺到到一定是出了什麼事。她向廟裡走去，遇到法海時，和尚把他的佛經扔了出去，佛經就著火一樣冒煙了。懷孕後身體虛弱的白素珍絕望地召集了一隊蟹將蝦兵來制服這艘船，並揮手撲滅大火。但洪水也淹沒了周圍地區，淹死了許多無辜的村民。白素貞第一次傷害人類，從此失寵於眾神。
With their blessing retracted, Fa Hai attempted to trap her in his magicalalms bowl. But just when all hope seemed lost, a bright glow came from withinher belly, saving her from the mad monk’s magic. The couplefled home, grateful to the mysterious power that had saved them, and soonafter, Bai Suzhen gave birth to their son, Xu Shilin. Yet despite this joyousoccasion, Xu Xian was uneasy. He was shaken by his wife’s accidental act of destruction, and he feared the misfortune itmight bring upon their home.
他們的祝福也隨之被收回了，法海試圖把她困在他的紫金缽裡。但就在一切希望似乎都破滅的時候，她的肚子裡發出一道明亮的光芒，把她從瘋和尚的法術中拯救了出來。這對夫婦逃回家，感謝救他們的神秘力量，不久之後，白素貞生下了他們的兒子許仕林。儘管如此，許仙還是很不自在。他對妻子的意外破壞行為感到震驚，他擔心這會給他們家帶來不幸。
Not a month later, Fa Hai appeared at their doorstep. He offered Xu Xianan alms bowl to ensure good fortune for his newborn son. Still wary of themonk, but also remembering Bai Suzhen’s destructive act,Xu Xian accepted the gift. But as soon as the bowl entered their home, it flewto Bai Suzhen’s head and trapped her inside. Againstthe family’s wishes, Fa Hai buried the bowl beneath theLei Feng Pagoda. And when Xu Xian begged him to release his wife, the monksternly replied: “She will be free when the iron treeblooms.”
不到一個月，法海出現在他們家門口。為了給他剛出生的兒子帶來好運，他給了許先一個紫金缽盂。許仙仍然警惕著法海，但也想起白素貞的破壞行為，接受了這份禮物。但缽盂一進家門，它就飛到了白素貞的頭上，把她困在了裡面。法海不顧家人的意願，把碗埋在了雷峰塔下。當許仙請求他放了他的妻子時，和尚嚴厲地說:“鐵樹開花時，她就自由了。”
Overcome with guilt, Xu Xian ran away to a monastery, leaving Shi Lin inthe care of his aunt. But there was something neither of them knew. The boy wasthe reincarnation of Wen Qu Xing, the wisdom god, sent to the family to rewardXu Xian’s devotion. It was this power that had protected BaiSuzhen at the temple, and as he grew, so did his wisdom. At age 19, Shi Linwent to the capital city to take the nation-wide imperial exam and obtained thehighest score in all the empire.
許仙心灰意冷，跑到一座寺院，把許士林留給了姑姑。但是有些事情他們兩人都不知道。這個男孩是智慧之神文曲星的轉世，他被送到許仙的家裡以報答許仙的奉獻。正是這種力量在廟裡保護了白素貞，隨著他的成長，他的智慧也隨之增長。19歲時，士林到都城參加全國科舉考試，並中了狀元。
The Emperor himself bestowed Shi Lin’s prize: an ornatehat decorated with jewel-encrusted flowers. But though he returned home inglory, the fate of his parents still weighed heavy on his mind. Coaxing hisfather from exile, Shi Lin took him to visit the Lei Feng Pagoda to pay respectsto his mother. Kneeling before it, he placed his jeweled prize on the iron treeas an offering. Suddenly, the ground opened and Bai Suzhen stepped out. Withher sins absolved by the tribute of a god, and a blossom on the iron tree, ShiLin had freed his mother, and reunited his family –both mortal and divine.
皇帝親自頒發了士林的勳章：一頂飾有寶石花的華麗帽子。雖然他平平安安地回到了家，但他父母的命運仍然沉重地壓在他的心頭。士林勸服流亡在外的父親，帶他去參觀雷鋒塔，向母親表達敬意。他跪在雷峰塔面前，把他的珠寶獎品當作祭品放在那棵鐵樹上。突然，地裂開了，白素貞走了出來。士林的罪過得到了神的赦免，鐵樹上的一朵花使他的母親獲得了自由，並使他的家人團聚——凡人和神。
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