< Translation:The Story of the Stone

Prologue

第一回 Chapter 1

甄士隱夢幻識通靈　賈雨村風塵懷閨秀
Zhen Shiyin knows Tongling in dream, Jia Yucun misses outstandinger in winddust[1]

　　列位看官，你道此書從何而來？說起根由雖近荒唐，細谙則深有趣味。待在下將此來歷註明，方使聞者了然不惑。

  Various readers, you say from where does this book come? To say the root though
nears absurd, meticously think about it then there's a taste of interest in it. Wait for me make this orgin said, then the listeners will be clearly not confused.

2

　　原來，當年女媧氏煉石補天之時，於大荒山無稽崖煉成高經十二丈、方經二十四丈頑石三萬六千五百零一塊。媧皇氏只用了三萬六千五百塊，只單單的剩下了一塊未用，便弃在此山青埂峰下。誰知此石自經煅煉之後，靈性已通，因見衆石俱得補天，獨自己無材不堪入選，遂自怨自嗟，日夜悲號慚愧。

  Originally, in those years, when Nüwa smelting stones to fill the sky, she smelted 36,501 cubes of 12-zhang-high, 24-zhang-squared dense/stupid stones at Great Absurd Mountain, Unfounded Precipice. Wa-emperor Shi only used 36,500 cubes,[2] only singly left 1 cube unused, then abandoned it at the bottom of this mountain's Green Geng Peak.[3] No one knows that this stone became clever after experienced smelting. It see all various stones can fill the sky but itself alone have no [necessary] material and can't get seleted, therefore it self-imputes, self-sighs, grievously wails and feels ashamed day and night.

3

　　一日，正當嗟悼之餘，俄見一僧一道遠遠而來，生得氣骨不凡，豐神迥異，說說笑笑來至峰下，坐於石邊高談快論。先是說些雲山霧海，神僊玄幻之事，後便說到紅塵中榮華富貴。此石聽了，不覺打動凡心，也想要到人間去享一享這榮華富貴，但自恨粗蠢，不得已，便口吐人言，向那僧道說道：「大師！弟子蠢物，不能見禮了。適聞二位談那人世間榮耀繁華，心切慕之。弟子質雖粗蠢，性却稍通，况見二師仙形道體，定非凡品，必有補天濟世之材，利物濟人之德。如蒙發一點慈心，携帶弟子得入紅塵，在那富貴場中、溫柔鄉裏受享幾年，自當永佩洪恩，萬劫不忘也。」二仙師聽畢，齊憨笑道：「善哉，善哉！那紅塵中有却有些樂事，但不能永遠依恃。况又有『美中不足，好事多魔』八個字緊相連屬，瞬息間則又樂極悲生，人非物換；究竟是到頭一夢，萬境歸空。倒不如不去的好。」這石凡心已熾，那裡聽得進這話去，乃復苦求再四。二仙知不可强制，乃嘆道：「此亦靜極思動，無中生有之數也。既如此，我們便携你去受享受享，只是到不得意時，切莫後悔。」石道：「自然，自然。」那僧又道：「若說你性靈，却又如此質蠢，並更無奇貴之處，如此也只好踮脚而已。也罷，我如今大施佛法助你助，待劫終之日，復還本質，以了此案。你道好否？」石頭聽了，感謝不盡。那僧便念咒書符，大展幻術，將一塊大石，登時變成一塊鮮明瑩潔的美玉，且又縮成扇墜大小的可佩可拿。那僧托於掌上，笑道：「形體倒也是個寶物了，還只沒有實在的好處，得再鐫上數字，使人一見便知是奇物方妙。然後好携你到那昌明隆盛之邦，詩禮簪纓之族，花錦繁華之地，溫柔富貴之鄉去安身樂業。」石頭聽了，喜不能禁，乃問：「不知弟子那幾件奇處，又不知携了弟子到何處？望乞明示，使弟子不惑。」那僧笑道：「你且莫問，日後自然明白的。」說着，便袖了那石，同那道人飄然而去，竟不知投奔何方何舍去了。

  One day, just during sighness to spare, suddenly [the stone] sees a sangha,[4] a Daoism,[5] come at distance. [They] were born unusually in spirit, have rich soul and are completely different. [They] come to the peak's bottom with laughing and talking, sit by the side of the stone and talk widely in a high voice. The first is talking about some cloud mountain, fog sea and illusory immortal life, and later, [they] mention the flourishness and luxury in reddust[6]. This stone listened, cannot help being attracted by temporal willingness, wants to go to earthly world, too, to enjoy the flourishness and luxury.

Notes

  1. ↑ a Chinese word figuring "uncertainties in an unstable society" Source
  2. ↑ Wa-emperor Shi - Nüwa.
  3. ↑ "Green Geng" is a homonym of "the root of emotion"
  4. ↑ sangha - a bonze; a monk
  5. ↑ Daoism - also spelt as Taoism.
  6. ↑ the worldly world
This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.