•桃花源记•A Tale of the Fountain of the Peach Blossom Spring (Tr. by 罗经国 )

•Peach-Blossom Source (Tr. by A. R. Davis)

•The Peach Colony (Tr. by 林语堂 )

•Peach-Blossom Springs (Tr. by 方重 )

•晋太元中，武陵人捕鱼为业；缘溪行，忘路之远近。• In the year of Taiyuan[1] of the Jin Dynasty, there lived a man in Wuling[2] jun who earned his living by fishing.

•During the Taiyuan period (376--396) of Jin a man of Wuling, who made his living as a fisherman, ascended a stream, forgetful of the distance he traveled.

•During the reign of Taiyuan of Chin, there was a fisherman of Wuling.

•During the reign of Emperor Shao-Wu of Eastern Tsin there was once a native of Wuling, who lived on fishing. [1] Taiyuan was the title of the reign of Emperor

Xiaowu of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (376 －396).[2] Wuling is today's Changde City, Hunan Province.

•缘溪行，忘路之远近。忽逢桃花林。夹岸数百步，•One day, he rowed his boat along a stream, unaware of how far he had gone when all of a sudden, he found himself in the midst of a wood full of peach blossoms.

•…, ascended a stream, forgetful of the distance he traveled. Suddenly he came upon a grove of peach trees in blossom.

•One day he was walking along a bank. After having gone a certain distance, he suddenly came upon a peach grove which extended along the bank for about a hundred yards.

•One day he rowed up a stream, and soon forgot how far he had gone. All of a sudden he came upon a peach grove.

•夹岸数百步，中无杂树，芳草鲜美，落英缤纷，渔人甚异之。•The wood extended several hundred footsteps along both banks of the stream. There were no trees of other kinds.

•They lined the banks for several hundred paces: among them were no other kinds of tree.

•… which extended along the bank for about a hundred yards. He noticed with surprise that the grove had a magic effect, so singularly free from the usual mingling of brushwood, while the beautifully grassy ground was covered with its rose petals.

•For hundreds of paces along both banks of the stream, the peach-trees were in full bloom. No other trees were to be seen in the whole grove.

•夹岸数百步，中无杂树，芳草鲜美，落英缤纷，渔人甚异之。•The lush grass was fresh and beautiful and peach petals fell in riotous profusion.

•The fragrant herbage was fresh and beautiful; fallen blossom lay in profusion.

•He noticed with surprise that the grove had a magic effect, so singularly free from the usual mingling of brushwood, while the beautifully grassy ground was covered with its rose petals.

•The soft grass looked fresh and beautiful. Here and there falling blossoms were dancing gracefully in a thousand hues.

•夹岸数百步，中无杂树，芳草鲜美，落英缤纷，渔人甚异之。复前行，欲穷其林。林尽水源，便得一山。山有小口，

•The fisherman was so curious that he rowed on, in hopes of discovering where the trees ended.

•The fisherman, in extreme wonder, again went forward, wishing to go to the end of the grove.

•He noticed with surprise that …. He went further to explore, and when he came to the end of the grove, he saw a spring which came from a cave in the hill.

•The fisherman was beside himself with amazement. He went on further in order to reach the uppermost limits of the grove.

•林尽水源，便得一山。山有小口，仿佛若有光，• //At the end of the wood was the fountainhead of the stream. The fisherman beheld a hill, with a small opening from which issued a glimmer of light.

•The grove ended at the stream's source, and there he found a hill. In the hill was a small opening from which a light seemed to come.

• He went further to explore, and when he came to the end of the grove, he saw a spring which came from a cave in the hill. Having noticed that there seemed to be a weak light in the cave, he tied up ….

•As the peaches came to an end, the headsprings of the stream was found to issue from the side of a mountain. A narrow cave-like opening showed him some light that seemed to emerge from within.

•便舍船从口入。初极狭，才通人。•He stepped ashore to explore the crevice. His first steps took him into a passage that accommodated only the width of one person.

•So he left his boat and went in through the opening. At first it was very narrow, barely allowing a man to pass, but …

•…, he tied up his boat and decided to go in and explore. //At first the opening was very narrow, barely wide enough for one person to go in.

• Leaving his boat he ventured in. //At first it was just wide enough to admit one person.

•复行数十步，豁然开朗。土地平旷，屋舍俨然，•After he progressed about scores of paces, it suddenly widened into an open field. The land was flat and spacious. There were houses arranged in good order with …

•…, but as he went on for some tens of paces, it came out into the open air, upon lands level and wide with houses of a stately appearance.

•After a dozen steps, it opened into a flood of light. He saw before his eyes a wide, level valley, with houses and fields and farms.

•But after a few dozen paces an extensive view suddenly appeared before him. He saw the level plain stretch out far and wide, and the houses and homesteads all neatly arranged.

•有良田、美池、桑竹之属，阡陌交通，鸡犬相闻。• There were houses arranged in good order with fertile fields, beautiful ponds, bamboo groves, mulberry trees and paths crisscrossing the fields in all directions. The crowing of cocks and the barking of dogs were within everyone's earshot.

•There fine fields and beautiful pools, clumps of mulberries and bamboos. The field dykes intersected; cocks crowed and dogs barked to each other.

•There were bamboos and mulberries; farmers were working and dogs and chickens were running about.

•Rich rice-fields, picturesque ponds, and mulberry and bamboo groves were everywhere. The foot-paths crossed and re-crossed one another. As the cocks crowed, the dogs barked in return.

•其中往来种作，男女衣着，悉如外人；• In the fields the villagers were busy with farm work. Men and women were dressed like people outside.

•The clothes of the men and women who came and went, planted and worked among them were entirely like those of people outside.

•The dresses of the men and women were like those of the outside world, and ….

•All the inhabitants busied themselves with farm work in the same manner as the people outside, so did their men and women attire themselves.

•其中往来种作，男女衣着，悉如外人；• In the fields the villagers were busy with farm work. Men and women were dressed like people outside.

•The clothes of the men and women who came and went, planted and worked among them were entirely like those of people outside.

•The dresses of the men and women were like those of the outside world, and ….

•All the inhabitants busied themselves with farm work in the same manner as the people outside, so did their men and women attire themselves.

•黄发垂髫，并怡然自乐。•They all, old and young, appeared happy.

•The white-haired and the children with their hair in tufts happily enjoyed themselves.

•…, and the old men and children appeared very happy and contented.

•The yellow-tressed old folk and the youngsters with flowing hair were all living in self-contentment.

•见渔人，乃大惊，问所从来，具答之。• //They were surprised at seeing the fisherman, who, being asked where he came from, answered their every question.

• //When they saw the fisherman, they were greatly surprised and asked from what place he came. When he had answered all their questions, they …

•They were greatly astonished to see the fisherman and asked him where he had come from. The fisherman told them and …

• //Seeing the fisherman they were so eager to find out from whence he came. He made his answers accordingly and …

•便要还家，设酒杀鸡作食。•Then they invited him to visit their homes, killed chickens, and served wine to entertain him.

• When he had answered all their questions, they invited him to come back to their home, where they set out wine, killed a chicken and made a meal.

• The fisherman told them and was invited to their homes, where wine was served and chicken was killed for dinner to entertain him.

• He made his answers accordingly and was invited to their homes to be entertained with chicken and wine.

•村中闻有其人，咸来问讯。•As the words of his arrival spread, the entire village turned out to greet him.

•When the villagers heard of this man, they all came to pay their respects.

•The villagers hearing of his coming all came to see him and to talk.

•Others in the village, on hearing of the arrival of a stranger, also flocked round to make inquiries.

•自云先世避秦时乱，率妻子邑人来此绝境，不复出焉，遂与外人间隔。

•They told him that their ancestors had come to this isolated haven, bringing their families and the village people, to escape from the turmoil during the Qin Dynasty and that from then onwards, they had been cut off from the outside world.

•They told him that their ancestors, fleeing from the troubles during the Qin period (221BC--208BC), had brought their wives and children and neighbours to this inaccessible spot and had not gone out again. Thus they became cut off from people outside.

•自云先世避秦时乱，率妻子邑人来此绝境，不复出焉，遂与外人间隔。

•They said that their ancestors had come here as refugees to escape from the tyranny of Tsin Shih-huang (builder of Great Wall) some six hundred years ago, and they had never left it. They were thus completely cut off from the world, and asked what was the ruling dynasty now.

•Of their own accord they told him of the forefathers who had, during the troublous times of the Chins, sought refuge in this place of absolute seclusion together with their families and neighbours. After having settled down here they never thought of going out again. They had been so cut off from the rest of the world that a knowledge of the times would be a revelation to them.

•问今是何世，乃不知有汉，无论魏晋。•They were curious to know what dynasty it was now. They did not know the Han Dynasty, not to mention the Wei and the Jin dynasties.

•They asked what dynasty it was now: they did not know that there had been Han (206 BC--220AD, nor of courts Wei (220--265AD) or Jin.

•They …, and asked what was the ruling dynasty now. They had not even heard of the Han Dynasty (two centuries before to two centuries after Christ), not to speak of the Wei (third century A.D.) and the Chin (third and fourth centuries).

•… a knowledge of the times would be a revelation to them. They had not heard of the Han Dynasty, not to say the Wei and the Tsin.

•此人一一为具言所闻，皆叹惋。•The fisherman told them all the things they wanted to know. They sighed.

•The fisherman told them all he knew, item by item, and at everything they sighed with grief.

•The fisherman told them, which they heard with great amazement.

•The fisherman informed them all about these changes, and they could not help being deeply affected.

•余人各复延至其家，皆出酒食。•The villagers offered him one feast after another. They entertained him with wine and delicious food.

•The others in turn also invited him to their homes, and all set out wine and food.

•Many of the other villagers then began to invite him to their homes by turn and feed him dinner and wine.

•Then more of them asked him to dine by turns.

•停数日，辞去。此中人语云：“不足为外人道也。”•After several days, the fisherman took his leave. The village people entreated him not to let others know of their existence.

•He stayed for several days and then took leave of them. The people of this place said to him: "You should not speak of this to those outside."

• //After a few days, he took leave of them and left. The villagers begged him not to tell the people outside about their colony.

• It was not until several days later that he begged to take leave. He was bidden, however, to keep to himself all the things talked about among them, for, they said, such matters would not be worth imparting to the outside world.

•既出，得其船，便扶向路，处处志之。• //Once out, the fisherman found his boat and rowed homeward, leaving marks all the way.

• //When he had gone out, he found his boat and folllowed the route by which he had come: everywhere he noted the way.

•The man found his boat and came back, marking with signs the route he had followed.

•Our fisherman came out, found his boat again, and took care to leave marks all along his way home.

•及郡下，诣太守说如此。太守即遣人随其往，寻向所志，•When he came back to the jun, he reported his adventure to the prefect, who immediately sent people to look for the place, with the fisherman as a guide.

•When he reached the commandery, he called on the prefect and told him this story.

•He went to the magistrate\'s office and told the magistrate about it.

•As soon as he was back to the city he told his adventure to the magistrate, who sent men to go with him.

•太守即遣人随其往，寻向所志，遂迷不复得路。•When …, he … the prefect, who immediately sent people to look for the place, with the fisherman as a guide. However, the marks he had left could no longer be found. They got lost and could not find the way.

•The prefect immediately sent a man to go with him and seek out the places he had previously noted, but they went astray and could not find the way again.

•The latter sent someone to go with him and find the place. They looked for the signs but got lost and could never find it again.

•… the magistrate, who sent men to go with him. They tried to trace the marks he had left, but failed, and lost their way thither.

•南阳刘子骥，高尚士也。闻之，欣然规往，未果，寻病终。

• //Liu Ziji of Nanyang[3] jun, a learned scholar of high repute, was excited when he heard the fisherman's story. He devised a plan to find the village, but it was not carried out.

• //Liu Ziji of Nanyang, who was a scholar of lofty ideals, heard of it and joyfully planned to go. Soon after, before he had carried out his plan, he fell ill and died.

• Liu Tsechi of Nanyang was a great idealist. He heard of this story, and planned to go and find it, but was taken ill and died before he could fulfill his wish.

• //A good scholar of Nanyang, on learning of it, was anxious to re-discover the place. Nor did he succeed, and died soon of illness.

[3] Nanyang is today's Nanyang City, Henan Province.

•闻之，欣然规往，未果，寻病终。后遂无问津者。•He devised a plan to find the village, but it was not carried out. Liu died soon afterwards, and after his death, no one else made any attempt to find it.

•Soon after, before he had carried out his plan, he fell ill and died. Afterwards there was no one who "sought the ford".

•He …, but was taken ill and died before he could fulfill his wish. Since then, no one has gone in search of this place.

•Nor did he succeed, and died soon of illness. Ever since then, few have attempted the passage again.