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During the Taiyuan era [1] of the Jin Dynasty [2] there was a man of Wuling who made his living as a fisherman. One day he was fishing up a stream in his boat, heedless of how far he had gone, when he came upon a forest of peach trees in blossom.
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On either bank for several hundred yards there were no other kinds of trees. Petals of the dazzling blossoms were falling upon the exquisite carpet of lush grass.
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Surprised at what came into his eyes, the fisherman advanced further, in the hope of discovering how far the woods extended. It ended at the stream’s source, where stood a hill. A small cave cut into the hill and a faint light can be seen from within. Leaving his boat, he entered the cave.
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At first it was very narrow. There was only room for one man to pass, but after forty or fifty yards he suddenly found himself in the open air. The place he had come to was a wide expanse of level fields, with houses and cottages neatly arranged, surrounded by fine paddies, lovely ponds, mulberry trees, groves of bamboo, and the like.
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Under his feet country paths crisscrossed, and crowing of roosters and barking of dogs could be heard around. Men and women working in the fields were all clad in outfits of exotic style, while the elderly and the little both seem to enjoy themselves.
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The fisherman was then spotted by a villager, who was greatly amazed and asked where he had come from. The fisherman replied in detail. Then the villager invited him to his home, where he poured wine and prepared chicken to treat him. When the rest of the village heard about the visitor, they flocked over with all kinds of questions.
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He was also told by the villagers that their ancestors brought their families and town folks to this isolated land while seeking havens in the troubled times of the Qin [3]. They never went out again, and had since lost contact with the outside.
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The folks asked about who was in the reign currently, completely in the dark about the fact that the Qin had long been replaced by the Han [4], let alone that the Han had been succeeded by the Wei [5] and then the Jin. The fisherman went through the history bit by bit with them, which generated a great amount of sighs and regret.
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Afterwards all the rest invited him to their homes, where they all treated him to wine and meals. Several days later, the fisherman was about to leave. Upon farewell, the villagers said to him, “It is wise not to tell.” When out, he found his boat and followed the route he had come by, but leaving marks on his way back.
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Once back in town, he visited the governor and reported to him his journey. The latter immediately sent people to go back with him, following the marks he had left behind. However, in the end they lost their way and never found the place again.
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Translator’s Notes:
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[1]376-396.
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[2]265-420 (actually two sequential dynasties, the “Western” and the “Eastern”).
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[3]221-206 B. C.
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[4]206 B. C. to A. D. 220.
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[5]A. D. 220-265.
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5 由简入繁则美
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飘逸人生
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Life: Take It Easy
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英译汉，学生的译文往往该简不简，或架床叠屋，或拖泥带水。似乎有必要疾呼“删繁就简三秋树”。汉译英，学生的译文往往该繁不繁，或骨瘦如柴，或粗枝大叶。似乎有必要学一学“吐蕾添叶二月花”。
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一篇题为《飘逸人生》的短文。全文如下：
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行路难，但人生之路谁都要走。有的人在赶路，心急切切，步急匆匆。眼中只有目标却忽略了风景。可路迢迢不知哪儿是终点。有的人如游客，不急不慌，走走停停，看花开花落，看云卷云舒，有时也在风中走，雨中行，心却像张开的网，放过焦躁苦恼。
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人生之路谁不走？只是走路别忽略了一路的良辰美景。
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一个人工作的地方是小的，居住的家是小的，社交的圈子是小的，有的人就越来越不满这缺乏变化的单调。有的人却总是怡然自得，随遇而安。世界浩渺，一个人只能居于一隅。比海洋大的是天空，比天空大的是心灵，因为这小小的心灵内住着一只时起时落的想象鸟。
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