桃花源记8译本对照

桃花源记The Peach Colony林语堂译Peach-Blossom Springs方重 译The Peach-Blossom Fountain Translated by Herbert GilesPeach Blossom Shangri-la Translated by Rick Davis &David Steelman 晋太元中，武陵人捕鱼为业，缘溪行，忘路之远近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.During the reign of T’ai Yuan Dynastry, a certain fisherman of Wuling, who had followed up one of the river branches without taking note whither he was going, came suddenly upon a grove of peach-trees in full bloom, extending some distance on each bank, with not a tree of any kind in sight.During the Taiyuan era of the Jin Dynasty there was a man of Wuling who made his living as a fisherman. One day he was walking along a bank.One day he rowed up a stream, and soon forgot how far he had gone. Once while following a stream he forgot how far he had gone. After having gone a certain distance, he suddenly came upon a peach grove which extended along the bank for about a hundred yards.忽逢桃花林，夹岸数百步，中无杂树，芳草鲜美，落英缤纷；渔人甚异之。

All of a sudden he came upon a peach grove.He suddenly came to a grove of blossoming peach trees.For hundreds of paces along both banks of the stream, the peach-trees were in full bloom. It lined both banks for several hundred paces and included not a single other kind of tree. No other trees were to be seen in the whole grove. Petals of the dazzling and fragrant blossoms were falling everywhere 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.The beauty of the scene and the exquisite perfume of the flowers filled the heart of the fisherman with surprise, as he proceeded onwards, anxious to reach the limit of this lovely grove.Here and there falling blossoms were dancing gracefully in a thousand hues. The fisherman was beside himself with amazement.复前行，欲穷其林。

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.He went on further in order to reach the uppermost limits of the grove.Thinking this place highly unusual, the fisherman advanced once again in wanting to see how far it went.林尽水源，便得一山As the peaches came to an end, the headsprings of the stream was found to issue from the side of a mountain.He found that the peach trees ended where the water began, at the foot of a hill; and there he espied what seemed to be a cave with light issuing from it.The peach trees stopped at the stream's source, where the fisherman came to a mountain with a small opening through which it seemed he could see light. 山有小口，仿佛若有光，便舍船，从口入。

Having noticed that there seemed to be a weak light in the cave, he tied up his boat and decided to go in and explore.Leaving his boat he ventured in. Leaving his boat, he entered the opening. At first it was just wide enough to admit one person.初极狭，才通人；复行数十步，豁然开朗At first the opening was very narrow, barely wide enough for one person to go in.But after a few dozen paces an extensive view suddenly appeared before him.So he made fast his boat, and crept in thruogh a narrow entrance, which shortly ushered him into a new world of level country, of fine houses, of rich fields, of find pools, and of luxuriance of mulberry and bamboo. At first it was so narrow that he could barely pass, but after advancing a short distance it suddenly opened up to reveal a broad, flat area with imposing houses, good fields, beautiful ponds, mulberry trees, bamboo, and the like. After a dozen steps, it opened into a flood of light.土地平旷，屋舍俨然。

He saw before his eyes a wide, level valley, with houses and fields and farms.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 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.Highways of traffic ran north and south; sounds of crowing cocks and barking dogs were heard around; the dress of the people who passed along or were at work in the fields was of a strange cut; while young and old alike appeared to be contented and happy.The fisherman saw paths extending among the fields in all directions, and could hear the sounds of chickens and dogs. 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；黄发垂髫，并佁然自乐。

The dresses of the men and women were like those of the outside world, and the old men and children appeared very happy and contented. All the inhabitants busied themselves with farm work in the same manner as the people outside, so did their men and women attire themselves.Men and women working in the fields all wore clothing that looked like that of foreign lands. The yellow-tressed old folk and the youngsters with flowing hair were all living in self-contentment.The elderly and children all seemed to be happy and enjoying themselves.见渔人，乃大惊，问所从来；具答之。

They were greatly astonished to see the fisherman and asked him where he had come from. Seeing the fisherman they were so eager to find out from whence he came.One of the inhabitants, catching sight of the fisherman, was greatly astonished; but, after learning whence he came, insisited on carrying him home, and killed a chicken and placed some wine before hime. The people were amazed to see the fisherman, and they asked him from where he had come. 便要还家，设酒、杀鸡、作食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.He told them in detail, then the people invited him to their home, set out wine, butchered a chicken, and prepared a meal.村中闻有此人，咸来问讯。

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. Before long, all the people of the place had turned out to see the visitor, and they informed him that their ancestors had suoght refuge here, with their wives and families, from the troublous times of the house of Chin, adding that they had thus become finally cut off from the rest of the human race.Other villagers heard about the fisherman, and they all came to ask him questions. 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.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.Then the villagers told him, "To avoid the chaos of war during the Qin Dynasty, our ancestors brought their families and villagers to this isolated place and never left it, so we've had no contact with the outside world." After having settled down here they never thought of going out again.问今是何世？They were thus completely cut off from the world, and asked what was the ruling dynasty now.They had been so cut off from the rest of the world that a knowledge of the times would be a revelation to them.They then enquried about the politics of the day, ignorant of the establishement of Han daynasty, and of course of the later dynasties which had succeeded it. They asked the fisherman what the present reign was. 乃不知有汉，无论魏、晋！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).They had not heard of the Han Dynasty, not to say the Wei and the Tsin.They were not even aware of the Han Dynasty, let alone the Wei and Jin.此人一一为具言所闻，皆叹惋。

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. And when the fisherman told them the story , the grieved over the vicissitudes of human affairs. The fisherman told them everything he knew in great detail, and the villagers were amazed and heaved sighs. 余人各复延至其家，皆出酒食，停数日，辞去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. Each in turn invited the fisherman to his home and entertained him hospitably, until at length the latter prepared to take his leave.Then other villagers also invited the fisherman to their homes, where they gave him food and drink. After a few days, he took leave of them and left. It was not until several days later that he begged to take leave.After several days there, the fisherman bid farewell, at which time some villagers told him, "It's not worth telling people on the outside about us." 此中人语云：“不足为外人道。

The villagers begged him not to tell the people outside about their colony.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.“It will not be worth while to talk about what you have seen tp the outside world,” said the people of the place to the fisherman, as he bade them farewell and returned to his boat, making mental notes of his route as he proceeded on his homeward voyage.既出，得其船，便扶向路，处处志之。

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. The fisherman exited through the opening, found his boat, and retraced his route while leaving markers to find this place again. 及郡下，诣太守，说如此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. When he returned home, he at once went and reported what he had seen to the governorof the district, and the Governor sent off men with with him to seek, by the aid of the fisherman’s notes, to discover this unknown region. Upon his arrival at the prefecture town he went to the prefect and told him what had happened. 太守即遣人随其往，寻向所志，遂迷不复得路。

The latter sent someone to go with him and find the place. They tried to trace the marks he had left, but failed, and lost their way thither. The prefect immediately sent a person to follow the fisherman and look for the trail markers, but they got lost and never found the way.They looked for the signs but got lost and could never find it again.But he was never able to find it again. 南阳刘子骥，高尚士也，闻之，欣然规往，未果，寻病终Liu Tsechi of Nanyang was a great idealist.A good scholar of Nanyang, on learning of it, was anxious to re-discover the place.Subsequently, another aeempt to pierce the mystery was planned by a famous scholar named Liu Tse-kee, but the plan was not carried out. Liu Ziji of Nanyang was a person of noble character. He heard of this story, and planned to go and find it, but was taken ill and died before he could fulfill his wish.Nor did he succeed, and died soon of illness.Liu soon died, and from that time on no further attempts to locate the place were made. When he heard this story he was happy and planned to visit the Shangri-la, but he died of illness before he could accomplish it.后遂无问津者。

Since then, no one has gone in search of this place.Ever since then, few have attempted the passage againAfter that no one else ever looked for the place.桃花源记Peach Blossom SpringTranslated by Ciril Birch A Tale of the Fountain of the Peach Blossom Spring 罗经国 译The Peach Blossom Visionary Land孙大雨 译The Peach Blossom Source 谢百魁 译晋太元中，武陵人捕鱼为业，缘溪行，忘路之远近During the reign-period T’ai Yuan of Chin dynasty there lived in Wu-ling a certain fisherman. In the year of Taiyuan of the Jin Dynasty, there lived a man in Wuling Prefecture who earned his living by fishing.During the Tai-yuan years of the dynasty Jin, a fisherman from the county of Wuling strolled on the bank of a stream, forgetting the distance of his track, into a grove of blossoming peach trees all at once.One day in the Taiyuan period of the Jin Dynasty, a native of Wuling Prefecture, being a fisherman by trade, was boating in a stream.One day, as he followed the course of a stream, be became unconscious of the distance he had traveled. 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.Oblivious of the distance that he had covered, he came upon a peach grove, which lined the banks of the stream for several hundred paces.忽逢桃花林，夹岸数百步，中无杂树，芳草鲜美，落英缤纷；渔人甚异之。

All at once he came upon a grove of blossoming peach trees which lined either bank for hundreds of paces. The wood extended several hundred footsteps along both banks of the stream. For several hundred steps along the bank side, there were no other trees; the sward was freshly green and fallen petals of the peach blooms were scattered on the grass verdure.The grove was unmixed with any other trees and was carpeted with fragrant and tender grass, while the newly opened blossom was a riot of pink.No tree of any other kind stood amonst them, but there were fragrant flowers, delicate and lovely to the eye, and the air was filled with drifting peachbloom.There were no trees of other kinds.The fragrant grass was fresh and beautiful and peach petals fell in riotous profusion.复前行，欲穷其林。

The fisherman, marvelling, passed on to discover where the grove would end. The fisherman was so curious that he rowed on, in hopes of discovering where the trees ended.The fisherman, surprised by the sight, walked on to see where the grove would end. The fisherman much wondered and proceeded further, hoping to reach the end of the grove, which turned out to be the head of the stream.林尽水源，便得一山It ended at a spring; and then hill was a small opening which seemed to promise a gleam of light.At the end of the wood was the fountainhead of the stream. It ended at the source of the stream, where there was a mountain. There he was confronted with a crag, which had a small orifice looking as if it were lit by a dim light. 山有小口，仿佛若有光，便舍船，从口入。

The fisherman left his boat and entered the opening.The fisherman beheld a hill, with a small opening from which issued a glimmer of light.An aperture opened on the mount, from which light seemed to be emitted.Then he abandoned the boat and entered the opening.The man abandoned his boat and entered the opening.初极狭，才通人；复行数十步，豁然开朗It was almost too cramped at first to afford him passage; but when he had taken a few dozen steps he emerged into the open light of day.He stepped ashore to explore the crevice. It was narrow at first, just enough to pass through. At first the cave was very narrow, only passable for one person.His first steps took him into a passage that accommodated only the width of one person.After several tens of steps, the way led to vast spaciousness.After a further walk of several dozen paces, a broad view burst upon his sight.After he progressed about scores of paces, it suddenly widened into an open field.土地平旷，屋舍俨然。

He faced a spread of level land. The land was flat and spacious. The land was level and expanded, houses were spread out in good order; goodly farms, fair ponds and mulberry and bamboo thickets were to be seen everywhere.He saw an even and wide tract of land, on which some houses were arranged in good order, with fertile lands, beautiful ponds, mulberry trees and bamboos all around them.Imposing buildings stood among rich fields and pleasant ponds all set with mulberry and willow.There were houses arranged in good order with fertile fields, beautiful ponds, bamboo groves, mulberry trees and paths crisscrossing the fields in all directions.有良田、美池、桑、竹之属，阡陌交通，鸡犬相闻。

Linking paths led everywhere, and the fowls and dogs of one farmcould be heard from the next.The crowing of cocks and the barking of dogs were within hearing of each other.The ways and cross roads were stretched out far and wide. The fields were crisscrossed with ridged paths. Cocks' crew and dogs' barking were heard here and there.The cocks and dogs heard and echoed each other. 其中往来种作，男女衣着，悉如外人；黄发垂髫，并佁然自乐People were coming and going and working in the fields. In the fields the villagers were busy with farm work. The men and women coming and going in their tilling and handicraft work were dressed all like people outside.The clothes worn by the men and women tilling the land were identical with those of the outsiders.Both the men and the women dressed in exactly the same manner as people outside; white-haired elders and tufted chidlren alike were cheerful and contented. Men and women were dressed like people outside. The aged with hair of light beige and children with cut hair fringing their foreheads all looked gay and contented.The aged and the adolescent all enjoyed themselves in blissful ease.They all, old and young, appeared happy.见渔人，乃大惊，问所从来；具答之。

Some, noticing the fisherman, started in great surprise and aksed him where he had come from. They were surprised at seeing the fisherman, who, being asked where he came from, answered their every question.Seeing the fisherman, people were greatly surprised, asking him whence he came from and being replied to.At sight of the fisherman, they were dumbfounded. He told them the story. Then they asked whence he came, and he answered their questions one by one.便要还家，设酒、杀鸡、作食They then invited him to their home, where they set out wine and killed chickens for a feast.Then they invited him to visit their homes, killed chickens, and served wine to entertain him.They then invited him to their homes, offering wine and killing chickens for entertainment.He was soon invited to their homes, treated to a dinner with wine and chicken.村中闻有此人，咸来问讯。

When news of his coming spread through the village everyone came in to question him. As the words of his arrival spread, the entire village turned out to greet him.When it was generally known in the village that there was this man, more people came to see and ask questions of him.Hearing of the stranger, the villagers all came to see him and made him 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For their part they told how there forefathers, fleeing from the tourbles of the age of Ch’in, had come with their wives and neighbours to this isolated place, never to leave it. 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 all said that their forefathers, fleeing from turmoils during the Qin Dynasty, led their families and villagers hither to this isolated district to stay, and so being separated from the outside world.By their own account their ancestors, in order to escape from the tumults of war during the Qin Dynasty, led their wives, children and townsmen to this secluded place, and never went out again.问今是何世？They asked what age fwas this: they had never even heard of the Han, let alone its successors the Wei and the Chin. They were curious to know what dynasty it was now.They asked what time it was then, knowing not there was any dynasty Han, to say no。