The Pear Tree

　　A country fellow once brought a cart of pears to sell in the market. The pears were sweet and fragrant, and their price was steep. A Taoist priest in a ragged cap and tattered cotton robe came begging for a pear in front of the cart. The country fellow shouted at him to go away, but he wouldn’t leave. The fellow grew angry and started cursing him.

　　The Taoist said, “You have several hundred pears in this cart. I’m only asking for one. It’s no great loss to you, sir. Why such rage?”

　　The onlookers advised the fellow to give him one bad pear and send him on his way, but the fellow stubbornly refused.

　　A shop assistant nearby, tired of the endless squabbling, took out some coins, bought a pear, and handed it to the Taoist. The Taoist thanked him with a bow, then said to the crowd, “We who have left the household life don’t understand miserliness. I have some fine pears myself. Allow me to bring them out and share with you all.”

　　Someone said, “If you have them, why don’t you just eat your own?”

　　The Taoist replied, “I need this pear’s core for seed.” With that, he wolfed down the pear. When it was finished, he held the core in his hand, unstrapped the small spade from his shoulder, dug a hole several inches deep in the ground, dropped the core in, and covered it with earth. Then he asked the market people for hot water to pour over it. A curious soul fetched some boiling water from a shop by the roadside. The Taoist took it and poured it over the spot.

　　Everyone stared with wide eyes. A sprout pushed up, grew bigger, and in no time became a tree with spreading leaves and branches. Then suddenly it blossomed, and suddenly it bore fruit—big, fragrant pears hanging thick on every limb. The Taoist plucked the pears from the tree and handed them out to the onlookers. In a flash, all the pears were gone.

　　Then he took his spade and began chopping down the tree. He went at it for a long while, ding-ding-dong-dong, until the tree fell. He hoisted the trunk, leaves and all, onto his shoulder and sauntered off as calmly as you please.

　　Now, while the Taoist was working his magic, the country fellow had pushed into the crowd too, craning his neck and staring, forgetting all about his own business. After the Taoist was gone, he turned back to his cart. Every single pear was gone. Only then did he realize that the pears the Taoist had just handed out were all his. He looked closer and saw that one of his cart’s handles was missing—newly broken off. Furious and grieving, he hurriedly traced the Taoist’s path. Rounding a corner, he found the broken cart handle tossed under a wall. Then he understood: the tree the Taoist had chopped down was none other than that handle. The Taoist himself was nowhere to be found. The whole market howled with laughter.

　　The Historian of the Strange comments:

　　That country fellow was a muddle‑headed fool—his idiotic stubbornness was almost comical. No wonder the whole market laughed at him. How often do we see so‑called wealthy country squires who frown when a good friend asks for a bit of grain and mutter, “That’s several days’ worth of my own food”? Or when urged to help someone in desperate need or to feed a poor orphan, they fume and say, “That’s enough to feed five or ten people!” They even haggle over every last penny with their own fathers, sons, and brothers. Yet when lust or gambling gets into their blood, they’ll empty their purses without a thought—and when the blade is at their throats, they’ll scramble to buy their lives without a moment’s hesitation. There are countless such people, far too many to list. So why be surprised at a silly country fellow?



中文如下：

　　种梨

　　【原文】

　　有乡人货梨于市，颇甘芳，价腾贵。有道士破巾絮衣，丐于车前。乡人咄之，亦不去。乡人怒，加以叱骂。道士曰：“一车数百颗，老衲止丐其一，于居士亦无大损，何怒为？”观者劝置劣者一枚令去，乡人执不肯。

　　肆中佣保者，见喋聒不堪，遂出钱市一枚，付道士。道士拜谢，谓众曰：“出家人不解吝惜。我有佳梨，请出供客。”或曰：“既有之，何不自食？”曰：“吾特需此核作种。”于是掬梨大啖。且尽，把核于手，解肩上镵，坎地深数寸，纳之而覆以土，向市人索汤沃灌。好事者于临路店索得沸沈，道士接浸坎处。万目攒视，见有勾萌出，渐大，俄成树，枝叶扶疏。倏而花，倏而实，硕大芳馥，累累满树。道人乃即树头摘赐观者，顷刻向尽。已，乃以镵伐树，丁丁良久，乃断，带叶荷肩头，从容徐步而去。

　　初，道士作法时，乡人亦杂众中，引领注目，竟忘其业。道士既去，始顾车中，则梨已空矣。方悟适所俵散，皆己物也。又细视车上一靶亡，是新凿断者。心大愤恨，急迹之。转过墙隅，则断靶弃垣下，始知所伐梨本，即是物也。道士不知所在。一市粲然。

　　异史氏曰：乡人愦愦，憨状可掬，其见笑于市人，有以哉。每见乡中称素封者，良朋乞米则怫然，且计曰：“是数日之资也。”或劝济一危难，饭一茕独，则又忿然计曰：“此十人、五人之食也。”甚而父子兄弟，较尽锱铢。及至淫博迷心，则倾囊不吝；刀锯临颈，则赎命不遑。诸如此类，正不胜道，蠢尔乡人，又何足怪！

　　【翻译】

　　有个乡下人在集市上卖梨，梨又香又甜，价格很贵。有一个道士戴着破头巾，穿着烂棉袄，在卖梨的车前乞讨梨吃。乡下人呵斥他，他也不走。乡下人恼了，对着他叫骂起来。道士说：“这一车有好几百个梨，老道我只要其中的一个，对你也没有什么大损失，何必动这么大的火？”旁边看热闹的人劝乡下人拣一个坏点儿的梨送给道士，打发他走算了，乡下人坚决不肯。

　　旁边店铺里的伙计，看见吵得不成样子，就拿出钱买了一个梨，送给了道士。道士谢过之后对众人说：“出家人不懂得吝惜。我有好梨子，一会儿拿出来请大家吃。”有人说：“你既然有梨，为什么不吃自己的？”道士说：“我只是需要这个梨核做种子。”于是捧着梨子大口地吃了起来。道士吃完梨，把梨核放在手里，解下肩上背的铁铲子，在地上刨了个坑，有好几寸深，把梨核放进坑里，又盖上土，向街上的人要热水来浇。有个好事的人在路边的店里要来一壶滚烫的开水，道士接过就往坑里倒了下去。众目睽睽之下，只见一株梨芽破土而出，渐渐长大，一会儿就长成了枝繁叶茂的梨树。转眼开了花，转眼又结了果，满树都是又大又甜的梨子。道士就爬到树上摘下梨子，送给围观的人吃，一会儿就把梨分光了。然后，道士就用铁铲子去砍梨树，“叮叮当当”地砍了很久，才把它砍断，道士把带着枝叶的树干扛在肩上，从从容容、不紧不慢地走了。

　　起初，道士变戏法的时候，那个乡下人也混杂在围观的人群当中，只顾伸着脖子，瞪着眼睛看热闹，竟然把卖梨的事也忘了。等道士走了以后，他才回头看他的梨车，只见梨子已经一个也不剩了。这才恍然大悟，刚才道士所分的梨子，都是自己的东西。再仔细一看，车上的一个车把也没有了，是新砍断的。他又气又恨，急忙顺着道士走的路追去。转过一个墙角，只见那个断车把扔在墙下，乡下人这才知道道士砍断的梨树干，就是这个车把。道士已经不见踪影了。满集市的人都笑得合不上嘴。

　　异史氏说：乡下人昏头昏脑，憨呆可笑，受到集市上人们的嘲弄，也是有道理的。常常看到那些在乡里被称为土财主的人，一有好朋友向他借点儿粮食就满脸不高兴，算计说：“这可是好几天的费用呀。”有人劝他救济一下身处危难的人，给孤独无依者施舍些饭食，就又会愤愤不平，算计说：“这可够五个、十个人吃的了。”甚至在父子兄弟之间，也要计较到分毫不差的地步。等到这种人被嫖娼赌博迷了心窍，就会挥金如土、毫不吝惜；犯了罪刀斧临头，又会立即交钱赎命，唯恐不及。诸如此类的人，真是说也说不完啊！一个卖梨的乡下人糊涂愚蠢，又有什么可奇怪的呢！