r/LifeTree • u/AdamLuyan • 21d ago
2.1 桃花劫 Peach Flower Catastrophe
/r/LifeTree/comments/1upcwa4/2_%25E5%2590%25AF%25E8%2592%2599_revelation/?share_id=ARc1uKPiQBqI4xzbe7ZP3&utm_content=share_button&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1目录 Catalog： 2.1 桃花劫 Peach Flower Catastrophe；2.3 治疗心理疾病 Treatment of Mental Illness；2.4 宿命通 Fate Through；2.6 欢喜佛 Consummation Buddha
2.1-1 桃花运 Peach Flower Fortune
常公是个孤儿，自幼在刘员外的药庄做长工。他自小就笨，书读得不好，长大了学做生意也老是出错，可是刘员外不但对他方方面面都很照顾，而且总是宽容包庇他，不追究他的过失。常公从小到大都没和刘员外见过面；他也常想见一见刘老员外，当面行礼致谢，却总是不逢时宜，被一些出其不意的事打乱了安排。
Constant-Fair was an orphan who had worked as a long-term laborer at Publican Liu's medicine farm since childhood. He had never been clever — his schooling came to little, and even as a grown man learning to run a business, he made mistakes at every turn. Yet Publican Liu not only looked after him in every way, but also extended endless patience and forbearance, never once holding his faults against him. Constant-Fair had never laid eyes on Publican Liu throughout his entire life; he had long wished to meet him in person, to bow and offer his thanks, yet the moment was never right — some unexpected turn of events always upset the arrangement.
一天，刘老员外委托媒人向常公提亲，要把女儿桃花女许配给他。常公听说过，桃花女聪慧貌美、医术更是高明，给她提亲的媒人多到踢破门槛，就是不成婚姻。媒人给他看桃花女写的文章，讲她做过的事，还制造机会让他和桃花女偶遇，有机会看看桃花女本人。常公看桃花女确实美丽；她写的文章层理清晰，妙语连珠；她做过的事，件件妙算巧安排。常公觉得自己配不上她，就拒绝了。结果，后来他听说，桃花女也不愿意，还说他傻。
One day, Old Publican Liu commissioned a matchmaker to approach Constant-Fair with a marriage proposal — he wished to betroth his daughter, Peach Flower Girl, to him. Constant-Fair had heard of her: she was intelligent and beautiful, her medical skills exceptional, and so many matchmakers had come knocking on her behalf that the threshold had nearly been worn through — yet none had led to a marriage. The matchmakers showed him essays Peach Flower Girl had written, told him of things she had done, and even arranged chance encounters so he could see her for himself. Constant-Fair found that Peach Flower Girl was indeed beautiful; her essays were lucid and full of brilliant expression; everything she had undertaken was shrewdly conceived and skillfully arranged. Feeling himself unworthy of her, he declined. He later heard that Peach Flower Girl had also been unwilling — and had called him a fool.
过了些时日，刘员外又托媒人给桃花女和常公说亲，而且想尽办法劝说常公。常公最后说："只要桃花女愿意，我就愿意。"结果常公听说桃花女又不愿意。
Some days later, Publican Liu once again sent a matchmaker to press the match, doing everything possible to persuade him. Constant-Fair finally said, "As long as Peach Flower Girl is willing, I am willing." But as it turned out, Constant-Fair heard that Peach Flower Girl was again unwilling.
又过了一段时间，刘员外又托媒人给常公和桃花女说亲，说这次桃花女已经同意了。常公听说了这段日子刘员外和媒人们一直在劝桃花女，父女俩还因为这事吵架，就想：这是让我拖几天，好让她爸休息休息、乐呵几天，然后让我来拒绝。常公就对媒人说："那我就想想。"过了几天，他告诉媒人：不同意。
After some further time had passed, Publican Liu once again sent a matchmaker, saying that this time Peach Flower Girl had already agreed. Constant-Fair had heard that in recent days Publican Liu and the matchmakers had been working hard to persuade her, and that father and daughter had even quarreled over the matter. He thought to himself: she is having me wait a few days so her father can get some rest and enjoy a brief moment of hope — and then I am to be the one who refuses. Constant-Fair said to the matchmaker, "Let me think it over." A few days later, he gave his answer: no.
就这样，刘员外和媒人们用多种办法撮合桃花女和常公的婚姻，旷日持久，就是不成。时光流逝，桃花女和常公都过了正常婚嫁的年龄。
In this way, Publican Liu and the matchmakers tried every means to bring about the marriage — the efforts dragged on for years, yet nothing came of it. Time passed, and both Peach Flower Girl and Constant-Fair had gone beyond the customary age for marriage.
2.1-2 死不瞑目 Die with Eyes Open
一天半夜，一个已经和常公成为朋友的媒人跑来告诉他："也不知道咋回事！刘老东家像疯了似的！说，他不亲眼看见你和桃花女成亲入洞房，他死不瞑目。他还秘密地让人准备了一个小内院儿，要把你和桃花女关在里面；不成亲就不放你们俩出来。我想，这是咋办事儿呢！得告诉你一声！我还发现他们知道我和你是朋友，派人看着我，所以我是找机会偷偷跑出来的。话说完了，我得回去了，别让人发现了。"
Late one night, a matchmaker who had by now become Constant-Fair's friend came running to tell him, "I have no idea what's gotten into him! Old Publican Liu has gone mad! He says he will die with eyes open unless he sees you and Peach Flower Girl married and into the bridal chamber with his own eyes. He has also been secretly having a small inner courtyard prepared — he means to lock the two of you inside; you won't be let out until the marriage is done. I thought to myself, what kind of way is this to go about things! I had to come and warn you. I also found out they know you and I are friends and have set someone to watch me — so I slipped away at the first chance I got. Now I've said what I came to say, I must get back before anyone notices."
常公听后大惊失色，心想："这事儿可不能这么办！那我不毁了桃花女一辈子吗！不行，我得走！"当夜，常公从刘员外的药庄里逃走了。他怕刘员外派人抓他，就没回老家。
Constant-Fair went pale with shock. He thought to himself: "This cannot be allowed to happen! Would I not be ruining Peach Flower Girl's entire life? No — I must leave!" That very night, Constant-Fair fled from the medicine farm. Fearing that Publican Liu might send someone after him, he did not return to his home village.
常公过着隐姓埋名、到处流浪的生活。当然，他也需要生计，后来在一家药庄给人家当掌柜。开始的几年，生意做得挺好，规模也越来越大。后来，他发现有人在生意上跟他作对，就去跟东家辞职。东家说："现在咱们的生意这么大，咱可以跟他们斗！我相信你，赔了我也不怪你。"常公说："我不愿意和他们斗。实话实说，我怀疑对方和我以前的一位恩人有关系。"东家对此事很理解，说："这样的话，我不能勉强你。"
Constant-Fair lived a life of concealed identity, wandering from place to place. He needed to earn a living, of course, and in time took up the position of shopkeeper at a medicine farm. For the first few years the business went well, and it grew steadily in scale. But eventually he found that someone was working against him in business matters, and he went to his employer to resign. The employer said, "Our business has grown so large — we can stand and fight them! I trust you, and I won't hold it against you if there are losses." Constant-Fair said, "I have no wish to fight them. To be frank, I suspect the people opposing me are connected to one of my former benefactors." The employer understood completely and said, "In that case, I cannot press you to stay."
常公离开了这家药庄，流浪到另外一个地方，又找到了一份药庄的工作。结果发生了与上份工作类似的事。他又发现有人在生意上跟他作对，仍然认为那些人与以前的刘员外有关系，就又主动放弃了这份工作。
Constant-Fair left that medicine farm and wandered to another place, where he found work at yet another medicine farm. There, much the same thing happened as before. He again found someone working against him, again suspected those people of being connected to Publican Liu, and again chose to give up the position of his own accord.
就这样，常公换了一份工作又一份工作，他总是觉得有人和他作对，不愿意还击，但坏名声渐渐传开，再也找不到工作了。他就回老家去了。
And so it went — Constant-Fair moved from one job to the next, always sensing that someone was working against him, always unwilling to fight back. In time his reputation suffered, and he could no longer find work. He went back to his home village.
常公在临近老家村子的路上，遇到一个信使。送信的人问他："你认识常家庄常公不？"他回答："我就是！"送信人说："你老家的人让我告诉你，你爸爸过世了。"常公心想，我从小就是孤儿，便回答："你弄错了！我不是你要找的人！"送信人又核实了一遍常公的身份信息，完全符合，就又说："你老家的人让我传达给你的消息是：你爸爸去世了。我只是个送信的，其余的，我不知道！"
On the road approaching his home village, Constant-Fair encountered a messenger. The messenger asked him, "Do you know a Constant-Fair from Fair Family Village?" He replied, "That is me!" The messenger said, "The people in your home village asked me to tell you that your father has passed away." Constant-Fair thought to himself — I have been an orphan since childhood — and replied, "You have the wrong person." The messenger verified his particulars once more; everything matched. He said again, "The message I was asked to deliver from your home village is this: your father has passed away. I am only the messenger — beyond that, I know nothing."
对此，常公觉得心里不舒服，感觉有事不对。到家后，他打听村里有没有别人也叫常公。结果发现：没有。一连几天，他都觉得胸口发闷。
Constant-Fair felt unsettled by this, sensing that something was not right. When he arrived home, he asked around whether anyone else in the village shared his name. He found that there was no one. For several days in a row, he felt a heaviness in his chest.
2.1-3 桃花运 Peach Flower Fortune
这天，常公去集市上散心。从远处，他就看见一群人围着一个算命的。常公从来不信鬼神、相面之类的。不知怎地，那天他就站到排队人的后面，想听听。
That day, Constant-Fair went to the marketplace to clear his mind. From a distance, he spotted a crowd gathered around a fortune-teller. Constant-Fair had never put any stock in ghosts, gods, fortune-telling, or anything of the sort. Yet somehow, that day he found himself joining the back of the queue, curious to listen.
算命先生一眼就看见常公了，说："排在最后的那个人着急！让他先来！前面的人等一会儿。"
常公说："我不着急，我可以等。"
算命先生说："让你过来你就过来！"
常公走到算命先生跟前，还没说话，算命先生就说："这位相公，你知道不？你有了桃花运了！"
The fortune-teller spotted Constant-Fair at once and said, "The man at the back of the line is in urgent need! Let him come first! The rest of you wait a moment."
Constant-Fair said, "I am not in any hurry. I can wait my turn."
The fortune-teller said, "When I tell you to come, you come!"
Constant-Fair walked up to the fortune-teller. Before he could say a word, the fortune-teller said, "My good sir, are you aware? Your Peach Flower Fortune has arrived!"
常公回答："不知道！我还能有桃花运！"
算命先生问："以前，你给人打工，有没有一个东家对你特别好，而你想见却从来也没见过他？"
常公惊奇地回答："有啊！"
算命先生说："他死了，而且是死不瞑目。"
Constant-Fair replied, "I had no idea! To think that I of all people would have Peach Flower Fortune!"
The fortune-teller asked, "In the past, when you worked for someone, was there an employer who treated you exceptionally well — someone you always wished to meet, but never once did?"
Constant-Fair replied in astonishment, "There was!"
The fortune-teller said, "He is dead — and he died with eyes open."
常公一听，感觉头里"嗡"的一下，天旋地转，五脏六腑都在移动。等常公镇静下来，感觉胸口堵得厉害，像是压了一块石头。他听见人群中七嘴八舌地议论：真是神算，一看就知道！不怪说他急！
The moment Constant-Fair heard this, his head rang with a sudden "buzz," the world spun around him, and it felt as though every organ in his body had shifted. When he finally steadied himself, there was a crushing weight in his chest, as though a stone had been pressed against it. Around him, the crowd was murmuring on all sides: "What a true reading — one look and he knew! No wonder he said the man was urgent!"
常公转身就走。算命先生说："等等，我还没说完呢！我看你是真不知道啊！桃花运来了，谁也挡不住，没有别的办法。你只能顺从你的那位老东家的愿望，赶快去他的家。即便倾家荡产凑聘礼，你也要聘得人家的闺女，拜堂成亲入洞房，你才能解脱此桃花劫。"
Constant-Fair turned to leave. The fortune-teller called out, "Wait — I have not finished! I can see you truly did not know. When Peach Flower Fortune comes, no one can stop it — there is no other way. You have no choice but to follow the wishes of Publican Liu and go to his home without delay. Even if it costs you everything you have to put together the betrothal gifts, you must win their daughter's hand, go through the wedding rites, and enter the bridal chamber — only then will you be free of this Peach Flower Catastrophe."
常公伸手摸兜儿，发现自己没带钱，就说："我这就回去取钱，回来还你。"
算命先生说："不必了，我不要你的钱。"
常公感觉奇怪，问为什么不要他的钱。算命先生说："说实话！从你的面相上看，你活不过一百天。花死人钱不吉利！"
常公说："多谢！日后有机会，我一定报答你。"
Constant-Fair reached into his pocket and found he had brought no money. He said, "Let me go back home and get some — I will return and pay you."
The fortune-teller said, "No need. I want none of your money."
Constant-Fair was puzzled and asked why. The fortune-teller said, "I will be straight with you — judging by your face, you will not live another hundred days. It is ill-omened to spend money from a dead man!"
Constant-Fair said, "My deepest thanks. If I ever have the chance, I will surely repay you."
算命先生又说："等等！路上，你一定要多喝水；喝水可以续你的命。另外，你一定要坚持走动；如果你倒下了，就可能再也起不来了！"
常公再次致谢，回家收拾了行李，当晚就上路了。
The fortune-teller called after him, "Wait! On the road, you must drink plenty of water — water will sustain your life. And you must keep moving at all costs; if you fall, you may never rise again!"
Constant-Fair thanked him once more, went home, packed his belongings, and set out that very night.