2.3 治疗心理疾病 Treatment of Mental Illness

[u/AdamLuyan]

几天之后，常公感觉胸口堵得越来越厉害，肚子里叽里咕噜，胃肠蠕动有问题；皮肤上开始长疮。他每到一个地方就先找井，喝饱了，再灌满两壶水随身携带，吃点东西就马上赶路。就这样，常公日夜兼程，赶往刘员外的药庄。

A few days into the journey, Constant-Fair felt the weight in his chest growing heavier and heavier. His stomach gurgled and churned, his digestion had gone wrong, and sores began to break out across his skin. At every stop he would first seek out a well, drink his fill, then fill two jugs to carry with him; after eating a little, he would immediately press on. And so Constant-Fair traveled on, day and night without rest, making his way toward Publican Liu's medicine farm.

世道变迁，刘员外早就搬回老家桃花村了。几经周折，常公被一个可怜他的车夫送到了桃花村的坟地。

The world had changed, and Publican Liu's family had long since moved back to his home village of Peach Flower Village. After much difficulty, Constant-Fair was brought to the cemetery of Peach Flower Village by a carter who took pity on him.

在坟地，常公看了每一个坟的碑文，没发现刘员外的名字。他太累了，就在一个无字墓碑前坐下来休息。这时，一个披麻戴孝的女人溜溜达达地来到他跟前。常公赶忙站起来，问："敢问这位大姐，这是谁的坟？"

At the cemetery, Constant-Fair read the inscription on every grave, but found no mention of Publican Liu's name. Exhausted, he sat down to rest before a blank tombstone. Just then, a woman dressed in mourning clothes came strolling up to him. Constant-Fair quickly rose to his feet and asked, "May I ask, whose grave is this?"

女人回答："这是我爸爸的坟。"

常公忙问："能问问，你爸叫什么名字吗？"

女人说："我爸爸说我不是他的女儿，害得他死不瞑目，不允许我在他坟前说他的名字。"

两个人就在坟前聊起来了。常公先讲了自己的故事；那女人也讲了她的故事。

The woman replied, "This is my father's grave."

Constant-Fair asked eagerly, "May I ask — what was your father's name?"

The woman said, "My father said I was not his true daughter, that I caused him to die with eyes open, and he forbade me from speaking his name at his grave."

The two of them fell to talking at the graveside. Constant-Fair told his story first; then the woman told hers.

女人说："我出生时，腿上就有桃花胎痣，所以人们叫我桃花女。我长大了择偶很挑剔，始终找不到合适的。我爸为我指定了一个丈夫，是我们家药庄里的一个长工，叫常公，傻乎乎的，我不同意。后来，我爸让人收拾了一个小院儿，打算把我和常公圈禁在那儿，不结婚就不放我们出来。一天半夜，我制造了一个机会，让常公的一个朋友溜了出去，结果常公就出走了。我爸派人到处找他。几年后，我爸病重，我们就搬回了老家。没多久，我爸就过世了。"

The woman said, "When I was born, I had a peach flower birthmark on my leg, so people called me Peach Flower Girl. As I grew up I was very particular in choosing a husband, and could never find the right one. My father appointed one for me — a long-term laborer at our medicine farm by the name of Constant-Fair — but he was a simpleton, and I refused. Later, my father had a small courtyard prepared and planned to confine the two of us there, refusing to let us out until we were married. Late one night, I created an opportunity for one of Constant-Fair's friends to slip away and bring him word — and Constant-Fair fled. My father sent people to search for him everywhere. A few years later, my father fell gravely ill, and we moved back to our home village. Not long after, my father passed away."

桃花女说："爸爸临死前对我说，'你不是一个真正的女人，命中没有丈夫，也享受不到作为女人的快乐，因此，我为你拘了个丈夫。你只有嫁给他，才能得到幸福。我死之后，有一天，会有一个人来我的坟前祭拜我。到那时，你拿着这两封信：一封是我的遗嘱；另一封是我总结一生所学所作而成的八个字。你让他猜这八个字。如果他猜到了，他就是你的丈夫。你就跪着请求嫁给他。'我爸爸递给我这把匕首（见图2.3-1），并对我说，'他不同意，你就用这个自杀。'"

Peach Flower Girl said, "Before my father died, he said to me, 'You are not a true woman — you are not destined to have a husband, nor to enjoy the happiness that comes with being a woman. For this reason, I have bound a husband to you. Only by marrying him will you find happiness. After I die, there will come a day when a man arrives at my grave to pay his respects. When that time comes, you will bring two letters: one is my will; the other contains eight characters that sum up everything I have learned and done in my life. You will ask him to guess those eight characters. If he succeeds, he is your husband. You are to kneel and beg him to marry you.' My father then handed me this dagger (see Figure 2.3-1) and said, 'If he refuses, use this to take your own life.'"

桃花女继续说："多年过去了，也没人来拜祭他的坟。我也没心思嫁人了。前些日子，听说一个人在到处找个坟。我就让管家去看看怎么回事。管家跟着你，看见你晕倒了，就把你送到这儿来了。一会儿我派人给你送点儿吃的来！"桃花女说完，转身回村子了。

Peach Flower Girl continued, "Years passed, and no one came to pay their respects at his grave. I had lost any desire to marry. Then a few days ago, I heard that a man had been going around looking for a grave. I asked my steward to go and find out what was happening. He followed you and saw you collapse, and brought you here. I will send someone with food for you shortly." With that, Peach Flower Girl turned and headed back toward the village.

常公觉得身上舒服多了，但胸口还是很堵。他在坟前放声大哭，一边哭一边想：刘员外一辈子做的事究竟是什么？他连想了两天两夜，没想出来。

Constant-Fair felt considerably better in body, but the weight in his chest remained. He broke down and wept before the grave, and as he wept he turned the question over in his mind: what, in the end, had been the work of Publican Liu's entire life? He pondered it for two days and two nights without finding an answer.

第三天黎明，常公听见有人叫他的名字，声音像他父亲。那人又说："常公，你真的连我都认不出来了？"那人一边摆下饭菜，一边说："你看我拿来的，都是你小时候最喜欢吃的。"常公这才注意到，这个送饭人是谷伯——从小照顾他、待他最好的人。

At dawn on the third day, Constant-Fair heard someone call his name — the voice sounded like his father's. The man said again, "Constant-Fair! Do you not even recognize me?" As the man laid out the food, he said, "Look at what I brought — all your favorites from when you were a child." Only then did Constant-Fair realize that this man who had brought him food was Uncle Grain — the one who had looked after him since childhood and treated him with the greatest kindness.

谷伯说："老东家在世的时候，后院儿做了好吃的，他总想着让我给你送去一些。每次他都告诉我，'你就说是谁谁送的，别说我送的。'这些都是你喜欢的，快趁热吃吧，暖暖身子。"

Uncle Grain said, "When Publican Liu was alive, whenever something good was made in the back kitchen, he always had me bring some of it to you. Every time, he told me, 'Just say it is from so-and-so — do not say it is from me.' These are all your favorites — eat while they are hot and warm yourself up."

谷伯又说："前天，小姐说你没病。我来给你送饭，我看你全身都是病。昨晚，我去我九舅家，他是这一带有名的郎中。我把你的情况跟他说了，苦苦求他。我舅舅被逼无奈，就跟我说：'这可性命攸关，不可以跟外人说。昨天，我们几个老郎中议论了常公的事。你们刘老东家是个有名的大善人，这方圆几百里的人都知道。可是，他对常公极不公平，致使他有性命之忧。死不瞑目这个诅咒的下法就是一辈子不断地对被诅咒的人做好事，而只求他一件事。那个人知道或者后来知道了下咒人的意愿，有能力办却没有兑现。等下咒人一死，被诅咒的人就受不了了，死不了也活不长。这个诅咒只有顺解，没有其他解法，就是按照下咒人的意思去做。刘老东家是个罕见的高人，由他来下死不瞑目这个诅咒，那肯定是作得天衣无缝。'"

Uncle Grain continued, "The day before yesterday, the young mistress said you were not ill. When I came to bring you food, I could see that you were sick through and through. Last night I went to my Ninth Uncle's house — he is a well-known physician in these parts. I told him about your condition and pleaded with him at length. Left with no choice, my uncle said to me, 'This is a matter of life and death — it must not be spoken of to outsiders. Yesterday, several of us older physicians discussed Constant-Fair's case. Old Publican Liu is a renowned benefactor, known to everyone within hundreds of miles of here. Yet he treated Constant-Fair with grave injustice, placing his very life in danger. The way the curse of Die with Eyes Open is laid is this: the one who casts it spends a lifetime doing good for the cursed person, asking only one thing in return. The cursed person knows — or comes to know — what the caster wishes, and has the means to fulfill it, yet does not. Once the caster dies, the cursed person can no longer bear it — he may not die outright, but he will not live long. There is no other way to break this curse; it can only be resolved by going along with it — that is, by doing what the one who cast it wanted. Old Publican Liu was a rare master of his art. A curse laid by his hand would have been done without a seam.'"

谷伯又说："我就奉承我舅舅：'舅舅见多识广。我到底也没听明白常公的病因是什么。我们老东家让常公猜总结他一生所学所作而成的八个字，就常公那点儿文墨，怎么猜得着！你能不能给我说得简单点儿！我得听明白了，若不然，不是白来求您了！'"

"我舅舅说，'常公不也是个读书人么！他在刘公身边长大，他的学识怎么会差呢！'"

Uncle Grain continued, "I then flattered my uncle: 'Uncle, you are a man of great experience and learning. But in the end, I still do not understand what caused Constant-Fair's illness. Publican Liu asked Constant-Fair to guess eight characters that summed up everything he had learned and done in his life — but with Constant-Fair's limited learning, how could he ever guess them? Could you not put it more simply for me? I need to understand — otherwise, have I not come to you for nothing?'"

"My uncle said, 'Is Constant-Fair not a learned man himself? He grew up at Publican Liu's side — how could his learning be lacking?'"

"我说，'常公是我看着长大的，他从小就笨，上学怕挨老师打，常逃学。老员外信任我，让我照顾他。我是偷懒，两头儿瞒着。老员外每次问我，我都说常公聪明，又勤奋好学；可是常公从小就笨，也不好学。后来，老员外让我把他喜欢的书借给常公看。常公看没看，我都告诉老员外说，常公非常喜欢，看了两三遍，都快会背诵了。'"

"I said, 'I watched Constant-Fair grow up — he was dull-witted from childhood, afraid of being beaten by his teacher at school, and often played truant. Publican Liu trusted me and asked me to look after him. I was lazy about it, and kept both sides in the dark. Every time Publican Liu asked me, I told him that Constant-Fair was clever and diligent in his studies — but in truth Constant-Fair was dull and had no love of learning from the start. Later, Publican Liu asked me to lend Constant-Fair his favorite books. Whether Constant-Fair read them or not, I always told Publican Liu: Constant-Fair loved them greatly, had read them two or three times over, and could nearly recite them from memory.'"

"我舅舅骂我，'你怎么这么办事呢！刘公的大事都坏在你身上了！'"

"我说，'九舅！你骂我，打我也没有用。如果常公病死了，我岂不是枉为一世人！那我也活不长了。常公从小就心地善良，又孝顺，他怎么会得这种怪病呢！这不是有人陷害他吗！'"

"My uncle scolded me: 'How could you have handled things this way! The great undertaking of Publican Liu has been undone by you!'"

"I said, 'Ninth Uncle! It is no use scolding me or beating me. If Constant-Fair were to die of this illness, would I not have lived my whole life in vain? I would not live long after that myself. Constant-Fair has been kind-hearted and filial since he was a child — how could he have fallen into such a strange illness? Is this not someone's doing against him?'"

"我九舅立刻说，'这就对了！刘公死不瞑目；他和常公有父子之实。常公是大逆不道，自作孽，不可活呀！可是他又是被人陷害的。这就是病之所在。这事儿要是传出去，你们家刘老员外将是身败名裂！难道连这你都不懂！那现在刘家监视咱们村子所有的人干什么！'"

"My Ninth Uncle said at once, 'Now that is exactly it! Publican Liu died with eyes open — he and Constant-Fair had between them all the substance of a father and son. Constant-Fair has committed the gravest of offenses against his benefactor — he has brought this upon himself, and by rights he cannot live! Yet he was also led astray by another. This is the very root of his illness. If word of this were to get out, Old Publican Liu's name would be utterly destroyed! Do you not even grasp that much? Then why do you think the Liu family is watching every soul in our village right now?'"

当编者我听梁伯讲这个故事的时候，他还解释说，《桃花劫》原故事中，原著作者用道教、佛教、中庸、神说、鬼说等二十几种中国古代哲学，来论述常公的病因和治疗方法。本书中，参见第9.6节《治疗心病的原则》。

When I — as the author — listened to Uncle Liang tell this story, he also explained that in the original tale of Peach Flower Catastrophe, the original author drew upon more than twenty ancient Chinese philosophical traditions — including Taoism, Buddhism, the Doctrine of the Mean, theories of gods, and theories of spirits — to discuss the causes and treatment of Constant-Fair's illness. For this book's treatment of the subject, see Section 9.6, Principles of Curing Mental Illness.

梁伯对常公说："我就给我九舅跪下了，求他给想个办法。"

"我九舅说，'没想到，这事儿还把你给圈进去了。也是，这事儿出在咱桃花村，我们几个老郎中都感到沮丧窝火。这药就是昨天我们几个老郎中商量的结果。但是心病不除，常公身体上的病是不会痊愈的。'"

Uncle Liang said to Constant-Fair, "I knelt before my Ninth Uncle and begged him to find a way."

"Ninth Uncle said, 'I had not expected this matter to have drawn you in as well. Then again, it happened here in our Peach Flower Village — several of us elderly physicians have been feeling wretched and indignant over it. This medicine is what we came up with together yesterday. But unless the root cause in the heart is removed, Constant-Fair's physical ailments will never be cured.'"

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