文档介绍:霍克斯译文CHAPTER1ZhenShi-yinmakestheStone’sacquaintanceinadreamAndJiaYu-patiblewithromanticfeelingsGENTLEREADER,What,youmayask,wastheoriginofthisbook?Thoughtheanswertothisquestionmayatfirstseemtoborderontheabsurd,reflectionwillshowthatthereisagooddealmoreinitthanmeetstheeye. Longago,whenthegoddessNǚ-wawasrepairingthesky,shemelteddownagreatquantityofrockand,ontheIncredibleCragsoftheGreatFableMountains,mouldedtheamalgamintothirty-sixthousand,fivehundredandonelargebuildingblocks,eachmeasuringseventy-twofeetbyahundredandforty--sixthousandfivehundredoftheseblocksinthecourseofherbuildingoperations,leavingasingleoddblockunused,whichlay,allonitsown,atthefootofGreensicknessPeakintheaforementionedmountains. Nowthisblockofstone,hemeltingandmouldingofagoddess,,itbecamefilledwithshameandresentmentandpasseditsdaysinsorrowandlamentation. Oneday,inthemidstofitslamentings,itsawamonkandaTaoistapproachingfromagreatdistance,eachofthemre,,catchingsightofalustrous,translucentstone—itwasinfacttherejectedbuildingblockwhichhadnowshrunkitselftothesizeofafan-pendantandlookedveryattractiveinitsnewshape—tookituponthepalmofhishandandaddresseditwithasmile:‘Ha,Iseeyouhavemagicalproperties!.’Thestonewasdelighted.‘Whatwordswillyoucut?Whereisthisplaceyouwilltakemeto?Ibegtobeenlightened.’‘Donotask,’repliedthemonkwithalaugh.‘es.’.*CountlessaeonswentbyandacertainTaoistcalledVanitasinquestofthesecretofimmortalitychancedtobepassingbelowthatsameGreensicknessPeakint