少了一半的山 --- 半屏山
The Mountain Missing Half of Itself --- Banping Mountain
在高雄市左營區有一座很奇特的山 , 因為山脊的一邊像被人用刀子削過一樣的平坦 , 所以大家稱它為半屏山 . In Zuoying District, Kaohsiung City, there's a very strange mountain. Because it looks like someone someone chopped the top off of it everyone calls it Banping Mountain. (1)
為什麼會這樣呢 ? Why is it so?
據說清朝初年 , 許多福建人到高雄的屏山附近開墾 . 由於土地肥沃 , 農作物收成好 , 在人們口耳相傳下 , 移民越來越多 , 逐漸形成一個大村落 . It's said that during the early part of the Qing Dynasty many people from Fujian Province [in China] settled around Ping Mountain. The land was fertile, and being a farmer there was very profitable. As word of this situation spread far and wide, more settlers moved into the area and a big village began to form.
有一位神仙想試驗人類的品性 , 於是喬裝成一位賣湯圓的老人 , 到村落裡叫賣湯圓 . 他穿著一件普通的衣服 , 挑著一擔熱騰騰的湯圓 , 大聲喊著 : "又大又好吃的湯圓 !" There was an immortal that wanted to test the worth of people, so he disguised himself as an old man selling soup balls. He went to the village dressed in ordinary clothes, carrying his load of soup balls and crying: "Big, yummy soup balls!" (2)
有人看到了 , 問 : "老人家 , 你的湯圓怎麼賣 ?" Someone saw him and asked: "Old person, how much for your soup balls?"
老人回答 : "一粒一文錢 , 二粒兩文錢 , 吃三粒不用錢 ! 大家快來買哦 !" The old person answered: "One soup ball for a single coin, two soup balls for two coins, and eat three soup balls for free! Everybody come over and buy some!"
那人聽了不禁懷疑的問 : "老人家 , 你有沒有說錯 , 天底下哪有這種事 ?" A person who heard this asked in disbelief: "Old person, haven't you misspoken? It's impossible!"
老人不假思索的回答 : "沒錯啊 ! 歡迎來試吃 !" The old person answered without missing a beat: "Not at all! Everyone's welcome to come and try them!"
那人覺得不可思議 , 對身旁的朋友說 : "哪有人這樣賣湯圓的 ? 這簡直是做虧本生意嘛 !" The person couldn't believe it, and said to a friend who was standing next to him: "Who sells soup balls like this? This man will go out of business soon!"
朋友也說 : "是啊 ! 如果不是存心騙人 , 就是湯圓很難吃 . " His friend said: "Yes! If it's not some kind of trick, the soup balls must taste terrible."
來來往往的人聽到吃三顆湯圓不用錢 , 都不太相信 . 最後 , 有一個人想試一試 , 走到湯圓攤前 , 說 : "老人家 , 請給我三粒湯圓 . " The people passing by heard about the three free soup balls and couldn't believe it. After a time one of them wanted to see for himself. He walked to the soup ball stand and said, "Old person, please give me three soup balls."
老人二話不說 , 舀起三粒湯圓給那個人吃 . The old man said nothing in return. He scooped up three soup balls and gave them to the man.
那個人津津有味的吃完後 , 說 : "老人家 , 您煮的湯圓很好吃 , 請問要多少錢 ?" After the man ravenously ate up the soup balls he said: "Old person, the soup balls you've cooked are delicious. How much do I owe you?"
老人搖搖手說 : "我不是說過了嗎 ? 吃三粒湯圓不用錢 ." The old man waved his hands and said: "Didn't I say so already? Three soup balls are free!"
聽他這麼說 , 圍觀的人紛紛起了貪小便宜的念頭 , 都來向老人買三粒湯圓 , 隊伍排得很長 . 老人絲毫沒有不耐煩的表情 , 反而樂得哈哈大笑 . 有些貪心的人吃完一碗 , 又重新排隊 , 如此不斷繼續吃著不要錢的湯圓 , 直到實在吃不下了 , 才心滿意足的離開 . Hearing him say this, the people around him, excited by the prospect of cheap food, all converged on the old man so that they could buy his food, forming a long line. The old man seemed delighted with this development, and instead of looking downcast he laughed heartily. Some greedy people reentered the line after finishing a bowl, eating the free soup balls until they were full. Then, fully content, they left the scene.
一連數天都是這樣 , 正當大家吃湯圓吃得不亦樂乎時 , 突然有人指著屏山說 : "你們看 , 屏山好像塌了一個缺口 ." It continued on this way for several days, and while everyone was having a great time eating soup balls somone suddenly pointed to Ping Mountain and said: "Look, part of Ping Mountain seems to have collapsed."
村民們循聲望去 , 笑著說 : "哪有缺口 ? 你一定是眼花了 , 沒有人去開採 , 山怎麼會有缺口呢 ? 我們還是吃免費的湯圓吧 !" The villagers surveyed the scene and said laughingly: "What's different about it? Your eyes are bad. Nobody's been digging there, so how can part of the mountain be missing? Just enjoy the free soup balls!"
如此過了整整半年 , 村民每天都來吃免費的湯圓 , 有的人家甚至都不再煮飯 , 燒菜了 , 每天只等賣湯圓的老人到來 , 飽餐一頓 . It went on like this for half a year. The villagers came to eat the free soup balls every day. Some people stopped cooking altogether, and instead waited each day for the old man to arrive, eating their fill afterward.
有一天 , 村民發現屏山的缺口愈來愈大 , 一邊的泥土竟然全都不見了 , 成了一片峭壁 , 像被人用刀子削過一般 . One day a villager discovered that Ping Mountain was getting smaller and smaller, and that the soil on one side was gone completely, creating a cliff, as if the mountain had been cut with a knife.
有人好奇的問 : "怎麼會這樣呢 ?" A person curiously asked: "How can this be?"
張大叔說 : "也許是官府派人挖去鋪路了 ." Uncle Zhang said: "The government probably ordered people to dig a road there."
李大嬸說 : "大概是不久前地牛翻身 , 把屏山震塌了一半 . 反正和我們沒有關係 , 何必管它呢 ?" Auntie Li said: "It was probably not long ago that a giant ox turned over on its side and crushed half of the mountain. Anyway it has nothing to do with us, so why bother with it?" (3)
雖然村民議論紛紛 , 卻沒有人認真去探究這件事 . Although all the villagers discussed this matter, nobody investigated further.
有一天 , 來了一位年輕人 , 開口對老人說 : "老人家 , 我要買一粒湯圓 ." One day a young person appeared, and he said to the old man : "Old person, I want to buy one soup ball."
村民非常好奇 , 不約而同的想 : "天底下竟然有這樣的傻瓜 , 不用錢的湯圓不吃 , 偏要拿錢買 ." The villagers were very curious. The prevailing thought was: "Are there really people fool enough to pass over free soup balls? People who pay for them instead?"
老人卻眼睛一亮 , 問 : "年輕人 , 你為什麼不和其他人一樣 , 只要吃三粒湯圓就可以免費啊 ?" The old man's eyes glittered as he asked: "Young man, why are you doing it differently from the other people? Why not just order three soup balls and get them for free?"
年輕人回答 : "我知道啊 ! 可是我覺得你這把年紀了 , 大老遠挑個重擔來這裡做生意 , 我們總不能老是讓您做虧本生意 , 所以我決定要用錢買湯圓 ." The young man replied: "I know! But I think that you're very old to come so far to do business here, and we always take advantage of you. For this reason I've decided to pay for my soup balls."
老人聽完這番話 , 高興的說 : "年輕人 , 我終於找到有良心的人了 , 其實我是一位神仙 , 喬裝成賣湯圓的老人是為了測試人心 . 現在我終於找到一個善良的人 , 如果你願意做我的徒弟 , 我會把所有的仙術都教給你 ." Upon hearing this the old man happily said: "Young man, I've finally found someone with a good heart. In truth I'm an immortal, and I have disguised myself as an old man selling soup balls to test the hearts of men. Now I've finally discovered a good person. If you're willing to be my apprentice, I'll teach you all the magic I know."
年輕人聽了很高興 , 不過 , 他說 : "老神仙 , 我很願意追隨您 , 但是必須先徵求父母親同意 ." The young man was very happy to hear this, but he asked: "Old immortal, I am very ready to follow you, but first my parents must consent."
從這番談話裡 , 神仙更加確定自己沒有看錯人 ; 這位年輕人不僅心地善良 , 正直 , 又很孝順父母 , 確實是他收為徒弟的不二人選 . 於是神仙陪年輕人回家 , 徵求年輕人的父母同意後 , 帶著年輕人準備返回仙界 . From this conversation the immortal grew even more certain that he was not mistaken, and that this young man was kind, morally upright, and that he maintained a filial attitude toward his parents. The young man was ideally suited to becoming the immortal's apprentice. The immortal then accompanied the young man to his home, and after securing his parents' permission both he and the young man began preparations to return to the world of the spirits.
經過街上時 , 神仙對那些貪小便宜的人說 : "回頭看看後面那座屏山 , 是不是被削去了大半 , 那些不見的土石 , 就是在大家肚子裡的湯圓 . 這是給你們這些愛佔便宜的人一點教訓 ." As he crossed the road the immortal said to the greedy people: "Look at Ping Mountain behind you. Half of it is gone! The missing soil and rocks are in everyone's stomach. They were in the soup balls you all ate. Let this be a lesson to those who thought they could get something for nothing."
聽到老神仙的話 , 那些人的肚子都莫名其妙的痛了起來 , 使勁的想把肚裡的湯圓吐出來 . 而老神仙帶著新收的徒弟 , 離開凡間 , 回仙界去了 . As they heard the immortal's words the people's stomachs began to ache without warning, and they were seized with an urge to vomit up the soup balls they had eaten. The immortal then summoned his apprentice and returned to the world of the spirits.
從此 , 村民就把屏山改稱為半屏山 , 而且告誡子孫 ; 做人要誠實 , 千萬不要貪小便宜 , 否則 , 神仙會給壞心腸的人吃泥土做成的湯圓 . From then on the villagers called it Banping Mountain, not Ping Mountain. They warned their descendants to be honest, and to not be greedy for cheap things. Otherwise an immortal will give them soup balls made of soil.
Related Entries 相關的文章:
1. The "ban" in "Banping" means "half." The "ping" means "screen."
2. 湯圓 = "soup balls?" "Glutinous rice balls?" "Dumplings?" Translations vary. They're the sweet balls you eat around Winter Solstice. The sesame filled ones are my favorite.
3. This "great ox" (地牛) is a Taiwanese folk spirit thought to be the cause of earthquakes.
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