The Story of the Man Who Did Not Wish to Die

Long, long ago there lived a man called Sentaro. His surname meant “Millionaire,” but although he was not so rich as all that, he was still very far removed from being poor. He had inherited a small fortune from his father and lived on this, spending his time carelessly, without any serious thoughts of work, till he was about thirty-two years of age.

很久很久以前，有个人名叫仙太郎。他的姓氏意为"富翁"，虽然他并没有那么富有，却也离贫穷相去甚远。他从父亲那里继承了一小笔财产，靠这笔钱过活，终日无所事事，从没认真想过要做点什么营生，一直到他大约三十二岁那年。

One day, without any reason whatsoever, the thought of death and sickness came to him. The idea of falling ill or dying made him very wretched.

一天，也不知为何，死亡和疾病的念头忽然涌上他的心头。一想到自己会生病或死去，他便觉得万分苦恼。

“I should like to live,” he said to himself, “till I am five or six hundred years old at least, free from all sickness. The ordinary span of a man’s life is very short.”

"我真希望能活到，"他自言自语道，"至少五六百岁，而且不生一点病。人一辈子的寿命实在是太短了。"

He wondered whether it were possible, by living simply and frugally henceforth, to prolong his life as long as he wished.

他心想，要是从今往后过得简朴节俭，是否就能把自己的寿命延长到他所盼望的地步呢。

He knew there were many stories in ancient history of emperors who had lived a thousand years, and there was a Princess of Yamato, who, it was said, lived to the age of five hundred. This was the latest story of a very long life record.

他知道古代历史上有许多传说，讲的是活了上千年的皇帝，还有一位大和公主，据说活到了五百岁。这是关于长寿记录最新的一则传说。

Sentaro had often heard the tale of the Chinese King named Shin-no-Shiko. He was one of the most able and powerful rulers in Chinese history. He built all the large palaces, and also the famous great wall of China. He had everything in the world he could wish for, but in spite of all his happiness and the luxury and the splendor of his Court, the wisdom of his councilors and the glory of his reign, he was miserable because he knew that one day he must die and leave it all.

仙太郎常听人讲起中国那位名叫秦始皇的国王的故事。他是中国历史上最有才干、最有权势的统治者之一。他修建了所有宏伟的宫殿，还建了那座著名的万里长城。世上他所渴望的一切，他都拥有了，可尽管他享尽了幸福、宫廷的奢华与辉煌、大臣们的智慧和他统治的荣耀，他却仍旧痛苦不堪，因为他知道总有一天自己必须死去，把这一切都留下来。

When Shin-no-Shiko went to bed at night, when he rose in the morning, as he went through his day, the thought of death was always with him. He could not get away from it. Ah—if only he could find the “Elixir of Life,” he would be happy.

秦始皇夜里就寝时，早晨起身时，还有白天做事的时候，死亡的念头始终萦绕在他心头，挥之不去。啊——要是他能找到"长生不老药"，他就会幸福了。

The Emperor at last called a meeting of his courtiers and asked them all if they could not find for him the “Elixir of Life” of which he had so often read and heard.

这位皇帝终于召集群臣，问他们能否为他寻得那种他早已耳闻目睹的"长生不老药"。

One old courtier, Jofuku by name, said that far away across the seas there was a country called Horaizan, and that certain hermits lived there who possessed the secret of the “Elixir of Life.” Whoever drank of this wonderful draught lived forever.

一位名叫徐福的老臣说，在遥远的海外有一个叫蓬莱山的国度，那里住着一些仙人，掌握着"长生不老药"的秘密。凡是喝下这神奇药水的人，都能长生不死。

The Emperor ordered Jofuku to set out for the land of Horaizan, to find the hermits, and to bring him back a phial of the magic elixir. He gave Jofuku one of his best junks, fitted it out for him, and loaded it with great quantities of treasures and precious stones for Jofuku to take as presents to the hermits.

皇帝便命徐福启程前往蓬莱山国，去寻找那些仙人，给他带回一瓶那神奇的仙药。他把自己最好的一艘帆船交给徐福，为他备好装备，还装载了大量的财宝和珍贵的宝石，让徐福带去献给仙人们。

Jofuku sailed for the land of Horaizan, but he never returned to the waiting Emperor; but ever since that time Mount Fuji has been said to be the fabled Horaizan and the home of hermits who had the secret of the elixir, and Jofuku has been worshiped as their patron god.

徐福扬帆驶向蓬莱山国，可他再也没有回到那位苦苦等待的皇帝身边；不过从那时起，人们便传说富士山正是那传说中的蓬莱山，是掌握仙药秘密的仙人们的居所，而徐福也被人们奉为他们的守护神来崇拜。

Now Sentaro determined to set out to find the hermits, and if he could, to become one, so that he might obtain the water of perpetual life. He remembered that as a child he had been told that not only did these hermits live on Mount Fuji, but that they were said to inhabit all the very high peaks.

如今仙太郎决心动身去寻找那些仙人，倘若可能的话，他也要成为其中一员，好求得那长生不老之水。他记得小时候有人告诉他，这些仙人不只住在富士山上，据说所有极高的山峰之上都有他们的踪迹。

So he left his old home to the care of his relatives, and started out on his quest. He traveled through all the mountainous regions of the land, climbing to the tops of the highest peaks, but never a hermit did he find.

于是他把老家托付给亲戚照看，便踏上了寻访之路。他走遍了这片土地上所有的山区，攀上一座座最高的山峰，却始终没有找到一位仙人。

At last, after wandering in an unknown region for many days, he met a hunter.

终于，在一片陌生的地区流浪了许多天之后，他遇见了一个猎人。

“Can you tell me,” asked Sentaro, “where the hermits live who have the Elixir of Life?”

"你能告诉我，"仙太郎问道，"拥有长生不老药的仙人们住在哪里吗？"

“No.” said the hunter; “I can’t tell you where such hermits live, but there is a notorious robber living in these parts. It is said that he is chief of a band of two hundred followers.”

"不能，"猎人说道，"我说不出这样的仙人住在哪儿，不过这一带倒是住着一个臭名昭著的强盗。据说他是一伙两百多号手下的头目。"

This odd answer irritated Sentaro very much, and he thought how foolish it was to waste more time in looking for the hermits in this way, so he decided to go at once to the shrine of Jofuku, who is worshiped as the patron god of the hermits in the south of Japan.

这个古怪的回答让仙太郎十分恼火，他心想，这样继续找下去寻访仙人实在是太蠢了，浪费时间，于是他决定立刻前往徐福的神社，因为在日本南部，徐福被奉为仙人们的守护神来供奉。

Sentaro reached the shrine and prayed for seven days, entreating Jofuku to show him the way to a hermit who could give him what he wanted so much to find.

仙太郎来到神社，祈祷了七天，恳求徐福为他指引一条路，找到一位能给他他梦寐以求之物的仙人。

At midnight of the seventh day, as Sentaro knelt in the temple, the door of the innermost shrine flew open, and Jofuku appeared in a luminous cloud, and calling to Sentaro to come nearer, spoke thus:

第七天的午夜，仙太郎正跪在神殿之中，最深处神龛的门忽然大开，徐福在一片光耀的云雾中现身，唤仙太郎近前，如是说道：

“Your desire is a very selfish one and cannot be easily granted. You think that you would like to become a hermit so as to find the Elixir of Life. Do you know how hard a hermit’s life is?

"你的愿望十分自私，并非轻易能够如愿的。你以为想要成为一名仙人，便能找到长生不老药。你可知道仙人的日子有多么艰苦？

“A hermit is only allowed to eat fruit and berries and the bark of pine trees; a hermit must cut himself off from the world so that his heart may become as pure as gold and free from every earthly desire. Gradually after following these strict rules, the hermit ceases to feel hunger or cold or heat, and his body becomes so light that he can ride on a crane or a carp, and can walk on water without getting his feet wet.”

"仙人只能吃水果、浆果和松树皮；仙人必须与世隔绝，好让自己的心变得像黄金一般纯洁，摆脱一切尘世的欲念。遵循这些严苛的规矩久了，仙人便渐渐感觉不到饥饿、寒冷或炎热，身子也会变得轻盈无比，能骑在仙鹤或鲤鱼背上，还能踏水而行，脚都不会打湿。

“You, Sentaro, are fond of good living and of every comfort. You are not even like an ordinary man, for you are exceptionally idle, and more sensitive to heat and cold than most people. You would never be able to go barefoot or to wear only one thin dress in the winter time! Do you think that you would ever have the patience or the endurance to live a hermit’s life?”

"你，仙太郎，向来贪图享受，喜爱一切舒适。你甚至连个普通人都算不上，因为你格外懒散，对冷热的感受也比常人更加敏感。你哪能光着脚走路，或是在冬天只穿一件单薄的衣裳呢！你觉得自己会有耐心或毅力，去过仙人那样的生活吗？"

“In answer to your prayer, however, I will help you in another way. I will send you to the country of Perpetual Life, where death never comes—where the people live forever!”

"不过，为了回应你的祈求，我愿以另一种方式来帮你。我要送你去长生不死之国，那里死亡永远不会降临——那里的人们永远长生不老！"

Saying this, Jofuku put into Sentaro’s hand a little crane made of paper, telling him to sit on its back and it would carry him there.

说罢，徐福把一只纸做的小鹤放进仙太郎手中，告诉他坐在鹤背上，它便会载他前往那个地方。

Sentaro obeyed wonderingly. The crane grew large enough for him to ride on it with comfort. It then spread its wings, rose high in the air, and flew away over the mountains right out to sea.

仙太郎虽满心疑惑，却还是照做了。那只纸鹤渐渐长大，大到足以让他舒舒服服地骑在上面。接着它便展开双翼，高高地飞上天空，越过群山，一路飞向大海。

Sentaro was at first quite frightened; but by degrees he grew accustomed to the swift flight through the air. On and on they went for thousands of miles. The bird never stopped for rest or food, but as it was a paper bird it doubtless did not require any nourishment, and strange to say, neither did Sentaro.

起初仙太郎十分害怕；可渐渐地，他也习惯了这在空中疾飞的感觉。他们就这样飞了又飞，飞过了几千英里。这只鸟从不停下来休息或进食，不过既然它是只纸鸟，想必也不需要什么滋养，说来也怪，仙太郎也一样不需要。

After several days they reached an island. The crane flew some distance inland and then alighted.

过了几天，他们抵达了一座岛屿。仙鹤朝内陆飞了一段距离，便降落下来。

As soon as Sentaro got down from the bird’s back, the crane folded up of its own accord and flew into his pocket.

仙太郎刚从鸟背上下来，那只纸鹤便自行折叠起来，飞进了他的口袋里。

Now Sentaro began to look about him wonderingly, curious to see what the country of Perpetual Life was like. He walked first round about the country and then through the town. Everything was, of course, quite strange, and different from his own land. But both the land and the people seemed prosperous, so he decided that it would be good for him to stay there and took up lodgings at one of the hotels.

这时仙太郎开始好奇地四下打量，急于看看这长生不死之国究竟是什么模样。他先绕着这片土地走了一圈，然后又穿过了城镇。这里的一切自然都十分陌生，与他自己的家乡截然不同。可这片土地和这里的人民似乎都十分兴旺，于是他决定留下来住上一阵子，便在一家客栈里安顿了下来。

The proprietor was a kind man, and when Sentaro told him that he was a stranger and had come to live there, he promised to arrange everything that was necessary with the governor of the city concerning Sentaro’s sojourn there. He even found a house for his guest, and in this way Sentaro obtained his great wish and became a resident in the country of Perpetual Life.

店主人是个和善的人，仙太郎告诉他自己是个陌生人，是来这儿定居的，他便答应替仙太郎与本城总督安排好一切必要的手续。他甚至还给这位客人找了一栋房子，就这样，仙太郎终于如愿以偿，成了这长生不死之国的一名居民。

Within the memory of all the islanders no man had ever died there, and sickness was a thing unknown. Priests had come over from India and China and told them of a beautiful country called Paradise, where happiness and bliss and contentment fill all men’s hearts, but its gates could only be reached by dying. This tradition was handed down for ages from generation to generation—but none knew exactly what death was except that it led to Paradise.

据全岛人的记忆所及，这里从来没有人死过，疾病更是闻所未闻的事。曾有僧侣从印度和中国渡海而来，向他们讲述一个叫做天堂的美丽国度，在那里，幸福、极乐和满足充盈着每个人的心，可要抵达那扇天堂之门，唯有一死方能到达。这一传说世世代代流传了下来——可谁也不知道死亡究竟是什么，只知道它能通往天堂。

Quite unlike Sentaro and other ordinary people, instead of having a great dread of death, they all, both rich and poor, longed for it as something good and desirable. They were all tired of their long, long lives, and longed to go to the happy land of contentment called Paradise of which the priests had told them centuries ago.

与仙太郎和其他寻常人截然不同，这里的人非但不畏惧死亡，反倒不论贫富，人人都渴望着它，把它当作某种美好而值得向往的东西。他们都厌倦了自己这漫长漫长的生命，渴望前往那僧侣们几个世纪前所描述的那个名叫天堂的极乐满足之地。

All this Sentaro soon found out by talking to the islanders. He found himself, according to his ideas, in the land of Topsyturvydom. Everything was upside down. He had wished to escape from dying. He had come to the land of Perpetual Life with great relief and joy, only to find that the inhabitants themselves, doomed never to die, would consider it bliss to find death.

这一切，仙太郎很快就从与岛民的交谈中得知了。照他自己的想法，他发现自己竟身处一个颠三倒四的国度。一切都是本末倒置的。他本想逃离死亡。他怀着莫大的欣慰与喜悦来到这长生不死之国，却发现这里的居民自己注定永生不死，反倒会把寻得死亡视为一种极乐。

What he had hitherto considered poison these people ate as good food, and all the things to which he had been accustomed as food they rejected. Whenever any merchants from other countries arrived, the rich people rushed to them eager to buy poisons. These they swallowed eagerly, hoping for death to come so that they might go to Paradise.

他从前一向视为毒药的东西，这里的人却当作美味佳肴来吃；而他从前习以为常的那些食物，这里的人却都嫌弃不吃。每当有别国的商人到来，富人们便争先恐后地跑去买毒药。他们迫不及待地把毒药吞下肚去，盼望着死亡快点降临，好让自己去往天堂。

But what were deadly poisons in other lands were without effect in this strange place, and people who swallowed them with the hope of dying, only found that in a short time they felt better in health instead of worse.

可是那些在别国致命的毒药，在这个奇怪的地方却毫无效力，那些满心盼着一死的人吞下毒药后，只发现自己没过多久身体反倒比从前更健康了，而不是更糟。

Vainly they tried to imagine what death could be like. The wealthy would have given all their money and all their goods if they could but shorten their lives to two or three hundred years even. Without any change to live on forever seemed to this people wearisome and sad.

他们徒劳地想象着死亡究竟是什么滋味。那些富人若是能把自己的寿命哪怕缩短到两三百年，也情愿倾尽自己的全部钱财与家产。若是永生不死却毫无变化，这在这里的人看来，实在是件乏味又悲哀的事。

In the chemist shops there was a drug which was in constant demand, because after using it for a hundred years, it was supposed to turn the hair slightly gray and to bring about disorders of the stomach.

药铺里有一种药，销路一向十分旺盛，因为据说服用一百年之后，它便会让头发略微发白，还会引起些肠胃不适。

Sentaro was astonished to find that the poisonous globe-fish was served up in restaurants as a delectable dish, and hawkers in the streets went about selling sauces made of Spanish flies. He never saw any one ill after eating these horrible things, nor did he ever see any one with as much as a cold.

仙太郎惊讶地发现，那种有毒的河豚，在这里的餐馆里竟被当作一道美味佳肴来供应，街头小贩还兜售着用斑蝥制成的酱料。他从没见过有谁吃了这些骇人的东西之后生病，也从没见过有谁哪怕只是得了个伤风感冒。

Sentaro was delighted. He said to himself that he would never grow tired of living, and that he considered it profane to wish for death. He was the only happy man on the island. For his part he wished to live thousands of years and to enjoy life. He set himself up in business, and for the present never even dreamed of going back to his native land.

仙太郎大喜过望。他心想，自己永远也不会厌倦活着，还觉得渴望死亡实在是件亵渎的事。他成了这座岛上唯一一个快乐的人。就他自己而言，他但愿能活上千年，尽情享受人生。他做起了生意，眼下也从没想过要回自己的祖国去。

As years went by, however, things did not go as smoothly as at first. He had heavy losses in business, and several times some affairs went wrong with his neighbors. This caused him great annoyance.

然而随着岁月流逝，事情却不再像起初那般顺遂了。他在生意上遭受了沉重的损失，还好几次跟邻居闹出些不愉快。这让他十分苦恼。

Time passed like the flight of an arrow for him, for he was busy from morning till night. Three hundred years went by in this monotonous way, and then at last he began to grow tired of life in this country, and he longed to see his own land and his old home. However long he lived here, life would always be the same, so was it not foolish and wearisome to stay on here forever?

时光飞逝，如箭一般掠过，因为他从早到晚都忙碌不堪。就这样单调地过了三百年，他终于开始厌倦了在这个国度的生活，渴望见到自己的祖国和旧日的家。不管他在这儿活多久，日子始终都是一个样，那么永远留在这儿，岂不是既愚蠢又乏味吗？

Sentaro, in his wish to escape from the country of Perpetual Life, recollected Jofuku, who had helped him before when he was wishing to escape from death—and he prayed to the saint to bring him back to his own land again.

仙太郎一心想逃离这长生不死之国，便想起了徐福，他从前正是帮他实现了逃离死亡的心愿——于是他向这位仙人祈祷，求他带自己再度返回故土。

No sooner did he pray than the paper crane popped out of his pocket. Sentaro was amazed to see that it had remained undamaged after all these years. Once more the bird grew and grew till it was large enough for him to mount it. As he did so, the bird spread its wings and flew, swiftly out across the sea in the direction of Japan.

他祈祷刚一结束，那只纸鹤便从他口袋里蹦了出来。仙太郎惊讶地发现，这么多年过去，它竟然完好无损。那只鸟再度长大又长大，直到大得足以让他骑上去。他一骑上去，那只鸟便展开双翼，疾速飞越大海，朝日本的方向飞去。

Such was the willfulness of the man’s nature that he looked back and regretted all he had left behind. He tried to stop the bird in vain. The crane held on its way for thousands of miles across the ocean.

这个人生性任性，飞行途中他不禁回头张望，为自己所抛下的一切而感到懊悔。他徒劳地想让那只鸟停下来。仙鹤却一路飞越了几千英里的海洋，毫不停歇。

Then a storm came on, and the wonderful paper crane got damp, crumpled up, and fell into the sea. Sentaro fell with it. Very much frightened at the thought of being drowned, he cried out loudly to Jofuku to save him. He looked round, but there was no ship in sight. He swallowed a quantity of sea-water, which only increased his miserable plight.

这时一场暴风雨袭来，那神奇的纸鹤被打湿了，皱缩起来，跌落进了大海。仙太郎也随之坠落。一想到自己就要溺水而死，他吓得魂飞魄散，大声呼喊着徐福来救他。他四下张望，却看不见一艘船的踪影。他呛了一大口海水，处境更加悲惨了。

While he was thus struggling to keep himself afloat, he saw a monstrous shark swimming towards him. As it came nearer it opened its huge mouth ready to devour him. Sentaro was all but paralyzed with fear now that he felt his end so near, and screamed out as loudly as ever he could to Jofuku to come and rescue him.

正当他这样苦苦挣扎着不让自己沉下去的时候，他看见一条巨大的鲨鱼正朝他游来。它越游越近，张开血盆大口，准备把他吞下去。仙太郎此刻感到大限将至，几乎吓得动弹不得，他拼尽全力大声尖叫，呼唤徐福快来救他。

Lo, and behold, Sentaro was awakened by his own screams, to find that during his long prayer he had fallen asleep before the shrine, and that all his extraordinary and frightful adventures had been only a wild dream. He was in a cold perspiration with fright, and utterly bewildered.

瞧，仙太郎竟被自己的尖叫声惊醒了，这才发现，原来自己在漫长的祈祷中已在神殿前睡着了，方才那一切离奇可怕的遭遇，不过是一场荒诞的梦罢了。他吓出了一身冷汗，整个人都茫然不知所措。

Suddenly a bright light came towards him, and in the light stood a messenger. The messenger held a book in his hand, and spoke to Sentaro:

忽然，一道明亮的光朝他而来，光中站着一位使者。这位使者手里拿着一本书，对仙太郎说道：

“I am sent to you by Jofuku, who in answer to your prayer, has permitted you in a dream to see the land of Perpetual Life. But you grew weary of living there, and begged to be allowed to return to your native land so that you might die. Jofuku, so that he might try you, allowed you to drop into the sea, and then sent a shark to swallow you up. Your desire for death was not real, for even at that moment you cried out loudly and shouted for help.”

"我是徐福派来见你的，为了回应你的祈求，他让你在梦中见识了长生不死之国。可你在那里住久了却生出厌倦之心，恳求让你回到自己的祖国，好让自己能够死去。徐福为了考验你，便让你落入了海中，又派了一条鲨鱼来把你吞掉。你对死亡的渴望其实并非真心，因为就在那一刻，你还大声哭喊、呼救不已。"

“It is also vain for you to wish to become a hermit, or to find the Elixir of Life. These things are not for such as you—your life is not austere enough. It is best for you to go back to your paternal home, and to live a good and industrious life. Never neglect to keep the anniversaries of your ancestors, and make it your duty to provide for your children’s future. Thus will you live to a good old age and be happy, but give up the vain desire to escape death, for no man can do that, and by this time you have surely found out that even when selfish desires are granted they do not bring happiness.”

"你想要成为仙人，或是寻得长生不老药，这也是徒劳的。这些东西并非为你这样的人所准备的——你的人生并不够清苦刻己。你最好的出路是回到你父辈的家中，过上一种善良勤勉的生活。切莫忘记年年祭奠你的祖先，并把为子孙的将来作打算当作自己的本分。这样你便能颐养天年，安享幸福，可要放弃那逃避死亡的妄念，因为世间没有人能够做到这一点，而且到如今你想必也早已明白，即便一个人的私欲得偿所愿，也未必能带来幸福。"

“In this book I give you there are many precepts good for you to know—if you study them, you will be guided in the way I have pointed out to you.”

"我送你的这本书里，有许多对你大有裨益的教诲——只要你用心研读，便能循着我为你指明的道路前行。"

The angel disappeared as soon as he had finished speaking, and Sentaro took the lesson to heart. With the book in his hand he returned to his old home, and giving up all his old vain wishes, tried to live a good and useful life and to observe the lessons taught him in the book, and he and his house prospered henceforth.

那位天使话音一落，便消失不见了，仙太郎将这番教诲铭记于心。他手里拿着那本书，回到了自己的旧居，放弃了从前那些虚妄的念想，努力过一种善良而有益的生活，并遵循书中所教导的种种道理，从此他与家人都兴旺昌盛起来。