"The Story of Peach Blossom Spring" is a text in the first volume of the eighth grade of the People's Education Press. The author is Tao Yuanming. The full text depicts a paradise where people are equal, self-reliant, peaceful and free, and expresses the author's dissatisfaction with the dark social reality at that time and his yearning for a better life. Now I bring you the original text of the eighth grade volume "Peach Blossom Spring". You are welcome to read it.
Peach Blossom Spring
Wei and Jin · Tao Yuanming
During the Taiyuan period of the Jin Dynasty, the people of Wuling were engaged in fishing. Walking by the stream, I forget how far the road is. Suddenly I came across a peach blossom forest, hundreds of steps across the bank. There were no trees in the middle, the grass was delicious, and the fallen flowers were colorful. It was very strange for fishermen. Going forward again, I want to exhaust the forest.
When the forest reaches the water source, there is a mountain with a small mouth, as if there is light. Then he left the boat and entered through the mouth. At first he was extremely narrow, but only then did he understand people. After walking dozens of steps, I suddenly became enlightened. The land is flat and vast, with well-groomed houses, fertile fields, beautiful ponds, mulberry trees, and bamboos. There is traffic on the streets, and chickens and dogs hear each other. Among them, the men and women are dressed like outsiders. His yellow hair hangs down, and he is contented with himself.
When he saw the fisherman, he was shocked and asked where he had come from. Have an answer. Then he returned home and set up wine and killed chickens for food. Hearing about this person in the village, Xian came to inquire. Ziyun's ancestors fled the chaos of the Qin Dynasty and led his wife's people to this desperate situation. He never came back and was separated from outsiders. When I ask what era this is, I don’t know whether there was Han, Wei or Jin. What this person said one by one made everyone sigh. The rest of the people went to their homes again, where they all had wine and food. Stop for a few days and resign. The saying goes: "It's not enough to teach outsiders."
After getting out and getting the boat, he helped him to the road and looked for it everywhere. When he went to the county, he went to the prefect and said so. The prefect immediately sent people to follow him in search of his desired direction, but he became lost and could no longer find his way.
Liu Ziji from Nanyang, a noble scholar, heard about it and went there happily. To no avail, the search for illness ended, and then there was no further care.
Translation of "The Story of Peach Blossom Spring"
During the Taiyuan period of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, there was a man in Wuling who made a living by fishing. (One day) He rowed along the stream, forgetting the distance. Suddenly I came across a peach grove, within a few hundred steps of both sides of the stream. There were no other trees in the middle. The fragrant green grass was bright and beautiful, and the fallen flowers on the ground were numerous and mixed. The fisherman felt very strange about this. Then he continued walking forward, wanting to reach the end of the forest.
The end of the peach forest is the source of the stream. The fisherman found a hill with a small cave entrance, and there seemed to be a faint light in the cave. (The fisherman) abandoned his boat and entered through the entrance of the cave. At first, the cave was very narrow, allowing only one person to pass; after walking a few dozen steps, it suddenly became open and bright. (What appeared in front of the fisherman's eyes was) a flat and broad land, neat rows of houses, fertile fields, beautiful ponds, and plants such as mulberry trees and bamboo forests. The paths in the fields are intertwined, and the sounds of chickens crowing and dogs barking come and go. People coming and going in the fields, cultivating and working, both men and women dress the same as the people outside. The elderly and children are both happy and enjoying themselves.
(People in the village) were very surprised when they saw the fisherman and asked him where he came from. (The fisherman) answered everything he knew in detail. The villagers invited the fisherman to their homes, served wine, killed chickens and cooked meals to entertain him. When people in the village heard that such a person had arrived, they all came to inquire about the news. They themselves said that their ancestors led their wives, children and neighbors to this isolated place to avoid the wars of the Qin Dynasty. They no longer went out from here, so they cut off contact with people outside the Peach Blossom Spring. (People here) asked what dynasty they are in now, and they didn't even know that there was a Han Dynasty, let alone the Wei and Jin dynasties. The fisherman told them everything he knew in detail. After listening, they all sighed and felt sorry. The rest of the people invited the fisherman to their homes and entertained him with food and wine. After staying for a few days, the fisherman said goodbye to the villagers. The people in the village told him: "(The situation here) is not worth telling people outside."
After the (fisherman) came out, he found his boat and followed the way he came. When I went back, I marked everything. When he arrived at the county seat, he went to see the prefect and told him his experience. The prefect immediately sent someone to follow him to look for the mark he had made before, but eventually he got lost and could no longer find the way to the Peach Blossom Spring.
There was a man named Liu Ziji in Nanyang, a noble scholar. When he heard the news, he happily planned to go to the Peach Blossom Spring. But it didn't work out, and he died of illness soon after. After that, no one visited the Peach Blossom Spring anymore.
Brief introduction to the author of "The Story of Peach Blossom Spring"
Tao Yuanming (about 365-427), whose courtesy name was Yuanliang, was born in Chaisang, Xunyang (now Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province). He was a famous scholar in the history of Chinese literature. The first pastoral poet. At the end of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the Southern Dynasty, he was a politician, early poet, poet, pastoral poet, and reclusive poet. After he retired to seclusion, he wrote a large number of pastoral poems and became the founder of the landscape pastoral poetry school. He called himself Mr. Wuliu, and changed his name to Qian in his later years. After his death, his relatives and friends privately gave him the posthumous title of Mr. Jingjie, and he was known as Mr. Jingjie in the world. Because he likes to drink, he is also known as Tao Yuanming, the Saint of Wine. Tao Yuanming was born in a declining official family. In order to realize his ideal ambition of "helping the common people", he kept trying, being disappointed, and finally despaired. There is "Tao Yuanming Collection". Tao Yuanming's poems, poems and prose have a unique style and extremely high attainments in art. They integrate pastoral poetry and open up a new realm for classical poetry. The works are plain and natural, based on real feelings, which influenced the creation of poetry in the Tang Dynasty.