桃花源记

An Idyllic Land of Peach-Blossom Spring

晋·陶渊明

Tao Yuanming from Jin Dynasty

　　晋太元中，武陵人捕鱼为业，缘溪行，忘路之远近。忽逢桃花林，夹岸数百步，中无杂树，芳草鲜美，落英缤纷;渔人甚异之。复前行，欲穷其林。

　　Amid the Taiyuan era of Eastern Jin Dynasty, there was a fisherman, a native of Wuling rowed his boat along a brook, not mindful of how far he had toured when suddenly he came across a blossoming peach grove flanking the banks continuously for hundreds of footsteps. The peach grove with no other sundry trees was permeated of sweet fragrance, fresh green grass, and falling and fallen blossoms. The fisherman with appealing surprise again rowed further, with a desire to explore how far it extended.

　　林尽水源，便得一山。山有小口，仿佛若有光，便舍船，从口入。初极狭，才通人;复行数十步，豁然开朗。土地平旷，屋舍俨然。有良田、美池、桑、竹之属，阡陌交通，鸡犬相闻。其中往来种作，男女衣着，悉如外人;黄发垂髫，并佁然自乐。

　　When the grove faded away at the end of the brook, he found himself in front of a mountain with a small opening from which a light loomed. He thus left his boat and walked into the opening which at first was found to be so narrow that only one could pass through it. After walking forward for a few footsteps, he discovered it led to an open air where flat and wide was the land with well-arranged houses, rich fields, beautiful ponds, mulberries, bamboos and the like. He saw the paths intersecting the fields in all directions, and heard cocks crowing and dogs barking. Here, men and women passing back and forth or working in the fields dressed almost the same as people outside. The grizzled-haired and children with uncoiled hairs seemed happy and complacent.