The Great Supreme (3)
大宗師（三）
1 Zi Si, Zi Yu, Zi Li, Zi Lai were close friends. They often gathered to talk free.
子祀、子輿、子犁、子來四人是好朋友，他們經常在一起高談闊論。
2 Someday, they talked about the issue of life and death. They recognized that the alternation of life and death is like the shift of four seasons, which is a common sense. Owing to the recognition, they thought that who wanted to make friends with them or took part in their talk should have the same sense.
有一天，他們討論到生死的問題。他們體認到生死的輪迴更替，有如春夏秋冬四季的自然流轉，並沒有什麼神奇不可思議的地方。因為這樣的認識，他們認為，凡是想要跟他們交往，並且參與他們討論的人士；也應該懷有同樣的認知與想法。
3 So they said, “Anyone could image as an entity: taking naught as the head; taking life as the backbone; taking death as the tail. In this entity, the life, death, existence and naught are integral virtually. The man who had the concept was agreed to be one of our members.”
所以他們說：「任何人能夠想像一個實體--以無為腦袋，以生為脊椎，以死亡為尾巴--在這個實體中，生死有無實在是一體的。能夠擁有這種認識的人，我們就同意他做為我們的成員。」
子祀、子輿、子犁、子來四人相與語，曰：「孰能以無為首，以生為脊，以死為尻﹔孰知死生存亡之一體者，吾與之友矣！」
4 They set down the condition and then smiled to each other. They felt lucky that all of them had the same concept and recognition.
子祀等四人定下這個條件後，他們相顧而笑，慶幸大家都有這樣相同的看法與認識。
四人相視而笑，莫逆於心，遂相與為友。
5 After some time, Zi Yu fell sick. Zi Si dropped in and saw him. Lying on the bed, Zi Yu said, “Alas! The Creator is fairly great. He can make me as ugly as that.”
過了一陣子，子輿生病了。子祀到他家裡去探視他。子輿躺在床上說：「啊！造物者實在是太偉大了！你看祂有能力將我弄成這個樣子。」
俄而子輿有病，子祀往問之。曰：「偉哉，夫造物者將以予為此拘拘也。」
6 Zi Yu’s back hunched very much so his guts became inside out; his chin was pressed to navel; his shoulder became higher than his head; his neck exposed towards the sky. His whole physiological system was in disorder but his heart was still calm.
子輿的背駝的太厲害了，因此他的內臟都翻到上面來了，他的下巴被壓到肚臍下邊，他的肩比他的頭還高，他的脖子朝向天際，他整個生理系統都混亂了，可是他的心仍然是寧靜無波。
7 He got up and then moved slowly to the corner of the wall. He vented a pant and said, “The Creator should make me like this, because it is me.”
子輿由床上下來慢慢地移動身體走向牆角，喘了口氣他說：「造物者就是應該將我弄成這個樣子，因為這就是我。」
曲僂發背，上有五管，頤隱於齊，肩高於頂，句贅指天，陰陽之氣有沴，其心閒而無事，跰足而鑑於井，曰：「嗟乎！夫造物者又將以予為此拘拘也。」
8 Zi Si asked, “Do you really have no complaint that Heaven was unfair to you?”
子祀問道：「你真的沒有抱怨過老天為什麼要對你這樣嗎？」
子祀曰：「女惡之乎？」
9 Zi Yu said, “No, No. Never! Why do I complain? If Heaven suddenly produced a strange idea to conjure my left hand into a cock, I would ask it to wake up all people every morning.
子輿說：「沒有！從來沒有！再說我為什麼要抱怨呢？如果上蒼突發奇想，將我的左手變成公雞，那我就每天用它來司晨叫醒大家；
10 If Heaven conjured my right hand into a stone sling, I would use it to shoot bird and toast the bird.
如果上蒼將我的右手變成了彈弓，那我就用它來打鳥，燒烤來吃；
11 If it conjured my buttocks into wheels and my soul into a horse, then I would joyfully drive the buttocks carriage and I didn’t need to buy a carriage anymore.
如果將我的屁股變成輪子，我的靈魂變成駿馬，那我就駕著自己的屁股馬車盡情奔馳，我連馬車都省了。
曰：「亡，予何惡！浸假而化予之左臂以為雞，予因以求時夜﹔浸假而化予之右臂以為彈，予因以求鴞炙﹔浸假而化予之尻以為輪，以神為馬，予因以乘之，豈更駕哉！
12 The reason for me to be a man in this world is nothing but it is my turn.
我被安排到這世上為人，並沒有什麼特別的原因，只因為我的時間到了，輪到我了。
13 Today I am so sick and it seems my days are in number, which is my destiny. I calmly accept the befalling and delightedly accept the leaving.
我今天病成這個樣子，看起來行將就木，這也是天命使然。對於即將來的，我安然接受; 對於要分離而去的，我也欣然放手，任其離開。
14 Joy and sadness can’t disturb my heart. I act all on the schedule of the Tao of Nature. Such a practice was anciently called: 'Release from the hanging by feet on beam'.
歡樂及哀傷都不能打動我的心。我一切都順著自然之道的安排去做，像這樣的修養，古人稱之謂'帝之懸解'。
15 Someone can’t emancipate their hearts from the bondage of the world, because they are tempted by and obsessed with the material.
有些人不能將自己的心自倒懸之苦中解放出來，那是因為，他們經不起物質的誘惑而受困於其中。
16 The wise should know that the material is eternally under the control of Creator. It can’t prevail against the Creator.
聰明的人應該知道，物質永遠是受造物者擺佈的，物質永遠無法戰勝造物者。
17 As long as we live in terms of the Tao of Creator, there is nothing to complain about.”
我們人只要順著造物者的道去生活，萬事沒有什麼好抱怨的。」
且夫得者，時也﹔失者，順也。安時而處順，哀樂不能入也，此古之所謂縣解也，而不能自解者，物有結之。且夫物不勝天久矣，吾又何惡焉！」
18 Not long afterwards, Zi Lai fell ill. His illness was very severe, almost dying.
過了一陣子，子來也生病了。他的病情非常嚴重，已經是苟延殘喘，只剩下一口氣了。
19 His family members were at a loss, gathering around his bed and crying.
子來的家人圍在床的四周束手無策，大家哭成一團。
20 Zi Li came to see him in front of his bed at that time. Hearing Zi Lai’s family members' crying, he felt irritated. He directly asked them to get out.
子犁這時也到床前來探望子來。子犁看見子來的家人在床前哭泣的樣子很不高興，他不假辭色地叫他們都滾出去。
21 He said, “Get out! Get out! Crying like this before a sick man is not allowed. It is called: 'Breaking the rule of evading the retribution of Nature.' What’s more you would obstruct Zi Lai’s operation of returning to the nature.”
他說：「出去！出去！你們這樣子哭是犯了'遁天之刑'，而且阻礙了子來回歸自然的運作。」
俄而子來有病，喘喘然將死。其妻子環而泣之。子犁往問之，曰：「叱！避！無怛化！」
22 After Zi Li drove off Zi Lai’s family members out of the room, he turned to lean against the wall and said, “I don’t know what the great Creator would conjure you into in the next turn. Do you think that it will conjure you into the liver cell of a mouse or the wings of an insect?”
子犁將子來的家人趕出房間後，他轉過身來靠在牆上對子來說：「偉大的造物者，不知道下一回，會將你變成什麼東西。你想祂會將你變成一隻老鼠的肝細胞，或著是一隻昆蟲的翅膀嗎?」
倚其戶與之語曰：「偉哉造化！又將奚以汝為？將奚以汝適？以汝為鼠肝乎？以汝為虫臂乎？」
23 Zi Lai said, “As a son, I have to obey my parents. Where they ask me to go, east or west, north or south, I have to obey. There is no other choice.
子來說：「做人子的只有聽命於父母安排。東南西北要我去哪兒，就去哪兒，沒有什麼選擇的餘地。
24 The vital yin and yang actually are human’s parent. If they asked me to die early and I scuffed here to delay, it would be my fault and have nothing to do with the yin and yang.
陰陽其實就是人的父母，陰陽如果叫我早逝，而我在這兒拖拖拉拉地不肯上路，這就是我的不對，與陰陽無關。
子來曰：「父母於子，東西南北，唯命之從。陰陽於人，不翅於父母。彼近吾死而我不聽，我則悍矣，彼何罪焉？
25 The Creator arranges me to toil in my whole life. With the time past, the Creator makes me senile and arranges me to die and repose forever.
造物者給我這個形象，要我一生勞勞碌碌。歲月令我逐漸衰老，安排我死去以得安息。
26 Therefore, the Creator, who bestows life on me and guides my life, is the one who asks me to die early. The Creator does the both.
所以賜給我生命，指揮我生活的造物者，也正是要我早逝的造物者，兩件事同是一人所為。
夫大塊以載我以形，勞我以生，佚我以老，息我以死。故善吾生者，乃所以善吾死也。
27 It is like that a bubble of metal fusion liquor in a big smelter, jumps out and asks the smith, “Make me into Moxie Sword.” The smith surely would refuse it because he thinks that the scene is ominous and an ominous sword is absolutely not to be made.
這好比在大熔爐裡的金屬液體，突然有一個金屬液的氣泡，跑出來對鐵匠說：「將我鑄造成莫邢名劍吧。」鐵匠一定會拒絕這樣的要求，因為他會認為這樣的景象是不祥之兆; 不祥的利劍是千萬不能製造的。
28 If in the big smelter of people creating, I made uproar to ask the Creator to make me into a man, the Creator would feel annoying too; he perhaps would think me a wearisome troublemaker and would not make me into a man.
如果我在造物者造人的大熔爐中，一直吵著要造物者將我鑄成男人，造物者可能也會同樣地覺得煩，認為這個人太囉嗦了，肯定是個麻煩製造者，還是不要將之造成人吧？
29 If we think Nature as smelter and the Creator as smith, why am I afraid what the Creator will make me into?”
如果，我們將大自然視為熔爐，將造物者視為鐵匠，那麼，我又何必擔心，造物者會將我造成什麼樣子呢？」
30 Finishing the talk, Zi Lai fell into fast asleep. It was surprising that he was totally recovered next morning. The deadly illness was cured without medication.
言畢，子來就安祥的睡著了。奇怪的是，他一覺醒來病氣全消，要命的病竟然不藥而愈了。
今大冶鑄金，金踊躍曰：‘我且必為鏌琊！’大冶必以為不祥之金。今一犯人之形，而曰：‘人耳人耳’夫造化者必以為不祥之人。今一以天地為大鑪，以造化為大冶，惡乎往而不可哉！」成然寐，蘧然覺。