SH80翻译: 促织 (聊斋志异)

Translation: Cricket (Strange Tales from Chitchat Den)

(translated by: alexcwlin; edited by: Adam Lam)

宣德间，宫中尚促织之戏，岁征民间。

During the Xuande Era cricket-fighting was all the rage in the palace. Every year, a supply of crickets was requisitioned from the common folks.

此物故非西产；有华阴令欲媚上官，以一头进，试使斗而才，因责常供。

These creatures were not native to Shaanxi. There was a Magistrate at Huayin County who wanted to ingratiate himself to his senior official and submitted one cricket. In trying it out, it was found to be good at combat. So, he was charged with providing a steady supply of crickets.

令以责之里正。

The order fell on the shoulders of a precinct head.

市中游侠儿得佳者笼养之，昂其直，居为奇货。

The street rogues in the city caught some good crickets, kept them inside cages and jacked up the prices. They put away the creatures as rare commodities.

里胥猾黠，假此科敛丁口，每责一头，辄倾数家之产。

Precinct constables were deceitful and exploited the situation to collect money from people. Bearing the cost of one cricket could put several households into financial ruins.

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邑有成名者，操童子业，久不售。

In the county, there was a person by the name of Cheng Ming. He was a student studying for public exams but wasn’t able to pass for a long time.

为人迂讷，遂为猾胥报充里正役，百计营谋不能脱。

With an unsociable and reticent disposition, he was exploited by manipulative constables to be a junior official running errands for the precinct. Despite trying many different ways, he was unable to get out of the duties.

不终岁，薄产累尽。

In less than a year, his meager savings were completely spent in connection with doing the work.

会征促织，成不敢敛户口，而又无所赔偿，忧闷欲死。

It happened that cricket-levy was introduced. He didn’t have the heart to collect from households, but he couldn’t cough up the money to cover the shortfall either. It was so depressing that he could die.

妻曰：“死何裨益？

The wife said: “What purpose would it serve even if you die?

不如自行搜觅，冀有万一之得。”

Why don’t you look around yourself, and maybe you could luck out on that extremely slim chance and find a cricket.”

成然之。

Cheng agreed.

早出暮归，提竹筒丝笼，于败堵丛草处，探石发穴，靡计不施，迄无济。

Leaving early and returning late, he carried around a bamboo tube and a bamboo-strip cage. At ruins of walls and clusters of grass, he dug under rocks and scooped out burrows. All possible ways were explored but nothing worked.

即捕得三两头，又劣弱不中于款。

Even though two or three crickets were caught, but they were below-par weaklings.

宰严限追比，旬余，杖至百，两股间脓血流离，并虫亦不能行捉矣。

County officials imposed strict deadlines and failures were subject to lashing. In ten-odd days, Cheng took almost one hundred whips. Blood and pus were oozing profusely into the crack between the two buttocks and he couldn’t even walk to catch the insects.

转侧床头，惟思自尽。

In tossing and turning in bed, he thought of killing himself.

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时村中来一驼背巫，能以神卜。

At that time, a hunchbacked sorceress came to the village and she could seek divine help to tell fortunes.

成妻具资诣问。

Cheng’s wife took along some money to ask the sorceress for guidance.

见红女白婆，填塞门户。

She saw at the door was jam-packed with young girls and old women.

入其舍，则密室垂帘，帘外设香几。

Upon getting inside the residence, she went into a secluded room where the drapes were pulled down. Outside of the drapes was an incense table.

问者爇香于鼎，再拜。

A visitor seeking answers from the sorceress would need to put lit incense in a holder and then bow twice.

巫从旁望空代祝，唇吻翕辟，不知何词。

The sorceress standing aside would look up to the sky to pray for the visitor, and, at the same time, the sorceress’s lips would open and shut to mumble something.

各各竦立以听。少间，帘内掷一纸出，即道人意中事，无毫发爽。

All who were present would stand respectfully to listen. A short while later, a piece of paper would be chucked out from the inside of the drape, and stated on the paper would be the answer to what the visitor had in mind with pinpoint accuracy.

成妻纳钱案上，焚拜如前人。

Cheng’s wife put the money on the table, lit the incense, and bowed just like the people before her.

食顷，帘动，片纸抛落。

After an interval it takes to finish a meal, the drape moved and a piece of paper fell out.

拾视之，非字而画：中绘殿阁，类兰若；

She picked it up to take a look. On it were not words but a picture. Drawn in the middle of it was a lofty building that resembled a temple.

后小山下，怪石乱卧，针针丛棘，青麻头伏焉30；

Down below a small hill at the back, grotesque rocks were in random piles and thorny growths were in clusters. In the middle of them lay a Green Hemp Head cricket.

旁一蟆，若将跃舞。

Beside it was a toad that was about to leap up and dance around.

展玩不可晓。

She spread open the paper but couldn’t figure out what it meant.

然睹促织，隐中胸怀。

Yet the sight of the cricket was what she had in mind.

摺藏之，归以示成。

So, she folded the paper and put it away. When she got home, she showed it to Cheng.

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成反复自念，得无教我猎虫所耶？

Cheng muttered repeatedly if it was teaching him how to catch an insect?

细瞻景状，与村东大佛阁逼似。

In examining the scenery closely, it looked very much like the Big Buddhist Temple at the east side of the village.

乃强起扶杖，执图诣寺后，有古陵蔚起。

So, he struggled to get up with the help of his cane. In following the picture in his hand, he arrived at the back of the temple and found there was an ancient tomb mound standing high from the ground.

循陵而走，见蹲石鳞鳞，俨然类画。

He went around the mound and saw many pieces of rocks were lined up neatly like fish scales—just like what was in the picture.

遂于蒿莱中侧听徐行，似寻针芥。

Then he walked slowly among the weeds with his head tilted to listen carefully as if he were trying to locate a needle or a tiny blade of grass.

而心目耳力俱穷，绝无踪响。

Despite he had exhausted all efforts to look and listen, yet no trace of a cricket was found.

冥搜未已，一癞头蟆猝然跃去。

While he was still trying very hard to search, a toad suddenly leaped across in front of him.

成益愕，急逐趁之，蟆入草间。

Cheng was really stunned and he quickly chased after it. The toad went inside the grass.

蹑迹披求，见有虫伏棘根。

Cheng stealthily followed its track, pushed aside the grass to search, and he saw a cricket was crouching on the root of a thistle plant.

遽扑之，入石穴中。

He hurried over to pounce on it and it went inside the fissure of a rock.

掭以尖草，不出；以筒水灌之，始出，状极俊健。

Even though he used a stem of grass to poke at it, it wouldn’t come out. It wasn’t until he poured water from a bamboo tube into the crack that he was able to flush it out. It looked handsome and stout.

逐而得之。

He chased after it and was able to capture it.

审视，巨身修尾，青项金翅。

On close examination, it had a huge body, a long tail, a green neck, and golden wings.

大喜，笼归，举家庆贺，虽连城拱璧不啻也。

He was ecstatic. After putting it inside a cage, he went home. The entire family rejoiced over it. To this family, it’s worth the world to them.

上于盆而养之，蟹白栗黄，备极护爱，留待限期，以塞官责。

They kept it inside a basin and fed it with the meat of crab and chestnut. In giving it the best care possible, they were going to wait till the due date and then they would deliver it to the county office to discharge their obligation.

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成有子九岁，窥父不在，窃发盆。

Cheng had a nine-year-old son. When he noticed his father was not at home, he sneaked open the basin.

虫跃掷径出，迅不可捉。

The cricket leaped straight out so quickly that he couldn’t catch it.

及扑入手，已股落腹裂，斯须就毙。

When he was able to capture it, the legs were torn, the belly was split open, and it died in a short while.

儿惧，啼告母。

The child was terrified and he broke out in tears as he was telling his mother.

母闻之，面色灰死，大惊曰：“业根，死期至矣！而翁归，自与汝复算耳！”

When the mother heard, her face turned white in fear and said: “You troublemaker! Today you’re going to die. When your dad comes home, he’s going to fix you good.”

儿涕而出。

The son cried his eyes out and ran away.

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未几，成归，闻妻言，如被冰雪。

Soon afterwards, Cheng came home. When he heard what happened from his wife, he felt a chill up his spine.

怒索儿，儿渺然不知所往。

In rage, he wanted to get hold of his son. The son was gone and nowhere to be found.

既而得其尸于井，因而化怒为悲，抢呼欲绝。

Shortly afterwards, his dead body was found inside the water well. So, the anger turned into grief and the wailing pierced the sky.

夫妻向隅，茅舍无烟，相对默然，不复聊赖。

The couple was in tears all alone and no cooking smoke came out of the straw hut. They faced each other in silence and no longer had someone to rely on.

日将暮，取儿藁葬。

When the sun was about to set, they were prepared to wrap the son’s body in a reed mattress for burial.

近抚之，气息惙然。

When they touched the corpse, faint breathing was detected.

喜置榻上，半夜复苏。

They were ecstatic and placed him on a couch. At midnight, he came to.

夫妻心稍慰，但儿神气痴木，奄奄思睡。

The couple was somewhat relieved. But the son was still in a daze and he felt very drowsy.

成顾蟋蟀笼虚，则气断声吞，亦不复以儿为念，自昏达曙，目不交睫。

Cheng, in turning around and looking at the empty cricket cage, began to pant heavily without uttering a word. He no longer focused his attention on the son. From evening till dawn, he didn’t sleep a wink.

东曦既驾，僵卧长愁。

The sun had risen from the east and he had been lying down in a frozen posture full of worries.

忽闻门外虫鸣，惊起觇视，虫宛然尚在。

Suddenly he heard chirping of an insect outside the door. In shock, he rose to take a peek, and found out the insect was still there.

喜而捕之，一鸣辄跃去，行且速。

He was pleased and tried to grab hold of it.

覆之以掌，虚若无物；手裁举，则又超忽而跃。

Upon covering it with his palm, he felt there was nothing inside. Just when he lifted his hand, the cricket deftly jumped up very high suddenly.

急趋之，折过墙隅，迷其所在。

He hurriedly chased after it. After turning the corner of a wall, he lost track of where it went.

徘徊四顾，见虫伏壁上。

In looking around, he noticed the insect was crouching on its stomach over a wall.

审谛之，短小，黑赤色，顿非前物。

Upon looking at it closely, it was short, small. and reddish-black in color. It was not the same insect as the one before.

成以其小，劣之。

Considering it was undersized, he didn’t regard it highly.

惟彷徨瞻顾，寻所逐者。

He was still looking around for the one which he was chasing after.

壁上小虫忽跃落襟袖间，视之，形若土狗，梅花翅，方首，长胫，意似良。

The little insect on the wall swiftly leaped between his placket and sleeves. He looked at it. It was shaped like a mole cricket with polka-dot wings, a square head, long limbs, and the look of a good breed.

喜而收之。

He was glad and put it away.

将献公堂，惴惴恐不当意，思试之斗以觇之。

In preparing to present it to the court, he was worried that it might not measure up. So, he tried to test it out in combat in order to observe it closely.

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村中少年好事者，驯养一虫，自名“蟹壳青”，日与子弟角，无不胜。

There was a young busybody in the village and he raised a cricket by the name of “Crab-Shell Green”. It fought with the crickets of other youngsters and had never lost once.

欲居之以为利，而高其直，亦无售者。

He hung onto it with the intention of selling it for a profit. So, he raised the price but there was no taker.

径造庐访成，视成所蓄，掩口胡卢而笑。

Therefore, he went directly to the residence of Cheng, and, in looking at what cricket Cheng was raising, he covered his mouth and snickered with giggles.

因出己虫，纳比笼中。

So, he took out his own insect and put it in the cage lining up side by side with that of Cheng.

成视之，庞然修伟，自增惭怍，不敢与较。

Cheng took one look at that cricket and it was huge and long. That made him feel embarrassed and he wouldn’t make his cricket fight with it.

少年固强之。

The young man insisted on forcing a contest.

顾念蓄劣物终无所用，不如拼博一笑，因合纳斗盆。

Cheng, in thinking that his cricket was garbage material that wouldn’t serve any real purpose, figured he might as well let it enter into a fight and get a laugh out of it. So, he put his cricket into a combat basin.

小虫伏不动，蠢若木鸡。

The little insect just lay there on its stomach motionless like a statue.

少年又大笑。试以猪鬣毛撩拨虫须，仍不动。

The young fellow laughed out loud and tried to use a pig’s bristle to provoke it into action. Yet it wouldn’t budge.

少年又笑。

The young fella cackled again.

屡撩之，虫暴怒，直奔，遂相腾击，振奋作声。

After stirring it a few more times, the insect suddenly was enraged and charged straight ahead and the two of them were engaged in a tussle while chirping excitedly.

俄见小虫跃起，张尾伸须，直龁敌领。

In a bit, the little insect sprang up. With the tail stretched and the whiskers raised, it sank its teeth into its enemy’s neck.

少年大骇，急解令休止。

The young man was shocked and quickly separated the two of them to stop the fight.

虫翘然矜鸣，似报主知。

The insect raised its head and chirped proudly as if it was reporting the victory to its master.

成大喜。

Cheng was greatly thrilled.

方共瞻玩，一鸡瞥来，径进以啄。

Just when the two of them were admiring what just happened, a chicken came quickly over and went straight to peck at the cricket.

成骇立愕呼，幸啄不中，虫跃去尺有咫。

Cheng frightenedly screamed out loud and luckily the pecking missed the cricket, which leaped off a foot or so away.

鸡健进，逐逼之，虫已在爪下矣。

The chicken strutted forward, backed the cricket into corner, and grasped it under its claw.

成仓猝莫知所救，顿足失色。

It happened so suddenly that Cheng didn’t know how to rescue the insect. All he could do was to stomp his feet and panic.

旋见鸡伸颈摆扑，临视，则虫集冠上，力叮不释。

Suddenly he saw the chicken was stretching and shaking its head. In looking downward, he saw the insect was perching on top and biting into the cockscomb without letting it go.

成益惊喜，掇置笼中。

Cheng was more delighted. He picked up the cricket and placed it inside the cage.

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翼日进宰，宰见其小，怒呵成。

On the next day, Cheng Ming presented the cricket to the county official. The County Magistrate saw it was too small and reproached Cheng.

成述其异，宰不信。

Cheng explained that it was special but the Magistrate did not believe him.

试与他虫斗，虫尽靡。

He tested it to fight with other crickets and they all suffered defeat.

又试之鸡，果如成言。

Then he tried it on a rooster and it was just like what he said.

乃赏成，献诸抚军。

So, he rewarded Cheng and forwarded it to the Imperial Inspector.

抚军大悦，以金笼进上，细疏其能。

The Inspector was very pleased and he kept it inside a golden cage to be presented to the Emperor, along with a memorandum which detailed its ability.

既入宫中，举天下所贡蝴蝶、螳螂、油利挞、青丝额一切异状遍试之，无出其右者。

Once it got inside the palace, the famed and special crickets such as “Butterfly”, “Mantis”, “Youli Ta”, “Qingsi Forehead” all took a run at it but none of them was able to gain an upper hand.

每闻琴瑟之声，则应节而舞。

Every time when it heard the sound of a zither, it followed the beats to dance.

益奇之。

People were even more amazed.

上大嘉悦，诏赐抚臣名马衣缎。

The Emperor was very pleased and he rewarded the Inspector with steed and fine fabric.

抚军不忘所自，无何，宰以卓异闻。

The Inspector did not forget who should be credited with the merits and soon the Magistrate gained a reputation of excellence in achievements.

宰悦，免成役。

The Magistrate was happy and he exempted Cheng from the duties of running errands.

又嘱学使，俾入邑庠。

He also instructed the examiner to allow Cheng to pass the exam at the County Level and entered the County School.

后岁余，成子精神复旧，自言身化促织，轻捷善斗，今始苏耳。

In a bit more than a year, Cheng’s son was fully recovered, and he said he was reincarnated into a cricket which was agile and good at fighting. It wasn’t until now that he sobered up.

抚军亦厚赉成。

The Inspector also richly rewarded Cheng.

不数年，田百顷，楼阁万椽，牛羊蹄躈各千计；

In a few years, he had a hundred “qings” of farmland, many high buildings and mansions, and hundreds of cows and sheep.

一出门，裘马过世家焉。

When he got out the door, he would be wearing fur coats and riding steeds that were more impressive than those who were hereditarily high-ranking officials.

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异史氏曰：“天子偶用一物，未必不过此已忘；

Yishi Shi (author of this article) states: “When the Emperor occasionally uses something, he may simply forget it afterwards.

而奉行者即为定例。

Yet the people below him, in carrying out his wishes, would regard it as cast in stone.

加以官贪吏虐，民日贴妇卖儿，更无休止。

Besides, the officials are avaricious and ruthless. Ordinary folks have to mortgage their wives and sell their children, and that never ends.

故天子一跬步，皆关民命，不可忽也。

Therefore, every little move that the Emperor makes could involves people’s lives, and that should not be taken lightly.

独是成氏子以蠹贫，以促织富，裘马扬扬。

Only Cheng Ming was impoverished because of corrupted officials, and then he was enriched because of the cricket such that he could wear a fur coat and ride a steed.

当其为里正，受扑责时，岂意其至此哉！

When he was a junior official being castigated, he never would have thought he would be like this.

天将以酬长厚者，遂使抚臣、令尹，并受促织恩荫。

Heaven wants to reward honest and down-to-earth people, and even the Imperial Inspector and the County Magistrate are merited because of the cricket.

闻之：一人飞升仙及鸡犬。信夫！”

I have heard that: When a person is immortalized, he would take along chickens and dogs as well. That saying is very true!”

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白话译文

在明朝宣德年间，皇室爱好斗蟋蟀的游戏，每年都要向民间征收蟋蟀。这东西本来不是陕西出产的。有个华阴县的县官，想巴结上司，把一只蟋蟀献上去，上司试着让它斗了一下，显出了勇敢善斗的才能，上级于是责令他经常供应。县官又把供应的差事派给各乡的里正。于是市上的那些游手好闲的年轻人，捉到好的蟋蟀就用竹笼装着喂养它，抬高它的价格；储存起来，当作珍奇的货物一样等待高价出售。乡里的差役们狡猾刁诈，借这个机会向老百姓摊派费用，每摊派一只蟋蟀，就常常使好几户人家破产。

县里有个叫成名的人，是个念书人，长期没有考中秀才。为人拘谨，不善说话，就被刁诈的小吏报到县里，叫他担任里正的差事，他想尽方法还是摆脱不掉任里正这差事。不到一年，微薄的家产都受牵累赔光了。正好又碰上征收蟋蟀，成名不敢勒索老百姓，但又没有抵偿的钱，忧愁苦闷，想要寻死。他妻子说：“死有什么益处呢？不如自己去寻找，希望有万分之一的可能捉到一只。”成名认为这些话很对。就早出晚归，提着竹筒丝笼，在破墙脚下。荒草丛里，挖石头，掏大洞，各种办法都用尽了，最终没有成功。即使捉到二、三只，也是又弱又小，款式上不符合。县官严定限期，催促追逼，成名在十几天中被打了上百板子，两条腿脓血淋漓，连蟋蟀也不能去捉了，在床上翻来覆去只想自杀。

这时，村里来了个驼背巫婆，她能借鬼神预卜凶吉。成名的妻子准备了礼钱去求神。只见红颜的少女和白发的老婆婆挤满门口。成名的妻子走进巫婆的屋里，只看见暗室拉着帘子，帘外摆着香案。求神的人在香炉上上香，拜了两次。巫婆在旁边望着空中替他们祷告，嘴唇一张一合，不知在说些什么。大家都肃敬地站着听。一会儿，室内丢一张纸条出来，那上面就写着求神的人心中所想问的事情，没有丝毫差错。成名的妻子把钱放在案上，像前边的人一样烧香跪拜。约一顿饭的工夫，帘子动了，一片纸抛落下来了。拾起一看，并不是字，而是一幅画，当中绘着殿阁，就像寺院一样；殿阁后面的山脚下，横着一些奇形怪状的石头，长着一丛丛荆棘，一只青麻头蟋蟀伏在那里；旁边有一只癞蛤蟆，就好像要跳起来的样子。她展开看了一阵，不懂什么意思。但是看到上面画着蟋蟀，正跟自己的心事暗合，就把纸片折叠好装起来，回家后交给成名看。

成名反复思索，莫非是指给我捉蟋蟀的地方吧？细看图上面的景物，和村东的大佛阁很相像。于是他就忍痛爬起来，扶着杖，拿着图来到寺庙的后面，看到有一座古坟高高隆起。成名沿着古坟向前跑，只见一块块石头，好像鱼鳞似的排列着，真像画中的一样。他于是在野草中一面侧耳细听一面慢走，好像在找一根针和一株小草似的；然而心力、视力、听力都用尽了，结果还是一点蟋蟀的踪迹响声都没有。他正用心探索着，突然一只癞蛤蟆跳过去了。成名更加惊奇了，急忙去追它，癞蛤蟆已经跳入草中。他便跟着癞蛤蟆的踪迹，分开草丛去寻找，只见一只蟋蟀趴在棘根下面，他急忙扑过去捉它，蟋蟀跳进了石洞。他用细草撩拨，蟋蟀不出来；又用竹筒取水灌进石洞里，蟋蟀才出来，形状极其俊美健壮。他便追赶着抓住了它。仔细一看，只见蟋蟀个儿大，尾巴长，青色的脖项，金黄色的翅膀。成名特别高兴，用笼子装上提回家，全家庆贺，把它看得比价值连城的宝玉还珍贵，装在盆子里并且用蟹肉栗子粉喂它，爱护得周到极了，只等到了期限，拿它送到县里去缴差。

成名有个儿子，年九岁，看到爸爸不在家，偷偷打开盆子来看。蟋蟀一下子跳出来了，快得来不及捕捉。等抓到手后，蟋蟀的腿已掉了，肚子也破了，一会儿就死了。孩子害怕了，就哭着告诉妈妈，妈妈听了，吓得面色灰白，大惊说：“祸根，你的死期到了！你爸爸回来，自然会跟你算账！”孩子哭着跑了。

不多时，成名回来了，听了妻子的话，全身好像盖上冰雪一样。怒气冲冲地去找儿子，儿子无影无踪不知到哪里去了。不久在井里找到他的尸体，于是怒气立刻化为悲痛，呼天喊地，悲痛欲绝。夫妻二人对着墙角流泪哭泣，茅屋里没有炊烟，面对面坐着不说一句话，再也没有了依靠。直到傍晚时，才拿上草席准备把孩子埋葬。夫妻走近一摸，还有一丝微弱的气息。他们高兴地把他放在床上，半夜里孩子又苏醒过来。夫妻二人心里稍稍宽慰一些，但是孩子神气呆呆的，气息微弱，只想睡觉。成名回头看到蟋蟀笼空着，就悲伤得气也吐不出，话也说不上来，也不再把儿子放在心上了，从晚上到天明，连眼睛也没合一下。东方的太阳已经升起来了，他还直挺挺地躺在床上发愁。他忽然听到门外有蟋蟀的叫声，吃惊地起来细看时，那只蟋蟀仿佛还在。他高兴地动手捉它，那蟋蟀叫了一声就跳走了，跳得非常快。他用手掌去罩住它，手心空荡荡地好像没有什么东西；手刚举起，却又远远地跳开了。成名急忙追它，转过墙角，又不知它的去向了。他东张西望，四下寻找，才看见蟋蟀趴在墙壁上。成名仔细看它，个儿短小，黑红色，立刻觉得它不像先前那只。成名因它个儿小，看不上它。成名仍不住地来回寻找，找他所追捕的那只。这时墙壁上的那只小蟋蟀，忽然跳到他的衣袖里去了。再仔细看它，形状像蝼蛄，梅花翅膀，方头长腿，从神情上看是促织的优良品种。他高兴地收养了它，准备献给官府，但是心里还很不踏实，怕不合县官的心意，他想先试着让它斗一下，看它怎么样。

村里一个喜欢多事的年轻人，养着一只蟋蟀，给它取名叫“蟹壳青”，他每日跟其他少年斗蟋蟀没有一次不胜的。他想留着它居为奇货来牟取暴利，便抬高价格，但是也没有人买。有一天少年直接上门来找成名，看到成名所养的蟋蟀，只是掩着口笑，接着取出自己的蟋蟀，放进并放着的笼子里。成名一看对方那只蟋蟀又长又大，自己越发羞愧，不敢拿自己的小蟋蟀跟少年的“蟹壳青”较量。少年坚持要斗，但成名心想养着这样低劣的东西，终究没有什么用处，不如让它斗一斗，换得一笑了事。因而把两个蟋蟀放在一个斗盆里。小蟋蟀趴着不动，呆呆地像个木鸡，少年又大笑。接着试着用猪鬣毛撩拨小蟋蟀的触须，小蟋蟀仍然不动，少年又大笑。撩拨了它好几次，成名的蟋蟀突然大怒，直往前冲，于是互相斗起来，腾身举足，彼此相扑，振翅叫唤。一会儿，只见小蟋蟀跳起来，张开尾，竖起须，一口直咬着对方的脖颈。少年大惊，急忙分开，使它们停止扑斗。小蟋蟀抬着头振起翅膀得意地鸣叫着，好像给主人报捷一样。成名大喜，两人正在观赏，突然来了一只鸡，直向小蟋蟀啄去。成名吓得站在那里惊叫起来，幸喜没有啄中，小蟋蟀一跳有一尺多远。鸡强健有力，又大步地追逼过去，小蟋蟀已被压在鸡爪下了。成名吓得惊慌失措，不知怎么救它，急得直跺脚，脸色都变了。忽然又见鸡伸长脖子扭摆着头，到跟前仔细一看，原来小蟋蟀已蹲在鸡冠上用力叮着不放。成名越发惊喜，捉下放在笼中。

第二天，成名把蟋蟀献给县官，县官见它小，怒斥成名。成名讲述了这只蟋蟀的奇特本领，县官不信。试着和别的蟋蟀搏斗，所有的都被斗败了。又试着和鸡斗，果然和成名所说的一样。于是就奖赏了成名，把蟋蟀献给了巡抚。巡抚特别喜欢，用金笼装着献给皇帝，并且上了奏本，仔细地叙述了它的本领。到了宫里后，凡是全国贡献的蝴蝶、螳螂、油利挞、青丝额及各种稀有的蟋蟀，都与小蟋蟀斗过了，没有一只能占它的上风。它每逢听到琴瑟的声音，都能按照节拍跳舞，大家越发觉得出奇。皇帝更加喜欢，便下诏赏给巡抚好马和锦缎。巡抚不忘记好处是从哪来的，不久，县官也以才能卓越而闻名了。县官一高兴，就免了成名的差役，又嘱咐主考官，让成名中了秀才。过了一年多，成名的儿子精神复原了。他说他变成一只蟋蟀，轻快而善于搏斗。到这时才苏醒过来。巡抚也重赏了成名。不到几年，成名就有一百多顷田地，很多高楼殿阁，还有成百上千的牛羊；每次出门，身穿轻裘，骑上高头骏马，比世代做官的人家还阔气。

异史氏说：“皇帝偶尔使用一件东西，未必不是用过它就忘记了；然而下面执行的人却把它作为一成不变的惯例。加上官吏贪婪暴虐，老百姓一年到头抵押妻子卖掉孩子，还是没完没了。所以皇帝的一举一动，都关系着老百姓的性命，不可忽视啊！只有成名这人因官吏的侵害而贫穷，又因为进贡蟋蟀而致富，穿上名贵的皮衣，坐上豪华的车马，得意洋洋。当他充当里正，受到责打时，哪里想到他会有这种境遇呢！老天要用这酬报那些老实忠厚的人，就连巡抚、县官都受到蟋蟀的恩惠了。听说‘一人得道成仙，连鸡狗都可以上天。’这话真是一点不假啊！”

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翻译中小学语文课文

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