The talented young herbalist named Xu Xian was in trouble.

天赋异禀的青年草药医生许仙有大麻烦了。

It should have been a victorious moment—he had just opened his very own medicine shop.

原本应该是个欢腾的胜利时－他刚开了自己的药草店。

But he bought his supplies from his former employer, and the resentful man sold him rotten herbs.

他向前雇主买了原料，但这个心怀怨恨的男人卖给他的却是腐烂的药草。

As Xu Xian wondered what to do with this useless inventory, patients flooded into his shop.

正当许仙一筹莫展，想着该处置这些无用的存货时，病患一窝蜂来到许仙的药草店。

A plague had stricken the city, and he had nothing to treat them.

一场瘟疫肆虐整座城市，但许仙却没有法子诊治这些病患。

Just as he was starting to panic, his wife, Bai Su-Zhen, produced a recipe to use the rotten herbs as medicine.

许仙开始感到慌张，此时，他的妻子白素贞运用腐烂的药草制作出能医好众人的药方。

Her remedy cured all the plague-afflicted citizens immediately.

她的药方立刻医好了被疟疾感染的民众。

Xu Xian's former boss even had to buy back some of the rotten herbs to treat his own family.

甚至许仙的前雇主还得回来向他买这些腐烂药草，回去医治自己的家人。

Shortly after, a monk named Fa Hai approached Xu Xian, warning him that there was a demon in his house.

不久之后，一位叫做法海的和尚接近许仙，警告他家中住着妖怪。

"The demon," he said, "was Bai Su-Zhen." Xu Xian laughed. His kindhearted, resourceful wife was not a demon.

“那个妖怪，”他说，“就是白素贞。”许仙大笑。他那善良又足智多谋的妻子不可能是什么妖怪。

Fa Hai insisted. He told Xu Xian to serve his wife realgar wine on the fifth day of the fifth month, when demons' powers are weakest.

但法海坚持自己的说法。他要许仙在五月五日让白素贞喝下雄黄酒，那是妖怪法力最虚弱的时刻。

"If she wasn't a demon," he explained, "it wouldn't hurt her."

“如果她不是妖怪，”他解释道，“雄黄酒对她并无害。”

Xu Xian dismissed the monk politely, with no intention of serving Bai Su-Zhen the wine.

许仙礼貌地请走法海和尚，丝毫没有想让白素贞喝下雄黄酒的意思。

But as the day approached, he decided to try it.

但随着日子越来越接近，他还是决定试试看。

As soon as the wine touched Bai Su-Zhen's lips, she ran to the bedroom, claiming she wasn't feeling well.

白素贞的嘴唇一碰到雄黄酒，她就冲回房间，说自己身子不适。

Xu Xian prepared some medicine and went to check on her.

许仙准备了一些药，到房间看看她的状况。

But instead of his wife, he found a giant white serpent with the bloody forked tongue in the bed.

但在房间的不是她的妻子，而是一只躺在床上的白色巨蟒，吐着血红色的蛇信。

He collapsed, killed by the shock. When Bai Su-Zhen opened her eyes, she realized immediately what must have happened.

许仙倒地，太过冲击而惊吓致死。当白素贞醒来时，她立刻了解可能发生了什么事情。

The truth was that Bai Su-Zhen was an immortal snake with formidable magical powers.

真相是，白素贞其实是一只长生不老的白蛇精，拥有强大的法力。

She had used her powers to take a human form and improve her and her husband's fortunes.

她运用法力将自己变回人形，并为她和许仙补运。

Her magic couldn't revive Xu Xian, but she had one more idea to save him—an herb that could grant longevity

她的法力无法让许仙复活，但她还有个方法可以救回他－一种能延年益寿，

and even bring the dead back to life, guarded by the Old Man of the South Pole in the forbidden peaks of the Kun Lun Mountains.

甚至让人起死回生的草药，由昆仑山禁忌山峰上的南极仙翁所看守。

She rode to the mountains on a cloud, then continued on foot passed gateways

她乘着云朵到昆仑山，接着徒步穿过道路及拱门，

and arches until she reached one marked "Beyond Mortals" hanging over a silver bridge.

直到她看到一座银桥，桥上挂着“隔凡桥”的牌子。

On the other side, two of the Old Man's disciples guarded the herb.

桥的另一头是南极仙翁的两个弟子，负责看守药草。

Bai Su-Zhen disguised herself as a monk and told them she'd come to invite the Old Man to a gathering of the gods.

白素贞假扮成和尚，告诉他们她是来邀请南极仙翁参加神仙的聚会。

While they relayed her message, she plucked some leaves on the herb and ran.

两个弟子前去传话时，白素贞拔了一些草药上的叶子，拔腿便跑。

The servants realized they had been tricked and chased her. Bai Su-Zhen coughed up a magic ball and threw it at one.

两个弟子发现自己受骗，连忙赶上去追她。白素贞吐出一个法球，丢向其中一个弟子。

As the other closed in on her, she put the herb under her tongue for safekeeping, but its magic forced both of them into their true forms.

另一个弟子追上她，白素贞便将草药藏在舌头下保护，但草药的法力太强，两人被迫化为原形。

As the crane's long beak clamped around her, the Old Man appeared.

正当这只鹤的长喙紧紧咬住她，南极仙翁出现了。

"Why," he asked, "would she risk her life to steal his herb when she was already immortal?"

“为什么，”他问道，“她已经是不死之身，却还要冒着生命危险偷走草药呢？”

Bai Su-Zhen explained her love for Xu Xian. Even if he didn't want to be with her now that he knew she was a demon,

白素贞解释了她自己对许仙的爱。即便知道许仙发现自己是妖怪后就会离开她，

she was determined to bring him back to life.

她还是决心要救回他的性命。

The two had a karmic connection dating back more than a thousand years.

两人其实在一千多年前便有一段尘缘。

When Bai Su-Zhen was a small snake, a beggar was about to kill her, but a kind passerby rescued her.

当时白素贞还是一只小蛇，一个乞丐正要杀了她，但一个善良的路人救了她。

Her rescuer was Xu Xian in a past life. Touched by her willingness to risk her life for him,

救了她性命的人便是前世的许仙。南极仙翁被她愿冒死救夫的真情感动，

the Old Man permitted her to leave the mountain with the immortal herb.

允许她带着神草离开昆仑山。

Bai Su-Zhen returned home to revive Xu Xian.

白素贞回到家，救回许仙的性命。

When he opened his eyes, the terrified look frozen on his face became a smile.

许仙睁开眼睛时，原本僵在脸上的惊吓表情化为笑容。

Demon or not, he was still happy to see his wife.

不管她是不是妖怪，他依然很开心能见到自己的妻子。

If you were facing a god's wrath and punishment,

如果你触怒神仙，遭受惩罚，

would you rather be turned into a spider or have everything you touch turn to gold?

你要选择变成一只蜘蛛，还是选择让你碰到的所有东西都变成黄金？

Choose your fate with one of these lessons.

选择其中一个，看看你的命运吧。