English Original
In the Jin Dynasty, a man named Zhou Chu lived in Yixing. Tough, fierce, and fond of fighting in his youth, he was considered a scourge to his community.
At that time, a ferocious dragon in the river and a fierce tiger in the mountains of Yixing often injured and devoured people. The locals grouped them with Zhou Chu as the "Three Evils," with Zhou Chu being the most harmful.
Later, someone instigated Zhou Chu to kill the tiger and behead the dragon, hoping to eliminate two of the evils and leave only one.
Zhou Chu went alone into the mountains and killed the tiger. He then jumped into the river to fight the dragon. The battle raged for three days and nights, carrying them dozens of li downstream. Believing Zhou Chu had perished, the people celebrated jubilantly. To their surprise, he emerged victorious from the water.
Upon learning that his neighbors had celebrated his supposed death, Zhou Chu realized he was viewed as one of the evils. Determined to reform, he went to Wu prefecture to seek advice from the noted brothers, Lu Ji and Lu Yun.
Finding only Lu Yun at home, Zhou Chu confessed his past and his desire to change, but worried he was too old to accomplish anything. Lu Yun encouraged him: "The ancients were gratified to grasp the truth in the morning, even if they died by nightfall. How much more so for you with a promising future? What a man should fear is lacking aspiration. Why worry about achieving neither merit nor fame?"
From then on, Zhou Chu thoroughly reformed and strived for self-improvement. The tale of "Zhou Chu Eliminating the Evils" has been passed down through the ages.
中文翻译
晋朝时，义兴有个名叫周处的人。他年轻时强悍好斗，是乡里的一大祸害。
当时，义兴的河中有条凶恶的蛟龙，山上有头猛虎，经常伤害百姓。当地人将周处与它们并称为“三害”，其中周处为害最甚。
后来，有人鼓动周处去杀虎斩蛟，希望借此除去两害，只留一害。
周处只身进山杀死了猛虎，随后跳入河中与蛟龙搏斗。恶战持续了三天三夜，他们顺流而下几十里。百姓们都以为周处已死，欢欣庆贺。不料，他竟杀死蛟龙，出水而归。
得知乡邻为自己的“死”而庆贺，周处才意识到自己也被视为一害，于是决心改过自新。他前往吴郡，向名士陆机、陆云两兄弟求教。
周处到陆家时，只见到了陆云。他坦诚相告，表达了改过之意，但又担心自己年纪已大，终将一事无成。陆云勉励他说：“古人贵朝闻夕死，何况你前途远大。人只怕没有志向，何必担忧不能建功立业、赢得美名呢？”
自此，周处彻底改过，努力上进。“周处除害”的故事也流传至今。