English Original
Bandits struck again in Fuyang, robbing a dozen people and chopping off their heads and hands. The people were terrified by such savagery.
Floods hit Xiangyang, submerging hundreds of houses overnight. The inhabitants lost everything and had nowhere to go, though they were considered lucky for not being drowned or swept away by the raging waters.
As a local official, Li Beide felt compelled to address the tragedies befalling his jurisdiction. Kind-hearted, he sympathized with the victims. As a Taoist, he pondered the root cause of these disasters.
"If anyone would know, it would be my Teacher, the great sorcerer Lin." Seizing an opportunity, Li visited the Er-Xian Temple. There, he found the sorcerer deep in meditation, exercising his powers.
The sorcerer welcomed Li, who then asked, "Teacher, I seek to understand the cause behind the recent disasters in our district. Bandits swarm like angry hornets, killing and burning. Floods have washed away years of hard work. Please, tell me why."
"I rarely leave this temple," replied the Teacher. "I do not follow current events."
"But why must these people suffer such terrible fates?"
The sorcerer sighed deeply. "You reap what you sow. People are selfish and cruel, thinking only of their own stomachs, killing animals for meat.
"The slain animals are wrathful. When such wrath accumulates, it disturbs nature's peace, causing the heavens to open and flood the land. Some animals are reborn as humans, seeking vengeance through murder and robbery for past wrongs.
"There is no escaping nature's power. Those who do wrong bring misfortune upon themselves and their families. Those who defy nature invite tragedy."
Although this story is centuries old, its message resonates powerfully at the end of the twentieth century. Florida is battered by hurricanes and tornadoes. California is shaken by earthquakes, parched by drought, and drenched by storms. Windstorms and snowstorms destroy property nationwide, leaving thousands homeless.
We should heed the wisdom of the ancients and recognize how we defy nature. Killing, violence, drug abuse, unsettling music, alcoholism, lurid journalism, and promiscuity are modern entertainments. Is it any wonder that nature can barely tolerate us anymore?
中文翻译
盗贼再次袭击了阜阳，抢劫了十几人并砍下了他们的头和手。人们对此等暴行感到恐惧。
洪水袭击了襄阳，一夜之间淹没了数百间房屋。居民失去了一切，无处可去，尽管他们被认为是幸运的，因为没有立即淹死或被汹涌的洪水卷走。
作为地方官员，李贝德觉得必须应对其管辖范围内人民遭遇的悲剧。他心地善良，同情受害者。作为一名道士，他思索着这些灾难的根本原因。
"如果有人知道，那一定是我的老师，伟大的法师林。"李抓住一个机会，前往二仙庙拜访他的老师。在那里，他发现法师正深陷冥想，运用着他的力量。
法师欢迎了李，李随即问道："老师，我想了解我们地区近期灾难背后的原因。盗贼像愤怒的大黄蜂一样蜂拥而至，杀人放火。洪水冲走了多年的辛勤劳作。请告诉我，这是为什么？"
"我很少离开这座寺庙，"老师回答道。"我不关注时事。"
"但为什么这些人必须遭受如此可怕的命运？"
法师深深叹了口气。"种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆。人们自私而残忍，只想着自己的口腹之欲，杀生食肉。
"被杀的动物充满愤怒。当这种愤怒积聚起来，就会扰乱自然的平静，导致天崩地裂，洪水泛滥。一些动物转世为人，通过谋杀和抢劫来为过去所受的冤屈复仇。
"无人能逃脱自然的力量。作恶之人会给自己和家人带来不幸。违背自然之人会招致悲剧。"
尽管这个故事已有数百年历史，但其信息在二十世纪末仍引起强烈共鸣。佛罗里达遭受飓风和龙卷风的袭击。加州地震频发，饱受干旱炙烤，又被暴雨浸透。全国范围内的风暴和暴风雪摧毁财产，使数千人无家可归。
我们应倾听古人的智慧，认清我们是如何违背自然的。杀戮、暴力、吸毒、令人不安的音乐、酗酒、耸人听闻的新闻报道以及滥交是现代人的娱乐方式。难怪自然几乎无法再容忍我们了？