白蛇传
The Legend of the White Snake
Page 1
断桥上的相遇
A Meeting on Broken Bridge
Rain suddenly falls by West Lake, and Xu Xian lends his umbrella to the woman in white.
很久以前，杭州西湖边的断桥上，年轻的许仙遇见了两位女子。
一个穿白衣，一个穿青衣。天突然下雨了，许仙把自己的伞借给了白衣女子。
这位白衣女子，就是后来的白素贞。
故事说，她其实是一条修炼了很久很久的大白蛇。
Long ago, on Broken Bridge by West Lake in Hangzhou, a young man named Xu Xian met two women.
One wore white and one wore green. When rain suddenly began to fall, Xu Xian lent his umbrella to the woman in white.
That woman was Bai Suzhen.
The story says she was really a great white snake who had practiced magic for many, many years.
Page 2
白素贞和许仙
Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian
Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian run a medicine shop together, and many people first remember their gentle days.
后来，白素贞和许仙成了亲，还一起开药铺，帮助很多生病的人。
大家都觉得许仙娶了一位又温柔又能干的妻子。
可是到了端午节，白素贞喝下了雄黄酒，露出了蛇的真身。
许仙一下子吓坏了，故事也从这里突然变得很难过。
Later, Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian married and opened a medicine shop together, helping many sick people.
Everyone thought Xu Xian had married a wife who was gentle and capable.
But on Dragon Boat Festival, Bai Suzhen drank realgar wine and showed her true snake form.
Xu Xian was terribly frightened, and the story suddenly turned very sad.
Page 3
她拼命去救他
She Fights to Save Him
To save Xu Xian, Bai Suzhen risks a great deal to seek a life-saving magic herb.
为了救回许仙，白素贞去很远很远的地方求仙草。
她吃了很多苦，也冒了很大的危险，终于把能救人的灵药带了回来。
后来，许仙醒了过来。
这时候，大家会更清楚地感觉到，白素贞对许仙的感情有多深。
To save Xu Xian, Bai Suzhen traveled very far to ask for a magic herb.
She suffered greatly and faced real danger, but at last she brought back the life-saving medicine.
Later, Xu Xian woke up again.
By this point in the story, people can feel just how deep Bai Suzhen's love really is.
Page 4
水漫金山和雷峰塔
Jinshan Temple and Leifeng Pagoda
In the best-known telling, Bai Suzhen is later trapped beneath Leifeng Pagoda.
后来，法海和尚把许仙带到了金山寺，不让他们再在一起。
白素贞和小青去寺门前要人，后来还用法术和大水去救许仙。
可是故事最常见的讲法里，白素贞最后还是被压在雷峰塔下。
很多很多年以后，她才终于重新看见天日。
Later, the monk Fahai kept Xu Xian inside Jinshan Temple and would not let them stay together.
Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing went to ask for him back, and later even used magic and floodwater in an effort to rescue him.
But in the best-known version of the story, Bai Suzhen was finally trapped beneath Leifeng Pagoda.
Only many years later did she see the light of day again.
一段一直被讲下去的感情
A Love Story Told Again and Again
《白蛇传》有很多不同版本，可是大家一直记得的，是白素贞那种不肯轻易放弃的感情。
也正因为这样，这个故事才会一代一代地被讲下去。
The Legend of the White Snake has many different versions, but people always remember Bai Suzhen's fierce, faithful love.
That is one reason this tale has been told again and again through the generations.