《水浒传》：梁山好汉的故事
Water Margin: Heroes of Mount Liang
Page 1
梁山到底是什么地方？
What Is Mount Liang?
Shuǐhǔ Zhuàn · 讲述梁山好汉聚义的古典小说。的故事发生在九百多年前的北宋末年。皇帝住在遥远的都城，各地官员负责断案、收税和抓人。在小说里，有些官员收了钱就偏袒有权有势的人。普通人如果被他们冤枉，常常连一个可以讲理的地方都找不到。
原著第一回的确有一个奇幻开头。一位官员不听劝告，打开了道观里封闭已久的石室。一百零八道光从里面冲出来，后来变成了三十六位“天罡星”和七十二位“地煞星”。小说把梁山的一百零八位头领和这些星宿连在一起。这是故事的奇幻预告，不是真实历史。
那么，梁山是什么？“梁山”就是梁山泊旁边的一座山，英文可以说 Mount Liang。山的四周有大片水泊、芦苇和弯弯曲曲的水道，官兵很难直接冲进去。逃犯和被官府追捕的人便在那里建起营寨。
《水浒传》的英文名 Water Margin，意思接近“水边”。另一个常见译名是 Outlaws of the Marsh，也就是“水泊里的逃犯”。接下来，我们看看这些人为什么会一个个来到这里。
Shuǐhǔ Zhuàn · 《水浒传》 · The classic novel about the outlaws who gather at Liangshan. is set more than 900 years ago, near the end of China's Sòng cháo · 宋朝 · The Chinese dynasty that lasted from 960 to 1279. dynasty. The emperor lives far away in the capital, while local officials judge cases, collect taxes, and make arrests. In the novel, some officials take money and protect powerful families. When an ordinary person is treated unfairly, there may be no honest official nearby who will listen.
The original novel really does begin with magic. An official ignores a warning and opens a sealed room in a mountain temple. One hundred and eight lights rush out. The novel later connects the 108 leaders of Mount Liang with 36 Heavenly Spirits and 72 Earthly Spirits. This is a magical preview of the story, not real history.
So what is Liangshan? The name means Mount Liang. The mountain stands beside a broad marsh filled with reeds and twisting waterways. Government soldiers cannot easily march straight into it, so fugitives and people wanted by the law build a guarded camp there.
The English title Water Margin points to this place at the water's edge. Another common title is Outlaws of the Marsh. Now let us see why so many people end up there.
Page 2
林冲的家、差事和退路都被夺走了
Lin Chong Loses His Home, His Job, and His Way Back
Lin Chong's enemies burn the hay depot he is supposed to guard. Heavy snow ruins his hut—and accidentally saves his life.
林冲本来在都城训练士兵使用长枪。他有一份稳定的差事，也有一个家。可是，大官高俅的养子看上了林冲的妻子，想把她抢走。要做到这一点，他们得先除掉林冲。
高俅的人先卖给林冲一把好刀，又假装请他去看一件宝物，把他领进不准随便进入的白虎堂。林冲刚走进去，高俅就出现了，反过来指控他带刀行刺。林冲丢了差事，被戴上锁链，送往很远的牢城。押送他的差役还想在半路杀死他，幸好一位朋友及时赶来相救。
到了牢城以后，林冲的仇人仍不肯放过他。他们让林冲看守存放马草的草料场，又在一个大雪夜放火，想把他烧死。偏偏大雪压坏了林冲住的小屋，他只好到附近的山神庙过夜，因此躲过了大火。
隔着庙门，林冲听见放火的人正在说他们怎样设下圈套。他终于知道，只要回去，下一场陷害还会等着他。他不能回家，也不能回原来的差事，只能在风雪中逃走，最后上了梁山。这就是“逼上梁山”这个说法最有名的故事。
Lin Chong begins with a steady job in the capital, training soldiers to use spears. He also has a home and a wife. Then the adopted son of a powerful official named Gao Qiu decides that he wants to take Lin Chong's wife for himself. First, Lin Chong must be removed.
Gao Qiu's men sell Lin Chong a fine sword. Then they lead him into a military hall where he is not allowed to enter with a weapon. The moment Lin Chong steps inside, Gao Qiu appears and accuses him of coming to attack. Lin Chong loses his job, is locked in chains, and is sent to a prison camp far from home. On the road, his guards even try to kill him, but a friend arrives in time to save him.
Lin Chong's enemies follow him to the prison camp. They arrange for him to guard a hay depot and set it on fire during a snowy night. But the heavy snow has already crushed the little hut where Lin Chong was supposed to sleep. He has moved into a nearby temple and escapes the flames.
Through the temple door, Lin Chong hears the men talking about their plan. Now he knows they will try again if he returns. He has no job to go back to and no safe road home. He runs into the snowy night and eventually reaches Mount Liang.
Page 3
“三碗不过冈”，武松却喝了十八碗
The Sign Says Three Bowls. Wu Song Drinks Eighteen.
《水浒传》里最有名的故事之一，发生在景阳冈。武松赶路回家，经过一家小店。店门口的旗子上写着“三碗不过冈”。这三碗不是三碗饭，而是三碗酒。故事里的酒是用粮食酿成、装在小碗里给大人喝的。“酒很烈”就是酒劲很大，大人喝上几碗，很快就会醉。旗子是在提醒客人：喝过三碗，就别想翻过前面的山冈了。
武松却一连喝了十八碗。店主人告诉他，山上最近有老虎伤人，单独赶路非常危险。武松以为店主人只是想把他留下来多住一晚，提起木棒就上了山。直到他看见官府贴出的告示，才知道老虎是真的。可是这时候回头，实在太没面子了，他只好继续往前走。
天快黑时，一阵大风吹过，老虎真的从树林里扑了出来。武松闪过老虎的猛扑，又躲过它的转身和甩尾。他举起木棒用力一打，木棒却先撞在树上，断成了两截。
手里没有了武器，武松只好抓住老虎，用拳头把它打倒。第二天，附近的人听说景阳冈上的老虎再也不能伤人了，全都跑来看这位打虎的人。官府给了武松赏钱，他却把钱送给了那些为了捉虎而受罚的猎户。从这一天起，武松的名字传遍了当地。后来，他也在一次次麻烦之后来到了梁山。
One of the most famous stories in Water Margin takes place at Jingyang Ridge. Wu Song is walking home when he stops at an inn. A sign says, “After three bowls, do not cross the ridge.” The sign does not mean three bowls of rice or soup. It means three bowls of very strong wine, an alcoholic drink for adults. In the story, the wine is made from grain and served in small bowls.
Wu Song drinks eighteen. The innkeeper warns him that a tiger has been attacking people on the ridge. Wu Song thinks this is only a trick to make him stay another night, so he picks up his wooden staff and leaves. Farther up the path, he sees an official warning and realizes that the tiger is real. But turning back now would be terribly embarrassing, so he keeps going.
As the sun goes down, a strong wind shakes the trees. The tiger bursts from the woods. Wu Song dodges its first leap, then jumps away from its twisting body and whipping tail. He swings his staff with all his strength—but the staff strikes a tree and breaks in two.
With no weapon left, Wu Song grabs the tiger and fights it with his bare hands until it can no longer hurt anyone. The next day, people crowd the road to see the man who stopped the tiger. The local government offers Wu Song a reward, but he gives the money to the hunters who had been punished for failing to catch it. From that day on, everyone nearby knows his name. After more trouble with the law, he too reaches Mount Liang.
Page 4
梁山上的人每天到底做什么？
What Do the People at Mount Liang Actually Do?
The Mount Liang stronghold has lookout towers, boats, storehouses, and training grounds. It is not one long party. It is a camp where everyone has work to do.
来到梁山的人并不是每天坐在一起喝酒。山寨里有瞭望台、粮仓、马匹、船队和几道关口。有人巡查水路，有人训练队伍，有人看守粮食，也有人到山下打听消息。
如果同伴被抓，他们会想办法劫牢救人。官兵来攻打梁山，他们就利用水泊和芦苇设下埋伏。他们还会去抢夺贪官或欺压百姓的富人存下的钱粮，把一部分带回山寨使用。
书里把这些人叫作“好汉”。这是古代故事里常见的称呼：“好”在这里有“了不起”的意思，“汉”在这里指男子，合起来接近“勇敢的英雄”。它有一点像英文里的 hero，可是梁山好汉并不像 Superman 那样总是在做正确的事。他们有时帮助受欺负的人，有时也会做出可怕的事。他们勇敢，却并不完美。
后来，梁山聚齐了一百零八位头领。站在大家中间的主要首领叫宋江。他以前在县衙处理文件，也曾暗中帮助后来逃上梁山的人。一天，一封能证明这件事的信被别人发现了。对方威胁要去官府告发他，接着发生了一场严重的争执。宋江犯下大错，只能逃走，后来才到了梁山。
宋江一直希望有一天朝廷能免去大家的罪，让他们不再做逃犯。这件事把梁山带向了完全不同的结局。
The people at Mount Liang do not spend every day sitting around a feast. Their stronghold has lookout towers, food stores, horses, boats, and guarded gates. Some patrol the waterways. Some train fighters, guard supplies, or travel down the mountain to gather news.
When a friend is arrested, they may break into a jail to rescue him. When government soldiers attack, they use the marsh and reeds to set traps. They also seize food and money stored by corrupt officials or rich bullies and carry some of it back to the stronghold.
The Chinese book calls these people haohan. This is an old story word. Hao can mean “fine” or “worthy,” and han means “man.” Put together, haohan is close to “brave hero.” It sounds a little like a superhero, but the Mount Liang heroes are not Supermen who always do the right thing. Sometimes they help people who have been treated badly. At other times, they do frightening things. They are brave, but they are not perfect.
Eventually, 108 leaders gather at Mount Liang. Their main leader is Song Jiang. He once handled paperwork in a county office and secretly helped people who later fled to Mount Liang. One day, someone found a letter that could prove what he had done and threatened to report him. A serious quarrel followed. Song Jiang committed a terrible crime and had to run away. He eventually reached Mount Liang.
Song Jiang hopes the court will one day forgive the whole group so they will no longer be outlaws. That hope changes the ending of the story.
Page 5
宋江为什么带大家离开梁山？
Why Does Song Jiang Lead Everyone Away from Mount Liang?
Even after Song Jiang leaves Mount Liang and fights for the court, some officials still fear him. In the end, poison is secretly added to wine sent in the emperor's name.
朝廷后来给梁山送来一道命令：只要他们放下武器、归顺朝廷，过去的罪就可以免去，他们也能成为朝廷的军队。这就叫“招安”。
梁山上并不是每个人都相信这个安排。有些人觉得，那些贪官以前害过他们，以后也不会忽然变好。可是宋江希望大家能洗去逃犯的名字，堂堂正正地回家，还能替国家出力。最后，梁山好汉还是跟着他接受了招安。
他们离开山寨，替朝廷打了一场又一场艰难的战争。有人在战场上死去，有人生病，也有人受伤以后离开。原来坐满一百零八位头领的梁山，渐渐空了下来。
宋江活着回来了。皇帝派他去管理楚州的一部分政事和军队，这就是他的“官职”，也就是他替朝廷做的新工作。可是，几个一直恨他的官员仍然担心他会再次带兵反抗，于是把毒放进了以皇帝名义送来的酒里。宋江喝下酒后死去。
小说的最后，皇帝做了一个梦。他梦见自己来到梁山，宋江和其他已经死去的好汉又聚在旧日的大厅里。皇帝醒来以后，派人查清了宋江的死讯，又下令为他们修建庙宇。这是小说给一百零八位好汉的最后一个画面：他们不再散落在各处，而是在梦中的梁山又一次相聚。
Later, the court sends Mount Liang an offer: lay down your weapons, and your old crimes will be forgiven. In return, you will become soldiers for the government. This offer is called zhao'an—a pardon and a new place in the emperor's army.
Not everyone on Mount Liang trusts the offer. Several outlaws remember that corrupt officials caused much of their trouble in the first place. Song Jiang, however, wants the group to clear their names, return home without being arrested, and serve the country openly. In the end, the Mount Liang heroes follow him and accept.
They leave the stronghold and fight one difficult war after another for the court. Some die in battle. Some become sick, and others leave after being badly hurt. The great hall that once held 108 leaders slowly empties.
Song Jiang survives. The emperor sends him to help govern Chuzhou, a city, and to take charge of soldiers there. This is his new job as a government official. But several officials who hate him still fear that he may lead another rebellion. They secretly put poison into wine sent in the emperor's name. Song Jiang drinks it and dies.
In the novel's final scene, the emperor has a dream. He visits Mount Liang and sees Song Jiang and the other fallen heroes gathered once more in their old hall. After the emperor wakes, he learns how Song Jiang died and orders a temple to be built in their memory. This is the book's last picture of the 108 heroes: no longer scattered across distant battlefields, but together again at Mount Liang in a dream.