南柯一梦

Nán Kē Yī Mèng

像做了一场南柯的美梦一样。比喻繁华富贵不过是短暂的梦境。

A dream under the southern branch — the splendor of fame and fortune is as fleeting as a dream.

唐táng朝cháo有yǒu个gè人rén叫jiào淳chún于yú棼fén，家jiā门mén口kǒu长zhǎng着zhe一yī棵kē大dà槐huái树shù。一yī天tiān，他tā喝hē了le一yì点diǎn酒jiǔ，便biàn在zài槐huái树shù下xià睡shuì着zháo了le。

梦mèng里lǐ，他tā被bèi两liǎng个gè使shǐ者zhě请qǐng进jìn了le一yí个gè叫jiào“大dà槐huái安ān国guó”的de国guó家jiā。国guó王wáng很hěn喜xǐ欢huān他tā，把bǎ公gōng主zhǔ嫁jià给gěi了le他tā，还hái让ràng他tā做zuò了le南nán柯kē郡jùn的de太tài守shǒu。他tā治zhì理lǐ南nán柯kē二èr十shí年nián，百bǎi姓xìng安ān居jū乐lè业yè，子zǐ女nǚ成chéng群qún，富fù贵guì无wú比bǐ。

后hòu来lái战zhàn事shì不bù利lì，公gōng主zhǔ又yòu去qù世shì了le，他tā被bèi送sòng回huí了le家jiā。一yī惊jīng醒xǐng来lái，他tā发fā现xiàn自zì己jǐ还hái靠kào在zài槐huái树shù下xià，太tài阳yáng才cái刚gāng刚gāng偏piān西xī。再zài往wǎng树shù下xià一yī看kàn——原yuán来lái槐huái树shù根gēn下xià有yǒu一yí个gè蚂mǎ蚁yǐ洞dòng，里lǐ面miàn的de“国guó”正zhèng是shì他tā梦mèng里lǐ的de大dà槐huái安ān国guó。

淳chún于yú棼fén感gǎn叹tàn：人rén世shì的de荣róng华huá，就jiù像xiàng这zhè南nán柯kē一yī梦mèng一yí样yàng，转zhuǎn眼yǎn就jiù没méi了le。从cóng此cǐ，“南nán柯kē一yī梦mèng”成chéng了le比bǐ喻yù虚xū幻huàn富fù贵guì的de成chéng语yǔ。

In the Tang dynasty there was a man named Chunyu Fen. A great scholar tree grew just outside his door. One day, after a little wine, he fell asleep beneath its shade.

In his dream, two officials came to fetch him into a kingdom called Great Huai'an. The king was so pleased with him that he gave him the princess in marriage and made him governor of the Southern Branch — Nan Ke. For twenty years he ruled there: the people prospered, his children multiplied, and he lived in great wealth and honor.

But then wars went badly, the princess died, and he was sent home. He woke with a jolt — and found himself still leaning against the scholar tree, the sun barely past noon. At the foot of the tree he found an ant colony: the “kingdom” of his dream.

Chunyu Fen sighed. The glories of this life, he saw, are as short as a dream beneath the southern branch. Ever since, “a dream of Nan Ke” has meant the passing, illusory nature of wealth and rank.