馬驥字龍媒，賈人子，美豐姿，少倜儻，喜歌舞。輒從梨園子弟，以錦帕纏頭，美如好女，因復有「俊人」之號。十四歲入郡庠，即知名。父衰老罷賈而歸，謂生曰：「數卷書，饑不可煮，寒不可衣，吾兒可仍繼父賈。」馬由是稍稍權子母。從人浮海，為颶風引去，數晝夜至一都會。其人皆奇醜，見馬至，以為妖，群嘩而走。馬初見其狀，大懼，迨知國中之駭己也，遂反以此欺國人。遇飲食者則奔而往，人驚遁，則啜其餘。久之入山村，其間形貌亦有似人者，然襤褸如丐。馬息樹下，村人不敢前，但遙望之。久之覺馬非噬人者，始稍稍近就之。馬笑與語，其言雖異，亦半可解。馬遂自陳所自，村人喜，遍告鄰里，客非能搏噬者。然奇醜者望望即去，終不敢前；其來者，口鼻位置，尚皆與中國同，共羅漿酒奉馬，馬問其相駭之故，答曰：「嘗聞祖父言：西去二萬六千里，有中國，其人民形象率詭異。但耳食之，今始信。」問其何貧，曰：「我國所重，不在文章，而在形貌。其美之極者，為上卿；次任民社；下焉者，亦邀貴人寵，故得鼎烹以養妻子。若我輩初生時，父母皆以為不祥，往往置棄之，其不忍遽棄者，皆為宗嗣耳。」問：「此名何國？」曰：「大羅剎國。都城在北去三十里。」馬請導往一觀。于是雞鳴而興，引與俱去。
马骥字龙媒，贾人子，美丰姿，少倜傥，喜歌舞。辄从梨园子弟，以锦帕缠头，美如好女，因复有「俊人」之号。十四岁入郡庠，即知名。父衰老罢贾而归，谓生曰：「数卷书，饥不可煮，寒不可衣，吾儿可仍继父贾。」马由是稍稍权子母。从人浮海，为飓风引去，数昼夜至一都会。其人皆奇丑，见马至，以为妖，群哗而走。马初见其状，大惧，迨知国中之骇己也，遂反以此欺国人。遇饮食者则奔而往，人惊遁，则啜其余。久之入山村，其间形貌亦有似人者，然褴褛如丐。马息树下，村人不敢前，但遥望之。久之觉马非噬人者，始稍稍近就之。马笑与语，其言虽异，亦半可解。马遂自陈所自，村人喜，遍告邻里，客非能搏噬者。然奇丑者望望即去，终不敢前；其来者，口鼻位置，尚皆与中国同，共罗浆酒奉马，马问其相骇之故，答曰：「尝闻祖父言：西去二万六千里，有中国，其人民形象率诡异。但耳食之，今始信。」问其何贫，曰：「我国所重，不在文章，而在形貌。其美之极者，为上卿；次任民社；下焉者，亦邀贵人宠，故得鼎烹以养妻子。若我辈初生时，父母皆以为不祥，往往置弃之，其不忍遽弃者，皆为宗嗣耳。」问：「此名何国？」曰：「大罗刹国。都城在北去三十里。」马请导往一观。于是鸡鸣而兴，引与俱去。
Ma Ji, styled Longmei, was a merchant’s son. He was handsome and graceful, free-spirited from his youth, and loved singing and dancing. He often went about with the actors of the Pear Garden, a brocade kerchief wound round his head, as lovely as a pretty girl, and so he got the nickname “the Beauty.” At fourteen he entered the prefectural school and soon made a name for himself. His father, grown old, gave up trading and came home. “A few rolls of books,” he said to Ma, “cannot be cooked when you are hungry or worn when you are cold. My son, you had better carry on your father’s trade.” So Ma began, little by little, to trade on his own account. He went to sea with some other men and was carried off by a typhoon. After several days and nights he came to a great city. Its people were all extraordinarily ugly. When they saw Ma arrive they took him for a monster and fled in a shouting crowd. At first, seeing how they looked, Ma was terrified; but once he realized that it was the people of the country who were afraid of him, he turned it against them. Whenever he came upon people eating, he would run at them, and when they fled in terror, he would finish what they had left. After a long while he came into a mountain village. Some of the people there looked fairly human, but they were as ragged as beggars. Ma rested under a tree. The villagers did not dare come near, but only watched him from a distance. After a long while, seeing that Ma was not one to eat people, they began little by little to come closer. Ma laughed and talked with them. Their speech was strange, but he could understand about half of it. So Ma told them where he had come from, and the villagers were glad, and spread the word among all their neighbours that the stranger did not seize and devour people. But the ugliest of them took one look and went away, and never dared come near. Those who did come had mouths and noses placed much as in China. Together they set out drink for Ma. Ma asked why they had been so frightened of him. “We once heard our grandfathers say,” they answered, “that twenty-six thousand li to the west there is a land called China, whose people all look very strange. We only knew it by hearsay; now at last we believe it.” He asked why they were so poor. “What our country values,” they said, “is not learning, but looks. The most beautiful become the highest ministers. The next are given districts to govern. Even the lowest win the favour of the great, and so they have rich food to feed their wives and children. But people like us — when we were born, our parents all thought us ill-omened and often cast us out. Those they could not bear to abandon at once were kept only to carry on the family line.” “What is this country called?” Ma asked. “The Great Rakshasa Kingdom. The capital is thirty li to the north.” Ma asked them to take him to see it. So they got up at cockcrow and set off with him.
天明，始達都。都以黑石為墻，色如墨，樓閣近百尺。然少瓦。覆以紅石，拾其殘塊磨甲上，無異丹砂。時值朝退，朝中有冠蓋出，村人指曰：「此相國也。」視之，雙耳皆背生，鼻三孔，睫毛覆目如簾。又數騎出，曰：「此大夫也。」以次各指其官職，率猙獰怪異。然位漸卑，醜亦漸殺。無何，馬歸，街衢人望見之，噪奔跌蹶，如逢怪物。村人百口解說，市人始敢遙立。既歸，國中咸知有異人，于是搢紳大夫，爭欲一廣見聞，遂令村人要馬。每至一家，閽人輒闔戶，丈夫女子竊竊自門隙中窺語，終一日，無敢延見者。村人曰：「此間一執戟郎，曾為先王出使異國，所閱人多，或不以子為懼。」造郎門。郎果喜，揖為上客。視其貌，如八九十歲人。目睛突出，須卷如猬。曰：「僕少奉王命出使最多，獨未至中華。今一百二十餘歲，又得見上國人物，此不可不上聞于天子。然臣臥林下，十餘年不踐朝階，早旦為君一行。」乃具飲饌，修主客禮。酒數行，出女樂十餘人，更番歌舞。貌類夜叉，皆以白錦纏頭，拖朱衣及地。扮唱不知何詞，腔拍恢詭。主人顧而樂之。問：「中國亦有此樂乎？」曰：「有」。主人請擬其聲，遂擊桌為度一曲。主人喜曰：「異哉！聲如鳳鳴龍嘯，從未曾聞。」
天明，始达都。都以黑石为墙，色如墨，楼阁近百尺。然少瓦。覆以红石，拾其残块磨甲上，无异丹砂。时值朝退，朝中有冠盖出，村人指曰：「此相国也。」视之，双耳皆背生，鼻三孔，睫毛覆目如帘。又数骑出，曰：「此大夫也。」以次各指其官职，率狰狞怪异。然位渐卑，丑亦渐杀。无何，马归，街衢人望见之，噪奔跌蹶，如逢怪物。村人百口解说，市人始敢遥立。既归，国中咸知有异人，于是搢绅大夫，争欲一广见闻，遂令村人要马。每至一家，阍人辄阖户，丈夫女子窃窃自门隙中窥语，终一日，无敢延见者。村人曰：「此间一执戟郎，曾为先王出使异国，所阅人多，或不以子为惧。」造郎门。郎果喜，揖为上客。视其貌，如八九十岁人。目睛突出，须卷如猬。曰：「仆少奉王命出使最多，独未至中华。今一百二十余岁，又得见上国人物，此不可不上闻于天子。然臣卧林下，十余年不践朝阶，早旦为君一行。」乃具饮馔，修主客礼。酒数行，出女乐十余人，更番歌舞。貌类夜叉，皆以白锦缠头，拖朱衣及地。扮唱不知何词，腔拍恢诡。主人顾而乐之。问：「中国亦有此乐乎？」曰：「有」。主人请拟其声，遂击桌为度一曲。主人喜曰：「异哉！声如凤鸣龙啸，从未曾闻。」
At daybreak they reached the capital. Its walls were built of black stone, black as ink, and its towers and pavilions were nearly a hundred feet high. But there were few tiles: the roofs were covered with red stone. Ma picked up a broken piece and rubbed it on his fingernail, and it was just like cinnabar. It was the hour when court had just ended, and officials in caps and canopied carriages were coming out. The villagers pointed: “That is the Chief Minister.” Ma looked: both his ears grew backwards, his nose had three nostrils, and his eyelashes hung over his eyes like curtains. Then several more came out on horseback. “Those are grandees,” said the villagers, and named the office of each in turn. All of them were hideous and grotesque, but the lower the rank, the less the ugliness. Before long Ma started back. When the people in the streets saw him, they shrieked and ran, stumbling and falling, as if they had met a monster. Only after the villagers had explained a hundred times over did the townsfolk dare to stand and watch from a distance. After he had gone back, the whole country knew there was a strange man about. The gentry and grandees were all eager to see something new, and had the villagers invite Ma. But at every house he went to, the gatekeeper shut the door, and the men and women of the household peeped at him through the crack, whispering together. All day long, no one dared receive him. “There is a Gentleman of the Halberd here,” said the villagers, “who once went abroad as an envoy for the late king. He has seen many kinds of people. Perhaps he will not be afraid of you.” They went to the gentleman’s gate. Sure enough, he was delighted and bowed Ma in as an honoured guest. Ma looked at him: he seemed eighty or ninety years old. His eyes bulged out of his head, and his beard curled like a hedgehog. “In my youth I went abroad on the king’s missions more often than anyone,” he said, “but China was the one place I never reached. Now, at more than a hundred and twenty, I have lived to see a man of the superior country. This must be reported to the king. I have lived in retirement among the woods for more than ten years and have not set foot on the steps of the court, but early tomorrow I will go there for you.” Then he had food and wine served and did the honours of host to guest. When the wine had gone round several times, he brought out ten or more singing girls to sing and dance in turn. They looked like yakshas. Each had her head wound in white brocade and wore a red robe that trailed on the ground. What they were singing Ma could not tell; the tunes and rhythms were outlandish. The host watched them with delight. “Have you music like this in China?” “We have,” said Ma. The host asked him to give a sample, so Ma beat time on the table and sang a song. The host was delighted. “Marvellous! It sounds like the cry of the phoenix and the roar of the dragon. I have never heard anything like it.”
翼日趨朝，薦諸國王。王忻然下詔，有二三大夫言其怪狀，恐驚聖體，王乃止。郎出告馬，深為扼腕。居久之，與主人飲而醉，把劍起舞，以煤塗面作張飛。主人以為美，曰：「請君以張飛見宰相，厚祿不難致。」馬曰：「游戲猶可，何能易面目圖榮顯？」主人強之，馬乃諾。主人設筵，邀當路者，令馬繪面以待。客至，呼馬出見客。客訝曰：「異哉！何前媸而今妍也！」遂與共飲，甚歡。馬婆娑歌「弋陽曲」，一座無不傾倒。明日交章薦馬，王喜，召以旌節。既見，問中國治安之道，馬委曲上陳，大蒙嘉嘆，賜宴離宮。酒酣，王曰：「聞卿善雅樂，可使寡人得而聞之乎？」馬即起舞，亦效白錦纏頭，作靡靡之音。王大悅，即日拜下大夫。時與私宴，恩寵殊異。久而官僚知其面目之假，所至，
輒見人耳語，不甚與款洽。馬至是孤立，怡然不自安。
遂上疏乞休致，不許；又告休沐，乃給三月假。
翼日趋朝，荐诸国王。王忻然下诏，有二三大夫言其怪状，恐惊圣体，王乃止。郎出告马，深为扼腕。居久之，与主人饮而醉，把剑起舞，以煤涂面作张飞。主人以为美，曰：「请君以张飞见宰相，厚禄不难致。」马曰：「游戏犹可，何能易面目图荣显？」主人强之，马乃诺。主人设筵，邀当路者，令马绘面以待。客至，呼马出见客。客讶曰：「异哉！何前媸而今妍也！」遂与共饮，甚欢。马婆娑歌「弋阳曲」，一座无不倾倒。明日交章荐马，王喜，召以旌节。既见，问中国治安之道，马委曲上陈，大蒙嘉叹，赐宴离宫。酒酣，王曰：「闻卿善雅乐，可使寡人得而闻之乎？」马即起舞，亦效白锦缠头，作靡靡之音。王大悦，即日拜下大夫。时与私宴，恩宠殊异。久而官僚知其面目之假，所至，
辄见人耳语，不甚与款洽。马至是孤立，怡然不自安。
遂上疏乞休致，不许；又告休沐，乃给三月假。
The next day the gentleman hurried to court and recommended Ma to the king. The king was pleased and was about to issue a summons, but two or three grandees spoke of Ma’s monstrous looks and feared he would alarm His Majesty, so the king stopped. The gentleman came out and told Ma, wringing his hands with regret. Some time later Ma was drinking with his host and got drunk. He took up a sword and danced, and smeared his face with soot to play Zhang Fei. His host thought it beautiful. “I beg you,” he said, “go and see the Chief Minister as Zhang Fei. A rich salary will be yours for the asking.” “As a game it is all very well,” said Ma, “but how could I change my face to seek honour and glory?” His host pressed him, and Ma agreed. His host gave a banquet and invited the men in power, and had Ma paint his face and wait. When the guests arrived, he called Ma out to meet them. The guests were amazed. “How strange! Before, he was so ugly, and now he is so handsome!” They drank with him and enjoyed themselves greatly. Ma swayed and danced and sang Yiyang tunes, and the whole company was enchanted. The next day they all sent up memorials recommending him. The king was pleased and sent banners and a tally to summon him. At the audience the king asked about the way China was governed and kept at peace. Ma set it out in full detail, and the king praised him warmly and gave him a feast in the detached palace. When the wine was flowing, the king said, “We hear you are skilled in refined music. May We have the pleasure of hearing it?” At once Ma rose and danced, his head wound in white brocade like the singing girls’, and sang soft, wanton airs. The king was enchanted, and that very day appointed him a junior grandee. Often the king feasted with him in private, and showed him extraordinary favour. But in time the officials found out that his face was false. Wherever he went,
people whispered to each other,and no one was very friendly.Ma now stood alone,and he felt ill at ease.
So he petitioned to retire. It was refused. Then he asked for leave, and was given three months.