粵西孫子楚，名士也。生有枝指。性迂訥，人誑之，輒信為真。或值座有歌妓，則必遙望卻走。或知其然，誘之來，使妓狎逼之，則赬顏徹頸，汗珠珠下滴，因共為笑。遂貌其呆狀，相郵傳作醜語，而名之「孫痴」。
粤西孙子楚，名士也。生有枝指。性迂讷，人诳之，辄信为真。或值座有歌妓，则必遥望却走。或知其然，诱之来，使妓狎逼之，则赪颜彻颈，汗珠珠下滴，因共为笑。遂貌其呆状，相邮传作丑语，而名之「孙痴」。
Sun Zichu of Western Yue was a scholar of some renown. He was born with an extra finger. He was unworldly and slow of speech, and whenever anyone told him a lie he took it for the truth. If ever there were singing girls among the company, he would take one look at them from a distance and flee. Some who knew this would lure him in and set a girl to flirt with him and press up close, and he would flush red all the way down his neck, the sweat dripping off him drop by drop, while they all laughed at him. So they took to mimicking his foolish ways and passing round stories that made fun of him, and they named him Sun the Fool.
邑大賈某翁，與王侯埒富。姻戚皆貴胄。有女阿寶，絕色也。日擇良匹，大家兒爭委禽妝，皆不當翁意。生時失儷，有戲之者，勸其通媒。生殊不自揣，果從其教。翁素耳其名，而貧之。媒媼將出，適遇寶，問之，以告。女戲曰：「渠去其枝指，余當歸之。」媼告生。生曰：「不難。」媒去，生以斧自斷其指，大痛徹心，血益傾注，濱死。過數日，始能起，往見媒而示之。媼驚，奔告女。女亦奇之，戲請再去其痴。生聞而嘩辨，自謂不痴；然無由見而自剖。轉念阿寶未必美如天人，何遂高自位置如此？由是曩念頓冷。
邑大贾某翁，与王侯埒富。姻戚皆贵胄。有女阿宝，绝色也。日择良匹，大家儿争委禽妆，皆不当翁意。生时失俪，有戏之者，劝其通媒。生殊不自揣，果从其教。翁素耳其名，而贫之。媒媪将出，适遇宝，问之，以告。女戏曰：「渠去其枝指，余当归之。」媪告生。生曰：「不难。」媒去，生以斧自断其指，大痛彻心，血益倾注，滨死。过数日，始能起，往见媒而示之。媪惊，奔告女。女亦奇之，戏请再去其痴。生闻而哗辨，自谓不痴；然无由见而自剖。转念阿宝未必美如天人，何遂高自位置如此？由是曩念顿冷。
In the same county there was a great merchant, an old man as rich as any prince or lord, and all his relations by marriage were of noble families. He had a daughter, Abao, a peerless beauty. Every day he was choosing a good match for her, and the sons of great houses vied to send betrothal gifts, but none was to the old man’s liking. Sun had lately lost his wife. Someone, as a joke, urged him to send a matchmaker. Sun, never stopping to measure himself, did just as he was told. The old man had long heard of him, but thought him too poor. As the matchmaker was leaving, she happened to meet Abao, who asked her what she had come for, and she told her. “If he cuts off his extra finger,” the girl said in jest, “I will marry him.” The old woman told Sun. “That is not hard,” said Sun. When the matchmaker had gone, he cut off the finger himself with an axe. The pain pierced him to the heart, and the blood poured out faster and faster, until he was close to death. Only after several days could he get up. He went to see the matchmaker and showed her. The old woman was startled and ran to tell the girl. The girl too thought it remarkable, and in jest asked that he now cut off his foolishness as well. When Sun heard this he protested loudly that he was not a fool; but he had no way to see her and explain himself. Then he thought again: Abao might not be as beautiful as a goddess, so why should she set herself so high? And at that his old longing went suddenly cold.
會值清明，俗於是日，婦女出游，輕薄少年，亦結隊隨行，恣其月旦，有同社數人，強邀生去。或嘲之曰：「莫欲一觀可人否？」生亦知其戲己；然以受女揶揄故，亦思一見其人，忻然隨眾物色之。遙見有女子憩樹下，惡少年環如牆堵。眾曰：「此必阿寶也。」趨之，果寶也。審諦之，娟麗無雙。少頃，人益稠。女起，遽去。眾情顛倒，品頭題足，紛紛若狂。生獨默然。及眾他適，回視，生猶痴立故所，呼之不應。群曳之曰：「魂隨阿寶去耶？」亦不答。眾以其素訥，故不為怪，或推之﹑或挽之以歸。至家，直上床臥，終日不起，冥如醉，喚之不醒。家人疑其失魂，招于曠野，莫能效。強拍問之，則矇矓應云：「我在阿寶家。」及細詰之，又默不語。家人惶惑莫解。
会值清明，俗于是日，妇女出游，轻薄少年，亦结队随行，恣其月旦，有同社数人，强邀生去。或嘲之曰：「莫欲一观可人否？」生亦知其戏己；然以受女揶揄故，亦思一见其人，忻然随众物色之。遥见有女子憩树下，恶少年环如墙堵。众曰：「此必阿宝也。」趋之，果宝也。审谛之，娟丽无双。少顷，人益稠。女起，遽去。众情颠倒，品头题足，纷纷若狂。生独默然。及众他适，回视，生犹痴立故所，呼之不应。群曳之曰：「魂随阿宝去耶？」亦不答。众以其素讷，故不为怪，或推之﹑或挽之以归。至家，直上床卧，终日不起，冥如醉，唤之不醒。家人疑其失魂，招于旷野，莫能效。强拍问之，则蒙眬应云：「我在阿宝家。」及细诘之，又默不语。家人惶惑莫解。
Then came the Qingming festival. By custom, on that day the women go out on excursions, and frivolous young men follow them about in gangs, passing judgment on them as they please. Several men from Sun’s literary society insisted on taking him along. “Don’t you want to have a look at your sweetheart?” one of them teased. Sun knew they were making fun of him; but since the girl had mocked him, he too thought he would like to see her, and he went along gladly with the others, looking about for her. In the distance they saw a girl resting under a tree, with young rowdies standing round her thick as a wall. “That must be Abao,” they said. They hurried over, and it was Abao. Looking at her closely, they saw she was lovely beyond compare. Before long the crowd grew thicker. The girl got up and quickly left. The young men were beside themselves; they picked her over from her head to her feet, all talking at once like madmen. Only Sun said nothing. When the others were moving on elsewhere, they looked back, and Sun was still standing like a fool where he had been. They called to him and he did not answer. They pulled at him: “Has your soul gone off with Abao?” Still he did not answer. Since he had always been slow of speech, they thought nothing of it, and pushing him and pulling him, they got him home. As soon as he was home he went straight to bed, and lay there all day without getting up, dead to the world as if drunk; they called him and he did not wake. His family suspected that he had lost his soul and went out into the open country to call it back, but it did no good. When they shook him hard and asked him, he answered drowsily, “I am at Abao’s house.” But when they questioned him more closely, he fell silent again. His family were frightened and could make nothing of it.
初，生見女去，意不忍舍，覺身已從之行，漸傍其衿帶間，人無呵者。遂從女歸，坐臥依之，夜輒與狎，甚相得；然覺腹中奇餒，思欲一返家門，而迷不知路。女每夢與人交，問其名，曰：「我孫子楚也。」心異之，而不可以告人。生臥三日，氣休休若將澌滅。家人大恐，託人婉告翁，欲一招魂其家。翁笑曰：「平昔不相往還，何由遺魂吾家？」家人固哀之，翁始允。巫執故服﹑草荐以往。女詰得其故，駭極，不聽他往，直導入室，任招呼而去。巫歸至門，生榻上已呻。既醒，女室之香奩什具，何色何名，歷言不爽。女聞之，益駭，陰感其情之深。
初，生见女去，意不忍舍，觉身已从之行，渐傍其衿带间，人无呵者。遂从女归，坐卧依之，夜辄与狎，甚相得；然觉腹中奇馁，思欲一返家门，而迷不知路。女每梦与人交，问其名，曰：「我孙子楚也。」心异之，而不可以告人。生卧三日，气休休若将澌灭。家人大恐，托人婉告翁，欲一招魂其家。翁笑曰：「平昔不相往还，何由遗魂吾家？」家人固哀之，翁始允。巫执故服﹑草荐以往。女诘得其故，骇极，不听他往，直导入室，任招呼而去。巫归至门，生榻上已呻。既醒，女室之香奁什具，何色何名，历言不爽。女闻之，益骇，阴感其情之深。
What had happened was this. When Sun saw the girl go, he could not bear to part from her, and he felt himself following her as she went, drawing gradually close to her sash and girdle, and no one shouted at him. So he went home with her and stayed by her whether she sat or lay down, and at night he made love with her; they got on very well. But he felt strangely hungry and wanted to go home just once, only he was lost and did not know the way. The girl kept dreaming that she was making love with a man. When she asked his name, he said, “I am Sun Zichu.” She thought it strange, but it was not a thing she could tell anyone. Sun lay in bed for three days, his breath so faint he seemed about to expire. His family were terrified. They had someone tactfully tell the old man that they wished to call back Sun’s soul from his house. The old man laughed. “We have never had any dealings with each other. How could he have left his soul in my house?” The family begged him earnestly, and at last he agreed. A shaman went there with Sun’s old clothes and his straw mat. The girl questioned them and learned why they had come. She was horrified. She would not let them go anywhere else, but led them straight into her own room and let them call as they pleased and go. When the shaman got back to the gate, Sun was already groaning on his bed. When he woke, he described the perfume boxes and furnishings in the girl’s room, their colours and their names, without a single mistake. When the girl heard this she was more frightened than ever, and secretly she was moved by the depth of his love.
生既離床寢，坐立凝思，忽忽若忘。每伺察阿寶，希幸一再遘之。浴佛節，聞將降香水月寺，遂早旦往候道左，目眩睛勞。日涉午，女始至，自車中窺見生，以摻手搴簾，凝睇不轉。生益動，尾從之。女忽命青衣來詰姓字。生慇懃自展，魂益搖。車去，始歸。歸復病，冥然絕食，夢中輒呼寶名。每自恨魂不復靈。家舊養一鸚鵡，忽斃，小兒持弄于床。生自念：倘得身為鸚鵡，振翼可達女室。心方注想，身已翩然鸚鵡，遽飛而去，直達寶所。女喜而扑之，鎖其肘，飼以麻子。大呼曰：「姐姐勿鎖！我孫子楚也。」女大駭，解其縛，亦不去。女祝曰：「深情已篆中心。今已人禽異類，姻好何可復圓？」鳥云：「得近芳澤，于願已足。」他人飼之，不食；女自飼之，則食。女坐，則集其膝；臥，則依其床。如是三日。女甚憐之，陰使人瞷生，生則僵臥，氣絕已三日，但心頭未冰耳。女又祝曰：「君能復為人，當誓死相從。」鳥云：「誑我！」女乃自矢。鳥側目若有所思。少間，女束雙彎，解履床下，鸚鵡驟下，銜履飛去。女急呼之，飛已遠矣。女使嫗往探，則生已寤。家人見鸚鵡銜繡履來，墮地死，方共異之。生既蘇，即索履。眾莫知故。適嫗至，入視生，問履所在。生曰：「是阿寶信誓物。借口相覆：小生不忘金諾也。」嫗反命。女益奇之，故使婢泄其情于母。母審之確，乃曰：「此子才名亦不惡，但有相如之貧。擇數年得婿若此，恐將為顯者笑。」女以履故，矢不他。翁媼從之。馳報生。生喜，疾頓瘳。翁議贅諸家。女曰：「婿不可久處岳家。況郎又貧，久益為人賤。兒既諾之，處蓬茅而甘藜藿，不怨也。」生乃親迎成禮，相逢如隔世歡。
生既离床寝，坐立凝思，忽忽若忘。每伺察阿宝，希幸一再遘之。浴佛节，闻将降香水月寺，遂早旦往候道左，目眩睛劳。日涉午，女始至，自车中窥见生，以掺手搴帘，凝睇不转。生益动，尾从之。女忽命青衣来诘姓字。生慇懃自展，魂益摇。车去，始归。归复病，冥然绝食，梦中辄呼宝名。每自恨魂不复灵。家旧养一鹦鹉，忽毙，小儿持弄于床。生自念：倘得身为鹦鹉，振翼可达女室。心方注想，身已翩然鹦鹉，遽飞而去，直达宝所。女喜而扑之，锁其肘，饲以麻子。大呼曰：「姐姐勿锁！我孙子楚也。」女大骇，解其缚，亦不去。女祝曰：「深情已篆中心。今已人禽异类，姻好何可复圆？」鸟云：「得近芳泽，于愿已足。」他人饲之，不食；女自饲之，则食。女坐，则集其膝；卧，则依其床。如是三日。女甚怜之，阴使人瞷生，生则僵卧，气绝已三日，但心头未冰耳。女又祝曰：「君能复为人，当誓死相从。」鸟云：「诳我！」女乃自矢。鸟侧目若有所思。少间，女束双弯，解履床下，鹦鹉骤下，衔履飞去。女急呼之，飞已远矣。女使妪往探，则生已寤。家人见鹦鹉衔绣履来，堕地死，方共异之。生既苏，即索履。众莫知故。适妪至，入视生，问履所在。生曰：「是阿宝信誓物。借口相覆：小生不忘金诺也。」妪反命。女益奇之，故使婢泄其情于母。母审之确，乃曰：「此子才名亦不恶，但有相如之贫。择数年得婿若此，恐将为显者笑。」女以履故，矢不他。翁媪从之。驰报生。生喜，疾顿瘳。翁议赘诸家。女曰：「婿不可久处岳家。况郎又贫，久益为人贱。儿既诺之，处蓬茅而甘藜藿，不怨也。」生乃亲迎成礼，相逢如隔世欢。
Once Sun was out of bed, he would sit or stand lost in thought, absent as if he had forgotten something. He was always watching for Abao, hoping for the luck of meeting her once more. At the Buddha’s Bathing Festival he heard that she was to offer incense at the Water-Moon Temple, so he went early in the morning and waited by the roadside until his eyes swam with strain. Only when the day was past noon did the girl arrive. From her carriage she caught sight of Sun, lifted the curtain with her slender hand and gazed at him without turning away. Sun was more stirred than ever and followed behind her. Suddenly the girl sent a maid to ask his name. Sun told her eagerly about himself, his soul more shaken than ever. Only when the carriage had gone did he go home. At home he fell ill again. He lay senseless and would not eat, and in his dreams he kept calling Abao’s name. He was always blaming himself that his soul would no longer work its magic. His family had long kept a parrot. It suddenly died, and a small child was playing with it on the bed. Sun thought to himself: if only I could be a parrot, a beat of my wings would take me to her room. Even as his mind was fixed on the thought, he was a parrot, fluttering, and at once he flew off, straight to where Abao was. The girl was delighted and caught it, chained its leg and fed it hemp seed. The bird cried out, “Don’t chain me, sister! I am Sun Zichu!” The girl was astounded and untied it, but it did not fly away. She said to it solemnly, “Your deep love is engraved on my heart. But now we are human and bird, two different kinds. How can we ever be married?” The bird said, “To be near your fragrance is all I wish for.” When others fed it, it would not eat; when the girl fed it herself, it ate. When she sat, it perched on her knee; when she lay down, it stayed by her bed. Three days went by like this. The girl pitied it deeply, and secretly sent someone to spy on Sun. Sun lay stiff; he had stopped breathing three days before, only his heart was not yet cold. The girl said solemnly again, “If you can become a man again, I swear to be yours till death.” “You are lying to me!” said the bird. So the girl swore an oath. The bird cocked its eye as if thinking something over. A little later the girl was binding her feet, and had taken off her shoes and left them under the bed. The parrot swooped down, took a shoe in its beak and flew away. The girl called it back urgently, but it was already far off. She sent an old woman to find out how Sun was, and he had already come to. His family had seen a parrot fly in with an embroidered shoe in its beak and drop dead on the ground, and were all marvelling at it. As soon as Sun revived, he asked for the shoe. No one knew why. Just then the old woman arrived. She went in to see Sun and asked where the shoe was. “It is the token of Abao’s vow,” said Sun. “Please give her this answer from me: I have not forgotten her golden promise.” The old woman went back with the message. The girl thought it more remarkable than ever, and on purpose she had a maid let her mother know the whole story. When her mother had made sure it was true, she said, “The young man has a good name for his talent, it is true, but he is as poor as Sima Xiangru. To choose for years and end up with a son-in-law like this — I fear the great families will laugh at us.” Because of the shoe, the girl swore she would marry no one else. Her father and mother gave way. Word was sent post-haste to Sun. Sun was overjoyed, and at once his illness was gone. The old man proposed that Sun marry into the family and live with them. “A son-in-law should not live long in his wife’s family’s house,” the girl said. “Besides, he is poor, and the longer he stays the more he will be looked down on. Now that I have accepted him, I will live under a thatched roof and be content with wild greens, and not complain.” So Sun came to fetch his bride and the rites were performed, and when they met, their joy was like meeting again after a lifetime apart.
自是家得奩妝，小阜，頗增物產。而生痴于書，不知理家人生業；女善居積，亦不以他事累生。居三年，家益富。生忽病消渴卒。女哭之痛，淚眼不晴，至絕眠食。勸之不納，乘夜自經。婢覺之，急救以醒，終亦不食。三日，集親黨，將以殮生。聞棺中呻以息，啟之，已復活。自言：「見冥王，以生平朴誠，命作部曹。忽有人白：「孫部曹之妻將至。」王稽鬼錄，言：「此未應便死。」又白：「不食三日矣。」王顧謂：「感汝妻節義，姑賜再生。」因使馭卒控馬送余還。」由是體漸平。值歲大比，入闈之前，諸少年玩弄之，共擬隱僻之題七，引生僻處與語，言：「此某家關節，敬秘相授。」生信之，晝夜揣摩，制成七藝。眾隱笑之。時典試者慮熟題有蹈襲弊，力反常經，題紙下，七藝皆符。生以是掄魁。明年，舉進士，授詞林。上聞異，召問之。生具啟奏。上大嘉悅。後召見阿寶，賞賚有加焉。
自是家得奁妆，小阜，颇增物产。而生痴于书，不知理家人生业；女善居积，亦不以他事累生。居三年，家益富。生忽病消渴卒。女哭之痛，泪眼不晴，至绝眠食。劝之不纳，乘夜自经。婢觉之，急救以醒，终亦不食。三日，集亲党，将以殓生。闻棺中呻以息，启之，已复活。自言：「见冥王，以生平朴诚，命作部曹。忽有人白：「孙部曹之妻将至。」王稽鬼录，言：「此未应便死。」又白：「不食三日矣。」王顾谓：「感汝妻节义，姑赐再生。」因使驭卒控马送余还。」由是体渐平。值岁大比，入闱之前，诸少年玩弄之，共拟隐僻之题七，引生僻处与语，言：「此某家关节，敬秘相授。」生信之，昼夜揣摩，制成七艺。众隐笑之。时典试者虑熟题有蹈袭弊，力反常经，题纸下，七艺皆符。生以是抡魁。明年，举进士，授词林。上闻异，召问之。生具启奏。上大嘉悦。后召见阿宝，赏赉有加焉。
From then on, with her dowry, the household was a little better off, and its property grew considerably. But Sun was a fool for books and knew nothing of running a household or making a living. The girl was good at saving and trading, and she did not trouble Sun with anything else. After three years they were richer still. Then Sun suddenly fell ill with the wasting thirst and died. The girl wept for him bitterly. Her eyes were never dry, and she gave up sleeping and eating. When people urged her, she would not listen, and one night she hanged herself. A maid found her and saved her in time, and she came round, but still she would not eat. On the third day the relatives gathered to lay Sun in his coffin. They heard a groan and breathing from inside the coffin; they opened it, and he had come back to life. He said, “I saw the King of the Underworld. Because I had been simple and honest all my life, he made me a secretary in one of his ministries. Suddenly someone reported, ‘The wife of Secretary Sun will soon be here.’ The King checked the register of ghosts and said, ‘She is not yet due to die.’ The man reported, ‘She has eaten nothing for three days.’ The King turned to me and said, ‘Moved by your wife’s faithfulness, I grant you life again, for now.’ And he had a groom lead a horse to take me back.” From then on he slowly grew well. It was the year of the provincial examinations. Before he went into the examination hall, a group of young men played a trick on him. Together they made up seven obscure topics, drew Sun aside to a quiet place and told him, “This is a leak from a certain family who have bought the questions. We respectfully pass it on to you in secret.” Sun believed them. Day and night he pondered the topics, and he wrote seven essays. The others laughed at him behind his back. That year the chief examiner, fearing that familiar topics would let candidates copy old essays, went out of his way to avoid the usual ones. When the question papers came down, all seven essays matched. And so Sun came first. The next year he became a jinshi and was appointed to the Hanlin Academy. The Emperor heard of these marvels and summoned him to ask about them. Sun told him everything. The Emperor was greatly pleased. Later he summoned Abao too, and showered gifts on her.
異史氏曰：「性痴則其志凝，故書痴者文必工，藝痴者技必良；世之落拓而無成者，皆自謂不痴者也。且如粉花蕩產，盧雉傾家，顧痴人事哉！以是知慧黠而過，乃是真痴，彼孫子何痴乎！」
异史氏曰：「性痴则其志凝，故书痴者文必工，艺痴者技必良；世之落拓而无成者，皆自谓不痴者也。且如粉花荡产，卢雉倾家，顾痴人事哉！以是知慧黠而过，乃是真痴，彼孙子何痴乎！」
The Historian of the Strange says: When a man is foolish by nature, his will is single. So one who is a fool for books will write well, and one who is a fool for an art will be skilled at it. The failures of this world, who never come to anything, are all men who say they are no fools. And as for squandering a fortune on painted women, or ruining a family at the dice — are those the doings of fools? From this we know that cleverness carried too far is the true folly. How was Master Sun a fool at all!
集痴類十：「窖鏹食貧。對客輒誇兒慧。愛兒不忍教讀。諱病恐人知。出資賺人嫖。竊赴飲會賺人賭。倩人作文欺父兄。父子帳目太清。家庭用機械。喜子弟善賭。」
集痴类十：「窖镪食贫。对客辄夸儿慧。爱儿不忍教读。讳病恐人知。出资赚人嫖。窃赴饮会赚人赌。倩人作文欺父兄。父子帐目太清。家庭用机械。喜子弟善赌。」
Ten kinds of folly, collected: Burying silver in the cellar and living like a pauper. Always boasting to guests of how clever one’s son is. Loving one’s son too much to make him study. Hiding an illness for fear people will know. Putting up money to lure others into whoring. Slipping off to a drinking party to lure others into gambling. Hiring someone to write one’s essays to deceive one’s father and elder brothers. Father and son keeping their accounts with each other too exactly. Scheming against one’s own family. Being pleased that one’s sons and younger brothers are good gamblers.