于公者，少任俠，喜拳勇，力能持高壺，作旋風舞。崇禎間，殿試在都，僕疫不起，患之。會市上有善卜者，能決人生死，將代問之。既至，未言。卜曰：「君莫欲問僕病乎？」公駭應之。曰：「病者無害，君可危。」公乃自卜。卜者起卦，愕然曰：「君三日當死！」公驚詫良久。卜者從容曰：「鄙人有小術，報我十金，當代禳之。」公自念，生死已定，術豈能解；不應而起，欲出。卜者曰：「惜此小費，勿悔勿悔！」愛公者皆為公懼，勸罄橐以哀之。公不聽。
於公年輕時很有俠氣，喜歡拳腳和勇力，力氣大得能舉著高大的壺，像旋風一樣舞動。崇禎年間，他在京城參加殿試，僕人染了瘟疫，臥床不起，他很擔心。恰好集市上有個擅長占卜的人，能夠斷定人的生死，他便想替僕人去問問。到了那裡，還沒開口，占卜的人就說：「您莫非是想問僕人的病？」於公吃驚地答應了。占卜的人說：「病人沒有危險，您卻危險了。」於公便給自己占卜。那人起了卦，驚愕地說：「您三天內就要死！」於公驚訝了很久。占卜的人從容地說：「我有一點法術，您給我十兩銀子，我就替您消災。」於公暗想，生死既然已經註定，法術怎麼能化解？便不作回答，起身要走。那人說：「捨不得這點錢，可別後悔，可別後悔！」關心於公的人都替他害怕，勸他拿出全部的錢，向那人苦苦哀求。於公不聽。
于公者，少任侠，喜拳勇，力能持高壶，作旋风舞。崇祯间，殿试在都，仆疫不起，患之。会市上有善卜者，能决人生死，将代问之。既至，未言。卜曰：「君莫欲问仆病乎？」公骇应之。曰：「病者无害，君可危。」公乃自卜。卜者起卦，愕然曰：「君三日当死！」公惊诧良久。卜者从容曰：「鄙人有小术，报我十金，当代禳之。」公自念，生死已定，术岂能解；不应而起，欲出。卜者曰：「惜此小费，勿悔勿悔！」爱公者皆为公惧，劝罄橐以哀之。公不听。
于公年轻时很有侠气，喜欢拳脚和勇力，力气大得能举着高大的壶，像旋风一样舞动。崇祯年间，他在京城参加殿试，仆人染了瘟疫，卧床不起，他很担心。恰好集市上有个擅长占卜的人，能够断定人的生死，他便想替仆人去问问。到了那里，还没开口，占卜的人就说：“您莫非是想问仆人的病？”于公吃惊地答应了。占卜的人说：“病人没有危险，您却危险了。”于公便给自己占卜。那人起了卦，惊愕地说：“您三天内就要死！”于公惊讶了很久。占卜的人从容地说：“我有一点法术，您给我十两银子，我就替您消灾。”于公暗想，生死既然已经注定，法术怎么能化解？便不作回答，起身要走。那人说：“舍不得这点钱，可别后悔，可别后悔！”关心于公的人都替他害怕，劝他拿出全部的钱，向那人苦苦哀求。于公不听。
Mr. Yu was a gallant in his youth and loved boxing and feats of strength: he could lift a tall jar and whirl it about in a whirlwind dance. In the Chongzhen reign he was in the capital for the palace examination when his servant fell ill in an epidemic and could not get up. Yu was worried. Now there was a skilled diviner in the marketplace who could tell whether a man would live or die, and Yu meant to go and ask on his servant’s behalf. When he got there, before he had said a word, the diviner said, “Haven’t you come to ask about your servant’s illness?” Yu, startled, said yes. “The sick man will come to no harm,” said the diviner. “It is you who are in danger.” So Yu had his own fortune told. The diviner cast the hexagrams and said in alarm, “You will die in three days!” Yu stood dumbfounded for a long while. Then the diviner said calmly, “I have a small art. Pay me ten taels and I will ward it off for you.” Yu thought to himself: life and death are already fixed; how could any art undo them? He made no answer and got up to leave. “Grudge this small expense if you like,” said the diviner. “But don’t regret it, don’t regret it!” Those who cared for Yu were all afraid for him and urged him to empty his purse and beg the man for mercy. Yu would not listen.
倏忽至三日，公端坐旅舍，靜以覘之，終日無恙。至夜，闔戶挑燈，倚劍危坐。一漏向盡，更無死法。意欲就枕，忽聞窗隙窣窣有聲。急視之，一小人荷戈入；及地，則高如人。公捉劍起，急擊之，飄忽未中。遂遽小，復尋窗隙，意欲遁去。公疾斫之，應手而倒。燭之，則紙人，已腰斷矣。公不敢臥，又坐待之。逾時，一物穿窗入，怪獰如鬼。才及地，急擊之，斷而為兩，皆蠕動。恐其復起，又連擊之，劍劍皆中，其聲不耎。審視，則土偶，片片已碎。於是移坐窗下，目注隙中。久之，聞窗外如牛喘，有物推窗櫺，房壁震搖，其勢欲傾。公懼覆壓，計不如出而鬬之，遂剨然脫扃，奔而出。見一巨鬼，高與檐齊；昏月中，見其面黑如煤，眼閃爍有黃光；上無衣，下無履，手弓而腰矢。公方駭，鬼則彎矣。公以劍撥矢，矢墮；欲擊之，則又關矣。公急躍避，矢貫于壁，戰戰有聲。鬼怒甚，拔佩刀，揮如風，望公力劈。公猱進，刀中庭石，石立斷。公出其股間，削鬼中踝，鏗然有聲。鬼益怒，吼如雷，轉身復剁。公又伏身入；刀落，斷公裙。公已及脅下，猛斫之，亦鏗然有聲，鬼仆而僵。公亂擊之，聲硬如柝。燭之，則一木偶，高大如人。弓矢尚纏腰際，刻畫猙獰；劍擊處，皆有血出。公因秉燭待旦，方悟鬼物皆卜人遣之，欲致人于死，以神其術也。
轉眼到了第三天，於公端坐在旅店裡，靜靜觀察，一整天都平安無事。到了晚上，他關上門，撥亮燈，身旁放著劍，挺直身子坐著。快過了一更，仍不見有什麼致死的事發生。他正想躺下，忽然聽見窗縫裡窸窸窣窣作響，急忙看去，只見一個小人扛著戈進來，一落地，就變得和人一樣高。於公抓起劍站起來，趕緊劈去，那東西飄忽一閃，沒有劈中。它隨即縮小，又往窗縫跑，想要逃走。於公迅速砍去，它應聲倒下。舉燈一照，原來是個紙人，腰已經被砍斷了。於公不敢睡，又坐著等候。過了一陣，一個東西穿窗進來，面目猙獰，像鬼一樣。剛落地，於公就急忙劈去，把它砍成兩半，兩半卻都還在蠕動。他怕它重新起來，又接連砍去，每一劍都砍中，聲音硬邦邦的。仔細一看，原來是個土偶，已經碎成一片片。於是他移到窗下坐著，盯住窗縫。過了很久，聽見窗外有牛喘氣般的聲音，有個東西在推窗欞，房屋牆壁都搖動起來，彷彿要倒塌。於公怕被壓住，覺得不如出去搏鬥，便猛地拉開門閂，奔了出去。只見一個巨鬼，和屋簷一樣高。昏暗的月光下，它的臉黑得像煤，眼睛閃著黃光，上身沒有衣服，腳上沒有鞋，手裡拿著弓，腰間帶著箭。於公正在吃驚，那鬼已經拉開了弓。他用劍撥開射來的箭，箭落在地上。他要上前砍去，那鬼卻又搭箭拉弓。他急忙躍身躲開，箭射進牆裡，顫動著發出聲響。鬼怒極，拔出佩刀，揮動得像風一樣，朝於公狠命劈來。於公像猿猴一樣迅捷地往前竄，刀砍中了院裡的石頭，石頭立刻斷了。他從鬼的兩腿之間鑽出來，揮劍削中它的腳踝，發出鏗的一聲。鬼更加憤怒，吼聲如雷，轉身又砍。於公再次伏身鑽進去，刀落下來，砍斷了他的衣服下襬。他已經到了鬼的肋下，猛力一砍，又是鏗的一聲，鬼倒下，僵在那裡。於公接連亂砍，聲音硬得像敲打更的梆子。舉燈一照，原來是個有真人那麼高大的木偶，弓箭還纏在腰間，雕刻描畫的面貌十分猙獰，劍砍到的地方都有血流出來。於公便拿著燈等到天亮，這才明白，這些鬼怪都是占卜的人派來的，想害死人，讓人覺得他的法術神奇。
倏忽至三日，公端坐旅舍，静以觇之，终日无恙。至夜，阖户挑灯，倚剑危坐。一漏向尽，更无死法。意欲就枕，忽闻窗隙窣窣有声。急视之，一小人荷戈入；及地，则高如人。公捉剑起，急击之，飘忽未中。遂遽小，复寻窗隙，意欲遁去。公疾斫之，应手而倒。烛之，则纸人，已腰断矣。公不敢卧，又坐待之。逾时，一物穿窗入，怪狞如鬼。才及地，急击之，断而为两，皆蠕动。恐其复起，又连击之，剑剑皆中，其声不耎。审视，则土偶，片片已碎。于是移坐窗下，目注隙中。久之，闻窗外如牛喘，有物推窗櫺，房壁震摇，其势欲倾。公惧覆压，计不如出而鬬之，遂剨然脱扃，奔而出。见一巨鬼，高与檐齐；昏月中，见其面黑如煤，眼闪烁有黄光；上无衣，下无履，手弓而腰矢。公方骇，鬼则弯矣。公以剑拨矢，矢堕；欲击之，则又关矣。公急跃避，矢贯于壁，战战有声。鬼怒甚，拔佩刀，挥如风，望公力劈。公猱进，刀中庭石，石立断。公出其股间，削鬼中踝，铿然有声。鬼益怒，吼如雷，转身复剁。公又伏身入；刀落，断公裙。公已及胁下，猛斫之，亦铿然有声，鬼仆而僵。公乱击之，声硬如柝。烛之，则一木偶，高大如人。弓矢尚缠腰际，刻画狰狞；剑击处，皆有血出。公因秉烛待旦，方悟鬼物皆卜人遣之，欲致人于死，以神其术也。
转眼到了第三天，于公端坐在旅店里，静静观察，一整天都平安无事。到了晚上，他关上门，拨亮灯，身旁放着剑，挺直身子坐着。快过了一更，仍不见有什么致死的事发生。他正想躺下，忽然听见窗缝里窸窸窣窣作响，急忙看去，只见一个小人扛着戈进来，一落地，就变得和人一样高。于公抓起剑站起来，赶紧劈去，那东西飘忽一闪，没有劈中。它随即缩小，又往窗缝跑，想要逃走。于公迅速砍去，它应声倒下。举灯一照，原来是个纸人，腰已经被砍断了。于公不敢睡，又坐着等候。过了一阵，一个东西穿窗进来，面目狰狞，像鬼一样。刚落地，于公就急忙劈去，把它砍成两半，两半却都还在蠕动。他怕它重新起来，又接连砍去，每一剑都砍中，声音硬邦邦的。仔细一看，原来是个土偶，已经碎成一片片。于是他移到窗下坐着，盯住窗缝。过了很久，听见窗外有牛喘气般的声音，有个东西在推窗棂，房屋墙壁都摇动起来，仿佛要倒塌。于公怕被压住，觉得不如出去搏斗，便猛地拉开门闩，奔了出去。只见一个巨鬼，和屋檐一样高。昏暗的月光下，它的脸黑得像煤，眼睛闪着黄光，上身没有衣服，脚上没有鞋，手里拿着弓，腰间带着箭。于公正在吃惊，那鬼已经拉开了弓。他用剑拨开射来的箭，箭落在地上。他要上前砍去，那鬼却又搭箭拉弓。他急忙跃身躲开，箭射进墙里，颤动着发出声响。鬼怒极，拔出佩刀，挥动得像风一样，朝于公狠命劈来。于公像猿猴一样迅捷地往前窜，刀砍中了院里的石头，石头立刻断了。他从鬼的两腿之间钻出来，挥剑削中它的脚踝，发出铿的一声。鬼更加愤怒，吼声如雷，转身又砍。于公再次伏身钻进去，刀落下来，砍断了他的衣服下摆。他已经到了鬼的肋下，猛力一砍，又是铿的一声，鬼倒下，僵在那里。于公接连乱砍，声音硬得像敲打更的梆子。举灯一照，原来是个有真人那么高大的木偶，弓箭还缠在腰间，雕刻描画的面貌十分狰狞，剑砍到的地方都有血流出来。于公便拿着灯等到天亮，这才明白，这些鬼怪都是占卜的人派来的，想害死人，让人觉得他的法术神奇。
In no time the third day came. Yu sat upright in his inn and quietly watched. All day nothing happened. At night he shut the door, trimmed the lamp and sat bolt upright with his sword at his side. The first watch was nearly out, and still there was no way for him to die. He was thinking of going to bed when he heard a rustling at a crack in the window. He looked quickly: a little man was coming in with a spear on his shoulder. When it reached the floor it was as tall as a man. Yu seized his sword, sprang up and struck at it, but it flitted aside and he missed. Then it suddenly shrank and made for the crack in the window again, meaning to escape. Yu slashed at it swiftly and it fell at the stroke. He held the candle to it: it was a paper man, cut through at the waist. Yu dared not lie down, but sat and waited again. After a while something came in through the window, hideous as a ghost. The moment it touched the floor he struck at it and cut it in two. Both halves squirmed. Afraid it would get up again, he struck again and again. Every stroke hit, and the sound was not soft. He looked closely: it was a clay figure, smashed to pieces. So he moved his seat under the window and kept his eyes on the crack. A long time passed. Then outside the window he heard what sounded like an ox panting. Something pushed at the window frame, and the walls of the room shook as if about to fall. Afraid of being crushed, Yu reckoned he had better go out and fight. He threw back the bolt with a crash and ran out. He saw a huge ghost, as tall as the eaves. In the dim moonlight he could see its face, black as coal, and its eyes glinting with a yellow light. It had no clothes on its body and no shoes on its feet; it held a bow in its hand and had arrows at its waist. While Yu stood aghast, the ghost drew its bow. Yu knocked the arrow aside with his sword and it fell. He moved to strike, but the ghost had drawn again. Yu leapt aside; the arrow lodged in the wall and quivered there, humming. The ghost was furious. It drew the knife at its belt, swung it like the wind and hewed at Yu with all its strength. Yu darted in like a monkey. The blade struck a stone in the courtyard, and the stone split clean through. Yu came out between its legs and slashed at its ankle. There was a clang. The ghost grew angrier still, roared like thunder and turned to chop at him again. Again Yu ducked in. The blade came down and cut through the skirt of his gown. Yu was already under its ribs. He hacked at it hard; again there was a clang, and the ghost toppled and lay stiff. Yu struck at it all over, and it sounded as hard as a watchman’s clapper. He held up the candle: it was a wooden figure, tall and big as a man. The bow and arrows were still tied at its waist, and its carved and painted face was hideous. Wherever the sword had struck, blood was coming out. Yu sat holding the candle till dawn. Only then did he understand that all these ghosts had been sent by the diviner, who meant to kill him and so prove his art.
次日，遍告交知，與共詣卜所。卜人遙見公，瞥不可見。或曰：「皆翳形術也，犬血可破。」公如言，戒備而往。卜人又匿如前。急以犬血沃立處，但見卜人頭面，皆為犬血模糊，目灼灼如鬼立。乃執付有司而殺之。
第二天，於公把事情告訴所有朋友和熟人，和他們一起到占卜的地方去。占卜的人遠遠看見他，轉眼便不見了。有人說：「這些都是隱身術，狗血可以破除。」於公照他說的，做好準備再去。占卜的人又像先前一樣隱身了。他們急忙把狗血潑到他站著的地方，只見那人的頭臉都被狗血塗得模糊不清，眼睛灼灼發亮，像鬼一樣站在那裡。大家便把他抓住，交給官府，處死了。
次日，遍告交知，与共诣卜所。卜人遥见公，瞥不可见。或曰：「皆翳形术也，犬血可破。」公如言，戒备而往。卜人又匿如前。急以犬血沃立处，但见卜人头面，皆为犬血模糊，目灼灼如鬼立。乃执付有司而杀之。
第二天，于公把事情告诉所有朋友和熟人，和他们一起到占卜的地方去。占卜的人远远看见他，转眼便不见了。有人说：“这些都是隐身术，狗血可以破除。”于公照他说的，做好准备再去。占卜的人又像先前一样隐身了。他们急忙把狗血泼到他站着的地方，只见那人的头脸都被狗血涂得模糊不清，眼睛灼灼发亮，像鬼一样站在那里。大家便把他抓住，交给官府，处死了。
The next day he told all his friends and acquaintances, and went with them to the diviner’s stall. The diviner saw Yu from far off and in a flash was gone. Someone said, “That is the art of hiding one’s shape. Dog’s blood will break it.” Yu did as he was told and went back prepared. The diviner hid again as before. They quickly poured dog’s blood over the spot where he had been standing, and there they saw the diviner’s head and face, all smeared with dog’s blood, his eyes glaring, standing there like a ghost. They seized him and handed him over to the authorities, and he was put to death.
異史氏曰：「嘗謂買卜為一痴。世之講此道而不爽于生死者幾人？卜之而爽，猶不卜也。且即明明告我以死期之至，將復如何？況借人命以神其術者，其可畏尤甚耶！」
異史氏說：「我一向認為，花錢占卜是一種愚蠢的行為。世上幹這一行的人，有幾個對人的生死從不說錯？占卜的結果如果會錯，就跟沒佔一樣。再說，即使明明白白告訴我死期到了，我又能怎麼辦？何況還有人要拿別人的性命來顯出自己法術的神奇，這種人豈不是更加可怕！」
异史氏曰：「尝谓买卜为一痴。世之讲此道而不爽于生死者几人？卜之而爽，犹不卜也。且即明明告我以死期之至，将复如何？况借人命以神其术者，其可畏尤甚耶！」
异史氏说：“我一向认为，花钱占卜是一种愚蠢的行为。世上干这一行的人，有几个对人的生死从不说错？占卜的结果如果会错，就跟没占一样。再说，即使明明白白告诉我死期到了，我又能怎么办？何况还有人要拿别人的性命来显出自己法术的神奇，这种人岂不是更加可怕！”
The Historian of the Strange says: I have always held that paying for a fortune is a kind of folly. Of all those in the world who practise this art, how many are never wrong about life and death? If the answer may be wrong, you might as well not ask. And even if it told me plainly that my hour of death was at hand, what could I do about it? How much more to be feared are those who would take a man’s life to make their art seem divine!