平城冷生，少最鈍，年二十餘，未能通一經。忽有狐來，與之燕處。每聞其終夜語，即兄弟詰之，亦不肯洩。如是多日，忽得狂易病：每得題為文，則閉門枯坐；少時，譁然大笑。窺之，則手不停草，而一藝成矣。脫稿又文思精妙。是年入泮，明年食餼。每逢場作笑，響徹堂壁，由此「笑生」之名大譟。幸學使退休，不聞。後值某學使規矩嚴肅，終日危坐堂上。忽聞笑聲，怒執之，將以加責。執事官代白其顛。學使怒稍息，釋之而黜其名。從此佯狂詩酒。著有「顛草」四卷，超拔可誦。
平城有個冷生，年輕時極為愚鈍，到了二十多歲，還沒有讀通一部經書。忽然有隻狐狸來，和他一起閒居。家裡人常聽見他們整夜說話，即使兄弟們追問，他也不肯透露。這樣過了許多天，他忽然得了瘋病：每次拿到題目要寫文章，就關上門，呆呆坐著；過一會兒，突然放聲大笑。有人偷看，只見他手不停筆，很快就寫成一篇文章。看那成稿，構思又十分精妙。這一年，他考中了秀才，第二年便有了官府發給的糧食補助。每次應試，他都要大笑，笑聲震響考場的牆壁，因此「笑生」的名聲傳得很廣。幸好學使當時退下休息，沒有聽見。後來遇上一位規矩嚴厲的學使，整天端坐在堂上，忽然聽見笑聲，便怒氣衝衝地把他抓來，要加以責打。辦事的官員替他解釋，說他有瘋病。學使的怒氣稍稍平息，放了他，卻革除了他的功名。從此，他便裝瘋，整日吟詩飲酒。他著有四卷《顛草》，才思超群，值得誦讀。
平城冷生，少最钝，年二十余，未能通一经。忽有狐来，与之燕处。每闻其终夜语，即兄弟诘之，亦不肯泄。如是多日，忽得狂易病：每得题为文，则闭门枯坐；少时，哗然大笑。窥之，则手不停草，而一艺成矣。脱稿又文思精妙。是年入泮，明年食饩。每逢场作笑，响彻堂壁，由此「笑生」之名大噪。幸学使退休，不闻。后值某学使规矩严肃，终日危坐堂上。忽闻笑声，怒执之，将以加责。执事官代白其颠。学使怒稍息，释之而黜其名。从此佯狂诗酒。着有「颠草」四卷，超拔可诵。
平城有个冷生，年轻时极为愚钝，到了二十多岁，还没有读通一部经书。忽然有只狐狸来，和他一起闲居。家里人常听见他们整夜说话，即使兄弟们追问，他也不肯透露。这样过了许多天，他忽然得了疯病：每次拿到题目要写文章，就关上门，呆呆坐着；过一会儿，突然放声大笑。有人偷看，只见他手不停笔，很快就写成一篇文章。看那成稿，构思又十分精妙。这一年，他考中了秀才，第二年便有了官府发给的粮食补助。每次应试，他都要大笑，笑声震响考场的墙壁，因此“笑生”的名声传得很广。幸好学使当时退下休息，没有听见。后来遇上一位规矩严厉的学使，整天端坐在堂上，忽然听见笑声，便怒气冲冲地把他抓来，要加以责打。办事的官员替他解释，说他有疯病。学使的怒气稍稍平息，放了他，却革除了他的功名。从此，他便装疯，整日吟诗饮酒。他著有四卷《颠草》，才思超群，值得诵读。
A scholar of Pingcheng named Leng was the dullest of boys, and past twenty he still had not mastered a single Classic. Then a fox came and settled in with him. People often heard the two of them talking all night, but even when his brothers questioned him he would let nothing out. After many days of this, he was suddenly seized by a kind of madness. Whenever he was set a topic for an essay, he would shut his door and sit there, blank and motionless; after a little while he would burst into loud laughter. If you peeped in, his hand was moving across the page without a pause, and an essay was done. And the finished piece was finely and subtly thought. That year he entered the county school, and the year after he was given a stipend. At every examination he laughed, and the sound rang off the walls of the hall, so that the name “the Laughing Scholar” spread far and wide. Luckily the education commissioner had withdrawn to rest and did not hear it. Later came a commissioner who was strict about the rules and sat bolt upright in the hall all day. Suddenly he heard laughter. In a rage he had Leng seized and was about to have him beaten. The officials on duty explained for him that he was mad. The commissioner’s anger cooled a little; he let Leng go, but struck his name from the rolls. From then on Leng played the madman among poetry and wine. He wrote a book called Mad Drafts, in four volumes, of rare distinction and well worth reading aloud.