文登霍生，與嚴生少相狎，長相謔也。口給交御，惟恐不工。霍有鄰嫗，曾與嚴妻導產。偶與霍婦語，言其私處有贅疣。婦以告霍。霍與同黨者謀，窺嚴將至，故竊語雲：「某妻與我最昵。」眾不信。霍因捏造端末，且雲：「如不信，其陰側有雙疣。」嚴止窗外，聽之既悉，不入徑去。至家，苦掠其妻；妻不伏，搒益殘。妻不堪虐，自經死。霍始大悔，然亦不敢向嚴而白其誣矣。
文登的霍生和嚴生從小就十分親近，長大後常常互相戲弄。兩人都能言善辯，彼此用話招架，只怕自己的話說得不夠巧妙。霍生有個老年女鄰居，曾給嚴生的妻子接生。一次，她和霍生的妻子閒談，說起嚴生妻子的私處長著贅疣。霍生的妻子把這話告訴了霍生。霍生便和幾個同伴商量，見嚴生快要來了，就故意低聲說：「嚴生的妻子和我最親密。」眾人表示不信，霍生便從頭到尾編造了一番，又說：「如果不信，她私處旁邊有兩個贅疣。」嚴生停在窗外，把這些話全聽見了，沒有進屋，徑直離開。回到家，他殘酷地拷打妻子，逼她承認私通。妻子不肯認，嚴生便打得更加兇狠。妻子忍受不了虐待，上吊死了。霍生這才深深後悔，卻也不敢去向嚴生說明，那些話都是自己編造的。
文登霍生，与严生少相狎，长相谑也。口给交御，惟恐不工。霍有邻妪，曾与严妻导产。偶与霍妇语，言其私处有赘疣。妇以告霍。霍与同党者谋，窥严将至，故窃语云：「某妻与我最昵。」众不信。霍因捏造端末，且云：「如不信，其阴侧有双疣。」严止窗外，听之既悉，不入径去。至家，苦掠其妻；妻不伏，搒益残。妻不堪虐，自经死。霍始大悔，然亦不敢向严而白其诬矣。
文登的霍生和严生从小就十分亲近，长大后常常互相戏弄。两人都能言善辩，彼此用话招架，只怕自己的话说得不够巧妙。霍生有个老年女邻居，曾给严生的妻子接生。一次，她和霍生的妻子闲谈，说起严生妻子的私处长着赘疣。霍生的妻子把这话告诉了霍生。霍生便和几个同伴商量，见严生快要来了，就故意低声说：“严生的妻子和我最亲密。”众人表示不信，霍生便从头到尾编造了一番，又说：“如果不信，她私处旁边有两个赘疣。”严生停在窗外，把这些话全听见了，没有进屋，径直离开。回到家，他残酷地拷打妻子，逼她承认私通。妻子不肯认，严生便打得更加凶狠。妻子忍受不了虐待，上吊死了。霍生这才深深后悔，却也不敢去向严生说明，那些话都是自己编造的。
A scholar of Wendeng named Huo had been on familiar terms with a scholar named Yan since they were boys, and as they grew up they took to teasing each other. They traded quick-tongued gibes, each afraid only that his own were not sharp enough. Huo had an old woman for a neighbour who had once been midwife to Yan’s wife. Chatting one day with Huo’s wife, she happened to mention that Yan’s wife had warts on her private parts. Huo’s wife told Huo. Huo laid a plan with his companions. Watching for when Yan was about to arrive, he whispered, on purpose, “Yan’s wife and I are very close.” The others did not believe him. So Huo made up the whole affair from start to finish, and added, “If you don’t believe me — she has two warts beside her private parts.” Yan had stopped outside the window and heard every word. He did not go in, but went straight away. At home he beat his wife cruelly to make her confess. She would not admit it, and the beatings grew more savage. Unable to bear the abuse, she hanged herself. Only then did Huo bitterly regret it, but he did not dare go to Yan and tell him it had been a lie.
嚴妻既死，其鬼夜哭，舉家不得寧焉。無何，嚴暴卒，鬼乃不哭。霍婦夢女子披髮大叫曰：「我死得良苦，汝夫妻何得歡樂耶？」既醒而病，數日尋卒。霍亦夢女子指數詬罵，以掌批其吻。驚而寤，覺脣際隱痛，捫之高起，三日而成雙疣。遂為痼疾。不敢大言笑；啟吻太驟，則痛不可忍。
嚴生的妻子死後，她的鬼魂每夜哭泣，鬧得全家不得安寧。沒過多久，嚴生突然死了，鬼魂才不再哭泣。霍生的妻子夢見一個披頭散髮的女子，大聲叫道：「我死得那麼苦，你們夫妻憑什麼還能快快樂樂地過日子？」醒來後，她便病倒了，幾天後就死了。霍生也夢見那個女子，指著他一項項數說他的罪過，破口大罵，又用手掌打他的嘴。他驚醒後，覺得嘴唇邊隱隱作痛，伸手摸去，那裡已經腫起，三天後便長成兩個贅疣，從此成了無法治癒的病。他不敢大聲說話，也不敢大笑；只要張嘴太猛，就會疼得受不了。
严妻既死，其鬼夜哭，举家不得宁焉。无何，严暴卒，鬼乃不哭。霍妇梦女子披发大叫曰：「我死得良苦，汝夫妻何得欢乐耶？」既醒而病，数日寻卒。霍亦梦女子指数诟骂，以掌批其吻。惊而寤，觉唇际隐痛，扪之高起，三日而成双疣。遂为痼疾。不敢大言笑；启吻太骤，则痛不可忍。
严生的妻子死后，她的鬼魂每夜哭泣，闹得全家不得安宁。没过多久，严生突然死了，鬼魂才不再哭泣。霍生的妻子梦见一个披头散发的女子，大声叫道：“我死得那么苦，你们夫妻凭什么还能快快乐乐地过日子？”醒来后，她便病倒了，几天后就死了。霍生也梦见那个女子，指着他一项项数说他的罪过，破口大骂，又用手掌打他的嘴。他惊醒后，觉得嘴唇边隐隐作痛，伸手摸去，那里已经肿起，三天后便长成两个赘疣，从此成了无法治愈的病。他不敢大声说话，也不敢大笑；只要张嘴太猛，就会疼得受不了。
After Yan’s wife died, her ghost wept every night, and the whole household had no peace. Before long Yan died suddenly, and then the ghost stopped weeping. Huo’s wife dreamt of a woman with her hair hanging loose, who screamed at her, “My death was bitter indeed. What right have you and your husband to be happy?” She woke up ill, and a few days later she died. Huo too dreamt of the woman. She pointed at him, counted off his wrongs and cursed him, and slapped him across the mouth. He woke with a start and felt a dull ache at the edge of his lips. When he touched the place it was swollen, and in three days it had become two warts. They never went away. He did not dare talk loudly or laugh; if he opened his mouth too suddenly, the pain was more than he could bear.