許盛，兗人。從兄成，賈於閩，貨未居積。客言大聖靈著，將禱諸祠。盛未知大聖何神，與兄俱往。至則殿閣連蔓，窮極弘麗。入殿瞻仰，神猴首人身，蓋齊天大聖孫悟空云。諸客肅然起敬，無敢有惰容。盛素剛直，竊笑世俗之陋。眾焚奠叩祝，盛潛去之。既歸，兄責其慢。盛曰：「孫悟空乃丘翁之寓言，何遂誠信如此？如其有神，刀槊雷霆，余自受之！」逆旅主人聞呼大聖名，皆搖手失色，若恐大聖聞。盛見其狀，益譁辨之；聽者皆掩耳而走。
許盛是兗地人，跟隨哥哥許成到閩地做生意，還沒來得及置辦貨物。有商人說大聖十分靈驗，準備到祠裡祈禱。許盛不知道大聖是什麼神，便和哥哥一同前往。到了那裡，只見殿堂樓閣連綿不斷，宏偉華麗到了極點。進入大殿瞻仰，神像是猴頭人身，原來就是齊天大聖孫悟空。商人們都肅然起敬，沒有一個敢露出怠慢的神情。許盛向來剛直，暗自嘲笑世俗的淺陋。眾人焚香祭奠，叩頭祈禱，他卻悄悄走了。回去後，哥哥責備他不敬神。許盛說：「孫悟空不過是丘翁寫的寓言人物，怎麼竟這樣認真地相信他？如果他真有神力，刀槍雷霆，我自己承受就是！」客店主人等人聽見他直呼大聖的名字，都連連擺手，臉色大變，像是害怕被大聖聽見。許盛見他們這樣，越發大聲爭辯，聽的人全都捂著耳朵跑了。
许盛，兖人。从兄成，贾于闽，货未居积。客言大圣灵着，将祷诸祠。盛未知大圣何神，与兄俱往。至则殿阁连蔓，穷极弘丽。入殿瞻仰，神猴首人身，盖齐天大圣孙悟空云。诸客肃然起敬，无敢有惰容。盛素刚直，窃笑世俗之陋。众焚奠叩祝，盛潜去之。既归，兄责其慢。盛曰：「孙悟空乃丘翁之寓言，何遂诚信如此？如其有神，刀槊雷霆，余自受之！」逆旅主人闻呼大圣名，皆摇手失色，若恐大圣闻。盛见其状，益哗辨之；听者皆掩耳而走。
许盛是兖地人，跟随哥哥许成到闽地做生意，还没来得及置办货物。有商人说大圣十分灵验，准备到祠里祈祷。许盛不知道大圣是什么神，便和哥哥一同前往。到了那里，只见殿堂楼阁连绵不断，宏伟华丽到了极点。进入大殿瞻仰，神像是猴头人身，原来就是齐天大圣孙悟空。商人们都肃然起敬，没有一个敢露出怠慢的神情。许盛向来刚直，暗自嘲笑世俗的浅陋。众人焚香祭奠，叩头祈祷，他却悄悄走了。回去后，哥哥责备他不敬神。许盛说：“孙悟空不过是丘翁写的寓言人物，怎么竟这样认真地相信他？如果他真有神力，刀枪雷霆，我自己承受就是！”客店主人等人听见他直呼大圣的名字，都连连摆手，脸色大变，像是害怕被大圣听见。许盛见他们这样，越发大声争辩，听的人全都捂着耳朵跑了。
Xu Sheng was a man of Yanzhou. He went with his elder brother Cheng to trade in Fujian. Before they had laid in their goods, some of the merchants said the Great Sage worked powerful wonders, and they were going to pray at his shrine. Sheng did not know what sort of god the Great Sage was, and went along with his brother. When they arrived, they found halls and pavilions stretching one after another, as vast and splendid as could be. They went into the main hall and looked up: the god had a monkey’s head on a man’s body. It was, so they said, Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. The merchants were all filled with awe, and none dared look the least bit careless. Sheng had always been blunt and upright, and he laughed to himself at the crude ways of common folk. While the others burned incense, poured offerings, kowtowed and prayed, he slipped away. When they got back, his brother scolded him for his disrespect. “Sun Wukong is a fable made up by old Qiu,” said Sheng. “How can you believe in him so devoutly? If he has any divine power, let him send swords and spears and thunderbolts — I’ll take them myself!” Hearing him shout the Great Sage’s name, the innkeeper and his people all waved their hands and went pale, as if afraid the Great Sage would hear. Seeing this, Sheng argued all the louder, and those listening covered their ears and ran.
至夜，盛果病，頭痛大作。或勸詣祠謝，盛不聽。未幾，頭小愈，股又痛，竟夜生巨疽，連足盡腫，寢食俱廢。兄代禱，迄無驗。或言：神譴須自祝。盛卒不信。月餘，瘡漸斂，而又一疽生，其痛倍苦。醫來，以刀割腐肉，血溢盈椀；恐人神其詞，故忍而不呻。又月餘，始就平復。而兄又大病。盛曰：「何如矣！敬神者亦復如是，足徵余之疾，非由悟空也。」兄聞其言，益恚，謂神遷怒，責弟不為代禱。盛曰：「兄弟猶手足。前日支體糜爛而不之禱；今豈以手足之病，而易吾守乎？」但為延醫剉藥，而不從其禱。藥下，兄暴斃。盛慘痛結於心腹，買棺殮兄已，投祠指神而數之曰：「兄病，謂汝遷怒，使我不能自白。倘爾有神，當令死者復生。余即北面稱弟子，不敢有異辭；不然，當以汝處三清之法，還處汝身，亦以破吾兄地下之惑。」
到了夜裡，許盛果然病了，頭痛得十分厲害。有人勸他到祠裡賠罪，他不聽。不久，頭痛稍稍好轉，大腿又痛起來，一夜之間長出一個大膿瘡，整條腿直到腳都腫了，既不能睡，也吃不下飯。哥哥替他祈禱，始終沒有效果。有人說，這是神的懲罰，必須自己去祈禱，許盛到底還是不信。過了一個多月，瘡漸漸收口，卻又長出一個膿瘡，疼痛加倍難熬。醫生來用刀割掉腐肉，流出的血盛滿了一碗。他怕別人把這些說成神力的證明，便忍著不呻吟。又過了一個多月，才漸漸痊癒。哥哥卻又得了重病。許盛說：「怎麼樣！敬神的人也落到這個地步，足以證明我的病不是孫悟空造成的。」哥哥聽了更加惱怒，說是神遷怒於自己，責怪弟弟不替他祈禱。許盛說：「兄弟就像手足。前些時候，我自己的肢體爛成那樣，都沒有去祈禱，如今怎麼能因為手足生病，就改變自己的堅持呢？」他只替哥哥請醫生、配藥，不肯依他的話去祈禱。藥喝下去，哥哥突然死了。許盛悲痛得心腹都像絞在一起，買來棺材，裝殮了哥哥，便到祠裡指著神像，歷數他的過錯，說：「哥哥生病，說是你遷怒於他，使我無法表明自己沒有過錯。假如你真有神力，就該讓死者復活。我就拜你為師，不敢再說反對的話；不然，我要把你當初對付三清的辦法，用到你自己身上，也好破除我哥哥在地下的迷惑。」
至夜，盛果病，头痛大作。或劝诣祠谢，盛不听。未几，头小愈，股又痛，竟夜生巨疽，连足尽肿，寝食俱废。兄代祷，迄无验。或言：神谴须自祝。盛卒不信。月余，疮渐敛，而又一疽生，其痛倍苦。医来，以刀割腐肉，血溢盈椀；恐人神其词，故忍而不呻。又月余，始就平复。而兄又大病。盛曰：「何如矣！敬神者亦复如是，足征余之疾，非由悟空也。」兄闻其言，益恚，谓神迁怒，责弟不为代祷。盛曰：「兄弟犹手足。前日支体糜烂而不之祷；今岂以手足之病，而易吾守乎？」但为延医剉药，而不从其祷。药下，兄暴毙。盛惨痛结于心腹，买棺殓兄已，投祠指神而数之曰：「兄病，谓汝迁怒，使我不能自白。倘尔有神，当令死者复生。余即北面称弟子，不敢有异辞；不然，当以汝处三清之法，还处汝身，亦以破吾兄地下之惑。」
到了夜里，许盛果然病了，头痛得十分厉害。有人劝他到祠里赔罪，他不听。不久，头痛稍稍好转，大腿又痛起来，一夜之间长出一个大脓疮，整条腿直到脚都肿了，既不能睡，也吃不下饭。哥哥替他祈祷，始终没有效果。有人说，这是神的惩罚，必须自己去祈祷，许盛到底还是不信。过了一个多月，疮渐渐收口，却又长出一个脓疮，疼痛加倍难熬。医生来用刀割掉腐肉，流出的血盛满了一碗。他怕别人把这些说成神力的证明，便忍着不呻吟。又过了一个多月，才渐渐痊愈。哥哥却又得了重病。许盛说：“怎么样！敬神的人也落到这个地步，足以证明我的病不是孙悟空造成的。”哥哥听了更加恼怒，说是神迁怒于自己，责怪弟弟不替他祈祷。许盛说：“兄弟就像手足。前些时候，我自己的肢体烂成那样，都没有去祈祷，如今怎么能因为手足生病，就改变自己的坚持呢？”他只替哥哥请医生、配药，不肯依他的话去祈祷。药喝下去，哥哥突然死了。许盛悲痛得心腹都像绞在一起，买来棺材，装殓了哥哥，便到祠里指着神像，历数他的过错，说：“哥哥生病，说是你迁怒于他，使我无法表明自己没有过错。假如你真有神力，就该让死者复活。我就拜你为师，不敢再说反对的话；不然，我要把你当初对付三清的办法，用到你自己身上，也好破除我哥哥在地下的迷惑。”
That night Sheng did fall ill, with a violent headache. Someone urged him to go to the shrine and beg forgiveness, but he would not. Before long his head eased a little, but then his thigh began to hurt, and overnight a huge abscess grew there. His whole leg swelled down to the foot, and he could neither eat nor sleep. His brother prayed for him, with no result at all. Someone said, “When a god punishes you, you must pray to him yourself.” Sheng still did not believe it. After a month or so the sore slowly closed, but another abscess grew, twice as painful. The doctor came and cut away the rotten flesh with a knife, and blood overflowed a bowl. Afraid people would make a miracle of it, Sheng bore it without a groan. After another month or so he was well again at last. Then his brother fell gravely ill. “There, you see?” said Sheng. “Those who revere the god fare no better. That proves my illness had nothing to do with Wukong.” This made his brother angrier still. He said the god was venting his wrath on him, and blamed Sheng for not praying on his behalf. “Brothers are like hands and feet,” said Sheng. “When my own limbs were rotting the other day, I did not pray. Am I to give up my principles now for an illness of my hands and feet?” He only sent for a doctor and had medicine ground, and would not pray as his brother asked. The medicine went down, and his brother suddenly died. Grief and pain knotted Sheng’s heart. He bought a coffin and laid his brother in it. Then he went to the shrine, pointed at the god and listed his offences: “When my brother fell ill, they said you were venting your anger on him, and I had no way to clear myself. If you have any divine power, make the dead man live again. Then I will bow to you as your disciple and never say a word against you. If not, I will treat you the way you treated the Three Pure Ones, and so clear up my brother’s delusion down below as well.”