宋時（西元960年-1279年），一個名叫許仙的年輕男孩救下一條白蛇，實際上這是一個名叫白素貞的蛇妖。幾年後，男孩成為一名書生，在西湖的“斷橋”處邂逅一位拿紙傘的美麗女子。

Set in the Song Dynasty (960-1279AD), there was once a young boy named Xu Xian who saved a white snake who was actually a spirit named Bai Suzhen. Years later, the boy became a scholar and met a beautiful lady with an umbrella at the "Broken Bridge" by the West Lake.

　　下雨時由於許仙沒有傘，那名女子借給他傘後離開。許仙不知的是，這其實是他曾經救下的那條白蛇知恩圖報。他們相愛生下一子。然而，因為人妖殊途他們的結合違背了天條，所以法力高深的法海發現時，強迫白素貞顯現原形，希望許仙離開她。由於夫妻真心相愛，計策失敗，法海遂將白素貞囚于雷峰塔。

As it was raining and he did not have an umbrella, the lady offered him hers and left. Unknown to Xu Xian, this lady was the White Snake Spirit he had saved and she had returned to repay his kindness by helping him whenever he needed a hand. They fell in love and their marriage produced a son. However, their union was against heavenly laws as mortal and demons belonged to different realms, so when they were discovered by Fa Hai, a monk who had magical powers, Fa Hai forced Bai to reveal her true form in the hope that Xu would leave her. As the couple genuinely loved each other this attempt failed, so Fa Hai imprisoned Bai in the Leifeng Pagoda for all eternity.

　　在此傳説有些版本，他們的兒子成為朝廷高官卻思母成疾，天庭被他的孝道感動釋放了白素貞，白素貞成仙卻由於天條永遠與家人團聚。雖然結局不如囚于雷鋒塔悲慘，但仍然被認為是一個悲劇性的結局，因為相愛的兩人仍然分離。

In some versions of this legend, Xu raised their son to become an imperial top scholar who returned to pay respect to his mother, and as a result of her son’s filial piety. The heavens were touched and Bai was released. She attained immortality and rose to the celestial realm, forever unable to reunite with her family because of the heavenly laws. Although this version is not as tragic as her eternal imprisonment in the pagoda, it is still considered a tragic ending as the lovers are still separated for all eternity.

　　現在，白素貞被認為是善良可愛的，儘管作為一名妖怪，通常在民間傳説中形象不好。但對於許多人來説，斷橋和白堤，彰顯了夫妻之間永恒的愛虛無的夢想。

Today, Bai is regarded by the people as a kind and loving fairy despite superstitiously being considered a spirit, which, in folklore, is equivalent to a demon. To many, the Broken Bridge at Baidi (Bai Causeway) epitomizes the lingering remnants of the couple's eternal love and evanescent dreams. 

(中國網作者楊雲寒  見習作者 胡金)

來源：     | 作者：中國網楊雲寒 見習 胡金    | 責編：胡金    審核：張淵

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