三国演义英文版-第208部分

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Cao　Cao　at　once　sent　people　to　fell　the　tree。　But　after　one　whole　day　of　labor　they　came　back　to　say　they　could　make　no　impression　on　it　neither　with　saw　nor　ax。　Cao　Cao；　doubting　their　word；　went　to　see。　When　he　had　dismounted　and　stood　by　the　tree；　he　could　not　but　admire　its　size　and　proportions；　as　it　rose　above　him　tall；　straight　and　branched　till　the　wide…spreading　and　symmetrical　top　reached　into　the　clouds。　But　he　bade　the　men　attack　it　again。
Then　a　few　aged　people　of　the　village　came　and　said；　〃The　tree　has　stood　here　some　centuries　and　is　the　haunt　of　a　spirit。　We　think　it　should　not　be　cut　down。〃
Cao　Cao　grew　annoyed；　saying；　〃I　have　gone　to　and　fro　in　the　world　now　some　thirty　years；　and　there　is　no　one；　from　the　Emperor　to　the　moner；　who　does　not　fear　me。　What　spirit　is　there　who　dares　oppose　my　wish？〃
Drawing　the　sword　he　was　wearing；　Cao　Cao　went　up　to　the　tree　and　slashed　at　the　trunk。　The　tree　groaned　as　he　struck；　and　blood　stains　spattered　his　dress。　Terror…stricken；　he　threw　down　the　sword；　mounted　his　horse　and　galloped　off。
But　that　evening　when　he　retired　to　rest；　he　could　not　sleep。　He　rose；　went　into　the　outer　room；　and　sat　there　leaning　on　a　low　table。　Suddenly　a　man　appeared　with　his　hair　unbound；　dressed　in　black　and　carrying　a　naked　sword。
The　visitor　came　straight　toward　Cao　Cao；　stopped　in　front　of　him　and；　pointing；　cried　out；　〃Behold　the　Spirit　of　the　Pear　Tree！　You　may　desire　to　build　your　nine…hall　pavilion；　and　you　may　contemplate　rebellion。　But　when　you　began　to　attack　my　sacred　tree；　the　number　of　your　days　was　acplished。　I　am　e　now　to　slay　you。〃
〃Where　are　the　guards？〃　shouted　Cao　Cao　in　terror。
The　figure　struck　at　him　with　the　sword。　Cao　Cao　cried　out　and　then　awoke。　His　head　was　aching　unbearably。
They　sought　the　best　physicians　for　him；　but　they　failed　to　relieve　the　terrible　pain。　Sympathy　for　their　lord　was　universal　among　Cao　Cao's　subordinates。
Hua　Xin　one　day　said　to　his　master；　〃My　lord；　have　you　heard　of　Hua　Tuo？〃
〃Do　you　mean　him　of　Qiao　who　cured　Zhou　Tai？〃
〃Yes；　that　is　he；〃　replied　Hua　Xin。
〃I　have　heard　something　of　his　fame；　but　I　know　nothing　of　his　capabilities　in　his　art。〃
〃He　is　very　clever；　there　are　few　so　skillful。　If　one　is　ill　and　calls　him　in；　he　knows　immediately　whether　to　use　drugs；　or　the　needle；　or　the　cutlery；　and　the　patient　finds　relief　at　once。　Let　one　suffer　from　an　internal　plaint　and　drugs　are　ineffectual；　with　a　dose　of　hashish　he　throws　the　patient　into　a　state　of　perfect　insensibility　and　then　opens　the　abdomen　and　washes　the　affected　organs　with　a　medicament。　The　patient　feels　no　pain。　When　the　cleansing　is　plete；　he　sews　up　the　wound　with　thread；　dresses　it；　and　in　a　month　or　less　the　patient　is　well。　This　shows　you　how　skillful　he　is。
〃One　day　Hua　Tuo　was　traveling；　when　he　heard　a　man　by　the　wayside　groaning　with　pain。　'That　is　dyspepsia；'　said　Hua　Tuo。　And　further　questions　confirmed　the　diagnosis。　He　prescribed　long　draughts　of　the　juice　of　garlic　as　an　emetic；　and　the　man　vomited　a　worm。　After　this　the　man　was　quite　well。
〃Chen　Deng；　the　Governor　of　Guangling；　suffered　from　a　heavy　feeling　at　the　heart。　His　face　was　red　and　congested；　and　he　had　no　appetite。　Hua　Tuo　gave　him　a　drug；　and　he　threw　up　many　internal　wriggling　parasites　with　red　heads。　The　Governor　asked　what　had　caused　the　trouble；　and　Hua　Tuo　told　him　that　he　ate　too　much　strong　smelling　fish。　He　could　cure　Chen　Deng　this　once；　but　in　three　years　the　disease　would　recur；　and　then　nothing　could　save　him。　Three　later　Chen　Deng　died。
〃Another　man　had　a　tumor　between　the　eyes；　and　it　itched　intolerably。　Hua　Tuo　examined　it　and　said　there　was　a　bird　in　it。　The　tumor　was　opened；　and；　surely　enough；　a　canary　flew　out。　The　patient　was　relieved。

＇e＇　Bian　Que　is　the　earliest　of　the　legendary　doctors　of　Chinese　medicine　after　the　time　of　the　Yellow　Emperor　and　his　advisors。　Credited　with　incredible　healing　knowledge；　stories　of　his　life　and　treatments　are　used　in　teaching　and　known　to　all　Chinese　medicine　practitioners　today。　。。。。。
〃A　dog　bit　a　man's　toe；　and　two　tumorous　growths　ensued；　one　of　which　itched　intolerably　and　the　other　pained　severely。　Hua　Tuo　said　the　painful　one　contained　ten　needles；　and　the　other　a　couple　of　chess　pips；　black　and　white。　He　opened　the　two　swellings；　and　the　contents　were　as　he　had　said。　Really　he　is　of　the　same　class　of　physician　as　masters　Bian　Que*　and　Zang　Kong　of　old　times。　He　lives　at　Jincheng；　not　far　away；　and　could　be　here　very　soon。〃
Cao　Cao　summoned　him。　As　soon　as　he　arrived；　Hua　Tuo　felt　the　pulse　and　made　careful　examination。
〃Prince；　your　headaches　are　due　to　a　malignant　humor　within　the　brain　case。　The　humor　is　too　thick　to　get　out。　Swallowing　drugs　will　do　no　good。　But　I　propose　to　administer　a　dose　of　hashish；　then　open　the　brain　case　and　remove　the　thickened　humor。　That　will　be　a　radical　cure。〃
〃You　mean　you　want　to　kill　me？〃　cried　Cao　Cao　angrily。
〃O　Prince；　you　have　heard　how　I　cured　Guan　Yu　of　the　poison　that　had　got　into　his　bones？　I　scraped　them；　and　he　did　not　hesitate　a　moment。　Your　malady　is　trifling；　and　why　do　you　mistrust　me？〃
〃A　painful　arm　may　be　scraped；　but　how　can　you　cut　open　a　man's　head？　The　fact　is　you　have　conspired　with　some　of　Guan　Yu's　friends　to　take　this　opportunity　to　make　away　with　me　in　revenge　for　his　death。〃
Cao　Cao　told　his　lictors　to　hale　Hua　Tuo　to　gaol；　and　there　he　was　tortured　to　try　to　find　who　were　his　acplices。
Jia　Xu　pleaded　for　him；　saying；　〃The　man　possesses　rare　skills。　To　kill　him　is　to　waste　his　talents。〃
But　the　intervention　was　of　no　avail。
〃The　man　wants　to　get　a　chance　to　kill　me。　He　is　the　same　sort　of　scoundrel　as　Ji　Ping。〃
The　wretched　physician　was　subjected　to　worse　sufferings。
His　gaoler　was　a　certain　Wu；　nicknamed　〃The　Gaoler〃　by　nearly　everybody。　He　was　kindly　disposed　to　Hua　Tuo　and　saw　that　Hua　Tuo　was　well　fed。
Hua　Tuo　conceived　a　liking　for　his　gaoler　and　said　to　him　one　day；　〃I　am　doomed；　I　know。　The　pity　is　that　my　Black　Bag　treatise　on　medicine　may　be　lost。　You　have　been　most　kind　to　me；　and　as　I　have　no　other　way　of　repensing　you；　I　will　give　you　a　letter　to　my　wife　telling　her　to　send　the　Black　Bag；　and　I　will　give　it　to　you　that　you　may　carry　on　my　art。〃
Wu　the　Gaoler　rejoiced　greatly；　saying；　〃If　I　have　that　book；　I　will　throw　away　the　menial　position　of　gaoler；　travel　about　the　country　healing　sick　folks；　and　spread　your　virtue。〃
The　letter　was　written　and　given　to　Wu　the　Gaoler；　who　lost　no　time　in　traveling　to　Jincheng　to　meet　with　Hua　Tuo's　wife；　and　she　gave　him　the　Black　Bag　to　bring　back　to　Hua　Tuo。　After　Hua　Tuo　had　read　through　the　book　carefully；　he　presented　it　to　Wu　the　Gaoler；　who　took　it　home　and　hid　it　away。
Ten　days　after　this；　Hua　Tuo　died　in　prison。　Wu　the　Gaoler　bought　a　coffin　and　had　him　buried。　This　done；　he　quitted　the　prison　and　went　home。　But　when　he　asked　for　the　book；　he　found　that　his　wife　had　discovered　it　and　was　using　it　to　light　the　fire。　He　snatched　away　what　was　left　of　it；　but　a　whole　volume　was　missing；　and　what　was　left　amounted　only　to　several　pages。　He　vented　his　anger　in　cursing　his　wife。
But　she　retorted；　saying；　〃If　you　bee　such　a　learned　person　as　Hua　Tuo；　you　will　only　die　in　prison　like　him。　What　good　did　it　all　do　him？〃
It　struck　Wu　the　Gaoler　that　there　was　something　in　what　she　said；　and　he　ceased　grumbling　at　her。　But　the　upshot　of　all　this　was　that　the　learning　in　the　〃Treatise　of　the　Black　Bag〃　was　finally　lost　to　the　world；　for　what　was　left　only　contained　the　recipes　relating　to　domestic　animals。

Hua　Tuo　was　the　ablest　of　physician；
Seeing　what　diseases　were　lurking　within　beings。
Alas！　That　he　died；　and　his　writings
Followed　him　to　the　Nine　Golden　Springs。

Meanwhile；　Cao　Cao　became　worse；　the　uncertainty　of　the　intentions　of　his　rivals　aggravating　his　disease　not　a　little。　Then　they　said　an　envoy　had　e　with　letter　from　Wu；　and　it　ran　like　this：
〃Thy　servant；　Sun　Quan；　has　long　seen　destiny　indicates　Your　Highness　as　master　of　all；　and　looks　forward　with　confidence　to　your　early　accession　to　the　dignity　of　the　Son　of　God。　If　you　will　send　your　armies　to　destroy　Liu　Bei　and　sweep　rebellion　from　the　two　River　Lands；　thy　servant　at　the　head　of　his　armies　will　submit　and　accept　his　land　as　a　fief。〃
Cao　Cao　laughed　as　he　read　this；　and　he　said　to　his　officers；　〃Is　this　youth　trying　to　put　me　on　a　furnace？〃
But　Minister　Chen　Qun　and　the　attendants　seriously　replied；　〃O　Prince；　the　Hans　have　been　feeble　too　long；　while　your　virtues　and　merits　are　like　the　mountains。　All　the　people　look　to　you；　and　when　Sun　Quan　acknowledged　himself　as　your　minister；　he　is　but　responsive　to　the　will　of　God　and　the　desire　of　humans。　It　is　wrong　that　you　oppose　when　such　contrary　influences　work　to　a　mon　end；　and　you　must　soon　ascend　to　the　high　place。〃

＇e＇　King　Wen；　aka　the　Scholar　King；　founder　of　the　Zhou　Dynasty；　father　of　King　Wu。　King　Wen　did　not　actually　founded　the　dynasty；　but　he　laid　the　foundation　for　Zhou。　At　the　end　of　Shang　Dynasty；　the　state　Zhou　of　King　Wen　had　already　possessed　two…thirds　of　the　empire；　but　King　Wen　still　faithfully　served　the　last　emperor　of　Shang。　The　final　conquest　was　pleted　by　King　Wu　and　King　Wu's　brother；　the　Duke　of　Zhou。　。。。。。
Cao　Cao　smiled。　〃I　have　served　the　Hans　for　many　years。　Even　if　I　have　acquired　some　merit；　yet　I　have　been　rewarded　with　a　princedom　and　high　rank。　I　dare　not　aspire　to　greater　things。　If　the　finger　of　heaven　points　to　me；　then　shall　I　be　as　King　Wen　of　Zhou*。〃
〃As　Sun　Quan　acknowledges　himself　your　servant　and　promises　obedience；　you；　my　lord；　can　confer　a　title　upon　him　and　assign　to　him　the　duty　of　attacking　Liu　Bei；〃　said　Sima　Yi。
Approving　of　the　suggestion；　Cao　Cao　gave　Sun　Quan　the　titles　of　General　of　the　Flying　Cavalry　and　Lord　of　Nanzhang；　and　appointed　him　to　the　Imperial　Protectorship　of　Jingzhou。　Forthwith　this　mand　was　sent　away　to　Sun　Quan。
Cao　Cao's　condition　grew　worse　daily。　One　night　he　had　a　dream　of　three　horses　feeding　out　of　the　same　manger。
Next　day　he　told　it　to　Jia　Xu；　saying；　〃I　saw　three　horses　feeding　on　the　same　manger　before　the　family　of　Ma　Teng　was　harmed。　Last　night　I　saw　the　same　dream　again。　How　do　you　interpret　it？〃
〃The　horses　were　feeding　on　bounty：　It　is　auspicious　to　dream　of　dignity；〃　replied　J