世外桃源
Chinese
- life; age; generation; era; world; lifetimeoutside; in addition; foreign; external
simp. and trad.
(世外桃源)世 外 桃源 Literally: “the Peach Sourse outside the world”.
Alternative forms
- 桃花源 (táohuāyuán)
Etymology
- 晉太元中，武陵人捕魚為業。緣溪行，忘路之遠近。忽逢桃花林，夾岸數百步，中無雜樹，芳草鮮美，落英繽紛，漁人甚異之。復前行，欲窮其林。林盡水源，便得一山，山有小口，仿佛若有光。便舍船，從口入。初極狹，纔通人。復行數十步，豁然開朗。土地平曠，屋舍儼然，有良田、美池、桑竹之屬。阡陌交通，雞犬相聞。其中往來種作，男女衣著，悉如外人。黃髮垂髫，並怡然自樂。見漁人，乃大驚，問所從來，具答之。便要還家，設酒殺雞作食。村中聞有此人，咸來問訊。自云先世避秦時亂，率妻子邑人來此絕境，不復出焉，遂與外人間隔。問今是何世，乃不知有漢，無論魏晉。此人一一為具言所聞，皆嘆惋。餘人各復延至其家，皆出酒食。停數日，辭去。此中人語云：「不足為外人道也。」既出，得其船，便扶向路，處處志之。及郡下，詣太守，說如此。太守即遣人隨其往，尋向所志，遂迷，不復得路。南陽劉子驥，高尚士也，聞之，欣然規往。未果，尋病終。後遂無問津者。 [Classical Chinese, trad.][▼ expand/hide]
- From: Note of the Peach Source (桃花源記), by Tao Yuanming, 421
- Jìn Tàiyuán zhōng, Wǔlíng rén bǔyú wèi yè. Yuán xī xíng, wàng lù zhī yuǎnjìn. Hū féng táohuālín, jiā àn shùbǎi bù, zhōng wú zá shù, fāngcǎo xiānměi, luòyīng bīnfēn, yúrén shèn yìzhī. Fù qiánxíng, yù qióng qí lín. Lín jìn shuǐyuán, biàn dé yī shān, shān yǒu xiǎokǒu, fǎngfú ruò yǒu guāng. Biàn shěchuán, cóng kǒu rù. Chū jí xiá, cái tōngrén. Fù xíng shùshí bù, huòrán kāilǎng. Tǔdì píngkuàng, wūshè yǎnrán, yǒu liángtián, měichí, sāngzhú zhī shǔ. Qiānmò jiāotōng, jīquǎn xiàng wén. Qízhōng wǎnglái zhǒngzuò, nánnǚ yīzhù, xī rú wàirén. Huángfà chuítiáo, bìng yírán zìyuè. Jiàn yúrén, nǎi dàjīng, wèn suǒ cóng lái, jù dá zhī. Biàn yāo huánjiā, shèjiǔ shājī zuòshí. Cūnzhōng wén yǒu cǐrén, xián lái wènxùn. Zì yún xiānshì bì Qín shí luàn, shuài qīzǐ yìrén lái cǐ juéjìng, bù fùchū yān, suì yǔ wàirén jiàngé. Wèn jīn shì héshì, nǎi bùzhī yǒu Hàn, wúlùn Wèi Jìn. Cǐrén yīyī wéi jùyán suǒ wén, jiē tànwǎn. Yúrén gè fù yán zhì qí jiā, jiē chū jiǔshí. Tíng shù rì, cíqù. Cǐzhōng rén yù yún: “Bùzú wéi wàirén dào yě.” Jì chū, dé qíchuán, biàn fú xiàng lù, chùchù zhì zhī. Jí jùnxià, yì tàishǒu, shuō rúcǐ. Tàishǒu jí qiǎnrén suí qí wǎng, xún xiàng suǒ zhì, suì mí, bù fù dé lù. Nányáng Liú Zǐjì, gāoshàng shì yě, wén zhī, xīnrán guīwǎng. Wèiguǒ, xún bìngzhōng. Hòu suì wú wènjīn zhě. [Pinyin]
- During the Taiyuan era (376-396) of Jin Dynasty, there was a man of Wuling Prefecture who lived by fishing. One day, he rowed along a stream without remembering how far he rowed. Suddenly, he met a woods of peachtrees with no other kinds of trees within hundreds of steps on either side of the stream. There were bright, beautiful flowers and grasses and various fallen blossoms which extremely surprised the fisherman and made him continue rowing ahead as he wanted to reach the end of the woods.
The peachtrees ended at the source of the stream. Then the fisherman found a hill with a small cave which seemed to contain faint light. He left his boat and walked through the cave which was very narrow and allowed only one person to pass in the beginning. After he continued taking scores of steps, it suddenly became wide and bright with smooth, wide lands, neat houses, and things like rich fields, beautiful pools, mulberries and bamboos. Footpaths were crisscrossed and connected between fields; sounds of crowing cocks and barking dogs were heard around. The inhabitants were farming and working in the fields. All of men and women's clothes were just like the outsiders. The old and children were all relaxed and happy. One of the inhabitants was very surprised when he saw the fisherman. He asked him where he came from and the fisherman answered in detail. Then he invited the fisherman to his home, prepared some wine, killed a chicken, and cooked some food for him. All villagers asked some news after they heared about him. They said their ancestor led his wife, children and villagers to that isolated place in order to escape from the war during Qin dynasty and never left, and isolated with the outsiders. The inhabitants asked the fisherman what dynasty is it now. Surprisingly, they didn't know there was a Han dynasty, much less Wei or Jin dynasty. When the fisherman told them what he heard one by one in detail, they all sighed and regretted. The rest of them invited him to their respective homes and all provided wine and foods. The fisherman bid the inhabitants farewell and left after staying for several days. They told him, "The situation here are not worth telling the outsiders." When the fisherman had already come out, he rowed along the previous route as soon as he found his boat and marked everywhere. When he reached Wuling Prefecture, he visited the governor and told him about those situation. The governor sent a person to follow the previous marks with him. However, they lost their way and were unable to find the route again.
Meanwhile, in Nanyang Prefecture, there was a noble scholar called Liu Ziji who planned happily to visit the the Peach Blossom Source after he heard the situation. However, soon he passed on of illness without making his dream come true. From then on, there were no people visiting the Peach Blossom Source any more.
晋太元中，武陵人捕鱼为业。缘溪行，忘路之远近。忽逢桃花林，夹岸数百步，中无杂树，芳草鲜美，落英缤纷，渔人甚异之。复前行，欲穷其林。林尽水源，便得一山，山有小口，仿佛若有光。便舍船，从口入。初极狭，才通人。复行数十步，豁然开朗。土地平旷，屋舍俨然，有良田、美池、桑竹之属。阡陌交通，鸡犬相闻。其中往来种作，男女衣著，悉如外人。黄发垂髫，并怡然自乐。见渔人，乃大惊，问所从来，具答之。便要还家，设酒杀鸡作食。村中闻有此人，咸来问讯。自云先世避秦时乱，率妻子邑人来此绝境，不复出焉，遂与外人间隔。问今是何世，乃不知有汉，无论魏晋。此人一一为具言所闻，皆叹惋。余人各复延至其家，皆出酒食。停数日，辞去。此中人语云：“不足为外人道也。”既出，得其船，便扶向路，处处志之。及郡下，诣太守，说如此。太守即遣人随其往，寻向所志，遂迷，不复得路。南阳刘子骥，高尚士也，闻之，欣然规往。未果，寻病终。后遂无问津者。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation
Idiom
世外桃源
- The Peach Blossom Land; Shangri-La; Arcadia; lotus land; utopia; unexpectedly fantastic place off the beaten path, usually an unspoiled wilderness of great beauty; land of idyllic beauty; fictitious land of peace; heaven of peace and happiness; retreat away from the turmoil of the world; place for taking refuge