鐔津文集 8.7

8.7

屠龍古有朱評漫者。以學所誤而窮於當時。評漫不知何許人也。其性剛健。以割鷄解牛不足以盡其勇。思託非常之屠以適乎智。故殫千金資學於師。三年學成（或作技成）而無所用其巧骯髒于世無所信。適刲羊屠狗者陽陽其前。市井之人見則指笑。嗚呼評漫往矣。曠千萬年有聞其風而自感。且為文以發其事。龍也者純陽之精靈於鱗蟲。非有定形馮神雲氣而變化不測。故於人世罕得而窺焉。彼欲絕其精怪祛人江海之暴。泯其形生夷其族類。非能游刃於無間。智與神遇而龍可屠乎。嘗聞海中之國。其人如雲。乘風騎日出入於天地之外而往來無迹。彼則𮌉龍肉而資所贍。是屠龍者彼人之事也。然屠龍之事在古則用於其國。今也（評漫之時）或亡。幾乎息矣。評漫身世則與彼人異。而為屠龍豈其宜乎。然評漫者非不知其非己任邪。蓋性與其道合而形迹外忘。又何暇計乎世俗之用不用哉。夫龍之為物也其亦神矣。為屠之術人之難能。評漫於此則毅然作之。窮且不止（止或作沮）是評漫之性也。神武妙得於聖人之勇者也。嗚呼屠龍聞之于古。今幾世而不有一見於評漫之性。所謂聖賢人者。故能盡人之性。盡萬物之性。聖賢也尚未聞異評漫之心而正其所託。況區區之俗。其能識評漫乎。屠龍之道不為窮乎。悠悠六合之間古兮復今。往者其可哀。來者其可憫。

In ancient times there was a dragon slayer named Zhu Pingman, who, misled by what he studied, was reduced to poverty in his day. It is unknown where Pingman came from. His nature was vigorous and firm; considering butchering a chicken or carving an ox insufficient to exhaust his valor, he thought to entrust himself to an extraordinary slaughter to satisfy his intellect. Therefore, exhausting a thousand pieces of gold in wealth, he studied under a master. After three years his study was complete (some texts say: his skill was complete), yet he had nowhere to employ his craft; ruggedly uncompromising in the world, he found nothing to give him credence. It happened that those who slit sheep and slaughtered dogs pranced proudly before him, while market folk pointed and laughed upon seeing him. Alas, Pingman has passed away! Across ten million years, having heard of his wind, I am moved within myself, and so write this text to express his story. The dragon is the essence of pure yang, the most spiritual among scaled creatures; having no fixed form, relying on the spirits and clouds, its transformations are unfathomable. Therefore, it is rarely glimpsed in the human world. Wishing to eliminate its monstrous nature, dispel its violence from rivers and seas, eradicate its physical life, and exterminate its kind—if one were not able to guide the blade through the spaces without thickness, how could intellect meet with spirit and the dragon be slaughtered? I once heard of a realm within the sea whose people are like clouds, riding the wind and mounting the sun, entering and leaving beyond heaven and earth, coming and going without a trace. They cut up dragon flesh to supply their sustenance; thus, slaying dragons is the business of those people. However, while dragon slaying was used in ancient times in their realm, now (in Pingman's day) it has perhaps vanished, almost ceased. Pingman's life and circumstances were different from those people; how could slaying dragons have been appropriate for him? Yet, did Pingman not know that it was not his role? It was because his nature coincided with that Way and he forgot external forms and traces; how could he have had leisure to calculate whether it was of use or no use to the worldly? Now, as a creature, the dragon is indeed spiritual; the art of slaughtering it is something humanly difficult to master. Faced with this, Pingman pursued it resolutely; though impoverished, he would not stop (some texts have 'desist' for 'stop')—this was Pingman's nature, a divine martiality marvelously derived from the courage of the sage! Alas! Dragon slaying was heard of in ancient times; now, across how many generations, has it not appeared once in Pingman's nature? The so-called sages and worthies are truly able to fulfill the nature of man and fulfill the nature of all things. Even sages and worthies have not yet been heard to distinguish Pingman's mind and rectify what he entrusted himself to; how much less could the trivial rabble understand Pingman? Was not the Way of dragon slaying brought to exhaustion? Between the vast six directions, ancient times turn again into the present: the departed are indeed lamentable, and those to come are indeed pitiable!