宋时（公元960年-1279年），一个名叫许仙的年轻男孩救下一条白蛇，实际上这是一个名叫白素贞的蛇妖。几年后，男孩成为一名书生，在西湖的“断桥”处邂逅一位拿纸伞的美丽女子。

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.

　　下雨时由于许仙没有伞，那名女子借给他伞后离开。许仙不知的是，这其实是他曾经救下的那条白蛇知恩图报。他们相爱生下一子。然而，因为人妖殊途他们的结合违背了天条，所以法力高深的法海发现时，强迫白素贞显现原形，希望许仙离开她。由于夫妻真心相爱，计策失败，法海遂将白素贞囚于雷峰塔。

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.

　　在此传说有些版本，他们的儿子成为朝廷高官却思母成疾，天庭被他的孝道感动释放了白素贞，白素贞成仙却由于天条永远与家人团聚。虽然结局不如囚于雷锋塔悲惨，但仍然被认为是一个悲剧性的结局，因为相爱的两人仍然分离。

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.

　　现在，白素贞被认为是善良可爱的，尽管作为一名妖怪，通常在民间传说中形象不好。但对于许多人来说，断桥和白堤，彰显了夫妻之间永恒的爱虚无的梦想。

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. 

(中国网作者杨云寒  见习作者 胡金)

来源：     | 作者：中国网杨云寒 见习 胡金    | 责编：胡金    审核：张渊

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