《桃花源记》是东晋文人陶渊明的代表作之一，是《桃花源诗》的序言，选自《陶渊明集》。于永初二年（421年）作，文章描绘了一个没有阶级，没有剥削，自给自足，人人自得其乐的社会，是当时黑暗社会的鲜明对照，是作者与世人所向往的一种理想社会，它体现了人们的追求与想往，也反映出人们对现实的不满与反抗。

      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，男女衣着，悉如外人；黄发垂髫，并佁然自乐。

      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。馀人各复延至其家，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。

Peach Blossom Springs

(translated by 杨宪益)

In the reign of Taiyuan of Jin Dynasty, there was a man of Wuling who was a fisherman by trade. One day he was fishing up a stream in his boat, heedless of how far he had gone, when suddenly he came upon a forest of peach trees.

On either bank for several hundred yards there were no other kinds of tree. The fragrant grass was beautiful to look at, all patterned with fallen blossoms. The fisherman was extremely surprised and went on further, determined to get to the end of this wood. At the end of the wood he found the source of the stream and, at the foot of a cliff, there was a small cave in which there seemed to be a faint light. He left his boat and went into themouth of the cave.

At first it was very narrow, only wide enough for a man, but after forty or fifty yards he suddenly found himself in the open. The place he had come to was level and spacious. There were houses and cottages arranged in a planned order; there were fine fields and beautiful pools; there were mulberry trees, bamboo groves, and many other kinds of trees as well.

There were raised pathways round the fields; and he heard the fowls crowing and dogs barking. Going to and froin all this, and busied in working and planting, were people, both men and women. Their dress was not unlike that of people outside, and all of them, whether old people with while hair or children with their hair tied in a knot, were happy and content with themselves.

Seeing the fisherman, they were greatly amazed and asked him where he had come from. He answered all theirquestions, and then they invited him to their homes, where they put wine beforehim, killed chickens and prepared food in his honor. When the other people inthe village heard about the visitor, they too all came to ask questions.

They themselves told him thattheir ancestors had escaped from the wars and confusion in the time of QinDynasty. Bring their wives and children, the people of their area had reached this isolated place, and had stayed here ever since. Thus they had lost all contact with the outside world.

They asked what dynasty it was now. The Han they had never heard of, let alone the Wei and the Jin. Point by point the fisherman explained all he could of the world that he knew, and they all sighed in deep sorrow.

Afterwards all the rest invitedhim to their homes, and all feasted him with wine and food. He stayed there several days and then bade them goodbye; before he departed these people said to him: “Never speak to anyone outside about this!” so he went out, found his boat and went back by the same route as he had come, all along the way leaving marks.

When he got to the provincial town he called on the prefect and told him all about his experience. The prefect at once sent men to go with him and follow up the marks he had left. But they became completely confused over the marks and never found the place.

Liu Ziji, a scholar of high reputation from Nanyang, heard of this and enthusiastically offered to go out with the fisherman to try again. But he fell ill and died before realizing hisplan. After that on one went any more to look for the way.