A scholar of Chang'an, named Fang Dong, was quite famous for his literary talent, but he was frivolous and lacked proper conduct. Whenever he saw young women wandering on the paths, he would follow them in a flirtatious manner.

　　One day before the Qingming festival, he happened to walk outside the city walls. He saw a small carriage with red curtains and embroidered canopy, followed at a leisurely pace by several maids in blue clothes. Among them was a maid riding a small pony, whose beauty was extraordinary. He drew a little closer to peek at her, and saw that the carriage curtains were wide open. Inside sat a young lady of about sixteen, dressed in rouge and finery, so dazzlingly beautiful that he had never seen anything like her in his entire life. His eyes were dazzled and his mind captivated; he stared with lingering attachment and could not leave her. Sometimes going before the carriage, sometimes behind it, he followed for several li.

　　Suddenly he heard the young lady call the maid to the side of the carriage, saying, "Lower the curtains for me. What wild, crazy boy is this who keeps peeping at us?" The maid then lowered the curtains and said angrily to the scholar, "This is the new bride of the Seventh Son of the City of Hibiscus returning to her parents' home. She is not like some country woman whom a scholar may gape at as he pleases!" With these words, she scooped up some rut dirt and flung it at the scholar.

　　His eyes were blinded so that he could not open them. He had just wiped and looked again when the carriage and horses had already vanished. Alarmed and bewildered, he returned home, feeling that his eyes remained uncomfortable. He asked someone to lift his eyelids and look inside, and there a small film had grown over his eyeball. By morning it had become much worse; tears trickled down ceaselessly. The film gradually grew larger; within a few days it was as thick as a coin. On his right eye a spiral-shaped film developed. A hundred remedies had no effect. He was so vexed and distressed that he wished he might die, and he began to think of repentance.

　　He heard that the Sutra of Brightness (Guangming Jing) could relieve misfortune, so he obtained a copy and asked someone to teach him to recite it. At first he was still agitated, but after a long time he gradually grew calm. With nothing else to do morning and evening, he only sat cross-legged and twirled his prayer beads. After practicing this for a year, all worldly thoughts were purified.

　　Suddenly he heard a small voice in his left eye, like a fly's buzz, saying, "It's as dark as pitch – unbearably annoying!" The right eye answered, "Let us go out together for a little stroll and vent this pent-up anger." Gradually he felt a wriggling itch in both nostrils, as if something were coming out. It left the nostrils and went away. After a long time it returned, re-entering the eye sockets through the nostrils. Again it spoke: "For so long I have not looked at the garden; the pearl orchids have quickly withered and died!"

　　The scholar had always loved fragrant orchids. He had planted many in his garden and used to water them himself every day. But since losing his sight, he had neglected them for a long time. Suddenly hearing these words, he quickly asked his wife, "Why have the orchids been allowed to wither?" His wife asked how he knew, so he told her the reason. She hurried to check, and indeed the flowers had withered. She was extremely astonished. She hid quietly in the room to wait. She saw small men emerge from the scholar's nostrils – no larger than a bean – who buzzed and went straight out the door. As they went farther, they gradually vanished from sight. Soon they returned, arms linked, and flew onto his face, like bees or ants returning to their nest. This went on for two or three days.

　　Again he heard the left one say, "The tunnel is winding; going back and forth is not very convenient. It would be better to open our own door." The right one answered, "My wall is thick – very hard to do." The left one said, "I will try to open one; if I succeed, we can share it." Then he felt a faint, hidden sensation of tearing and scratching in his left eye socket. After a moment, he opened his eyes and saw the furnishings in the room clearly. Delighted, he told his wife. His wife examined his eye: a small hole had broken through the membrane, and the dark pupil gleamed, only as large as a split peppercorn. After one night, the film had completely disappeared. Looking closely, there were actually two pupils in that eye. But the spiral on the right eye remained as before. Then he realized that the two little pupil people had come to live together in one eye socket. Though the scholar was blind in one eye, his vision was even clearer than that of people with two eyes. From then on, he restrained himself even more carefully, and the villagers praised his virtuous conduct.

　　The Historian of the Strange says: In the countryside there was a scholar who was walking on the road with two friends. From afar they saw a young woman riding a donkey ahead of them. He jokingly recited, "There is a beautiful woman!" Then he turned to his two friends and said, "Catch up with her!" They all laughed and ran after her. Shortly they caught up, and it turned out to be his own daughter-in-law. His heart was ashamed and his spirit deflated; he was silent and could not speak. His friends pretended not to know and made very indecent remarks about her. The scholar was embarrassed, hesitated, and stammered, "This is my eldest son's wife." They each laughed quietly and let the matter drop. Frivolous people often bring shame upon themselves – how truly ridiculous! As for Fang Dong, having dirt thrown into his eyes and losing his sight – that was the bitter retribution of ghosts and spirits. The Lord of the City of Hibiscus – what spirit could he be? Could he have been an incarnation of the Bodhisattva? Yet the little gentleman pupils opened a door for him. Although ghosts and spirits may be harsh, have they ever refused to allow a person to reform himself?

中文：

　　长安士方栋，颇有才名，而佻脱不持仪节。每陌上见游女，辄轻薄尾缀之。清明前一日，偶步郊郭。见一小车，朱茀绣[巾+宪] ，青衣数辈，款段以从。内一婢，乘小驷，容光绝美。稍稍近觇之，见车幔洞开，内坐二八女郎，红妆艳丽，尤生平所未睹。目眩神夺，瞻恋弗舍，或先或后，从驰数里。忽闻女郎呼婢近车侧，曰：“为我垂帘下。何处风狂儿郎，频来窥瞻！”婢乃下帘，怒顾生曰：“此芙蓉城七郎子新妇归宁，非同田舍娘子，放教秀才胡觑！”言已，掬辙土飏生。

　　生眯，目不可开。才一拭视，而车马已渺。惊疑而返，觉目终不快。倩人启睑拨视，则睛上生小翳。经宿益剧，泪簌簌不得止。翳渐大，数日厚如钱，右睛起旋螺，百药无效。懊闷欲绝，颇思自忏悔。闻《光明经》能解厄，持一卷，浼人教诵。初犹烦躁，久渐自安。旦晚无事，惟趺坐捻珠。持之一年，万缘俱净。忽闻左目中小语如蝇，曰：“黑漆似，叵耐杀人！”右目中应云：“可同小遨游，出此闷气。”渐觉两鼻中，蠕蠕作痒，似有物出，离孔而去。久之乃返，复自鼻入眶中。又言曰：“许时不窥园亭，珍珠兰遽枯瘠死！”生素喜香兰，园中多种植，日常自灌溉，自失明，久置不问。忽闻其言，遽问妻：“兰花何使憔悴死？”妻诘其所自知，因告之故。妻趋验之，花果槁矣。大异之。静匿房中以俟之，见有小人自生鼻内出，大不及豆，营营然竟出门去。渐远，遂迷所在。俄，连臂归，飞上面，如蜂蚁之投穴者。如此二三日。又闻左言曰：“遂道迂，还往甚非所便，不如自启门。”右应云：“我壁子厚，大不易。”左曰：“我试辟，得与而俱。”遂觉左眶内隐似抓裂。有顷，开视，豁见几物。喜告妻。妻审之，则脂膜破小窍，黑睛荧荧，才如劈椒。越一宿，幛尽消。细视，竟重瞳也，但右目旋螺如故，乃知两瞳人合居一眶矣。生虽一目眇，而较之双目者，殊更了了。由是益自检束，乡中称盛德焉。

　　异史氏曰：乡有士人，偕二友于途，遥见少妇控驴出其前。戏而吟曰：“有美人兮！”顾二友曰：“驱之！”相与笑骋。俄追及，乃其子妇。心赧气丧，默不复语。友伪为不知也者，评骘殊亵。士人忸怩，吃吃而言曰：“此长男妇也。”各隐笑而罢。轻薄者往往自侮，良可笑也。至于眯目失明，又鬼神之惨报矣。芙蓉城主，不知何神，岂菩萨现身耶？然小郎君生辟门户，鬼神虽恶，亦何尝不许人自新哉！

　　【翻译】

　　长安有个书生，名叫方栋，很有些才华和名气，但是为人很轻佻不守规矩。每次外出在路上遇见出来游玩的女子，就轻薄地尾随着人家。一年清明节前的一天，他信步走到了城郊，看见一辆小车，上面挂着红色的车帘和绣花的帷幔，几个青衣丫环骑着马慢慢跟随在车子后面。其中有一个丫环，骑着一匹小马，容貌异常秀美。方栋稍稍靠上前去偷看，只见车帘大开，里面坐着一位十六七岁的姑娘，盛妆打扮，分外艳丽，更是他有生以来未曾见过的美人儿。方栋只觉得眼花缭乱，心神难控，便恋恋不舍地追着看那个姑娘，一会儿赶在车前，一会儿又落在车后，跟着跑了好几里路。忽然间听到车内的姑娘把丫环叫到了车边，对她说：“给我把车帘儿放下。哪里来的轻狂小子，老是来偷看！”丫环于是放下车帘，怒气冲冲地对方栋说：“这是芙蓉城七郎子的新娘，要回娘家探视，不是一般庄户人家的媳妇，岂能随便叫你这秀才乱看！”说完这话，就从车辙沟里抓了一把土朝方栋扬了过去。

　　方栋的眼睛顿时被眯住了，睁也睁不开。等他揉揉眼睛再看时，车马已经消失得无影无踪。他又惊又疑地回到家里，觉得眼睛总是不舒服。请人翻开眼皮察看，只见眼珠上长出了小膜。过了一夜以后，眼睛更加难受，眼泪簌簌地流个不停。眼里的小膜逐渐变大了，几天之内变得有铜钱那么厚，右眼珠上长起一个螺旋状的膜块，什么药都治不了。方栋懊丧气闷得要死，想想自己的所作所为，心中很是后悔。听人说念《光明经》可以消灾解难，便拿来一卷经文，请人教他背诵。刚开始时，虽然诵着经，但心中还是觉得烦躁不安，可时间长了，便渐渐地安定下来。从此早晚无事，他就坐在那里盘腿捻着佛珠诵经。坚持了一年以后，方栋觉得万般杂念都排除干净了。有一天，他突然听见左眼里有像蚊蝇叫似的声音，说：“黑漆漆的，真是受不了了！”右眼里有个声音应声说道：“咱们可以一块儿自由自在地游逛一下，出出心里的闷气。”这时，方栋渐渐觉得两个鼻孔里像有虫子爬动一样地痒了起来，似乎有个什么东西从里面爬出来，离开鼻孔出去了。过了很长时间，那东西又回来了，仍旧从鼻孔爬进到眼眶里。又听见说：“这些日子没去花园看看了，珍珠兰怎么就都枯死了！”方栋平素很喜欢芬芳的兰花，所以在园子里种植了许多兰花，常常亲自去浇水培育，但自从双目失明以后，很久都没再过问它们了。他忽然听到这番话，就急忙问妻子：“为什么让兰花憔悴枯死了？”妻子追问他自己怎么知道兰花枯死了，方栋就把这其中的原因告诉了妻子。妻子立刻到园中去验证，兰花果然枯萎了。妻子觉得这件事儿非常奇怪，就静静地躲在屋子里等待那东西出现。一会儿，看见有两个小人儿从方栋的鼻孔里爬了出来，还没有豆粒大，竟然“嘤嘤”地叫着出了门，越走越远，也看不清到哪儿去了。过了一会儿，两个小人儿又手拉着手回来了，飞到了方栋的脸上，就像蜜蜂、蚂蚁回巢穴一样。这种情况连续出现了两三天。方栋又听见左眼里的小人儿说：“出去的这个隧道弯弯曲曲，来往实在不方便，不如咱们自己打通一扇门。”右眼里的小人儿应声说道：“挡着我的墙壁很厚，很不容易打通。”左眼的小人儿说：“我先试着打开一扇门，要是能打通道路，就和你一块儿用吧。”于是，方栋觉得左眼眶里隐隐地作痛，好像是被抓裂了一样。过了好一阵子，他睁开眼睛一看，竟然清清楚楚地看见了屋里的桌椅摆设。方栋欣喜地告诉了妻子。妻子仔细地端详他的眼睛，只见那层膜上破开了一个小洞，黑眼睛荧荧闪动，才露出半个花椒那么大的一点儿。过了一夜，左眼里的厚膜全部消失了。仔细一观察，里面竟有两个瞳仁，但是右眼里的螺旋膜还是和以前一样，他这才知道两个瞳仁里的小人儿合住在一个眼眶里了。方栋虽然瞎了一只眼，但比有两只眼睛的人看得还清楚。从此方栋更加注意检点约束自己的行为，同乡里的人都称赞他品行高尚。

　　异史氏说：乡里有一个读书人，有一天同两位朋友走在路上，远远地望见一个少妇骑着毛驴走在他们前面。他便用戏弄的腔调说：“有位美人儿啊！”又回过头来对两位朋友说：“追上她！”于是，三人一块儿嬉笑着奔上前去。不一会儿追到了，才发现是他自己的儿媳妇。于是他内心羞愧，垂头丧气，默默地不再说什么了。他的朋友却假装不知道，还用很下流的话对那少妇评头品足。这读书人十分难堪，结结巴巴地说：“这是我家大儿子的媳妇。”两位朋友这才偷偷发笑，就此作罢。轻薄的人往往会自取侮辱，真是可笑的事啊！至于方栋眯眼失明，却是鬼神给他的惨重报应。那个芙蓉城主，不知是哪路神仙，难道是菩萨的化身吗？然而瞳仁里的小人儿为方栋活生生除去眼上的厚膜，说明鬼神虽然严厉，又何尝不许人悔过自新呢！