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永明大师的真名是延寿，他圆寂后，朝廷追授他为智觉公。因为他住在杭州的永明寺里，人们还是习惯称他永明大师。
The real name of the Master Yongming was Yanshou, and after he passed away, the Emperor bestowed the name Zhijue on him, but everyone calls him Master Yongming because he lived in the Yongming Temple of Hangzhou.
永明大师出家前，俗姓王。二十几岁的时候，他在杭州附近的余杭县当官，管理财政。他很同情那些被抓来吃掉的鱼虾，所以有时他就从财库中拿出钱来买鱼虾，然后把它们带到岸边放生。
Before he left the householder s life and became a monk, he was called Wang. When he was in his twenties, he was an official in the treasury of Yuhang county near Hangchou. He felt sorry for fish and shrimp that had been caught to be eaten, so sometimes he took money out of the treasury to buy them. Then he took them to the shore and released them.
不幸的是，那些钱并不是他的，最后他被发现了，并被投进监狱。
Unfortunately, that wasn t his money, and finally he got caught. He was thrown in jail.
审案官并不相信他把那些钱用于买小动物放生。他判王延寿为盗用公款罪。当时此罪是重罪，会被砍头——犯人被带到一个公众场所，在那里所有人都可看到他的头被一柄大刀砍落。凡是看过这种酷刑的人，没有不害怕的！
The judge didn t believe he was spending the money to set little animals free. He convicted Wang of stealing government money. This is a very serious crime. In those days, the punishment was beheading the convict was dragged out to a public place where everybody could watch and his head was chopped off with a big sword. Those who saw this horrifying punishment were always scared！
吴越王（谥号为忠懿王）知道王延寿是一个很善良的人并曾放生过很多小动物。他猜王也许是用政府的钱来买那些动物的吧，就叮嘱监斩官们仔细观察王临刑时的言行。
King Zhongyi of Wuyue knew that Wang was a very kind man and released a lot of little animals. Maybe he bought the animals with government money? He told the officials at the execution to observe Wang s words and deeds very carefully.
当王延寿被拖出来准备行刑时，他看起来一点也不害怕，更不紧张。实际上，他看起来非常轻松愉快。刽子手从来没见过这种情形。他恭恭敬敬地问王延寿：“我见过的其他所有要被砍头的犯人，没有不害怕得发抖哭泣的。我还没见过一个象你这样的，你为什么这么平静呢？你很快就要因盗用公款罪而被杀头了，知道吗？”
When Wang was dragged out to get his head chopped off, he did not seem frightened at all. He was not even nervous. In fact, he seemed to be very relaxed and cheerful. The executioner had never seen anything like this! He very respectfully asked him, All the other convicts I ve ever beheaded have trembled and cried. I have never seen anyone like you before. How can you be so calm? You re about to be killed for using the government s money, you know.
王延寿回答道：“我是挪用了公款，但我并没有把钱花在自己身上。我用它们买了动物放生。我何惧之有？我的头一掉，正好可以去往西方净土。这难道不是绝好的事儿？我迫不及待呢！”
Wang answered, Yes, I did use the government s money, but I didn t spend any of it on myself. I used it to buy animals and set them free. So what is there for me to be afraid of? As soon as you chop of my head, I can go to the Pure Land of Amitabha. Isn t that wonderful? I can hardly wait!
监斩官们听了这些话，了解了王的坦诚。他们钦佩他的正直、沉着和刚毅。就让刽子手停止行刑，赦免了王延寿。
When the officials in charge of the execution heard that, they knew that Wang was honest. They admired his integrity and his calm bravery. They told the executioner to let him go, and pardoned him.
过了几年，三十岁的时候，王延寿出了家，成为一代高僧。他尽除烦恼而得道开悟，还撰写了几本重要的书。永明寿大师于公元975年圆寂，时年72岁，阿弥陀佛亲自接他往生极乐净土。
A few years later, when he was thirty, Wang became a monk, and a very good monk he was! He let go of all his petty worries. He achieved enlightenment and wrote several important books. When he passed away in 975 AD at the age of 72, Amitabha came to take him to the Pure Land.
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