那道人道：“果是罕聞．實未聞有還淚之說．想來這一段故事，比歷來風月事故更加瑣碎細膩了。”那僧道：“歷來幾個風流人物，不過傳其大概以及詩詞篇章而已，至家庭閨閣中一飲一食，總未述記．再者，大半風月故事，不過偷香竊玉，暗約私奔而已，并不曾將兒女之真情發泄一二．想這一干人入世，其情癡色鬼，賢愚不肖者，悉與前人傳述不同矣。”那道人道：“趁此何不你我也去下世度脫幾個，豈不是一場功德？"那僧道：“正合吾意，你且同我到警幻仙子宮中，將蠢物交割清楚，待這一干風流孽鬼下世已完，你我再去．如今雖已有一半落塵，然猶未全集。”道人道：“既如此，便隨你去來。”
"（That certainly is odd）," remarked the Taoist. "I've never heard of? （repayment with tears） before. I imagine this story should （have more fine points） than （the usual run） of （breeze and-moonlight tales）."
"The old romances give us only outlines of their characters' lives with a number of poems about them," said the monk. "We're never told （the details of their intimate family life or dailymeals）. Besides, most breeze-and-moonlight tales deal with （secret assignations and elopements）, and have never really expressed the true love between a young man and a girl. I'm sure （when these spirits go down to earth）, we'll see lovers and lechers, （worthy people）, simpletons and scoundrels unlike those in （earlier romances）."
"Why don't you and I take this chance to go too and （win over a few of them）? That would be （a worthy deed）."
"（Exactly what I was thinking）. But first we must take this stupid object to the palace of the Goddess of Disenchantment and clear all the formalities. After all these (romantic souls) have gone down we can follow. So far only half of them have descended to earth."
"(In that case I'm ready to go withyou)," said the Taoist.
