那道人道：“果是罕闻．实未闻有还泪之说．想来这一段故事，比历来风月事故更加琐碎细腻了。”那僧道：“历来几个风流人物，不过传其大概以及诗词篇章而已，至家庭闺阁中一饮一食，总未述记．再者，大半风月故事，不过偷香窃玉，暗约私奔而已，并不曾将儿女之真情发泄一二．想这一干人入世，其情痴色鬼，贤愚不肖者，悉与前人传述不同矣。”那道人道：“趁此何不你我也去下世度脱几个，岂不是一场功德？"那僧道：“正合吾意，你且同我到警幻仙子宫中，将蠢物交割清楚，待这一干风流孽鬼下世已完，你我再去．如今虽已有一半落尘，然犹未全集。”道人道：“既如此，便随你去来。”
"（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.
