A man of the Song Dynasty named Zhu Shouchang lost his mother at age seven in this way: His mother was a concubine, and his father's first wife, consumed by jealousy¹ over the concubine's favor with her husband, drove the woman out of the house, thereby² cutting off contact between Shouchang and his mother. The boy went to live with his father and step-mother from age seven on.

朱寿昌，宋代天长人，七岁时，生母刘氏被嫡母（父亲的正妻）嫉妒，不得不改嫁他人，五十年母子音信不通。

Zhu Shouchang grew up and served the Song Dynasty's "Celestial³ Ruler" (Shenzong) as an official.

神宗时，朱寿昌在朝做官.

Suddenly one day he felt an overwhelming impulse to find his real mother and take care of her in proper style.

突然有一天，他突然觉得心痛，就去找到他的亲身母亲。

This impulse continued to grow, until he had to quit his post in the civil service and set off in search of her.

越来越痛，他不得不弃官到陕西寻找生母

His filial quest lead him through torrential rains and gale⁴ winds, as he traveled on, asking everybody he met for news of his mother.

因为对父母的孝敬，他冒着风雨挨家挨户的问人，有没有见到他的母亲。

Although he found no trace of her, meeting nothing but mis information or ignorance, the young man never gave up hope, but only deepened the sincerity⁵ of his single-minded quest.

尽管没有任何线索，遇到很多困难，但是他从来没有放弃的心，反而增加了他要寻找母亲的欲望。

One day a man told him that his mother lived nearby, in Tongzhou, on the banks of the Unity⁶ River in modern-day Shanxi province.

一天，有人告诉他，他母亲就在通州附近的银行的团结河，就是在现代山西省。

Delighted with the news, Shouchang hurried on to Unity River, and arrived after enduring great toil⁷ and suffering.

兴奋的消息，寿昌立刻跑到了团结河，最终终于到了。

Having traveled so fast, he fainted by the roadside near the outskirts⁸ of town.

由于长途跋涉，他在路上晕倒了。

A crowd soon gathered, and someone handed the man a cup of ginger⁹ tea, to revive him. The townspeople asked, Where are you from?" "What is your business that you overexerted this way?"

很多人过来围观，好心人给了他一杯茶。镇上的人问他是哪里人?为什么这么着急赶路？

He told the whole story to the crowd, and related all that he had experienced in search of his mother.

他告诉他们，他在寻找他的母亲。

From the midst of the throng¹⁰ stepped an old woman. "You are my son! I haven't seen you for fifty years!" cried the lady, her voice choked with tears of joy.

从人群中走出一个老女人。“你是我儿子！我五十年没见你了！”母亲哭泣着。

The weary traveler, having realized his heart's desire, happily embraced his mother and shortly thereafter, took her home to care for her properly.

经过长途跋涉，实现了他的愿望。抱着母亲，母子欢聚，一起返回。