Food was placed before me, but I had little hunger for it, focusing instead on recording the details of the monk's life. He told me of his belief in the existence of a thousand and one gods, gods he believed could be found in all things: the fire in the hearth, the water in the river and the air that we breathed. Pretty enough for a story, perhaps. But any reasoned individual must surely, as I did, scoff at such a view of the world as little more than superstition. He went on to describe his intense mental and physical training, his unending quest to hone his mind and body into an instrument of divine justice. Though I do wonder for what need his thousand gods would require a mortal man to implement their will. When I asked him why he did not carry a sword or, indeed, any weapon at all, he simply replied, "My body is my weapon." Then raising his hand and tapping his forehead, he added, "As is my mind."

食物被端了上来，但是我现在却对他们没多大兴趣，而是专注于记录下这武僧的生活点滴。他告诉我他相信一千零一神的存在，他相信他们无处不在：炉中跳跃的火，河中流淌的水，胸中呼吸的气，都是神的容身之所。也许这是个不错的童话，但是稍微懂事的人都会不屑于这种近乎迷信的世界观。他还跟我说了他所受到的艰苦的训练，精神上的和肉体上的，还有他需要终生磨砺自己身心以成就神之裁决的使命。我不禁暗暗想，这一千零一神又有什么理由要求一个凡人来实现他们的意愿呢？当我问他为什么没有带把剑，或者随便点什么家伙在身上的时候，他直截了当的回应道：“吾身即为武器，”然后抬起手点着他自己的额头继续说，“吾心亦为武器。”

Most unexpectedly, I would be treated to a display of this mastery.

而我万万没有想到，我竟然还能有机会亲眼见识这种超越的武者境界。

武僧原画

A group of men approached our table, knocking my book to the floor and shoving me out of the way, producing knives and other weapons as they advanced. They were focused only on the solitary figure of the monk seated across from me. I scrabbled beneath the table, having an inkling of what was to come. I watched as at some unseen signal, they attacked.

一帮人朝我们这张桌子拥过来，他们把我的书撞到了地上，然后毫不犹豫的把我甩到一边，一边朝那武僧走去一边亮出了刀子和其他各种家伙。看来他们的目标仅仅是那孤身一人的武僧而已。我感觉到要出事，于是急忙钻到桌子底下。好像被什么指挥着一般，他们忽然扑了上去。

Without rising from his seat, the monk met the first man's lunging slash, grabbing his wrist and tossing him carelessly over his shoulder, throwing him into a table with a loud crash. The suddenness of the monk's attack momentarily stunned the men, and as they stood there, he rose.

那武僧就那么坐着，第一个挥刀朝他冲去的人被他抓住手腕然后毫不费劲的被扔了出去，那倒霉鬼落下来压碎了一张桌子，发出很大的响声。显然这群人没料到武僧会忽然来这一下，一下都呆住了，然后就在他们楞神的这一当儿，武僧站了起来。

That was when chaos broke out."

然后混战就爆发了。