第一回: Chunk 38

不想这日三月十五,葫芦庙中炸供,那些和尚不加小心,致使油锅火逸,便烧着窗 纸. 此方人家多用竹篱木壁者,大抵也因劫数,于是接二连三,牵五挂四,将一条街烧 得如火焰山一般. 彼时虽有军民来救,那火已成了势,如何救得下?直烧了一夜,方渐 渐的熄去,也不知烧了几家.

My try:
Unexpectedly at the day of March, the 15th, in the monastery 葫芦 there was food frying for scarifying to the gods. Those monks were not careful enough to prevent the fryer from bursting into flames, then the window curtains caught fire. In this place everybody extensively used bamboo fences and the wooden walls for building houses, probably it was predetermined fate. As a result step by step the street turned burning like a sort of “Mountain of Flames”. Although firemen came for rescue, at that time the fire already had become powerful, how could it be stopped? It had already been burning a whole night, when it was slowly extinguished and it was unclear how many homes were burned down.

Breakdown:
不想这日三月十五
(不想) unexpectedly at the day of March the fifteenth

葫芦庙中炸供,
in the monastery 葫芦(炸供) there was food frying for scarifying to the gods

那些和尚不加小心,
those monks (不加小心) were not careful enough

致使油锅火逸
to prevent the fryer from bursting into flames

便烧着窗 纸   
then the (窗 纸, lit. „Window paper“) window curtains caught fire
 
此方人家多用竹篱木壁者
In this place everybody (多用) extensively used (竹篱) bamboo fences and the wooden walls (木壁者) [for building houses]

大抵也因劫数
(大抵) probably (劫数) it was predetermined fate

于是接二连三, 牵五挂四
As a result (接二连三) one after another, 牵五挂四 (one after another) -> step by step

将一条街烧 得如火焰山一般
the street turned burning like a (一般) sort of (火焰山) Mountain of Flames (also insurmountable obstacle)

彼时虽有军民来救,
(彼时) That time although (军民) firemen [lit: soldiers and civilians] came for rescue

那火已成了势,
That fire already had become (势) powerful

如何救得下?
How to save (=stop the fire)?

直烧了一夜
[Already] Burning a whole night

方渐 渐的熄去
(方) Just/then it was slowly extinguished

也不知烧了几家.
And it (不知) was unclear how many homes were burned down