今日小寒:张培基散文英译（三）

巷

柯灵

巷，是城市建筑艺术中一篇飘逸恬静(1)的散文，一幅古雅冲淡的图画。

这种巷，常在江南的小城市中(2)，有如古代的少女，躲在僻静的深闺，轻易不肯

抛头露面。你要在这种城市里住久了，和它真正成了莫逆，你才有机会看见她，接触

到她优娴贞静的风度。它不是乡村的陋巷(3)，湫隘破败(4)，泥泞坎坷，杂草乱生，两

旁还排列着错落的粪缸。它不是上海的里弄，鳞次栉比的人家，拥挤得喘不过气；小

贩憧憧来往，黝暗的小门边，不时走出一些趿着拖鞋的女子，头发乱似临风飞舞的秋

蓬(5)，眼睛里网满红丝，脸上残留着不调和的隔夜脂粉，颓然(6)地走到老虎灶上去提

水。也不像北地的胡同，满目尘土，风起处刮着弥天的黄沙。

这种小巷，隔绝了市廛的红尘，却又不是乡村的风味。它又深又长，一个人耐心

静静走去，要老半天才走完。它又这么曲折，你望前面，好像已经堵塞了(7)，可是走

过去，一转弯，依然是巷陌深深，而且更加幽静。那里常是寂寂的，寂寂的(8)，不论

什么时候，你向巷中踅去，都如宁静的黄昏，可以清晰地听到自己的足音。不高不矮

的围墙挡在两边，斑斑驳驳的苔痕，墙上挂着一串串苍翠欲滴的藤萝，简直像古朴的

屏风。墙里常是人家的竹园，修竹森森，天籁细细(9)；春来时还常有几枝娇艳的桃花

杏花，娉娉婷婷，从墙头殷勤地摇曳红袖，向行人招手。走过几家墙门，都是紧紧关

着，不见一个人影，因为那都是人家的后门。偶然躺着一只狗，但是决不会对你狺狺

地狂吠。

小巷的动人处就是它无比的悠闲。无论是谁，只要你到巷里去踯躅一会，你的心

情就会如巷尾不波的古井，那是一种和平的静穆，而不是阴森和肃杀(10)。它闹中取

静，别有天地，仍是人间。它可能是一条现代的乌衣巷(11)，家家有自己的一本哀乐

帐，一部兴衰史，可是重门叠户，讳莫如深，夕阳影里，野花闲草，燕子低飞，寻觅

归家。只是一片澄明如水的气氛，净化一切，笼罩一切，使人忘忧。

你是否觉得劳生草草(12)，身心两乏？我劝你工余之暇，常到小巷里走走，那是

最好的将息，会使你消除疲劳，紧张的心弦得到调整。你如果有时情绪烦燥，心情悒

郁，我劝你到小巷里负手行吟一阵，你一定会豁然开朗，怡然自得，物我两忘。你有

爱人吗？我建议不要带了她去什么名园胜景，还是利用晨昏时节，到深巷中散散步。

在那里，你们俩可以随便谈谈，心贴得更近，在街上那种贪婪的睨视，恶意的斜觑，

巷里是没有的；偶然呀的一声，墙门口显现出一个人影，又往往是深居简出(13)的姑

娘，看见你们，会娇羞地返身回避了。

巷，是人海汹汹中的一道避风塘，给人家带来安全感；是城市暄嚣扰攘中的一带

洞天幽境(14)，胜似皇家的阁道(15)，便于平常百姓徘徊徜徉。

爱逐臭争利，锱铢必较的，请到长街闹市去；爱轻嘴薄舌的，争是论非的，请到

茶馆酒楼去；爱锣鼓钲镗，管弦嗷嘈的，请到歌台剧院去；爱宁静淡泊，沉思默想的，

深深的小巷在欢迎你。

The Lane

Ke Ling

The lane, in terms of the art of urban architecture, is like a piece of prose of gentle

gracefulness or a painting of classic elegance and simplicity.

Often tucked away in a small town south of the Yangtse River, the lane, like a maiden

of ancient times hidden away in a secluded boudoir, is reluctant to make its appearance in

public. You’ll never have an opportunity to see it and savour its gentle poise until you have

become truly attached to the small town after living there for a long time. The lane has

nothing in common with the mean rural alleys, which are narrow and low-lying, muddy

and bumpy, overgrown with wild weeds and lined here and there with manure vats. Nor

has it anything in common with linong (meaning alleys) in Shanghai, which are literally

packed with dwellings and their residents. Over there, you’ll see vendors hawking their

wares here and there. From time to time, women are seen emerging from inside some

dingy small gates and shuffling languidly in their slippers towards a laohuzao, the shop

specializing in selling boiled water, their hair disheveled like wind-blown withered grass in

autumn, their eyes blood-shot, their faces betraying traces of overnight make-up. Nor has

the lane anything in common with hutong (also meaning alleys) in north China, which are

dusty on every side, especially when a wind rises.

The lane, though cut off from the hustle and bustle of busy cities, does not taste of the

countryside at all. It is long and deep, so it will take you a long while to walk patiently and

quietly through it from end to end. It is also so winding that it seems to be a blind alley

when you look far ahead, but if you keep walking until you take a turning, you’ll find it

again lying endless and still more quiet. There is nothing but stillness there. At any hour of

day, you can even distinctly hear in the dusk-like quiet your own footsteps. On either side

of the lane stand enclosing walls of medium height, which, moss-covered and hung with

clusters of fresh green wisteria, look almost like screens of primitive simplicity. Inside the

walls are residents’ gardens with dense groves of tall bamboos as well as soft sounds of

nature. In spring, beautiful peach and apricot blossoms atop the walls, like graceful girls

waving their red sleeves, will sway hospitably to beckon the pedestrians. You’ll find the

doors in the walls close shut without a soul in sight because they are back doors to some

households. Occasionally, you may come upon a dog lying there, which, however, never

gives a bark at you.

The charm of the lane lies in its absolute serenity. No matter who you are, if you loiter

around in the lane for a while, your mind will become as unruffled as the ancient well at

the end of the lane. There you will experience a kind of peaceful calmness rather than

gloomy sternness. There reigns peace and quiet in the midst of noisy bustle. It is a world of

its own on earth. It may be a modern version of Wu Yi Xiang, a special residential area of

nobility in the Jin Dynasty southeast of today’s Nanjing, where each family, secluded

behind closed doors, has its own covered-up story of joys and sorrows, and rise and decline.

When the sun is setting, swallows will fly low over wild flowers and grass on their way to

their nests. The all-pervading and all-purifying atmosphere of water-like placidness makes

one forget all cares and worries.

Aren’t you weighed down with cares in this life of hard toil and exhausted physically

and mentally? I would like to advise you often to take a walk in the lane in your off-duty

hours. That is the best way to take a rest. It will dissipate your fatigue and relieve your

nervous tension. When you are fidgety or depressed, go to the lane and wander around

reciting or composing poems with your hands crossed behind your back. You will then

suddenly fall into a bright mood and enjoy inner peace, forgetting both yourself and the

external world. Don’t you have a sweetheart? Let me suggest that, instead of

accompanying her on a visit to famous park or scenic spot, you take her with you for a

stroll in the lane at dawn or dusk. Over there, you two can chat freely and with even deeper

affection, free from greedy sidelong glances or malicious squints such as you often meet

with in busy streets. Suddenly, at a creaking sound, there may appear a figure by a

door—usually an unsophisticated young girl. She will, at the sight of you, withdraw coyly

into the house.

The lane is a safe haven for those struggling in the turbulent sea of humans to enjoy a

sense of security. It is a heavenly abode in the midst of confusion. Unlike the erstwhile

plank-paved path used exclusively by the imperial family for their vehicles to move on

smoothly, the lane is place for the common people to roam about leisurely.

Those who strive after fame and gain, and haggle over every penny, please go to the

downtown area! Those who are sharp-tongued and quarrelsome, please go to the teahouse

or restaurant! Those who love deafening gongs and drums as well as noisy wind and string

instruments, please go to the opera house or theatre! Those who are given to profound

meditation and a quiet life without worldly desires, welcome to the lane!

注释

《巷》是柯灵（1909- ）写于1930年秋的一篇著名散文。作者以沉挚细腻的笔调叙述江南小城市中的小巷，向往那里悠闲宁静的情调，流露出对大都市喧闹纷争的生活的厌恶。

(1)“飘逸恬静”译为gentle gracefulness，把原文两个并列形容词转变为英语“定语＋抽象名词”的形式，内容不变。这是文学翻译时常用方法。

(2)“常在河南的小城市中”译为Often tucked away in a small town south of the Yangtse River，

其中动词短语to tuck away作“使隐藏”、“把……置放在隐蔽的地方”解，是添加成分，原文虽无其词而有其意。

(3)“它不是乡村的陋巷”意即“它和乡村的陋巷不同”，因此全句译为The lane has nothing in

common with the mean rural alleys，其中成语in common的意思是“共同”。

(4)“湫隘破败”译为narrow and low-lying，未交代“破败”，因它的意思已包含在句中“陋”、

“坎坷”等形容词中。但如照译不误，也无不可：narrow, low-lying and in bad condition (out of

repair)。

(5)“头发乱似临风飞舞的秋蓬”中的“蓬”是一种草，即“蓬蒿”，秋时干枯，临风飞舞，

现将此句译为“disheveled like wind-blown withered grass in autumn.

(6)“颓然”意即“没精打采”或“慢吞吞”，译为languidly或sluggishly。

(7)“好像已经堵塞了”意即“好像是死胡同”，故译为it seems to be a blind alley。

(8)“那里是寂寂的，寂寂的”语气强调，故相应译为 There is nothing but stillness there。

(9)“修竹森森，天籁细细”中的“修”作“高”解；“森森”作“茂密”解，“天籁”作“自

然界的音响”解。两句一并译为dense groves of tall bamboos as well as soft sounds of nature。

(10)“阴森和肃杀”译为gloomy sternness，也是把原文两个并列形容词转化为英语“定语＋

抽象名词”的形式。

(11)“乌衣巷“在今南京市东南，东晋时为望族居住的地方，现采取释义法把它译为Wu Yi

Xiang, a special residential area of nobility in the Jin Dynasty southeast of today’s Nanjing。

(12)“你是否觉得劳生草草”中的“劳生”作“辛劳的生活”解；“草草”作“忧虑”解。

现全句译为Aren’t you weighed down with cares in this life of hard toil…，其中动词短语to weigh down作“使苦恼”解。

(13)“深居简出”可译为secluded，现译为unsophisticated，是按“不懂世故”之意作灵活处

理。

(14)“洞天幽境”中的“洞天”本指天上群仙居住之处，现按“超凡的住所”把全文译为heavenly

abode。

(15)“阁道”指古代皇家楼阁之间以木架空的通道，现以释义法把它译为the erstwhile

plank-paved path used exclusively by the imperial family for their vehicles to move smoothly。

第二次考试

何为

著名的声乐专家苏林教授发现了一件奇怪的事情：在这次参加考试的二百多名合

唱训练班学生中间，有一个二十岁的女生陈伊玲，初试时的成绩十分优异：声乐、视

唱、练耳和乐理等课目都列入优等，尤其是她的音色美丽和音域宽广令人赞叹。而复

试时却使人大失所望。苏林教授一生桃李满天下，他的学生中间不少是有国际声誉的，

但是这样 的年青而有才华的学生却还是第一个，这样的事情也还是第一次碰到。

那次公开的考试是在那间古色古香的大厅里举行的。当陈伊玲镇静地站在考试委

员会里几位有名的声乐专家面前，唱完了冼星海的那支有名的“二月里来“，门外窗

外挤挤挨挨的都站满了人，甚至连不带任何表情(1)的教授们也不免暗暗递了个眼色。

按照规定，应试者还唱一支外国歌曲，她演唱了意大利歌剧“蝴蝶夫人”(2)中的咏叹

调“有一个良辰佳日” (3)，以她灿烂的音色和深沉的理解惊动四座，一向以要求严格

闻名的苏林教授也不由颔首表示赞许，在她严峻的眼光下，隐藏着一丝微笑。大家都

默无一言地注视陈伊玲：嫩绿色的绒线上衣，一条贴身的咖啡西裤，宛如春天早晨一

株亭亭玉立的小树。众目睽睽下，这个本来笑容自若的姑娘也不禁微微困惑了。

复试是在一星期后举行的。录取与否都取决于此。这时将决定一个人终生的事业。

经过初试这一关，剩下的人现在已是寥寥无几；而复试将是各方面更其严格的要求下

进行的，本市有名的音乐界人士都到了。这些考试委员和旁听者在评选时几乎都带着

苛刻的挑剔神气。但是全体对陈伊玲都留下这样一个印象：如果合乎录取条件的只有

一个人，那么这唯一的一个人无疑应该是陈伊玲。

谁知道事实却出乎意料之外。陈伊玲是参加复试的最后一个人，唱的还是那两支

歌，可是声音发涩，毫无光彩，听起来前后判若两人。是因为怯场、心慌，还是由于

身体不适，影响声音？人们甚至怀疑到她的生活作风上是否有不够慎重的地方(4)！在

座的人面面相觑，大家带着询问和疑惑的眼光举目望她。虽然她掩饰不住自己脸上的

困倦，一双聪颖的眼睛显得黯然无神，那顽皮的嘴角也流露出一种无可诉说的焦急，

可是就整个看来，她通体是明朗的，坦率的，可以使人信任的；仅仅只因为一点意外

的事故使她遭受挫折，而这正是人们感到不解之处。她抱歉地大家笑笑，于是飘然走

了。

苏林教授显然是大为生气了。他从来认为，要做一个真正为人民所爱戴的艺术家，

首先要做一个各方面都能成为表率的人，一个高尚的人！歌唱家又何尝能例外！可是

这样一个自暴自弃的女孩子，永远也不能成为一个有成就的歌唱家！他生气地侧过头

去望向窗外。这个城市刚刚受到一次今年最严重的台风的袭击，窗外断枝残叶狼藉满

地，整排竹篱委身在满是积水的地上，一片惨淡的景象。

考试委员会对陈伊玲有两种意见：一种认为从两次考试可以看出陈伊玲的声音极

不稳固，不扎实(5)，很难造就；另一种认为给她机会，让她再试一次。苏林教授有他

自己的看法，他觉得重要的是为什么造成她先后两次声音悬殊的根本原因，如果问题

在于她对事业和生活的态度，尽管声音的禀赋再好，也不能录取她！这是一切条件中

的首要条件！

可是究竟是什么原因呢？

苏林教授从秘书那里取去了陈伊玲的报名单，在填着地址的那一栏上，他用红铅

笔划了一条粗线。表格上的那张报名照片是一张叫人喜欢的脸，小而好看的嘴，明快

单纯的眼睛，笑起来鼻翼稍稍皱起的鼻子，这一切都好像是在提醒那位有名的声乐专

家，不能用任何简单的方式对待一个人——一个有生命有思想有感情的人。至少眼前

这个姑娘的某些具体情况是这张简单的表格上所看不到的。如果这一次落选了，也许

这个人终其一生就和音乐分手了。她的天才可能从此就被埋没。而作为一个以培养学

生为责任的音乐教授，情况如果是这样，那他是绝对不能原谅自己的。

第二天，苏林教授乘早上第一班电车出发。根据报名单上的地址，好容易找到了

在杨树浦(6)的那条僻静的马路，进了弄堂，蓦地不由吃了一惊。

那弄堂里有些墙垣都已倾塌，烧焦的栋梁呈现一片可怕的黑色，断瓦残垣中间时

或露出枯黄的破布碎片，所有这些说明了这条弄堂不仅受到台风破坏，而且显然发生

过火灾。就在这灾区的瓦砾场上，有些人大清早就在忙碌着张罗。

苏林教授手持纸条，不知从何处找起，忽然听见对屋的楼窗上，有一个孩子有事

没事地(7)张口叫着：

“咪——咿——咿——咿——，吗——啊——啊——啊——”仿佛歌唱家在练声

的样子。苏林教授不禁为之微笑，他猜对了，那孩子敢情就是陈伊玲的弟弟，正在若

有其事地学着他姊姊练声的姿势呢。

从孩子口里知道：他的姊姊是个转业军人，从文工团回来的，到上海后被分配到

工厂里担任行政工作。他是个青年团员，——一个积极而热心的人，不管厂里也好，

里弄也好，有事找陈伊玲准没有错！还是在二三天前，这里附近因为台风而造成电线

走火，好多人家流离失所，陈伊玲就为了安置灾民，忙得整夜没有睡，终于影响了嗓

子。第二天刚好是她去复试的日子，她说声“糟糕”，还是去参加考试了。

这就是全部经过。

“瞧，她还在那儿忙着哪！”孩子向窗外扬了扬手说，“我叫她！我去叫她！”

“不。只要告诉你姊姊：她的第二次考试已经录取了！她完全有条件成为一个优

秀的歌唱家，不是吗？我几乎犯了一个错误！”

苏林教授从陈伊玲家里出来，走得很快。是的，这天早晨有什么使人感动的东西

充溢在他胸口，他想赶紧回去把他发现的这个音乐学生和她的故事告诉每一个人。

The Second Test

He Wei

Professor Su Lin, a well-known expert on vocal music, found something very

puzzling. Twenty-year-old girl Chen Yiling from Chorus Training Class of more than 200

students had come out exceedingly well in the preliminary test, scoring high marks in

vocal music, sightsinging ear training and music theory. Her beautiful tone color and broad

range, in particular, won high praise. But, to the great disappointment of everybody, she

failed the second test. The professor, who had trained a large number of students, many of

them now of international fame, had never seen a young girl with a brilliant talent. And the

above strange happening was something he had never known before.

The preliminary test took place in a specious hall of antique style. Chen Yiling stood

calmly before the eminent vocal music experts on the Test Committee. When she finished

singing Xian Xinghai’s famous When February Comes, throngs of listeners could be seen

standing entranced outside the doors and windows, and even the professors, who usually

wore an air of casual indifference, could not help exchanging knowing looks at one another.

At it was required of each candidate to sing a foreign song as well, Chen sang the aria Un

bel di from the Italian opera Madama Butterfly. The audience were amazed by her splendid

tone color and deep comprehension. Even Professor Su, known for his strict demands, also

nodded his approval, his stern eyes twinkling with delight. Chen, wearing a light green

woollen sweater and close-fitting brown trousers, stood there like a graceful tree on a

spring morning. However, under the silent stare of so many eyes, the smiling girl appeared

somewhat ill at ease.

The second test came to pass a week later. The result of this test was to determine

each candidate’s fate-accepted or otherwise, and what his or her future career would be

like. With most of the candidates already eliminated by the preliminary test, this second

test was even more demanding in every respect. All celebrated local musicians were

present. During the test almost all Test Committee members and visitors wore a harsh and

nitpicking look. Nevertheless, they were all under the impression that all the remaining

candidates Chen would undoubtedly be the last one to fail the second test.

Unfortunately, the result was contrary to everybody’s expectation. When Chen’s turn

came last, she sang the same two songs, but her voice was unpleasant and utterly lackluster

as if she were no longer her old herself. Was it due to stage fright, nervousness or

indisposition? People even suspected some sort of impropriety in her private life. They

stared at each in speechless despair and eyed her questioningly. Weariness was written all

over her face. Her bright eyes now looked dejected and dull. And the corners of her

otherwise playful mouth wore an expression of unspeakable anxiety. But, as a whole, she

was bright, candid and trustworthy. People just could not understand what little accident, if

any, had been the cause of her frustration. She smiled apologetically and disappeared out

of the room.

Professor Su was obviously upset. He had always believed that to win people’s

genuine love and esteem, an artist must first of all be exemplary in every way, first of all a

noble-minded person. A singer was of course no exception. But a girl like Chen, who had

no urge for self-improvement, would never become a successful singer. He turned in anger

to look out of the window. The city had just been hit by the worst typhoon of the year. The

ground outside was strewn with broken twigs and dry leaves. Fallen bamboo fences on the

sodden ground. What a pitiful sight!

The Test committee were divided in their opinions about Chen. Some held out little

hope of her achieving success as a vocalist, saying that the two tests had shown her voice

far from able to hold its own. Others wanted to give her an opportunity for another try.

Professor Su, however, had a view of his own. He thought it important to find the root

cause of her failure in the second test. He maintained that if her failure was due to her

questionable attitude towards her career and life, she should on no account be admitted no

matter how highly gifted she was. That, he said, should be the first and foremost of all

things to be considered.

Now what on earth was the cause of her failure?

Professor Su got Chen’s application form for enrollment form his secretary and

underlined in red pencil the address she had put down on it. The photo attached to the form

showed a very cute face with a pretty little mouth, lucid guileless eyes and a nose which

would pucker up a little bit whenever she smiled. All that seemed to warn the professor

against treating a person in a simplistic way—a person alive with thought and emotion.

There must be certain practical aspects of the young girl which the simple application form

made no mention of. Her failure to pass the second test might mean her life-long divorce

from music and hence a permanent stifling of her musical talent. Should that be the case,

the professor, whose duty it was to foster young musical talents, would never forgive

himself.

The next morning, Professor Su took the first tram of the day. Thanks to the address

given on the application form, he finally managed to find the secluded street in Yangshupu.

The moment he stepped into the lane, he was taken aback by what he saw.

There were broken walls, charred beams of a ghastly black and scorched rags here

and there among debris—all telling of the destruction wrought by the recent typhoon and

the ensuring fire. Since early in the morning, some people had already been busying

themselves amongst the rubble.

Professor Su, with a slip of paper in hand, was wondering where to find the address

when all of sudden he heard a child crying out randomly from an upstairs window of the

opposite building, like a singer practicing his voice:

“Mi—yi—yi—yi—, ma—ah—ah—ah—” The professor could not help smiling. He

guessed right that the kid was Chen’s younger brother affectedly parroting his elder sister’s

voice.

The professor then learned from the child that his elder sister Chen, ex-member of the

PLA art troupe, was now on the administrative staff of a factory after being transferred

from the army to civilian work in Shanghai. As a Youth Leaguer, she was enthusiastic and

earnest. Whenever the factory or her neighborhood was in need of some help, she was

always considered the right person to approach. Just a couple of days before, the neighbor-

hood had caught fire as a result of electric wire sparking caused by the typhoon.

Consequently, many families were left homeless. Chen spent a sleepless night caring for

the disaster victims, which in turn affected her voice. The next day, when it occurred to her

that it was the very day for the second test, she blurted out, “Oh, my!” Yet, she went to the

test all the same.

That was the whole story.

“Look, she’s still busy working over there!” exclaimed the child from the window,

gesticulating with his raised hand. “Let me call her! I’ll go and call her!”

“No, don’t. But just tell your sister that she’s been admitted after passing the second

test! She has every qualification for being a superb singer, hasn’t she? I’ve almost made a

mistake!”

The professor walked away from Chen’s house, and that very quickly. Yes, his bosom

swelling with a thrill, he wanted to hurry back to let everybody know of the music student

he had discovered and the whole story about her.

注释

《第二次考试》是散文家何为（1922- ）的前期代表作，1956年12月26日在《人民日报》

上发表后，立刻博得好评。此文以情节取胜，构思精巧，是一篇成功之作。

(1)“不带任何表情”意即“表情冷漠”，现译为wore an air of casual indifference。

(2)“蝴蝶夫人”为意大利著名歌剧作曲家普契尼（Giacomo Puccini）的作品，共三幕，于1904

年2月17日在意大利米兰首演。原名为Madama Butterfly或Madame Butterfly。

(3)“有一个良辰佳日”为意大利歌剧《蝴蝶夫人》中的著名女高音独唱曲。原名为Un bel di

或Un bel di vedremo。另一中文译名为《晴朗的一天》。

(4)“她的生活作风上是否有不够慎重的地方”指“她在私生活方面恐有不够检点之处”，故

译为some sort of impropriety in her private life，其中impropriety意为“不正当的行为”或“不合适的举止”。

(5)“声音极不稳固，不扎实”译为her voice far from able to hold its own, 其中to hold its own

是习语，意为“维持原有的状态”或“不衰退”。

(6)“杨树浦”位于上海市东北部，濒临黄浦江，旧时为贫民区。

(7)“有事没事地”意即“任意地”或“胡乱地”，故译为randomly。

下蛋·唱鸡及其它

谢 逸

笼里养着两只母鸡，一只爱唱，另一只喜静。主人根据母鸡下蛋之后报唱的现象，

以为所有的蛋都是那只唱鸡产的(1)，因此很偏爱它(2)，捉得蟑螂也专喂给它吃。但日

子一久，秘密揭穿了：原来那只唱鸡下蛋很少，而不叫的那只却一天一个，且蛋刚落

地就一声不响地离开鸡窝，由那只唱鸡站在蛋边大喊大叫(3)。

闲聊时和朋友谈及此事，他以为我是言外之意不在鸡，而是论人。其实，古人早

就以鸡喻人了，《尚书·牧誓》里就有“牝鸡无晨” (4)之句。说到人，在我们中确是

有很多沉默寡言的人，他们牢牢蹲在自己的岗位上，夜以继日，埋头苦干替国家创造

了大量的物质财富，为人民作出了一项又一项的优异成绩。他们像母鸡一样，吞的是

粗糠老菜，产下的是蛋，而且往往一声不响(5)。但也有一种人，嘴尖舌长，能说会道，

自我吹嘘，滔滔不绝，像那只爱唱的母鸡一样，占着个鸡窝不下蛋(6)。个别恶劣的还

窃取别人的成果去报喜称功，一点不觉得惭愧。

本来，考核一个人的成绩，不是听他唱得好听不好听，而是看他“下蛋不下蛋”。

但那善于炫耀和卖弄的人，生一个蛋就唱得像是生了十个似的，只做出三分成绩就吹

成十分，碰上个凡事只用耳朵听不用眼睛看的糊涂长官，自然就博得了偏爱，于是一

帆风顺，扶摇直上了(7)。而那些埋头“下蛋”的人，由于他们一声不响，默默无闻(8)，

就很少为人所知，更不受重视。因此，他们既没有“蟑螂”可吃，甚至连个“下蛋的

窝”也没有。

喜唱或是爱静，本来只是人的一种个性，由于是长期养成的习惯，要完全改过来

也颇不容易，但是，在新长征的途程中，人的生命到底有限，而探索宇宙奥秘的道路

却又那样的无限和悠长，结果一天到晚都用于高谈阔论，搞“假、大、空”，又哪有

时间及精力去钻研和攻关呢？最重要的还是认真蹲在“窝”里(9)，多为九亿人民“下

蛋”。

Egglaying, Cackling, Etc

Xie Yi

There were two hens in a coop. one was fond of cackling while the other liked to keep

quiet. As it is customary for a hen to cackle after laying an egg, the chicken raiser

accordingly credited the cackler with all the eggs that had been laid. As a result, he became

so partial to his favourite bird that he fed her with every cockroach he caught. With the

passing of time, however, it became known that the cackler had in fact laid very few eggs

while the non-cackler kept laying one egg a day. Every time, as soon as the latter laid an

egg, she quit the coop quietly, leaving the former standing by the newly-laid egg shouting

and yelling her head off.

Once, when I chatted with a friend about this, he thought what I had in mind was not

the hen, but men in general. As a matter of fact, our forefathers long ago already drew an

analogy between the hen and a human, as witness the Chinese idiom “No hen crows at

dawn” (meaning “No woman is to usurp man’s power”) in The Book of History: Mu Shi. It

is true that there are among us many who stick to their posts and quietly immerse

themselves in hard work day and night, creating enormous material wealth for the state and

achieving one success after another for the people. Like the above-mentioned good layer,

they eat simple food, but lay eggs, often without making a fanfare. There are among us,

however, another kind of people who, armed with a glib tongue, indulge in incessant

self-glorification and, like the above-mentioned cackler, hold on to the coop without laying

any egg. Some few even go so far as to brazenly claim credit for work that was done by

others.

The proper way to evaluate a person is of course by watching whether or not he “lays

eggs” not by listening to him singing his own praises. When a braggart lays one egg, he

will talk in such a way as if he had laid ten eggs. When he puts in a tiny bit of work, he

will talk as if he had done ten times as much. He will naturally find favour with a

muddleheaded boss who trusts his ears more than his eyes. The braggart will thus find

himself quickly climbing up the social ladder. As to those engrossed in “laying eggs”,

because they are reserved and content to live in obscurity they gain little public attention,

let alone recognition. They are given no “cockroaches” to eat. They do not even have a

“shelter for egglaying”.

It is in one’s nature to be either noisy or quiet. As something ingrained, it cannot be

completely changed overnight. But life is short while the probe into the mysteries of the

universe is long and unlimited. If we indulge in empty talk and trickery day and night, how

can we have time and energy for serious study and tackling key problems confronting the

country on its new Long March towards modernization? The most important thing is to

stand fast to the “coop” and “lay” more “eggs” for this nation of 900,000,000 people.

注释

谢逸（1917- ），广西人，为杂文作家。此文写于1980年8月间，用比喻的手法批评那些

自我吹嘘、弄虚作假、骗取名位的人，颂扬那些默默奉献，不争功名的人。

(1)“以为所有的蛋都是那只唱鸡产的”译为credited the cackler with all the eggs that had been

laid，其中cackler即the hen that was fond of cackling。又to credit…with…意即“把……归功于……”。

(2)“因此很偏爱它”译为As a result, he became so partial to his favorite bird，其中his favorite

bird是“它”的意译。

(3)“大喊大叫”译为shouting and yelling her head off，意同shouting noisily或shouting at the top of her voice，但稍较强调。

(4)“‘牝鸡无晨’”译为“No hen crows at dawn” (meaning “No woman is to usurp man’s power”)，

其中括号内的文字是译者增添的成分，起注释作用，有助于海外读者对原文成语的理解。

(5)“往往一声不响”译为often without making a fanfare。To make a fanfare是成语，作“大

吹大擂”解。

(6)“占着个鸡窝不下蛋”译为hold on to the coop without laying any egg，其中to hold on to 是

成语，作“抓住不放”解，和to stick to以及to cling to同义。

(7)“一帆风顺，扶摇直上”译为quickly climbing up the social ladder，其中to climb up the ladder

是成语，作to rise to power and position解。

(8)“一声不响，默默无闻”译为are reserved and content to live in obscurity，其中reserved作

“缄默寡言”解，content to live in obscurity意即“甘于寂寞”。

(9)“认真蹲在‘窝’里”译为to stand fast to the coop，其中to stand to是成语，和to stick to

同义。

快乐的死亡

陆文夫

作家有三种死法。一曰自然的死，二曰痛苦的死，三曰快乐的死。

自然的死属于心脏停止跳动(1)，是一种普遍的死亡形式，没有特色，可以略而不

议。快乐的死和痛苦的死不属于心脏停止跳动，是人还活着，作品已经、或几乎是没

有了！

作家没有了作品，可以看作是个人艺术生命的死亡、职业的停顿。其中有些人是

因为年事已高，力不从心(2)。这不是艺术的死亡，而是艺术的离休，他自己无可自责，

社会也会尊重(3)他在艺术上曾经作出的贡献。

痛苦的死亡却不然，即当一个作家的体力和脑力(4)还能胜任创作的时候，作品已

经没有了，其原因主要是由于各种苦难和折磨（包括自我折磨）所造成。折磨毁了他

的才华，苦难消沉了意志，作为人来说他还活着，作为作家来说却正在或已死去。这

种死亡他自己感到很痛苦，别人看了心里也很难受。

快乐的死亡却很快乐，不仅他自己感到快乐，别人看来也很快乐。昨天看见他大

会上做报告，下面掌声如雷；今天又看见他参加宴会，为这为那地频频举杯(5)。昨天

听见他在高朋中大发议论，语惊四座，今天又听见他在那些开不完的座谈会上重复昨

天的意见。昨天看见他在北京的街头，今天又看见他飞到了广州……只是看不到或很

少看到他的作品发表哪里。

我不害怕自然的死，因为害怕也没用，人人不可避免。我也不太害怕痛苦的死，

因为那时代已经过去(6)。我最害怕的就是那快乐的死，毫无痛苦，十分热闹，甚至还

有点轰轰烈烈。自己很难控制，即很难控制在一定的范围之内。因为我觉得喝酒不一

定完全是坏事，少喝一点可以舒筋活血，据说对心血管也是有帮助的。作家不能当隐

士，适当的社会活动和文学活动可以开阔眼界，活跃思想，对创作也是有帮助的(7)。

可是怎么才能不酗酒、不作酒鬼，这有益的定量究竟是多少呢？怕就怕三杯下肚，豪

情大发，嘟嘟嘟，来个瓶底朝天，而且一顿喝不上便情绪不高，颇有怨言，甚至会到

处去找酒喝。呜呼，快乐地死去！

Happy Death

Lu Wenfu

A writer can die three kinds of death: natural death, painful death, happy death.

Natural death, caused by the discontinuation of heartbeat, is a common form of death

with no characteristics of its own, and therefore may as well be left out without any

comment. In the case of happy death and painful death, which are not caused by the

discontinuation of heartbeat, the writer, alive as he is, has stopped or almost stopped

writing!

When a writer no longer produces any works, it is tantamount to the death of his

artistic life or the end of his career. Some writers lay down their pens because they are too

old to be equal to the task. We call it retirement from art rather than death of art. They have

nothing to blame themselves for. And society at large will pay tribute to the contributions

they have already made to art.

Painful death is quiet another matter. It occurs when a writer abandons writing even

though he is still sound in mind and body. It results mainly from various kinds of

sufferings and torments (including self-inflicted torments). Torments ruin his talent while

sufferings demoralize him. Though still alive as a man, he is dying or already dead as a

writer. This kind of death causes not only much pain to the writer himself, but much

sadness to other people as well.

Happy death is a joyful thing, bring happiness to both the writer himself and other

people. Yesterday we saw him addressing a big meeting amidst thunderous applause, and

today we saw him attending a banquet, drinking nonstop to this and that. Yesterday we

heard him talking volubly to a gathering of distinguished guests, capturing the attention of

all present, and today we heard him repeating himself at one of those endless forums.

Yesterday we met him on a Beijing street, and today we saw him flying to Guangzhou…

But never or every seldom do we find his new works seeing the light of today.

I do not fear natural death for nobody can avoid it, hence no use fearing. Nor do I fear

painful death for it is something belonging to a bygone age. What I fear most is happy

death, which is absolutely painless and full of bustle, excitement and even dramatic

spectacle. It is difficult to exercise self-control, that is, difficult to keep within limits.

Drinking is, to my mind, not always bad because a few spots may help blood circulation

and is, as they say, good for the heart and blood vessels. Being no hermit, a writer stands to

benefit in writing as long as he gets properly involved with social and literary activities to

widen his field of vision and stimulate his thinking. But how can he avoid excessive

drinking or becoming of drunkard? What is the safety limit in this respect? The trouble is

after three cups of alcohol he will get wild and unrestrained and end in gulping down a

whole bottle. One meal without liquor will upset him and set him complaining and

searching around for drink. Alas, just to end up dying happily!

注释

作者陆文夫（1927- ）是小说家，此文写于1985年4月，是一篇有很强现实针对性的杂感。

(1)“心脏停止跳动”译为the discontinuation of heartbeat，其中discontinuation也可译为absence

或stoppage等。又heartbeat在此为不可数名词，故前面不用冠词。

(2)“年事已高，力不从心”译为too old to be equal to the task，其中to be equal to的意思是to have enough strength for。

(3)“社会也会尊重”译为society at large will pay tribute to，其中短语at large作in general解，

用来强调society，意即“整个社会”。

(4)“体力和脑力”译为in mind and body，也可译为mentally and physically。

(5)“为这为那地频频举杯”译为drinking nonstop this and that，也可译为proposing repeated

toasts to this and that。其中nonstop意同now and then或again and again等，但略带讽刺味道。

(6)“因为那时代已经过去”译为for it is something belonging to a bygone age，其中bygone age

指建国后的一段极左时期，包括“文革”时期。

(7)“对创作也是有帮助的”译为stands to benefit in writing，其中stands作“处于某种状态”（to be in a particular state）解。

耳闻不如一见

 ——从焦尾琴谈起

顾均正

在郭老(1)新编的话剧“蔡文姬”里，提到了蔡文姬的父亲蔡邕（yōng）(2)所造的

那张焦尾琴。最近我看了“蔡文姬”的演出，自然而然想起了焦尾琴，想起了关于焦

尾琴的故事：

蔡邕因为不愿趋附权贵(3)，怕被人陷害，曾经亡命江南，往来于吴会之间（今江、

浙一带），计十二年。据说他在吴（今苏州）的时候，有一天听见邻家烧饭的柴火中

发出一种爆裂的声音，他熟悉这种声音，知道这声音来自一种极好的桐木，这种桐木

是造琴(4)的最好材料。他就跟邻家主人商量，把这段烧焦了的桐木要了来，造成一张

琴。这张琴弹起来果然非常好听。因为它的一端(5)是烧焦的，所以大家都叫它焦尾琴。

当我想起这个故事的时候，使我对“耳闻不如目见”这句成语不能不有所怀疑。

的确，我们认识这个物质世界，有时候不是用眼睛来看而是用耳朵来听的。蔡邕能够

从木材燃烧时发出的爆裂声来辨别木材的好坏，充分说明了“耳闻”不一定“不如目

见”。当然，“耳闻不如目见”这句话的原意是指间接经验不如直接经验那样可靠，

这是完全正确的。但是，如果对这句话只是从字面上来理解，认为耳朵听到的总不如

眼睛看见的那样可靠，那对耳朵来说，却是极大的冤枉(6)。

我们应该承认，眼睛是直接经验的主要来源，可是我们也承认，眼睛是最会骗人

的。举一个极普通的例子来说，我们大家觉得早晨的太阳比中午的太阳大得多，可是

如果你用照相机给太阳在早晨和中午各照一个相，你就会发现摄得的相片是一样大小

的。谁会想到，在这个每天接触到的日常现象上，从古到今，无论是什么人，无论在

什么地方，都一直在受着眼睛的骗？并且骗得我们好苦，不但古代的大学问家如孔子，

没有能回答(7)为什么早晨的太阳看起来会大于中午的太阳，连现代的科学家，对这个

问题也不曾有一个令人十分满意的解释。这个现象对迷信眼睛的人来说，是一个有力

的讽刺。

当然，我们这样说，并不是要否定眼睛的作用。我们只是说明，眼睛虽然有非常

广阔的活动范围，可是它是有缺点的。我们不能迷信眼睛，小看了耳朵的作用。

耳朵的活动范围虽然小，可是它的作用也不只是听听讲话，听听音乐。它还有其

他的特殊功用。在某种场合，它不但无愧于(8) “以耳代目”这句话，而且比眼睛做

得更好。

Is the Ear Less Reliable than the Eye?

——About the Story of Jiao Wei Qin

Gu Junzheng In the play Cai Wenji, newly written by venerable Guo Moruo, reference is made to

jiao wen qin, a zithern partly made of scorched wood by Cai Yong, father of Cai Wenji.

Recently, after I saw the play on the stage, my mind naturally went to jiao wen qin and its

story.

Cai Yong disliked playing up to bigwigs and, to avoid frame-ups, he went into exile

in the South, wandering about for twelve years in Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces. It is said

that one day during his stay in Suzhou when he heard the crackling of firewood from his

next-door neighbour at cooking time, he knew the familiar sound came from paulownia, a

kind of choice wood best for making zitherns. Now, talking it over with his neighbour, he

was given the piece of scorched wood, which he subsequently made into a zithern. This

musical instrument, when played, turned out to be extremely pleasant to the ear. People

called it jiao wei qin because the tail of its sound-board was made of scorched wood.

When I think of the story, I cannot help having doubts about the validity of the

proverb, “Seeing is better than hearing.” Fact is, to know the material world, we sometimes

use not the eye, but the ear. That Cai Yong could tell the quality of wood by listening to its

crackling sound while it was burning in the kitchen stove makes it crystal clear that

“hearing” is not necessarily less reliable that “seeing”. The above-mentioned proverb

literally means that secondhand experience is less reliable than firsthand experience, which

is perfectly true. But, if we should take this saying at its face value and regard the ear as

invariably less reliable than the eye, we shall do the former a gross injustice.

While we agree that the eye is the main source of direct experience, we must admit

that it is also most misleading. Take a most common example. We all agree that the sun is

much bigger in the early morning than at noon. But if we take a photo of it in the early

morning and at noon respectively, we shall find it of the same size in both cases. Who

would have thought that, when it comes to this common phenomenon in our daily life,

people the world over should have been fooled by their own eyes ever since time

immemorial? The optical illusion has indeed landed us in indescribable trouble. Not only

were great ancient sages like Confucius stumped by the question why the sun was

seemingly bigger in the early morning than at noon, even scientists of today have failed to

give a wholly satisfactory explanation. This is a keen satire on those having blind faith in

the eye.

Of course I do not mean to deny the role played by the eye. All I want to show is that

although the eye has an extremely wide scope of activities, it is, nevertheless, far from

being faultless. We should, therefore, never over-trust the eye and underestimate the

usefulness of the ear.

Although the ear has a smaller scope of activities, its functions are not confined to

listening to conversation or music only. It has other specific functions of its own. Under

certain circumstances, it is not only worthy of the saying, “Let the ear do duty for the eye,”

it can even excel the eye.

注释

顾均正（1902-1981），浙江嘉兴人，文学翻译家、杂文家。《百闻不如一见？》是他写的一

篇富于知识性和趣味性的科学小品文。

(1)“郭老”指郭沫若。“……老”是我们对长者，尤其是老年学者的常用亲密尊称，英语中

无对应表达法，不能直译。现把“郭老”译为venerable Guo Moruo，英语venerable一词含有因高龄、经历等原因而令人敬重之意。

(2)“蔡邕”，译为Cai Yong，是东汉著名文学家、书法家。

(3)“趋附权贵”译为playing up to bigwigs或fawning on those in power，其中to play up to是

成语，作“奉承”、“向……讨好”解。

(4)“琴”指我国古琴，即七弦琴，和欧洲古代弦乐器zithern（齐特琴）相似，故译为zithern。

(5)“它的一端”指琴的共鸣板的一端，故译为the tail of its soundboard。

(6)“对耳朵来说，却是极大的冤枉”译为we shall do the former a gross injustice，其中to do

somebody an injustice是英语惯用搭配，作“冤枉某人”或“对某人不公平”解。

(7)“不但古代的大学问家如孔子，没有能回答……”译为Not only were great ancient sages like

Confucius stumped by …， 其中stumped作“难住”、“难倒”解，意同puzzled。

(8)“无愧于……”在此作“配得上……”或“和……相称”解，故译worthy of。

幼年鲁迅

王士菁

在家里，领着幼年鲁迅的是保姆长妈妈。她是一个淳朴的农村妇女。最初大约是

一个生活在农村里的年轻的孤孀，死掉了丈夫和丧失了土地之后，就从农村来到城里

谋生。她的姓名，当时是没有人知道的，鲁迅的祖母叫她“阿长”，因此人们也就跟

着叫她“阿长”，但孩子们却叫她“长妈妈”。她懂得很多莫名其妙的道理(1)，还有

许多规矩，这一切都是孩子们所不理解的。譬如说，人死了，不说死掉，而说“老掉

了”；死了人或生了孩子的屋里，是不应该走进去的；饭粒子落在地上，必须捡起来，

最好是吃下去；晒裤子用的竹竿底下，是万不可钻过去的，等等。平时她不许孩子们

乱走动(2)，拔一株草，翻一块石头，就说是顽皮，要去告诉母亲去。起初，孩子们并

不怎么喜欢她。尤其是当她不留心踩死了鲁迅所心爱的隐鼠，这更使鲁迅十分生气。

但是，有一件事，出乎意料之外，使鲁迅对她发生了敬意，因为，她对孩子们能够讲

述一些“长毛”（关于太平天国）的故事；又一件事，更使鲁迅对她发生了很大的敬

意，那就是，她不知从什么地方替鲁迅找到了(3)一部他日夜所渴望的绘图《山海经》。

鲁迅对于绘图《山海经》的渴望已不止一天了。这事是由和他家同住在这个台门

(4)里的远房叔祖(5)玉田老人惹起来的。他是一个胖胖的和蔼的老人，爱种一点珠兰、

茉莉之类的花木。他在家里无人可以攀谈，所以就很喜欢和孩子们来往，有时简直称

呼他们为“小友”。他的藏书很丰富，其中有一本叫《花镜》，上面印着许多好看的

花草和树木，是一部孩子们最心爱的书。但老人却说还有一部更好看的哩，那是绘图

的《山海经》。人面的兽，九头的蛇，三脚的鸟，生着翅膀的人，没有头的拿两乳当

作眼睛的怪物，……这本书上都有。可惜，老人一时找不到，不知被放到哪里去了。

孩子们怀着十分迫切的心情，都急于想看这本充满奇异图画的书，但又不好意思逼着

老人去寻找。问别人呢，很少有人知道。想买吧，不知到哪里去买，大街离得很远，

只有正月间才能够去玩一趟，那时书铺的门却又是关着的。玩得热闹的时候倒也不觉

得有什么，一到静下来，可就想起了那绘图的《山海经》。也许是鲁迅过于念念不忘

这本书吧，连长妈妈也知道了(6)，来问是怎么一回事，鲁迅就把这事对她说了。

过了十多天，也许是一个月吧，长妈妈在她请假回家转来的时候，一见面，就将

一包书递给了鲁迅。她高兴地说道：“哥儿(7)，有画的《三哼经》，我给你找来了！”

这是一个怎样出人意外的消息啊，它比逢年过节还使鲁迅兴奋。他赶紧接过来，打开

纸包一看，是四本小小的书。啊！人面兽，九头蛇，……果然都在里面了。虽然这是

一部纸张很黄，图像很坏，连动物的眼睛也都是长方形的，刻工印工都是很粗糙的书，

但它正是鲁迅所日夜盼望的书。后来，鲁迅把这一位贫农妇女和自己对她的深厚感情，

写在一篇充满激情的散文里。

这确是四本小小的不平凡的书，鲁迅从长妈妈的手里，连带着她的那一份无比深

厚的情意接受了过来。这是幼年的鲁迅第一次读到的比一切别的书更加使他感动的

书。

在家庭里，祖母特别喜爱鲁迅。夏夜，鲁迅躺在一株大桂花树下的小板桌上乘凉，

祖母摇着芭蕉扇坐在桌旁，一面摇着扇子，一面讲故事给他听，或是叫他猜谜语。祖

母对于民间故事是很熟悉的。她会讲关于猫的故事，据说：猫是老虎的师父。老虎本

来是什么也不会的，就投到猫的门下。猫教给它扑的方法，捉的方法，像自己捉老鼠

一样。这一些学完了，老虎想：本领都学到了，谁也比不过自己了，只有做过它的老

师的猫还比自己强，要是把猫杀掉，自己便是最强的脚色了。它打定了主意，便往猫

身上扑过去。猫是早知道它的心思的(8)，一跳，便上了树。老虎却只有眼睁睁地在树

下蹲着。猫没有将一切本领传授完，还没有教它上树哩。祖母还会讲“水漫金山”的

故事，——有个叫作许仙的，他救了两条蛇：一青一白，后来白蛇就化作女人来报恩，

嫁给了许仙；青蛇化作了丫环，也跟着。有个和尚叫作法海禅师，他看见许仙脸上有

“妖气” (9)，于是就把许仙藏在金山寺的法座后面。白蛇娘娘前来寻夫，于是就“水

漫金山”，后来，白蛇娘娘中了法海禅师的计策，被骗装在一个小小的钵盂里了。这

钵盂被埋在地下，上面造起一座塔来镇压她，这塔就是竖立在西湖边上的雷峰塔。幼

年的鲁迅听了这个故事，心理很不舒服，他深为白蛇娘娘抱不平。当时，他唯一的希

望，就是这座镇压白蛇娘娘反抗的雷峰塔快些倒掉。后来，他把这个民间故事写在一

篇反对黑暗反动统治的杂文里。

When Lu Xun Was a Child

Wang Shijing

As a child, Lu Xun was in the charge of a nurse called Mama Chang. She was an

honest country woman. At first she must have been a young widow in the countryside, who

went to town to seek a living for herself after her husband died and she lost her land.

Nobody knew what her name was. As Lu Xun’s grandmother called her “A Chang”, other

people also called her by the same name. but the children usually called her “Mama

Chang”. She was so full of mysterious lore and had so many rules of behaviour that the

children sometimes found her quite puzzling. For instance, if someone died, you not say he

was dead but “he has passed away”. You should not enter a room where someone had died

or a child had been born. If a grain of rice fell to the ground, you should pick it up, and the

best thing was to eat it. On no account must you walk under the bamboo pole on which

trousers or pants were hanging out to dry. She would not let the children get up to mischief.

If they pulled up a weed or turned over a stone, she would say they were naughty and

threaten to tell their mother. In the beginning, the children did not think much of her. Lu

Xun was especially angry with her when she inadvertently stepped on and killed his

favourite little mouse. However, one thing which unexpectedly made Lu Xun feel respect

for her was that she often told the children stories of the “Long Hairs” (the Taiping

Rebellion) another thing which inspired Lu Xun with a still greater respect for her was that

she was able to produce from nobody knew where an illustrated edition of the Book of

Hills and Seas(1), which Lu Xun had been longing for day and night.

Lu Xun had been longing for an illustrated copy of the Book of Hills and Seas for

sometime. The whole business started with a distant great-uncle named Yutian, who was

living in the same compound. A fat and kindly old man, he liked to grow flowers such as

chloranthus and jasmine. The old man was a lonely soul with no one to talk to, so he like

the children’s company and often even called them his “young friends”. He owned a big

collection of books, one of which was called The Mirror of Flowers(2) with many beautiful

illustrations of flowers and trees. The children found this book most attractive. But the old

man told them that the illustrated edition of the Book of Hills and Seas even more

attractive, with pictures of man-faced beasts, nine-headed snakes, three-footed birds,

winged men and headless monsters who used their teats as eyes… Unfortunately, he

happened to have mislaid it. Eager as they were to look at the book with such strange

pictures, the children did not like to press him to find it. None of the people the children

asked knew where to get it, and the children had no idea where they could buy it them-

selves. The main street was a long way from their home, and the New Year holiday was

the only time in the year when they were able to go there to look around, but during that

period the bookshops were closed. As long as the children were playing, it was not so bad,

but the moment they sat down they would think of the Book of Hills and Seas. Probably

because Lu Xun harped on the subject so much, even A Chang got wind of it and started

asking what this Book of Hills and Seas was. Lu Xun then told her about it.

About a fortnight or a month later, Mama Chang came back after some leave at home

and the moment she saw Lu Xun, she handed him a package. “Here, son!” she said

cheerfully. “I’ve bought you that Book of Holy Seas with pictures.” What an unexpected

piece of news! To young Lu Xun it was even more thrilling than the New Year holiday or a

festival. He hastened to take the package and unwrap the paper. There were four small

volumes and, sure enough, the man-faced beast, the nine-headed snake… all of them were

there. Although the paper was yellow and the drawings very poor—so much so that even

the animals’ eyes were oblong, and both the engraving and printing were very crude,

nevertheless, it was Lu Xun’s most treasured book. Later, in a highly impassioned essay

Lu Xun paid tribute to this country woman of peasant origin and described his own deep

affection for her.

The book was indeed something extraordinary. Lu Xun received it from Mama

Chang’s hands along with her incomparably deep affection for him. It touched the young

Lu Xun more deeply than any other book he had read.

Of all the children at home, his grandmother loved Lu Xun most. On summer

evenings when Lu Xun was lying on a small wooden table under an osmanthus tree to

enjoy the evening cool, she would sit by the table with a palm-leaf fan in her hand. Waving

the fan, she would tell him stories or ask him riddles. She was very familiar with folk tales.

The cat, she said, was the tiger’s teacher. Originally the tiger couldn’t do any thing, so he

turned to the cat for help. The cat taught him how to pounce and catch his prey the way

that he caught rats. After these lessons the tiger said to himself, “Now that I’ve mastered

all the skills no other creatures is a match for me except my master the cat. If I kill the cat I

shall be king of the beasts.” He made up his mind to do this, and was about to pounce on

the cat. But the cat knew what he was up to and he leaped up onto a tree. The tiger was left

squatting below and glaring upwards. The cat had not taught all his skills: he had not

taught the tiger to climb trees. His grandmother also told Lu Xun the story “Flooding

Jinshan Monastery”. A man named Xu Xian rescued two snakes, one white and one green.

The white snake changed into a woman to repay Xu’s kindness and married him, while the

green snake changed into her maid and accompanied her. A Buddhist monk by the name of

Fa Hai saw from Xu’s face that he had been bewitched by an evil spirit, so he hid Xu

behind the shrine in Jinshan Monastery, and when Lady White Snake came to look for her

husband the whole place was flooded. In the end Fa Hai trapped Lady White Snake, and

put her in a small alms-bowl. He buried this bowl in the ground, and built a pagoda over it

to prevent her getting out. This was Leifeng Pagoda by West Lake. The story made young

Lu Xun uncomfortable. He was deeply concerned at the injustice done to Lady White

Snake, and his one wish at that time was for the pagoda imprisoning Lady White Snake

underneath it soon to collapse. Later, Lu Xun used this folktale in an essay opposing the

reactionary rule of the forces of darkness.

(1) A book of geography which contains many legends, written in the 4th—2nd centuries B.C.

(2) A manual for gardeners by Chen Haozi of the 17th century.

注释

《幼年鲁迅》摘自王士菁著《鲁迅传》一书

(1)“她懂得许多莫名其妙的道理”，译为She was so full of mysterious lore，其中lore的意思

是“口头传说或信仰”。此句根据上下文也可译为She was so full of superstitious beliefs。

(2)“她不许孩子们乱走动”意即“她不许孩子们调皮捣蛋”，不宜按字面直译。现把它译为

She would not let the children get up to mischief，其中动词短语to get up to作“干（不好的事）解”。

(3)“她不知从什么地方替鲁迅找到了……”译为she was able to produce from nobody knew

where…，其中nobody knew where作名词用，是介词from的宾语。又to produce在此作“出示”、“拿出”解。

(4)“台门”即“院落”，现译为compound。

(5)“叔祖”可译为great-uncle或granduncle。

(6)“连长妈妈也知道了”译为even Achang got wind of it，其中got wind of是成语，作“听

到……的消息”解。

(7)“哥儿”译为son，是英语中年长者对男孩或年轻男子的亲昵称呼。根据上下文，“哥儿”

在此可译为young master。

(8)“猫是早知道它的心思的”意即“猫早知道它要搞什么名堂”，故译为But tha cat knew what

he was up to，其中up to是成语，作“忙于（不好的事）”解

(9)“他看见许仙脸上有‘妖气’”中的“妖气”不好直译，现按“被妖魔迷住”的意思把全

句译为Fa Hai saw from Xu’s face that he had been bewitched by an evil spirit。此句也可译为Fa Hai

saw that Xu’s face betrayed his obsession with an evil spirit或fa Hai saw from Xu’s face that he had

been under the spell of a demon。

为奴隶的母亲

柔石

她的丈夫是一个皮贩，就是收集乡间各猎户底兽皮和牛皮，贩到大埠上出卖的人。

但有时也兼做点农作，芒种(1)的时节，便帮人家插秧，他能将每行插得非常直，假如

有五人同在一个水田内，他们一定叫他站在第一个做标准。然而境况总是不佳，债是

年年积起来了。他大约就因为境况的不佳，烟也吸了，酒也喝了，钱也赌起来了。这

样，竟使他变做一个非常凶狠而暴躁的男子，但也就更贫穷下去，连小小的移借，别

人也不敢答应了。

在穷底的结果的病以后，全身便变成枯黄色，脸孔黄的和小铜鼓(2)一样，连眼白

也黄了。别人说他是黄疸病，孩子们也就叫他“黄胖”了。有一天，他向他底妻子说：

“再也没有办法了，这样下去，连小锅子也都卖去了。我想，还是从你底身上设

法罢。你跟着我挨饿，有什么办法呢？”

“我底身上？……”

他底妻坐在灶后，怀里抱着她刚满三周岁的男小孩。她讷讷地低声地问。

“你，是呀，”她的丈夫病后的无力的声音，“我已经将你出典了(3)……”

“什么呀？”他底妻几乎昏去似的。

屋内是稍稍静寂了一息。他气喘着说：

“三天前，王狼来坐讨了半天的债回去以后，我也跟着他去，走到了九亩潭边，

我很不想要做人了。但是坐在那株爬上去一纵身就可落在潭里的树下，想来想去，终

没有力气跳了。猫头鹰在耳朵边不住在啭，我底心被它叫寒起来，我只得回转身，但

在路上，遇见了沈家婆，她问我，晚也晚了，在外做什么。我就告诉她，请她代我借

一笔款，或向什么人家的小姐借些衣服或首饰去暂时当一当，免得王狼底狼一般的绿

眼睛天天在家里闪烁(4)。可是沈家婆向我笑道：

“‘你还将妻养在家里做什么呢，你自己黄也黄到这个地步了？”

“我低着头站在她面前没有答，她又说：

“‘儿子呢，你只有一个了，舍不得。但妻——’

“我当时想：‘莫非叫我卖妻子么？’

“而她继续道：

“‘但妻——虽然是结发的，穷了，也没有法，还养在家里做什么呢？’

“这样，她就直说出：‘有一个秀才，因为没有儿子，年纪已五十岁了，想买一

个妾；又因他底大妻不允许，只准他典一个，典三年或五年，叫我物色相当的女人：

年纪约三十岁左右，养过两三个儿子的，人要沉默老实，又肯做事，还要对他底大妻

肯低眉下首。这次是秀才娘子向我说的，假如条件合，肯出八十元或一百元的身价。

我代她寻了好几天，终于没有相当的女人。’她说：现在碰到我，想起了你来，样样

都对的。当时问我底的意见怎样，我一边掉了几滴泪，一边却被她催的答应她了。”

说到这里，他垂下头，声音很低弱，停止了。他底妻简直痴似的，话一句没有。

又静寂了一息，他继续说：

“昨天，沈家婆到过秀才底家里，她说秀才很高兴，秀才娘子也喜欢，钱是一百

元，年数呢，假如三年养不出儿子，是五年。沈家婆并将日子也拣定了——本月十八，

五天后。今天，她写典契了。”

这时，他底妻简直连腑脏都颤抖，吞吐着问：

“你为什么早不对我说？”

“昨天在你底面前旋了三个圈子，可是对你说不出。不过我仔细想，除出将你底

身子设法外，再也没有办法了。”

“决定了么？”妇人战着牙齿问。

“只待典契写好。”

“倒霉的事情呀，我——一点也没有别的方法了么？”

“倒霉，我也想到过，可是穷了，我们又不肯死，有什么办法？今年，我怕连插

秧也不能插了。”

“你也想到过春宝么？春宝还只有五岁，没有娘，他怎么好呢？”

“我领他便了。本来是断了奶的孩子。”

他似乎渐渐发怒了。也就走出门外去了。她，却呜呜咽咽地哭起来。

这时，在她过去的回忆里，却想起恰恰一年前的事：那时她生下了一个女儿，她

简直如死去一般卧在床上。死还是整个的，她却肢体分作四碎与五裂：刚落地的女婴，

在地上的干草堆上叫：“呱呀，呱呀，”声音很重的，手脚揪缩。脐带绕在她底身上，

胎盘落在一边，她很想挣扎起来给她洗好，可是她底头昂起来，身子凝滞在床上。这

样，她看见她底丈夫，这个凶狠的男子，绯红着脸，提了一桶沸水到女婴的旁边。她

简直用了她一生底最后的力向他喊：“慢！慢……”但这个病前极凶狠的男子，没有

一分钟商量的余地，也不答半句话，就将“呱呀，呱呀，”声音很重地在叫着的女儿，

刚出世的新生命，用他底粗暴的两手捧起来，如屠户捧将杀的小羊一般，扑通，投下

在沸水里了！除出沸水的溅声和皮肉吸收沸水的嘶声以外，女孩一声也不喊。她当时

剜去了心一般地昏去了。

想到这里，似乎泪竟干涸了。“唉！苦命呀！”她低低地叹息了一声。这时春宝

向他底母亲的脸上看，一边叫：

“妈妈！妈妈！”

在她将离别底前一晚，她拣了房子底黑暗处坐着。一盏油灯点在灶前，萤火那么

的光亮。她，手里抱着春宝，将她底头贴在他底头发上。她底思想似乎浮漂在极远，

可是她自己捉摸不定远在哪里。于是慢慢地跑回来，跑到眼前，跑到她底孩子底身上。

她向她底孩子低声叫：

“春宝，宝宝！”

“妈妈，”孩子回答。

“妈妈明天要去了……”

“唔，”孩子似不十分懂得，本能地将头钻进他的母亲底胸膛。

“妈妈不回来了，三年内不能回来了！”她擦一擦眼睛，孩子放松口子问：

“妈妈哪里去呢？庙里么？”

“不是，三十里路外，一家姓李的。”

“我也去。”

“宝宝去不得的。”

“呃！”孩子反抗地。

“你跟爸爸在家里，爸爸会照料宝宝的：同宝宝睡，也带宝宝玩，你听爸爸底话

好了。过三年……”

她没有说完，孩子要哭似地说：

“爸爸要打我的！”

“爸爸不再打你了，”同时用她底左手抚摸着孩子底右额，在这上，有他父亲在

他刚杀死他刚生下的妹妹后第三天，用锄柄敲他，肿起而又平复了的伤痕。

她似要还想对孩子说话；她底丈夫踏进门了。他走到她底面前，一只手放在袋里，

掏取着什么，一边说：

“钱已经拿来七十元了。还有三十元要等你到了后十天付。”

停了一息说：“也答应轿子来接。”

又停了一息：“也答应轿夫一早吃好早饭来。”

这样，他离开了她，又向门外走出去了。

这一晚，她和她底丈夫都没有吃晚饭(5)。

第二天，春雨竟滴滴淅淅地落着。

轿是一早就到了，可是这妇人，她却一夜不曾睡。她先将春宝底几件破衣服都修

补好；春将完了，夏将到了，可是她，连孩子冬天用的破烂棉袄都拿出来，移交给他

底父亲——实在，他已经在床上睡去了。以后，她坐在他底旁边，想对他说几句话，

可是长夜是迟延着过去，她底话一句也说不出。而且，她大着胆向他叫了几声，发了

几个听不清楚的音，声音在他底耳外，她也就睡下不说了。

等她朦朦胧胧地刚离开思索将要睡去，春宝又醒了。他就推叫他底母亲，要起来。

以后当她给他穿衣服的时候，向他说：

“宝宝好好地在家里，不要哭，免得你爸爸打你。以后妈妈常买糖果来，买给宝

宝吃，宝宝不要哭。”

而小孩子竟不知道悲哀是什么一回事，张大口子“唉，唉，”地唱起来了。她在

他底唇边吻了一吻，又说：

“不要唱，你爸爸被你唱醒了。”

轿夫坐在门首的板凳上抽着旱烟，说着他们自己要听的话。一息，邻村的沈家婆

也赶到了。一个老妇人，熟悉世故的媒婆，一进门，就拍拍她身上的雨点为，向他们

说：

“下雨了，下雨了，就是你们家里此后会有滋长的预兆。”

老妇人忙碌似地在屋内旋了几个圈，，对孩子底父亲说了几句话，意思是讨酬报。

因为这件契约之能订的如此顺利而合算，实在是她底力量。

“说实在话，春宝底爸呀，再加五十元，那老头子可以买一房妾了。”她说。

于是又变向催促她——妇人却抱着春宝，这时坐着不动。老妇人声音很高地：

“轿夫要赶到他们家里吃中饭的，你快些预备呀！”

可是妇人向她瞧了一瞧，似乎说：

“我实在不愿意离开呢！让我饿死在这里罢！”

声音是在她底喉下，可是媒婆懂得了，走近到她前面，迷迷地向她笑说：

“你真是一个不懂事的丫头，黄胖还有什么东西给你呢？那边真是一份有吃有剩

的人家，两百多亩田，经济很宽裕，房子是自己底，也雇着长工养着牛。大娘底性子

是极好的，对人非常客气，每次看见人总给人一些吃的东西。那老头子——实在并不

老，脸是很白白的，也没有留胡子，因为读了书，背有些偻偻的，斯文的模样，可是

也不必多说，你一走下轿就看见的，我是一个从不说谎的媒婆。”

妇人拭一拭泪，极轻地：

“春宝……我怎么能抛开他呢！”

“不用想到春宝。”老妇人一手放在她底肩上，脸凑近她和春宝。“有五岁了，

古人说：‘三周四岁离娘身’(6)，可以离开你了。只要你底肚子争气些，到那边，也

养下一二个来，万事都好了。”

轿夫也在门首催起身了，他们噜苏着说：

“又不是新娘子，啼啼哭哭的。”

这样，老妇人将春宝从她底怀里拉去，一边说：

“春宝让我带去罢。”

小小的孩子也哭了，手脚乱舞的，可是老妇人终于给他拉到小门外去。当妇人走

进轿门的时候，向他们说：

“带进屋里来罢，外边有雨呢。”

她底丈夫用手支着头坐着，一动没有动，而且出没有话。

两村相隔有三十里路，可是轿夫的第二次将轿子放下肩，就到了。春天的细雨，

从轿子底布蓬里飘进，吹湿了她底衣衫。一个脸孔肥肥的，两眼很有心计的约摸五十

四五岁的老妇人来迎她，她想，这当然是大娘了。可是只向她满面羞涩地看一看，并

没有叫。她很亲昵似地将她牵上沿阶，一个长长的瘦瘦的而面孔圆细的男子就从房里

走出来。他向新来的少妇，仔细地瞧了瞧，堆出满脸的笑容来，向她问：

“这么早就到了么？可是打湿你底衣裳了。”

而那老妇人，却简直没有顾到他底说话，也向她问：

“还有什么在轿里么？”

“没有什么了，”少妇答。

几位邻舍的妇人站在大门外，探头张望的；可是她们走进屋里面了。

她自己也不知道这究竟为什么，她底心老是挂念着她底旧的家，掉不下她的春宝。

这是真实而明显的，她应庆祝这将开始的三年的生活——这个家庭，和她所典给他的

丈夫，都比曾经过去的要好，秀才确是一个温良和善的人，讲话是那么地低声，连大

娘，实在也是一个出乎意料之外的妇人，她态度之殷勤，和滔滔的一席话：说她和她

丈夫底过去的生活之经过，从美满而漂亮的结婚生活起，一直到现在，中间的三十年。

她曾做过一次的产，十五六年以前了，养下一个男孩子，据她说，是一个极美丽又极

聪明的婴儿，可是不到十个月，竟患了天花死去了。这样，以后就再没有养过第二个。

在她底意思中，似乎——似乎——早就叫她底丈夫娶一房妾，可是她并没有说清楚；

于是，就一直到现在。这样，竟说得这个具着朴素的心地的她，一时酸，一会苦，一

时甜上心头，一时又咸的压下去了。最后，这个老妇人并将她底希望也向她说出来了。

她底脸是娇红的，可是老妇人说：

“你是养过三四个孩子的女人了，当然，你是知道什么的，你一定知道的还比我

多。”

这样，她说着走开了。

当晚，秀才也将家里底种种情形告诉她，不过是向她夸耀或求媚罢了。她坐在一

张橱子的旁边，这样的红的木橱，是她旧的家所没有的，她眼睛白晃晃地瞧着它。秀

才也就坐到橱子底面前来，问她：

“你叫什么名字呢？”

她没有答，也并不笑，站起来，走到床底前面，秀才也跟到床底旁边，更笑地问

她：

“怕羞吗？哈，你想你底丈夫么？哈，哈，现在我是你底丈夫了。”声音是轻轻

的，又用手去牵她底袖子。“不要愁罢！你也想你底孩子的，是不是？不过——”

他没有说完，却又哈的笑了一声，他自己脱去他外面的长衫了。

她可以听见房外的大娘底声音在高声地骂着什么人，她一时听不出在骂谁，骂烧

饭的女仆，又好像骂她自己，可是因为她底怨恨，仿佛又是为她而发的。秀才在床上

叫道：

“睡罢，她常是这么噜噜苏苏的。她以前很爱那个长工，因为长工要和烧饭的黄

妈(7)多说话，她却常要骂黄妈的。”

日子是一天天地过去了。旧的家，渐渐地在她底脑子里疏远了，而眼前，却一步

步地亲近她使她熟悉。虽则，春宝底哭声有时竟在她底耳朵边响，梦中，她也几次地

遇到过他了。可是梦是一个比一个缥缈，眼前的事务是一天比一天繁多。她知道这个

老妇人是猜忌多心的，外表虽则对她还算大方，可是她底嫉妒的心是和侦探一样，监

视着秀才对她的一举一动。有时，秀才从外面回来，先遇见了她而同她说话，老妇人

就疑心有什么特别的东西买给她了，非在当晚，将秀才叫到她自己底房内去，狠狠地

训斥一番不可。“你给狐狸迷着了么？”“你应该称一称你自己底老骨头是多少重！”

(8)像这样的话，她耳闻到不止一次了。这样以后，她望见秀才从外面回来而旁边没有

她坐着的时候，就非得急忙避开不可。即使她在旁边，有时也该让开一些，但这种动

作，她要做的非常自然，而且不能让旁人看出，否则，她又要向她发怒，说是她有意

要在旁人的前面暴露她大娘底丑恶。而且以后，竟将家里的许多杂务都堆积在她底身

上，同一个女仆那么样。有时老妇人底换下来的衣服放着，她也给她拿去洗了，虽然

她说：

“我底衣服怎么要你洗呢？就是你自己底衣服，也可以叫黄妈洗的。”可是接着

说：

“妹妹呀，你最好到猪栏里去看一看，那两只猪为什么这样喁喁叫的，或者因为

没有吃饱罢，黄妈部是不肯给它吃饱的。”

八个月了，那年冬天，她底胃却起了变化：老是不想吃饭，想吃新鲜的(9)面，番

薯等。但番薯或面吃了两餐，又不想吃，又想吃馄饨，多吃又要呕。而且还想吃南瓜

和梅子——这是六月时的东西，真稀奇，向哪里去找呢？秀才是知道在这个变化中所

带来的预告了。他镇日地笑微微，能找到的东西，总忙着给她找来。他亲身给她到街

上去买橘子，又托便人买了金柑来，他在廊沿下走来走去，口里念念有词的，不知说

什么。他看她和黄妈磨过年的粉，但还没有磨了三升，就向她叫：“歇一歇罢，长工

也好磨的，年糕是人人要吃的。”

有时在夜里，人家谈着话，他却独自拿了一盏灯，在灯下，读起《诗经》来了：

关关雎鸠，在河之洲，窈窕淑女，君子好逑——

这时长工向他问：

“先生，你又不去考举人，还读它做什么呢？”

他却摸一摸没有胡子的口边，怡悦地说道：

“是呀，你也知道人生底快乐么？所谓：‘同房花烛夜，金榜挂名时。’你也知

道这两句话底意思么？这是人生底最快乐的两件事呀！可是我对于这两件事都过去

了，我却还有比这两件更快乐的事呢！”

这样，除出他底两个妻以外，其余的人们都大笑了。

这些事，在老妇人眼睛里是看非常气恼了。她起初闻到她底受孕也欢喜，以后看

见秀才的这样奉承她，她却怨恨她自己肚子底不会还债了。有一次，次年三月了，这

妇人因为身体感觉不舒服，头有些痛，睡了三天。秀才呢，也愿她歇息歇息，更不时

地问她要什么，而老妇人却着实地发怒了。她说她装娇，噜噜苏苏地也说了三天。她

先是恶意地讥嘲她：说是一到秀才底家里就高贵起来了，什么腰酸呀，痛呀，姨太太

的架子也都摆出来了；以前在她自己底家里，她不相信她有这样的娇养，恐怕竟和街

头的母狗一样，肚子里有着一肚皮的小狗，临产了，还要到处地奔求着食物。现在呢，

因为“老东西”——这是秀才的妻叫秀才的名字——趋奉了她，就装着娇滴滴的样子

了。

“儿子，”她有一次在厨房里对黄妈说，“谁没有养过呀？我也曾怀过十个月的

孕，不相信有这么的难受。而且，此刻的儿子，还在‘阎罗王的簿里’，谁保的定生

出来不是一只癞虾蟆呢？也等到真的‘鸟儿’，从洞里钻出来看见了，才可在我底面

前显威风，摆架子，此刻，不过是一块血的猫头鹰，就这么的装腔，也显得太早一点！”

当晚这妇人没有吃晚饭，这时她已经睡了，听了这一番婉转的冷嘲与热骂，她呜

呜咽咽地低声哭泣了。秀才也带衣服坐在床上，听到浑身透着冷汗，发起抖来。他很

想扣好衣服，重新走起来，去打她一顿，抓住她底头发狠狠地打她一顿，泄泄他一肚

皮的气。但不知怎样，似乎没有力量，连指也颤动，臂也酸软了，一边轻轻地叹息着

说：

“唉，一向实在太对她好了。结婚了三十年，没有打过她一掌，简直连指甲都没

有弹到她底皮肤上过，所以今日，竟和娘娘一般地难惹了。”

同时，他爬过到床底那端，她底身边，向她耳语说：

“不要哭罢，不要哭罢，随她吠去好了！(10)她是阉过的母鸡(11)，看见别人的孵

卵是难受的，假如你这一次真能养出一个男孩子来，我当送你两样宝贝——我有一只

青玉的戒指，一只白玉的……”

他没有说完，可是他忍不住听下门外的他底大妻底喋喋的讥笑的声音，他急忙地

脱去了衣服，将头钻井被窝里去，凑向她底胸膛，一边说： “我有白玉的……”

肚子一天天地膨胀的如斗那么大，老妇人终究也将产婆雇定了，而且在别人的面

前，竟拿起花布来做婴儿用的衣服。

酷热的暑天到了尽头，旧历的六月，他们在希望的眼中过去了。秋开始，凉风也

拂拂地在乡镇上吹送。于是有一天，这全家的人们都到了希望底最高潮，屋里底空气

完全地骚动起来。秀才底心更是异常地紧张，他在天井上不断地徘徊，手里捧着一本

历书，好似要读它背诵那么地念去——“戊辰”，“甲戌”，“壬寅之年”，老是反

复地轻轻地说着。有时他底焦急的眼光向一间关了窗的房子望去——在这间房子内是

产母底低声呻呤的声音；有时他向天上望一望被云笼罩着的太阳，于是又走向门口，

向站在房门内黄妈问：

“此刻如何？”

黄妈不住地点着头不做声响，一息，答：

“快下来了，快下来了。”

于是他又捧了那本历书，在廊下徘徊起来。

这样的情形，一直继续到黄昏底青烟在地面起来，灯火一盏盏的如春天的野花般

在屋内开起，婴儿才落地了，是一个男的。婴儿底声音是很重地在屋内叫，秀才却坐

在屋角里，几乎快乐到流出眼泪来了。全家的人都没有心思吃晚饭。

一个月以后，婴儿底白嫩的小脸孔，已在秋天的阳光里照耀了。这个少妇给他哺

着奶，邻舍的妇人围着他们瞧(12)，有的称赞婴儿底鼻子好，有的称赞婴儿底口子好，

有的称赞婴儿底两耳好；更有的称赞婴儿底母亲，也比以前好，白而且壮了。老妇人

却正和老祖母那么地吩咐着，保护着，这时开始说：

“够了，不要弄他哭了。”

关于孩子底名字，秀才是煞费苦心地想着，但总想不出一个相当的字来。据老妇

人底意见，还是从“长命宝贵”或“福禄寿喜”里拣一个字，最后还是“寿”字或与

“寿”同意义的字，如“其颐”，“彭祖”等，但秀才不同意，以为太通俗，人云亦

云的名字。于是翻开了《易经》，《书经》，向这里找，但找了半月，一月，还没有

恰贴的字。在他底意思：以为在这个名字内，一边要祝福孩子，一边要包含他底老而

得子底蕴义，所以竟不容易找。这一天，他一边抱着三个月的婴儿，一边又向书里找

名字，戴着一副眼镜，将书递到灯底旁边去。婴儿底母亲呆呆地坐在房内底一边，不

知思想着什么，却忽然开口说道：

“我想，还是叫他‘秋宝’罢。”屋内的人们底几对眼睛都转向她，注意地静听

着：“他不是生在秋天吗？秋天的宝贝——还是叫他‘秋宝’罢。”

秀才立刻接着说道：

“是呀，我真极费心思了。我年过半百，实在到了人生的秋期，孩子也正养在秋

天；‘秋’是万物成熟的季节，秋宝，实在是一个很好的名字呀！而且《书经》里没

有么？‘乃亦有秋，’我真乃亦有‘秋’了！”

接着，又称赞了一通婴儿底母亲：说是呆读书实在无用，聪明是天生的。这些话，

说的这妇人连坐着都觉得局促不安，垂下头，苦笑地又含泪地想：

“我不过因春宝想到罢了。”

秋宝是天天成长的非常可爱地离不开他底母亲了。他有出奇的大的眼睛，对陌生

人是不倦地注视地瞧着，但对他底母亲，却远远的一眼就知道了。他整天地抓住了他

底母亲，虽则秀才是比她还爱他，但不喜欢父亲；秀才的大妻呢，表面也爱他，似爱

她自己亲生的儿子一样，但在婴儿底大眼睛里，却看她似陌生人，也用奇怪的不倦的

视法。可是他的执住他底母亲愈紧，而他底母亲的离开这家的日子也愈近了。春天底

口子咬住了冬天底尾巴；而夏天底脚又常是紧随在春天底身后的；这样，谁都将孩子

底母亲底三年快到的问题横放在心头上。

秀才呢，因为爱子的关系，首先向他的大妻提出来了：他愿意再拿出一百元钱，

将她永远买下来。可是他的大妻底回答是：

“你要买她，那先给我药死罢！”

秀才听到这句话，气的只向鼻孔放出气，许久没有说；以后，他反而做着笑脸地：

“你想想孩子没有娘……”

老妇人也尖利地冷笑地说：

“我不好算是他底娘么？”

在孩子底母亲的心呢，却正矛盾着这两种的冲突了：一边，她底脑里老是有“三

年”这两个字，三年是容易过去的，于是她底生活便变做在秀才底家里底佣人似的了。

而且想象中的春宝，也同眼前的秋宝一样活泼可爱，她既舍不得秋宝，怎么就能舍得

掉春宝呢？可是另一边，她实在愿意永远在这新的家里住下去，她想，春宝的爸爸不

是一个长寿的人，他底病一定是在三五年之内要将他带走到不可知的异国里去的，于

是，她便要求她底第二个丈夫，将春宝也领过来，这样，春宝也在她底眼前。

有时，她倦坐在房外的沿廊下，初夏的阳光，异常地能令人昏朦地起幻想，秋宝

睡在她底怀里，含着她底乳，可是她觉得仿佛春宝同时也站在她底旁边，她伸出手去

也想将春宝抱近来，她还要对他们兄弟两人说几句话，可是身边是空空的。

在身边的较远的门口，却站着这位脸孔慈善而眼睛凶毒的老妇人，目光注视着她。

这样，她也恍恍惚惚地悔悟：“还是早些脱离罢，她简直探子一样地监视着我了。”

以后，秀才又将计划修改了一些，他想叫沈家婆来，叫她向秋宝底母亲底前夫去

说，他愿否再拿进三十元—最多是五十元，将妻续典三年给秀才。秀才对他底大妻说：

“要是秋宝到五岁，是可以离开娘了。”

他底大妻正是手里捻着念佛珠，一边在念着“南无阿弥陀佛”，一边答：

“她家里也还有前儿在，你也应放她和她底结发夫妇团聚一下罢。”

秀才低着头，断断续续地仍然这样说：

“你想想秋宝两岁就没有娘”

可是老妇人放下念佛珠说：

“我会养的，我会管理他的，你怕我谋害了他么？”

秀才一听到末一句话，就拔步走开了。老妇人仍在后面说：

“这个儿子是帮我生的，秋宝是我底；绝种虽然是绝了你家底种，可是我却仍然

吃着你家底餐饭。你真被迷了，老昏了，一点也不会想了。你还有几年好活，却要拼

命拉她在身边？双连牌位，我是不愿意坐的！”

老妇人似乎还有许多刻毒的锐利的话，可是秀才走远开听不见了。

在夏天，婴儿底头上生了一个疮，有时身体稍稍发些热，于是这位老妇人就到处

地问菩萨，求佛药，给婴儿敷在疮上，或灌下肚里，婴儿的母亲觉得并不十分要紧，

反而使这样小小的生命哭成一身的汗珠，她不愿意，或将吃了几口的药暗地里拿去倒

掉了。于是这位老妇人就高声叹息，向秀才说：

“你看，她竟一点也不介意他底病，还说孩子是并不怎样瘦下去。爱在心里的是

深的；专疼表面是假的。”

这样，妇人只有暗自挥泪，秀才也不说什么话了。

秋宝一周纪念的时候，这家热闹地排了一天的酒筵，客人也到了三四十，有的送

衣服，有的送面，有的送银制的狮至，给婴儿挂在胸前的，有的送镀金的寿星老头儿，

给孩子钉在帽子上的。他们祝福着婴儿的飞黄腾达，赞颂着婴儿的长寿永生；主人底

脸孔，竟是荣光照耀着，有如落日的云霞反映着在他底颊上似的。

可是在这天，正当他们筵席将举行的黄昏时，来了一个客，从朦胧的暮光中向他

们底天井走进，人们都注意他：一个憔悴异常的乡人，衣服补衲的，头发很长，在他

底腋下，挟着一个纸包。主人骇异地迎上前去，问他是哪里人，他口吃似地答了，主

人一时糊涂的，但立刻明白了，就是那个皮贩。主人更轻轻地说：

“你为什么也送东西来呢？你真不必的呀！”

来客胆怯地向四周看看，一边答说：

“要，要的……我来祝祝这个宝贝长寿千……”

他似没有说完，一边将腋下的纸包打开来了，手指颤动地打开了两三重的纸，于

是拿出四只铜制镀银的字，一方寸那么大，是“寿比南山”四字。

秀才底大娘走来了，向他仔细一看，似乎不大高兴。秀才却将他招待到席上，客

人们互相私语着。

两点钟的酒与肉，将人们弄得胡乱与狂热了：他们高声猜着拳，用大碗盛着酒互

相比赛，闹得似乎房子都被震动了。只有那个皮贩，他虽然也喝了两杯酒，可是仍然

坐着不动，客人们也不招呼他。等到兴尽了，于是各人草草地吃了一碗饭，互祝着好

话，从两两三三的灯笼光影中，走散了。

而皮贩，却吃到最后，佣人来收拾羹碗了，他才离开了桌，走到廊下的黑暗处。

在那里，他遇见了他底被典的妻。

“你也来做什么呢？”妇人问，语气是非常凄惨的。

“我哪里又愿意来，因为没有法子。”

“那末你为什么来的这样晚？”

“我哪里来买礼物的钱呀？！奔跑了一上午，哀求了一上午，又到城里买礼物，

走得乏了，饿了，也迟了。”

妇人接着问：

“春宝呢？”

男子沉吟了一息答：

“所以，我是为春宝来的。……”

“为春宝来的？”妇人惊异地回音似地问。 男人慢慢地说：

“从夏天来，春宝是瘦的异样了。到秋天，竟病起来了。我又哪里有钱给他请医

生吃药，所以现在病是更厉害了！再不想法救救他，眼见得要死了！”静寂了一刻，

继续说：“现在，我是向你来借钱的……”

这时妇人底胸膛内，简直似有四五只猫在抓她，咬她，咀嚼着她底心脏一样。她

恨不得哭出来，但在人们个个向秋宝祝颂的日子，她又怎么好跟在人们底声音后面叫

哭呢？她吞下她底眼泪，向她底丈夫说：

“我又那里有钱呢？我在这里，每月只给我两角钱的零用，我自己又哪里要用什

么，悉数补在孩子底身上了。现在，怎么好呢？”

他们一时没有话，以后，妇人又问：

“此刻有什么人照顾着春宝呢？”

“托了一个邻舍。今晚，我仍旧想回家，我就要走了。”

他一边说着，一边揩着泪。女的同时哽咽着说：

“你等一下罢，我向他去借借看。”

三天后的一天晚上，秀才忽然向妇人道：

“我给你的那只青玉戒指呢？”

“在那天夜里，给了他了。给了他拿去当了。”

“没有借你五块钱么？”秀才愤怒地。

妇人低着头停了一息答：

“五块钱怎么够呢”

秀才接着叹息说：

“总是前夫和前儿好，无论我对你怎么样！本来我很想再留你两年的，现在，你

还是明春就走罢！”

女人简直连泪也没有地呆着了。

几天后，他还向她那么地说：

“那只戒指是宝贝，我给你是要你传给秋宝的，谁知你一下就拿去当了！幸得她

不知道，要是知道民，有三个月好闹了！”

妇人是一天天地黄瘦了，没有精彩的光芒在她底眼睛里起来，而讥笑与冷骂的声

音又充塞在她底耳内了。她是时常记念着她底春宝的病的，探听着有没有从她底本乡

来朋友，也探听着有没有向她底本乡去的便客，她很想得到关于一个关于“春宝的身

体已复原”的消息，可是消息总没有；她也想借两元钱或买些糖果去，方便的客人又

没有，她不时地抱着秋宝在门首过去一些的大路边，眼睛望着来和去的路。这种情形

却使秀才底大妻不舒服了，她时常对秀才说：

“她哪里愿意在这里呢，她是极想早些飞回去的。”

有几夜，她抱着秋宝在睡梦里突然喊起来，秋宝也被吓醒，哭起来了。秀才就追

逼地问：

“你为什么？你为什么？” 可是女人拍着秋宝，口子哼哼的没有答。秀才继续说：

“梦着你底前儿死了么，那么地喊？连我都被你叫醒了。”

女人急忙地一边答：

“不，不，……好像我底前面有一圹坟呢！”

秀才没有再讲话，而悲哀的幻象更在女人底前面展现开来，她要走向这坟去。

冬末了，催离别的小鸟，已经到她底窗前不住地叫了。先是孩子断了奶，又叫道

士们来给孩子度了一个关，于是孩子和他亲生的母亲的别离——永远的别离的命运就

被决定了。

这一天黄妈先悄悄地向秀才底大妻说：

“叫一顶轿子送她去么？”

秀才底大妻还是手里捻着念佛珠说：

“走走好罢，到那边轿钱是那边付的，她又哪里有钱呢，听说她底亲夫连饭也没

得吃，她不必摆阔了。路也不算远，我也是曾经走过三四十里路的人，她底脚比我大，

半天可以到了。”

这天早晨当她给秋宝穿衣服的时候，她底泪如溪水那么地流下，孩子向她叫“婶

婶，婶婶，”——因为老妇人要他叫她自己是“妈妈”，只准叫她是“婶婶”——她

向他咽咽地答应。她很想对他说几句话，意思是：

“别了，我底亲爱的儿子呀！你底妈妈待你是好的，你将来也好好地待还她罢，

永远不要再记念我了！”

可是她无论怎样也说不出。她也知道一周半的孩子是不会了解的。

秀才悄悄地走向她，从她背后的腋下伸进手来，在他底手内是十枚双毫角子，一

边轻轻说：

“拿去罢，这两块钱。”

妇人扣好孩子底钮扣，就将角子塞在怀内的衣袋里。

老妇人又进来了，注意秀才走出去的背后，又向妇人说：

“秋宝给我抱去罢，免得你走时他哭。”

妇人不做声响，可是秋宝总不愿意，用手不住地拍在老妇人底脸上。于是老妇人

生气地又说：

“那末你同他去吃早饭罢，吃了早饭交给我。”

黄妈拼命地劝她多吃饭，一边说：

“半月来你就这样了，你真比来的时候还瘦了。你没有去照照镜子。今天，吃一

碗下去罢，你还要走三十里路呢。”

她只不关紧要地说了一句：

“你对我真好！”

但是太阳是升的非常高了，一个很好的天气，秋宝还是不肯离开他底母亲，老妇

人便狠狠地将他从她底怀里夺去，秋宝用小小的脚踢在老妇人底肚子上，用小小的拳

头搔住她底头发，高声呼喊她。妇人在后面说：

“让我吃了中饭去罢。”

老妇人却转过头，汹汹地答(13)：

“赶快打起你底包袱去罢，早晚总有一次的！”

孩子底哭声便在她耳内渐渐远去了。

打包裹的时候，耳内是听着孩子底的哭声。黄妈在旁边，一边劝慰着她，一边却

看她打进什么去。终于，她挟着一只旧的包裹走了。

她离开他底大门时，听见她底秋宝的哭声；可是慢慢地远远地走了三里路了，还

听见她底秋宝的哭声。

暖和的太阳所照耀的路，在她底面前竟和天一样无穷止地长。当她走到一条河边

的时候，她很想停止她底那么无力的脚步，向明澈可以照见她自己底身子的水底跳下

去了。但在水边坐了一会儿之后，她还得依前去的方向，移动她自己底影子。

太阳已经过午了，一个村里的一个年老的乡人告诉她，路还有十五里；于是她向

那个老人说：

“伯伯，请你代我就近叫一顶轿子罢，我是走不回去了！”

“你是有病的么？”老人问。

“是的。”

她那时坐在村口的凉亭里面。

“你从哪里来？”

妇人静黩了一时答：

“我是向那里去的；早晨我以为自己会走的。”

老人怜悯地也没有多说话，就给她找了两位轿夫，一顶没篷的轿。因为那是下秧

的时节。

下午三四时的样子，一条狭窄而污秽的乡村小街上，抬过了一顶没篷的轿子，轿

里躺着一个脸色枯萎如同一张干瘪的黄菜叶那么的中年妇人，两眼朦胧地颓唐地闭

着。嘴里的呼吸只有微弱地吐出。街上的人们个个睁着惊异的目光，怜悯地凝视着过

去。一群孩子们，争噪地跟在轿后，好像一件奇异的事情落到这沉寂的小村镇里来了。

春宝也是跟在轿后的孩子们中底一个，他还在似赶猪那么地哗着轿走，可是当轿

子一转一个弯，却是向他底家里去的路，他却伸直了两手而奇怪了，等到轿子到了他

家里的门口，他简直呆似地远远地站在前面，背靠在一株柱子上，面向着轿，其余的

孩子们胆怯地围在轿的两边(14)。妇人走出来了，她昏迷的眼睛还认不清站在前面的，

穿着褴褛的衣服，头发蓬乱的，身子和三年前一样的短小，那个八岁的孩子是她底春

宝。突然，她哭出来地高叫了：

“春宝呀！”

一群孩子们，个个无意地吃了一惊，而春宝简直吓的躲进屋里他父亲那里去了。

妇人在灰暗的屋内坐了许久许久，她和她底丈夫都没有一句话。夜色降落了，他

下垂的头昂起来，向她说：

“烧饭吃罢！”

妇人就不得已地站起来，向屋角上旋转了一周，一点也没有气力地对她丈夫说：

“米缸内是空空的……”

男人冷笑了一声，答说：

“你真在大人家底里生活过来了！米，盛在那只香烟盒子内。”

当天晚上，男子向他底儿子说：

“春宝，跟你底娘去睡！”

而春宝却靠在灶边哭起来了。他底母亲走近他，一边叫：

“春宝，宝宝！”

可是当她底手去抚摸他底时候，他又躲闪开了。男子加上说：

“会生疏得那么快，一顿打呢！”

她眼睁睁地睡在一张龌龊的狭板床上，春宝陌生似地睡在她底身边。在她底已经

麻木的脑内，仿佛秋宝肥白可爱地在她身边挣动着，她伸出两手想去抱，可是身边是

春宝。这时，春宝睡着了，转了一个身，他底母亲紧紧地将他抱住，而孩子却从微弱

的鼾声中，脸伏在她底胸膛上。

沉静而寒冷的死一般的长夜，似无限地拖延着，拖延着……

A Slave Mother

Rou Shi

He was a dealer in animal skins which he bought from hunters in the countryside and

sold in town. Sometimes he also worked in the fields; early each summer he turned

farm-hand, transplanting rice for other people. As he had learned to transplant the

seedlings in wonderfully straight rows, the peasants always asked him to help them. But he

never made enough money to support his family and his debts mounted with each passing

year. The wretchedness of his life and the hopeless situation he was in caused him to take

to smoking, drinking and gambling, and he became vicious and bad-tempered. As he grew

poorer, people stopped lending him money, even in small sums.

With poverty came sickness. He grew sallow: his face took on the sickly colour of a

brass drum and even the whites of his eyes became yellow. People said that he had

jaundice and urchins nicknamed him “Yellow Fellow”. One day, he said to his wife,

“There’s no way out of it. It looks as if we’ll even have to sell our cooking pot. i.m

afraid we have to part. It’s no use both of us going hungry together.”

“We have to part? ...” muttered his wife, who was sitting behind the stove with their

three-year-old boy in her arms.

“Yes, we have to part,” he answered feebly. “There’s somebody willing to hire you as

a temporary wife, …”

“ What?” she almost lost her senses.

There followed a brief silence. Then the husband continued, falteringly,

“Three days ago, Wang Lang came here and spent a long time pressing me to pay my

debt to him. After he had left, I went out. I sat under a tree on the shore of Chiumous Lake

and thought of committing suicide. I wanted to climb the tree and dive into the water and

drown myself, but, after thinking about it, I lost courage. The hooting of an owl frightened

me and I walked away. On my way home, I came across Mrs. Shen, the matchmaker, who

asked me why I was out at night. I told her what had happened and asked her if she could

borrow some money for me, or some lady’s dresses and ornaments that I could pawn to

pay Wang Lang so that he’d no longer be prowling after me like a wolf. But Mrs. Shen

only smiled and said,

“ ‘What do you keep your wife at home for? And you’re so sick and yellow!’

“I hung my head and said nothing. She continued,

“ ‘Since you’ve got only one son, you might find it hard to part with him. But as for

your wife…’

“I thought she meant that I should sell you, but she added,

“ ‘Of course she is your lawful wife, but you’re poor and you can’t do anything about

it. What do you keep her at home for? Starve her to death?’

“Then she said straight out, ‘There’s a fifty-year-old scholar who wants a concubine

to bear him a son since his wife is barren. But his wife objects and will only allow him to

hire somebody else’s wife for a few years. I’ve been asked to find them a woman. She has

to be about thirty years old and the mother of two or three children. She must be honest

and hard-working, and obey the scholar’s wife. The scholar’s wife has told me that they

are willing to pay from eighty to a hundred dollars for the right sort of woman. I’ve looked

around for one for several days, but without any luck. But your wife is just the woman I’ve

been looking for.’

“She asked me what I thought about it. It made me cry to think of it, but she

comforted me and convinced me that it was all for the best.”

At this point, his voice trailed off, he hung his head and stopped. His wife looked

dazed and remained speechless. There was another moment of silence before he continued,

“Yesterday, Mrs. Shen went to see the scholar again. She came back and told me that

both the scholar and his wife were very happy about the idea of having you and had

promised to pay me a hundred dollars. If you bear them a child they will keep you for three

years, if not—for five. Mrs. Shen has fixed the date for you to go –the eighteenth of this

month, that is, five days from now. she is going to have the contract drawn up today.”

Trembling all over, the wife faltered,

“Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

“Yesterday I went up to you three times, but each time I was afraid to begin. But after

thinking it over I’ve come to realize that there’s really nothing to be done but hire you

out.”

“Has it all been decided?” asked the wife, her teeth clattering.

“There’s just the contract to be signed.”

“Oh, what a poor wretch I am! Can’t we really do anything else?”

“It’s terrible, I know. But we’re poor and we don’t want to die. What else can we do?

I’m afraid this year I won’t even be asked to do any transplanting.”

“Have you thought about Chun Bao? He’s only five. What will become of him

without me?”

“I’ll take care of him. You’re not nursing him any longer, you know.”

He became more and more angry with himself and went out. She broke into

uncontrolled sobs.

Then, looking back upon the past, she remembered what had just happened one year

before: she was lying on her bed more dead than alive after giving birth to a baby girl. The

newborn infant was lying on a heap of straw on the ground, crying at the top of her lungs

and twitching her little limbs. The umbilical cord was wound round her body and the

placenta left by her side. The poor young woman was anxious to get up to wash her baby.

But she could only manage to lift her head while her whole body seemed to remain glued

to the bed. All of a sudden she saw her husband, fierce and flushed, come up to the baby

with a bucket of boiling water. “Stop, stop! ... ,” she threw what little strength she had into

yelling at him. The vicious husband, nevertheless, was uncompromising. Without saying a

word, he held up in both hands the baby with her cry of new life and, like a butcher

slaughtering a small lamb, splashed her into the boiling water. The baby immediately

stopped crying. All was silent except for the sizzling of her flesh in the boiling water. The

young woman fainted away at the heart-rending scene.

At the painful recollection, she had no more tears to shed, but sighed faintly, “Oh,

what a miserable life!” Chun Bao stared at her, whimpering, “Mummy, mummy!”

On the eve of her departure, she was sitting in the darkest corner of the house. In

front of the stove stood an oil lamp, its light flickering like that of a fire-fly. Holding Chun

Bao close to her bosom, she pressed her head against his hair. Lost in deep thought, she

seemed absolutely came to, and found herself face to face with the present and her child.

Softly she called him,

“Chun Bao, Chun Bao! “

“Yes, mummy!” the child replied.

“I’m going to leave you tomorrow. …”

“What?” the child did not quite understand what she meant and instinctively cuddled

closer to her.

“I’m not come back, not for three years!”

She wiped away her tears. The little boy became inquisitive,

“Mummy, where are you going? To the temple?”

“No. I’m going to live with the Li family, about thirty li away.”

“I want to go with you.”

“No, you can’t, darling!”

“Why?” he countered.

“You’ll stay home with daddy. He’ll take good care of you. He’ll sleep with you and

play with you. You just listen to daddy. In three years …”

Before she had finished talking the child sadly interrupted her.

“Daddy will beat me!”

“Daddy will never beat you again.” Her left hand was stroking the scar on the right

side of the boy’s forehead –a reminder of the blow dealt by her husband with the handle of

a hoe three days after he killed the baby girl.

She was about to speak to the boy again when her husband came in. He walked up to

her, and fumbling in his pocket, he said,

“I’ve got seventy dollars from them. They’ll give me the other thirty dollars ten days

after you get there.”

After a short pause, he added, “They’ve promised to take you there in a sedan-chair.”

After another short pause, he continued, “The chair carriers will come to take you

early in the morning as soon as they’ve had breakfast.”

With this he walked out again.

That evening, neither he nor she felt like having supper.

The next day there was a spring drizzle.

The chair carrier arrived at the crack of dawn. The young woman had not slept a wink

during the night. She had spent the time mending Chun Bao’s tattered clothes. Although it

was late spring and summer was near, she took out the boy’s shabby cotton-padded winter

jacket and wanted to give it to her husband, but he was fast asleep. Then she sat down

beside her husband, wishing to have a chat with him. But he slept on and she sat there

silently, waiting for the night to pass. She plucked up enough courage to mutter a few

words into his ear, but even this failed to wake him up. So she lay down too.

As she was about to doze off, Chun Bao woke up. He wanted to get up and pushed his

mother. Dressing the child, she said,

“Darling, you mustn’t cry while I’m away or daddy will beat you. I’ll buy sweets for

you to eat. But you mustn’t cry any more, darling.”

The boy was too young to know what sorrow was, so in a minute he began to sing.

She kissed his cheek and said,

“Stop singing now, you’ll wake up daddy.”

The chair carriers were sitting on the benches in front of the gate, smoking their pipes

and chatting. Soon afterwards, Mrs. Shen arrived from the nearby village where she was

living. She was an old and experienced matchmaker. As soon as she crossed the threshold,

she brushed the raindrops off her clothes, saying to the husband and wife,

“It’s raining, it’s raining. That’s a good omen, it means you will thrive from now on.”

The matchmaker bustled about the house and whispered and hinted to the husband

that she should be rewarded for having so successfully brought about the deal.

“To tell you the truth, for another fifty dollars, the old man could have bought himself

a concubine,” She said.

Then Mrs. Shen turned to the young woman who was sitting still with the child in her

arms, and said loudly,

“The chair carriers have to get there in time for lunch, so you’d better hurry up and

get ready to go.”

The young woman glanced at her and her look seemed to say, “I don’t want to leave!

I’d rather starve here!”

The matchmaker understood and, walking up to her, said smiling,

“You’re just a silly girl. What can the ‘Yellow Fellow’ give you? But over there, the

scholar has plenty of everything. He has more than two hundred mou of land, has own

houses and cattle. His wife is good-tempered and she’s very kind. She never turns anybody

from her door without giving him something to eat. And the scholar is not really old. He

has a white face and no beard. He stoops a little as well-educated men generally do, and he

is quiet gentlemanly. There’s no need for me to tell you more about him. You’ll see him

with your own eyes as soon as you get out of the sedan-chair. You know, as a matchmaker,

I’ve never told a lie.”

The young woman wiped away her tears and said softly,

“Chun Bao … How can I part from him?”

“Chun Bao will be all right,” said the matchmaker, patting the young woman on the

shoulder and bending over her and the child. “He is already five. There’s a saying, ‘A child

of three can move about free.’ So he can be left alone. It all depends on you. If you have

one or two children over there, everything will be quiet all right.”

The chair bearers outside the gate now started urging the young woman to set out,

murmuring.

“You are really not a bride, why should you cry?”

The matchmaker snatched away Chun Bao from his mother’s arms, saying,

“Let me take care of Chun Bao!”

The little boy began to scream and kick. The matchmaker took him outside. When the

young woman was in the sedan-chair, she said,

“You’d better take the boy in, it’s raining outside.”

Inside the house, resting his head on the palm of his hand, sat the little boy’s father,

motionless and wordless.

The two villages were thirty li apart, but the chair carriers reached their destion

without making a single stop on the way. The young woman’s clothes were wet from the

spring raindrops which had been blown in through the sedan-chair screens. An elderly

woman, of about fifty-five, with a plump face and shrewd eyes came out to greet her.

Realizing immediately that this was the scholar’s wife, the young woman looked at her

bashfully and remained silent. As the scholar’s wife was amiably helping the young

woman to the door, there came out from the house a tall and thin elderly man with a round,

smooth face. Measuring the young woman from head to foot, he smiled and said,

“You have come early. Did you get wet in the rain? “

His wife, completely ignoring what he was saying, asked the young woman,

“Have you left anything in the sedan-chair?”

“No, nothing,” answered the young woman.

Soon they were inside the house. Outside the gate, a number of women from the

neighbourhood had gathered and were peeping in to see what was happening.

Somehow or other, the young woman could not help thinking about her old home and

Chun Bao. As a matter of fact, she might have congratulated herself on the prospects of

spending the next three years here, since both her new home and her temporary husband

seemed pleasant. The scholar was really kind and soft-spoken. His wife appeared

hospitable and talkative. She talked about her thirty years of happy married life with the

scholar. She had given birth to a boy some fifteen years before –a really handsome and

lively child, she said—but he died of smallpox less than ten months after his birth. Since

then, she had never had another child. The elderly woman hinted she had long been urging

her husband to get a concubine but he had always put it off –either because he was too

much in love with his wedded wife or because he couldn’t find a suitable woman for a

concubine. This chatter made the young woman feel sad, delighted and depressed by turns.

Finally, the young woman was told what was expected of her. She blushed when the

scholar’s wife said,

“You’ve had three or four children. Of course you know what to do. You know much

more than I do.”

After this, the elderly woman went away.

That evening, the scholar told the young woman a great many things about his family

in an effort to show off and ingratiate himself with her. She was sitting beside a red-

lacquered wooden wardrobe –something she had in her old home. Her dull eyes were

focused upon it when the scholar came over and sat in front of it, asking,

“What’s your name?”

She remained silent and did not smile. Then, rising to her feet, she went towards the

bed. He followed her, his face beaming.

“Don’t be shy. Still thinking about your husband? Ha, ha, I’m your husband now!” he

said softly, touching her arm. “Don’t worry! You’re thinking about your child, aren’t you?

Well …”

He burst out laughing and took off his long gown.

The young woman then heard the scholar’s wife scolding somebody outside the room.

Though she could not make out just who was being scolded, it seemed to be either the

kitchen-maid or herself. In her sorrow, the young woman began to suspect that it must be

herself, but the scholar, now lying in bed, said loudly,

“Don’t bother. She always grumbles like that. She likes our farm-hand very much,

and often scolds the kitchen-maid for chatting with him too much.”

Time passed quickly. The young woman’s thoughts of her old home gradually faded

as she became better and better acquainted with what went on in her new one. Sometimes

it seemed to her she heard Chun Bao’s muffled cries, and she dreamed of him several times.

But these dreams became more and more blurred as she became occupied with her new life.

Outwardly, the scholar’s wife was kind to her, but she felt that, deep inside, the elderly

woman was jealous and suspicious and that, like a detective, she was always spying to see

what was going on between the scholar and her. Sometimes, if the wife caught her husband

talking to the young woman on his return home, she would suspect that he had bought her

something special. She would call him to her bought her bedroom at night to give him a

good scolding. “So you’ve been seduced by the witch!” she would cry. “You should take

good care of your old carcase.” These abusive remarks the young woman overheard time

and again. After that, whenever she saw the scholar return home, she always tried to avoid

him if his wife was not present. But even in the presence of his wife, the young woman

considered it necessary to keep herself in the background. She had to do all this naturally

so that it would not be noticed by outsiders, for otherwise the wife would get angry and

blame her for purposely discrediting her in public. As time went on, the scholar’s wife

even made the young woman do the work of a maidservant. Once the young woman

decided to wash the elderly woman’s clothes.

“You’re not supposed to wash my clothes,” the scholar’s wife said. “In fact you can

have the kitchen-maid wash your own laundry. “ Yet the next moment she said,

“Sister dear, you’d better go to the pigsty and have a look at the two pigs which have

been grunting all the time. They’re probably hungry because the kitchen-maid never gives

them enough to eat.”

Eight months had passed and winter came. The young woman became fussy about her

food. She had little appetite for regular meals and always felt like eating something

different –noodles, potatoes and so on. But she soon got tired of noodles and potatoes,

and asked for wonton. When she ate a little too much she got sick. Then she felt a desire

for pumpkins and plums –things that could only be had in summer. The scholar knew what

all this meant. He kept smiling all day and gave her whatever was available. He went on

town himself to get her tangerines and asked someone to buy her some oranges. He often

paced up and down the veranda, muttering to himself. One day, he saw the young woman

and the kitchen-maid grinding rice for the Spring Festival. They had hardly started

grinding when he said to the young woman, “You’d better have a rest now. We can let the

farm-hand do it, since everybody is going to eat the rice cakes.”

Sometimes in the evening, when the rest of the household were chatting, he would sit

alone near an oil lamp, reading the Book of Songs:

“Fair, Fair,” cry the ospreys

On the island in the river.

Lovely is the good lady,

Fit bride for our lord.

……………………… The farm-hand once asked him,

“Please, sir, what are reading this book for? You’re not going to sit for a higher civil

service examination, are you?”

The scholar stroked his beardless chin and said in a gay tone,

“Well, you know the joys of life, don’t you? There’s a saying that the greatest joy of

life is either to spend the first night in the nuptial chamber or to pass a civil service

examination. As for me, I’ve already experience both. But now there’s a still greater

blessing in store for me.”

His remark set the whole household laughing –except for his wife and the young

woman.

To the scholar’s wife all this was annoying. When she first heard of the young

woman’s pregnancy, she was pleased. Later, when she saw her husband lavishing

attentions on the young woman, she began to blame herself for being barren. Once, the

following spring, it happened that the young woman fell ill and was laid up for three days

with a headache. The scholar was anxious that she take a rest and frequently asked what

she needed. This made his wife angry. She grumbled for three days and said that the young

woman was malingering.

“She has been spoiled here and become stuck-up like a real concubine,” she said,

sneering maliciously, “always complaining about headaches or backaches. She must have

been quiet different before—like a bitch that has to go searching for food even she is going

to bear a litter of puppies! Now, with the old man fawning on her, she puts on airs!”

“Why so much fuss about having a baby?” said the scholar’s wife one night to the

kitchen-maid. “I myself was once with child for ten months, I just can’t believe she’s really

feeling so bad. Who knows what she’s going to have? It may be just a little toad! She’d

better not try to bluff me, throwing her weight around before the little thing is born. It’s

still nothing but a clot of blood! It’s really a bit too early for her to make such a fuss!”

The young woman who had gone to bed without supper was awakened by this torrent

of malicious abuse and burst into convulsive sobs. The scholar was also shocked by what

he heard—so much so that he broke into a cold sweat and shook with anger. He wanted to

go to his wife’s room, grab her by the hair and give her a good beating so as to work off his

feelings. But, somehow or other, he felt powerless to do so; his fingers trembled and his

arms ached with weariness. Sighing deeply, he said softly, “I’ve been too good to her. In

thirty years of married life, I’ve never slapped her face or given her a scratch. That’s why

she is so cocky.”

Then, crawling across the bed, he whispered to the young woman beside him,

“Now, stop crying, stop crying, let her cackle! A barren hen is always jealous! If you

manage to have a baby boy this time, I’ll give you two precious gifts—a blue jade ring and

a white jade…” leaving the last sentence unfinished, he turned to listen to his wife’s

jeering voice outside the room. He hastily took off his clothes, and, covering his head with

the quilt and nestling closer to the young woman, he said,

“I’ve a white jade…”

The young woman grew bigger and bigger around the waist. The scholar’s wife made

arrangements with a midwife, and when other people were around, she would busy herself

making baby’s clothes out of floral prints.

The hot summer had ended and the cool autumn breeze was blowing over the village.

The day finally came when the expectations of the whole household reached their climax

and everybody was agog. His heart beating faster than ever, the scholar was pacing the

courtyard, reading about horoscopes from an almanac in his hand as intently as if he

wanted to commit the whole book to memory. One moment he would look anxiously at the

room with its windows closely shut whence came the muffled groans of the cloudy sky,

and walk up to the kitchen-maid at the door to ask,

“How is everything now?”

Nodding, the maid would reply after a moment’s pause,

“It won’t be long now, it won’t be long now.”

He would resume pacing the courtyard and reading the almanac.

The suspense lasted until sunset. Then, when wisps of kitchen smoke were curling up

from the roofs and lamps were gleaming in the country houses like so many wild flowers

in spring, a baby boy was born. The newborn baby cried at the top of his voice while the

scholar sat in a corner of the house, with tears of joy in his eyes. The household was so

excited that no one cared about supper.

A month later, the bright and tender-faced baby made his debut in the open. While the

young woman was breastfeeding him, womenfolk from the neighbourhood gathered

around to feast their eyes upon the boy. Some liked his nose; others, his mouth; still others,

his ears. Some praised his mother, saying that she had become whiter and healthier. The

scholar’s wife, now acting like a granny, said,

“That’s enough! You’ll make the baby cry!”

As to the baby’s name, the scholar racked his brain, but just could not hit upon a

suitable one. His wife suggested that the Chinese character shou, meaning longevity, or

one of its synonyms, should be included in his name. But the scholar did not like it—it was

too commonplace. He spent several weeks looking through Chinese classics like the Book

of Changes and the Book of History in search of suitable characters to be used as the

baby’s name. But all his efforts proved fruitless. It was a difficult problem to solve because

he wanted a name which should be auspicious for the baby and would imply at the same

time that he was born to him in old age. One evening, while holding the three-month-old

baby in his arms, the scholar, with spectacles on, sat down near a lamp and again looked

into some book in an effort to find a name for the boy. The baby’s mother, sitting quietly in

a corner of the room, appeared to be musing. Suddenly she said,

“I suppose you could call him ‘Qiu Bao’.” Those in the room turned to look at the

young woman and listened intently as she continued, “Qiu means autumn and Bao means

treasure. So since he was born in autumn, you’d better call him ‘Qiu Bao’.”

The scholar was silent for a brief moment and then exclaimed,

“A wonderful idea! I’ve wasted a lot of time looking for a name for the baby! As a

man of over fifty, I’ve reached the autumn of my life. The boy too was born in autumn.

Besides, autumn is the time when everything is ripe and the time for harvesting, as the

book of history says, ‘Qiu Bao’ is really a good name for the child.”

Then he began to praise the young woman, saying that she was born clever and that it

was quiet useless to be a bookworm like himself. His remarks made the young woman feel

ill at ease. Lowering her head and forcing a smile, she said to herself with tears in her eyes,

“I suggested ‘Qiu Bao’ simply because I was thinking of my elder son Chun Bao.”

Qiu Bao daily grew handsome and more attached to his mother. His unusually big

eyes which started tirelessly at strangers would light up joyfully when he saw his mother,

even when she was a long distance away. He always clung to her. Although the scholar

loved him even more than his mother did, Qiu Bao did not take to him. As to the scholar’s

wife, although outwardly she showed as much affection for Qiu Bao as if he were her own

baby, he would stare at her with the same indefatigable curiosity as he did at strangers. But

the more the child grew attached to his mother, the closer drew the time for their separation.

Once more it was summer. To everybody in the house, the advent of this season was a

reminder of the coming end of the young women’s three-year stay.

The scholar, out of his love for Qiu Bao, suggested to his wife one day that he was

willing to offer another hundred dollars to buy the young women so that she could stay

with them permanently. The wife, however, replied curtly,

“No, you’ll have to poison me before you do that!”

This made the scholar angry. He remained silent for quite a while. Then, forcing

himself to smile, he said,

“It’s a pity that our child will be motherless…” his wife smiled wryly and said in an

icy and cutting tone,

“Don’t you think that I might be a mother to him?”

As to the young woman, there were two conflicting ideas in her mind. On the one

hand, she always remembered that she would have to leave after the three years were up.

Three years seemed a short time and she had become more of a servant than a temporary

wife. Besides, in her mind her elder son Chun Bao had become as sweet and lovely a child

as Qiu Bao. She could not bear to remain away from either Qiu Bao or Chun Bao. On the

other hand, she was willing to stay on permanently in the scholar’s house because she

thought her own husband would not live long and might even die in four or five years. So

she longed to have the scholar bring Chun Bao into his home so that she could also live

with her elder son.

One day, as she was sitting wearily on the veranda with Qiu Bao sleeping at her breast,

the hypnotic rays of the early summer sun sent her into a daydream and she thought she

saw Chun Bao standing beside her; but when she stretched out her hand to him and was

about to speak to her two sons, she saw that her elder boy was not there.

At the door at the other end of the veranda the scholar’s wife, with her seemingly kind

face but fierce eyes, stood staring at the young woman. The latter came to and said to

herself,

“I’d better leave here as soon as I can. She’s always spying on me!”

Later, the scholar changed his plan a little; he decided he would send Mrs. Shen on

another mission: to find out whether the young woman’s husband was willing to take

another thirty dollars—or fifty dollars at most—to let him keep the young woman for

another three years. He said to his wife,

“I suppose Qiu Bao’s mother could stay on until he is five.”

Chanting “Buddha preserve me” with a rosary in her hand, the scholar’s wife replied,

“She has got her elder son at home. Besides, you ought to let her go back to her lawful

husband.”

The scholar hung his head and said brokenly,

“Just imagine, Qiu Bao will be motherless at two…”

Putting away the rosary, his wife snapped,

“I can take care of him. I can manage him. Are you afraid I’m going to murder him?”

Upon hearing the last sentence, the scholar walked away hurriedly. His wife went on

grumbling,

“The child has been born for me. Qiu Bao is mine. If the male line of your family

came to an end, it would affect me too. You’re been bewitched by her. You’re old and

pigheaded. You don’t know what’s what. Just think how many more years you may live,

and yet you’re trying to do everything to keep her with you. I certainly don’t want another

woman’s tablet put side by side with mine in the family shrine!”

It seemed as if she would never stop pouring out the stream of venomous and biting

words, but the scholar was too far away to hear them.

Every time Qiu Bao had a pimple on his head or a slight fever, the scholar’s wife

would go around praying to Buddha and bring back Buddha’s medicine in the form of

incense ash which she applied to the baby’s pimple or dissolved in water for him to drink.

He would cry and perspire profusely. The young woman did not like the idea of the

scholar’s wife making so much fuss when the baby fell slightly ill, and always threw the

ash away when she was not there. Sighing deeply, the scholar’s wife once said to her

husband,

“You see, she really doesn’t care a bit about our baby and says he’s not getting

thinner. Real love needs no flourishes; she is only pretending that she loves our baby.”

The young woman wept when alone, and the scholar kept silent.

On Qiu Bao’s first birthday, the celebration lasted the whole day. About forty guests

attended the party. The birthday presents they brought included the baby clothes, noodles,

a silver pendant in the shape of lion’s head to be worn on the baby’s chest and a gold-

plated image of the God of Longevity to be sewn to the baby’s bonnet. The guests wished

the baby good luck and a long life. The host’s face flushed with joy as if reflecting the

reddening glow of the setting sun.

Late in the afternoon, just before the banquet, there came into the courtyard from the

deepening twilight outside an uninvited guest, who attracted the attention of all the others.

He was an emaciated-looking peasant, dressed in patched clothes and with unkempt hair,

carrying under his arm a paper-parcel. Greatly astonished and puzzled, the host went up to

inquire where he hailed from. While the newcomer was stammering, it suddenly occurred

to the host that this was none other than the skin dealer—the young woman’s husband.

Thereupon, the host said in a low voice,

“Why do you bring a gift? You really shouldn’t have done this!”

The newcomer looked timidly about, saying,

“I… I had to come…I’ve come to wish the baby a long life…”

Before he had finished speaking, he began to open the package he had brought.

Tearing off three paper wrappings with his quivering fingers, he took out four bronze-cast

and silver-plated Chinese characters, each about one square inch in size, which said that

the baby would live as long as the South Mountain.

The scholar’s wife appeared on the scene, and looked displeased when she saw the

skin dealer. The scholar, however, invited the skin dealer to the table, where the guests sat

whispering about him.

The guests wined and dined for two hours and everybody was feeling happy and

excited. They indulged in noisy drinking games and plied one another with big bowls of

wine. The deafening uproar rocked the house. Nobody paid any attention to the skin dealer

who sat silently after drinking two cups of wine. Having enjoyed their wine, the guests

each hurriedly took a bowl of rice; and, bidding one another farewell, they dispersed in

twos and threes, carrying lighted lanterns in their hands.

The skin dealer sat there eating until the servants came to clear the table. Then he

walked to a dark corner of the veranda where he found his wife.

“What did you come for?” asked the young woman with an extremely sad note in her

voice.

“I didn’t want to come, but I just couldn’t help it.”

“Then why did you come so late?”

“I couldn’t get any money to buy a birthday gift. I spent the whole morning begging

for a loan and then I had to go to town to buy the gift. I was tired and hungry. That’s why I

came late.”

The young woman asked, “How’s Chun Bao?”

Her husband reflected for a moment and then answered,

“It’s for Chun Bao’s sake that I’ve come…”

“For Chun Bao’s sake!” she echoed in surprise. He went on slowly,

“Since this summer Chun Bao has grown very skinny. In the autumn, he fell sick. I

haven’t been able to do anything for him because I haven’t had any money. So his illness is

getting more serious. I’m afraid he won’t live unless we try to save him!” he continued

after a short pause, “I’ve come to borrow some money from you. …”

Deep inside her, the young woman had the feeling that wild cats were scratching and

biting her, gnawing at her very heart. She was on the verge of bursting into tears, but on

such an occasion when everybody was celebrating Qiu bao’s birthday she knew she had to

keep her emotions under control. She made a brave effort to keep back her tears and said to

her husband,

“How can I get hold of any money? They give me twenty cents a month as pocket

money here, but I spend every cent of it on my baby. What can we do now?”

Both were speechless for a while, then the young woman asked again,

“Who is taking care of Chun Bao while you’re here?”

“One of the neighbours. I’ve got to go back home tonight. In fact I ought to be going

now,” he answered, wiping away his tears.

“Wait a moment,” she told him tearfully, “let me go and try to borrow some money

from him.”

And with this she left him.

Three days later, in the evening, the scholar suddenly asked the young woman,

“Where’s the blue jade ring I gave you?”

“I gave it to him the other night. He pawned it.”

“Didn’t I lend you five dollars?” countered the scholar irritably.

The young woman, hanging her head, answered after a moment’s pause,

“Five dollars wasn’t enough!”

The scholar sighed deeply at this and said, “No matter how good I try to be to you,

you still love your husband and your elder son more. I wanted to keep you for another

couple of years, but now I think you’d better leave here next spring!”

The young woman stood there silent and tearless.

Several days later, the scholar again reproached her, “That blue jade ring is a treasure.

I gave it to you because I wanted Qiu Bao to inherit it from you. I didn’t think you would

have it pawned! It’s lucky my wife doesn’t know about it, otherwise she would make

scenes for another three months.”

After this the young woman became thinner and paler. Her eyes lost their luster; she

was often subjected to sneers and curses. She was forever worrying about Chun Bao’s

illness. She was always on the lookout for some acquaintances from her home village or

some travelers going there. She hoped she could hear about Chun Bao’s recovery, but there

was no news. She wished she could borrow a couple of dollars or buy sweets for some

traveler to take to Chun Bao, but she could find no one going to her home village. She

would often walk outside the gate with Qiu Bao in her arms, and there, standing by the

roadside, she would gaze with melancholy eyes at the country paths. This greatly annoyed

the scholar’s wife who said to her husband,

“She really doesn’t want to stay here any longer. She’s anxious to get back home as

soon as she can.”

Sometimes at night, sleeping with Qiu Bao at her bosom, she would suddenly wake

up from her dreams and scream until the child too would awake and start crying. Once, the

scholar asked her,

“What’s happened? What’s happened?”

She patted the child without answering. The scholar continued,

“Did you dream your elder son had died? How you screamed! You woke me up!”

She hurriedly answered, “No, no… I thought I saw a new grave in front of me!”

He said nothing, but the morbid hallucination continued to loom before her—she saw

herself approaching the grave.

Winter was drawing to a close and birds began twittering at her window, as if urging

her to leave quickly. The child was weaned, and her separation from her son—permanent

separation—was already a foregone conclusion.

On the day of her departure, the kitchen-maid quietly asked the scholar’s wife,

“Shall we hire a sedan-chair to take her home?”

Fingering the rosary in her hand, the scholar’s wife said, “Better let her walk.

Otherwise she will have to pay the fare herself. And where will she get the money? I

understand her husband can’t even afford to have three meals a day. She shouldn’t try to be

showy. It’s not very far from here, and I myself have walked some forty li a day. She’

more used to walking than I am, so she ought to be able to get there in half a day.”

In the morning, as the young woman was dressing Qiu Bao, tears kept streaming

down her cheeks. The child called, “Auntie, auntie” (the scholar’s wife had made him

called herself “mummy”, and her real mother, “auntie”). The young woman could not

answer for weeping. She wanted so much to say to the child,

“Good-bye, darling! Your ‘mummy’ has been good to you, so you should be good to

her in the future. Forget about me forever!” but these words she never uttered. The child

was only one and half years old, and she knew that he would never understand what she

wanted to say.

The scholar walked up quietly behind her, and put ten twenty-cent silver coins into

her palm, saying softly,

“Here are two dollars for you.”

Buttoning up the child’s clothes, she put the ten silver coins into her pocket.

The scholar’s wife also came in, and, staring hard at the back of the retreating scholar,

she turned to the young woman, saying,

“Give me QIu Bao, so that he won’t cry when you leave.”

The young woman remained silent, but the child was unwilling to leave his mother

and kept striking the scholar’s wife face with his little hands, the scholar’s wife was piqued

and said,

“You can keep him with you until you’ve had breakfast.”

The kitchen-maid urged the young woman to eat as much as possible, saying,

“You’ve been eating very little for a fortnight. You are thinner than you first came

here. Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? You have to walk thirty li today, so finish

this bowl of rice!”

The young woman said listlessly, “You really kind to me!”

It was a fine day and the sun was high in the sky. Qiu Bao continued to cling to his

mother. When the scholar’s wife angrily snatched him away from her, he yelled at the top

of his voice, kicking the elderly woman in the belly and pulling at her hair. The young

woman standing behind, pleaded,

“Let me stay here until after lunch.”

The scholar’s wife replied fiercely over her shoulder,

“Hurry up with your packing, you’ve got to leave sooner or later!”

From then on, Qiu Bao’s cries gradually receded from the young woman’s hearing.

While she was packing, she kept listening to his crying. The kitchen-maid stood

beside her, comforting her and watching what she was putting into her parcel. The young

woman then left with the same old parcel she had brought with her when she first came.

She heard Qiu Bao crying as walked out of the gate, and his cries rang in her ears

even after she had plodded a distance of three li.

Stretching before her lay the sun-bathed country road which seemed to be as long as

the sky was boundless. As she was walking along the bank of a river, whose clear water

reflected her like a mirror, she thought of stopping there and putting an end to her life by

drowning herself. But, after sitting for a while on the bank, she resumed her journey.

It was already afternoon, and an elderly villager told her that she still had fifteen li to

go before she would reach her own village. She said to him,

“Grandpa, please hire a litter for me. I’m too tired to walk.”

“Are you sick?” asked the old man.

“Yes, I am.” She was sitting in a pavilion outside a village.

“Where have you walked from?”

She answered after a moment’s hesitation,

“I’m on my way home; this morning I thought I would be able to walk the whole

way.”

The elder lapsed into sympathetic silence and finally hired a litter for her.

It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when the litter carriers entered a narrow and

filthy village street. The young woman, her pale face shrunken and yellowed like an old

vegetable leaf, lay with her eyes closed. She was breathing weakly. The villagers eyed her

with astonishment and compassion. A group of village urchins noisily followed the litter,

the appearance of which stirred the quiet village.

One of the children chasing after the litter was Chun Bao. The children were shouting

and squealing like little pigs when the litter carriers suddenly turned into the lane leading

to Chun Bao’s home. Chun Bao stopped in surprise. As the litter stopped in front of his

home, he leaned dazed against a post and looked at it from a distance. The other children

gathered around and craned their necks timidly. When the young woman descended from

the litter, she felt giddy and at first did not realize that the shabbily dressed child with

disheveled hair standing before her was Chun Bao. He was hardly any taller than when she

had left three years before and just as skinny. Then, she blurted out in tears,

“Chun Bao!”

Startled, the children dispersed. Chun Bao, also frightened, ran inside the house to

look for his father.

Inside the dingy room, the young woman sat for a long, long while. Both she and her

husband were speechless. As night fell, he raised his head and said,

“You’d better prepare supper!”

She rose reluctantly, and, after searching around the house, said in a weak voice,

“There’s no rice left in the big jar. …”

Her husband looked at her with a sickly smile,

“You’ve got used to living in a rich man’s house all right. We keep our rice in a

cardboard box.”

That night, the skin dealer said to his son,

“Chun Bao, you go to bed with your mother!”

Chun bao, standing beside the stove, started crying. His mother walked up to him and

called,

“Chun Bao, Chun Bao!” but when she tried to caress him, the boy shunned her. His

father hissed,

“You’ve forgotten your own mother. You ought to get a good beating for that!”

The young woman lay awake on the narrow, dirty plank-bed with Chun Bao lying,

like a stranger, beside her. Her mind in a daze, she seemed to see her younger son Qiu

Bao—plump, white and lovely –curled up beside her, but as she stretched out her arms to

embrace him, she saw it was Chun Bao, who had just fallen asleep. The boy was breathing

faintly, his face pressed against his mother’s breast. She hugged him tightly.

The still and chilly night seemed to drag on endlessly, …

注释

作家柔石，浙江宁海人，1931年在上海牺牲，年仅30，本文是他于1930年写成的最优秀的

短篇小说。作品揭露当时浙东一带农村典妻制度的野蛮和残酷，对农村劳动妇女的苦难表示了极大的同情。

(1)“芒种”为中国24节气之一，约在每年6月上、中旬，该时农村多忙于夏收夏种。如英

译为Mangzhong或wheat in the ear，势必借助脚注，详加说明，否则外国读者无法理解。现结合上下文干脆把它译为early each summer。

(2)“小铜鼓”译为a brass drum。注意brass和bronze、copper在颜色上的区别。三者之中，

仅brass是浅黄色。

(3)“我已经将你出典了……”如逐字直译为I’ve pawned you或I’ve hired you out，均欠达意。现以增词释义的办法译为there’s somebody willing to hire you as a temporary wife，可较清楚地交代原意。

(4)“免得王狼底狼一般的绿眼睛天天在家里闪烁”译为so that he’d no longer be prowling after

me like a wolf，用prowling after（潜行觅食）代替原文中有关比喻，同样传神。

(5)“这一晚，她和她底丈夫都没有吃晚饭。”意即夫妇两人都不想吃饭，故译That evening,

neither he nor she felt like having supper。如按字面直译为That evening, both husband and wife did not eat supper，就未能表达原句含义。

(6)“三周四岁离娘身”译为A child of three can move about free，有节奏，有韵律，易于上口。

(7)“烧饭的黄妈”即在厨房干活的女仆，可简译为the kitchen-maid。

(8)“你应该称一称你自己底老骨头是多少重”意即“你应该珍惜自己的身子”，故译为You

should take good care of your old carcase，其中carcase本作“死尸”解，指活人的“身躯”时，是带有轻蔑或嘲笑口气的用语。

(9)“想吃新鲜的面，番薯等”意即“想换别的东西吃，如面、番薯等”，故全句译为always

felt like eating something different—noodles, potatoes and so on。

(10)“随她吠去好了”译为let her cackle，其中cackle本指母鸡下蛋后的咯咯声，现在的意思是“胡说八道”。此句如直译为let her bark也可，但因和文中母鸡的比喻连用，就不如前者合适。

(11)“阉过的母鸡”实为“不产蛋的母鸡”，故译为a barren hen。不能把它译为a capon，因

那是阉过的公鸡。

(12)“邻舍的妇人围着他们瞧”译为womenfolk from the neighbourhood gathered around to feast

their eyes upon the boy，其中to feast their eyes upon是成語，作“尽情地欣赏”解。

(13)“老妇人却转过头，汹汹地答”译为The scholar’s wife replied fiercely over her shoulder，

其中over her shoulder是习语，作“回头”解。

(14)“其余的孩子胆怯地围在轿的两边”译为The other children gathered and craned their necks

timidly，其中craned their necks（伸长脖子张望）是添加成分，原文虽无其词而有其意。

致蒋经国信

廖承志

经国吾弟：

咫尺之隔，竟成海天之遥(1)。南京匆匆一晤，瞬逾三十六载。幼时同袍，苏京把

晤，往事历历在目(2)。惟长年未通音问，此诚憾事。近闻政躬违和，深为悬念(3)。人

过七旬，多有病痛，至盼善自珍摄。

三年以来，我党一再倡议贵我两党举行谈判(4)，同捐前嫌，共竟祖国统一大业。

共竟祖国统一大业(5)。惟弟一再声言“不接触，不谈判，不妥协”，余期期以为不可。

世交深情，于公于私，理当进言(6)，敬希诠察。

祖国和平统一，乃千秋功业(7)，台湾终必回归祖国，早日解决对各方有利。台湾同胞

可安居乐业，两岸各族人民可解骨肉分离之痛，在台诸前辈及大陆去台人员 亦可各

得其所，且有利于亚太地区局势稳定和世界和平。吾弟尝以“计利当计天下利，求名

应求万世名” (8)自勉，倘能于吾弟手中成此伟业(9)，必为举国尊敬，世人推崇，功在

国家，名留青史(10)。所谓“罪人”之说，实相悖谬。局促东隅，终非久计。明若吾弟，

自当了然(11)。如迁延不决，或委之异日(12)，不仅徒生困扰，吾弟亦将难辞其咎(13)。

再者，和平统一纯属内政。外人巧言令色，意在图我台湾，此世人所共知者。当断不

断，必受其乱(14)。愿弟慎思。

孙先生手创之中国国民党，历尽艰辛，无数先烈前仆后继，终于推翻帝制，建立民

国(15)。光辉业迹，已成定论。国共两度合作，均对国家民族作出巨大贡献。首次合

作，孙先生领导，吾辈虽幼，亦知一二。再次合作，老先生主其事，吾辈身在其中，

应知梗概。事虽经纬万端，但纵观全局，合则对国家有利，分则必伤民族元气(16)。

今日吾弟在台主政，三次合作，大责难谢。双方领导，同窗挚友，彼此相知，谈之更

易(17)。所谓“投降”、“屈事”、“吃亏”、“上当”之说，实难苟同。评价历史，展望未来，

应天下为公，以国家民族利益为最高准则(18)，何发党私之论！至于“以三民主义统一

中国”云云，识者皆以为太不现实，未免自欺欺人(19)。三民主义之真谛，吾辈深知，

毋须争辩。所谓台湾“经济繁荣，社会民主，民生乐利”等等，在台诸公，心中有数，

亦毋庸赘言。试为贵党计，如能依时顺势，负起历史责任，毅然和谈， 达成国家统

一，则两党长期共存，互相监督，共图振兴中华之大业。否则，偏安之局(20)，焉能

自保。有识之士，虑已及此(21)。事关国民党兴亡绝续(22)，望弟再思。

近读大作，有“切望父灵能回到家园与先人同在” (23)之语，不胜感慨系之。今老先生

仍厝于慈湖，统一之后，即当迁安故土，或奉化，或南京，或庐山，以了吾弟孝心。

吾弟近曾有言：“要把孝顺的心，扩大为民族感情，去敬爱民族，奉献于国家。”诚哉

斯言，盍不实践于统一大业！就国家民族而论，蒋氏两代对历史有所交代(24)；就吾

弟个人而言，可谓忠孝两全。否则，吾弟身后事何以自了。尚望三思。

吾弟一生坎坷，决非命运安排，一切操之在己(25)。千秋功罪，系于一念之间。当今

国际风云变幻莫测，台湾上下众议纷纾岁月不居，来日苦短，夜长梦多(26)，时不我

与。盼弟善为抉择(27)，未雨绸缪。“寥廓海天，不归何待？”

人到高年，愈加怀旧，如弟方便，余当束装就道，前往台北探望，并面聆诸长辈教

益。“度尽劫波兄弟在，相逢一笑泯恩仇”。遥望南天，不禁神驰(28)，书不尽言，诸希

珍重，伫候复音。 老夫人前请代为问安。方良、纬国及诸侄不一。

顺祝

近祺！

廖承志

１９８２年７月２４日

A Letter to Chiang Ching-Kuo

Liao Chengzhi

July 24, 1982

Dear brother Ching-Kuo,

Who would have expected that the short distance between us should be keeping us

poles apart! It is now more than 36 years since our brief encounter in Nanjing. The days we

spent together in childhood as well as later in the Soviet capital, however, are still as fresh

as ever in my memory. But it’s a pity indeed that we haven’t heard from each other for so

many years. Recently it filled me with much concern to learn of your indisposition. Men

aged over seventy are liable to illness. I hope you will take good care of yourself.

For three years, we have repeatedly proposed bilateral talks between the two parties to

let bygones be bygones and strive together for the great cause of national reunification. But

you have time and again insisted upon having “no contact, no talks and no compromise”,

which I truly think inadvisable. In view of the public and personal concerns as well as

long-standing deep friendship between our two families, I feel duty-bound to offer you a

word of advice for careful consideration.

The peaceful reunification of the motherland will be a great achievement to go down

in history. Taiwan is bound to be reunited eventually with the motherland. An early

settlement of the problem will be in the interests of all. The compatriots in Taiwan will be

able to live in peace and happiness, the people of all nationalities on both sides of the

Taiwan straits will be relieved of the pains of separation from their flesh and blood, and

our senior folks in Taiwan and those formerly migrated there from the mainland will all be

properly placed and provided for. And, moreover, it will contribute to the stability of Asia

and the Pacific region as well as to world peace. You used to seek self-encouragement

from the motto, “The interests to be considered should be the interests of all; the fame to be

sought should be an everlasting fame.” If you should be instrumental in bringing about the

cause of national reunification, you will certainly win esteem and praise nationwide and

your meritorious service to the country will earn you a niche in the temple of fame. It is

sheer absurdity to think yourself “guilty” for rendering such a service. After all, dragging

out your existence in that tight eastern corner is by no means a permanent solution. This

should be crystal clear to a man of your wisdom. Procrastination, hesitation or sleeping

over the problem will only lead to adversity and you, my brother, will hardly be able to

escape censure. Moreover, peaceful reunification is entirely an internal affair of China. As

is known to all, outsiders who are talking glibly against it have designs on our Taiwan. To

be irresolute when a prompt decision should be taken would only spell disaster. I, therefore,

would like you to think this over carefully.

After going through untold hardships during which countless revolutionaries

unflinchingly laid down their lives, the Kuomintang founded by Dr. Sun Yat-sen finally

overthrew the monarchy and established the republic. This has been universally recognized

as a glorious achievement. The Kuomintang and the Communist Party twice cooperated

and on both occasions they made tremendous contributions to the country and the nation.

We know something about the first cooperation, led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, though we still

young at that time. The second cooperation was presided over by your father and, as

participants in it, we should know what it was all about. Complicated as the matter was, an

overall view of the situation will show that united, the country and the nation benefit;

divided, they suffer. Now, as head of the Taiwan administration, you have unshirkable

responsibility for bring about the third cooperation. Leaders from both sides will find it

easier to talk the matter over since they know each other well, having formerly been

schoolmates and close friends. I find it really hard for me to subscribe to those views

which describe cooperation as “surrender”, “humiliating”, “suffering losses” or “being

duped”. In reviewing history or looking ahead to the future, one should be public-minded

and put the interests of the country and the nation above all. Why harp on the narrow

interest of a party? Such remarks as “unifying China with the Three People’s Principles”

are regarded by all thinking people as unrealistic, deceptive and ostrich-like. People of our

generation know the true meaning of the Three People’s Principles quiet well and there is

no need to argue about it. Neither is there any need to dwell on such assertions as Taiwan’s

“economic prosperity, democracy and easy livelihood”, the truth of which all gentlemen in

Taiwan must be quiet aware of. To my mind, if you, for the sake of your party, shoulder

the historic task and, going with the stream, take part in peace talks for our national

reunification, the two parties will be able to coexist for a long time to come, supervising

each other and making a common effort to revitalize China. Otherwise, content as you are

with your present rule over the tight eastern corner, how can such a situation be expected

to last for long? This is a question already on the minds of thinking people. It is a matter of

survival or extinction for the Kuomintang and I hope you will think it over again.

Recently I was profoundly moved when I read one of your writings in which you

expressed the “longing for my father’s soul to return to the homeland and be among the

forefathers”. The remains of your father, now still temporarily placed at Cihu, shall, upon

national reunification, be immediately moved to the final resting place in Fenghua, Nanjing

or Lushan in fulfilment of your filial whishes. You recently said, “Filial devotion should be

expanded into national devotion to the country.” Well said! Why don’t you apply it to the

great cause of national reunification? As far as the country and the nation are concerned,

you will have fulfilled the task imposed on you and your father by history; as far as you

yourself are concerned, this will be an expression of both loyalty and filial piety. Other

how could you account for yourself after your passing away? I hope you will think more

about it.

Dear brother, the frustrations marking your lifetime are by no means predestined. You

yourself alone are master of your own fate. Merits and demerits to be recorded in history

hinge on the decision made in a moment. The present international situation is capricious.

Throughout Taiwan people of all strata are talking about their future. Time does not stay

and brief is the day. A long night invites bad dreams; time and tide wait for no man. I hope

you, my brother, will make a wise choice and repair the house before it rains. “Vast is the

expanse of sky and water. What are you waiting for, staying away from home?”

The longing for old friends grows with age. If it suits your convenience, I will pack

and go on a visit to Taibei to consult our elders. “For all the disasters the brotherhood has

remained; a smile at meeting and enmity is banished.” When I look south towards the

distant horizon, my heart cannot help going out to my compatriots there. No word is

enough to express what I wish to say. It is hoped that you will take good care of yourself. I

am looking forward to a reply from you.

Please convey my regards to your mothers as well as to Fang-Liang, Wei-Kuo and the

children.

Best wishes to you.

Liao Chengzhi

注释

(1)“咫尺之隔，竟成海天之遥”的原译为No one ever expected that a strip of water should have

become so vast a distance，未充分表达原文的感叹语气以及“海天之遥”与当时两岸的关系。现改译为Who would have expected that the short distance between us should be keeping us poles apart，其中poles apart作widely separated解。此句形式上为疑问句，实为感叹句，故句尾接感叹号。

(2)“幼时同袍，苏京把晤，往事历历在目”的原译为From our childhood friendship to our chats

in the Soviet capital, everything in the past is still alive in my memory，基本上逐字直译，流畅不足。现改译为The days we spent together in childhood as well as later in the Soviet capital, however, are still as fresh as ever in my memory，其中are still as fresh as ever比still remain fresh强调。

(3)“近闻政躬违和，深为悬念”的原译为Recently I was told that you are somewhat indisposed

and this has caused me much concern，采用复合句逐字直译，欠简练。现用简单句改译为Recently it filled me with much concern to learn of your indisposition。

(4)“我党一再倡议贵我两党举行谈判，同捐前嫌”的原译为our party has repeatedly proposed

talks with your party to bury the hatchet。为了避免party一词的重复出现，现改译为we have

repeatedly proposed bilateral talks between the two parties to let bygones be bygones。

(5)“共竟祖国统一大业”的原译为work jointly to accomplish the great cause of national

reunification。为突出“共同力求”的内涵，现将此句改译为strive together for the great cause of national reunification。

(6)“世交深情，于公于私，理当进言”原译为Considering both the public interests and our close

friendship which has lasted for generations, I regard it as my duty to offer some advice which I hope you will consider carefully，其中有三处欠妥：１，“于公于私”译为the public interests，未交代“于私”；２，“世交深情”中“世交”实际上只从双方父辈（廖仲恺和蒋介石）开始，原译却把它扩大到“祖祖辈辈”（for generations）；３，句子欠紧凑。现改译为in view of the public and personal concerns as well as the long-standing deep friendship between our two families, I feel

duty-bound to offer you a word of advice for careful consideration。

(7)“乃千秋功业”译为a great achievement to go down in history，其中to go down是成语，

作“被载入”解，也可译为to be recorded in history。

(8)“计利当计天下利，求明应求万世名”译为the interests to be considered should be the

interests of all; the fame to be sought should be an everlasting fame，前后都是简单句，形成排比。原译为the interests to be considered should be the interests of all; the fame to be sought should be a fame that would last forever，前后稍欠匀称。

(9)“倘能于吾弟手中成此伟业”译为if you should be instrumental in bringing about the great

cause of national reunification，其中instrumental作“有助于”（helpful）解。原译为if the great cause of national reunification would be accomplished through your work，语言欠地道。又would一词用得欠规范，就改为should。

(10)“功在国家，名留青史”译为your meritorious service to the country will earn you a niche in

the temple of fame，其中a niche in the temple of fame是成语，作“流芳百世”解，与a lasting fame同义。

(11)“明若吾弟，自当了然”译为this should be crystal clear to a man of your wisdom。原译为

this is of course quiet clear for a man as intelligent as you。注意wisdom着重“判断是非的能力”，

intelligent着重“理解力”。

(12)“委之异日”译为sleeping over the problem，其中sleep over或sleep on是成语，作“暂

缓对……作出决定”(to postpone a decision about…)解。原译是leaving the problem to other days。

(13)“难辞其咎”译为hardly be able to escape censure，其中censure和the blame同义，但更

有力。

(14)“当断不断，必受其乱”译为to be irresolute when a prompt decision should be taken would

only spell disaster，其中spell作“招致”、“带来”解。

(15)“孙先生手创之中国国民党，历尽艰辛，无数先烈前仆后继，终于推翻帝制，建立民国”

原译为the Kuomintang founded by Dr. Sun Yat-sen endured countless hardships and finally overthrew the monarchy and established the republic; numerous revolutionaries advanced wave after wave and laid down their lives for the cause，其中把“无数先烈前仆后继”单独译成一句，使全段缺乏连贯性，层次不清。现改译为after going through untold hardships during which countless revolutionaries unflinchingly laid down their lives, the Kuomintang founded by Dr. Sun Yat-sen finally overthrew the monarchy and established the republic

(16)“事虽经纬万端，但纵观全局，合则对国家有利，分则必伤民族元气”的原译为though

the matter was as complicated as could be, an all-round view of the situation would show that

cooperation is beneficial to the country and the nation while division is detrimental to them，其中未能用简练的手法表达原文后半部的排比结构；同时would一词也用得欠规范。现改译为Complicated as the matter was, an overall view of the situation will show that united, the country and the nation

benefit; divided, they suffer。

(17)“双方领导，同窗挚友，彼此相知，谈之更易”的原译为it would be easier to talk the matter over when leaders on both sides used to be schoolmates and close friends who know one another well，其中后半部分缺乏逻辑性。现改译为leaders from both sides will find it easer to talk the matter over since they know each other well, having formerly been schoolmates and close friends。

(18)“应天下为公，以国家民族利益为最高准则”意即“应一心为公，以国家民族利益高于

一切”，故英译为should be public-minded and put the interests of the country and the nation above all。原译为should bear in mind the public interests of the country and the nation, and use this as the

supreme criterion，与原文意思有出入，原因是对原文理解仅限于某些字面。

(19)“识者皆以为太不现实，未免自欺欺人”译为are regarded by all thinking people as

unrealistic, deceptive and ostrich-like，其中thinking people意即“有见解的人”；ostrichlike本来的意思是“鸵鸟般的”或“藏头露尾的”现作“自欺的”解。

(20)“偏安之局”的意思为“偏据一方以自安”，故译为content as you are with your present rule

over the tight eastern corner。

(21)“有识之士，虑已及此”意即“有头脑的人都已经为此担忧”。原译为this is a question

those who are sensible are already turning over in their minds。现改译为This is a question already on the minds of thinking people。

(22)“事关国民党兴亡绝续”的原译为It involves the survival and development of the

Kuomintang，其中把“兴亡绝续“译为survival and development，与原意有出入。现将原句改译为It is a matter of survival or extinction for the Kuomintang。

(23)“与先人同在”的原译为be reunited with the forefathers，稍欠自然。现改译为be among

the forefather。

(24)“蒋氏两代对历史有所交代”的原译为this would be an answer of the two generations of the

Chiangs to history，由于逐字直译，未能达意。现改译为you will have fulfilled the task imposed on you and your father by history。

(25)“一切操之在己”的上一句为“决非命运安排”，故英译时按“由自己掌握命运”的意

思译为You yourself alone are master of your own fate。原译为Everything depends on yourself。

(26)“夜长梦多”中的“梦”为“恶梦”，比喻“不好的事”或“节外生枝”，故译为全句

为A long night invites bad dreams。原译为A long night is fraught with dreams。

(27)“善为抉择”的意思应为“作出明智的选择”，故译为will make a wise choice。

(28)“不禁神驰”译为my heart cannot help going out to…，其中to go out to是成语，作“在

感情上被……所吸引”（be emotionally drawn to）解。

(29)“伫候复音”的原译为I am waiting impatiently for a reply。现改译为I’m looking forward

to a reply from you。

附：新华社英译电讯稿

Dear brother Ching-Kuo,

No one ever expected that a trip of water should have become so vast a distance. It is

now 36 years since our brief rendezvous in Nanjing. From our childhood friendship to our

chats in the Soviet capital, everything in the past is still alive in my memory. But it’s

unfortunate that we haven’t heard from each other for so many years. Recently I was told

that you are somewhat indisposed and this has caused me much concern. Men in their

seventies are often afflicted with illness. I sincerely hope that you will take good care of

yourself.

Over the past three years, our party has repeatedly proposed talks with your party to

bury the hatchet and work jointly to accomplish the great cause of national reunification.

But you have time and again announced that there should be “no contact, no talks and no

compromise”, which I think is in advisable. Considering both the public interests and our

close friendship which has lasted for generations, I regard it as my duty to offer some

advice I hope you will consider carefully.

The peaceful reunification of the motherland would be a great achievement to be

recoded in history. Taiwan is bound to return to the embrace of the motherland eventually.

An early settlement would be in the interests of all. The compatriots in Taiwan would be

able to live in peace and happiness, the people of all nationalities on both sides of the

Taiwan straits would no longer have to endure the pains of separation from their kith and

kin, and the elders in Taiwan and those who have moved there from the mainland would

all be properly placed and provided for. And this would contribute to the stability of Asia

and the Pacific region as well as to the world peace. You used to spur yourself on with the

axiom: “The interests to be considered should be the interests of all; the fame to be sought

should be a fame that would last forever.” If the great cause of reunification would be

accomplished through your work, you will certainly win the esteem of the nation and the

praise of all. You would be doing a meritorious service to the country and your name

would be inscribed in the temple of fame. It is preposterous to regard such a service as a

“guilt”. After all, putting up in that tight eastern corner is not a long-term solution. This is

of course quiet clear for a man as intelligent as you. Hesitation, procrastination or leaving

the problem to other days would only lead to difficulty and distress and you, my brother,

would hardly be able to escape the blame. Moreover, peaceful reunification is entirely an

internal affair of China. Those outsiders who talk glibly about it have designs on our

Taiwan. This is common knowledge. When a decision needs to be made, irresolution is

bound to bring trouble. I hope you will consider this carefully.

The Kuomintang founded by Dr. Sun Yat-sen endured countless hardships and finally

overthrew the monarchy and established the republic; numerous revolutionaries advanced

wave after wave and laid down their lives for the cause. History has recorded this as

glorious contribution. The Kuomintang and the Communist Party twice cooperated and on

both occasions they made tremendous contributions to the country and the nation. We

know something about the first cooperation, led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, though we were still

young at that time. The second cooperation proceeded with your father in the chair and, as

participants in it, we should know what it was all about. Though the matter was as

complicated as could be, an all-round view of the situation would show that cooperation is

beneficial to the country and the nation while division is detrimental to them. Since you are

presiding over the administration of Taiwan, you have unshirkable responsibility for the

realization of cooperation for the third time. It would be easier to talk the matter over when

leaders on both sides used to be schoolmates and close friends who know one another well.

I find it really hard for me to subscribe to those views which describe cooperation as

“surrender”, “humiliating”, “suffering losses” or “being duped”. In reviewing history or

looking forward to the future, one should bear in mind the public interests of the country

and the nation, and use this as the supreme criterion, instead of basing oneself on a party’s

selfish interests. Such talks as “reunifying China with the Three People’s Principles” are

regarded by all sensible people as unrealistic, deceptive and self-deceiving. People of our

generation know the true meaning of the of the Three People’s principles quiet well and

there is no need to argue about it. Neither is there any need to dwell on such assertions as

Taiwan’s “economic prosperity, democracy and easy livelihood”, the truth of which the

venerable gentlemen in Taiwan know clearly. For the sake of your party, I would think that

if you would take up the historic responsibility and resolutely take part in peace talk to

accomplish national reunification as required by time and tide, the two parties would be

able to co-exist for a long time to come, supervising each other while joining in glorious

effort to revitalize China. Otherwise how could the situation existing in that small corner to

be maintained for long? This is a question those who are sensible are already turning over

in their minds. It involves the survival and development of the Kuomintang and I hope you

will think it over again.

I recently read one of your writings in which you expressed “fervent hopes that my

father’s soul would be able to return to the homeland and be reunited with the forefathers”.

I was overwhelmed with emotion when I read this. The remains of your father are still

placed temporarily at Cihu. After reunification, they should be moved back and buried in

the native soil—in Fenghua, Nanjing or Lushan—in fulfillment of your filial wishes. You

recently said, “filial devotion should be expanded into national devotion, which means love

of the nation and dedication to the country.” This is an excellent statement. Why don’t you

apply it to the great cause of national reunification? As far as the country and the nation are

concerned, this would be an answer of the two generations of the Chiangs to history; as far

as you yourself are concerned, this would be an expression of both loyalty and filial piety.

Otherwise how could you account for yourself after your passing away? It is hoped that

you would think more about it.

Dear brother! Your life has been marked by frustrations, which should not be

attributed to fate. Everything depends on yourself. The good and ill to be judged in the next

thousand years hinges on the decision is capricious. Throughout Taiwan people of all strata

are talking about their future. Time does not stay and brief is the day. A long night is

fraught with dreams; time does not wait for us. I hope you, my brother, would be good at

making the choice and repair the house before it rains. “Vast is the expanse of sky and

water. What are you waiting for, staying away from home?”

The longing for old friends grows with age. If it is convenient to you, I would pack

and set out for a visit to Taibei to seek enlightenment from our elders. “For all the disasters

the brotherhood has remained; a smile at meeting and enmity is banished.” When I look

towards the distant southern sky, my heart is already there. No word is enough to express

what I wish to say. It is hoped that you will take good care of yourself. I am waiting

impatiently for a reply.

Please convey my regards to your mother as well as to Fang-Liang, Wei-Kuo and the

children.

Best wishes to you.

Liao Chengzhi

July 24, 1982

1982年宋美龄致廖承志公开信

承志世侄：

七月廿四日致经国函，已在报章阅及。经国主政，负有对我中华民国赓续之职责，故其一再

声言“不接触，不谈判，不妥协”，乃是表达我中华民国、中华民族及中国国民党浩然正气使之然也。

余阅及世侄电函，本可一笑置之。但念及五十六七年前事，世侄尚属稚年，此中真情肯綮，

殊多隔阂。余与令尊仲恺先生及令堂廖夫人，曩昔在广州大元帅府，得曾相识，嗣后，我总理在平病况阽危，甫值悍匪孙美瑶在临城绑劫蓝钢车案后，津浦铁路中断，大沽口并已封港，乃只得与大姊孔夫人绕道买棹先至青岛，由胶济路北上转平，时逢祁寒，车厢既无暖气，又无膳食饮料，车上水喉均已冰冻，车到北平前门车站，周身既抖且僵。离沪时即知途程艰难，甚至何时或可否能如期到达目的地，均难逆料，而所以赶往者，乃与总理之感情，期能有所相助之处，更予二家姐孙夫人精神上之奥援，于此时期中，在铁狮子胡同，与令堂朝夕相接，其足令余钦佩者，乃令堂对总理之三民主义，救国宏图，娓娓道来，令余惊讶不已。盖我国民党党人，固知推翻满清，改革腐陈，大不乏人，但一位从未浸受西方教育之中国女子而能了解西方传来之民主意识，在五十余年前实所罕见。余认其为一位真正不可多得之三民主义信徒也。

令尊仲恺先生乃我黄埔军校之党代表，夫黄埔乃我总理因宅心仁恕，但经多次浇漓经验，痛

感投机分子之不可恃，决心手创此一培养革命精锐武力之军校，并将此尚待萌芽之革命军人魂，交付二人，即是将校长之职，委予先总统，以灌输革命思想，予党代表委诸令尊，其遴选之审慎，自不待言。

观诸黄埔以后成效，如首先敉平陈炯明骁将林虎、洪兆麟后，得统一广东。接着以北伐进度

之神速，令国民革命军军誉鹊起，威震全国，犹忆在北伐军总司令出发前夕，余与孙夫人，大兄子文先生等参加黄埔阅兵典礼，先总统向学生训话时，再次称廖党代表对本党之勋猷（此时廖先生已不幸遭凶物故，世侄虽未及冠，已能体会失怙之痛矣。）再次言及仲恺先生对黄埔之贡献时，先总统热泪盈眶，其真挚恸心，形于词色，闻之者莫不动容，谅今时尚存之当时黄埔学生，必尚能追忆及 之。余认为仲恺先生始终是总理之忠实信徒，真如世侄所言，为人应“忠孝两全”，倘谓仲恺先生乃乔装为三民主义及总理之信徒，而实际上乃为潜伏国民党内者，则岂非有亏忠贞？若仲恺先生矢心忠贞，则岂非世侄有亏孝道耶？若忠孝皆肭（注“肭”为不任事与不足之意），则廖氏父子二代对历史岂非茫然 自失，将如何作交代耶？

此意尚望三思。

再者在所谓“文化大革命”斗臭、斗垮时期，闻世侄亦被列入斗争对象，虎口余生，亦云不幸之大幸，世侄或正以此认为聊可自慰。

日本读卖新闻数年前报导，中共中央下令对全国２９省市，进行归纳，总结出一“正式”统计数字，由１９６６年开始，到１９７６年１０年之内，被迫害而死者有 ２，０００万人，波及遭殃者至６亿人。云南盛内蒙古等地，有７２７，０００名干部遭到迫害，其中３４，０００人被害致死。 《北京日报》亦曾报导，北京市政府人员在“文革”中，就有１２０００人被杀，共党高层人物，如刘少奇、彭德怀、贺龙等人，均以充军及饥饿方式迫死，彼等如九泉有知，对大量干部自相残杀，豆萁相煎之手段，不知将作何想法？……世侄所道“外人巧言令色”旨哉斯言，莫非世侄默诋奸邪之媚外乎。

相对言之，中华民国开国以来，除袁世凯之卑鄙觊觎野心失败外，纵军阀时代，亦莫敢窜改

国号，中华民国自国民政府执政以来，始终以国父主义及爱国精神为基据，从未狮亵谀外，如将彼等巨像高悬全国，灵爽式凭，捧为所宗者，今天有正义感之犹太人尚唾弃其同宗之马克斯，乃共党竟奉之为神明，并以马列主义为我中华民族之训练，此正如郭沫若宣称“斯太林是我爸爸”，实无耻之尤，足令人作三日呕。

或谓我总理联俄容共铸成大错，中国 共产党曲解国父联合世界上以平等待我民族之要旨，

断章取义，以国父容共一词为护身符，因此讳言国父批牍墨迹中曾亲批“以时局诚如来书所言，日人眼光远之人士，皆主结民党，共维东亚大局，其眼光短少之野心家，则另有肺腑也；现在民党，系联日为态度。”此一批示显见：（一）总理睿知，已洞察日本某些野心家将来之企图；（二）批示所书“现在”民党当以联日为态度，所言亦即谓一切依国家之需要而定。联日联俄均以当时平等待我为准绳。当时日本有助我之同情心，故总理乃以革命成功为先着，再者毋忘黄花岗七十二烈士中，有对中山先生肝胆相照之日本信徒为我革命而牺牲者。世侄在万籁俱寂时，谅亦曾自忖一生，波劫重重，在抗战前后，若非先总统怀仁念旧，则世侄何能脱囹圄之厄，生命之忧，致尚冀三次合作，岂非梦呓？又岂不明黄台之瓜不堪三摘之至理耶？

此时大陆山头主义更为猖獗，贪污普遍，贿赂公行，特权阶级包庇徇私，萋萋叠闻：“走后门”之为也牲牲（注“牲牲”众多也。）皆是，祸在萧墙，是不待言，敏若世侄，抑有思及终生为蟒螫所利用，随时领导一更，政策亦变，旦夕为危，终将不免否？过去毛酋秉权，一日数惊，斗争侮辱，酷刑处死，任其摆布，人权尊严，悉数荡尽，然若能敝帚自珍，幡然来归，以承父志，澹泊改观，养颐天年，或能予以参加建国工作之机会。倘执迷不醒，他日光复大陆，则诸君仍可冉冉超生，若愿欣赏雪窦风光，亦决不必削发，以净余劫，回头是岸，愿扪心自问。款款之诚，书不尽意。

顺祝安谧

民国７１年８月１７日

宋美龄

贾平凹：丑石

我常常遗憾我家门前的那块丑石呢：它黑黝黝地卧在那里，牛似的模样；谁也不知道是什么时候留在这里的，谁也不去理会它。只是麦收时节，门前摊了麦子，奶奶总是要说：这块丑石，多碍地面哟，多时把它搬走吧。

 I used to feel sorry for that ugly black piece of stone lying like an ox in front of our door; none knew when it was left there and none paid any attention to it, except at the time when wheat was harvested and my grandma, seeing the grains of wheat spread all over the ground in the front yard of the house, would grumble: "This ugly stone takes so much space. Move it away someday."

于是，伯父家盖房，想以它垒山墙，但苦于它极不规则，没棱角儿，也没平面 儿；用堑破开吧，又懒得花那么大气力，因为河滩并不甚远，随便去掬一块回来，哪一块也比它强。一年，来了一个石匠，为我家洗一台石磨，奶奶又说：用这块丑 石吧，省得从远处搬动。石匠看了看，摇着头，嫌它石质太细，也不采用。

Thus my uncle had wanted to use it for the gable when he was building a house, but he was troubled to find it of very irregular shape, with no edges nor corners, nor a flat plane on it. And he wouldn’t bother to break it in half with a chisel because the river bank was nearby, where he could have easily fetched a much better stone instead. Even when my uncle was busy with the flight of steps leading to the new house he didn’t take a fancy to the ugly stone. one year when a mason came by, we asked him to make us a stone mill with it. As my grandma put it: "Why not take this one, so you won’t have to fetch one from afar." But the mason took a look and shook his head: He wouldn’t take it for it was of too fine a quality.

它 不像汉白玉那样的细腻，可以凿下刻字雕花，也不像大青石那样的光滑，可以供来浣纱捶布；它静静地卧在那里，院边的槐荫没有庇覆它，花儿也不再在它身边生 长。荒草便繁衍出来，枝蔓上下，慢慢地，竟锈上了绿苔、黑斑。我们这些做孩子的也讨厌起它夹。曾合伙要搬走它，但力气又不足；虽时时咒骂它，嫌弃它，也无 可奈何，只好任它留在那里去了。

It was not like a fine Piece of white marble on which words or flowers could be carved, nor like a

smooth big bluish stone People used to wash their clothes on. The stone just lay there in silence,

enjoying no shading from the Pagoda trees by the yard, nor flowers growing around it As a result weeds multiplied and stretched all over it, their stems and tendrils gradually covered with dark green spots of moss. We children began to dislike the stone too, and would have taken it away if we had been strong enough; all we could do for the present was to leave it alone, despite our disgust or even curses.

稍 稍能安慰我们的，是在那石上有一个不大不小的坑凹儿，雨天就盛满了水。常常雨过三天了，地上已经干燥，那石凹里水儿还有，鸡儿便去那里渴饮。每每到了十五 的夜晚，我们盼着满月出来，就爬到其上，翘望天边；奶奶总是要骂的，害怕我们摔下来。果然那一次就摔了下来，磕破了我的膝盖呢。人人都骂它是丑石，它真是 丑得不能再丑的丑石了。

The only thing that had interested us in the ugly stone was a little pit on to P of it，which was filled with water on rainy days. Three days after a rainfall, usually, when the ground had become dry, there was still water in the pit, where chickens went to drink And every month when it came to the evening of the 15th of lunar calendar, we would climb onto the stone, looking up at the sky, hoping to see the full moon come out from far away. And Granny would give us a scolding, afraid lest we should fall down—and sure enough, I fell down once to have my knee broken. So everybody condemned the stone: an ugly stone, as ugly as it could be.

终有一日，村子里来了一个天文学家。他在我家门前路过，突然发现了这块石头，眼光立即就拉直了。他再没有走去，就住了下来；以后又来了好些人，说这是一块陨石，从天上落下来已经有二三百年了，是一件了不起的东西。不久便来了车，小心翼翼地将它运走了。

Then one day an astronomer came to the village. He looked the stone square in the eye the moment he came across it. He didn’t take his leave but decided to stay in our village. Quite a number of people came afterwards, saying the stone was a Piece of aerolite which had fallen down from the sky two or three hundred years ago一what a wonder indeed! Pretty soon a truck came and carried it away carefully.

这使我们都很惊奇！这又怪又丑的石头，原来是天上的呢！它补过天，在天上发过热，闪过光，我们的先祖或许仰望过它，它给了他们光明、向往、憧憬；而它落下来了，在污土里，荒草里，一躺就是几百年了？！

It gave us a great surprise! We had never expected that such a strange and ugly stone should have come from the sky! So it had once mended the sky, given out its heat and light there，and our ancestors should have looked up at it. It had given them light, brought- them hopes and expectations, and then it had fallen down to the earth, in the mud and among the weeds, lying there for hundreds of years!

奶奶说：“真看不出！它那么 不一般，却怎么连墙也垒不成，台阶也垒不成呢？”“它是太丑了。”

天文学家说。“真的，是太丑了。”“可这正是它的美！”天文学家说，“它是以丑为美 的。”“以丑为美？”“是的，丑到极处，便是美到极处。正因为它不是一般的顽石，当然不能去做墙，做台阶，

不能去雕刻，捶布。它不是做这些小玩意儿的，所 以常常就遭到一般世俗的讥讽。”奶奶脸红了，

我也脸红了。

My grandma said:"1 never expected it should be so great! But why can’t People build a wall or pave steps with it?" "It’s too ugly," The astronomer said. "sure, it’s really so ugly." "But that’s just where its beauty lies!" The astronomer said, "its beauty comes from its ugliness." "Beauty from ugliness?" "Yes. When something becomes the ugliest, it turns out the most beautiful indeed. The stone is not an ordinary Piece of insensate stone, it shouldn’t be used to build a wall or pave the steps, to carve words or flowers or to wash clothes on. It’s not the material for those petty common things, and no wonder it’s ridiculed often by people with petty common views." My grandma became blushed, and so did I.

我感到自己的可耻，也感到了丑石的伟大；我甚至怨恨它这么多年竟会默默地忍受着这一切，而

我又立即深深地感到它那种不屈于误解、寂寞的生存的伟大。

I feel shame while I feel the greatness of the ugly stone; I have even complained about it having

pocketed silently all it had experienced for so many years, but again I am struck by the greatness that

lies in its lonely unyielding existence of being misunderstood by people.