TRANSLATION1. 苏小姐领了个二十左右的娇小女孩子出来,介绍道:“这是我表妹唐晓芙。”唐小姐妩媚端正的圆脸,有两个浅酒窝。天生着一般女人要花钱费时、调脂和粉来仿造的好脸色,新鲜得使人见了忘掉口渴而又觉嘴馋,仿佛是好水果。她眼睛并不顶大,可是灵活温柔,反衬得许多女人的大眼睛只像政治家讲的大话,大而无当。古典学者看她说笑时露出的好牙齿,会诧异为什么古今中外诗人,都甘心变成女人头插的钗,腰束的带,身体睡的席,甚至脚下践踏的鞋袜,可是从没想到化作她的牙刷。她头发没烫,眉毛不镊,口红也没有擦,似乎安心遵守天生的限止,不要弥补造化的缺陷。
Miss Su led out a cute little girl of about twenty and introduced her to Fang, "This is my cousin, T'ang Hsiao-fu." On Miss T'ang's charming, well-proportioned, round face were two shallow dimples; one look at her fresh and natural complexion, which most girls would have had to spend time and money in imitating, was enough to make one drool and forget his thirst, as though her skin were a piece of delicious fruit. Not especially large, her eyes were lively and gentle, making the big eyes of many women seem like the big talk of politicians—big and useless. A classic scholar, upon seeing her lovely teeth when she smiled, might wonder why both Chinese and Western traditional and modem poets would want to turn into the pin in a woman's hair, the belt around her waist, the mat on which she slept, or even the shoes and socks that she wore, and not think of transforming themselves into her toothbrush. Her hair unwaved, her eyebrows un-plucked, and her lips unadorned by lipstick, she appeared to allow nature to take its own course with regard to her looks and had no wish to amend it in any way.
2.
不徇私情之秘
加拿大总理之养子犯法,法院秉公判决,不徇私情,加国总理亦大义灭亲,绝不施加任何影响,全由法院做主。消息传出,某市老干部议论纷纷,皆以为他山之石可以攻玉也。偏一现职干部妙语惊人:“人家是资本主义国家。儿子成年后即独立生活,无赡养父母之责,故父母亦不愿再袒护儿女也!”
Explanation for No Favoritism
The adopted son of the Canadian Prime Minister broke the law, and the Canadian court of justice, showing no favoritism, gave him the punishment which was his due. On his part, the Canadian leader, placing laws above paternal affection, refrained from exercising any influence and left the matter entirely to the court.
When the retired officials of a certain city in China read about the news, they couldn't help commenting admiringly: "This should be an object lesson for us!"
One official still in office, however, surprised everyone with this wonderful explanation, "Theirs is a capitalist country. Children come of age all live independently from their parents and are not duty-bound to support them. That's why they are reluctant to help their children out."
3. 她笑了笑,又转了一回弹槽滚儿,对他说,“如果是空枪,俺就依你!”说完,重新举起了小左轮。她的手有点儿抖,瞄了许久,突然,颓丧地放下枪,好一时才说,“俺不认命了,只求你从今以后别再当匪,好生与俺过日子!”
他愕然,呆呆地望着她,像是在编织着一个梦幻。
“你命不好,我愿意跟你去受罪。”她不知为什么眼里就闪出了泪花儿。
他疑惑地走过去,接过那枪一看,惊呆如痴。
“俺转了两次,可那子弹仍是对着枪管的!”她哭着说。“那时候,俺真想打死你,可一想你命这般苦,就有点儿可怜你了。你不知道,俺也是个苦命的人啊!”
Smiling, she rotated the magazine again and said, "If there's no shot, I'll be your wife." With this she raised the small revolver again. Her hand a little shaky, she aimed at him for a long time, but suddenly put down her gun in dejection. "I won't accept what fate decides anymore," she finally said. "I only beg you not to be a bandit anymore and to start a new life with me."
He was stunned, staring at her blankly as if making up a dream.
"You were born with a bad life, but I'm willing to be your wife and suffer with you." she said, tears mysteriously welling up her eves.
Perplexed, he walked over, nicked up his gun for a look, and was dumbfounded.
"I rotated it two times, but each time the bullet landed at the breech." she cried. "At that moment, I really wanted to kill you, but when I thought of your miserable life, I felt a little sorry for you. You don't know, but I also have had a bad life."
4. 孔乙己是这样的使人快活,可是没有他,别人也便这么过。
有一天,大约是中秋前的两三天,掌柜正在慢慢的结账,取下粉板,忽然说,“孔乙己长久没有来了。还欠十九个钱呢!”我才也觉得他的确长久没有来了。一个喝酒的人说道,“他怎么会来?……他打折了腿了。”掌柜说,“哦!”“他总仍旧是偷。这一回,是自己发昏,竟偷到丁举人家里去了。他家的东西,偷得的么?”“后来怎么样?”“怎么样?先写服辩,后来是打,打了大半夜,再打折了腿。”“后来呢?”“后来打折了腿了。”“打折了怎样呢?”“怎样?……谁晓得?许是死了。”掌柜也不再问,仍然慢慢地算他的账。
That was how Kong Yiji contributed to our enjoyment, but we got along all right without him too.
One day, shortly before the Mid-Autumn Festival, at least I think it was, my boss, who was slowly making out his accounts, took down the tallyboard. "Kong Yiji hasn't shown up for a long time," he remarked suddenly. "He still owes nineteen coppers." That made me realize how long it was since we had seen him.
"How could he?" rejoined one of the customers. "His legs were broken in that last beating up."
"Ah!" said my boss.
"He'd been stealing again. This time he was fool enough to steal from Mr. Ding, the provincial-grade scholar. As if anybody could get away with that!"
"So what happened?"
"What happened? First he wrote a confession, then he was beaten. The beating lasted nearly all night, and they broke both his legs."
"And then?"
"Well, his legs were broken."
"Yes, but after?"
"After? ... Who knows? He may be dead."
My boss asked no further questions but went on slowly making up his accounts.
5.
父与子
父亲拦住背起书包的儿子,“今天别去上学了,跟我下地撒化肥去。”见儿子不悦,父亲瞪起了眼,“我一个大字不识,不也照样长这么大!”
儿子拎起化肥袋子,忿忿地。转眼,把化肥都倒进了垃圾桶。
父亲大惊:“你怎么……”
儿子从容回答,“庄稼不撒化肥,不是也照样长大?”
Father & Son
A boy was throwing on his satchel when his father stopped him.
"Don't go to school today," his father said. "Come with me to the fields and lend a hand in spreading fertilizer." Seeing the displeasure in his off-spring's face, the old man glowered at his junior and said, "I don't know no Chinese character. Ain't I growed up?"
The son picked up the bag of fertilizer resentfully and in the twinkling of an eye poured all of the contents into a dustbin.
"What the hell ..." the illiterate man shouted, flabbergasted.
"Without the fertilizer the crop will grow all the same. Isn't it?" the son answered unhurriedly.