評(píng)論
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His face was like the full moon at mid-autumn； his complexion， like morning flowers in spring； the hair along his temples， as if chiselled with a knife； his eyebrows， as if pencilled with ink； his nose like a suspended gallbladder （a well-cut and shapely nose）； his eyes like vernal waves； his angry look even resembled a smile； his glance， even when stern， was full of sentiment.
Round his neck he had a gold dragon necklet with a fringe； also a cord of variegated silk， to which was attached a piece of beautiful jade.
As soon as Tai-yue became conscious of his presence， she was quite taken aback. "How very strange！" she was reflecting in her mind； "it would seem as if I had seen him somewhere or other， for his face appears extremely familiar to my eyes；" when she noticed Pao-yue face dowager lady Chia and make his obeisance. "Go and see your mother and then come back，" remarked her venerable ladyship； and at once he turned round and quitted the room.
On his return， he had already changed his hat and suit. All round his head， he had a fringe of short hair， plaited into small queues， and bound with red silk. the queues were gathered up at the crown， and all the hair， which had been allowed to grow since his birth， was plaited into a thick queue， which looked as black and as glossy as lacquer. Between the crown of the head and the extremity of the queue， hung a string of four large pearls， with pendants of gold， representing the eight precious things. On his person， he wore a long silvery-red coat， more or less old， bestrewn with embroidery of flowers. He had still round his neck the necklet， precious gem， amulet of Recorded Name， philacteries， and other ornaments. Below were partly visible a fir-cone coloured brocaded silk pair of trousers， socks spotted with black designs， with ornamented edges， and a pair of deep red， thick-soled shoes.
（Got up as he was now，） his face displayed a still whiter appearance， as if painted， and his eyes as if they were set off with carnation. As he rolled his eyes， they brimmed with love. When he gave utterance to speech， he seemed to smile. But the chief natural pleasing feature was mainly centred in the curve of his eyebrows. The ten thousand and one fond sentiments， fostered by him during the whole of his existence， were all amassed in the corner of his eyes.
His outward appearance may have been pleasing to the highest deGREe， but yet it was no easy matter to fathom what lay beneath it.
there are a couple of roundelays， composed by a later poet， （after the excellent rhythm of the） Hsi Chiang Yueh， which depict Pao-yue in a most adequate manner.
the roundelays run as follows：
To gloom and passion prone， without a rhyme， Inane and madlike was he many a time， His outer self， forsooth， fine may have been， But one wild， howling waste his mind within： Addled his brain that nothing he could see； A dunce！ to read essays so loth to be！ Perverse in bearing， in temper wayward； For human censure he had no regard. When rich， wealth to enjoy he knew not how； When poor， to poverty he could not bow. Alas！ what utter waste of lustrous grace！ To state， to family what a disgrace！ Of ne'er-do-wells below he was the prime， Unfilial like him none up to this time. Ye lads， pampered with sumptuous fare and dress， Beware！ In this youth's footsteps do not press！
But to proceed with our story.
"You have gone and changed your clothes，" observed dowager lady Chia， "before being introduced to the distant guest. Why don't you yet salute your cousin？"
Pao-yue had long ago become aware of the presence of a most beautiful young lady， who， he readily concluded， must be no other than the daughter of his aunt Lin. He hastened to advance up to her， and make his bow； and after their introduction， he resumed his seat， whence he minutely scrutinised her features， （which he thought） so unlike those of all other girls.
Her two arched eyebrows， thick as clustered smoke， bore a certain not very pronounced frowning wrinkle. She had a pair of eyes， which possessed a cheerful， and yet one would say， a sad expression， overflowing with sentiment. Her face showed the prints of sorrow stamped on her two dimpled cheeks. She was beautiful， but her whole frame was the prey of a hereditary disease. The tears in her eyes glistened like small specks. Her balmy breath was so gentle. She was as demure as a lovely flower reflected in the water. Her gait resembled a frail willow， agitated by the wind. Her heart， compared with that of Pi Kan， had one more aperture of intelligence； while her ailment exceeded （in intensity） by three deGREes the ailment of Hsi-Tzu.
Pao-yue， having concluded his scrutiny of her， put on a smile and said， "This cousin I have already seen in days gone by."
"there you are again with your nonsense，" exclaimed lady Chia， sneeringly； "how could you have seen her before？"
