評論
打印
Pao-yue was， however， a human being who could not practise contentment and observe propriety； and as his sole delight was to have every caprice gratified， he naturally developed a craving disposition. "We two， you and I， are，" he was also wont secretly to tell Ch'in Chung， "of the same age， and fellow-scholars besides， so that there's no need in the future to pay any regard to our relationship of uncle and nephew； and we should treat each other as brothers or friends， that's all."
Ch'in Chung at first （explained that） he could not be so presumptuous； but as Pao-yue would not listen to any such thing， but went on to address him as brother and to call him by his style Ch'ing Ch'ing， he had likewise himself no help， but to begin calling him， at random， anything and anyhow.
there were， it is true， a large number of pupils in this school， but these consisted of the sons and younger brothers of that same clan， and of several sons and nephews of family connections. The proverb appositely describes that there are nine species of dragons， and that each species differs； and it goes of course without saying that in a large number of human beings there were dragons and snakes， confusedly admixed， and that creatures of a low standing were included.
Ever since the arrival of the two young fellows， Ch'in Chung and Pao-yue， both of whom were in appearance as handsome as budding flowers， and they， on the one hand， saw how modest and genial Ch'in Chung was， how he blushed before he uttered a word， how he was timid and demure like a girl， and on the other hand， how that Pao-yue was naturally proficient in abasing and demeaning himself， how he was so affable and good-natured， considerate in his temperament and so full of conversation， and how that these two were， in consequence， on such terms of intimate friendship， it was， in fact， no matter of surprise that the whole company of fellow-students began to foster envious thoughts， that they， behind their backs， passed on their account， this one one disparaging remark and that one another， and that they insinuated slanderous lies against them， which extended inside as well as outside the school-room.
Indeed， after Hsueeh P'an had come over to take up his quarters in madame Wang's suite of apartments， he shortly came to hear of the existence of a family school， and that this school was mainly attended by young fellows of tender years， and inordinate ideas were suddenly aroused in him. While he therefore fictitiously gave out that he went to school， [he was as irregular in his attendance as the fisherman] who catches fish for three days， and suns his nets for the next two； simply presenting his school-fee gift to Chia Tai-jui and making not the least proGREss in his studies； his sole dream being to knit a number of familiar friendships. Who would have thought it， there were in this school young pupils， who， in their greed to obtain money， clothes and eatables from Hsueeh P'an， allowed themselves to be cajoled by him， and played tricks upon； but on this topic， it is likewise superfluous to dilate at any length.
there were also two lovable young scholars， relatives of what branch of the family is not known， and whose real surnames and names have also not been ascertained， who， by reason of their good and winsome looks， were， by the pupils in the whole class， given two nicknames， to one that of "Hsiang Lin，" "Fragrant Love，" and to the other "Yue Ai，" "Precious Affection." But although every one entertained feelings of secret admiration for them， and had the wish to take liberties with the young fellows， they lived， nevertheless， one and all， in such terror of Hsueeh P'an's imperious influence， that they had not the courage to come forward and interfere with them.
As soon as Ch'in Chung and Pao-yue had， at this time， come to school， and they had made the acquaintance of these two fellow-pupils， they too could not help becoming attached to them and admiring them， but as they also came to know that they were GREat friends of Hsueeh P'an， they did not， in consequence， venture to treat them lightly， or to be unseemly in their behaviour towards them. Hsiang Lin and Yue Ai both kept to themselves the same feelings， which they fostered for Ch'in Chung and Pao-yue， and to this reason is to be assigned the fact that though these four persons nurtured fond thoughts in their hearts there was however no visible sign of them. Day after day， each one of them would， during school hours， sit in four distinct places： but their eight eyes were secretly linked together； and， while indulging either in innuendoes or in double entendres， their hearts， in spite of the distance between them， reflected the whole number of their thoughts.
But though their outward attempts were devoted to evade the detection of other people's eyes， it happened again that， while least expected， several sly lads discovered the real state of affairs， with the result that the whole school stealthily frowned their eyebrows at them， winked their eyes at them， or coughed at them， or raised their voices at them； and these proceedings were， in fact， not restricted to one single day.
As luck would have it， on this day Tai-jui was， on account of business， compelled to go home； and having left them as a task no more than a heptameter line for an antithetical couplet， explaining that they should find a sentence to rhyme， and that the following day when he came back， he would set them their lessons， he went on to hand the affairs connected with the class to his elder grandson， Chia Jui， whom he asked to take charge.
