the mirror of kong ho-第6部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！





concealing　my　many…hued　emotion　beneath　an　impassive　face；　I　bowed



agreeably　as　I　replied；　〃To　the　beggar；　black　bread　is　a　royal



course。〃







〃WHAT　pie　did　you　say；　dear？〃　whispered　another　autumnal　maiden；



when　all　had　partaken　somewhat；　and　at　her　words　a　most　consistently



acute　silence　involved　the　table。







〃II　don't　quite　know；〃　replied　the　one　of　the　upper　end；　becoming



excessively　devoid　of　complexion；　and　restraining　her　voice　she



forthwith　sent　down　an　attending　slave　to　inquire　closely。







At　this　point　a　person　of　degraded　ancestry　endeavoured　to　remove　the



undoubted　cloud　of　depression　by　feigning　the　nocturnal　cry　of　the



domestic　cat；　but　in　this　he　was　not　successful；　and　a　maiden



opposite；　after　fixedly　regarding　a　bone　on　her　plate；　withdrew



suddenly；　embracing　herself　as　she　went。　A　moment　later　the　slave



returned；　proclaiming　aloud　that　the　dish　which　had　been　prepared　for



the　occasion　had　now　been　accidentally　discovered　by　the　round…bodied



cook　beneath　the　cushions　of　an　arm…chair　（a　spot　by　no　means



satisfactory　to　this　person's　imagination　had　the　opportunities　at　his



disposal　been　more　diffuse）。







〃What；　then；　is　this　of　which　we　have　freely　partaken？〃　cried　they



around；　and；　in　the　really　impressive　silence　which　followed；　an



inopportune　person　discovered　a　small　silver　tablet　among　the



fragments　upon　his　plate；　and；　taking　it　up；　read　aloud　the　single



word；　〃Influenza。〃







During　the　day；　and　even　far　into　the　uncounted　gong…strokes　of　the



time　of　darkness；　this　person　had　frequently　remained　in　a　fascinated



contemplation　of　the　moment　when　he　should　reveal　himself　and　stand　up



to　receive　the　benevolently…expressed　congratulations　of　all　who　paid



an　agreed　sum　at　fixed　intervals；　and；　particularly；　the　dazzling



though　confessedly　unsettling　glance…thanks　of　the　celestially…formed



maiden　who　had　explicitly　stated　that　she　was　desirous　of　having　a



little　dog。　Now；　however；　when　this　part　of　the　enterprise　ought　to



have　taken　place；　I　found　myself　unable　to　evade　the　conclusion　that



some　important　detail　of　the　entire　scheme　had　failed　to　agree



harmoniously　with　the　rest；　and；　had　it　been　possible；　I　would　have



retired　with　unobtrusive　tact　and　permitted　another　to　wear



my　honourable　acquirements。　But；　for　some　reason；　as　I　looked　around　I



perceived　that　every　eye　was　fixed　upon　me　with　what　at　another　time



would　have　been　a　most　engaging　unanimity；　and；　although　I　bowed　with



undeterred　profusion；　and　endeavoured　to　walk　out　behind　an　expression



of　all…comprehensive　urbanity　that　had　never　hitherto　failed　me；　a



person　of　unsympathetic　outline　placed　himself　before　the　door；　and



two　others；　standing　one　on　each　side　of　me；　gave　me　to　understand



that　a　recital　of　the　full　happening　was　required　before　I　left　the



room。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*







It　is　hopeless　to　expect　a　display　of　refined　intelligence　at　the



hands　of　a　people　sunk　in　barbarism　and　unacquainted　with　the



requirements　of　true　dignity　and　the　essentials　of　food　preparation。



On　the　manner　of　behaving　of　the　male　portion　of　those　present　this



person　has　no　inducement　whatever　to　linger。　Even　the　maiden　for　whom



he　had　accomplished　so　much；　after　the　nature　of　the　misunderstanding



had　been　made　plain　to　her；　uttered　only　a　single　word　of　approval；



which；　on　subsequently　consulting　a　book　of　interpretations；　this



person　found　to　indicate：　〃A　person　of　weak　intellect；　one　without　an



adequate　sense　of　the　proportion　and　fitness　of　things；　a　buffoon；　a



jester；　a　compound　of　gooseberries　scalded　and　crushed　with　cream〃；



but　although　each　of　these　definitions　may　in　a　way　be　regarded　as



applicable；　he　is　still　unable　to　decide　which　was　the　precise　one



intended。







With　salutations　of　filial　regard；　and　in　a　spirit　seven　times　refined



by　affliction　and　purified　by　vain　regrets。







KONG　HO。



（Upon　whose　tablet　posterity　will　perchance　inscribe　the　titles；



〃Ill…destined　but　Misjudged。〃）



















LETTER　III











Concerning　the　virtuous　amusements　of　both　old　and　young。　The



sit…round　games。　The　masterpiece　of　the　divine　Li　Tang；　and



its　reception　by　all；　including　that　same　Herbert。















VENERATED　SIRE　（whose　breadth　of　mind　is　so　well　developed　as　to　take



for　granted　boundless　filial　professions；　which；　indeed；　become　vapid



by　a　too　frequent　reiteration）；







Your　amiable　inquiry　as　to　how　the　barbarians　pass　their　time；　when



not　employed　in　affairs　of　commerce　or　in　worshipping　their　ancestors；



has　inspired　me　to　examine　the　matter　more　fully。　At　the　same　time



your　pleasantly…composed　aphorism　that　the　interior　nature　of　persons



does　not　vary　with　the　colour　of　their　eyes；　and　that　if　I　searched　I



should　find　the　old　flying　kites　and　the　younger　kicking　feather



balls　or　working　embroidery；　according　to　their　sex；　does　not　appear



to　be　accurately　sustained。







The　lesser　ones；　it　is　true；　engage　in　a　variety　of　sumptuous



handicrafts；　such　as　the　scorching　of　wooden　tablets　with　the



semblance　of　a　pattern；　and　gouging　others　with　sharpened　implements



into　a　crude　relief；　depicting　birds　and　flowers　upon　the　surface　of



plates；　rending　leather　into　shreds；　and　entwining　beaten　iron；　brass；



and　copper　into　a　diversity　of　most　ingenious　complications；　but　when



I　asked　a　maiden　of　affectionate　and　domesticated　appearance　whether



she　had　yet　worked　her　age…stricken　father's　coffin…cloth；　she　said



that　the　subject　was　one　upon　which　she　declined　to　jest；　and　rapidly



involving　herself　in　a　profuse　display　of　emotion；　she　withdrew；



leaving　this　one　aghast。







To　enable　my　mind　to　retranquillise；　I　approached　a　youth　of



highly…gilded　appearance；　and；　with　many　predictions　of



self…inferiority；　I　suggested　that　we　should　engage　in　the　stimulating



rivalry　of　feather　ball。　When　he　learned；　however；　that　the　diversion



consisted　in　propelling　upwards　a　feather…trimmed　chip　by　striking　it



against　the　side　of　the　foot；　he　candidly　replied　that　he　was　afraid



he　had　grown　out　of　shuttle…cock；　but　did　not　mind；　if　I　was



vigorously　inclined；　〃taking　me　on　for　a　set　of　yang…pong。〃







Old　men　here；　it　is　said；　do　not　fly　kites；　and　they　affect　to　despise



catching　flies　for　amusement；　although　they　frequently　go　fishing。



Struck　by　this　peculiarity；　I　put　it　in　the　form　of　an　inquiry　to　one



of　venerable　appearance；　why；　when　at　least　five　score　flies　were



undeniably　before　his　eyes；　he　preferred　to　recline　for　lengthy



periods　by　the　side　of　a　s