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王秀才議立偏房　嚴監生疾終正寢 - The Wang brothers deliberate how to make a concubine of the mistress of the house. Yan Ta-yu dies

属类： 双语小说 【分类】古汉语经典 阅读：[5066]
王秀才議立偏房　嚴監生疾終正寢 - The Wang brothers deliberate how to make a concubine of the mistress of the house. Yan Ta-yu dies
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王秀才議...

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The Wang brothers deliberate...

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話說眾回子因湯知縣枷死了老師夫，鬧將起來，將縣衙門圍的水泄不通，口口聲聲只要揪出張靜齋來打死。知縣大驚，細細在衙門裏追問，纔曉得是門子透風。知縣道：「我至不濟，到底是一縣之主，他敢怎的我？設或鬧了進來，看見張世兄，就有些開交不得了。如今須是設法先把張世兄弄出去，離了這個地方上纔好。」忙喚了幾個心腹的衙役進來商議。幸得衙門後身緊靠著北城，幾個衙役，先溜到城外，用繩子把張、范二位繫了出去。換了藍布衣服、草帽、草鞋，尋一條小路，忙忙如喪家之狗，急急如漏網之魚，連夜找路回省城去了。

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The Moslems were out for blood. They besieged the yamen gate so closely that not a drop of water could have trickled through, and threatened to drag Mr. Zhang out and beat him to death. The magistrate was thoroughly frightened. After a careful investigation he discovered that one of his subordinates had told the Moslems of Mr. Zhang’s part in the business. 「After all, I am head of the county and they dare not touch me,」 he told Mr. Zhang and Fan Jin. 「But if they break in and find Mr. Zhang here, there’s no knowing what may happen. I must think of a way to get you out of here. Once you have left, all will be well.」He immediately summoned his most reliable men to discuss the question. Luckily, the back of the yamen was hard by the north gate of the city, and after several men had slipped outside the city wall, Mr. Zhang and Fan Jin were lowered to them by ropes. Then Zhang and Fan changed into blue cloth gowns, straw hats and sandals, and, stealthily as stray dogs, swiftly as fish escaping from the net, fled back to the provincial capital.

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這裏學師、典史，俱出來安民，說了許多好話，眾回子漸漸的散了。湯知縣把這情由細細寫了個稟帖，稟知按察司。按察司行文書檄了知縣去。湯奉見了按察司，摘去紗帽，只管磕頭。按察司道：「論起來，這件事你湯老爺也忒孟浪了些。不過枷責就罷了，何必將牛肉堆在枷上？這個成何刑法？但此刁風也不可長，我這裏少不得拿幾個為頭的來盡法處置。你且回衙門去辦事。凡事須要斟酌些，不可任性。」湯知縣又磕頭說道：「這事是卑職不是。蒙大老爺保全，真乃天地父母之恩，此後知過必改。但大老爺審斷明白了，這幾個為頭的人，還求大老爺發下卑縣發落，賞卑職一個臉面。」按察司也應承了。知縣叩謝出來，回到高要。過了些時，果然把五個為頭的回子問成奸民挾制官府，依律枷責，發來本縣發落。知縣看了來文，掛出牌去。次日早晨，大搖大擺出堂，將回子發落了。

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Meantime examiners and officials had gone to the yamen gate to pacify the people and speak them fair, until gradually the Moslems dispersed. Magistrate Tang sent a detailed report of the whole business to the provincial commissioner of justice, who summoned him to the provincial capital. On entering the presence of the commissioner, Magistrate Tang took off his gauze cap and kowtowed again and again.「To tell the truth, you acted a little too hastily,」 said the commissioner. 「To pillory the culprit would have been punishment enough. Why pile the beef on the pillory? What sort of penalty is that? However, this insubordination must be hipped in the bud. I shall have to punish the ringleaders. Go back to your yamen, and take care not to act so rashly in future.」Magistrate Tang kowtowed again. 「I bungled this affair,」 he confessed. 「Since you have overlooked my fault, I owe you the same gratitude that I do to heaven and earth or to my parents. In future I promise to do better. But when your decision is made, Your Excellency, I hope you will allow me to punish the ringleaders in my own county, to recover some of the face I have lost.」 When his superior gave his consent, Magistrate Tang thanked him and left.Some time later, five of the Moslem leaders in Gaoyao were found guilty of insubordination and sentenced to be pilloried in their own county. When Magistrate Tang received this order he issued a notice summoning his officers, and the very next morning swaggered into the court and punished the offenders.

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正要退堂，見兩個人進來喊冤，知縣叫帶上來問。一個叫做王小二，是貢生嚴大位的緊鄰。去年三月內，嚴貢生家一口纔過下來的小豬，走到他家去，他慌送回嚴家。嚴家說：豬到人家，再尋回來，最不利市，押著出了八錢銀子，把小豬就賣與他。這一口豬在王家已養到一百多斤，不想錯走到嚴家去，嚴家把豬關了。小二的哥子王大走到嚴家討豬。嚴貢生說，豬本來是他的：「你要討豬，照時值估價，拿幾兩銀子來，領了豬去。」王大是個窮人，那有銀子，就同嚴家爭吵了幾句；被嚴貢生幾個兒子，拿拴門的閂，趕麵的杖，打了一個臭死，腿都打折了，睡在家裏。所以小二來喊冤。

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He was just about to leave, when two men came in to appeal to him, and he ordered them to approach for questioning. The first was called Wang Er, and he lived next door to Senior Licentiate Yan. In the third month of the previous year the Yan family’s sucking pig had strayed into the Wangs’ yard, but the Wangs had returned it immediately. Yan said, 「To take a pig back like this means very bad luck.」 He forced the Wangs to buy it for eighty cents of silver. They had fattened it up till it weighed over a hundred catties, when it wandered into the Yans’ yard by mistake. The Yan family shut it up, and when Wang’s elder brother went to ask for it, Senior Licentiate Yan said, 「It’s my pig, and if you want it you must pay me the market price for it.」 Wang was a poor man—how could he find the money? But when he started to argue, Yan’s sons took the bolt of the door and a rolling-pin and beat him within an inch of his life. He was lying at home now with a broken leg, so his younger brother had come to lodge a complaint.

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知縣喝過一邊，帶那一個上來問道：「你叫做甚麼名字？」那人是個五六十歲的老者，稟道：「小人叫做黃夢統，在鄉下住。因去年九月上縣來交錢糧，一時短少，央中向嚴鄉紳借二十兩銀子，每月三分錢，寫立借約，送在嚴府，小的卻不曾拿他的銀子。走上街來，遇著個鄉裏的親眷，他說有幾兩銀子借與小的，交個幾分數，再下鄉去設法；勸小的不要借嚴家的銀子。小的交完錢糧，就同親戚回家去了。至今已是大半年，想起這事來，問嚴府取回借約，嚴鄉紳問小的要這幾個月的利錢。小的說：『並不曾借本，何得有利？』嚴鄉紳說小的當時拿回借約，好讓他把銀子借與別人生利；因不曾取約，他將二十兩銀子也不能動，誤了大半年的利錢，該是小的出。小的自知不是，向中人說，情願買個蹄、酒上門取約。嚴鄉紳執意不肯，把小的驢和米同稍袋都叫人短了家去，還不發出紙來。這樣含冤負屈的事，求太老爺做主！」知縣聽了，說道：「一個做貢生的人，忝列衣冠，不在鄉里間做些好事，只管如此騙人，其實可惡！」便將兩張狀子都批准，原告在外伺候。早有人把這話報知嚴貢生，嚴貢生慌了，自心裏想：「這兩件事都是實的，倘若審斷起來，體面上須不好看。『三十六計，走為上計』！」捲捲行李，一溜煙走急到省城去了。

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The magistrate turned to the other plaintiff, who was between fifty and sixty years old, and asked, 「What is your name?」「Huang Meng-tong,」 was the answer. 「I live in the country. In the ninth month last year I came to the city to pay my taxes. But I didn’t have enough money, so I asked a go-between to borrow twenty taels of silver for me from Senior licentiate Yan at three per cent monthly interest. I signed a contract with Senior Licentiate Yan, but I didn’t take the money, for here in town I met a relative from the country who said he could lend me part of the amount and I should borrow the rest from friends in the country. He advised me not to borrow from Senior Licentiate Yan. After paying my taxes, I went back with this relative. That was more than six months ago. Just lately I remembered the agreement I had signed, and came back to town to ask Senior Licentiate Yan to give it back to me. But he demanded that I pay the interest for all these months. ’I didn’t borrow the money, so why should I pay interest?’ I asked. Senior Licentiate Yan said if I had taken the agreement back at once, he could have lent the money to someone else. As it was, I had prevented his using those twenty taels, and made him lose half a year’s interest. Now I must pay it. I realized I was in the wrong, and asked the go-between to speak for me, promising to take Senior Licentiate Yan presents of pork and wine if he would give me back the contract. But he still insisted on having the money. Now he has seized my donkey and grain sacks as a fine, yet he still hasn’t returned that contract. I ask you, sir, to judge such underhand dealings!」「A man who is a senior licentiate ranks among the scholars,」 declared Magistrate Tang, 「yet instead of doing good deeds, he cheats poor people like this. Disgraceful!」 He approved both plaintiffs’ petitions, and told them to wait outside.Now somebody had already reported this to Yan. He was panic-stricken, and thought, 「Both complaints are true, and if I have to appear in court I shall lose face. Better make myself scarce.」 He bundled some things together and fled to the provincial capital.

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知縣准了狀子，發房出了差，來到嚴家，嚴貢生已是不在家了，只得去會嚴二老官。二老官叫做嚴大育，字致和；他哥字致中；兩人是同胞弟兄，卻在兩個宅裏住。這嚴致和是個監生，家有十多萬銀子。嚴致和見差人來說了此事，他是個膽小有錢的人，見哥子又不在家，不敢輕慢，隨即留差人喫了酒飯，拿兩千錢打發去了。忙著小廝去請兩位舅爺來商議。

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The magistrate signed a warrant and sent runners to Yan’s house to arrest him, but he had flown. Then they went to his younger brother Yan Da-yu. These two brothers did not live together. Yan Da-yu had bought himself the rank of a scholar of the Imperial College and had more than one hundred thousand taels of silver. But, rich as he was, he was timid. When the runners showed him the warrant and he learned that his brother was not at home, he dared not offend them. He entertained them to a meal, gave them two thousand coins and sent them off. Then he hurriedly ordered a servant to ask his two brothers-in-law over to discuss the matter.

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他兩個阿舅姓王，一個叫王德，是府學廩膳生員；一個叫王仁，是縣樂廩膳生員。都做著極興頭的館，錚錚有名；聽見妹丈請，一齊走來。嚴致和把這件事從頭告訴一遍：「現今出了差票在此，怎樣料理？」王仁笑道：「你令兄平日常說同湯公相與的，怎的這一點事就嚇走了？」嚴致和道：「這話也說不盡了；只是家兄而今兩腳站開，差人卻在我這裏吵鬧要人，我怎能丟了家裏的事，出外去尋他？他也不肯回來。」王仁道：「各家門戶，這事究竟也不與你相干。」王德道：「你有所不知。衙門裏的差人，因妹丈有碗飯喫，他們做事，只揀有頭髮的抓，若說不管他，就更要的人緊了。如今有個道理，是『釜底抽薪』之法。只消央個人去把告狀的安撫住了，眾人遞個攔詞，便歇了。諒這也沒有多大的事。」

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One of the brothers-in-law was called Wang De and the other Wang Ren. They were scholars, one of whom drew a subsidy from the prefectural school and the other from the county school. Both of them made a very good thing out of teaching, and were famous as tutors. When they received Yan Da-yu’s message, they came at once.Yan Da-yu told them all that had happened. 「There’s even a warrant out for his arrest. What’s to be done?」 he asked.Wang Ren laughed and said, 「Your brother is always saying how friendly he is with Magistrate Tang. How could he be frightened away by a little thing like this?」「Never mind that,」 said Yan Da-yu. 「The fact is that my brother has gone, while runners from the yamen have been to my house looking for someone to arrest. I can’t drop my own business to go and look for him. And he wouldn’t come back anyway.」「His private affairs have nothing to do with you,」 said Wang Ren.「That’s where you’re wrong,」 protested Wang De. 「Because our brother-in-law is rich, the runners will consider him as lawful prey. If nothing is done, they can make things hot for him. I suggest that we go to the root of the matter by sending mediators to satisfy the plaintiffs. Then we can address an appeal to the magistrate and avoid further trouble.」

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王仁道：「不必又去央人，就是我們愚兄弟兩個去尋了王小二、黃夢統，到家替他分說開；把豬也還與王家，再折些須銀子給他養那打壞了的腿；黃家那借約，查了還他。一天的事，都沒有了。」嚴致和道；「老舅怕不說的是；只是我家嫂也是個糊塗人，幾個舍姪，就像生狼一般，一總也不聽教訓。他怎肯把這豬和借約拿出來？」王德道：「妹丈，這話也說不得了。假如你令嫂、令姪拗著，你認晦氣，再拿出幾兩銀子，折個豬價，給了王姓的；黃家的借約，我們中間人立個紙筆與他，說尋出作廢紙無用。這事纔得落臺，纔得耳跟清靜。」當下商議已定，一切辦得停妥。嚴二老官連在衙門使費共用去了十幾兩銀子，官司已了。

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「If mediators are needed,」 said Wang Ren, 「we two can call on Wang Er and Huang Meng-tong, and talk them round. We’ll return the pig to the Wang family along with some silver to compensate for the elder brother’s broken leg. And we’ll look for Huang’s contract and return it to him. Then we shouldn’t have any more trouble.」「Yes,」 said Yan Da-yu. 「But my sister-in-law is a silly woman and my nephews are like young wolves—they never listen to reason. They’ll refuse to return the pig and the contract.」「This is a serious matter,」 said Wang De. 「If your sister-in-law and nephews are stubborn, that will be your bad luck. Because then you will have to pay the Wangs for the pig. As for the contract, in our capacity as mediators we will draw up a statement for Huang Meng-tong to the effect that the old contract is null and void. That’s the only thing to do. Then you’ll hear no more about it.」 They decided at once that this was the only solution, and handled the whole business very competently. And when Yan Da-yu had spent over ten taels of silver on the plaintiffs and yamen officials, the case was closed.

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過了幾日，整治一席酒，請二位舅爺來致謝。兩個秀才，拿班做勢，在館裏又不肯來。嚴致和吩咐小廝去說；「奶奶這些時心裏有些不好。今日一者請喫酒，二者奶奶要同舅爺們談談。」二位聽見這話，方纔來。嚴致和即迎進廳上。喫過茶，叫小廝進去說了。丫鬟出來請二位舅爺。進到房內，抬頭看見他妹子王氏，面黃肌瘦，怯生生的，路也走不全，還在那裏自己裝瓜子，剝粟子，辦圍碟。見他哥哥進來，丟了過來拜見。奶媽抱著妾出的小兒子，年方三歲，帶著銀項圈，穿著紅衣服，來叫舅舅。二位喫了茶，一個丫鬟來說：「趙新娘進來拜舅爺。」二位連忙道：「不勞罷。」坐下說了些家常話，又問妹子的病，「總是虛弱，該多用補藥」，說罷，前廳擺下酒席，讓了出去上席。

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A few days later, Yan Da-yu invited the two Wang brothers to a feast to express his gratitude. When they made excuses and would not come, he ordered his servant to tell them that their sister was unwell and wanted to see them too. On hearing this, the two scholars came. Yan Da-yu invited them into the front hall and offered them tea, then told a servant to inform his wife that they had arrived. Presently a maid invited them to Mrs. Yan’s room, and they went in. Their sister had grown very pale and thin. She looked too frail to walk, yet she was preparing melon seeds, chestnuts and other sweetmeats for them. When she saw her brothers, she left her work and stepped forward to welcome them; and the nurse brought in the concubine’s three-year-old son, in a silver necklet and red suit, to see his uncles.While they were sipping tea, another maid announced, 「The new wife asks permission to pay her respects.」「We won’t disturb her,」 the Wang brothers responded politely. Then they sat down for a chat and asked after their sister’s illness, urging her, since she was so weak, to take more cordials. While they were talking, a feast was laid in the front hall and they were invited to the table.

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敘些閒話，又提起嚴致中的話來。王仁笑著問王德道：「大哥，我倒不解，他家大老那宗筆下，怎得會補起廩來的？」王德道：「這是三十年前的話。那時宗師都是御史出來，本是個吏員出身，知道甚麼文章！」王仁道：「老大而今越發離奇了，我們至親，一年中也要請他幾次，卻從不曾見他家一杯酒。想起還是前年出貢豎旗杆，在他家擾過一席。」王德愁著眉道：「那時我不曾去！他為出了一個貢，拉人出賀禮，把總甲、地方都派分子，縣裏狗腿差是不消說，弄了有一二百吊錢，還欠下廚子錢，屠戶肉案子上的錢，至今也不肯還，過兩個月在家吵一回，成甚麼模樣。」

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In the course of conversation Senior licentiate Yan’s name came up. Wang Ren said to Wang De with a laugh, 「I can’t understand, brother, how anyone who writes so badly ever passed the examination and became a stipendiary.」「That was thirty years ago,」 Wang De answered. 「In those days the examiners were all censors—what did they know about compositions?」「He’s been growing more and more peculiar,」 said Wang Ren. 「Since we are related, we invite him to several feasts each year, but he never offers us so much as a cup of wine. It was only the year before last, when he became a senior licentiate and put up a flagstaff, that he invited me to a feast.」「I did not go,」 said Wang De with a frown. 「He made that senior licentiate rank a pretext to extract presents from everybody. County runners—even village heads—all had to fork out. He pocketed more than two hundred strings of cash altogether. But he never paid his cook, nor the butcher—even now he still owes them money. Every month or so they make a scene in his house. It’s shocking.」

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嚴致和道：「便是我也不好說。不瞞二位老舅，像我家還有幾畝薄田，日逐夫妻四口在家裏度日，豬肉也捨不得買一斤，每常小兒子要喫時，在熟切店內買四個錢的哄他就是了。家兄寸土也無，人口又多，過不得三天，一買就是五斤，還要白煮的稀爛；上頓喫完了，下頓又在門口賒魚。當初分家，也是一樣田地，白白都喫窮了。而今端了家裏花梨椅子，悄悄開了後門，換肉心包子喫。你說這事如何是好！」二位哈哈大笑；笑罷說：「只管講這些混話，誤了我們喫酒。快取骰盆來。」當下取骰子送與大舅爺：「我們行狀元令。」兩位舅爺，一個人行一個狀元令，每人中一回狀元喫一大杯。」兩位就中了幾回狀元，喫了幾十杯。卻又古怪：那骰子竟像知人事的，嚴監生一回狀元也不曾中。二位拍手大笑。喫到四更盡鼓，跌跌撞撞，扶了回去。

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「I am really ashamed of him,」 said Yan Da-yu. 「Though I have a little land, I don’t mind telling you, our family of four usually feel it would be extravagant to buy pork. When my son is hungry, we just buy four cash worth of cooked meat for him. But although my brother has no land and so many mouths to feed, every other day he buys about five catties of pork and insists on having it cooked to a turn. Then they finish it all in one meal, and in the evening he gets fish on credit again. We inherited the same amount of land, but he has just eaten up his property; and now he sneaks out the family’s ebony chairs through the back door to exchange for pork dumplings. What can I do about it?」The Wang brothers burst out laughing, then said, 「We’ve been so busy talking about that fool, we’ve forgotten to drink. Let’s have the dice. Whoever wins first place among the palace scholars shall drink a cup.」 Wang De and Wang Ren became palace scholars in turn, and drank a dozen cups apiece. Strangely enough, the dice seemed to know human affairs; because Yan Da-yu did not become a palace scholar even once. Wang Ren and Wang De clapped their hands and roared with laughter, drinking until after midnight when they were carried home.

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自此以後，王氏的病，漸漸的重將起來。每日四五個醫生用藥，都是人參、附子，並不見效。看看臥床不起，生兒子的妾在旁侍奉湯藥，極其殷勤；看他病勢不好，夜晚時，抱了孩子在床腳頭坐著哭泣，哭了幾回。那一夜道：「我而今只求菩薩把我帶了去，保佑大娘好了罷。」王氏道：「你又癡了，各人的壽數，那個是替得的？」趙氏道：「不是這樣說。我死了值得甚麼；大娘若有些長短，他爺少不得又娶個大娘。他爺四十多歲，只得這點骨血，再娶個大娘來，各養的各疼。自古說：『晚娘的拳頭，雲裏的日頭。』這孩子料想不能長大，我也是個死數，不如早些替了大娘去，還保得這孩子一命！」王氏聽了，也不答應。

12
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Mrs. Yan’s illness went from bad to worse. Every day four or five doctors came to prescribe expensive cordials for her, but in vain. Soon she was completely bed-ridden, and concubine Zhao, the mother of the little boy, stayed by her bedside, giving her draughts of medicine and waiting on her hand and foot. After it became clear that the mistress was not going to recover, the concubine brought her child to the foot of the bed every evening and sat there weeping. And one night she said:「All I pray for now is that Buddha will take me away in your place and let you get well.」「That’s a silly way to talk,」 said Mrs. Yan. 「Everyone’s span of life is fixed. How can you change with someone else?」「Don’t say that,」 begged the concubine. 「What does my death matter? But if anything happened to you, ma’am, the master would certainly marry again. He is over forty but has only one son; and if he marries again, the new wife will care only for her own children. A stepmother is always cruel. Then my son wouldn’t live to grow up, and that would be the death of me. I’d rather die now, instead of you, to save this child’s life.」Mrs. Yan said nothing.

13
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趙氏含著眼淚，日逐煨藥煨粥，寸步不離。一晚，趙氏出去了一會，不見進來。王氏問丫鬟道：「趙家的那裏去了？」丫鬟道：「新娘每夜擺個香桌在天井裏哭求天地，他仍要替奶奶，保佑奶奶就好。今夜看見奶奶病重，所以早些出去拜求。」王氏聽了，似信不信。次日晚間，趙氏又哭著講這些話。王氏道：「何不向你爺說，明日我若死了，就把你扶正做個填房？」趙氏忙叫請爺進來，把奶奶的話說了。嚴致和聽不得這一聲，連三說道：「既然如此，明日清早就要請二位舅爺說定此事，纔有憑據。」王氏搖手道：「這個也隨你們怎樣做去。」

13
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Every day, with tears in her eyes, concubine Zhao nursed the sick woman and would not leave her. One evening, however, she left the room and did not come back for some time.「Where is the new wife?」 asked Mrs. Yan.A maid told her, 「Every evening the new wife burns incense in the courtyard and cries, praying to heaven and earth to let her die in your place, ma’am. This evening she thought you seemed worse, so she went out earlier to pray.」Still Mrs. Yan looked rather sceptical.The next evening, however, when the concubine cried as she poured out all her fears again, the wife said, 「Very well. We can suggest to the master that when I die he should make you his wife.」At once Concubine Zhao called Yan Da-yu in, and told him what the mistress had said.「In that case,」 said Yan, who had been hoping for this, 「I must invite my brothers-in-law tomorrow morning to settle the matter, in order that we may have witnesses.」「Do as you think best,」 said his wife, with a weary wave of her hand.

14
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嚴致和就叫人極早去請了舅爺來，看了藥方，商議再請名醫。說罷，讓進房內坐著，嚴致和把王氏如此這般意思說了，又道：「老舅可親自問聲令妹。」兩人走到床前，王氏已是不能言語了，把手指著孩子，點了一點頭。兩位舅爺看了，把臉本喪著，不則一聲。須臾，讓到書房裏用飯，彼此不提這話。喫罷，又請到一間密屋裏。嚴致和說起王氏病重，吊下淚來道：「你令妹自到舍下二十年，真是弟的內助！如今丟了我，怎生是好！前日還向我說，岳父岳母的墳，也要修理。他自己積的一點東西，留與二位老舅做個遺念。」因把小廝都叫出去，開了一張櫥，拿出兩封銀子來，每位一百兩，遞與二位老舅：「休嫌輕意。」二位雙手來接。嚴致和又道：「卻是不可多心。將來要備祭桌，破費錢財，都是我這裏備齊，請老舅來行禮。明日還拿轎子接兩位舅奶奶來，令妹還有些首飾，留為遺念。」交畢，仍舊出來坐著。

14
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Accordingly, Yan Da-yu sent to invite the Wang brothers to come early the next day.When they had seen the doctor’s prescriptions and discussed what other famous physicians could be called, Yan took the brothers into his wife’s room and told them their sister’s wish, saying:「Ask her yourselves.」They went up to the bed. Mrs. Yan was too weak to speak, but she pointed at the child and nodded her head. The two brothers pulled long faces and said nothing. Presently they were invited into the library to eat, but still they made no reference to the matter.After they had eaten, Yan Da-yu took them into a private room; and after speaking about his wife’s illness, he said with tears, 「Since your sister married me twenty years ago, she has been a true helpmate. But now that she is dying, what am I to do? The other day she mentioned that your parents’ tombs needed repairing, and that she had a little gift to leave you as a memento.」 Having sent the servants out of the room, he opened a chest and took out two packets of silver, each containing a hundred taels. These he gave to Wang De and Wang Ren, saying, 「Please don’t take me amiss.」The Wang brothers took hold of the silver with both hands.「Please don’t have any scruples,」 Mr. Yan went on. 「When you need money for sacrifices I’ll be responsible for all expenses. Tomorrow I will send sedan-chairs to fetch your wives. Your sister has some trinkets to give them as souvenirs.」

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外邊有人來候，嚴致和去陪客去了，回來見兩位舅爺哭得眼紅紅的。王仁道：「方纔同家兄在這裏說，舍妹真是女中丈夫，可謂王門有幸。方纔這一番話，恐怕老妹丈胸中也沒有這樣道理，還要恍恍忽忽，疑惑不清，枉為男子。」王德道：「你不知道，你這一位如夫人關系你家三代。舍妹歿了，你若另娶一人，磨害死了我的外甥，老伯老伯母在天不安，就是先父母也不安了。」王仁拍著桌子道：「我們念書的人，全在綱常上做工夫。就是做文章，代孔子說話，也不過是這個理。你若不依，我們就不上門了！」嚴致和道：「恐怕寒族多話。」兩位道：「有我兩人作主。但這事須要大做，妹丈，你再出幾兩銀子，明日只做我兩人出的，備十幾席，將三黨親都請到了，趁舍妹眼見，你兩口子同拜天地祖宗，立為正室，誰人再敢放屁！」嚴致和又拿出五十兩銀子來交與，二位義形于色去了。

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They had just gone back to the outer room when some guests arrived, and Mr. Yan went out to entertain them. By the time he came back, the Wang brothers’ eyes were red with weeping, and Wang Ren said, 「I was telling my brother that our sister is truly a woman in a million and does credit to our family. For I doubt if even you, sir, ever conceived such a noble scheme. If you still hesitate, then you are no true man.」「Do you realize,」 asked Wang De solemnly, 「that the perpetuation of your line depends on making Concubine Zhao your wife? For if our sister dies and you marry another, the new wife may torture our nephew to death. Then not only will your parents in heaven be ill at ease, but our ancestors also.」Striking his fist on the table, Wang Ren declared, 「The great thing about us scholars is our adherence to principles. If we were writing a composition to speak for Confucius, we should take exactly the line that we are taking now. If you refuse to listen to us, we will never visit you again.」「I am afraid my relatives may object,」 said Mr. Yan.「You can count on us,」 the brothers assured him. 「But this thing must be done in a big way. Give us a few more taels of silver, and tomorrow we shall act as hosts and invite over a hundred of your relatives to a feast. While our sister’s eyes can still see, you and Concubine Zhao shall worship heaven and earth and the ancestors together, showing that she is your lawful wife. Then your relatives will have to hold their tongues.」Yan Da-yu gave another fifty taels of silver to the Wang brothers, who then left, exuding righteousness from every pore.

16
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過了三日，王德、王仁，果然到嚴家來寫了幾十副帖子，遍請諸親六眷，擇個吉期。親眷都到齊了，只有隔壁大老爹家五個親姪子，一個也不到。眾人喫過早飯，先到王氏床面前寫立王氏遺囑。兩位舅爺王於據、王於依都畫了字。嚴監生戴著方巾，穿著青衫，被了紅紬；趙氏穿著大紅，戴了赤金冠子，兩人雙拜了天地，又拜了祖宗。王於依廣有才學，又替他做了一篇告祖先的文，甚是懇切。告過祖宗，轉了下來，兩位舅爺叫丫鬟在房裏請出兩位舅奶奶來，夫妻四個，齊鋪鋪請妹丈、妹子轉在大邊，磕下頭去，以敘姊妹之禮。眾親眷都分了大小。便是管事的管家、家人、媳婦、丫鬟、使女，黑壓壓的幾十個人，都來磕了主人、主母的頭。趙氏又獨自走進房內拜王氏做姐姐，那時王氏已發昏去了。行禮已畢，大聽、二廳、書房、內堂屋官客並堂客，共擺了二十多桌酒席。

16
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The next day, accordingly, Wang Ren and Wang De came to Mr. Yan’s house and wrote scores of invitations to relatives from the various branches of the family. And all of them came, with the exception of Senior Licentiate Yan’s five sons from next door. When the guests had breakfasted, they went to Mrs. Yan’s bedside to witness her will, which her brothers drew up and signed. Meantime Mr. Yan put on a scholar’s cap, a blue gown and red silk sash, while Concubine Zhao dressed herself in crimson and put a gold chaplet on her head. As they worshipped heaven and earth and the ancestors, Wang Ren drew on his vast erudition to write a most moving announcement of this marriage to the Yan ancestors. And having informed the ancestors, they left the shrine.Then Wang Ren and Wang De sent for their wives, and kowtowed together to the new husband and wife. All the relatives congratulated them in order of seniority, after which the stewards, menservants and maidservants did reverence to their master and mistress. The new wife went in alone to bow before the dying mistress, calling her 「Elder Sister.」 But Mrs. Yan had already lost consciousness.These ceremonies at an end, the guests crowded into the great hall, second hall, library and inner chambers to sit down to more than twenty tables.

17
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喫到三更時分，嚴監生正在大聽陪著客，奶媽慌忙走了出來說道：「奶奶斷了氣了。」嚴監生哭著走了進去，只見趙氏扶著床沿，一頭撞去，已經哭死了。眾人且扶著趙氏灌開水，撬開牙齒，灌了下去。灌醒了時，披頭散髮，滿地打滾，哭的天昏地暗。連嚴監生也無可奈何。管家都在廳上，堂客都在堂屋候殮，只有兩個舅奶奶在房裏，乘著人亂，將些衣服、金珠、首飾，一擄精空；連趙氏方纔戴的赤金冠子，滾在地下，也拾起來藏在懷裏。嚴監生慌忙叫奶媽抱起哥子來。拿一搭麻替他披著。那時衣衾棺槨，都是現成的。入過了殮，天纔亮了。靈柩停在第二層中堂內。眾人進來參了靈，各自散了。次日送孝布，每家兩個。

17
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They feasted till midnight. Mr. Yan was acting as host in the great hall when his son’s wet-nurse burst in breathlessly, and cried, 「The mistress has passed away!」Weeping, Mr. Yan went to the bedroom and found his new wife beating her head against the bed. At his entry, she gave a cry and fainted. They helped her up, prized open her teeth and poured hot water down her throat. Then she came to herself and rolled on the floor, tearing her hair and sobbing as if her heart would break. Not even her husband could calm her. While the servants were in the hall and the guests in the other rooms, the two sisters-in-law took advantage of the confusion to whisk away the clothes, gold, and pearls. One of them even picked up the gold chaplet that the new wife had let fall, and concealed it in her clothes.Mr. Yan told the nurse to bring in his son, and threw a coarse linen cloth over the child’s shoulders as a sign of mourning; the coffin had been ready for some time. They placed the corpse in the coffin, which had been set in the central hall. It was now dawn. All the guests filed in, bowed before the coffin and went home.

18
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第三日成服，趙氏定要披麻戴孝。兩位舅爺斷然不肯道：「『名不正則言不順』你此刻是姊妹了，妹子替姐姐只帶一年孝，穿細布孝衫，用白布孝箍。」議禮已定，報出喪去。自此，修齋、理七、開喪、出殯，用了四五千兩銀子，鬧了半年，不必細說。趙氏感激兩位舅爺入於骨髓，田上收了新米，每家兩石；醃冬菜，每家也是兩石；火腿，一家四隻；雞、鴨、小菜不算。

18
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The next day, white mourning was sent to all the relatives-two lengths of cloth for each house. The new wife insisted that she should wear heavy mourning, but on this point the Wang brothers were adamant. In unison they quoted one of the sayings of Confucius, and warned her, 「You must conform to etiquette. Now you stand in the relationship of a sister to the dead woman, and a younger sister mourning for her elder sister should only wear mourning for one year—fine linen and a white cloth head-dress.」The ceremony to be used was agreed upon, and the date of the funeral announced. They fasted, held the funeral, and spent four or five thousand taels of silver, observing the rites for half a year. We need not dwell on the details.The new Mrs. Yan felt very much indebted to the Wang brothers. After the harvest she sent them two piculs of rice apiece, two piculs of pickled vegetables and four hams, to say nothing of chickens, ducks and other delicacies.

19
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不覺到了除夕。嚴監生拜過了天地祖宗，收拾一席家宴。嚴監生同趙氏對坐，奶媽帶著哥子坐在底下。喫了幾杯酒，嚴監生吊下淚來，指著一張櫥裏，向趙氏說道：「昨日典鋪內送來三百兩利錢，是你王氏姐姐的私房。每年臘月二十七八日送來，我就交與他，我也不管他在那裏用。今年又送這銀子來，可憐就沒人接了！」趙氏道：「你也莫要說大娘的銀子沒用處，我是看見的。想起一年到頭，逢時遇節，庵裏師姑送盒子，賣花婆換珠翠，彈三絃琵琶的女瞎子不離門，那一個不受他的恩惠？況他又心慈，見那些窮親戚，自己喫不成，也要把人喫；穿不成的，也要把人穿。這些銀子，彀做甚麼！再有些也完了。倒是兩位舅爺從來不沾他分毫。依我的意思，這銀子也不費用掉了，到開年替奶奶大大的做幾回好事，剩來的銀子，料想也不多，明年是科舉年，就是送與兩位舅爺做盤程，也是該的。」

19
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Soon New Year’s Eve came round. Mr. Yan worshipped heaven and earth and the ancestors, then sat down to a feast with his new wife opposite him and the nurse and child sitting at one side of the table.After drinking several cups of wine, tears rolled down Mr. Yan’s cheeks as he pointed to a chest and said, 「Yesterday the pawnshop sent three hundred taels of interest over. That was my first wife’s private property. It used to come every year just before New Year’s Eve, and I always gave it to her and let her do what she liked with it. Now they have sent it again, but there is no one to take it.」「You can’t say there is no use for her money,」 said the new wife. 「I remember how she used to spend it. In the old days, at every festival the nuns would send her presents and the flower-girls would give her little trinkets, while those blind girls who often came to play the three-stringed lyre wouldn’t budge from the door. She gave them all money, she was so kind. And when she saw poor relations she would feed them even if she had nothing to eat herself, and give them clothes even if it meant going without herself. The money was all too little for her. Even if it had been more, she would have used it all. Her two brothers were the only ones who did not take a cent from her. To my mind it would be better to keep the money to spend it on charity after New Year in her name. And what’s left won’t be much; it could be given to your two brothers-in-law for their travelling expenses when they go to take the examination next year. This would be only right and proper.」

20
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嚴監生聽著他說。桌子底下一個貓就扒在他腿上，嚴監生一靴頭子踢開了。那貓嚇的跑到裏房內去，跑上床頭。只聽得一聲大響，床頭上掉下一個東西來，把地板上的酒罈子都打碎了。拿燭去看，原來那瘟貓把床頂上的板跳蹋一塊，上面吊下一個大篾簍子來。近前看時，只見一地黑棗子拌在酒裏，篾簍橫睡著。兩個人纔扳過來，棗子底下，一封一封，桑皮紙包著。打開看時，共五百兩銀子。嚴監生歎道：「我說他的銀子那裏就肯用完了！像這都是歷年聚積的，恐怕我有急事，好拿出來用的。而今他往那裏去了！」一回哭著，叫人掃了地。把那個乾棗子裝了一盤，同趙氏放在靈前桌上，伏著靈床子，又哭了一場。因此，新年不出去拜節，在家哽哽咽咽，不時哭泣；精神顛倒，恍惚不寧。

20
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As she was speaking, a cat under the table crawled up Mr. Yan’s leg, and he gave it a kick. The frightened cat shot into the bedroom and jumped onto the canopy of the bed.Then they heard a great crash. Something had fallen from the top of the bed and smashed the wine vat on the floor. Taking a candle they hurried in to look, and found that the silly cat had knocked off a piece of the bedstead, bringing down a big wicker basket full of dates which had fallen in the wine. Now the dates were scattered on the ground, the basket lying on its side; and it took the two of them to right it. Then, under the dates, they discovered paper packages containing five hundred taels of silver.「I knew she couldn’t have spent all that silver,」 said Mr. Yan with a sigh. 「This must be what she saved over the years. She wanted to keep it in readiness for whenever I might need money in a hurry. But where is she now?」He shed tears again, and called servants to sweep the floor while he and his new wife put a plateful of the dates on the table before the shrine and, kneeling there, wept again. Because of this, Mr. Yan did not go out to pay New Year visits, but stayed at home weeping from time to time, feeling out of sorts and in low spirits.

21
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過了燈節後，就叫心口疼痛。初時撐著，每晚算帳，直算到三更鼓。後來就漸漸飲食不進，骨瘦如柴，又捨不得銀子喫人參。趙氏勸他道：「你心裏不自在，這家務事就丟開了罷。」他說道：「我兒子又小，你叫我託那個？我在一日，少不得料理一日。」不想春氣漸深，肝木剋了脾土，每日只喫兩碗米湯，臥床不起。及到天氣和暖，又強勉進些飲食，掙起來家前屋後走走。挨過長夏，立秋以後病又重了，睡在床上。想著田上要收早稻，打發了管莊的僕人下鄉去；又不放心，心裏只是急躁。

21
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After the Lantern Festival, he felt stabs of pain in his heart. At first he just put up with them, doing his accounts as usual every night until midnight; but gradually he lost his appetite and wasted away till he was nothing but skin and bones. Yet he grudged the money to buy ginseng.His wife begged him, 「Don’t trouble about all your business—you aren’t well.」But he retorted, 「My son is still small. Who else is there to see to things? As long as I live I must manage my affairs.」As spring wore on, however, he had a liver complaint and had to take to his bed, able only to drink a little gruel every day. When the weather became warmer, he forced himself to eat and made the effort to get up and walk about. But by autumn he was worse again and had to keep to his bed. When it was time to reap the early rice, he sent his stewards and menservants down to his estates; but he could not rest easy in his mind.

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那一日，早上喫過藥，聽著蕭蕭落葉打的窗子響，自覺得心裏虛怯，長歎了一口氣，把臉朝床裏面睡下。趙氏從房外同兩位舅爺進來問病，就辭別了到省城裏鄉試去。嚴監生叫丫鬟扶起來勉強坐著。王德、王仁道：「好幾日不曾看妹丈，原來又瘦了些──喜得精神還好。」嚴監生請他坐下，說了些恭喜的話，留在房裏喫點心，就講到除夕晚裏這一番話，叫趙氏拿出幾封銀子來；指著趙氏說道：「這到是他的意思，說姐姐留下來的一點東西，送與二位老舅添著做恭喜的盤費。我這病勢沉重，將來二位回府，不知可會得著了？我死之後，二位老舅照顧你外甥長大，教他讀讀書，掙著進個學，免得像我一生，終日受大房裏的氣！」二位接了銀子，每位懷裏帶著兩封，謝了又謝，又說了許多的安慰的話，作別去了。

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One morning he had just taken his medicine when he heard the rustle of falling leaves against the window, and felt a fearful premonition. He heaved a long sigh, and turned his face to the wall.The new wife brought the Wang brothers in to see how he was before they left for the provincial examination. Ordering a maid to help him, Mr. Yan struggled to a sitting position.「We have not seen you for many days, and now you are thinner than ever,」 said the brothers. 「It’s good, though, that you still look so cheerful.」Mr. Yan asked them to be seated, wished them success in their coming examination, and offered them refreshments. He told them what had happened on New Year’s Eve, and asked his wife to bring in some silver. 「This was her idea,」 he told them. 「She suggested that this small sum of money that my wife left should be given to you for your trip. I am very ill, and don’t know if I shall see you again. After my death, I beg you to watch over your nephew as he grows up. Help him to study and pass the prefectural examination, so that he need not be bullied as I have been all my life by my brother.」Wang De and Wang Ren accepted the silver, each taking two packets. They thanked Mr. Yan profusely, said all they could to comfort him, then took their leave.

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自此，嚴監生的病，一日重似一日，再不回頭。諸親六眷都來問候。五個姪子穿梭的過來陪郎中弄藥。到中秋已後，醫生都不下藥了。把管莊的家人都從鄉裏叫了上來。病重得一連三天不能說話。晚間擠了一屋的人，桌上點著一盞燈。嚴監生喉嚨裏痰響得一進一出，一聲不倒一聲的，總不得斷氣，還把手從被單裏拿出來，伸著兩個指頭。大姪子上前來問道：「二叔，你莫不是還有兩個親人不曾見面？」他就把頭搖了兩三搖。二姪子走上前來問道：「二叔，莫不是還有兩筆銀子在那裏，不曾吩咐明白？」他把兩眼睜的溜圓，把頭又狠狠搖了幾搖，越發指得緊了。奶媽抱著哥子插口道：「老爺想是因兩位舅爺不在跟前，故此記念。」他聽了這話，把眼閉著搖頭。那手只是指著不動。趙氏慌忙揩揩眼淚，走近上前道：「爺，別人都說的不相干，只有我曉得你的意思！」只因這一句話，有分教：爭田奪產，又從骨肉起戈矛；繼嗣延宗，齊向官司進詞訟。不知趙氏說出甚麼話來，且聽下回分解。

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From that time onward Mr. Yan sank daily. All his relatives came to ask how he was, his five nephews taking it in turn to help the doctors administer cordials. But after the Mid-Autumn Festival the doctors stopped prescribing medicine, and all the stewards and servants were summoned back from the estates.For three days Mr. Yan hovered between life and death, too weak to speak. On the evening of the third day an oil lamp was lit on his table, and the room was crowded with relatives. They could hear the beginning of the death-rattle in his throat; but he refused to die. He took his hand from beneath the quilt and stretched out two fingers.The eldest nephew stepped up to the bed and asked, 「Do you mean that there are two relatives who haven’t come, uncle?」Yan shook his head.The second nephew stepped forward and asked, 「Do you mean there are still two lots of silver you haven’t told us about, uncle?」Yan stared hard at him, shook his head even more vehemently, and held out his fingers more earnestly than ever.The wet-nurse, who was carrying his son, put in, 「The master must be thinking of the two uncles who aren’t here.」But when he heard this, he closed his eyes and shook his head. Only his fingers did not move.Then the new wife hastily stepped forward, dabbing at her eyes. 「They’re all wide of the mark,」 she said. 「I’m the only one who knows what you mean.」But to know what it was, you must read the chapter which follows.

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道德经
论语
孙子兵法
禮記
孟子
尚書
詩經
周易
简典
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