the wallet of kai lung-第24部分

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this　much…persecuted　one　to　join　the　circle　of　his　hearers　without　on



every　occasion　making　the　customary　offering。　In　this　manner　a



well…intentioned　pursuit　of　riches　has　insidiously　led　this　person



within　measurable　distance　of　the　bolted　dungeon　for　those　who　do　not



meet　their　just　debts；　while　the　only　distinction　likely　to　result



from　his　assiduous　study　of　the　customs　and　methods　of　those　high　in



power　is　that　of　being　publicly　bowstrung　as　a　warning　to　others。



Manifestedly　the　pointed　finger　of　the　unreliable　Kai　Lung　is　a　very



treacherous　guide。〃







〃It　is　related；〃　said　a　dispassionate　voice　behind　them；　〃that　a



person　of　limited　intelligence；　on　being　assured　that　he　would



certainly　one　day　enjoy　an　adequate　competence　if　he　closely　followed



the　industrious　habits　of　the　thrifty　bee；　spent　the　greater　part　of



his　life　in　anointing　his　thighs　with　the　yellow　powder　which　he



laboriously　collected　from　the　flowers　of　the　field。　It　is　not　so



recorded；　but　doubtless　the　nameless　one　in　question　was　by　profession



a　maker　of　opium　pipes；　for　this　person　has　observed　from　time　to　time



how　that　occupation；　above　all　others；　tends　to　degrade　the　mental



faculties；　and　to　debase　its　followers　to　a　lower　position　than　that



of　the　beasts　of　labour。　Learn　therefrom；　O　superficial　Wang　Yu；　that



wisdom　lies　in　an　intelligent　perception　of　great　principles；　and　not



in　a　slavish　imitation　of　details　which　are；　for　the　most　part；　beyond



your　simple　and　insufficient　understanding。〃







〃Such　may；　indeed；　be　the　case；　Kai　Lung；〃　replied　Wang　Yu



sullenlyfor　it　was　the　story…teller　in　question　who　had　approached



unperceived；　and　who　now　stood　before　them〃but　it　is　none　the　less　a



fact　that；　on　the　last　occasion　when　this　misguided　person　joined　the



attending　circle　at　your　uplifted　voice；　a　Mandarin　of　the　third



degree　chanced　to　pass　through　Wu…whei；　and　halted　at　the　door…step　of



'The　Fountain　of　Beauty'；　fully　intending　to　entrust　this　one　with　the



designing　and　fashioning　of　a　pipe　of　exceptional　elaborateness。　This



matter；　by　his　absence；　has　now　passed　from　him；　and　to…day；　through



listening　to　the　narrative　of　how　the　accomplished　Yuin…Pel　doubled



his　fortune；　he　is　the　poorer　by　many　taels。〃







〃Yet　to…morrow；　when　the　name　of　the　Mandarin　of　the　third　degree



appears　in　the　list　of　persons　who　have　transferred　their　entire



property　to　those　who　are　nearly　related　to　them　in　order　to　avoid　it



being　seized　to　satisfy　the　just　claims　made　against　them；〃　replied



Kai　Lung；　〃you　will　be　able　to　regard　yourself　the　richer　by　so　many



taels。〃







At　these　words；　which　recalled　to　the　minds　of　all　who　were　present



the　not　uncommon　manner　of　behaving　observed　by　those　of　exalted　rank；



who　freely　engaged　persons　to　supply　them　with　costly　articles　without



in　any　way　regarding　the　price　to　be　paid；　Wang　Yu　was　silent。







〃Nevertheless；〃　exclaimed　a　thin　voice　from　the　edge　of　the　group



which　surrounded　Kai　Lung；　〃it　in　nowise　follows　that　the　stories　are



in　themselves　excellent；　or　of　such　a　nature　that　the　hearing　of　their



recital　will　profit　a　person。　Wang　Yu　may　be　satisfied　with　empty



words；　but　there　are　others　present　who　were　studying　deep　matters



when　Wang　Yu　was　learning　the　art　of　walking。　If　Kai　Lung's　stories



are　of　such　remunerative　benefit　as　the　person　in　question　claims；　how



does　it　chance　that　Kai　Lung　himself　who　is　assuredly　the　best



acquainted　with　them；　stands　before　us　in　mean　apparel；　and　on　all



occasions　confessing　an　unassuming　poverty？〃







〃It　is　Yan…hi　Pung；〃　went　from　mouth　to　mouth　among　the



bystanders〃Yan…hi　Pung；　who　traces　on　paper　the　words　of　chants　and



historical　tales；　and　sells　them　to　such　as　can　afford　to　buy。　And



although　his　motive　in　exposing　the　emptiness　of　Kai　Lung's　stories



may　not　be　Heaven…sentinasmuch　as　Kai　Lung　provides　us　with　such



matter　as　he　himself　purveys；　only　at　a　much　more　moderate　priceyet



his　words　are　well　considered；　and　must　therefore　be　regarded。〃







〃O　Yan…hi　Pung；〃　replied　Kai　Lung；　hearing　the　name　from　those　who



stood　about　him；　and　moving　towards　the　aged　person；　who　stood



meanwhile　leaning　upon　his　staff；　and　looking　from　side　to　side　with



quickly　moving　eyelids　in　a　manner　very　offensive　towards　the



story…teller；　〃your　just　remark　shows　you　to　be　a　person　of



exceptional　wisdom；　even　as　your　well…bowed　legs　prove　you　to　be　one



of　great　bodily　strength；　for　justice　is　ever　obvious　and　wisdom



hidden；　and　they　who　build　structures　for　endurance　discard　the



straight　and　upright　and　insist　upon　such　an　arch　as　you　so



symmetrically　exemplify。〃







Speaking　in　this　conciliatory　manner；　Kai　Lung　came　up　to　Yan…hi　Pung；



and　taking　between　his　fingers　a　disc　of　thick　polished　crystal；　which



the　aged　and　short…sighted　chant…writer　used　for　the　purpose　of



magnifying　and　bringing　nearer　the　letters　upon　which　he　was　engaged；



and　which　hung　around　his　neck　by　an　embroidered　cord；　the



story…teller　held　it　aloft；　crying　aloud：







〃Observe　closely；　and　presently　it　will　be　revealed　and　made　clear　how



the　apparently　very　conflicting　words　of　the　wise　Yan…hi　Pung；　and



those　of　this　unassuming　but　nevertheless　conscientious　person　who　is



now　addressing　you；　are；　in　reality；　as　one　great　truth。〃







With　this　assurance　Kai　Lung　moved　the　crystal　somewhat；　so　that　it



engaged　the　sun's　rays；　and　concentrated　them　upon　the　uncovered　crown



of　the　unsuspecting　and　still　objectionably…engaged　person　before　him。



Without　a　moment's　pause；　Yan…hi　Pung　leapt　high　into　the　air；



repeatedly　pressing　his　hand　to　the　spot　thus　selected　and　crying



aloud：







〃Evil　dragons　and　thunderbolts！　but　the　touch　was　as　hot　as　a　scar



left　by　the　uncut　nail　of　the　sublime　Buddha！〃







〃Yet　the　crystal〃　remarked　Kai　Lung　composedly；　passing　it　into　the



hands　of　those　who　stood　near。







〃Is　as　cool　as　the　innermost　leaves　of　the　riverside　sycamore；〃　they



declared。







Kai　Lung　said　nothing　further；　but　raised　both　his　hands　above　his



head；　as　if　demanding　their　judgement。　Thereupon　a　loud　shout　went　up



on　his　behalf；　for　the　greater　part　of　them　loved　to　see　the　manner　in



which　he　brushed　aside　those　who　would　oppose　him；　and　the　sight　of



the　aged　person　Yan…hi　Pung　leaping　far　into　the　air　had　caused　them



to　become　exceptionally　amused；　and；　in　consequence；　very　amiably



disposed　towards　the　one　who　had　afforded　them　the　entertainment。







〃The　story　of　Sen　Heng；〃　began　Kai　Lung；　when　the　discussion　had



terminated　in　the　manner　already　recorded；　〃concerns　itself　with　one



who　possessed　an　unsuspecting　and　ingenious　nature；　which　ill…fitted



him　to　take　an　ordinary　part　in　the　everyday　affairs　of　life；　no



matter　how　engaging　such　a　character　rendered　him　among　his　friends



and　relations。　Having　at　an　early　age　been　entrusted　with　a　burden　of



rice　and　other　produce　from　his　father's　fields　to　dispose　of　in　the



best　possible　manner　at　a　neighbouring　mart；　and　having　completed　the



transaction　in　a　manner　extremely　advantageous　to　those　with　whom　he



trafficked　but　very　intolerable　to　the　one　who　had　sent　him；　it　at



once　became　apparent　that　some　other　means　of　gaining　a　livelihood



must　be　discovered　for　him。







〃'Beyond　all　doubt；'　said　his　father；　after　considering　the　matter　for



a　period；　'it　is　a　case　in　which　one　should　be　governed　by　the　wise



advice　and　example　of　the　Mandarin　Poo…chow。'







〃'Illustrious　sire；'　exclaimed　Sen　Heng；　who　chanced　to　be　present；



'the　illiterate　person　who　stands　before　you　is　entirely　unacquainted



with　the　one　to　whom　you　have　referred；　nevertheless；　he　will；　as　you



suggest；　at　once　set　forth；　and　journeying　with　all　speed　to　the　abode



of　the　estimable　Poo…chow；　solicit　his　experience　and　advice。'







〃'Unless　a　more　serious　loss　should　be　occasioned；'　replied　the　father



coldly；　'there　is　no　necessity　to　adopt　so　extreme　a　course。　The



benevolent　Mandarin　in　question　existed　at　a　remote　period　of　the



Thang　dynasty；　and　the　incident　to　which　an　allusion　has　been　made



arose　in　the　following　way：　To　the　public　court　of　the　enlightened



Poo…chow　there　came　one　day　a　youth　of　very　inferior　appearance　and



hesitating　manner；　who　besought　his　explicit　advice；　saying：　〃The



degraded　and　unprepossessing　being　before　you；　O　select　and　venerable



Mandarin；　is　by　nature　and　attainments　a　person　of　the　utmost　timidity



and　fearfulness。　From　this　cause　life　itself　has　become　a　detestable



observance　in　his　eyes；　for　those　who　should　be　his　companions　of　both



sexes　hold　him　in　undisguised　contempt；　making　various　unendurable



allusions　to　the　colour　and　nature　of　his　internal　organs　whenever　he



would　endeavour　to　join　them。　Instruct　him；　therefore；　the　manner　in



which　this　cowardice　may　be　removed；　and　no　service　in　return　will　be



esteemed　too　great。〃　〃There　is　a　remedy；〃　replied　the　benevolent



Mandarin；　without　any　hesitation　whatever；　〃which　if　properly　carried



out　is　efficacious　beyond　the　possibility　of　failure。　Certain



component　parts　of　your　body　are　lacking；　and　before　the　desired



result　can　be　obtained　these　must　be　supplied　from　without。　Of　all



courageous　things　the　tiger　is　the　most　fearless；　and　in　consequence



it　combines　all　those　ingredients　which　you　require；　furthermore；　as



the　teeth　of　the　tiger　are　the　instruments　with　which　it　accomplishes



its　vengeful