the wallet of kai lung-第50部分

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the　continued　inactivity　of　the　Sacred　Dragon　appears　for　the　time　to



give　colour　to　the　scoffs　of　the　Western　barbarian。　A　little　while　ago



these　misgivings　would　have　found　no　resting…place　in　the　bosom　of　the



writer。　Now；　howeverbut　the　matter　must　be　made　clear　from　the



beginning。







The　name　of　the　despicable　person　who　here　sets　forth　his　immature



story　is　Kin　Yen；　and　he　is　a　native　of　Kia…Lu　in　the　Province　of



Che…Kiang。　Having　purchased　from　a　very　aged　man　the　position　of



Hereditary　Instructor　in　the　Art　of　Drawing　Birds　and　Flowers；　he　gave



lessons　in　these　accomplishments　until　he　had　saved　sufficient　money



to　journey　to　Peking。　Here　it　was　his　presumptuous　intention　to　learn



the　art　of　drawing　figures　in　order　that　he　might　illustrate　printed



leaves　of　a　more　distinguished　class　than　those　which　would　accept



what　true　politeness　compels　him　to　call　his　exceedingly　unsymmetrical



pictures　of　birds　and　flowers。　Accordingly；　when　the　time　arrived；　he



disposed　of　his　Hereditary　Instructorship；　having　first　ascertained　in



the　interests　of　his　pupils　that　his　successor　was　a　person　of　refined



morals　and　great　filial　piety。







Alas！　it　is　well　written；　〃The　road　to　eminence　lies　through　the　cheap



and　exceedingly　uninviting　eating…houses。〃　In　spite　of　this　person's



great　economy；　and　of　his　having　begged　his　way　from　Kia…Lu　to　Peking



in　the　guise　of　a　pilgrim；　journeying　to　burn　incense　in　the　sacred



Temple　of　Truth　near　that　city；　when　once　within　the　latter　place　his



taels　melted　away　like　the　smile　of　a　person　of　low　class　when　he



discovers　that　the　mandarin's　stern　words　were　not　intended　as　a　jest。



Moreover；　he　found　that　the　story…makers　of　Peking；　receiving　higher



rewards　than　those　at　Kia…Lu；　considered　themselves　bound　to　introduce



living　characters　into　all　their　tales；　and　in　consequence　the　very



ornamental　drawings　of　birds　and　flowers　which　he　had　entwined　into　a



legend　entitled　〃The　Last　Fight　of　the　Heaven…sent　Tcheng〃a　story



which　had　been　entrusted　to　him　for　illustration　as　a　test　of　his



skillwas　returned　to　him　with　a　communication　in　which　the　writer



revealed　his　real　meaning　by　stating　contrary　facts。　It　therefore



became　necessary　that　he　should　become　competent　in　the　art　of　drawing



figures　without　delay；　and　with　this　object　he　called　at　the



picture…room　of　Tieng　Lin；　a　person　whose　experience　was　so　great　that



he　could；　without　discomfort　to　himself；　draw　men　and　women　of　all



classes；　both　good　and　bad。　When　the　person　who　is　setting　forth　this



narrative　revealed　to　Tieng　Lin　the　utmost　amount　of　money　he　could



afford　to　give　for　instruction　in　the　art　of　drawing　living　figures；



Tieng　Lin's　face　became　as　overcast　as　the　sky　immediately　before　the



Great　Rains；　for　in　his　ignorance　of　this　incapable　person's　poverty



he　had　treated　him　with　equality　and　courtesy；　nor　had　he　kept　him



waiting　in　the　mean　room　on　the　plea　that　he　was　at　that　moment



closeted　with　the　Sacred　Emperor。　However；　upon　receiving　an　assurance



that　a　rumour　would　be　spread　in　which　the　number　of　taels　should　be



multiplied　by　ten；　and　that　the　sum　itself　should　be　brought　in



advance；　Tieng　Lin　promised　to　instruct　this　person　in　the　art　of



drawing　five　characters；　which；　he　said；　would　be　sufficient　to



illustrate　all　stories　except　those　by　the　most　expensive　and



highly…rewarded　story…tellersmen　who　have　become　so　proficient　that



they　not　infrequently　introduce　a　score　or　more　of　living　persons　into



their　tales　without　confusion。







After　considerable　deliberation；　this　unassuming　person　selected　the



following　characters；　judging　them　to　be　the　most　useful；　and　the　most



readily　applicable　to　all　phases　and　situations　of　life：







1。　A　bad　person；　wearing　a　long　dark　pigtail　and　smoking　an　opium



pipe。　His　arms　to　be　folded；　and　his　clothes　new　and　very　expensive。







2。　A　woman　of　low　class。　One　who　removes　dust　and　useless　things　from



the　rooms　of　the　over…fastidious　and　of　those　who　have　long　nails；　she



to　be　carrying　her　trade…signs。







3。　A　person　from　Pe…ling；　endowed　with　qualities　which　cause　the



beholder　to　be　amused。　This　character　to　be　especially　designed　to　go



with　the　short　sayings　which　remove　gravity。







4。　One　who；　having　incurred　the　displeasure　of　the　sublime　Emperor；



has　been　decapitated　in　consequence。







5。　An　ordinary　person　of　no　striking　or　distinguished　appearance。　One



who　can　be　safely　introduced　in　all　places　and　circumstances　without



great　fear　of　detection。







After　many　months　spent　in　constant　practice　and　in　taking



measurements；　this　unenviable　person　attained　a　very　high　degree　of



proficiency；　and　could　draw　any　of　the　five　characters　without



hesitation。　With　renewed　hope；　therefore；　he　again　approached　those



who　sit　in　easy…chairs；　and　concealing　his　identity　（for　they　are



stiff　at　bending；　and　when　once　a　picture…maker　is　classed　as　〃of　no



good〃　he　remains　so　to　the　end；　in　spite　of　change）；　he　succeeded　in



getting　entrusted　with　a　story　by　the　elegant　and　refined　Kyen　Tal。



This　writer；　as　he　remembered　with　distrust；　confines　his



distinguished　efforts　entirely　to　the　doings　of　sailors　and　of　those



connected　with　the　sea；　and　this　tale；　indeed；　he　found　upon　reading



to　be　the　narrative　of　how　a　Hang…Chow　junk　and　its　crew；　consisting



mostly　of　aged　persons；　were　beguiled　out　of　their　course　by　an



exceedingly　ill…disposed　dragon；　and　wrecked　upon　an　island　of　naked



barbarians。　It　was；　therefore；　with　a　somewhat　heavy　stomach　that　this



person　set　himself　the　task　of　arranging　his　five　characters　as　so　to



illustrate　the　words　of　the　story。







The　sayings　of　the　ancient　philosopher　Tai　Loo　are　indeed　very　subtle；



and　the　truth　of　his　remark；　〃After　being　disturbed　in　one's　dignity



by　a　mandarin's　foot　it　is　no　unusual　occurrence　to　fall　flat　on　the



face　in　crossing　a　muddy　street；〃　was　now　apparent。　Great　as　was　the



disadvantage　owing　to　the　nature　of　the　five　characters；　this　became



as　nothing　when　it　presently　appeared　that　the　avaricious　and



clay…souled　Tieng　Lin；　taking　advantage　of　the　blindness　of　this



person's　enthusiasm；　had　taught　him　the　figures　so　that　they　all　gazed



in　the　same　direction。　In　consequence　of　this　it　would　have　been



impossible　that　two　should　be　placed　as　in　the　act　of　conversing



together　had　not　the　noble　Kyen　Tal　been　inspired　to　write　that　〃his



companions　turned　from　him　in　horror〃。　This　incident　the　ingenious



person　who　is　recording　these　facts　made　the　subject　of　three　separate



drawings；　and　having　in　one　or　two　other　places　effected　skilful



changes　in　the　writing；　so　similar　in　style　to　the　strokes　of　the



illustrious　Kyen　Tal　as　to　be　undetectable；　he　found　little　difficulty



in　making　use　of　all　his　characters。　The　risks　of　the　future；　however；



were　too　great　to　be　run　with　impunity；　therefore　it　was　arranged；　by



means　of　moneyfor　this　person　was　fast　becoming　acquainted　with　the



ways　of　Pekingthat　an　emissary　from　one　who　sat　in　an　easy…chair



should　call　upon　him　for　a　conference；　the　narrative　of　which　appeared



in　this　form　in　the　Peking　Printed　Leaves　of　Thrice…distilled　Truth：







　　　　The　brilliant　and　amiable　young　picture…maker　Kin　Yen；　in



　　　　spite　of　the　immediate　and　universal　success　of　his



　　　　accomplished　efforts；　is　still　quite　rotund　in　intellect；　nor



　　　　is　he；　if　we　may　use　a　form　of　speaking　affected　by　our



　　　　friends　across　the　Hoang　Hai；　〃suffering　from　swollen　feet。〃　A



　　　　person　with　no　recognized　position；　but　one　who　occasionally



　　　　does　inferior　work　of　this　nature　for　us；　recently　surprised



　　　　Kin　Yen　without　warning；　and　found　him　in　his　sumptuously　



　　　　appointed　picture…room；　busy　with　compasses　and　tracing…paper。



　　　　About　the　place　were　scattered　in　elegant　confusion　several　of



　　　　his　recent　masterpieces。　From　the　subsequent　conversation　we



　　　　are　in　a　position　to　make　it　known　that　in　future　this　refined



　　　　and　versatile　person　will　confine　himself　entirely　to



　　　　illustrations　of　processions；　funerals；　armies　on　the　march；



　　　　persons　pursued　by　others；　and　kindred　subjects　which　appeal



　　　　strongly　to　his　imagination。　Kin　Yen　has　severe　emotions　on



　　　　the　subject　of　individuality　in　art；　and　does　not　hesitate　to



　　　　express　himself　forcibly　with　reference　to　those　who　are



　　　　content　to　degrade　the　names　of　their　ancestors　by　turning　out



　　　　what　he　wittily　describes　as　〃so　much　of　varied　mediocrity〃。







The　prominence　obtained　by　this　pleasantly…composed　noticefor　it　was



copied　by　others　who　were　unaware　of　the　circumstance　of　its



originhad　the　desired　effect。　In　future；　when　one　of　those　who　sit



in　easy…chairs　wished　for　a　picture　after　the　kind　mentioned；　he　would



say　to　his　lesser　one：　〃Oh；　send　to　the　graceful　and　versatile　Kin



Yen；　he　becomes　inspired　on　the　subject　of　funerals；〃　or　persons



escaping　from　prison；　or　families　walking　to　the　temple；　or　whatever



it　might　be。　In　that　way　this　narrow…minded　and　illiterate　person　was



soon　both　looked　at　and　rich；　so　that　it　was　his　daily　practice　to　be



carried；　in　silk　garments；　past　the　houses　of　those　who　had　known　him



in　poverty；　and　on　these　occasions　he　would　puff　out　his　cheeks　and



pull　his　moustaches；　looking　fiercely　from　side　to　side。







True　are　the　words　written　in　the　elegant　and　distinguished　Book　of



Verses：　〃Beware　lest　when　being　kissed　by　the　all…se