the wallet of kai lung-第51部分

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





Verses：　〃Beware　lest　when　being　kissed　by　the　all…seeing　Emperor；　you



step　upon　the　elusive　banana…peel。〃　It　was　at　the　height　of　eminence



in　this　altogether　degraded　person's　career　that　he　encountered　the



being　who　led　him　on　to　his　present　altogether　too　lamentable



condition。







Tien　Nung　is　the　earthly　name　by　which　is　known　she　who　combines　all



the　most　illustrious　attributes　which　have　been　possessed　of　women



since　the　days　of　the　divine　Fou…Hy。　Her　father　is　a　person　of　very



gross　habits；　and　lives　by　selling　inferior　merchandise　covered　with



some　of　good　quality。　Upon　past　occasions；　when　under　the　direct



influence　of　Tien；　and　in　the　hope　of　gaining　some　money　benefit；　this



person　may　have　spoken　of　him　in　terms　of　praise；　and　may　even　have



recommended　friends　to　entrust　articles　of　value　to　him；　or　to　procure



goods　on　his　advice。　Now；　however；　he　records　it　as　his　unalterable



decision　that　the　father　of　Tien　Nung　is　by　profession　a　person　who



obtains　goods　by　stratagem；　and　that；　moreover；　it　is　impossible　to



gain　an　advantage　over　him　on　matters　of　exchange。







The　events　that　have　happened　prove　the　deep　wisdom　of　Li　Pen　when　he



exclaimed　〃The　whitest　of　pigeons；　no　matter　how　excellent　in　the



silk…hung　chamber；　is　not　to　be　followed　on　the　field　of　battle。〃　Tien



herself　was　all　that　the　most　exacting　of　persons　could　demand；　but



her　opinions　on　the　subject　of　picture…making　were　not　formed　by　heavy



thought；　and　it　would　have　been　well　if　this　had　been　borne　in　mind　by



this　person。　One　morning　he　chanced　to　meet　her　while　carrying　open　in



his　hands　four　sets　of　printed　leaves　containing　his　pictures。







〃I　have　observed；〃　said　Tien；　after　the　usual　personal　inquiries　had



been　exchanged；　〃that　the　renowned　Kin　Yen；　who　is　the　object　of　the



keenest　envy　among　his　brother　picture…makers；　so　little　regards　the



sacredness　of　his　accomplished　art　that　never　by　any　chance　does　he



depict　persons　of　the　very　highest　excellence。　Let　not　the　words　of　an



impetuous　maiden　disarrange　his　digestive　organs　if　they　should　seem



too　bold　to　the　high…souled　Kin　Yen；　but　this　matter　has；　since　she



has　known　him；　troubled　the　eyelids　of　Tien。　Here；〃　she　continued；



taking　from　this　person's　hand　one　of　the　printed　leaves　which　he　was



carrying；　〃in　this　illustration　of　persons　returning　from



extinguishing　a　fire；　is　there　one　who　appears　to　possess　those



qualities　which　appeal　to　all　that　is　intellectual　and　competitive



within　one？　Can　it　be　that　the　immaculate　Kin　Yen　is　unacquainted　with



the　subtle　distinction　between　the　really　select　and　the　vastly



ordinary？　Ah；　undiscriminating　Kin　Yen！　are　not　the　eyelashes　of　the



person　who　is　addressing　you　as　threads　of　fine　gold　to　junk's　cables



when　compared　with　those　of　the　extremely　commonplace　female　who　is



here　pictured　in　the　art　of　carrying　a　bucket？　Can　the　most　refined



lack　of　vanity　hide　from　you　the　fact　that　your　own　person　is



infinitely　rounder　than　this　of　the　evilly…intentioned…looking



individual　with　the　opium　pipe？　O　blind　Kin　Yen！〃







Here　she　fled　in　honourable　confusion；　leaving　this　person　standing　in



the　street；　astounded；　and　a　prey　to　the　most　distinguished　emotions



of　a　complicated　nature。







〃Oh；　Tien；〃　he　cried　at　length；　〃inspired　by　those　bright　eyes；



narrower　than　the　most　select　of　the　three　thousand　and　one　possessed



by　the　sublime　Buddha；　the　almost　fallen　Kin　Yen　will　yet　prove



himself　worthy　of　your　esteemed　consideration。　He　will；　without　delay；



learn　to　draw　two　new　living　persons；　and　will　incorporate　in　them　the



likenesses　which　you　have　suggested。〃







Returning　swiftly　to　his　abode；　he　therefore　inscribed　and　despatched



this　letter；　in　proof　of　his　resolve：







〃To　the　Heaven…sent　human　chrysanthemum；　in　whose　body　reside　the



Celestial　Principles　and　the　imprisoned　colours　of　the　rainbow。







〃From　the　very　offensive　and　self…opinionated　picture…maker。







〃Henceforth　this　person　will　take　no　rest；　nor　eat　any　but　the



commonest　food；　until　he　shall　have　carried　out　the　wishes　of　his　one



Jade　Star；　she　whose　teeth　he　is　not　worthy　to　blacken。







〃When　Kin　Yen　has　been　entrusted　with　a　story　which　contains　a　being



in　some　degree　reflecting　the　character　of　Tien；　he　will　embellish　it



with　her　irreproachable　profile　and　come　to　hear　her　words。　Till　then



he　bids　her　farewell〃







From　that　moment　most　of　this　person's　time　was　necessarily　spent　in



learning　to　draw　the　two　new　characters；　and　in　consequence　of　this　he



lost　much　work；　and；　indeed；　the　greater　part　of　the　connexion　which



he　had　been　at　such　pains　to　form　gradually　slipped　away　from　him。



Many　months　passed　before　he　was　competent　to　reproduce　persons



resembling　Tien　and　himself；　for　in　this　he　was　unassisted　by　Tieng



Lin；　and　his　progress　was　slow。







At　length；　being　satisfied；　he　called　upon　the　least　fierce　of　those



who　sit　in　easy…chairs；　and　requested　that　he　might　be　entrusted　with



a　story　for　picture…making。







〃We　should　have　been　covered　with　honourable　joy　to　set　in　operation



the　brush　of　the　inspired　Kin　Yen；〃　replied　the　other　with　agreeable



condescension；　〃only　at　the　moment；　it　does　not　chance　that　we　have



before　us　any　stories　in　which　funerals；　or　beggars　being　driven　from



the　city；　form　the　chief　incidents。　Perhaps　if　the　polished　Kin　Yen



should　happen　to　be　passing　this　ill…constructed　office　in　about　six



months'　time〃







〃The　brush　of　Kin　Yen　will　never　again　depict　funerals；　or　labourers



arranging　themselves　to　receive　pay　or　similar　subjects；〃　exclaimed



this　person　impetuously；　〃for；　as　it　is　well　said；　'The　lightning



discovers　objects　which　the　paper…lantern　fails　to　reveal。'　In　future



none　but　tales　dealing　with　the　most　distinguished　persons　shall　have



his　attention。〃







〃If　this　be　the　true　word　of　the　dignified　Kin　Yen；　it　is　possible



that　we　may　be　able　to　animate　his　inspired　faculties；〃　was　the



response。　〃But　in　that　case；　as　a　new　style　must　be　in　the　nature　of



an　experiment；　and　as　our　public　has　come　to　regard　Kin　Yen　as　the



great　exponent　of　Art　Facing　in　One　Direction；　we　cannot　continue　the



exceedingly　liberal　payment　with　which　we　have　been　accustomed　to



reward　his　elegant　exertions。〃







〃Provided　the　story　be　suitable；　that　is　a　matter　of　less　importance；〃



replied　this　person。







〃The　story；〃　said　the　one　in　the　easy…chair；　〃is　by　the　refined



Tong…king；　and　it　treats　of　the　high…minded　and　conscientious　doubts



of　one　who　would　become　a　priest　of　Fo。　When　preparing　for　this



distinguished　office　he　discovers　within　himself　leanings　towards　the



religion　of　Lao…Tse。　His　illustrious　scruples　are　enhanced　by　his



affection　for　Wu　Ping；　who　now　appears　in　the　story。〃







〃And　the　ending？〃　inquired　this　person；　for　it　was　desirable　that　the



two　should　marry　happily。







〃The　inimitable　stories　of　Tong…king　never　have　any　real　ending；　and



this　one；　being　in　his　most　elevated　style；　has　even　less　end　than



most　of　them。　But　the　whole　narrative　is　permeated　with　the　odour　of



joss…sticks　and　honourable　high…mindedness；　and　the　two　characters　are



both　of　noble　birth。〃







As　it　might　be　some　time　before　another　story　so　suitable　should　be



offered；　or　one　which　would　afford　so　good　an　opportunity　of　wafting



incense　to　Tien；　and　of　displaying　her　incomparable　outline　in



dignified　and　magnanimous　attitudes；　this　was　eagerly　accepted；　and



for　the　next　week　this　obscure　person　spent　all　his　days　and　nights　in



picturing　the　lovely　Tien　and　his　debased　self　in　the　characters　of



the　nobly…born　young　priest　of　Fo　and　Wu　Ping。　The　pictures　finished；



he　caused　them　to　be　carefully　conveyed　to　the　office；　and　then；



sitting　down；　spent　many　hours　in　composing　the　following　letter；　to



be　sent　to　Tien；　accompanying　a　copy　of　the　printed　leaves　wherein　the



story　and　his　drawing　should　appear：







〃When　the　light　has　for　a　period　been　hidden　from　a　person；　it　is　no



uncommon　thing　for　him　to　be　struck　blind　on　gazing　at　the　sun；



therefore；　if　the　sublime　Tien　values　the　eyes　of　Kin　Yen；　let　her



hide　herself　behind　a　gauze　screen　on　his　approach。







〃The　trembling　words　of　Tien　have　sunk　deep　into　the　inside　of　Kin　Yen



and　become　part　of　his　being。　Never　again　can　he　depict　persons　of　the



quality　and　in　the　position　he　was　wont　to　do。







〃With　this　he　sends　his　latest　efforts。　In　each　case　he　conceives　his



drawings　to　be　the　pictures　of　the　written　words；　in　the　noble　Tien's



case　it　is　undoubtedly　so；　in　his　own　he　aspires　to　it。　Doubtless　the



unobtrusive　Tien　would　make　no　claim　to　the　character　and　manner　of



behaving　of　the　one　in　the　story；　yet　Kin　Yen　confidently　asserts　that



she　is　to　the　other　as　the　glove　is　to　the　hand；　and　he　is　filled　with



the　most　intelligent　delight　at　being　able　to　exhibit　her　in　her　true



robes；　by　which　she　will　be　known　to　all　who　see　her；　in　spite　of　her



dignified　protests。　Kin　Yen　hopes；　he　will　come　this　evening　after



sunset。〃







The　week　which　passed　between　the　finishing　of　the　pictures　and　the



appearance　of　the　eminent　printed　leaves　containing　them　was　the



longest　in　this　near…sighted　person's　ill…spent　life。　But　at　length



the　day　arrived；　and　going　with　exceedingly　mean　haste　to　the　place　of



sale；　he　purchased　a　copy　and　sent　it；　together　with　the　letter　of　his