the wallet of kai lung-第33节

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！





forth　as　follows：　By　a　wise　and　all…knowing　divine　system；　it　is



arranged　that　certain　honourable　occupations；　which　by　their　nature



cannot　become　remunerative　to　any　marked　degree；　shall　be　singled　out



for　special　marks　of　reverence；　so　that　those　who　engage　therein　may



be　compensated　in　dignity　for　what　they　must　inevitably　lack　in　taels。



By　this　refined　dispensation　the　literary　occupations；　which　are　in



general　the　highroads　to　the　Establishment　of　Public　Support　and



Uniform　Apparel；　are　held　in　the　highest　veneration。　Agriculture；　from



which　it　is　possible　to　wrest　a　competency；　follows　in　esteem；　while



the　various　branches　of　commerce；　leading　as　they　do　to　vast



possessions　and　the　attendant　luxury；　are　very　justly　deprived　of　all



the　attributes　of　dignity　and　respect。　Yet　observe；　O　justice…loving



Mandarin；　how　unbecomingly　this　ingenious　system　of　universal



compensation　has　been　debased　at　the　instance　of　grasping　and



avaricious　ones。　Dignity；　riches　and　ease　now　go　hand　in　hand；　and　the



highest　rewarded　in　all　matters　are　also　the　most　esteemed；　whereas；



if　the　discriminating　provision　of　those　who　have　gone　before　and　so



arranged　it　was　observed；　the　direct　contrary　would　be　the　case。'







〃'It　is　a　state　of　things　which　is　somewhat　difficult　to　imagine　in



general　matters　of　life；　in　spite　of　the　fair…seemingness　of　your



words；'　said　the　Mandarin　thoughtfully；　'nor　can　this　rather　obtuse



and　slow…witted　person　fully　grasp　the　practical　application　of　the



system　on　the　edge　of　the　moment。　In　what　manner　would　it　operate　in



the　case　of　ordinary　persons；　for　example？'







〃'There　should　be　a　fixed　and　settled　arrangement　that　the　low…minded



and　degrading　occupationssuch　as　that　of　following　charitable



persons　from　place　to　place；　chanting　verses　composed　in　their　honour；



that　of　misleading　travellers　who　inquire　the　way；　so　that　they　fall



into　the　hands　of　robbers；　and　the　like　callingsshould　be　the　most



highly　rewarded　to　the　end　that　those　who　are　engaged　therein　may



obtain　some　solace　for　the　loss　of　dignity　they　experience；　and　the



mean　intellectual　position　which　they　are　compelled　to　maintain。　By



this　device　they　would　be　enabled　to　possess　certain　advantages　and



degrees　of　comfort　which　at　present　are　utterly　beyond　their　grasp；　so



that　in　the　end　they　would　escape　being　entirely　debased。　To　turn　to



the　other　foot；　those　who　are　now　high　in　position；　and　engaged　in



professions　which　enjoy　the　confidence　of　all　persons；　have　that　which



in　itself　is　sufficient　to　insure　contentment。　Furthermore；　the　most



proficient　and　engaging　in　every　department；　mean　or　high…minded；　have



certain　attributes　of　respect　among　those　beneath　them；　so　that　they



might　justly　be　content　with　the　lowest　reward　in　whatever　calling



they　professed；　the　least　skilful　and　most　left…handed　being



compensated　for　the　mental　anguish　which　they　must　undoubtedly　suffer



by　receiving　the　greatest　number　of　taels。'







〃'Such　a　scheme　would；　as　far　as　the　matter　has　been　expressed；　appear



to　possess　all　the　claims　of　respect；　and　to　be；　indeed；　what　was



originally　intended　by　those　who　framed　the　essentials　of　existence；'



said　Chan　Hung；　when　he　had　for　some　space　of　time　considered　the



details。　'In　one　point；　however；　this　person　fails　to　perceive　how　the



arrangement　could　be　amiably　conducted　in　Fow　Hou。　The　one　who　is



addressing　you　maintains；　as　a　matter　of　right；　a　position　of



exceptional　respect；　nor；　if　he　must　express　himself　upon　such　a



detail；　are　his　excessively　fatiguing　duties　entirely



unremunerative　。　。　。'







〃'In　the　case　of　the　distinguished　and　unalterable　Mandarin；'



exclaimed　Ming…hi；　with　no　appearance　of　hesitation；　'the　matter　would



of　necessity　be　arranged　otherwise。　Being　from　that　time；　as　it　were；



the　controller　of　the　destinies　and　remunerations　of　all　those　in　Fow



Hou；　he　would；　manifestly；　be　outside　the　working　of　the　scheme；



standing　apart　and　regulating；　like　the　person　who　turns　the　handle　of



the　corn…mill；　but　does　not　suffer　himself　to　be　drawn　between　the



stones；　he　could　still　maintain　both　his　respect　and　his　remuneration



unaltered。'







〃'If　the　detail　could　honourably　be　regarded　in　such　a　light；'　said



Chan　Hung；　'this　person　would；　without　delay；　so　rearrange　matters　in



Fow　Hou；　and　thereby　create　universal　justice　and　an　unceasing



contentment　within　the　minds　of　all。'







〃'Undoubtedly　such　a　course　could　be　justly　followed；'　assented



Ming…hi；　'for　in　precisely　that　manner　of　working　was　the　complete



scheme　revealed　to　this　highly…favoured　person。'







〃Entirely　wrapped　up　in　thoughts　concerning　the　inception　and　manner



of　operation　of　this　project　Chan　Hung　began　to　retrace　his　steps



towards　the　Yamen；　failing　to　observe　in　his　benevolent　abstraction　of



mind；　that　the　unaffectedly　depraved　person　Ming…hi　was　stretching　out



his　feet　towards　him　and　indulging　in　every　other　form　of　low…minded



and　undignified　contempt。







〃Before　he　reached　the　door　of　his　residence　the　Mandarin　overtook　one



who　occupied　a　high　position　of　confidence　and　remuneration　in　the



Department　of　Public　Fireworks　and　Coloured　Lights。　Fully　assured　of



this　versatile　person's　enthusiasm　on　behalf　of　so　humane　and



charitable　a　device；　Chan　Hung　explained　the　entire　matter　to　him



without　delay；　and　expressly　desired　that　if　there　were　any　details



which　appeared　capable　of　improvement；　he　would　declare　himself



clearly　regarding　them。







〃'Alas！'　exclaimed　the　person　with　whom　the　Mandarin　was　conversing；



speaking　in　so　unfeignedly　disturbed　and　terrified　a　voice　that



several　who　were　passing　by　stopped　in　order　to　learn　the　full



circumstance；　'have　this　person's　ears　been　made　the　object　of　some



unnaturally　light…minded　demon's　ill…disposed　pastime；　or　does　the



usually　well…balanced　Chan　Hung　in　reality　contemplate　so　violent　and



un…Chinese　an　action？　What　but　evil　could　arise　from　a　single　word　of



the　change　which　he　proposes　to　the　extent　of　a　full　written　book？　The



entire　fixed　nature　of　events　would　become　reversed；　persons　would　no



longer　be　fully　accountable　to　one　another；　and　Fow　Hou　being　thus



thrown　into　a　most　unendurable　state　of　confusion；　the　protecting



Deities　would　doubtless　withdraw　their　influence；　and　the　entire



region　would　soon　be　given　over　to　the　malicious　guardianship　of



rapacious　and　evilly…disposed　spirits。　Let　this　person　entreat　the



almost　invariably　clear…sighted　Chan　Hung　to　return　at　once　to　his



adequately　equipped　and　sumptuous　Yamen；　and　barring　well　the　door　of



his　inner　chamber；　so　that　it　can　only　be　opened　from　the　outside；



partake　of　several　sleeping　essences　of　unusual　strength；　after　which



he　will　awake　in　an　undoubtedly　refreshed　state　of　mind；　and　in　a



condition　to　observe　matters　with　his　accustomed　diamond…like



penetration。'







〃'By　no　means！'　cried　one　of　those　who　had　stopped　to　learn　the



occasion　of　the　incidenta　very　inferior　maker　of　unserviceable



imitation　pigtails'the　devout　and　conscientious…minded　Mandarin　Chan



Hung　speaks　as　the　inspired　mouth…piece　of　the　omnipotent　Buddha；　and



must；　for　that　reason；　be　obeyed　in　every　detail。　This　person　would



unhesitatingly　counsel　the　now　invaluable　Mandarin　to　proceed　to　his



well…constructed　residence　without　delay；　and　there　calling　together



his　entire　staff　of　those　who　set　down　his　spoken　words；　put　the



complete　Heaven…sent　plan　into　operation；　and　beyond　recall；　before　he



retires　to　his　inner　chamber。'







〃Upon　this　there　arose　a　most　inelegant　display　of　undignified



emotions　on　the　part　of　the　assembly　which　had　by　this　time　gathered



together。　While　those　who　occupied　honourable　and　remunerative



positions　very　earnestly　entreated　the　Mandarin　to　act　in　the　manner



which　had　been　suggested　by　the　first　speaker；　otherswho　had；　in　the



meantime；　made　use　of　imagined　figures；　and　thereby　discovered　that



the　proposed　change　would　be　greatly　to　their　advantageraised　shouts



of　encouragement　towards　the　proposal　of　the　pigtail…maker；　urging　the



noble　Mandarin　not　to　become　small　in　the　face　towards　the



insignificant　few　who　were　ever　opposed　to　enlightened　reform；　but　to



maintain　an　unflaccid　upper　lip；　and　carry　the　entire　matter　through



to　its　destined　end。　In　the　course　of　this　very　unseemly　tumult；　which



soon　involved　all　persons　present　in　hostile　demonstrations　towards



each　other；　both　the　Mandarin　and　the　official　from　the　Firewo