the wallet of kai lung-第39节

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tea…houses　and　yamens。　From　this　cause　it　came　about　that　the　matter



of　taels　to　be　expended　was　much　greater　than　had　been　anticipated　at



the　beginning；　so　that　when　the　day　arrived　on　which　the　volumes　were



to　be　sent　forth　this　person　found　that　almost　his　last　piece　of　money



had　disappeared。







〃Alas！　how　small　a　share　has　a　person　in　the　work　of　controlling　his



own　destiny。　Had　only　the　necessarily　penurious　and　now　almost



degraded　Kai　Lung　been　born　a　brief　span　before　the　great　writer　Lo



Kuan　Chang；　his　name　would　have　been　received　with　every　mark　of



esteem　from　one　end　of　the　Empire　to　the　other；　while　taels　and



honourable　decorations　would　have　been　showered　upon　him。　For　the



truth；　which　could　no　longer　be　concealed；　revealed　the　fact　that　this



inopportune　individual　possessed　a　mind　framed　in　such　a　manner　that



his　thoughts　had　already　been　the　thoughts　of　the　inspired　Lo　Kuan；



who；　as　this　person　would　not　be　so　presumptuous　as　to　inform　this



ornamental　and　well…informed　gathering；　was　the　most　ingenious　and



versatile…minded　composer　of　written　words　that　this　Empireand



therefore　the　entire　worldhas　seen；　as；　indeed；　his　honourable　title



of　'The　Many…hued　Mandarin　Duck　of　the　Yang…tse'　plainly　indicates。







〃Although　this　self…opinionated　person　had　frequently　been　greatly



surprised　himself　during　the　writing　of　his　long　work　by　the



brilliance　and　manysidedness　of　the　thoughts　and　metaphors　which　arose



in　his　mind　without　conscious　effort；　it　was　not　until　the　appearance



of　the　printed　leaves　which　make　a　custom　of　warning　persons　against



being　persuaded　into　buying　certain　books　that　he　definitely



understood　how　all　these　things　had　been　fully　expressed　many



dynasties　ago　by　the　all…knowing　Lo　Kuan　Chang；　and　formed；　indeed；



the　great　national　standard　of　unapproachable　excellence。



Unfortunately；　this　person　had　been　so　deeply　engrossed　all　his　life



in　literary　pursuits　that　he　had　never　found　an　opportunity　to　glance



at　the　works　in　question；　or　he　would　have　escaped　the　embarrassing



position　in　which　he　now　found　himself。







〃It　was　with　a　hopeless　sense　of　illness　of　ease　that　this　unhappy　one



reached　the　day　on　which　the　printed　leaves　already　alluded　to　would



make　known　their　deliberate　opinion　of　his　writing；　the　extremity　of



his　hope　being　that　some　would　at　least　credit　him　with　honourable



motives；　and　perhaps　a　knowledge　that　if　the　inspired　Lo　Kuan　Chan　had



never　been　born　the　entire　matter　might　have　been　brought　to　a　very



different　conclusion。　Alas！　only　one　among　the　many　printed　leaves



which　made　reference　to　the　venture　contained　any　words　of　friendship



or　encouragement。　This　benevolent　exception　was　sent　forth　from　a　city



in　the　extreme　Northern　Province　of　the　Empire；　and　contained　many



inspiring　though　delicately　guarded　messages　of　hope　for　the　one　to



whom　they　gracefully　alluded　as　'this　undoubtedly　youthful；　but



nevertheless；　distinctly　promising　writer　of　books'。　While　admitting



that　altogether　they　found　the　production　undeniably　tedious；　they



claimed　to　have　discovered　indications　of　an　obvious　talent；　and



therefore　they　unhesitatingly　counselled　the　person　in　question　to



take　courage　at　the　prospect　of　a　moderate　competency　which　was



certainly　within　his　grasp　if　he　restrained　his　somewhat



over…ambitious　impulses　and　closely　observed　the　simple　subjects　and



manner　of　expression　of　their　own　Chang　Chow；　whose　'Lines　to　a



Wayside　Chrysanthemum'；　'Mongolians　who　Have'；　and　several　other



composed　pieces；　they　then　set　forth。　Although　it　became　plain　that



the　writer　of　this　amiably　devised　notice　was；　like　this　incapable



person；　entirely　unacquainted　with　the　masterpieces　of　Lo　Kuan　Chang；



yet　the　indisputable　fact　remained　that；　entirely　on　its　merit；　the



work　had　been　greeted　with　undoubted　enthusiasm；　so　that　after



purchasing　many　examples　of　the　refined　printed　leaf　containing　it；



this　person　sat　far　into　the　night　continually　reading　over　the　one



unprejudiced　and　discriminating　expression。







〃All　the　other　printed　leaves　displayed　a　complete　absence　of　good



taste　in　dealing　with　the　mater。　One　boldly　asserted　that　the　entire



circumstance　was　the　outcome　of　a　foolish　jest　or　wager　on　the　part　of



a　person　who　possessed　a　million　taels；　another　predicted　that　it　was



a　cunning　and　elaborately　thought…out　method　of　obtaining　the



attention　of　the　people　on　the　part　of　certain　persons　who　claimed　to



vend　a　reliable　and　fragrantly…scented　cleansing　substance。　The



〃Valley　of　Hoang　Rose　Leaves　and　Sweetness〃　hoped；　in　a　spirit　of　no



sincerity；　that　the　ingenious　Kai　Lung　would　not　rest　on　his



tea…leaves；　but　would　soon　send　forth　an　equally　entertaining　amended



example　of　the　〃Sayings　of　Confucious〃　and　other　sacred　works；　while



the　〃Pure　Essence　of　the　Seven　Days'　Happenings〃　merely　printed　side



by　side　portions　from　the　two　books　under　the　large　inscription；



'IS　THERE　REALLY　ANY　NEED　FOR　US　TO　EXPRESS　OURSELVES　MORE　CLEARLY？'







〃The　disappointment　both　as　regards　public　esteem　and　taelsfor；



after　the　manner　in　which　the　work　had　been　received　by　those　who



advise　on　such　productions；　not　a　single　example　was　purchasedthrew



this　ill…destined　individual　into　a　condition　of　most　unendurable



depression；　from　which　he　was　only　aroused　by　a　remarkable　example　of



the　unfailing　wisdom　of　the　proverb　which　says　'Before　hastening　to



secure　a　possible　reward　of　five　taels　by　dragging　an　unobservant



person　away　from　a　falling　building；　examine　well　his　features　lest



you　find；　when　too　late；　that　it　is　one　to　whom　you　are　indebted　for



double　that　amount。'　Disappointed　in　the　hope　of　securing　large　gains



from　the　sale　of　his　great　work；　this　person　now　turned　his　attention



again　to　his　former　means　of　living；　only　to　find；　however；　that　the



discredit　in　which　he　had　become　involved　even　attached　itself　to　his



concise　sentence；　for　in　place　of　the　remunerative　and　honourable



manner　in　which　it　was　formerly　received；　it　was　now　regarded　on　all



hands　with　open　suspicion。　Instead　of　meekly　kow…towing　to　an



evidently　pre…arranged　doom；　the　last　misfortune　aroused　this　usually



resigned　story…teller　to　an　ungovernable　frenzy。　Regarding　the



accomplished　but　at　the　same　time　exceedingly　over…productive　Lo　Kuan



Chang　as　the　beginning　of　all　his　evils；　he　took　a　solemn　oath　as　a



mark　of　disapproval　that　he　had　not　been　content　to　inscribe　on　paper



only　half　of　his　brilliant　thoughts；　leaving　the　other　half　for　the



benefit　of　this　hard…striving　and　equally　well…endowed　individual；　in



which　case　there　would　have　been　a　sufficiency　of　taels　and　of　fame



for　both。







〃For　a　very　considerable　space　of　time　this　person　could　conceive　no



method　by　which　he　might　attain　his　object。　At　length；　however；　as　a



result　of　very　keen　and　subtle　intellectual　searching；　and　many



well…selected　sacrifices；　it　was　conveyed　by　means　of　a　dream　that　one



very　ingenious　yet　simple　way　was　possible。　The　renowned　and



universally…admired　writings　of　the　distinguished　Lo　Kuan　for　the　most



part　take　their　action　within　a　few　dynasties　of　their　creator's　own



time：　all　that　remained　for　this　inventive　person　to　accomplish；



therefore；　was　to　trace　out　the　entire　matter；　making　the　words　and



speeches　to　proceed　from　the　mouths　of　those　who　existed　in　still



earlier　periods。　By　this　crafty　method　it　would　at　once　appear　as



though　the　not…too…original　Lo　Kuan　had　been　indebted　to　one　who　came



before　him　for　all　his　most　subtle　thoughts；　and；　in　consequence；　his



tomb　would　become　dishonoured　and　his　memory　execrated。　Without　any



delay　this　person　cheerfully　set　himself　to　the　somewhat　laborious



task　before　him。　Lo　Kuan's　well…known　exclamation　of　the　Emperor　Tsing



on　the　battlefield　of　Shih…ho；　'A　sedan…chair！　a　sedan…chair！　This



person　will　unhesitatingly　exchange　his　entire　and　well…regulated



Empire　for　such　an　article'；　was　attributed　to　an　Emperor　who　lived



several　thousand　years　before　the　treacherous　and　unpopular　Tsing。　The



new　matter　of　a　no　less　frequently　quoted　portion　ran：　'O　nobly



intentioned　but　nevertheless　exceedingly　morose　Tung…shin；　the　object



before　you　is　your　distinguished　and　evilly…disposed…of　father's



honourably…inspired　demon'；　the　change　of　a　name　effecting　whatever



alteration　was　necessary；　while　the　delicately…imagined　speech



beginning　'The　person　who　becomes　amused　at　matters　resulting　from



double…edged　knives　has　assuredly　never　felt　the　e