the wallet of kai lung-第52节

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down　to　the　smallest　detail；　inasmuch　as　proficiency　in　the　use　of



both　blunt　and　sharp…edged　weapons；　and　a　faculty　for　passing



undetected　through　the　midst　of　an　encamped　body　of　foemen；　fitted　a



person　for　the　every…day　affairs　of　life　above　all　other



accomplish…ments。







〃Without　doubt　the　very　accomplished　Yat　Huan　is　well　advised　on　this



point；〃　continued　Quang；　〃for　even　this　mentally　short…sighted　person



can　call　up　within　his　understanding　numerous　specific　incidents　in



the　ordinary　career　of　one　engaged　in　the　commerce　of　porcelain　clay



when　such　attainments　would　be　of　great　remunerative　benefit。　Does　the



well…endowed　Yin　think；　for　example；　that　even　the　most　depraved



person　would　endeavour　to　gain　an　advantage　over　him　in　the　matter　of



buying　or　selling　porcelain　clay　if　he　fully　understood　the　fact　that



the　one　with　whom　he　was　trafficking　could　unhesitatingly　transfix



four　persons　with　one　arrow　at　the　distance　of　a　hundred　paces？　Or　to



what　advantage　would　it　be　that　a　body　of　unscrupulous　outcasts　who



owned　a　field　of　inferior　clay　should　surround　it　with　drawn　swords　by



day　and　night；　endeavouring　meanwhile　to　dispose　of　it　as　material　of



the　finest　quality；　if　the　one　whom　they　endeavoured　to　ensnare　in



this　manner　possessed　the　power　of　being　able　to　pass　through　their



ranks　unseen　and　examine　the　clay　at　his　leisure？〃







〃In　the　cases　to　which　reference　has　been　made；　the　possession　of



those　qualities　would　undoubtedly　be　of　considerable　use；〃　admitted



Yin；　yet；　in　spite　of　his　entire　ignorance　of　commercial　matters；　this



one　has　a　confident　feeling　that　it　would　be　more　profitable　to　avoid



such　very　doubtful　forms　of　barter　altogether　rather　than　spend　eight



years　in　acquiring　the　arts　by　which　to　defeat　them。　〃That；　however；



is　a　question　which　concerns　this　person's　virtuous　and　engaging



father　more　than　his　unworthy　self；　and　his　only　regret　is　that　no



opportunity　has　offered　by　which　he　might　prove　that　he　has　applied



himself　diligently　to　your　instruction　and　example；　O　amiable　Quang。〃







It　had　long　been　a　regret　to　Quang　also　that　no　incident　of　a



disturbing　nature　had　arisen　whereby　Yin　could　have　shown　himself



proficient　in　the　methods　of　defence　and　attack　which　he　had　taught



him。　This　deficiency　he　had　endeavoured　to　overcome；　as　far　as



possible；　by　constructing　life…like　models　of　all　the　most　powerful



and　ferocious　types　of　warriors　and　the　fiercest　and　most　relentless



animals　of　the　forest；　so　that　Yin　might　become　familiar　with　their



appearance　and　discover　in　what　manner　each　could　be　the　most



expeditiously　engaged。







〃Nevertheless；〃　remarked　Quang；　on　an　occasion　when　Yin　appeared　to　be



covered　with　honourable　pride　at　having　approached　an　unusually　large



and　repulsive…looking　tiger　so　stealthily　that　had　the　animal　been



really　alive　it　would　certainly　have　failed　to　perceive　him；　〃such



accomplishments　are　by　no　means　to　be　regarded　as　conclusive　in



themselves。　To　steal　insidiously　upon　a　destructively…included　wild



beast　and　transfix　it　with　one　well…directed　blow　of　a　spear　is



attended　by　difficulties　and　emotions　which　are　entirely　absent　in　the



case　of　a　wickerwork　animal　covered　with　canvas…cloth；　no　matter　how



deceptive　in　appearance　the　latter　may　be。〃







To　afford　Yin　a　more　trustworthy　example　of　how　he　should　engage　with



an　adversary　of　formidable　proportions；　Quang　resolved　upon　an



ingenious　plan。　Procuring　the　skin　of　a　grey　wolf；　he　concealed



himself　within　it；　and　in　the　early　morning；　while　the　mist…damp　was



still　upon　the　ground；　he　set　forth　to　meet　Yin；　who　had　on　a　previous



occasion　spoken　to　him　of　his　intention　to　be　at　a　certain　spot　at



such　an　hour。　In　this　conscientious　enterprise；　the　painstaking　Quang



would　doubtless　have　been　successful；　and　Yin　gained　an　assured



proficiency　and　experience；　had　it　not　chanced　that　on　the　journey



Quang　encountered　a　labourer　of　low　caste　who　was　crossing　the



enclosed　ground　on　his　way　to　the　rice　field　in　which　he　worked。　This



contemptible　and　inopportune　person；　not　having　at　any　period　of　his



existence　perfected　himself　in　the　recognized　and　elegant　methods　of



attack　and　defence；　did　not　act　in　the　manner　which　would　assuredly



have　been　adopted　by　Yin　in　similar　circumstances；　and　for　which　Quang



would　have　been　fully　prepared。　On　the　contrary；　without　the　least



indication　of　what　his　intention　was；　he　suddenly　struck　Quang；　who



was　hesitating　for　a　moment　what　action　to　take；　a　most　intolerable



blow　with　a　formidable　staff　which　he　carried。　The　stroke　in　question





inflicted　itself　upon　Quang　upon　that　part　of　the　body　where　the　head



becomes　connected　with　the　neck；　and　would　certainly　have　been



followed　by　others　of　equal　force　and　precision　had　not　Quang　in　the



meantime　decided　that　the　most　dignified　course　for　him　to　adopt　would



be　to　disclose　his　name　and　titles　without　delay。　Upon　learning　these



facts；　the　one　who　stood　before　him　became　very　grossly　and



offensively　amused；　and　having　taken　from　Quang　everything　of　value



which　he　carried　among　his　garments；　went　on　his　way；　leaving　Yin's



instructor　to　retrace　his　steps　in　unendurable　dejection；　as　he　then



found　that　he　possessed　no　further　interest　whatever　in　the



undertaking。







When　Yat　Huang　was　satisfied　that　his　son　was　sufficiently　skilled　in



the　various　arts　of　warfare；　he　called　him　to　his　inner　chamber；　and



having　barred　the　door　securely；　he　placed　Yin　under　a　very　binding



oath　not　to　reveal；　until　an　appointed　period；　the　matter　which　he　was



going　to　put　before　him。







〃From　father　to　son；　in　unbroken　line　for　ten　generations；　has　such　a



custom　been　observed；〃　he　said；　〃for　the　course　of　events　is　not　to　be



lightly　entered　upon。　At　the　commencement　of　that　cycle；　which　period



is　now　fully　fifteen　score　years　ago；　a　very　wise　person　chanced　to



incur　the　displeasure　of　the　Emperor　of　that　time；　and　being　in



consequence　driven　out　of　the　capital；　he　fled　to　the　mountains。　There



his　subtle　discernment　and　the　pure　and　solitary　existence　which　he



led　resulted　in　his　becoming　endowed　with　faculties　beyond　those



possessed　by　ordinary　beings。　When　he　felt　the　end　of　his　earthly



career　to　be　at　hand　he　descended　into　the　plain；　where；　in　a　state　of



great　destitution　and　bodily　anguish；　he　was　discovered　by　the　one



whom　this　person　has　referred　to　as　the　first　of　the　line　of



ancestors。　In　return　for　the　care　and　hospitality　with　which　he　was



unhesitatingly　received；　the　admittedly　inspired　hermit　spent　the



remainder　of　his　days　in　determining　the　destinies　of　his　rescuer's



family　and　posterity。　It　is　an　undoubted　fact　that　he　predicted　how



one　would；　by　well…directed　enterprise　and　adventure；　rise　to　a



position　of　such　eminence　in　the　land　that　he　counselled　the　details



to　be　kept　secret；　lest　the　envy　and　hostility　of　the　ambitious　and



unworthy　should　be　raised。　From　this　cause　it　has　been　customary　to



reveal　the　matter　fully　from　father　to　son；　at　stated　periods；　and　the



setting　out　of　the　particulars　in　written　words　has　been　severely



discouraged。　Wise　as　this　precaution　certainly　was；　it　has　resulted　in



a　very　inconvenient　state　of　things；　for　a　remote　ancestorthe　fifth



in　line　from　the　beginningexperienced　such　vicissitudes　that　he



returned　from　his　travels　in　a　state　of　most　abandoned　idiocy；　and



when　the　time　arrived　that　he　should；　in　turn；　communicate　to　his　son；



he　was　only　able　to　repeat　over　and　over　again　the　name　of　the　pious



hermit　to　whom　the　family　was　so　greatly　indebted；　coupling　it　each



time　with　a　new　and　markedly　offensive　epithet。　The　essential　details



of　the　undertaking　having　in　this　manner　passed　beyond　recall；



succeeding　generations；　which　were　merely　acquainted　with　the　fact



that　a　very　prosperous　future　awaited　the　one　who　fulfilled　the



conditions；　have　in　vain　attempted　to　conform　to　them。　It　is　not　an



alluring　undertaking；　inasmuch　as　nothing　of　the　method　to　be　pursued



can　be　learned；　except　that　it　was　the　custom　of　the　early　ones；　who



held　the　full　knowledge；　to　set　out　from　home　and　return　after　a



period　of　years。　Yet　so　clearly　expressed　was　the　prophecy；　and　so



great　the　reward　of　the　successful；　that　all　have　eagerly　journeyed



forth　when　the　time　came；　knowing　nothing　beyond　that　which　this



person　has　now　unfolded　to　you。〃







When　Yat　Huang　reached　the　end　of　the　matter　which　it　was　his　duty　to



disclose；　Yin　for　some　time　po