第二章 Shaman Dances, River Lanterns and the Temple Fair

第二章Chapter Two

呼蘭河除了這些卑瑣平凡的實際生活之外，在精神上，也還有不少的盛舉，如Aside from these petty, mundane matters of practical life, Hulan River also had, in the realm of the spirit, no small number of grand events, such as

跳大神；the spirit dances (calling down the great spirit);

唱秧歌；the singing of yangge;

放河燈；the setting afloat of river lanterns;

野台子戲；open-air stage operas;

四月十八娘娘廟大會……the great fair at the Temple of the Goddess on the eighteenth of the fourth month……

先說大神。Let me speak first of the great spirit.大神是會治病的，她穿著奇怪的衣裳，那衣裳平常的人不穿；The great spirit could cure illness; she wore strange clothing, garments that ordinary people did not wear;紅的，是一張裙子，那裙子一圍在她的腰上，她的人就變樣了。red — it was a skirt, and the moment that skirt was wound about her waist, she herself became a different person.開初，她並不打鼓，只是一圍起那紅花裙子就哆嗦。At first she did not beat the drum; the moment she tied on that red flowered skirt, she would begin to tremble.從頭到腳，無處不哆嗦，哆嗦了一陣之後，又開始打顫。From head to foot, there was no part of her that did not tremble, and after trembling for a while, she would begin to shudder.她閉著眼睛，嘴裡邊嘰咕的。She kept her eyes closed, muttering under her breath.每一打顫，就裝出來要倒的樣子。With every shudder, she made as if she were about to fall.把四邊的人都嚇得一跳，可是她又坐住了。This gave everyone standing around a fright, but then she would steady herself and sit still again.

大神坐的是櫈子，她的對面擺著一塊牌位，牌位上貼著紅紙，寫著黑字。The great spirit sat on a stool, and set before her was a spirit tablet, on which red paper was pasted and black characters were written.那牌位越舊越好，好顯得她一年之中跳神的次數不少，越跳多了就越好，她的信用就遠近皆知。The older that tablet, the better — it showed that she had performed the spirit dance no small number of times in a year; the more she danced, the better, for then her reputation would be known far and wide.她的生意就會興隆起來。And her business would flourish.那牌前，點著香，香煙慢慢的旋著。Before the tablet, incense was lit, and the smoke curled slowly upward.

那女大神多半在香點了一半的時候神就下來了。More often than not, the god would descend upon the woman shaman when the incense was about half burned down.那神一下來，可就威風不同，好像有萬馬千軍讓她領導似的，她全身是勁，她站起來亂跳。Once the god had descended, her bearing changed entirely — it was as though ten thousand horses and a thousand troops were under her command; her whole body was filled with power, and she rose up and danced wildly.

大神的旁邊，還有一個二神，當二神的都是男人。Beside the great spirit there was also a "second spirit," and whoever played the second spirit was always a man.他並不昏亂，他是清晰如常的，他趕快把一張圓鼓交到大神的手裡。He was not at all in a daze — he remained perfectly clear-headed as always — and he quickly placed a round drum into the great spirit's hands.大神拿了這鼓，站起來就亂跳，先訴說那附在她身上的神靈的下山的經歷，是乘著雲，是隨著風，或者是駕霧而來，說得非常之雄壯。Taking the drum, the great spirit rose and danced wildly, first recounting how the spirit possessing her had come down from the mountain — whether riding upon the clouds, following the wind, or driving through the mist — telling it in a most heroic and grand manner.二神站在一邊，大神問他什麼，他回答什麼。The second spirit stood to one side, and whatever the great spirit asked him, he answered.好的二神是對答如流的，壞的二神，一不加小心說衝著了大神的一字，大神就要鬧起來的。A good second spirit answered fluently without hesitation; a poor one, if he were careless for even a moment and said a word that clashed with the great spirit, would set her off into a fit.大神一鬧起來的時候，她也沒有別的辦法，只是打著鼓，亂罵一陣，說這病人，不出今夜就必得死的，死了之後，還會遊魂不散，家族、親戚、鄉里都要招災的。When the great spirit flew into such a fit, she had no other recourse but to beat the drum and rail on wildly, declaring that the sick person would surely die before the night was out, and that after death the wandering soul would not disperse, and calamity would come upon the family, relatives, and the whole village.這時嚇得那請神的人家趕快燒香點酒，燒香點酒之後，若再不行，就得趕送上紅布來，把紅布掛在牌位上，若再不行，就得殺雞，若鬧到了殺雞這個階段，就多半不能再鬧了。This would so frighten the family who had summoned the spirit that they would hurry to burn incense and pour out wine; and if that still did not work, they would have to rush to offer up red cloth, hanging the red cloth upon the tablet; and if that still did not work, they would have to kill a chicken — and once matters had reached the stage of killing a chicken, the fit could usually go no further.因為再鬧就沒有什麼想頭了。For to carry on any further would leave nothing more to be gained.

這雞、這布，一律都歸大神所有，跳過了神之後，她把雞拿回家去自己煮上吃了。This chicken and this cloth belonged, without exception, to the great spirit; once the spirit dance was over, she would take the chicken home and cook it for herself to eat.把紅布用藍靛染了之後，做起褲子穿了。As for the red cloth, she would dye it with indigo and have it made into trousers to wear.

有的大神，一上手就百般的下不來神。Some great spirits, from the very start, would by every means make it difficult for the god to descend.請神的人家就得趕快的殺雞來，若一殺慢了，等一會跳到半道就要罵的，誰家請神都是為了治病，讓大神罵，是非常不吉利的。The family who had summoned the spirit would then have to hurry and kill a chicken at once; if they were slow to kill it, then partway through the dance she would start cursing — and since any family that summoned a spirit did so in order to cure illness, to be cursed by the great spirit was considered exceedingly ill-omened.所以對大神是非常尊敬的，又非常怕。And so people held the great spirit in the greatest respect, and feared her greatly as well.

跳大神，大半是天黑跳起，只要一打起鼓來，就男女老幼，都往這跳神的人家跑，若是夏天，就屋裡屋外都擠滿了人。The spirit dance was for the most part begun after nightfall; the moment the drumming started, men and women, old and young, would all come running to the house where the spirit was being danced, and if it were summer, both inside and outside the house would be packed with people.還有些女人，拉著孩子，抱著孩子，哭天叫地的從牆頭上跳過來，跳過來看跳神的。There were even women who, dragging children by the hand or carrying them in their arms, crying out to heaven and earth, would clamber over the tops of walls just to come and watch the spirit dance.

跳到半夜時分，要送神歸山了，那時候，那鼓打得分外的響，大神也唱得分外的好聽；By midnight, when it came time to send the god back to the mountain, the drum would be beaten with especial loudness, and the great spirit's singing, too, would be especially fine to hear;鄰居左右，十家二十家的人家都聽得到，使人聽了起著一種悲涼的情緒，二神嘴裡唱：the neighbors round about, ten or twenty households, could all hear it, and it stirred in those who listened a mood of desolate sorrow; the second spirit sang out:

「大仙家回山了，要慢慢的走，要慢慢的行。」"The great immortal is returning to the mountain — go slowly, walk slowly."

大神說：The great spirit said:

「我的二仙家，青龍山，白虎山……"My second immortal, Green Dragon Mountain, White Tiger Mountain……夜行三千里，乘著風兒不算難……」traveling three thousand li by night, riding upon the wind is no great difficulty……"

這唱著的詞調，混合著鼓聲，從幾十丈遠的地方傳來，實在是冷森森的，越聽就越悲涼。This chanted melody, mingled with the sound of the drum, carried from tens of zhang away, was truly cold and eerie, and the longer one listened, the more desolate it seemed.聽了這種鼓聲，往往終夜而不能眠的人也有。There were those who, having heard this drumming, would often lie awake the whole night through unable to sleep.

請神的人家為了治病，可不知那家的病人好了沒有？The family who had summoned the spirit did so in order to cure illness — but who could say whether the sick person in that household had gotten better or not?卻使鄰居街坊感慨興歎，終夜而不能已的也常常有。Yet it often happened that the neighbors along the street were moved to sighs and sorrow, unable to still their feelings the whole night through.

滿天星光，滿屋月亮，人生何如，為什麼這麼悲涼。The sky full of starlight, the room full of moonlight — what, after all, is human life, that it should be so desolate?

過了十天半月的，又是跳神的鼓，噹噹的響。After ten days or half a month had passed, again there would come the clanging of the spirit-dance drum.於是人們又都招了慌，爬牆的爬牆，登門的登門，看看這一家的大神，顯的是什麼本領，穿的是什麼衣裳。And so people would once more be thrown into a flurry, some climbing over walls, some going straight up to the door, to see what powers this household's great spirit would display, and what clothes she would be wearing.聽聽她唱的是什麼腔調，看看她的衣裳漂亮不漂亮。To listen to what tune she sang, and to see whether her clothing was fine or not.

跳到了夜靜時分，又是送神回山。When the dance reached the stillness of night, once again it was time to send the god back to the mountain.送神回山的鼓，個個都打得漂亮。The drum for sending the god back to the mountain — every single one of them was beaten beautifully.

若趕上一個下雨的夜，就特別淒涼，寡婦可以落淚，鰥夫就要起來彷徨。If it happened to be a rainy night, it was especially forlorn — a widow might be moved to tears, and a widower would rise and pace about in restless despair.

那鼓聲就好像故意招惹那般不幸的人，打得有急有慢，好像一個迷路的人在夜裡訴說著他的迷惘，又好像不幸的老人在回想著他幸福的短短的幼年。That drumbeat seemed as though it deliberately sought out such unfortunate souls, beaten now fast, now slow, like a person lost on a road at night pouring out his bewilderment, or like an unfortunate old man recalling the brief, happy years of his childhood.又好像慈愛的母親送著她的兒子遠行。Or again like a loving mother seeing her son off on a long journey.又好像是生離死別，萬分的難捨。Or again like a parting in life as hard to bear as death itself, a grief beyond all enduring.

人生為了什麼，才有這樣淒涼的夜。For what purpose is human life, that it should hold such desolate nights?

似乎下回再有打鼓的連聽也不要聽了。It would seem that the next time the drum sounded, one would rather not even listen to it at all.其實不然，鼓一響就又是上牆頭的上牆頭，側著耳朵聽的側著耳朵在聽，比西洋人赴音樂會更熱心。But in fact it was not so — the moment the drum sounded, once again people climbed the walls who were going to climb the walls, and cocked their ears to listen who were going to listen, more eager even than Westerners going to a concert.

七月十五盂蘭會，呼蘭河上放河燈了。On the fifteenth of the seventh month, the Ullambana Festival, river lanterns were set afloat upon the Hulan River.

河燈有白菜燈、西瓜燈、還有蓮花燈。Among the river lanterns were cabbage lanterns, watermelon lanterns, and lotus-flower lanterns as well.

和尚、道士吹著笙、管、笛、簫，穿著拼金大紅緞子的褊衫。Buddhist monks and Daoist priests played the sheng, the guan, the flute, and the xiao, wearing robes of gold-worked bright red satin.在河沿上打起場子來在做道場。Along the riverbank they set up their ground and performed their rites.那樂器的聲音離開河沿二里路就聽到了。The sound of those instruments could be heard from two li away from the riverbank.

一到了黃昏，天還沒有完全黑下來，奔著去看河燈的人就絡繹不絕了。As soon as dusk came, before the sky had even fully darkened, those hurrying to see the river lanterns already formed an endless stream.小街大巷，那怕終年不出門的人，也要隨著人群奔到河沿去。In every small street and great lane, even those who never left their homes the whole year round would follow the crowd, hurrying to the riverbank.先到了河沿的就蹲在那裡。Those who reached the riverbank first squatted down there and waited.沿著河岸蹲滿了人，可是從大街小巷往外出發的人仍是不絕，瞎子、瘸子都來看河燈（這裡說錯了，唯獨瞎子是不來看河燈的），把街道跑得冒了煙了。The whole riverbank was packed with people squatting there, yet still the crowds kept pouring out from every street and lane; the blind and the lame alike came to see the river lanterns (this is a mistake — the blind alone did not come to see the river lanterns), and they ran the streets until the dust rose like smoke.

姑娘、媳婦，三個一群，兩個一夥，一出了大門，不用問，到那裡去。Young girls and young wives, in groups of three or twos, the moment they stepped out their gates, needed no asking as to where they were headed.就都是看河燈去。They were all going to see the river lanterns.

黃昏時候的七月，火燒雲剛剛落下去，街道上發著顯微的白光，嘁嘁喳喳，把往日的寂靜都沖散了，個個街道都活了起來，好像這城裡發生了大火，人們都趕去救火的樣子。In the dusk of that seventh-month evening, the burning sunset clouds had just faded away, and the streets glowed with a faint white light; amid the chattering and buzzing, all the stillness of ordinary days was swept away, and every street sprang to life, as though a great fire had broken out in the town and everyone were rushing to put it out.非常忙迫，踢踢踏踏的向前跑。Everyone was in a great hurry, pattering forward at a run.

先跑到了河沿的就蹲在那裡，後跑到的，也就擠上去蹲在那裡。Those who ran to the riverbank first squatted down there, and those who arrived later squeezed in and squatted down there too.

大家一齊等候著，等候著月亮高起來，河燈就要從水上放下來了。Everyone waited together, waited for the moon to rise high, for that was when the river lanterns would be set afloat upon the water.

七月十五日是個鬼節，死了的冤魂怨鬼，不得脫生，纏綿在地獄裡邊是非常苦的，想脫生，又找不著路。The fifteenth of the seventh month is a festival of ghosts; the wronged and resentful spirits of the dead, unable to be reborn, lingered on in hell in great suffering, longing for rebirth yet unable to find the way.這一天若是每個鬼托著一個河燈，就可得以脫生。On this day, if each ghost were to bear a river lantern, it might thereby attain rebirth.大概從陰間到陽間的這一條路，非常之黑，若沒有燈是看不見路的。For the road from the world of the dead to the world of the living is, it seems, exceedingly dark, and without a lantern the way cannot be seen.所以放河燈這件事情是件善舉。And so the setting afloat of river lanterns is an act of charity.可見活著的正人君子們，對著那些已死的冤魂怨鬼還沒有忘記。It shows that the upright and virtuous among the living have not forgotten those wronged and resentful spirits already dead.

但是這其間也有一個矛盾，就是七月十五這夜生的孩子，怕是都不大好，多半都是野鬼托著個蓮花燈投生而來的。But there is a contradiction in all this: a child born on the night of the fifteenth of the seventh month, it is feared, is seldom a good sign, for such a child, more often than not, is thought to be some wandering ghost who came to be reborn bearing a lotus lantern.這個孩子長大了將不被父母所喜歡，長到結婚的年齡，男女兩家必要先對過生日時辰，才能夠結親。When this child grows up, it will not be loved by its parents, and when it reaches marriageable age, the families of the man and the woman must first compare birth dates and hours before the marriage can be arranged.若是女家生在七月十五，這女子就很難出嫁，必須改了生日，欺騙男家。If it is the woman's side that was born on the fifteenth of the seventh month, then that woman will find it very hard to marry, and must change her birth date to deceive the man's family.若是男家七月十五的生日，也不大好，不過若是財產豐富的，也就沒有多大關係，嫁是可以嫁過去的，雖然就是一個惡鬼，有了錢大概怕也不怎樣惡了。If it is the man's family whose son was born on the fifteenth of the seventh month, that too is not a good sign; but if the family is rich in property, it does not matter much — the marriage can go ahead all the same, for even if he is an evil ghost, once he has money he is probably not so very evil after all.但在女子這方面可就萬萬不可，絕對的不可以；But on the woman's side, this is absolutely out of the question, utterly impermissible;若是有錢的寡婦的獨養女，又當別論，因為娶了這姑娘可以有一分財產在那裡晃來晃去，就是娶了而帶不過財產來，先說那一分粧奩也是少不了的。unless she is the only daughter of a wealthy widow, in which case the matter stands differently, for in marrying this girl there is a share of property hovering somewhere in the offing; and even if the property itself cannot be brought over with the marriage, at the very least her dowry will not be lacking.假說女子就是一個惡鬼的化身，但那也不要緊。Suppose, then, that the woman is indeed the incarnation of an evil ghost — even so, it does not matter.

平常的人說：「有錢能使鬼推磨。」似乎人們相信鬼是假的，有點不十分真。As ordinary folk say: "With money you can make even a ghost turn the millstone." It would seem people believe that ghosts are not quite real, not entirely to be trusted as true.

但是當河燈一放下來的時候，和尚為著慶祝鬼們更生，打著鼓，叮噹的響；But the moment the river lanterns were set afloat, the monks, in celebration of the ghosts' rebirth, beat their drums, which clanged and rang out;唸著經，好像緊急符咒似的，表示著，這一工夫可是千金一刻，且莫匆匆的讓過，諸位男鬼女鬼，趕快托著燈去投生吧。and chanted their sutras as though reciting urgent incantations, signifying that this moment was worth a thousand pieces of gold and must not be hastily let slip by — all you male ghosts and female ghosts, make haste and bear your lanterns off to be reborn!

唸完了經，就吹笙管笛簫，那聲音實在好聽，遠近皆聞。Once the sutras were finished, they played the sheng, the guan, the flute, and the xiao, and that music was truly beautiful to hear, carrying to be heard both near and far.

同時那河燈從上流擁擁擠擠，往下浮來了。At the same time, the river lanterns, crowding close upon one another, came floating down from upstream.浮得很慢，又鎮靜、又穩當，絕對的看不出來水裡邊會有鬼們來捉了它們去。They floated very slowly, calm and steady, giving not the slightest sign that ghosts beneath the water might come and seize them away.

這燈一下來的時候，金忽忽的，亮通通的，又加上有千萬人的觀眾，這舉動實在是不小的。The moment these lanterns came down, glinting gold and glowing bright all over, and with an audience of thousands upon thousands of onlookers besides, the spectacle was truly no small affair.河燈之多，有數不過來的數目，大概是幾千百隻。The river lanterns were so many in number that they could not be counted — probably several thousand of them.兩岸上的孩子們，拍手叫絕，跳腳歡迎。The children along both banks clapped their hands and cried out in delight, stamping their feet in welcome.大人則都看出了神了，一聲不響，陶醉在燈光河色之中。The grown-ups, meanwhile, all gazed on as though entranced, silent, lost in the light of the lanterns and the colors of the river.燈光照得河水幽幽的發亮。The lantern light made the river water glimmer with a dim, mysterious glow.水上跳躍著天空的月亮。Upon the water the moon of the sky leapt and danced.真是人生何世，會有這樣好的景況。Truly, what age of human life is this, that it should hold so fine a sight?

一直鬧到月亮來到了中天，大昴星，二昴星，三昴星都出齊了的時候，才算漸漸的從繁華的景況，走向了冷靜的路去。The bustle went on until the moon had climbed to the very center of the sky, until the First, Second, and Third Pleiades stars had all come out in full, and only then did the scene begin, little by little, to pass from splendor and clamor onto the road of quiet stillness.

河燈從幾里路長的上流，流了很久很久才流過來了。The river lanterns, coming from several li upstream, took a very, very long time to float down and arrive.再流了很久很久才流過去了。And then took a very, very long time again to float past and away.在這過程中，有的流到半路就滅了。In the course of this, some went out halfway along the way.有的被沖到了岸邊，在岸邊生了野草的地方就被掛住了。Some were swept against the bank and caught fast where wild grasses grew along the shore.還有每當河燈一流到了下流，就有些孩子拿著竿子去抓它，有些漁船也順手取了一兩隻。And too, whenever the river lanterns floated down to the lower reaches, some children would take up poles to snatch at them, and some fishing boats would casually take one or two for themselves as well.到後來河燈越來越稀疏了。As time went on, the river lanterns grew sparser and sparser.

到往下流去，就顯出荒涼孤寂的樣子來了。Further downstream, they began to take on a look of desolation and loneliness.因為越流越少了。For the farther they floated, the fewer of them there were.

流到極遠處去的，似乎那裡的河水也發了黑。Those that floated on to the farthest distance seemed to reach a place where even the river water had turned black.而且是流著流著的就少了一個。And as they floated on and on, one by one there would be one fewer.

河燈從上流過來的時候，雖然路上也有許多落伍的，也有許多淹滅了的，但始終沒有覺得河燈是被鬼們托著走了的感覺。When the river lanterns first came down from upstream, although there were many along the way that fell behind and many that were extinguished, one never had the feeling that they were being borne away by ghosts.

可是當這河燈，從上流的遠處流來，人們是滿心歡喜的，等流過了自己，也還沒有什麼；But while these river lanterns were floating down from far upstream, people's hearts were full of joy; and once they had floated past where one stood, it still did not seem to matter much;唯獨到了最後，那河燈流到了極遠的下流去的時候，使看河燈的人們，內心裡無由的來了空虛。only at the very end, when the river lanterns had floated off to the farthest reaches downstream, did those watching feel, for no reason they could name, an emptiness rise up within them.

「那河燈，到底是要漂到那裡去呢？」"Those river lanterns — where, in the end, are they drifting off to?"

多半的人們，看到了這樣的景況，就抬起身來離開了河沿回家去了。Most people, upon seeing this state of things, would rise to their feet, leave the riverbank, and go home.

於是不但河裡冷落，岸上也冷落了起來。And so not only did the river grow desolate, but the bank grew desolate as well.

這時再往遠處的下流看去，看著，看著，那燈就滅了一個。Looking now toward the far distance downstream, one would watch, and watch, and then one of the lanterns would go out.再看著看著，又滅了一個，還有兩個一塊滅的。Watching still further, another would go out, and sometimes two would go out together.於是就真像被鬼一個一個的托著走了。And so it truly seemed as though they were being carried off, one by one, by ghosts.

打過了三更，河沿上一個人也沒有了，河裡邊一個燈也沒有了。Once the third watch of the night had passed, there was not a single person left along the riverbank, and not a single lantern left upon the river.

河水是寂靜如常的，小風把河水皺著極細的波浪。The river water was as tranquil as ever, the light breeze creasing the river into the finest ripples.月光在河水上邊並不像在海水上邊閃著一片一片的金光，而是月亮落到河底裡去了。The moonlight upon the river did not glimmer in patches of gold as it does upon the sea, but rather the moon itself seemed to have sunk down into the riverbed.似乎那漁船上的人，伸手可以把月亮拿到船上來似的。It seemed as though the people on the fishing boats could reach out a hand and lift the moon aboard.

河的南岸，儘是柳條叢，河的北岸就是呼蘭河城。On the south bank of the river were nothing but thickets of willow branches, and on the north bank stood the city of Hulan.

那看河燈回去的人們，也許都睡著了。The people who had gone to see the river lanterns and returned home had, by now, perhaps all fallen asleep.不過月亮還是在河上照著。But the moon still shone upon the river.

野台子戲也是在河邊上唱的。The open-air stage operas were also performed by the riverside.也是秋天，比方這一年秋收好，就要唱一台子戲，感謝天地。It was likewise in autumn — say, if the autumn harvest that year had been good, then a stage opera would be put on, to give thanks to Heaven and Earth.若是夏天大旱，人們戴起柳條圈來求雨，在街上幾十人，跑了幾天，唱著，打著鼓。If in summer there was a great drought, people would put on wreaths of willow branches and pray for rain, dozens of them in the streets, running for days on end, singing and beating drums.求雨的人不准穿鞋，龍王爺可憐他們在太陽下邊把腳燙得很痛，就因此下了雨了。Those who prayed for rain were not permitted to wear shoes, and the Dragon King, taking pity on them for scalding their feet so painfully under the sun, would therefore send down rain.一下了雨，到秋天就得唱戲的，因為求雨的時候許下了願。Once the rain fell, then when autumn came an opera had to be sung, because a vow had been made at the time of praying for rain.許願就得還願，若是還願的戲就更非唱不可了。A vow made must be a vow repaid, and if it was an opera to repay a vow, then it absolutely had to be sung.

一唱就是三天。Once begun, it would run for three whole days.

在河岸的沙灘上搭起了台子來。On the sandy flats of the riverbank a stage would be erected.這台子是用杆子綁起來的，上邊搭上了蓆棚，下了一點小雨也不要緊，太陽則完全可以遮住的。This stage was lashed together out of poles, with a mat awning rigged up over the top — a light rain would not matter in the least, and the sun could be shut out entirely.

戲台搭好了之後，兩邊就搭看台。Once the stage was built, viewing platforms would be built on both sides.看台還有樓座。The viewing platforms even had upper-tier seating.坐在那樓座上是很好的，又風涼，又可以遠眺。Sitting up in that upper tier was a fine thing — cool in the breeze, and with a view stretching far into the distance.不過，樓座是不大容易坐得到的，除非當地的官、紳，別人是不大坐得到的。But it was not easy to get a seat in the upper tier; unless one were a local official or gentry, ordinary people could hardly get up there.既不賣票，那怕你就有錢，也沒有辦法。Since no tickets were sold at all, even if you had money, there was nothing to be done about it.

只搭戲台，就搭三五天。Just building the stage alone took three to five days.

台子的架一豎起來，城裡的人就說：The moment the frame of the stage was raised, the people of the city would say:

「戲台豎起架子來了。」"The opera stage has had its frame raised."

一上了棚，人就說：Once the awning went up, people would say:

「戲台上棚了。」"The opera stage has been roofed."

戲台搭完了就搭看台，看台是順著戲台的左邊搭一排，右邊搭一排，所以是兩排平行而相對的。Once the stage was finished, the viewing platforms would be built — one row along the left side of the stage, one row along the right, so that the two rows stood parallel and facing each other.一搭要搭出十幾丈遠去。Once built, they would stretch out for over a dozen zhang.

眼看台子就要搭好了，這時候，接親戚的接親戚，喚朋友的喚朋友。Just as the stage was about to be finished, at this time, those fetching relatives fetched their relatives, and those summoning friends summoned their friends.

比方嫁了的女兒，回來住娘家，臨走（回婆家）的時候，做母親的送到大門外，擺著手還說：For instance, a married daughter who had come back to stay at her mother's home — when the time came for her to leave (to return to her husband's family), her mother would see her off to the gate, waving her hand and saying:

「秋天唱戲的時候，再接你來看戲。」"When the opera is sung in autumn, I'll have you brought back again to see it."

坐著女兒的車子遠了，母親含著眼淚還說：As the daughter's cart grew distant, the mother, eyes brimming with tears, would still say:

「看戲的時候接你回來。」"When it's time for the opera, I'll have you brought home."

所以一到了唱戲的時候，可並不是簡單的看戲，而是接姑娘喚女婿，熱鬧得很。So once the time for the opera arrived, it was by no means simply a matter of watching a play — it was fetching daughters and summoning sons-in-law, and it grew very lively indeed.

東家的女兒長大了，西家的男孩子也該成親了，說媒的這個時候，就走上門來。When the daughter of the family to the east had grown up, and the son of the family to the west had also come of age to marry, the matchmakers at this time would come calling at the door.約定兩家的父母在戲台底下，第一天或是第二天，彼此相看。The parents of the two families would arrange to meet beneath the opera stage, on the first day or the second, to look each other over.也有只通知男家而不通知女家的，這叫做「偷看」，這樣的看法，成與不成，沒有關係，比較的自由，反正那家的姑娘也不知道。There were also cases where only the man's family was notified, and not the woman's family — this was called "stealing a look"; with this kind of viewing, whether it came to anything or not made no difference, it was rather more free and easy, since the girl's family knew nothing of it anyway.

所以看戲去的姑娘，個個都打扮得漂亮。And so the girls who went to watch the opera were, every one of them, dressed up beautifully.都穿了新衣裳，擦了胭脂塗了粉，劉海剪得並排齊。They all wore new clothes, dabbed on rouge and powder, and had their bangs trimmed evenly straight across.頭辮梳得一絲不亂，紮了紅辮根，綠辮梢。Their braids were combed without a single strand out of place, tied off with red at the roots and green at the tips.也有紮了水紅的，也有紮了蛋青的。Some were tied with peach-pink, and some with duck-egg blue.走起路來像客人，吃起瓜子來，頭不歪眼不斜的，溫文爾雅，都變成了大家閨秀。When they walked they moved like guests, and when they nibbled melon seeds they did so with heads unturned and eyes unswerving, gentle and refined — every one transformed into a young lady of good family.有的著蛋青色布長衫，有的穿了藕荷色的，有的銀灰的。Some wore long gowns of duck-egg blue cloth, some wore lotus-root pink, and some wore silver-gray.有的還把衣服的邊上壓了條，有的蛋青色的衣裳壓了黑條，有的水紅洋紗的衣裳壓了藍條，腳上穿了藍緞鞋，或是黑緞繡花鞋。Some even had the edges of their garments trimmed with piping — some duck-egg blue gowns trimmed in black, some peach-pink gauze gowns trimmed in blue — and on their feet they wore blue satin shoes, or black satin shoes embroidered with flowers.

鞋上有的繡著蝴蝶，有的繡著蜻蜓，有的繡著蓮花，繡著牡丹的，各樣的都有。On the shoes some were embroidered with butterflies, some with dragonflies, some with lotus blossoms, some with peonies — every kind there was.

手裡邊拿著花手巾。In their hands they carried flowered handkerchiefs.耳朵上戴了長鉗子，土名叫做「帶穗鉗子」。In their ears they wore long dangling earrings, known locally as "tasseled pendants."這帶穗鉗子有兩種，一種是金的，翠的；These tasseled pendants came in two kinds — one was of gold and jade;一種是銅的，琉璃的。the other was of copper and colored glass.有錢一點的戴金的，少微差一點的帶琉璃的。Those with a bit more money wore the gold ones; those slightly less well-off wore the glass ones.反正都很好看，在耳朵上搖來晃去。In any case they all looked lovely, swaying to and fro upon the ears.黃忽忽，綠森森的。A hazy yellow, a deep shimmering green.再加上滿臉矜持的微笑，真不知這都是誰家的閨秀。Add to that faces full of composed, modest smiles, and one truly could not tell whose fine young ladies these all were.

那些已嫁的婦女，也是照樣的打扮起來，在戲台下邊，東鄰西舍的姊妹們相遇了，好互相的品評。Those women who were already married likewise dressed themselves up in the same way, and beneath the opera stage, sisters and neighbors from east and west would meet one another and delight in appraising each other.

誰的模樣俊，誰的鬢角黑。Whose looks were the most handsome, whose temple-hair was the blackest.誰的手鐲是福泰銀樓的新花樣，誰的壓頭簪又小巧又玲瓏。Whose bracelet was the newest style from the Futai Silver Shop, whose hairpin was the most delicately and finely made.誰的一雙絳紫緞鞋，真是繡得漂亮。Whose pair of dark purple satin shoes was truly the most exquisitely embroidered.

老太太雖然不穿什麼帶顏色的衣裳，但也個個整齊，人人利落，手拿長煙袋，頭上撇著大扁方。The old women, though they wore nothing in the way of colored clothing, were each and every one neat and tidy, every one trim and proper, long pipes in hand, large flat hairpins tucked at the crown of the head.慈祥，溫靜。Kindly and gentle, calm and composed.

戲還沒有開台，呼蘭河城就熱鬧不得了了，接姑娘的，喚女婿的，有一個很好的童謠：Before the opera had even begun, the city of Hulan had already grown tremendously lively — fetching daughters, summoning sons-in-law — and there was a fine children's rhyme about it:

「拉大鋸，扯大鋸，老爺（外公）門口唱大戲。"Pull the big saw, draw the big saw, at Grandfather's (maternal grandfather's) gate they're singing a great opera.接姑娘，喚女婿，小外孫也要去。……」Fetch the daughter, summon the son-in-law, the little grandson wants to go too.…"

於是乎不但小外甥，三姨二姑也都聚在了一起。And so it was not only the little grandsons — third aunts and second aunts all gathered together as well.

每家如此，殺雞買酒，笑語迎門，彼此談著家常，說著趣事，每夜必到三更，燈油不知浪費了多少。So it was in every household — chickens were killed, wine was bought, laughter and talk greeted guests at the door, everyone chatting of family matters and telling amusing tales, staying up every night until the third watch, no telling how much lamp oil was spent.

某村某村，婆婆虐待媳婦。In such-and-such a village, a mother-in-law was mistreating her daughter-in-law.那家那家的公公喝了酒就耍酒瘋。In such-and-such a family, the father-in-law got drunk and made a scene.又是誰家的姑娘出嫁了剛過一年就生了一對雙生。And someone's daughter had married off only just over a year before and had already given birth to twins.又是誰的兒子十三歲就定了一家十八歲的姑娘做妻子。And someone's son, at thirteen, had already been betrothed to an eighteen-year-old girl as his wife.

燭火燈光之下，一談了個半夜，真是非常的溫暖而親切。By candlelight and lamplight, they would talk on for half the night, and it was truly warm and full of intimacy.

一家若有幾個女兒，這幾個女兒都出嫁了，親姊妹，兩三年不能相遇的也有。If a family had several daughters, and all of these daughters had married out, there were cases where own sisters could not meet each other for two or three years.平常是一個住東，一個住西。Ordinarily one lived to the east, another to the west.不是隔水的就是離山，而且每人有一大群孩子，也各自有自己的家務，若想彼此過訪，那是不可能的事情。If it was not a river standing between them, then it was a mountain, and moreover each had a whole brood of children and her own household duties to see to, so that visiting one another was simply out of the question.

若是做母親的同時把幾個女兒都接來了，那她們的相遇，真彷彿已經隔了三十年了。But if the mother managed to bring several daughters home all at the same time, then their reunion truly felt as though thirty years had passed between them.相見之下，真是不知從何說起，羞羞慚慚，欲言又止，剛一開口又覺得不好意思，過了一刻工夫，耳臉都發起燒來，於是相對無語，心中又喜又悲。Meeting face to face, they truly did not know where to begin, bashful and abashed, wanting to speak yet holding back, and no sooner did one open her mouth than she felt embarrassed again; after a moment both their ears and faces would flush hot, and so they would fall silent facing each other, hearts full of both joy and sorrow at once.過了一袋煙的工夫，等那往上衝的血流落了下去，彼此都逃出了那種昏昏恍恍的境界，這才來找幾句不相干的話來開頭；After about the time it takes to smoke a pipe, once that surge of blood had subsided, and each had escaped that dazed, dreamlike state, only then would they cast about for a few unrelated words to break the ice with;或是──or perhaps —

「你多喒來的？」"When did you get here?"

或是：or:

「孩子們都帶來了？」"Did you bring the children along?"

關於別離了幾年的事情，連一個字也不敢提。As for the matter of having been apart for several years, not a single word of it would they dare bring up.

從表面上看來，她們並不是像姊妹，絲毫沒有親熱的表現。On the surface, looking at them, they did not seem like sisters at all — there was not the slightest show of warmth between them.面面相對的，不知道她們兩個人是什麼關係，似乎連認識也不認識，似乎從前她們兩個並沒有見過，而今天是第一次的相見，所以異常的冷落。Facing one another, one could not tell what relation the two of them bore to each other; it seemed almost as if they did not even know one another, as if the two of them had never met before, and today were meeting for the very first time — so unusually cool and distant it seemed.

但是這只是外表，她們的心裡，就早已溝通著了。But this was only the outward appearance; in their hearts, they had already long since come to an understanding.甚至於在十天或半月之前，她們的心裡就早已開始很遠的牽動起來，那就是當著她們彼此都接到了母親的信的時候。Indeed, as early as ten days or half a month before, their hearts had already begun to stir toward each other from far away — that was, from the moment each of them had received their mother's letter.

那信上寫著迎接她們姊妹回來看戲的。That letter had written of inviting them, the sisters, back home to watch the opera.

從那時候起，她們就把要送給姐姐或妹妹的禮物規定好了。From that moment on, each had already settled on the gifts she would bring for her elder sister or her younger sister.

一雙黑大絨的雲子捲，是親手做的。A pair of black velvet cloud-pattern rolled cuffs, made by her own hand.或者就在她們的本城和本鄉裡，有一個出名的染缸房，那染缸房會染出來很好的麻花布來。Or perhaps, in her own town or village, there was a well-known dye shop, one that could dye out a very fine hemp-flower cloth.於是送了兩匹白布去，囑咐他好好的加細的染著。So she would send over two bolts of white cloth, instructing the dyer to dye them carefully and finely.一匹是白地染藍花，一匹是藍地染白花。One bolt was white ground dyed with blue flowers, the other blue ground dyed with white flowers.藍地的染的是劉海戲金錢，白地的染的是蝴蝶鬧蓮花。On the blue ground was dyed "Liu Hai playing with the coins," and on the white ground was dyed "butterflies frolicking among lotus blossoms."

一匹送給大姐姐，一匹送給三妹妹。One bolt to be given to the eldest sister, one bolt to the third younger sister.

現在這東西，就都帶在箱子裡邊。Now these things were all packed away in her trunk.等過了一天二日的，尋個夜深人靜的時候，輕輕的從自己的箱底把這等東西取出來，擺在姐姐的面前，說：After a day or two had passed, choosing a moment deep in the night when all was quiet, she would quietly take these things out from the bottom of her own trunk, lay them before her sister, and say:

「這麻花布被面，你帶回去吧！」"Here's this hemp-flower quilt cover — take it back with you!"

只說了這麼一句，看樣子並不像是送禮物，並不像今人似的，送一點禮物很怕鄰居左右看不見，是大嚷大吵著的，說這東西是從什麼山上，或是什麼海裡得來的，那怕是小河溝子的出品，也必要連那小河溝子的身分也提高，說河溝子是怎樣的不凡，是怎樣的與眾不同，可不同別的河溝子。She would say only this much, and by all appearances it hardly seemed like the giving of a gift at all — nothing like people nowadays, who, in giving even the smallest gift, are so afraid the neighbors on either side might not notice, and make a great loud fuss over it, claiming the thing came from some mountain or other, or from some sea, so that even if it were the product of some little creek, they must still elevate the very standing of that little creek, saying how extraordinary the creek was, how utterly unlike any other, quite unlike other creeks at all.

這等鄉下人，糊裡糊塗的，要表現的，無法表現，什麼也說不出來，只能把東西遞過去就算了事。These country folk, muddled and plain as they were, had no way of showing off even if they wished to — they could find nothing to say, and could only hand the thing over and let that be the end of it.

至於那受了東西的，也是不會說什麼，連聲道謝也不說，就收下了。As for the one who received the thing, she too would say nothing much — not even a word of thanks — and would simply accept it.也有的稍微推辭了一下，也就收下了。Sometimes there would be a little demurring first, and then it too would be accepted.

「留著你自己用吧！」"Keep it and use it yourself!"

當然那送禮物的是加以拒絕。Of course the one giving the gift would then decline this.一拒絕，也就收下了。Once declined, it would then be accepted after all.

每個回娘家看戲的姑娘，都零零碎碎的帶來一大批東西。Every daughter who went back to her mother's home to watch the opera brought along, bit by bit, a whole great pile of things.送父母的，送兄嫂的，送姪女的，送三親六故的。Gifts for her parents, gifts for her brothers and sisters-in-law, gifts for her nieces, gifts for all manner of relatives near and far.帶了東西最多的，是凡見了長輩或晚輩都多少有點東西拿得出來，那就是誰的人情最周到。Whoever brought the most things — whoever, upon seeing any elder or younger relation, always had something to offer, however small — that was the one whose social courtesies were considered the most thorough and complete.

這一類的事情，等野台子唱完，拆了台子的時候，家家戶戶才慢慢的傳誦。Matters of this sort, once the open-air opera had finished and the stage had been dismantled, would only then be slowly passed from household to household in gossip.

每個從婆家回娘家的姑娘，也都帶走很豐富的東西，這些都是人家送給她的禮品。Every daughter returning from her mother's home back to her husband's family likewise carried away a great abundance of things, all of them gifts that people had given her.東西豐富得很，不但有用的，也有吃的，母親親手裝的鹹肉，姐姐親手曬的乾魚，哥哥上山打獵打了一隻雁來醃上，至今還有一隻雁大腿，這個也給看戲小姑娘帶回去，帶回去給公公去喝酒吧。The things were abundant indeed — not only useful items but food as well: salted meat her mother had packed with her own hands, dried fish her sister had sun-dried with her own hands, a wild goose her brother had shot while hunting in the hills and cured — even now there remained one leg of that goose, and this too would be given to the young girl going home from the opera to take back, to take back for her father-in-law to enjoy with his wine.

於是烏三八四的，離走的前一天晚上，真是忙了個不休，就要分散的姊妹們連說個話兒的工夫都沒有了。And so, in a great bustle of confusion, on the evening before their departure, everyone was busy without a moment's rest, and the sisters who were about to part did not even have time enough to exchange a few words.大包小包一大堆。Large bundles and small bundles, a whole great heap of them.

再說在這看戲的時間，除了看親戚，會朋友，還成了許多好事，那就是誰家的女兒和誰家公子訂婚了，說是明年二月，或是三月就要娶親。Furthermore, during this time of watching the opera, besides visiting relatives and meeting friends, a great many good matters were also accomplished — namely, whose daughter had become engaged to whose son, with word that next February, or perhaps March, the wedding would be held.訂婚酒，已經吃過了，眼前就要過「小禮」的，所謂「小禮」就是在法律上的訂婚形式，一經過了這番手續，東家的女兒，終歸就要成了西家的媳婦了。The engagement feast had already been eaten, and soon the "minor ceremony" was to be observed — this so-called "minor ceremony" being the legal form of betrothal — and once this procedure had been gone through, the daughter of the eastern family would, in the end, become the daughter-in-law of the western family.

也有男女兩家都是外鄉趕來看戲的，男家的公子也並不在，女家的小姐也並不在。There were also cases where both the man's and the woman's families had come from other villages just to watch the opera, and neither the young gentleman of the man's family nor the young lady of the woman's family was even present.只是兩家的雙親有媒人從中媾通著，就把親事給定了。It was simply that the parents of the two families, with a matchmaker mediating between them, settled the marriage between themselves.也有的喝酒作樂的隨便的把自己的女兒許給了人家。There were also those who, in the midst of drinking and merrymaking, casually promised their own daughter's hand to another family.也有的男女兩家的公子、小姐都還沒有生出來，就給定下親了。There were even cases where the son and daughter of the two families had not yet even been born, and already the betrothal had been settled.這叫做「指腹為親」。This was called "betrothal before birth" (pointing at the womb to arrange a match).這指腹為親的，多半都是相當有點資財的人家才有這樣的事。This practice of betrothal before birth occurred, for the most part, only among families of considerable means.

兩家都很有錢，一家是本地的燒鍋掌櫃的，一家是白旗屯的大窩堡，兩家是一家種高粱，是一家壓燒酒。Both families were quite wealthy — one was the proprietor of a local distillery, the other ran a great manor at Baiqi Tun; one family grew sorghum, the other pressed liquor.壓燒酒的需要高粱，種高粱的需要燒鍋買他的高粱，燒鍋非高粱不可，高粱非燒鍋不行。The liquor-pressing family needed sorghum, and the sorghum-growing family needed the distillery to buy its sorghum — the distillery could not do without sorghum, and the sorghum grower could not do without the distillery.恰巧又趕上這兩家的婦人，都要將近生產，所以就「指腹為親」了。As luck would have it, the wives of both these families happened to be nearing childbirth at the same time, and so they "betrothed before birth."

無管是誰家生了男孩子，誰家生了女孩子，只要是一男一女就規定他們是夫婦。No matter which family had a boy and which had a girl, so long as one was male and the other female, it was settled that they should be husband and wife.假若兩家都生了男孩，都就不能勉強規定了。If both families had boys, of course no match could be forced upon them.兩家都生了女孩也是不能夠規定的。Nor could one be arranged if both families had girls.

但是這指腹為親，好處不太多，壞處是很多的。But these betrothals made before birth brought few benefits and a great many evils.半路上當中的一家窮了，不開燒鍋了，或者沒有窩堡了，其餘的一家，就不願意娶他家的姑娘，或是把女兒嫁給一家窮人。If, along the way, one family fell into poverty, closed its distillery, or lost even its hut, the other family would no longer be willing to take their daughter as a bride, or to marry their own daughter into that poor household.假若女家窮了，那還好辦，若實在不娶，他也沒有什麼辦法。If it was the girl's family that had grown poor, the matter was easier: if the other side truly refused to take her, her family could do nothing about it.若是男家窮了，男家就一定要娶，若一定不讓娶，那姑娘的名譽就很壞，說她把誰家誰給「妨」窮了，又不嫁了。「妨」字在迷信上說就是因為她命硬，因為她某家某家窮了。But if the boy's family had grown poor, they would insist on taking the girl; and if she absolutely refused to marry him, her reputation would be ruined, for people would say she had “brought” such-and-such a family to poverty and then refused to marry into it. In superstitious parlance, to “bring” misfortune meant that her fate was too strong and that she had caused a certain family to become poor.以後她的婆家就不大容易找人家，會給她起一個名叫做「望門妨」。After that it would be very difficult to find her another husband's family, and she would be given the name “one who brings ruin upon her intended household.”無法，只得嫁過去，嫁過去之後，妯娌之間又要說她嫌貧愛富，百般的侮辱她。There was nothing for her to do but marry into the family; once there, her sisters-in-law would accuse her of despising the poor and courting the rich, and subject her to every kind of humiliation.丈夫因此也不喜歡她了，公公婆婆也虐待她，她一個年輕的未出過家門的女子，受不住這許多攻擊，回到娘家去，娘家也無甚辦法，就是那當年指腹為親的母親說：Her husband would dislike her for it, and her parents-in-law would mistreat her; a young woman who had never before left her parents' home could not endure so many attacks, and would return to her own family, who could do little for her; even the mother who had arranged the prenatal betrothal would merely say:

「這都是你的命（命運），你好好的耐著吧！」“This is all your fate—bear it as best you can!”

年輕的女子，莫名其妙的，不知道自己為什麼要有這樣的命，於是往往演出悲劇來，跳井的跳井，上吊的上吊。The young woman, utterly bewildered and unable to understand why such a fate should be hers, would often bring the affair to a tragic end: some threw themselves into wells, and others hanged themselves.

古語說，「女子上不了戰場。」An old saying has it, “Women cannot go onto the battlefield.”

其實不對的，這井多麼深，平白的你問一個男子，問他這井敢跳不敢跳，怕他也不敢的。In truth, that is wrong: a well is so deep—ask any man out of the blue whether he dares jump into one, and I fear he would not dare either.而一個年輕的女子竟敢了，上戰場不一定死，也許回來鬧個一官半職的。Yet a young woman does dare; one does not necessarily die on the battlefield, and might even return with some official rank or other.可是跳井就很難不死，一跳就多半跳死了。But it is very hard not to die from jumping into a well; once she jumps, she will in all likelihood be killed.

那麼節婦坊上為什麼沒寫著讚美女子跳井跳得勇敢的讚詞？Then why are there no words on the arches honoring chaste widows praising the courage of women who leapt into wells?那是修節婦坊的人故意給刪去的。Those who erected the arches deliberately left them out.因為修節婦坊的，多半是男人。For those who erected arches to chaste widows were mostly men.他家裡也有一個女人。And each of them had a woman at home.他怕是寫上了，將來他打他女人的時候，他的女人也去跳井。He feared that if such words were inscribed, the next time he beat his woman, she too might jump into a well.女人也跳下井，留下來一大群孩子可怎麼辦？If the woman jumped down a well and left behind a great brood of children, what was he to do?於是一律不寫。And so nothing of the kind was ever written.只寫，溫文爾雅，孝順公婆……All they wrote was that she was gentle and refined, and filial toward her parents-in-law…

大戲還沒有開台，就來了這許多事情。Even before the grand opera opened, all these things had already occurred.等大戲一開了台，那戲台下邊，真是人山人海，擁擠不堪。Once the grand opera began, the space below the stage was truly a sea of people, packed beyond endurance.搭戲台的人，也真是會搭，正選了一塊平平坦坦的大沙灘，又光滑，又乾淨，使人就是倒在上邊，也不會把衣裳沾一絲兒的土星。The men who built the stage certainly knew their business: they chose a broad, perfectly level stretch of sandy beach, smooth and clean, so that even if someone fell upon it, not a speck of dirt would stain his clothes.這沙灘有半里路長。This sandy beach was half a li long.

人們笑語連天，那裡是在看戲，鬧得比鑼鼓好像更響，那戲台上出來一個穿紅的，進去一個穿綠的，只看見搖搖擺擺的走出走進，別的什麼也不知道了，不用說唱得好不好，就連聽也聽不到。People's laughter and chatter filled the air—how could this be called watching the opera? Their din seemed louder than the gongs and drums. Someone in red came out upon the stage, someone in green went in; all one could see were figures swaying in and out, and nothing else could be made out. Never mind whether the singing was good or bad—one could not even hear it.離著近的還看得見不掛鬍子的演員在張嘴，離得遠的就連戲台那個穿紅衣裳的究竟是一個坤角，還是一個男角也都不大看得清楚。Those close by could at least see the beardless actors opening their mouths; those farther away could not even make out whether the figure in red onstage was an actress or a male performer.簡直是還不如看木偶戲。It was simply not as good as watching a puppet show.

但是若有一個唱木偶戲的這時候來在台下，唱起來，問他們看不看，那他們一定不看的，那怕就連戲台子的邊也看不見了，那怕是站在二里路之外，他們也不看那木偶戲的。Yet if a puppet-show singer had come beneath the stage just then, begun to sing, and asked whether they wished to watch, they certainly would not have done so—even if they could not see so much as the edge of the grand stage, even if they stood two li away, they still would not have watched the puppets.因為在大戲台底下，那怕就是睡了一覺回去，也總算是從大戲台子底下回來的，而不是從什麼別的地方回來的。For even if they merely slept beneath the grand-opera stage and then went home, they could still say they had returned from the grand opera, and not from some other place.

一年沒有什麼別的好看，就這一場大戲還能夠輕易的放過嗎？There was nothing else worth seeing all year; how could they lightly pass up this one grand opera?所以無論看不看，戲台底下是不能不來。And so, whether they could see it or not, they had to come beneath the stage.

所以一些鄉下的人也都來了，趕著幾套馬的大車，趕著老牛車，趕著花輪子，趕著小車子，小車子上邊駕著大騾子。People from the countryside came too, driving great carts with several teams of horses, old ox carts, painted-wheel carts, and little carts with great mules harnessed to them.總之家裡有什麼車就駕了什麼車來。In short, whatever sort of cart a family owned, that was the cart they harnessed and brought.也有的似乎他們家裡並不養馬，也不養別的牲口，就只用了一匹小毛驢，拉著一個花輪子也就來了。Some families, it seemed, kept neither horses nor any other livestock, but they too came, using a single little donkey to pull a painted-wheel cart.

來了之後，這些車馬，就一齊停在沙灘上，馬匹在草包上吃著草，騾子到河裡去喝水。After they arrived, all these carts and animals were left together on the sandy beach; the horses ate fodder from straw sacks, and the mules went down to the river to drink.車子上都搭蓆棚，好像小看台似的，排列在戲台的遠處。Mat shelters had been rigged over all the carts, making them look like little viewing stands, arranged at a distance from the stage.那車子帶來了他們的全家，從祖母到孫子媳，老少三輩，他們離著戲台二三十丈遠，聽是什麼也聽不見的，看也很難看到什麼，也不過是五紅大綠的，在戲台上跑著圈子，頭上戴著奇怪的帽子，身上穿著奇怪的衣裳。The carts had brought entire families, from grandmothers down to grandsons' wives, three generations old and young; twenty or thirty zhang from the stage, they could hear nothing and could hardly see anything either—only gaudy red and green figures circling about onstage, with strange hats on their heads and strange clothes upon their bodies.誰知道那些人都是幹什麼的，有的看了三天大戲子台，而連一場的戲名字也都叫不出來。Who knew what any of those people were doing? Some watched the grand opera for three days without being able to name a single play.回到鄉下去，他也跟著人家說長道短的，偶爾人家問了他說的是那齣戲，他竟瞪了眼睛，說不出來了。When they returned to the countryside, they too joined others in discussing its merits; but if someone happened to ask which play they were talking about, they would stare blankly and be unable to answer.

至於一些孩子們在戲台底下，就更什麼也不知道了，只記住一個大鬍子，一個花臉的，誰知道那些都是在做什麼，比比劃劃，刀槍棍棒的亂鬧一陣。As for the children beneath the stage, they understood even less; they remembered only a man with a great beard and another with a painted face. Who knew what any of them were doing, gesticulating and making a wild commotion with swords, spears, staves, and clubs?

反正戲台底下有些賣涼粉的，有些賣糖球的，隨便吃去好了。At any rate, beneath the stage there were vendors selling liangfen and candied fruit, and the children could eat whatever they liked.什麼黏糕，油炸饅頭，豆腐腦都有，這些東西吃了又不飽，吃了這樣再去吃那樣。There were glutinous cakes, deep-fried buns, and soft tofu pudding; none of these things filled them up, so after eating one they went on to another.賣西瓜的，賣香瓜的，戲台底下都有，招得蒼蠅一大堆，嗡嗡的飛。There were watermelon sellers and muskmelon sellers beneath the stage as well, attracting great swarms of flies that buzzed about.

戲台下敲鑼打鼓震天的響。Below the stage, gongs and drums sounded loud enough to shake the heavens.

那唱戲的人，也似乎怕遠處的人聽不見，也在拚命的喊，喊破了喉嚨也壓不住台的。The performers, too, seemed afraid that those far away could not hear them, and shouted with all their might; even if they shouted their throats raw, they could not overcome the din below.那在台下的早已忘記了是在看戲，都在那裡說長道短，男男女女的談起家常來。Those in the audience had long since forgotten that they were watching an opera; they were all gossiping, men and women chatting about household affairs.還有些個遠親，平常一年也看不到，今天在這裡看到了，那能不打招呼。There were also distant relatives whom one normally did not see all year; now that they met here, how could they not exchange greetings?所以三姨二嬸子的，就在人多的地方大叫起來；And so Third Aunts and Second Aunties began shouting to one another amid the crowd;假若是在看台的涼棚裡坐著，忽然有一個老太太站了起來，大叫著說：if they were seated under the awning of a viewing stand, an old woman might suddenly rise and call out:

「他二舅母，你可多喒來的？」“Second Uncle's wife, when did you get here?”

於是那一方也就應聲而起。At once the woman on the other side would stand up in answer.原來坐在看台的樓座上的，離著戲比較近，聽唱是聽得到的，所以那看台上比較安靜。Those seated in the upper tiers of the viewing stands were comparatively close to the stage and could hear the singing, so the stands were relatively quiet.姑娘媳婦都吃著瓜子，喝著茶。Young women and wives nibbled sunflower seeds and drank tea.對這大嚷大叫的人，別人雖然討厭，但也不敢去禁止，你若讓她小一點聲講話，她會罵了出來：Although everyone found these shouting people annoying, no one dared stop them; if you asked one to speak a little more softly, she would curse you:

「這野台子戲，也不是你家的，你願聽戲，你請一台子到你家裡去唱……」“This open-air opera doesn't belong to your family. If you want to hear an opera, hire a troupe to sing at your own house…”

另外的一個也說：Another would say:

「喲喲，我沒見過，看起戲來，都六親不認了，說個話兒也不讓……」“Well, well, I've never seen the like! Once you start watching an opera, you don't even recognize your own kin—you won't let a person say a word…”

這還是比較好的，還有更不客氣的，一開口就說：Those were still among the milder ones; others were far less civil and began the moment they opened their mouths:

「小養漢老婆……“You little slut with your secret lover…你奶奶，一輩子家裡外頭靡受過誰的大聲小氣，今天來到戲台底下受你的管教來啦，你娘的……」Your granny has never in all her life, at home or abroad, had to put up with anyone's high-and-mighty airs, and today I've come beneath the opera stage to be taught manners by you, you mother-damned…”

被罵的人若是不搭言，過一回也就了事了，若一搭言，自然也沒有好聽的。If the person being cursed made no reply, the matter would blow over after a while; but if she answered back, naturally nothing pleasant would be said.於是兩邊就打了起來啦，西瓜皮之類就飛了過去。Then the two sides would begin fighting, and watermelon rinds and the like would go flying.

這來在戲台下看戲的，不料自己竟演起戲來，於是人們一窩蜂似的，都聚在這個真打真罵的活戲的方面來了。These people had come beneath the stage to watch a play, never expecting to put on one themselves; at once the crowd swarmed over to this living drama of real blows and real abuse.也有一些流氓混子之類，故意的叫著好，惹得全場的人哄哄大笑。Some hooligans and loafers would deliberately shout their approval, provoking roars of laughter from the whole crowd.假若打仗的還是個年輕的女子，那些討厭的流氓們還會說著各樣的俏皮話，使她火上加油越罵就越兇猛。If one of the fighters happened to be a young woman, those odious hooligans would make all manner of suggestive jokes, adding fuel to her anger until she cursed more and more fiercely.

自然那老太太無理，她一開口就罵了人。The old woman, of course, had been in the wrong: she had begun by cursing the other person.但是一鬧到後來，誰是誰非也就看不出來了。But once the uproar went on long enough, it became impossible to tell who was right and who was wrong.

幸而戲台上的戲子總算沉著，不為所動，還在那裡阿拉阿拉的唱。Fortunately, the actors onstage remained composed and unmoved, still singing away with their ah-la, ah-la.過了一個時候，那打得熱鬧的也究竟平靜了。After a time, even the lively fight finally subsided.

再說戲台下邊也有一些個調情的，那都是南街豆腐房裡的嫂嫂，或是碾磨房的碾官磨官的老婆。There were also some people flirting beneath the stage: wives from the tofu shops on South Street, or the wives of the men who operated the grain rollers and mills.碾官的老婆看上了一個趕馬車的車夫。The wife of a grain-roller operator might take a fancy to a cart driver.或是豆腐匠看上了開糧米鋪那家的小姑娘。Or a tofu maker might take a fancy to the young daughter of the family that kept the grain-and-rice shop.有的是兩方面都眉來眼去，有的是一方面慇勤，他一方面則表示要拒之千里之外。Sometimes both sides exchanged amorous glances; sometimes one was attentive while the other made it plain that the admirer was to be kept a thousand li away.這樣的多半是一邊低，一邊高，兩方面的資財不對。In most such cases one side was low and the other high, and their fortunes did not match.

紳士之流，也有調情的，彼此都坐在看台之上，東張張，西望望。Gentlemen, too, did their share of flirting; seated in the viewing stands, they looked this way and that.三親六故，姐夫小姨之間，未免的就要多看幾眼，何況又都打扮得漂亮，非常好看。Among all their relatives and connections, between brothers-in-law and their wives' younger sisters, a few extra glances were unavoidable, especially when everyone was so prettily dressed and so very good-looking.

紳士們平常到別人家的客廳去拜訪的時候，絕不能夠看上了人家的小姐就不住的看，那該多麼不紳士，那該多麼不講道德。When gentlemen ordinarily visited another family's reception room, they could never take a fancy to the family's young lady and stare at her without ceasing. How ungentlemanly that would be, how immoral!那小姐若一告訴了她的父母，她的父母立刻就和這樣的朋友絕交。If the young lady told her parents, they would at once break off relations with such a friend.絕交了，倒不要緊，要緊的是一傳出去名譽該多壞。The loss of the friendship itself would not matter; what mattered was how badly his reputation would suffer once word got out.紳士是高雅的，那能夠不清不白的，那能夠不分長幼的去存心朋友的女兒，像那般下等人似的。A gentleman was refined—how could he behave dishonorably, how could he disregard the distinction between generations and set his heart on a friend's daughter like one of the lower classes?

紳士彼此一拜訪的時候，都是先讓到客廳裡去，端端莊莊的坐在那裡，而後倒茶裝煙。When gentlemen visited one another, each was first ushered into the reception room, where he sat with perfect dignity; then tea was poured and tobacco prepared.規矩禮法，彼此都尊為是上等人。All the rules of propriety were observed, and each honored the other as a person of the upper class.朋友的妻子兒女，也都出來拜見，尊為長者。The friend's wife and children would also come out to pay their respects, honoring him as an elder.在這種時候，只能問問大少爺的書讀了多少，或是又寫了多少字了。At such a time, he could only ask how far the eldest young master had progressed in his studies, or how many more characters he had practiced.連朋友的太太也不可以過多的談話，何況朋友的女兒呢？He could not even converse too freely with his friend's wife, let alone with his friend's daughter.那就連頭也不能夠抬的，那裡還敢細看。He could not so much as raise his head—how would he dare look at her closely?

現在在戲台上看看怕不要緊，假設有人問道，就說是東看西看，瞧一瞧是否有朋友在別的看台上。But here by the opera stage there was probably no harm in looking; if anyone asked, he could say he was merely glancing about to see whether any friends were seated in the other viewing stands.何況這地方又人多眼雜，也許沒有人留意。Besides, with so many people and so many eyes in the place, perhaps no one would notice.

三看兩看的，朋友的小姐倒沒有看上，可看上了一個不知道在什麼地方見到過的一位婦人，那婦人拿著小小的鵝翎扇子，從扇子梢上往這邊轉著眼珠，雖說是一位婦人，可是又年輕，又漂亮。After looking here and there several times, he might fail to take a fancy to his friend's daughter but instead become enamored of a woman he vaguely remembered seeing somewhere before; holding a little goose-feather fan, she rolled her eyes at him over its tip, and though she was a married woman, she was both young and beautiful.

這時候，這紳士就應該站起來打著口哨，好表示他是開心的，可是我們中國上一輩的老紳士不會這一套。At this point the gentleman ought to stand and whistle, to show that he was delighted; but the old-fashioned gentlemen of our previous generation did not know that trick.他另外也有一套，就是他的眼睛似睜非睜的迷離恍惚的望了出去，表示他對她有無限的情意。They had another trick of their own: with eyes half open and half closed, he would gaze out dreamily, expressing his boundless affection for her.可惜離得太遠，怕不會看得清楚，也許是枉費了心思了。Unfortunately, they were so far apart that she probably could not see clearly, and all his efforts might have gone to waste.

也有的在戲台下邊，不聽父母之命，不聽媒約之言，自己就結了終生不解之緣。There were also some beneath the stage who, heeding neither their parents' commands nor the matchmaker's word, bound themselves of their own accord in a lifelong, indissoluble union.這多半是表哥表妹等等，稍有點出身來歷的公子小姐的行為。These were mostly cousins and the like, the young gentlemen and young ladies of families with some standing and background.他們一言為定，終生和好。With a single promise, they pledged lifelong love to one another.間或也有被父母所阻攔，生出來許多波折。Now and then their parents opposed them, giving rise to many twists and turns.但那波折都是非常美麗的，使人一講起來，真是比看《紅樓夢》更有趣味。But all those twists and turns were exquisitely beautiful; when people recounted them, they were truly more absorbing than Dream of the Red Chamber.來年再唱大戲的時候，姊妹們一講起這佳話來，真是增添了不少的回想……When the grand opera was performed again the next year, the sisters' talk of these romantic tales brought back no end of memories…

趕著車進城來看戲的鄉下人，他們就在河邊沙灘上，紮了營了。The country people who had driven into town to see the opera made camp on the sandy beach beside the river.夜裡大戲散了，人們都回家了，只有這等連車帶馬的，他們就在沙灘上過夜。At night, when the grand opera ended and everyone went home, those who had come with carts and horses alone remained to spend the night on the beach.好像出征的軍人似的，露天為營。Like soldiers on campaign, they made the open air their camp.有的住了一夜，第二夜就回去了。Some stayed one night and went back the second evening.有的住了三夜，一直到大戲唱完，才趕著車子回鄉。Others stayed for three nights and did not drive their carts home to the countryside until the grand opera was over.不用說這沙灘上是很雄壯的，夜裡，他們每家燃了火，煮茶的煮茶，談天的談天，但終歸是人數太少，也不過二三十輛車子。Needless to say, the sandy beach made a magnificent spectacle: at night each family lit a fire, some boiling tea and some chatting; but in the end there were too few people, no more than twenty or thirty carts.所燃起來的火，也不會火光衝天，所以多少有一些淒涼之感。Nor did the fires they lit blaze high enough to redden the sky, and so there was something rather desolate about the scene.夜深了，住在河邊上，被河水吸著又特別的涼，人家睡起覺來都覺得冷森森的。Late at night, sleeping beside the river, with the river drawing away the warmth, everyone felt a chill as they lay down.尤其是車夫馬官之類，他們不能夠睡覺，怕是有土匪來搶劫他們馬匹，所以就坐以待旦。The cart drivers and horse tenders in particular could not sleep, for fear that bandits might come and steal their animals, so they sat up awaiting dawn.

於是在紙燈籠下邊，三個兩個的賭錢。Under paper lanterns, they gambled in groups of two or three.賭到天色發白了，該牽著馬到河邊去飲水去了。By the time they had gambled until the sky grew pale, it was time to lead the horses to the riverside for water.在河上，遇到了捉蟹的蟹船。There by the river they encountered the crab boats out catching crabs.蟹船上的老頭說：An old man aboard a crab boat said:

「昨天的『打漁殺家』唱得不錯，聽說今天有『汾河灣』。」“Yesterday's The Fisherman's Revenge was performed well. I hear they're doing Fen River Bend today.”

那牽著牲口飲水的人，是一點大戲常識也沒有的。The man leading his animals to drink knew nothing whatever about grand opera.他只聽到牲口喝水的聲音呵呵的，其他的則不知所答了。He heard only the gulping sounds of the animals drinking; as for everything else, he had no answer.

四月十八娘娘廟大會，這也是為著神鬼，而不是為著人的。The great fair at the Temple of the Goddess on the eighteenth day of the fourth month was likewise held for gods and spirits, not for human beings.

這廟會的土名叫做「逛廟」，也是無分男女老幼都來逛的，但其中以女子最多。The local name for this temple fair was “strolling the temple”; men and women, old and young, all came to stroll, though women were the most numerous.

女子們早晨起來，吃了早飯，就開始梳洗打扮。The women got up in the morning, and after eating breakfast, began to wash and dress themselves up.打扮好了，就約了東家姐姐，西家妹妹的去逛廟去了。Once dressed up, they would call on the elder sister from the house to the east and the younger sister from the house to the west, and go off to visit the temple fair.竟有一起來就先梳洗打扮的，打扮好了，才吃飯，一吃了飯就走了。There were even some who, the moment they got up, washed and dressed first — only after dressing did they eat, and as soon as they'd eaten, off they went.總之一到逛廟這天，各不後人，到不了半晌午，就車水馬龍，擁擠得氣息不通了。In short, on the day of the temple fair, no one wanted to be left behind, and before it was even midmorning, carts and horses streamed like flowing water, the crowd so dense one could hardly breathe.

擠丟了孩子的站在那兒喊，找不到媽的孩子在人叢裡邊哭，三歲的、五歲的，還有兩歲的剛剛會走，竟也被擠丟了。Those who'd lost their children in the crush stood there shouting; children who couldn't find their mothers cried amid the crowd — three-year-olds, five-year-olds, and even two-year-olds who had only just learned to walk got swept away and lost as well.

所以每年廟會上必得有幾個警察在收這些孩子。So every year at the temple fair there had to be a few policemen assigned to collect these lost children.收了站在廟台上，等著他的家人來領。Once collected, they were made to stand on the temple platform, waiting for their family to come claim them.偏偏這些孩子都很膽小，張著嘴大哭，哭得實在可憐，滿頭滿臉是汗。As it happened, all these children were quite timid, mouths open, crying loudly, crying so pitifully, sweat covering their heads and faces.有的十二三歲了，也被丟了，問他家住在那裡？Some were already twelve or thirteen and still got lost; when asked where their home was—他竟說不出所以然來，東指指，西畫畫，說是他家門口有一條小河溝，那河溝裡邊出蝦米，就叫做「蝦溝子」，也許他家那地名就叫「蝦溝子」，聽了使人莫名其妙。he simply couldn't give a clear account, pointing this way and that, saying that in front of his house there was a little creek where shrimp were found, so it was called "Shrimp Creek" — perhaps that was actually the name of the place where his home was — and hearing this left people utterly baffled.再問他這蝦溝子離城多遠，他便說：騎馬要一頓飯的工夫可到，坐車要三頓飯的工夫可到。Asked further how far this Shrimp Creek was from the city, he would say: on horseback it takes about the time of one meal to get there, by cart it takes about the time of three meals.究竟離城多遠，他沒有說。Just how far it actually was from the city, he never said.問他姓什麼，他說他祖父叫史二，他父親叫史成……Asked what his surname was, he said his grandfather was called Shi Er, and his father was called Shi Cheng…這樣你就再也不敢問他了。At this point you would no longer dare to ask him anything further.要問他吃飯沒有？If you asked whether he'd eaten yet—他就說：「睡覺了。」這是沒有辦法的，任他去吧。he would answer, 'I slept.' There was simply nothing to be done — just let him be.於是卻連大帶小的一齊站在廟門口，他們哭的哭，叫的叫，好像小獸似的，警察在看守他們。So there they stood at the temple gate, big and small together, some crying, some shouting, like little animals, with the police standing guard over them.

娘娘廟是在北大街上，老爺廟和娘娘廟離不了好遠。The Temple of the Goddess was on the North Main Street; the Temple of the Lord and the Temple of the Goddess were not very far apart.那些燒香的人，雖然說是求子求孫，是先該向娘娘來燒香的，但是人們都以為陰間也是一樣的重男輕女，所以不敢倒反天干。Those who came to burn incense, though they came seeking sons and grandsons and by rights ought to burn incense to the Goddess first, nevertheless believed that the netherworld likewise valued sons over daughters, and so they dared not defy the natural order.所以都是先到老爺廟去，打過鐘，磕過頭，好像跪到那裡報個到似的，而後才上娘娘廟去。So they all went first to the Temple of the Lord, struck the bell, kowtowed — as if kneeling there to report their presence — and only afterward went on to the Temple of the Goddess.

老爺廟有大泥像十多尊，不知道那個是老爺，都是威風凜凜，氣概蓋世的樣子。In the Temple of the Lord there were more than ten large clay idols; no one knew which one was actually the Lord, for they all had the same air of towering majesty and world-surpassing might.有的泥像的手指尖都被攀了去，舉著沒有手指的手在那裡站著，有的眼睛被挖了，像是個瞎子似的。Some of the clay idols had had their fingertips broken off by people climbing on them, and stood there holding up fingerless hands; some had had their eyes gouged out, so that they looked like blind men.有的泥像的腳趾是被寫了一大堆的字，那字不太高雅，不怎麼合乎神的身份。On some of the idols' toes a whole bunch of words had been scrawled, words not very refined, not really befitting a deity's station.似乎是說泥像也該娶個老婆，不然他看了和尚去找小尼姑，他是要忌妒的。It seemed to say that the idol too ought to take a wife, or else, seeing the monks go off to visit the little nuns, he would surely grow jealous.這字現在沒有了，傳說是這樣。These words are no longer there now; this is only what is told.

為了這個，縣官下了手令，不到初一、十五，一律的把廟門鎖起來，不准閒人進去。Because of this, the county magistrate issued an order that, except on the first and fifteenth of the month, the temple gates were all to be locked, and no idle people allowed in.

當地的縣官是很講仁義道德的。The local county magistrate was a man who set great store by benevolence, righteousness, and morality.傳說他第五個姨太太，就是從尼姑庵接來的。It was said that his fifth concubine had been brought over from a nunnery.所以他始終相信尼姑絕不會找和尚。So he remained firmly convinced that nuns would never go looking for monks.自古就把尼姑列在和尚一起，其實是世人不查，人云亦云。That nuns had been grouped together with monks since ancient times was, in fact, simply because people never looked into it and just repeated what others said.好比縣官的第五房姨太太，就是個尼姑。Take for instance the county magistrate's fifth concubine, who was herself a former nun.難道她也被和尚找過了嗎？Could it be that she too had once been visited by a monk?這是不可能的。That was simply impossible.

所以下令一律的把廟門關了。And so he ordered that the temple gates all be shut.

娘娘廟裡比較的清靜，泥像也有一些個，以女子為多，多半都沒有橫眉豎眼，近乎普通人，使人走進了大殿不必害怕。The Temple of the Goddess was comparatively peaceful; it too had a number of clay idols, mostly female, and most of them did not have fierce, glaring brows and eyes but looked much like ordinary people, so that one walking into the main hall need not feel afraid.不用說是娘娘了，那自然是很好的溫順的女性。Needless to say, the Goddess herself was naturally a fine, gentle woman.就說女鬼吧，也都不怎樣惡，至多也不過披頭散髮的就完了，也決沒有像老爺廟裡那般泥像似的，眼睛冒了火，或像老虎似的張著嘴。Even the female ghosts were not particularly fierce — at most their hair was disheveled and that was all, quite unlike the idols in the Temple of the Lord, with fire blazing from their eyes, or mouths gaping open like a tiger's.

不但孩子進了老爺廟有的嚇得大哭，就連壯年的男人進去也要肅然起敬，好像說雖然他在壯年，那泥像若走過來和他打打，他也絕打不過那泥像的。Not only did some children, entering the Temple of the Lord, cry in fright, but even men in the prime of life felt an awed reverence upon entering, as if to say that even though he was in his prime, should that idol come walking over to fight him, he would certainly be no match for it.

所以在老爺廟上磕頭的人，心裡比較虔誠，因為那泥像，身子高、力氣大。So those who kowtowed in the Temple of the Lord did so with rather more genuine devotion, because that idol was tall of stature and mighty of strength.

到了娘娘廟，雖然也磕頭，但就總覺得那娘娘沒有什麼出奇之處。When they reached the Temple of the Goddess, although they kowtowed there too, they always somehow felt that the Goddess had nothing particularly remarkable about her.

塑泥像的人是男人，他把女人塑得很溫順，似乎對女人很尊敬。The men who sculpted these clay idols made the women very gentle and meek, as if they held women in great respect.他把男人塑得很兇猛，似乎男性很不好。They made the men very fierce and savage, as if the male sex were something bad.其實不對的，世界上的男人，無論多兇猛，眼睛冒火的似乎還未曾見過。But in fact this is wrong — of all the men in the world, however fierce, one has yet to see one with actual fire blazing from his eyes.就說西洋人吧，雖然與中國人的眼睛不同，但也不過是藍瓦瓦的有點類似貓頭鷹眼睛而已，居然間冒了火的也沒有。Take Westerners, for instance — though their eyes differ from those of the Chinese, they are merely a pale blue, somewhat resembling an owl's eyes, and none of them have ever actually blazed with fire either.眼睛會冒火的民族，目前的世界還未發現。A race of people whose eyes can blaze with fire has not yet been discovered anywhere in the present world.那麼塑泥像的人為什麼把他塑成那個樣子呢？So then why did the sculptors of these clay idols make them look that way?那就是讓你一見生畏，不但磕頭，而且要心服。It was simply to make you feel dread at first sight, so that you would not only kowtow but submit in your heart as well.就是磕完了頭站起再看著，也絕不會後悔，不會後悔這頭是向一個平庸無奇的人白白磕了。So that even after finishing your kowtow and standing up to look again, you would never regret it — never feel you had kowtowed in vain to some plain, unremarkable person.至於塑像的人塑起女子來為什麼要那麼溫順，那就告訴人，溫順的就是老實的，老實的就是好欺侮的，告訴人快來欺侮她們吧。As for why the sculptors made the women so gentle and meek, that was simply to tell people: the gentle are the docile, and the docile are easy to bully — telling people, in effect, come and bully them.

人若老實了，不但異類要來欺侮，就是同類也不同情。For if a person is docile, not only will those unlike them come to bully them, but even their own kind will show no sympathy.

比方女子去拜過了娘娘廟，也不過向娘娘討子討孫。For instance, when women went to worship at the Temple of the Goddess, it was really nothing more than begging the Goddess for sons and grandsons.討完了就出來了，其餘的並沒有什麼尊敬的意思。Once they'd finished asking, they came right out again — beyond that, there was no real sense of reverence.覺得子孫娘娘也不過是個普通的女子而已，只是她的孩子多了一些。They felt that the Goddess of Sons and Grandsons was, after all, just an ordinary woman, only with rather more children than most.

所以男人打老婆的時候便說：So when a man beat his wife, he would say:

「娘娘還得怕老爺打呢？'Even the Goddess has to fear a beating from the Lord —何況你一個長舌婦！」how much more you, a gossiping shrew!'

可見男人打女人是天理應該，神鬼齊一。From this one can see that a man beating a woman was regarded as the natural order of Heaven itself, the same among gods and ghosts alike.怪不得那娘娘廟裡的娘娘特別溫順，原來是常常挨打的緣故。No wonder the Goddess in the temple was so especially gentle and meek — it was, after all, because she was often beaten.可見溫順也不是怎麼優良的天性，而是被打的結果。This shows that gentleness is not so much some fine, inborn nature as it is the result of being beaten.甚或是招打的原由。Or perhaps even the very cause that invites the beating.

兩個廟都拜過了的人，就出來了擁擠在街上。Those who had worshipped at both temples then came out and crowded into the streets.街上賣什麼玩具的都有，多半玩具都是適於幾歲的小孩子玩的。On the street, every sort of toy was for sale, most of them suited to small children of just a few years old.泥做的泥公雞，雞尾巴上插著兩根紅雞毛，一點也不像，可是使人看去，就比活的更好看。There were clay roosters made of mud, with two red feathers stuck in the tail — not lifelike in the least, and yet somehow, looking at them, they seemed even prettier than a real live one.家裡有小孩子的不能不買。Anyone with a small child at home could hardly avoid buying one.何況拿在嘴上一吹又會嗚嗚的響。Especially since, when held to the mouth and blown, it would let out a hooting sound.買了泥公雞，又看見了小泥人，小泥人的背上也有一個洞，這洞裡邊插著一根蘆葦，一吹就響。Having bought the clay rooster, one would then spot the little clay figures, which also had a hole in the back with a reed stuck into it, that sounded when blown.那聲音好像是訴怨似的，不太好聽，但是孩子們都喜歡，做母親的也一定要買。The sound was rather like a complaint, not very pleasant to hear, but the children all loved it, and the mothers were sure to buy one too.其餘的如賣哨子的，賣小笛子的，賣錢蝴蝶的，賣不倒翁的，其中尤以不倒翁最著名，也最為講究，家家都買，有錢的買大的，沒有錢的，買個小的。As for the rest — sellers of whistles, sellers of little flutes, sellers of paper-money butterflies, sellers of roly-poly dolls — among these the roly-poly doll was the most famous and the most elaborately made; every household bought one, the rich buying big ones and the poor buying small ones.大的有一尺多高，二尺來高。The big ones stood over a foot high, even close to two feet.小的有小得像個鴨蛋似的。The small ones were as tiny as a duck egg.無論大小，都非常靈活，按倒了就起來，起得很快，是隨手就起來的。Whatever their size, they were all extremely lively — press them down and they'd pop right back up, springing up so fast, righting themselves the instant your hand let go.買不倒翁要當場試驗，間或有生手的工匠所做出來的不倒翁，因屁股太大了，他不願意倒下，也有的倒下了他就不起來。Buying a roly-poly required testing it on the spot, for occasionally one made by an inexperienced craftsman, its bottom too large, would refuse to tip over at all, or, once tipped over, would simply refuse to get back up.所以買不倒翁的人就把手伸出去，一律把他們按倒，看那個先站起來就買那個，當那一倒一起的時候真是可笑，攤子旁邊圍了些孩子，專在那裡笑。So buyers of roly-polys would reach out their hands and knock every one of them down, buying whichever one stood up first; and at the moment of that tipping and righting it was truly comical — children would crowd around the stall just to laugh at it.不倒翁長得很好看，又白又胖。The roly-poly doll was very handsome to look at, white and plump.並不是老翁的樣子，也不過他的名字叫不倒翁就是了。It did not actually look like an old man at all — it was simply that its name happened to be 'old man who never falls.'其實他是一個胖孩子。In truth it was a fat little child.做得講究一點的，頭頂上還貼了一簇毛算是頭髮。The more elaborately made ones even had a tuft of fur pasted on top of the head to serve as hair.有頭髮的比沒有頭髮的要貴二百錢。Ones with hair cost two hundred cash more than those without.有的孩子買的時候力爭要戴頭髮的，做母親的捨不得那二百錢，就說到家給他剪點狗毛貼。Some children, when it came time to buy, insisted stubbornly on one with hair, but the mother, unwilling to part with the extra two hundred cash, would say she'd clip some dog fur at home and paste it on instead.孩子非要戴毛的不可，選了一個戴毛的抱在懷裡不放。But the child would insist absolutely on one with hair, picking out one that had it and clutching it to his chest, refusing to let go.沒有法只得買了。There was nothing for it but to buy that one.這孩子抱著歡喜了一路，等到家一看，那簇毛不知什麼時候已經飛了。The child held it happily the whole way home, but by the time they got there and looked, that tuft of hair had somehow already blown away, no one knew when.於是孩子大哭。And so the child wept loudly.雖然母親已經給剪了簇狗毛貼上了，但那孩子就總覺得這狗毛不是真的，不如原來的好看。Although the mother then clipped a tuft of dog fur and pasted it on, the child still always felt that this dog fur wasn't the real thing, and not as handsome as the original.也許那原來也貼的是狗毛，或許還不如現在的這個好看。Perhaps what had been pasted on originally was dog fur too, and perhaps even less handsome than this new one.但那孩子就總不開心，憂愁了一個下半天。But still the child remained unhappy, and stayed gloomy for the whole rest of the afternoon.

廟會到下半天就散了。By the afternoon the temple fair would break up.雖然廟會是散了，可是廟門還開著，燒香的人、拜佛的人繼續的還有。Though the fair itself broke up, the temple gates remained open, and people still kept coming to burn incense and worship the Buddha.有些沒有兒子的婦女，仍舊在娘娘廟上捉弄著娘娘。Some women who had no sons would still play tricks on the Goddess at her temple.給子孫娘娘的背後釘一個鈕扣，給她的腳上綁一條帶子，耳朵上掛一隻耳環，給她戴一副眼鏡，把她旁邊的泥娃娃給偷著抱走了一個。They would nail a button onto the back of the Goddess of Sons and Grandsons, tie a band around her feet, hang an earring on her ear, put a pair of spectacles on her, and secretly steal away one of the clay baby-dolls beside her.據說這樣做，來年就都會生兒子的。It was said that doing this would ensure they'd all bear sons the following year.

娘娘廟的門口，賣帶子的特別多，婦人們都爭著去買，她們相信買了帶子，就會把兒子給帶來了。At the gate of the Temple of the Goddess there were an especially great many sellers of bands, and the women all vied to buy them, believing that buying a band would 'bring' them a son.

若是未出嫁的女兒，也誤買了這東西，那就將成為大家的笑柄了。If an unmarried daughter should mistakenly buy such a thing, it would become a laughingstock for everyone.

廟會一過，家家戶戶就都有一個不倒翁，離城遠至十八里路的，也都買了一個回去。Once the temple fair had passed, every household had a roly-poly doll; even those who lived as far as eighteen li from the city all bought one to take home.回到家裡，擺在迎門的向口，使別人一個眼就看見了，他家的確有一個不倒翁。Back home, they set it facing the entrance, so that anyone could see at a single glance that their household indeed had a roly-poly doll.不差，這證明逛廟會的時節他家並沒有落伍，的確是去逛過了。Sure enough — this proved that at temple-fair time their family hadn't been left behind, that they had indeed gone to the fair.

歌謠上說：As the folk rhyme goes:

「小大姐，去逛廟，扭扭搭搭走的俏，回來買個搬不倒。」'Little big sister, off to the fair, swaying and swinging, walking so fair, comes home again with a roly-poly to spare.'

這些盛舉，都是為鬼而做的，並非為人而做的。All these grand doings were done for the sake of ghosts, not for the sake of the living.至於人去看戲、逛廟，也不過是揩油借光的意思。As for people going to watch the operas or visit the temple fair, that was really nothing more than getting a little something extra on the side.

跳大神有鬼，唱大戲是唱給龍王爺看的，七月十五放河燈，是把燈放給鬼，讓他頂著個燈去脫生。The shamanic dances were for the ghosts; the grand operas were performed for the Dragon King to watch; the river lanterns set afloat on the fifteenth of the seventh month were released for the ghosts, so that each might carry a lantern on its head as it went off to be reborn.四月十八也是燒香磕頭的祭鬼。The eighteenth of the fourth month too was a day of burning incense and kowtowing to make offerings to the ghosts.

只有跳秧歌，是為活人而不是為鬼預備的。Only the yangge dance was prepared for the living, and not for the ghosts.跳秧歌是在正月十五，正是農閒的時候，趁著新年而化起裝來，男人裝女人，裝得滑稽可笑。The yangge dance took place on the fifteenth of the first month, precisely the slack season for farming, and taking advantage of the New Year, people would dress up in costume — men dressed as women — got up in ways that were comic and ridiculous.

獅子、龍燈、旱船……Lion dances, dragon lanterns, land boats...等等，似乎也跟祭鬼似的，花樣複雜，一時說不清楚。and so on — these too seemed somehow bound up with offerings to the ghosts, so intricate in their variety that they can't be explained all at once.

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What it’s about

Shaman Dances, River Lanterns and the Temple Fair surveys the public rituals through which Hulan's residents bargain with illness, death and the uncertain spirit world. When someone is sick, a shaman beats the drum, sings and dances through the night while the family and neighbours watch; the performance can look like theatre even when fear gives it deadly seriousness. At the Ghost Festival, river lanterns float downstream to light a path for drowned souls, small flames briefly turning the dark water splendid. Other observances bring rain prayers, operas, painted figures and crowds into the streets. The calendar gives the town movement, but each celebration also reveals how readily suffering becomes spectacle.

The temple fair is the chapter's fullest gathering of commerce, devotion and entertainment. People burn incense, make vows, inspect clay gods, buy snacks and household trifles, and press toward performances whose noise matters as much as their story. Xiao Hong describes colours and sounds with a child's fascination while allowing the adult narrator's irony to remain audible: gods are petitioned like officials, ritual specialists earn their fees, and spectators seek excitement beside people in genuine distress. No single festival supplies a plot. Together they show a community explaining misfortune through inherited forms and briefly escaping its narrow routine through crowds, lights and music. Beauty is real here—the lanterns on the river are among the book's loveliest images—but it never cancels the loneliness that called the ritual into being.

When it was written 背景

Composed in wartime Hong Kong and serialized in 1940, this chapter preserves practices Xiao Hong remembered from her childhood in northeastern China while refusing to present them as a tidy ethnographic catalogue. Her position is double: the ceremonies belong to the sensory richness of home, yet their authority can reinforce fatalism and expose vulnerable people to danger. Learners may find the ritual vocabulary denser than in the first chapter—spirits, offerings, drums, temples and festival dates arrive rapidly—but the repeated structures make the prose navigable. Begin by following the movement from private sickroom to river to crowded fair. That widening scale shows how individual fear becomes collective custom, and why the narrator can be enchanted by a scene while judging the society gathered around it.

Words in this chapter 生词

台TáiHSK 3台Tái — Taiwan (abbr.) · surname Tai (HSK 3)
廟miàoHSK 7-9廟miào — temple · ancestral shrine · classifier: 座 (zuò) · temple fair · great imperial hall · imperial (HSK 7-9)
裡lǐHSK 1裡lǐ — lining · interior · inside · internal · also written 裏 (lǐ) (HSK 1)
她tāHSK 1她tā — she (HSK 1)
姐jiěHSK 1姐jiě — older sister (HSK 1)
搭dāHSK 6搭dā — to put up · to build (scaffolding) · to hang (clothes on a pole) · to connect · to join · to arrange in pairs · to match · to add · to throw in (resources) · to take (boat, train) · variant of 褡 (dā) (HSK 6)
逛guàngHSK 4逛guàng — to stroll · to visit (HSK 4)
塑sù塑sù — to model (a figure) in clay · (bound form) plastic (i.e. the synthetic material)
灘tān灘tān — beach · shoal · rapids · classifier: 片 (piàn) · classifier for liquids: pool, puddle
吧bāHSK 1吧bā — bar (loanword) (serving drinks, or providing Internet access etc) · to puff (on a pipe etc) · (onom.) bang · abbr. for 貼吧 (tiē bā) (HSK 1)
嗦suō嗦suō — to suck · used in 囉嗦 (luō suo) · used in 哆嗦 (duō suo)
昴mǎo昴mǎo — the Pleiades