蘼 The Fragrant Herb

��蘼The Tu-mi Flower

我常得着男子送給我底東西，總沒有當他們做寶貝看．我底朋友師松却不如I have often received things given to me by men, but I have never treasured them as precious. My friend Shi Song, however, was not

我常得着男子送给我底东西，总没有当他们做宝贝看．我底朋友师松却不如

此，因爲她從不曾受過男子底贈與．like this, for she had never before received a gift from a man.

此，因为她从不曾受过男子底赠与．

自鳴鐘敲過四下以後，山上禮拜寺底聚會就完了．男男女女像出圈底羊，爭要After the self-striking clock had struck four, the gathering at the chapel on the hill came to an end. Men and women, like sheep let out of their pen, jostled to

自鸣钟敲过四下以后，山上礼拜寺底聚会就完了．男男女女像出圈底羊，争要

下到山坡覓食一般，那邊有一個男學生跟着我們走，他底正名字我忘記了，我只記go down the hillside to forage. Over there was a male student walking along behind us; I have forgotten his real name, I only remember

下到山坡觅食一般，那边有一个男学生跟着我们走，他底正名字我忘记了，我只记

得人家都叫他做「宗之」．他手裏拿着一枝��蘼，且行且嗅．��蘼本不是香花，他嗅that everyone called him 'Zongzhi.' In his hand he held a spray of tu-mi flowers, sniffing it as he walked. The tu-mi is not really a fragrant flower; his sniffing

得人家都叫他做「宗之」．他手里拿着一枝𨢬蘼，且行且嗅．𨢬蘼本不是香花，他嗅

着，不過是一種無聊舉動便了．was nothing more than an idle little gesture.

着，不过是一种无聊举动便了．

『松姑娘，這枝��蘼送給你．』他在我們後面嚷着．松姑娘回頭看見他滿臉堆'Miss Song, I give you this spray of tu-mi flowers.' He called out from behind us. Miss Song turned her head and saw his face all wreathed

『松姑娘，这枝𨢬蘼送给你．』他在我们后面嚷着．松姑娘回头看见他满脸堆

着笑容遞着那花，就速速伸手去接．她接着說『很多謝，很多謝．』宗之只笑着點點in smiles as he held out the flower, and she quickly reached out her hand to take it. Taking it, she said, 'Thank you so much, thank you so much.' Zongzhi only smiled and nodded his

着笑容递着那花，就速速伸手去接．她接着说『很多谢，很多谢．』宗之只笑着点点

頭，隨卽從西邊底山徑轉囘家去．head, and at once turned back home along the mountain path to the west.

头，随即从西边底山径转囘家去．

『他給我這個，是什麽意思？』'What did he mean by giving me this?'

『他给我这个，是什么意思？』

『你想他有什麽意思，他就有什麽意思．』我這樣囘答她．走不多遠，我們也分'Whatever meaning you imagine he had, that is the meaning he had.' This was how I answered her. We had not walked much farther before we too went our separate

『你想他有什么意思，他就有什么意思．』我这样囘答她．走不多远，我们也分

途各自家去了．ways home.

她自下午到晚上不歇把弄那枝��蘼．那花像有極大的魔力，不讓她撒手一樣．From that afternoon until evening she toyed with the spray of tu-mi flowers without pause, as though the flower held some enormous magic that would not let her let go of it.

她自下午到晚上不歇把弄那枝𨢬蘼．那花像有极大的魔力，不让她撒手一样．

她要放下時，每覺得花兒對她說，『爲什麽離奪我？Whenever she tried to set it down, she would feel as though the flower were saying to her, 'Why do you cast me aside?我不是從宗之手裏遞給你，交你Was I not handed to you from Zongzhi's own hand, entrusted to your

她要放下时，每觉得花儿对她说，『为什么离夺我？我不是从宗之手里递给你，交你

照管底嗎？』keeping?'

照管底吗？』

呀，宗之底眼、鼻、口、齒、手、足、動作，沒有一件不在花心跳躍着，沒有一件不在她眼Ah, Zongzhi's eyes, nose, mouth, teeth, hands, feet, his every movement — there was not one that did not leap and dance within the heart of the flower, not one that did not appear before her

呀，宗之底眼、鼻、口、齿、手、足、动作，没有一件不在花心跳跃着，没有一件不在她眼

前底花枝顯現出來！very eyes, in the spray of blossoms before her!她心裏說，「你這美男子，爲甚緣故送給我這花兒？」她又想起In her heart she said, 'You handsome man, for what reason did you give me this flower?' And she thought again of

前底花枝显现出来！她心里说，「你这美男子，为甚缘故送给我这花儿？」她又想起

那天經壇上底講章，就自己囘答說，『因爲他顧念他使女底卑微，從今而後，萬代要the sermon preached from the pulpit that day, and answered herself, 'For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall

那天经坛上底讲章，就自己囘答说，『因为他顾念他使女底卑微，从今而后，万代要

稱我爲有福．』call me blessed.'

称我为有福．』

這是她愛��蘼花，還是宗之愛他呢？Was this she loving the tu-mi flower, or Zongzhi loving it?我也說不淸，只記得有一天我和宗之正在I cannot say clearly either; I only remember that one day, Zongzhi and I were just

这是她爱𨢬蘼花，还是宗之爱他呢？我也说不淸，只记得有一天我和宗之正在

坐在榕根談話底時候，他家底人跑來對他說，『松姑娘喫了一朵什麽花，說是你給sitting on a banyan root talking, when someone from his household came running to tell him, 'Miss Song ate some kind of flower, saying it was you who had given it to

坐在榕根谈话底时候，他家底人跑来对他说，『松姑娘吃了一朵什么花，说是你给

她底，現在病了．她家底人要找你去問話咧．』her, and now she has fallen ill. Her family wants you to come and answer for it.'

她底，现在病了．她家底人要找你去问话咧．』

他嚇了一跳，也摸不着頭腦，只說，『我那時節給她東西喫？He was startled, and quite at a loss, and could only say, 'When did I ever give her something to eat?這眞是.....！』This is really...!'

他吓了一跳，也摸不着头脑，只说，『我那时节给她东西吃？这真是.....！』

我說：『你細想一想．』他怎麽也想不起來．我才提醒他說，『你前個月在斜道I said, 'Think it over carefully.' No matter how hard he tried, he could not remember. So I reminded him, 'Didn't you, on the slanting path last month,

我说：『你细想一想．』他怎么也想不起来．我才提醒他说，『你前个月在斜道

上不是給了她一朵��蘼嗎？』give her a tu-mi flower?'

上不是给了她一朵𨢬蘼吗？』

『對呀，可不是給了她一朵��蘼！'That's right, so I did give her a tu-mi flower!可是我那里教她喫了呢？』But wherever did I tell her to eat it?'

『对呀，可不是给了她一朵𨢬蘼！可是我那里教她吃了呢？』

『爲什麽你單給她，不給別人？』我這樣問他．'Why did you give it to her alone, and not to anyone else?' I asked him this.

『为什么你单给她，不给别人？』我这样问他．

他很直截地說：『我並沒有什麽意思，不過隨手摘下，隨手送給別人就是了．我He said quite bluntly, 'I didn't mean anything by it at all — I simply plucked it without thinking and gave it away without thinking, that's all. I

他很直截地说：『我并没有什么意思，不过随手摘下，随手送给别人就是了．我

平素送了許多東西給人，也沒有什麽事；have given all sorts of things to people before, and nothing ever came of it;怎麽一朵小小的��蘼就可使她着了魔？』how could one little tu-mi flower put her under such a spell?'

平素送了许多东西给人，也没有什么事；怎么一朵小小的𨢬蘼就可使她着了魔？』

他還坐在那里沈吟，我便促他說，『你還能在這里坐着麽？He was still sitting there brooding, so I urged him, saying, 'How can you still sit here?不管她是誤會，你是Whether it was her misunderstanding, or whether you

他还坐在那里沈吟，我便促他说，『你还能在这里坐着么？不管她是误会，你是

有意，你既然給了她，現在就得去看她一看才是．』meant it on purpose, since you gave it to her, now you really ought to go and see her.'

有意，你既然给了她，现在就得去看她一看才是．』

『我那有什麽意思？』'What could I possibly have meant by it?'

『我那有什么意思？』

我說：『你且去看看罷．蚌蛤何嘗立志要生珠子呢？I said, 'Go and see her anyway. Does a clam ever set its will on making a pearl?也不過是外間的沙粒偶然It is only that a grain of sand from outside happens,

我说：『你且去看看罢．蚌蛤何尝立志要生珠子呢？也不过是外间的沙粒偶然

滲入他底殼裏，他就不得不用盡工夫分泌些黏液把那小沙裹起來罷了．你雖無心，可是你底花一到她手裏，管保她不因花而愛起你來嗎？by chance, to slip into its shell, and it can do nothing but labor with all its might to secrete a film to wrap that grain of sand. You may have meant nothing by it, but once your flower reached her hands, can you be sure she did not come to love you because of it?你敢保她不把那花當做你Can you swear she did not take that flower as a token

渗入他底壳里，他就不得不用尽工夫分泌些黏液把那小沙裹起来罢了．你虽无心，可是你底花一到她手里，管保她不因花而爱起你来吗？你敢保她不把那花当做你

所賜給愛底標識，就納入她底懷中，用心裏無限的情思把他圍繞得非常嚴密嗎？of love bestowed by you, and take it into her bosom, wrapping it round most tightly with the boundless tender feeling in her heart?也Perhaps

所赐给爱底标识，就纳入她底怀中，用心里无限的情思把他围绕得非常严密吗？也

許她本無心，但因你那美意底沙無意中掉在她愛底貝殼裏，使她不得不如此．不用she herself meant nothing by it either, but because the sand of your good intention fell, without your meaning it, into the shell of her love, she could not help but become this way. There is no need to

许她本无心，但因你那美意底沙无意中掉在她爱底贝壳里，使她不得不如此．不用

躊躇了，且去看看罷．hesitate any longer — go and see her.

踌躇了，且去看看罢．

宗之這才站起來，縐一縐他那副冷靜的臉龐，跟着來人從林菁底深處走出去Only then did Zongzhi stand up, wrinkling his composed face, and followed the messenger out from the depths of the thick woods

宗之这才站起来，绉一绉他那副冷静的脸庞，跟着来人从林菁底深处走出去

了．.