| | 王孝廉村... : |
那年卻失了館，在家日食艱難。一日，他姊丈金有餘來看他，勸道：「老舅，莫怪我說你。這讀書求功名的事，料想也是難了。人生世上，難得的是這碗現成飯，只管『稂不稂莠不莠』的到幾時？我如今同了幾個大本錢的人到省城去買賣，差一個記帳的人，你不如同我們去走走。你又孤身一人，在客夥內，還是少了你喫的，穿的？」周進聽了這話，自己想：「『癱子掉在井裏，撈起也是坐。』有甚虧負我？」隨即應允了。 |
| Provincial Graduate Wang meets...: |
Having lost his job, Zhou Jin went home. He was extremely hard up. One day his brother-in-law, Jin You-yu, came to see him and said, 「Don't take offence at what I say, brother. But all this study doesn't seem to be getting you anywhere, and a bad job is better than none. How long can you go on like this — neither fish, flesh nor fowl? I am going to the provincial capital with some other merchants to buy goods, and we need someone to keep accounts. Why don't you come with us? You are all on your own, and in our group you won't want for food or clothes.」
「Even if a paralytic falls into a well, he can be no worse off than before,」 thought Zhou Jin. 「It can't hurt me to go.」 So he consented. |
| | 王孝廉村... : |
金有餘擇個吉日，同一夥客人起身，來到省城雜貨行裏住下。周進無事閑著，街上走走。看見紛紛的工匠都說是修理貢院。周進跟到貢院門口，想挨進去看，被看門的大鞭子打了出來。 |
| Provincial Graduate Wang meets...: |
Jin chose an auspicious day, and they set off with a party of merchants to the provincial capital, where they stayed in a merchants' guild. Since Zhou Jin had nothing to do, he strolled through the streets until he saw a group of workmen who said that they were going to repair the examination school. He followed them to the gate of the school and wanted to go in, but the gateman cracked his whip and drove him away. |
| | 周學道校... : |
話說周進在省城要看貢院，金有餘見他真切，只得用幾個小錢同他去看。不想纔到天字號，就撞死在地下。眾人多慌了，只道一時中了惡。行主人道：「想是這貢院裏久沒有人到，陰氣重了，故此周客人中了惡。」金有餘道：「賢東，我扶著他，你且去到做工的那裏借口開水來灌他一灌。」行主人應諾，取了水來，三四個客人一齊扶著，灌了下去，喉嚨裏咯咯的響了一聲，吐出一口稠涎來。眾人道：「好了。」扶著立了起來。周進看著號板，又是一頭撞將去。這回不死了，放聲大哭起來。眾人勸著不住。 |
| Examiner Zhou picks out...: |
When Zhou Jin fell senseless to the ground, his friends were greatly taken aback, thinking he must be ill.
「I suppose this place has been shut up so long that the air is bad,」 said the guild head. 「That must be why he has collapsed.」
「I'll hold him up,」 said Qin to the guild head, 「while you go and get some hot water from the workmen over there to bring him to.」
When the guild head brought back the water, three or four of the others raised Zhou Jin up and poured water down his throat till he gave a gurgle and spat out some phlegm. 「That's better,」 they said, and helped him to his feet. But when Zhou Jin saw the desk he beat his head against it again. Only, instead of falling unconscious, this time he burst into loud sobbing. Not all their entreaties could stop him. |
| | 周學道校... : |
次日，四位客人果然備了二百兩銀子，交與金有餘。一切多的使費，都是金有餘包辦。周進又謝了眾人和金有餘。行主人替周進備一席酒，請了眾位。金有餘將著銀子，上了藩庫，討出庫收來。正直宗師來省錄遺，周進就錄了個貢監首卷。到了八月初八日進頭場，見了自己哭的所在，不覺喜出望外。自古道：「人逢喜事精神爽」，那七篇文字，做的花團錦簇一般。出了場，仍舊住在行裏。金有餘同那幾個客人還不曾買完了貨。直到放榜那日，巍然中了。眾人各各歡喜。 |
| Examiner Zhou picks out...: |
The next day, sure enough, the four merchants raised two hundred taels of silver between them. This they gave to Jin, who promised to be responsible for any expenses over and above that sum. Zhou Jin thanked them again; and the guild head prepared a feast for the merchants on Zhou Jin's behalf. Meantime Jin had taken the silver to the provincial treasury. As luck would have it, it was just the time for the preliminary test for the provincial examination. Zhou Jin took the test and came first of all the candidates from the Imperial College. On the eighth of the eighth month he went to the examination school for the provincial examination, and the sight of the place where he had cried made him unexpectedly happy. As the proverb says, 「Joy puts heart into a man.」 Thus he wrote seven excellent examination papers, then went back to the guild, for Jin and the others had not yet completed their purchases. When the results were published, Zhou Jin had passed with distinction, and all the merchants were delighted. |
| | 王秀才議... : |
話說眾回子因湯知縣枷死了老師夫，鬧將起來，將縣衙門圍的水泄不通，口口聲聲只要揪出張靜齋來打死。知縣大驚，細細在衙門裏追問，纔曉得是門子透風。知縣道：「我至不濟，到底是一縣之主，他敢怎的我？設或鬧了進來，看見張世兄，就有些開交不得了。如今須是設法先把張世兄弄出去，離了這個地方上纔好。」忙喚了幾個心腹的衙役進來商議。幸得衙門後身緊靠著北城，幾個衙役，先溜到城外，用繩子把張、范二位繫了出去。換了藍布衣服、草帽、草鞋，尋一條小路，忙忙如喪家之狗，急急如漏網之魚，連夜找路回省城去了。 |
| The Wang brothers deliberate...: |
The Moslems were out for blood. They besieged the yamen gate so closely that not a drop of water could have trickled through, and threatened to drag Mr. Zhang out and beat him to death. The magistrate was thoroughly frightened. After a careful investigation he discovered that one of his subordinates had told the Moslems of Mr. Zhang's part in the business. 「After all, I am head of the county and they dare not touch me,」 he told Mr. Zhang and Fan Jin. 「But if they break in and find Mr. Zhang here, there's no knowing what may happen. I must think of a way to get you out of here. Once you have left, all will be well.」
He immediately summoned his most reliable men to discuss the question. Luckily, the back of the yamen was hard by the north gate of the city, and after several men had slipped outside the city wall, Mr. Zhang and Fan Jin were lowered to them by ropes. Then Zhang and Fan changed into blue cloth gowns, straw hats and sandals, and, stealthily as stray dogs, swiftly as fish escaping from the net, fled back to the provincial capital. |
| | 王秀才議... : |
知縣喝過一邊，帶那一個上來問道：「你叫做甚麼名字？」那人是個五六十歲的老者，稟道：「小人叫做黃夢統，在鄉下住。因去年九月上縣來交錢糧，一時短少，央中向嚴鄉紳借二十兩銀子，每月三分錢，寫立借約，送在嚴府，小的卻不曾拿他的銀子。走上街來，遇著個鄉裏的親眷，他說有幾兩銀子借與小的，交個幾分數，再下鄉去設法；勸小的不要借嚴家的銀子。小的交完錢糧，就同親戚回家去了。至今已是大半年，想起這事來，問嚴府取回借約，嚴鄉紳問小的要這幾個月的利錢。小的說：『並不曾借本，何得有利？』嚴鄉紳說小的當時拿回借約，好讓他把銀子借與別人生利；因不曾取約，他將二十兩銀子也不能動，誤了大半年的利錢，該是小的出。小的自知不是，向中人說，情願買個蹄、酒上門取約。嚴鄉紳執意不肯，把小的驢和米同稍袋都叫人短了家去，還不發出紙來。這樣含冤負屈的事，求太老爺做主！」知縣聽了，說道：「一個做貢生的人，忝列衣冠，不在鄉里間做些好事，只管如此騙人，其實可惡！」便將兩張狀子都批准，原告在外伺候。早有人把這話報知嚴貢生，嚴貢生慌了，自心裏想：「這兩件事都是實的，倘若審斷起來，體面上須不好看。『三十六計，走為上計』！」捲捲行李，一溜煙走急到省城去了。 |
| The Wang brothers deliberate...: |
The magistrate turned to the other plaintiff, who was between fifty and sixty years old, and asked, 「What is your name?」
「Huang Meng-tong,」 was the answer. 「I live in the country. In the ninth month last year I came to the city to pay my taxes. But I didn't have enough money, so I asked a go-between to borrow twenty taels of silver for me from Senior Licentiate Yan at three per cent monthly interest. I signed a contract with Senior Licentiate Yan, but I didn't take the money, for here in town I met a relative from the country who said he could lend me part of the amount and I should borrow the rest from friends in the country. He advised me not to borrow from Senior Licentiate Yan. After paying my taxes, I went back with this relative. That was more than six months ago. Just lately I remembered the agreement I had signed, and came back to town to ask Senior Licentiate Yan to give it back to me. But he demanded that I pay the interest for all these months. 'I didn't borrow the money, so why should I pay interest?' I asked. Senior Licentiate Yan said if I had taken the agreement back at once, he could have lent the money to someone else. As it was, I had prevented his using those twenty taels, and made him lose half a year's interest. Now I must pay it. I realized I was in the wrong, and asked the go-between to speak for me, promising to take Senior Licentiate Yan presents of pork and wine if he would give me back the contract. But he still insisted on having the money. Now he has seized my donkey and grain sacks as a fine, yet he still hasn't returned that contract. I ask you, sir, to judge such underhand dealings!」
「A man who is a senior licentiate ranks among the scholars,」 declared Magistrate Tang, 「yet instead of doing good deeds, he cheats poor people like this. Disgraceful!」 He approved both plaintiffs' petitions, and told them to wait outside.
Now somebody had already reported this to Yan. He was panic-stricken, and thought, 「Both complaints are true, and if I have to appear in court I shall lose face. Better make myself scarce.」 He bundled some things together and fled to the provincial capital. |
| | 王秀才議... : |
那一日，早上喫過藥，聽著蕭蕭落葉打的窗子響，自覺得心裏虛怯，長歎了一口氣，把臉朝床裏面睡下。趙氏從房外同兩位舅爺進來問病，就辭別了到省城裏鄉試去。嚴監生叫丫鬟扶起來勉強坐著。王德、王仁道：「好幾日不曾看妹丈，原來又瘦了些──喜得精神還好。」嚴監生請他坐下，說了些恭喜的話，留在房裏喫點心，就講到除夕晚裏這一番話，叫趙氏拿出幾封銀子來；指著趙氏說道：「這到是他的意思，說姐姐留下來的一點東西，送與二位老舅添著做恭喜的盤費。我這病勢沉重，將來二位回府，不知可會得著了？我死之後，二位老舅照顧你外甥長大，教他讀讀書，掙著進個學，免得像我一生，終日受大房裏的氣！」二位接了銀子，每位懷裏帶著兩封，謝了又謝，又說了許多的安慰的話，作別去了。 |
| The Wang brothers deliberate...: |
One morning he had just taken his medicine when he heard the rustle of falling leaves against the window, and felt a fearful premonition. He heaved a long sigh, and turned his face to the wall.
The new wife brought the Wang brothers in to see how he was before they left for the provincial examination. Ordering a maid to help him, Mr. Yan struggled to a sitting position.
「We have not seen you for many days, and now you are thinner than ever,」 said the brothers. 「It's good, though, that you still look so cheerful.」
Mr. Yan asked them to be seated, wished them success in their coming examination, and offered them refreshments. He told them what had happened on New Year's Eve, and asked his wife to bring in some silver. 「This was her idea,」 he told them. 「She suggested that this small sum of money that my wife left should be given to you for your trip. I am very ill, and don't know if I shall see you again. After my death, I beg you to watch over your nephew as he grows up. Help him to study and pass the prefectural examination, so that he need not be bullied as I have been all my life by my brother.」
Wang De and Wang Ren accepted the silver, each taking two packets. They thanked Mr. Yan profusely, said all they could to comfort him, then took their leave. |
