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妇女与朋友——之一
以爱花之心爱美人，则领略自饶别趣；以爱美人之心爱花，则护惜倍有深情。
（冒）辟疆曰：能如此，方是真领略，真护惜也。
竹坡曰：花与美人何幸遇此东君。
To love a beautiful woman with the sentiment of
loving flowers increases the keenness of
admiration;to love flowers with the sentiment of loving women
increases one’s tenderness in
protecting them.
Pichiang: Only in this spirit can true appreciation and true
tenderness be shown.
Chupo: What luck for flowers and women to meet such a lover!
妇女与朋友——之二
美人之胜于花者，解语也；花之胜于美人者，生香也，二者不可得兼，舍生香而取解语者也。
（王）勿翦曰：飞燕吹气若兰，合德体自生香，薛瑶英肌肉皆香，则美人又何尝不生香也。
Women are flowers that can talk, and flowers are women which give
off fragrance.Rather enjoy
talk than fragrance.
Wuchien: A correction here. Queen Feiyen’s breath was like orchid,
Queen Hoteh had a fragrant body odor, and Shuch Yaoying’s flesh and
skin were said to emit a certain perfume. It is not only flowers
that smell good.
妇女与朋友——之三
女子自十四五岁至二十四五岁，此十年中，无论燕秦吴越，其音大都娇媚动人，一睹其貌，则美恶判然矣。耳闻不如目见，于此益信。
含徵曰：帘为妓衣，亦殊有见。
竹坡曰：家有少年丑婢者，当令隔屏私语，灭烛侍寝何如？
永清曰：若逢美貌而恶声者，又当何如？
Girls between fourteen and twenty-five of whatever locality usually
have a charming accent, but when you see their faces, there is a
great difference between the ugly and the beautiful.
Hanchen: There is some truth in the saying that the bamboo screen
is the courtesan’s means of attraction.
Chupo: When one has an ugly maid, it is not a bad idea to insist on
talking with her across a door, or if there are a number of them,
listen to them whispering in the next room.
Yungching: But if there is a pretty one with a coarse masculine
voice, what are you going to
do?
妇女与朋友——之四
所谓美人者，以花为貌，以鸟为声，以月为神，以柳为态，以玉为骨，以冰雪为肤，以秋水
为姿，以诗词为心，吾无间然矣。
For a woman to have the expression_r of a flower, the voice of a
bird, the soul of the moon, the posture of the willow, bones of
jade and a skin of snow, the charm of an autumn lake and the heart
of poetry---that would indeed be perfect.
妇女与朋友——之五
花不可见其落，月不可见其沉，美人不可见其夭。种花须见其开，待月须见其满，著书须见
其成，美人须见其畅适方有实际，否则皆为虚设。
（朱）其恭曰：君言谬矣。洵如所云，则美人必见其发白齿豁而后快耶？
（注）原文似为两条：前三句为一条，其后六句是另一条。
Avoid seeing the wilting of flowers, the decline of the moon, and
the death of young women. One should wait to see the flowers in
bloom after planting them, see the full moon after waiting days for
it , and complete writing a book after starting it, and should see
to it that a beautiful woman is happy and gay. Otherwise, all the
labors are in vain.
Chikung: I doubt this statement. Do you want to see a beautiful
woman grow old until she has a wrinkled face and a toothless
mouth?
妇女与朋友——之六
闲人之砚固欲其佳，而忙人之砚尤不可不佳；娱情之妾固欲其美，而广嗣之妾亦不可不美。
含徵曰：砚美下墨可也，妾美招妒奈何？
竹坡曰：妒在妾，不在美。
A scholar’s inkstone should be exquisite, but so should a
businessman’s. A concubine for pleasure should be beautiful, but so
should also a concubine for continuing the family line.
Hanchen: An exquisite inkstone takes ink better and that is all
there is to it. But a pretty concubine invites jealousy. What are
you going to do about it?
Chupo: Jealousy is in women, whether the concubine is pretty or
not.
妇女与朋友——之七
看晓妆宜于傅粉之后。
（余）淡心曰：看晚妆，不知心斋以为宜于何时。
（周）冰持曰：不可说，不可说。
（庞）天池曰：看残妆宜于微醉后，然眼花缭乱矣。
It is good to look at a lady at her morning toilet after she has
powdered her face.
Tanshin: What would be the time to look at a lady’s evening toilet?
What is Shintsai’s opinion?
Pingchih: Hush!Hush!
Tienchih: For evening toilet, the time should be when the lady is
slightly drunk.But at that time one’s eyes are blurred, too.
妇女与朋友——之八
昔人云，妇人识字多致诲淫，予谓此非识字之过也。盖识字则非无闻之人，其淫也，人易得
而知耳。
竹坡曰：此名士持身不可不加谨也。
若金曰：贞者识字愈贞，淫者不识字亦淫。
There is an ancient saying that women who can read and write are
apt to have loose morals. My opinion is that this is not the fault
of education, but that when an educated woman has loose morals, the
public gets to know about it more quickly.
Chupo: That is why famous scholars should also be particularly
careful about their conduct.
Jochin: The chaste become more chaste with education. The
licentious will be licentious without education.
妇女与朋友——之九
才子遇才子，每有怜才之心；美人遇美人，必无惜美之意。我愿来世托生为绝代佳人，一反
其局而后快。
隺山曰：谚云，鲍老当筵笑郭郎，笑他舞袖太郎当，若教鲍老当筵舞，转更郎当舞袖长，则
为之奈何。
（郑）蕃修曰：俟心斋来世为佳人时再议。
（余）湘客曰：古亦有我见犹怜者。
永清曰：再来早，不可忘却。
When a scholar meets another scholar, usually there is a feeling of
mutual sympathy, but when one beauty meets another, the sense of
tenderness toward beauty is always lacking. May I be born a
beautiful woman in the next life and change all that!
Hoshan: There is an old popular verse which says, “Old Pao
laughs at Kuo for his clumsy sleeves during a dance; when Pao is
asked to dance during dinner, his sleeves are even more
unmanageable.” Then what?
Fanshiu: Wait till Shintsai is born a woman and see!
Shiangke: Remember the ancient remark of a woman about another
woman, “Even I fall in love
with her.”
Yungching: Don’t forget, Shintsai, when you come back!
妇女与朋友——之十
予尝欲建一无遮大会，一祭历代才子，一祭历代佳人。俟遇有真正高僧，即当为之。
天石曰：君若果有此盛举，请迟至二三十年之后，则我亦可拜领盛情也。
释中洲曰：我是真正高僧，请即为之，何如？不然则此二种沉魂滞魄何日而得解脱耶？
含徵曰：折柬虽具而未有定期，佳人亦复怨声载道，我恐非才子而冒为才子，非佳人而冒为
佳人，虽有十万八千母陀罗臂，亦不能具香厨法膳也，心斋以为然否？
释远峰曰：中洲和尚，不得夺我施主。
语堂曰：好和尚！我们常忘了和尚也是凡人。
I propose to hold a grand temple gathering for sacrifices to all
the famous beauties and all the great poets of the past, with
absolutely free intermingling of the men and women. When I find a
first-class monk of real learning, I am going to do it.
Tienchih: Wait another twenty or thirty years so that I can be
counted among the honored spirits.
[Monk] Chungchou: I am a first-class monk. Hurry up and do it.
Their spirits are waiting to be liberated from their netherworld
troubles.
Hanchen: The invitation is ready, but no date has been fixed. The
souls of the ancient beauties and poets will be getting impatient.
Also I am afraid that there will be a number of souls who consider
themselves beauties and poets and will come uninvited. The temple
cook will never be able to provide meals for such a crowd. What do
you think, Shintsai?
[Monk] Yuanfeng: Shintsai is my client. Brother Chungchou is trying
to take him away from me.
Yutang: What monks! It is difficult to bear in mind that monks are
also human.
妇女与朋友——之十一
一介之士必有密友。密友不必定是刎颈之交。大率虽千百里之遥皆可相信，而不为浮言所动，
闻有谤之者，即多方为之辨析而后已。事之宜行宜止者，代为筹画决断，或事当利害关头有
所需而后济者，即不必与闻，亦不虑其负我与否，竟为力承其事。此皆所谓密友也。
A scholar must have bosom friends. By a bosom friend I do not mean
necessarily one who has
sworn a pledge of friendship for life and death, but one who has
faith to you against rumors,although separated by a thousand miles,
and tries every means to explain it away; who will assume the
responsibility and make a decision for you, or in case of need make
a financial settlement, even without letting you know or worrying
whether he will be repaid. This is what I call a bosom friend.
妇女与朋友——之十二
云映日而成霞，泉挂岩而成瀑，所托者异而名亦因之，此友道之所以可贵也。
竹坡曰：非日而云不映，非岩而泉不挂，此友道之所以当择也。
A cloud becomes multicolored when it reflects the sun, and a
mountain current becomes a fall
when it passes over a cliff. Things become different from what they
associate with. That is why friendship is so valued.
Chupo: The character of the multicolored cloud and the waterfall
depends on the sun and the cliff. That is why friends must be
chosen carefully.
妇女与朋友——之十三
发前人未发之论方是奇书；言妻子难言之情乃为密友。
云士曰：《幽梦影》一书所发者皆未发之论，所言者皆难言之情，欲语羞雷同，可以题赠。
A remarkable book is one which says something never said before; a
bosom friend is one who will confide in you all his heartfelt
feelings.
Yunshih: This book can be said to say things never said before and
reveals heartfelt feelings.
妇女与朋友——之十四
天下有一人知己可以不恨。
（注：这条删掉“物亦有知己”的部分。）
One does not live in vain if there is one in this world who truly
understands oneself.
妇女与朋友——之十五
对渊博友如读异书，对风雅友如读名人诗文，对谨饬友如读圣贤经传，对滑稽友如读传奇小
说。
圣许曰：（读）这几种书亦如对这几种人矣。
竹坡曰：善于读书取友之言。
（注）圣许的评语似乎应加一“读”字于其首，才能配合张潮的意思，才可以说是这一条的
评语。
To talk with a learned friend is like reading a remarkable book;
with a romantic friend, like reading good prose and poetry; with an
upright friend, like reading the classics; with a humorous friend,
like reading fiction.
Shengshu: To read these various kinds of books is also like talking
to these various kinds of friends.
Chupo: Such a statement comes from one who really appreciates books
and friends.
妇女与朋友——之十六
乡居须得良朋始佳，若田夫樵子仅能辨五谷而测晴雨，久且数未免生厌矣。而友之中又当以
能诗为第一，能谈次之，能画次之，能歌又次之，解觞政者又次之。
含徵曰：说鬼话者又次之。
日戒曰：奔走于权贵之门者自应以说鬼话为第一，而诸客次之。
永清曰：能诗者必能说鬼话。
云士曰：三说递进，愈转愈妙，滑稽之雄。
It is necessary to have good friends when living in the country.
One can get tired of the peasants who talk only of the crops and
the weather. Among friends, those who write poetry are the best;
next, those good at conversation; next, those who paint; next,
those who can sing; and lastly, those who can play wine
games.
Hanchen: Those who talk fantastic drivel should be the last.
Jihchieh: Among the guests in a rich man’s house, those who talk
fantastic drivel usually rank among the first.
Yungching: Poets always can talk fantastic drivel.
Yunshih: I like this. It gets better and better.
妇女与朋友——之十七
上元须酌豪友,端午须酌丽友,七夕须酌韵友,中秋须酌淡友,重九须酌逸友。
（朱）菊山曰:我于诸友中当何所属耶？
（王）武徵曰:君当在豪与韵之间耳。
（王）名友曰:维扬丽友多,豪友少,韵友更少，至于淡友逸友，则销迹矣。
竹坡曰:诸友易得,发心酌之者为难能耳。
天石曰:除夕须酌不得意之友。
（徐）砚谷曰：惟我则无时不可酌耳。
（尤）谨庸曰：上元酌灯,端午酌彩丝,七夕酌双星,中秋酌月,重九酌菊,则吾友俱备矣。
Drink a toast to cavalier friends during the Lantern Festival
[fifteenth of January], to handsome friends during the Dragon Boat
Festival [fifth day of fifth moon], to charming friends on
the
Double Seventh [the seventh of seventh moon], to friends of mild
disposition during the Harvest Moon [fifteenth of eighth moon], and
to romantic friends on the Double Ninth [ninth day of ninth
moon].
Chushien: Where do you classify
me?
Wuchen: You are somewhere between the cavalier and the charming
friend.
Mingyu: In Yangchow, there are plenty of handsome friends, less
cavalier friends, and still less charming friends. As for mild
friends and romantic friends, they simply do not exist. (Yangchow
was the center of luxury.)
Chupo: There are always such friends to be found. What I appreciate
most is the author’s thought of toasting them on such
occasions.
Tienchih: On New Year’s Eve, we should toast our less fortunate
friends.
Yenku: Toast me any time of the year.
Chinyung: I have a suggestion. Drink a toast to the lanterns at the
Lantern Festival, to the colored ribbons on the racing boats during
Dragon Boat, to the Pair of Lovers in the sky on the Double
Seventh, to the moon during the Harvest Moon, and to chrysanthemums
on the Double Ninth. Then all the friends will come by themselves,
attracted by the sentiments.
妇女与朋友——之十八
求知己于朋友易，求知己于妻妾难，求知己于君臣则尤难之难。
名友曰：求知己于妾易，求知己于妻难，求知己于有妾之妻尤难。
竹坡曰：求知己于兄弟亦难。
含徵曰：求知己于鬼神则反易耳。
It is easier to find real understanding among friends than among
one’s wife and mistresses.
Between a king and his ministers, such a close understanding is
even more rare.
Mingyu: It is more difficult to find understanding in one’s wife
than in one’s mistress, and doubly difficult in a wife with a
mistress in the home.
Chupo: Such understanding is rare also between brothers.
Hanchen: On the other hand, the gods and spirits seem to understand
us better.
妇女与朋友——之十九
并头联句，交颈论文，宫中应制，历使属国，皆极人间乐事。
（狄）立人曰：既已并头交颈，即欲联句论文，恐亦有所不暇。
（汪）舟次曰：历使属国，殊不易易。
（孙）松坪曰：邯郸旧梦，对此惘然。
竹坡曰：并头交颈乐事也，联句论文亦乐事也，是以两乐并为一乐者，则当以两夜并一夜方
妙，然其乐一刻，胜于一日矣。
（沈）契掌曰：恐天亦见妒。
Some of the greatest joys of life are: to discuss literature with a
friend, to compose together tête-à-tête a poem by providing
alternate lines, to sit at the palace examinations, and to be sent
abroad as a diplomat to our country’s dependencies.
Lijen: In a tête-à-tête, one may have no time for discussing
literature or writing joint poems.
Choutze: To be sent abroad as a diplomat is not easy.
Sungping: There is no harm in dreaming.
Chupo: To have friends alone with you and at the same time discuss
literature or write poems may be too much of a good thing.
Chichang: Even the gods will be envious.
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