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Grand 文言文 Reading Project #7: 《南昌士人》from《子不語》by 袁枚


Humblegeoff

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I'm heading back to the UK the week after next, so this will be my last post for the group (if any of you are in Yorkshire and fancy setting something up, please get in touch). After ambling through Zhuge Liang's call to arms, we're changing the feel somewhat for our end-of-term meeting, with a story from Yuan Mei's Zibuyu. Largely because it seems that his collection is far from universally admired in Taiwan (but possibly also due to laziness on my part), I have been unable to lay my bibliophile hands on a paper edition, so the attached texts are sourced from Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/25245 and have received no editorial attention from me whatsoever.

If anyone has access to JSTOR, the following article on the collection is very interesting, and a translation of this story can be found on pp. 138-139, or 11 and 12 of the pdf.

  • "What Confucius Wouldn't Talk About": The Grotesque Body and Literati Identities in Yuan Mei's "Zi buyu"
  • Sing-chen Lydia Francis
  • Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews (CLEAR)
  • Vol. 24, (Dec., 2002) (pp. 129-160)

南昌士人 子不語 袁枚 spaced.docx

南昌士人子不語 袁枚 unpunc.docx

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南昌士人 子不語 袁枚

  江南南昌縣有士人某,讀書北蘭寺,一長一少,甚相友善。長者歸家暴卒,少者不知也,在寺讀書如故。天晚睡矣,見長者披闥入,登牀撫其背曰:「吾別兄不十日,竟以暴疾亡。今我鬼也,朋友之情不能自割,特來訣別。」少者畏懼,不能言。死者慰之曰:「吾欲害兄,豈肯直告?兄慎弗怖。吾之所以來此者,欲以身後相托也。」少者心稍定,問:「托何事?」曰:「吾有老母,年七十餘,妻年未三十,得數斛米,足以養生,願兄周恤之,此其一也。吾有文稿未梓,願兄為鎸刻,俾微名不泯,此其二也。吾欠賣筆者錢數千,未經償還,願兄償之,此其三也。」少者唯唯。死者起立曰:「既承兄擔承,吾亦去矣。」言畢欲走。

  少者見其言近人情,貌如平昔,漸無怖意,乃泣留之,曰:「與君長訣,何不稍緩須臾去耶?」死者亦泣,回坐其牀,更敘平生。數語復起曰:「吾去矣。」立而不行,兩眼瞠視,貌漸醜敗。少者懼,促之曰:「君言既畢,可去矣。」屍竟不去。少者拍牀大呼,亦不去,屹立如故。少者愈駭,起而奔,屍隨之奔。少者奔愈急,屍奔亦急。追逐數里,少者逾牆仆地,屍不能逾牆,而垂首牆外,口中涎沫與少者之面相滴涔涔也。

  天明,路人過之,飲以薑汁,少者蘇。屍主家方覓屍不得,聞信,舁歸成殯。

  識者曰:「人之魂善而魄惡,人之魂靈而魄愚。其始來也,一靈不泯,魄附魂以行;其既去也,心事既畢,魂一散而魄滯。魂在,則其人也;魂去,則非其人也。世之移屍走影,皆魄為之,惟有道之人為能制魄。

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南昌士人 子不語 袁枚

  江南南昌縣有士人某讀書北蘭寺一長一少甚相友善長者歸家暴卒少者不知也在寺讀書如故天晚睡矣見長者披闥入登牀撫其背曰吾別兄不十日竟以暴疾亡今我鬼也朋友之情不能自割特來訣別少者畏懼不能言死者慰之曰吾欲害兄豈肯直告兄慎弗怖吾之所以來此者欲以身後相托也少者心稍定問托何事曰吾有老母年七十餘妻年未三十得數斛米足以養生願兄周恤之此其一也吾有文稿未梓願兄為鎸刻俾微名不泯此其二也吾欠賣筆者錢數千未經償還願兄償之此其三也少者唯唯死者起立曰既承兄擔承吾亦去矣言畢欲走

  少者見其言近人情貌如平昔漸無怖意乃泣留之曰與君長訣何不稍緩須臾去耶死者亦泣回坐其牀更敘平生數語復起曰吾去矣立而不行兩眼瞠視貌漸醜敗少者懼促之曰君言既畢可去矣屍竟不去少者拍牀大呼亦不去屹立如故少者愈駭起而奔屍隨之奔少者奔愈急屍奔亦急追逐數里少者逾牆仆地屍不能逾牆而垂首牆外口中涎沫與少者之面相滴涔涔也

  天明路人過之飲以薑汁少者蘇屍主家方覓屍不得聞信舁歸成殯

  識者曰人之魂善而魄惡人之魂靈而魄愚其始來也一靈不泯魄附魂以行其既去也心事既畢魂一散而魄滯魂在則其人也魂去則非其人也世之移屍走影皆魄為之惟有道之人為能制魄

  

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Useful? Vocab for 南昌士人

南昌

Nánchāng

• Nanchang prefecture level city and capital of Jiangxi province 江西省 in southeast China

also Nanchang county

士人

²shìrén

N. scholar; educated man M: ²wèi [位]

mǒu*

PR. ① certain; some ⓐ Lị̌ ∼ 李∼ a certain person called Li

²shào

B.F. ① young in shàonián ② <trad.> young master in shàoye

¹shèn

ADV. ① very; extremely

相友

²xiāngyǒu

V. be friends together

長者[长-]

zhạ̌ngzhě*

N. ① senior

暴卒

bàozú

V. die of sudden illness

如故

rúgù

V.P. ① be as before ② be like an old friend

²pī

V. ① drape/hang over one's shoulders Fēng dà, ∼shang máoyī. 風大, ∼上毛衣。 It's windy. Put the sweater over your shoulders. ② open; unroll ③ split open; crack

闥[闼]

⁶tà

B.F. door; small door

床/牀

chuáng

① bed

撫[抚]

³fǔ

V. ① comfort; console ② nurture; foster ③ stroke

jìng

• unexpectedly

• actually

• to go so far as to

indeed

⁹jí

B.F. ① disease; illness in ¹jíbìng ② suffering; difficulty in jíkǔ ③ fast in jízǒu ④ hate in jí'èrúchóu

wáng

• to die

• to lose

• to be gone

• to flee

deceased

¹guǐ*

N. ① ghost; spirit

³gē

V. cut apart; sever

訣別[诀别]

juébié

V. bid farewell; part forever

畏懼[-惧]

wèijù*

V. fear; dread

¹⁰wèi

B.F. console; comfort

豈[岂]

²qǐ

ADV. <wr.> how could ...? ∼ néng bù guǎn! ∼能不管! How could we not take care of sth./sb.?

豈肯[岂-]

qǐkěn

Why would be willing to...?

⁴shèn

B.F. careful; cautious

¹⁹fú

<wr.> ADV. not

• terror

• terrified

• afraid

frightened

之所以

zhīsuǒyǐ

A.T. the reason why

²yù

B.F. wish; desire; want

身後[-后]

²shēnhòu

N. ① rear (of a person) ② after one's death

相托

xiāngtuō

V. entrust

²shāo

ADV. slightly

何事

²héshì

PR. <wr.> what reason?; why?

[or in this case what matter/affair?]

餘[余/馀]

³yú

N. surplus; remainder ◆ SUF. odd; plus wǔshí ∼ yuán 五十∼元 fifty-odd dollars

• ancient measuring vessel

• fifty liters

dry measure for grain equal to five dou 五斗 (before Tang, ten pecks)

¹mǐ*

N. ① rice ② Surname ◆ B.F. shelled/husked grain, etc.

養生[养-]

yǎngshēng*

V.O. ① keep in good health ② nourish one's vital principle

周恤

zhōuxù

V. <wr.> sympathize and help

其一

¹qíyī

A.T. first ◆ ADV. firstly

文稿

wéngǎo*

N. manuscript; draft M: fèn [份]

① <botany> Chinese catalpa (Catalpa ovata)

② cut blocks for printing

付梓

²fùzǐ

V. <trad.> ① send to the press for publication ② turn over to the printing shop (after proofreading)

鐫刻[镌-]

juānkè*

V. <wr.> engrave

⁷bǐ

AUX. <wr.> in order to; so that

¹wēi

B.F. ① minute; tiny; slight in wēixiǎo ② profound; abstruse; subtle in wēimiào ③ decline in shuāiwēi ◆ M. one millionth part of; micro-

[modesty]

¹míng*

B.F. ① name; personal name in ¹míngzi ② fame; reputation

⁴mǐn

B.F. vanish; die out

¹qiàn

V. ① owe Tā ∼ wǒ ²qián. 他∼我錢。 He owes me some money.

未經[-经]

¹wèijīng*

ADV. not (yet); un-; have not yet (gone through)

償還[偿还]

chánghuán

V. repay; pay back

唯唯

¹wéiwéi

INTJ. <court.> Yes!, Yes!; That's it!

起立

¹qǐlì*

V. stand up

²jì

ADV. ① already

⁷chéng

B.F. ① bear; hold; carry in ¹chéngdān ② undertake; contract in chéngbāo ③ be indebted (to sb. for a kindness); be granted a favor ④ continue; carry on

擔承[担-]

²dānchéng

V. bear; undertake; assume responsibility for

畢[毕]

⁸bì

B.F. ① finish in ¹wánbì ② accomplish; conclude in ¹bìyè ◆ ADV. <wr.> fully; altogether

³mào

B.F. appearance; aspect

¹rú*

V. ① be like

平昔

²píngxī

ADV. in the past

漸[渐]

⁶jiàn

ADV. gradually; by degrees

⁶qì

B.F. ① weep; sob

訣[诀]

⁷jué

bid farewell; part

何不

¹hébù

ADV. <wr.> why not

稍緩[-缓]

shāohuǎn

delay slightly

須臾[须-]

xūyú*

N. <wr.> moment; instant

⁴yì

ADV. <wr.> also; too

敘[叙]

⁴xù

V. ① talk; chat ② narrate; recount; relate ③ assess; appraise ④ arrange in order ◆ N. preface

平生

¹píngshēng

N. all one's life ◆ ADV. always; usually; habitually

瞠視[-视]

chēngshì

V. <wr.> stare at with wide eyes

醜[丑]

²chǒu

S.V. ugly; unsightly; hideous ◆ B.F. disgraceful; shameful; scandalous

敗[败]

¹bài

V. ① lose; be defeated ② beat; defeat ③ spoil ④ counteract ⑤ decay

³cù

V. urge; promote ◆ B.F. ① <wr.> be close to; near ② short (of time); hurried; urgent

屍[尸]

⁷shī

B.F. corpse

pāi

Beat

大呼

dàhū

V. shout loudly

屹立

²yìlì

V. stand towering (lit./fig.)

如故

rúgù

V.P. ① be as before

More, more and more

駭[骇]

hài

Astonished, shocked, scared

¹bēn

V. ① head for ② hurry; rush; hasten ③ flee ④ approach

隨[随]

¹suí

V. ① follow

³jí

rapid; fast

追逐

zhuīzhú

V. ① pursue; chase

逾牆[-墙]

yúqiáng*

V.O. climb over a wall

³pū

B.F. fall forward

¹chuí

V. B.F. ① hang down; droop; let fall

涎沫

xiánmò

N. saliva

面相

²miànxiàng

N. <topo.> ① face; aspect ② facial features; looks; appearance

²dī

V. drip ◆ M. drop

涔涔

¹céncén

R.F. <wr.> ① dripping; streaming

天明

tiānmíng*

N. daybreak; dawn

路人

lùrén*

N. passerby; stranger

薑汁[姜-]

jiāngzhī

ginger ale

[?]

蘇[苏]

revive

¹fāng

◆ ADV. just; only just/then

覓[觅]

³mì

B.F. seek

• to lift

raise

歸[归]

guī

• to return

• to go back to

殯[殡]

bìn

• a funeral

• to encoffin a corpse

to carry to burial

識者[识-]

shízhě

N. <wr.> the knowledgeable; the discerning

[in this case, one who is knowledgeable]

hún

• soul

• spirit

immortal soul, i.e. that can be detached from the body

• soul

mortal soul, i.e. attached to the body

魂飛魄散[-飞--]

húnfēipòsàn

F.E. be frightened out of one's senses

靈[灵]

⁴líng

S.V. ① quick; clever; sharp

⁴yú

B.F. ① foolish; stupid

⁶shǐ

B.F. begin; start in ¹kāishǐ ◆ ADV. <wr.> only then; not ... until

⁷fù

V. ① add; attach; enclose ② get close to; be near ③ agree to

¹sǎn

V. come loose

滯[滞]

¹⁹zhì

B.F. ① stagnant; stopped up in zhìdǔ ② hold up; detain

移/迻

¹yí

V. move; remove; shift

惟/唯有

wéiyǒu*

CONJ. only; alone

²dào

Daoism

zhì

restrict; control; govern

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