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CHAPTER XV.
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One day when the sun was hot and she was tired, Tuen said to Szu impatiently:

"Don't you know anything except about the old kings and their wars?"

Now Szu, although he was old and blind and feeble, was well endowed with tact1 and quickness, and after revolving2 the question in his mind, he answered graciously:

"There are two stories that I have not yet told you, and they might be of interest to you, since they are of women, and of women, too, who dwelt within the Forbidden City."

"Let me hear them," Tuen said [Pg 139]listlessly. "I did not know there were any stories about women. I thought they were all about men."

"There have been females—though their number is few—whose names the bards3 have perpetuated," the old man replied.

"You may commence," Tuen interrupted, her curiosity aroused.

Seating himself on the deck of the boat, and folding his hands, his head thrown back and his sightless eyes seeming to gaze before him, Szu began in a monotonous4, sing-song voice, that yet was clear and soft:

"It happened many years, aye, many centuries, ago—this strange event that I tell to you now as but a passing tale. And yet the fame of this woman will endure forever, though all things else belonging to that far-away time have perished. At this remote period of which I speak Kaou-tsung, the second Emperor of the[Pg 140] Tang dynasty, was seated upon the throne. Great was the prosperity of the Empire, and rumors5 of its glories and of its wonders spread to the outer regions, and ambassadors came from Nepaul, Persia, and even from a far-away dominion6 called Rome, to pay tribute to the Son of Heaven. He had magnificent palaces and stately temples, and he numbered his warriors7 by thousands. Then, as it has ever been, for we are the one nation favored by the gods, we were civilized8 and wise, and all other people came to learn of us, even as it is to this very day. Kaou-tsung built canals and cities, following the example of his illustrious father, and bestowed9 peace and plenty on all his subjects, but still he was not content. He had women from the various provinces to while away his tedious hours, but they were all alike stupid and silly, and he found no pleasure with them.

"'Surely in my kingdom there lives one[Pg 141] female who combines both wisdom and beauty,' he exclaimed one day, and after due deliberation he sent forth10 his minister to seek for a woman who was both wise and pretty. When he heard of the mission entrusted11 to him the minister sighed and shook his head.

"'Your quest is vain,' he told his sovereign. 'There lives not such a being. All women are but foolish creatures, and those endowed with beauty are the most foolish of all. They wear their gifts upon the outside, and within them there is naught12.'

"'Presume not to argue with me,' Kaou-tsung cried angrily, 'but go and do as I have commanded.'

"Now, this minister was most skilful13 with the pencil, and the Emperor instructed him to traverse the length and breadth of his vast possessions, letting it be known everywhere that he sought the fairest and the wisest in the land to be the[Pg 142] bride of the king, and whenever he found one who appeared to possess these necessary qualifications, he was to make a picture of her. When his quest was ended, he was to return to the court, bringing with him these likenesses of the fair maidens16 of the land, and the Emperor would select the one that pleased him best. But when the minister was gone he saw in this a chance to enrich himself, and as all women were desirous of being the chosen one he drew not any who did not give him costly17 offerings. The Emperor, waiting in his palace, knew not of this, and was most impatient for his return. In the meantime, some one brought news to the court of the surpassing loveliness of a girl named Woo How, who was a daughter of a cultivator of the soil. When he heard the reports of the wonderful beauty of this maiden15 the Emperor sent a courier in great haste after his minister, bearing the message:

[Pg 143]

"'Return not without the likeness14 of Woo How.'

"The minister forthwith went in search of this beauteous one, and when he found her she was fairer than any woman he had ever seen, and conducted herself in a modest way, yielding ready answers to all his questions. But alas18, the father was very poor, and could not pay the price demanded by the mercenary minister, therefore this unworthy servant of a generous king drew a picture of exceeding ugliness, and under it he wrote the name of Woo How, for he was determined19 that no one should be Empress who did not first buy his favor. At last this scheming official—Maou-yen-show by name—came back to court, bringing with him a collection of pictures of the so-called beauties of the land, who had paid him well to be their ambassador. The Emperor examined them critically.

"'This one pleases me not. Her nose[Pg 144] is too long,' he said, casting aside the first one.

"'And this one is ugly enough to scare the dragon away,' he exclaimed when he saw the second.

"'This one's mouth is all askew,' was his comment on the third, and so he ran through the whole list, finding none that pleased him.

"'I might as well send a blind man to pick out a beautiful female as this stolid20 Maou-yen-show,' he cried angrily, when he had finished. 'Truly he knows not the difference between a woman and a demon21.'

"But the minister bowing obsequiously22 insisted that these were indeed the most beautiful in the land.

"'Then I want none of them,' his sovereign replied, 'for an uglier lot I never beheld23.'

"After this Kaou-tsung made no further attempt to find himself a fitting bride, but[Pg 145] was immersed in the affairs of state. One day, however, as he rode forth, surrounded by his troops, to take his annual hunt, he saw beside the road a young girl of such wondrous24 loveliness that he could not take his eyes from her face.

"'Bring her to me,' he ordered his attendants, as she, not knowing that it was the Emperor and his suite25, but thinking that it was only some great mandarin26, would have passed on.

"When the soldiers approached her, saying at the same time, 'The Emperor who waits yonder has sent for you,' she was greatly terrified. Her face turned very white, and her knees trembled so that she could hardly stand, for she knew not what was about to befall her.

"When she had prostrated27 herself before Kaou-tsung he ordered all his attendants to withdraw to a little distance and there remain until he summoned them, for he wished to speak, unheard by others, to[Pg 146] this fair maiden. When they were alone he said kindly28:

"'Rise, most beautiful one, for I desire to look at you.'

"Blushing at his words, she raised her face but remained upon her knees.

"'Verily the sun seemed hid when I saw not your eyes,' Kaou-tsung continued, for he was much impressed with her beauty.

"Seeing that she did not speak, but only blushed the more, he asked:

"'What is your name?'

"'Woo How,' she murmured, all abashed29.

"'What!' cried the astonished Emperor; 'not Woo How, the daughter of one Tai-ting?'

"'The very same,' she answered, not knowing why he was amazed.

"'But the picture Maou-yen-show brought to me?' he questioned, in great perplexity.

"'Ah, I had not the treasures to give[Pg 147] him and he would not make it,' she answered sadly.

"At this a light suddenly broke upon Kaou-tsung, and he saw the perfidy30 of the minister he had trusted.

"'Rise, most beautiful one in all the land,' he cried to her, 'for you shall be the bride of the Emperor. At last have I found the creature I sought.' Thus in spite of treachery did the gods bring it to pass that Woo How became the Empress, for what Tên Wang decrees must be, no matter how we strive against it."

"That was indeed a charming story," Tuen cried enthusiastically, as the old man paused. "It is the nicest one I ever heard."

"It is not yet finished," Szu said quickly. "It were but a broken thread if I left it there."

"Oh, tell it all to me," she cried eagerly. "I would never tire of listening about her."

[Pg 148]

Szu nodded his head complacently31 and cleared his throat. Then he went on:

"The happy Kaou-tsung forgot about the hunt, and returned at once to his imperial palace, carrying Woo How with him. It was so ordained32 that Maou-yen-show was not of the party that attended the Emperor that day, and knew nothing of his meeting with Woo How. Immediately upon his arrival at court Kaou-tsung gave the following order:

"'Keeper of the Yellow Gate, bring us that picture that we may view it.'

"Looking from it to the charming original before him he exclaimed feelingly:

"'Ah, how he has dimmed the purity of the gem33, bright as the waves in autumn!'

"Then turning to the attendant he said:

"'Transmit our pleasure to the officer of the guard to behead Maou-yen-show and report to us his execution.'"

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 tact vqgwc     
n.机敏,圆滑,得体
参考例句:
  • She showed great tact in dealing with a tricky situation.她处理棘手的局面表现得十分老练。
  • Tact is a valuable commodity.圆滑老练是很有用处的。
2 revolving 3jbzvd     
adj.旋转的,轮转式的;循环的v.(使)旋转( revolve的现在分词 );细想
参考例句:
  • The theatre has a revolving stage. 剧院有一个旋转舞台。
  • The company became a revolving-door workplace. 这家公司成了工作的中转站。
3 bards 77e8523689645af5df8266d581666aa3     
n.诗人( bard的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • There were feasts and drinking and singing by the bards. 他们欢宴狂饮,还有吟游诗人的歌唱作伴助兴。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史
  • Round many western islands have I been Which Bards in fealty to Apollo hold. 还有多少西方的海岛,歌都已使它们向阿波罗臣服。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
4 monotonous FwQyJ     
adj.单调的,一成不变的,使人厌倦的
参考例句:
  • She thought life in the small town was monotonous.她觉得小镇上的生活单调而乏味。
  • His articles are fixed in form and monotonous in content.他的文章千篇一律,一个调调儿。
5 rumors 2170bcd55c0e3844ecb4ef13fef29b01     
n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 );[古]名誉;咕哝;[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 );[古]名誉;咕哝;[古]喧嚷
参考例句:
  • Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 dominion FmQy1     
n.统治,管辖,支配权;领土,版图
参考例句:
  • Alexander held dominion over a vast area.亚历山大曾统治过辽阔的地域。
  • In the affluent society,the authorities are hardly forced to justify their dominion.在富裕社会里,当局几乎无需证明其统治之合理。
7 warriors 3116036b00d464eee673b3a18dfe1155     
武士,勇士,战士( warrior的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
  • The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。
8 civilized UwRzDg     
a.有教养的,文雅的
参考例句:
  • Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society. 文明社会憎恶种族主义。
  • rising crime in our so-called civilized societies 在我们所谓文明社会中日益增多的犯罪行为
9 bestowed 12e1d67c73811aa19bdfe3ae4a8c2c28     
赠给,授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • It was a title bestowed upon him by the king. 那是国王赐给他的头衔。
  • He considered himself unworthy of the honour they had bestowed on him. 他认为自己不配得到大家赋予他的荣誉。
10 forth Hzdz2     
adv.向前;向外,往外
参考例句:
  • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
11 entrusted be9f0db83b06252a0a462773113f94fa     
v.委托,托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He entrusted the task to his nephew. 他把这任务托付给了他的侄儿。
  • She was entrusted with the direction of the project. 她受委托负责这项计划。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 naught wGLxx     
n.无,零 [=nought]
参考例句:
  • He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。
  • I hope that all your efforts won't go for naught.我希望你的努力不会毫无结果。
13 skilful 8i2zDY     
(=skillful)adj.灵巧的,熟练的
参考例句:
  • The more you practise,the more skilful you'll become.练习的次数越多,熟练的程度越高。
  • He's not very skilful with his chopsticks.他用筷子不大熟练。
14 likeness P1txX     
n.相像,相似(之处)
参考例句:
  • I think the painter has produced a very true likeness.我认为这位画家画得非常逼真。
  • She treasured the painted likeness of her son.她珍藏她儿子的画像。
15 maiden yRpz7     
n.少女,处女;adj.未婚的,纯洁的,无经验的
参考例句:
  • The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
  • The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。
16 maidens 85662561d697ae675e1f32743af22a69     
处女( maiden的名词复数 ); 少女; 未婚女子; (板球运动)未得分的一轮投球
参考例句:
  • stories of knights and fair maidens 关于骑士和美女的故事
  • Transplantation is not always successful in the matter of flowers or maidens. 花儿移栽往往并不成功,少女们换了环境也是如此。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
17 costly 7zXxh     
adj.昂贵的,价值高的,豪华的
参考例句:
  • It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
  • This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用,左不过贵了些。
18 alas Rx8z1     
int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)
参考例句:
  • Alas!The window is broken!哎呀!窗子破了!
  • Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而,真理很少带有浪漫色彩。
19 determined duszmP     
adj.坚定的;有决心的
参考例句:
  • I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
  • He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
20 stolid VGFzC     
adj.无动于衷的,感情麻木的
参考例句:
  • Her face showed nothing but stolid indifference.她的脸上毫无表情,只有麻木的无动于衷。
  • He conceals his feelings behind a rather stolid manner.他装作无动于衷的样子以掩盖自己的感情。
21 demon Wmdyj     
n.魔鬼,恶魔
参考例句:
  • The demon of greed ruined the miser's happiness.贪得无厌的恶习毁掉了那个守财奴的幸福。
  • He has been possessed by the demon of disease for years.他多年来病魔缠身。
22 obsequiously 09ac939bd60863e6d9b9fc527330e0fb     
参考例句:
  • You must guard against those who fawn upon you and bow obsequiously before you! 对阿谀奉承、点头哈腰的人要格外警惕! 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • When everyone saw the mayor, they all bowed obsequiously – he was the only exception. 所有人见到市长都点头哈腰,只有他是个例外。 来自互联网
23 beheld beheld     
v.看,注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟
参考例句:
  • His eyes had never beheld such opulence. 他从未见过这样的财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The soul beheld its features in the mirror of the passing moment. 灵魂在逝去的瞬间的镜子中看到了自己的模样。 来自英汉文学 - 红字
24 wondrous pfIyt     
adj.令人惊奇的,奇妙的;adv.惊人地;异乎寻常地;令人惊叹地
参考例句:
  • The internal structure of the Department is wondrous to behold.看一下国务院的内部结构是很有意思的。
  • We were driven across this wondrous vast land of lakes and forests.我们乘车穿越这片有着湖泊及森林的广袤而神奇的土地。
25 suite MsMwB     
n.一套(家具);套房;随从人员
参考例句:
  • She has a suite of rooms in the hotel.她在那家旅馆有一套房间。
  • That is a nice suite of furniture.那套家具很不错。
26 Mandarin TorzdX     
n.中国官话,国语,满清官吏;adj.华丽辞藻的
参考例句:
  • Just over one billion people speak Mandarin as their native tongue.大约有十亿以上的人口以华语为母语。
  • Mandarin will be the new official language of the European Union.普通话会变成欧盟新的官方语言。
27 prostrated 005b7f6be2182772064dcb09f1a7c995     
v.使俯伏,使拜倒( prostrate的过去式和过去分词 );(指疾病、天气等)使某人无能为力
参考例句:
  • He was prostrated by the loss of his wife. 他因丧妻而忧郁。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • They prostrated themselves before the emperor. 他们拜倒在皇帝的面前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
28 kindly tpUzhQ     
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地
参考例句:
  • Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
  • A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。
29 abashed szJzyQ     
adj.窘迫的,尴尬的v.使羞愧,使局促,使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He glanced at Juliet accusingly and she looked suitably abashed. 他怪罪的一瞥,朱丽叶自然显得很窘。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The girl was abashed by the laughter of her classmates. 那小姑娘因同学的哄笑而局促不安。 来自《简明英汉词典》
30 perfidy WMvxa     
n.背信弃义,不忠贞
参考例句:
  • As devotion unites lovers,so perfidy estranges friends.忠诚是爱情的桥梁,欺诈是友谊的敌人。
  • The knowledge of Hurstwood's perfidy wounded her like a knife.赫斯渥欺骗她的消息像一把刀捅到了她的心里。
31 complacently complacently     
adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地
参考例句:
  • He complacently lived out his life as a village school teacher. 他满足于一个乡村教师的生活。
  • "That was just something for evening wear," returned his wife complacently. “那套衣服是晚装,"他妻子心安理得地说道。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
32 ordained 629f6c8a1f6bf34be2caf3a3959a61f1     
v.任命(某人)为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 );授予(某人)圣职;(上帝、法律等)命令;判定
参考例句:
  • He was ordained in 1984. 他在一九八四年被任命为牧师。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He was ordained priest. 他被任命为牧师。 来自辞典例句
33 gem Ug8xy     
n.宝石,珠宝;受爱戴的人 [同]jewel
参考例句:
  • The gem is beyond my pocket.这颗宝石我可买不起。
  • The little gem is worth two thousand dollars.这块小宝石价值两千美元。


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