第一回: Chunk 24

derek

August 14, 2008, 01:51 AM posted in General Discussion

This next paragraph describes the response by the Daoist of the Great Void, and is the final part the the introduction. The master copies the story and changes the title, the story is later revised and edited several times, then a poem is added.

空空道人听如此说, 思忖半晌,将<<石头记>>再检阅一遍,因见上面虽有些指奸责佞贬恶诛邪之语,亦非伤时骂世之旨,及至君仁臣良父慈子孝,凡伦常所关之处,皆是称功颂德, 眷眷无穷,实非别书之可比.虽其中大旨谈情,亦不过实录其事,又非假拟妄称, 一味淫邀艳约,私订偷盟之可比.因毫不干涉时世,方从头至尾抄录回来,问世传奇.从此空空道人因空见色,由色生情,传情入色,自色悟空,遂易名为情僧,改<< 石头记>>为<<情僧录>>.东鲁孔梅溪则题曰<<风月宝鉴>>.后因曹雪芹于悼红轩中披阅十载,增删五次,纂成目录,分出章回,则题曰<<金陵十二钗>>.并题一绝云:

　　满纸荒唐言,一把辛酸泪!
　　都云作者痴,谁解其中味?

The Daoist of the Great Void having listened to this speech, said, [i] have pondered this for half a day, with this <<Story of the Stone>> [i have] once again reviewed,  seeing that the aforementioned [story], although relying on some intentionally offensive, reproachful and flattering, censorious and wicked, punishable and heretical words, also has no purpose to harm the times or abuse the world, up to the Emperor [it shows] great filial piety, at every place the feudal order of relationships are all praised as meritorious and extolled as virtuous, [its] tenderness has no bounds, [its] accuracy is incomparable with other books.

Although within the main theme is love and romance, it is also only a factual record of these matters, again [it] cannot be compared [with those stories of] false conjectures and absurd narratives, [those] blindly wanton invitations and gaudy meetings, [those] illicit agreements and stealthy alliances.

Due to to [it] not at all interfering with this world and time, [in this] way [i will] from beginning to end copy and return, [to] publish this legend. Henceforth the Daoist of the Great Void, from the basis of the void seeing beauty, because of beauty was born love, expressing love entered beauty, from beauty awakened the void, thereupon changed his name to Love Monk, and changed [the title of the story from] <<Story of the Stone>> to <<Record of the Love Monk>>.

Kong Mei Xi of Dong Lu again changed the title to <<Precious Mirror of Romance>>. Afterwards, Cao Xue Qin at the Dao Hong House reviewed [the story] ten times and revised it five times, compiled a table of contents, divided it into chapters, and changed the title to <<Twelve Women of Jin Ling>>. Incorporating the verse:

Pages full of absurd words, a handful of bitter tears!
All say the author is mad, who can understand the flavour within?

Breakdown:

空空道人听如此说, 思忖半晌,将<<石头记>>再检阅一遍, ->
The Daoist of the Great Void having listened to this speech, said, [i] (思忖半) have pondered this for half a day, with this <<Story of the Stone>> [i have] (再检阅一遍) once again reviewed,  

因见上面虽有些指奸责佞贬恶诛邪之语,亦非伤时骂世之旨, ->
(因见) seeing that the (上面) aforementioned [story], although relying on some (指奸) intentionally offensive, (责佞) reproachful and flattering, (贬恶) censorious and wicked, (诛邪) punishable and heretical words, also has no (旨) purpose to (伤时骂世) harm the times or abuse the world,

及至君仁臣良父慈子孝,凡伦常所关之处,皆是称功颂德, ->
(及至) up to the (君仁臣) Emperor [it shows] great (父慈子孝) filial piety, at every place the (伦常) feudal order of relationships are all (称功) praised as meritorious and (颂德) extolled as virtuous,

(凡.......之处: every ..... place; 伦常所关: the government and social principles at this time were largely based on Confucianism, a philosophy that emphasises selfless filial piety.)

眷眷无穷,实非别书之可比. ->
[its] (眷眷) tenderness has (无穷) no bounds, [its] accuracy is (可比) incomparable with other books.

虽其中大旨谈情,亦不过实录其事, ->
Although within the (大旨) main theme is (谈情) love and romance, it is also only a (实录) factual record of these matters,

又非假拟妄称, 一味淫邀艳约,私订偷盟之可比. ->
again [it] cannot be compared [with those stories of] (假拟) false conjectures and (妄称) absurd narratives, [those] (一味) blindly (淫邀) wanton invitations and (艳约) gaudy meetings, [those] (私订) illicit agreements and (偷盟) stealthy alliances.

(非....可比: cannot......compare.)

因毫不干涉时世,方从头至尾抄录回来,问世传奇. ->
Due to [it] (毫不) not at all (干涉) interfering with this world and time, [in this] way [i will] (从头至尾) from beginning to end (抄录) copy and return, [to] (问世传奇) publish this legend.

从此空空道人因空见色,由色生情,传情入色,自色悟空,遂易名为情僧, ->
Henceforth the Daoist of the Great Void, from the (因空见色) basis of the void seeing beauty, (由色生情) because of beauty was born love, (传情入色) expressing love entered beauty, (自色悟空) from beauty awakened the void, (遂) thereupon (易) changed his name to Love Monk,

(In other words, the Daoist had a transcendent experience.)

改<< 石头记>>为<<情僧录>>. ->
and changed [the title of the story from] <<Story of the Stone>> to <<Record of the Love Monk>>.

(情: could also be the Sentimental Monk or Affectionate Monk etc.)

东鲁孔梅溪则题曰<<风月宝鉴>>. ->
(孔梅溪) Kong Mei Xi of (东鲁) Dong Lu after this changed the title to <<Precious Mirror of Romance>>.

(风月: matters concerning love.)
 
后因曹雪芹于悼红轩中披阅十载,增删五次,纂成目录,分出章回, ->
Afterwards, Cao Xue Qin at the (悼红轩) Dao Hong House (披阅) perused [the story] ten times and (增删) revised it five times, (纂成目录) compiled a table of contents, (分出章回) divided it into chapters,

则题曰<<金陵十二钗>>.并题一绝云: ->
and again changed the title to <<Twelve Women of Jin Ling>>. (并题) Incorporating (一绝云) a verse:

满纸荒唐言,一把辛酸泪! 都云作者痴,谁解其中味? ->
Pages full of (荒唐) absurd words, a handful of (辛酸泪) bitter tears!All say the author is (痴) mad, who can (解) understand the (味) flavour within?

(痴: silly, idiotic, crazy)