Chapter 6
marcelbdt
February 06, 2008, 10:10 PM posted in General Discussion6.1 她答应了徐太太。徐太太在一星期内就要动身。流苏便忙着整理行装。虽说家无长物，却也忙乱了几天。变卖了几件零碎东西，添制了几套衣服。徐太太在百忙之中还腾出时间来替她做顾问。徐太太这样笼络流苏，被白公馆里的人看在眼里，渐渐的也就对流苏发生了新的兴趣。除了怀疑她之外，又存了三分顾忌，背后嘀嘀咕咕议论着，当面却不那么指着脸子骂了，偶然也还叫声“六妹”，“六姑”，“六小姐”，只怕她当真嫁到香港的阔人，衣锦荣归，大家总得留个见面的余地，不犯着得罪她。
6.2 徐太太徐先生带着孩子一同乘车来接了她上船，坐的是一只荷兰船的头等舱。船小，颠簸得厉害，徐先生徐太太一上船便双双睡倒，吐个不休，旁边儿啼女哭，流苏倒着实服侍了他们几天。好容易船靠了岸，她方才有机会到甲板上去看看海景。那是个火辣辣的下午，望过去最触目的便是码头上围列着的巨型广告牌，红的，橘红的，粉红的，倒映在绿油油的海水里，一条条，一抹抹刺激性的犯冲的色素，窜上落下，在水底下厮杀得异常热闹。流苏想着，在这夸张的城里，就是栽个跟头，只怕也比别处痛些，心里不由得七上八下起来，忽然觉得有人奔过来抱住她的腿，差一点把她推了一跤，倒吃了一惊，再看原来是徐太太的孩子，连忙定了定神，过去助着徐太太照料一切。谁知那十来件行李与两个孩子，竟不肯被归着在一堆，行李齐了，一转眼又少了个孩子。流苏疲于奔命，也就不去看野眼了。
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6.3 上了岸，叫了两部汽车到浅水湾饭店。那车驰出了闹市，翻山越岭，走了多时，一路只见黄土崖，红土崖，土崖缺口处露出森森绿树，露出蓝绿色的海。近了浅水湾，一样是土崖与丛林，却渐渐的明媚起来。许多游了山回来的人，乘车掠过他们的车，一汽车一汽车载满了花，风里吹落了零乱的笑声。
6.4 到了旅馆门前，却看不见旅馆在哪里。他们下了车，走上极宽的石级，到了花木萧疏的高台上，方见再高的地方有两幢黄色房子。徐先生早定下了房间，仆欧们领着他们沿着碎石小径走去，进了昏黄的饭厅，经过昏黄的穿堂，往二层楼上走。一转弯，有一扇门通着一个小阳台，搭着紫藤花架，晒着半壁斜阳。阳台上有两个人站着说话，只见一个女的，背向他们，披着一头漆黑的长发，直垂到脚踝上，脚踝上套着赤金扭麻花镯子，光着脚，底下看不仔细是否趿着拖鞋，上面微微露出一截印度式桃红皱裥窄脚裤。被那女人挡住的一个男子，却叫了一声：“咦！徐太太！”便走了过来，向徐先生徐太太打招呼，又向流苏含笑点头。
6.5 流苏见得是范柳原，虽然早就料到这一着，一颗心依旧不免跳得厉害。阳台上的女人一闪就不见了。柳原伴着他们上楼，一路上大家仿佛他乡遇故知似的，不断的表示惊讶与愉快。那范柳原虽然够不上称作美男子，粗枝大叶的，也有他的一种风神。徐先生夫妇指挥着仆欧们搬行李，柳原与流苏走在前面，流苏含笑问道：“范先生，你没有上新加坡去？”柳原轻轻答道：“我在这儿等着你呢。”流苏想不到他这样直爽，倒不便深究，只怕说穿了，不是徐太太请她上香港而是他请的，自己反而下不落台，因此只当他说玩笑话，向他笑了一笑。
marcelbdt
April 13, 2008, 06:00 PM6.5 (middle) Yes, my dictionary has
风/丰神 ²fēngshén bearing; demeanor; manner
6.5(end) Yes, „be unable to get out of an embarrassing situation“ sounds good. And then, it would be her.
marcelbdt
February 20, 2008, 08:50 AMWe just started reading chapter 4, and we'd love to help you.
marcelbdt
March 13, 2008, 08:19 PMHere we go again...:)
When I post the next few chapters, do you want them in the same style as before, or in the line-number style I used in that secret other place?
6.1 (middle) 背后嘀嘀咕咕议论着 So 嘀嘀咕咕 is the sound of a whisper...:)
6.1 (middle) 指着脸子 "pointing finger"?
6.1 (end) 见面的余地 I assume this means that they did not dare to risk becoming her enemies.
6.2 (beginning) 颠簸得厉害 But they are just following the coast from North to South? I suppose that the waves coming in from the Pacific might be big though. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that there is a war going on, even if we haven't noticed much of that yet, so that the ship has to take precautions.
6.2 (middle) 巨型广告牌 What kind of billboards are those? Advertisments? It seems that they are new to Liusu. Shanghai was the big industrial and commercial center already in those days, so if they had them in Hongkong, why not in Shanghai?
6.2 (middle) 犯冲的色素 I suppose that Liusu felt that they were very ugly.
6.2 (end) 竟不肯被归着在一堆 Is it the children that are unwilling to be tidily put in one place?
6.2 (very end) 看野眼了 See wild eye? What does that mean?
klgardensong
March 14, 2008, 11:47 PMPersonally, I like the line-number style. It's easier to track especially since I convert everything into a different font and much larger size (my eyes aren't what they used to be!).
I'll try to get to your Chapter 6 details tonight, Marcel.
K.
liansuo
March 15, 2008, 01:55 PMThe new lay-out is very pleasing to the eye -- thank you, Marcel! And: it feels great to be the three of us again!
sdulb
February 20, 2008, 08:47 AMwhy! so hard. Faintinig. I hope find some helf here.
liansuo
April 13, 2008, 01:52 PMLiansuo on Marcel's last post
6.1 (middle) 背后嘀嘀咕咕议论着 So 嘀嘀咕咕 is the sound of a whisper...:)
Yes, and more specific: a malicious whisper
6.1 (middle) 指着脸子 "pointing finger"?
finger pointing straight at s’one’s face – very impolite and accusatory
6.1 (end) 见面的余地 I assume this means that they did not dare to risk becoming her enemies.
Agree--
6.2 (beginning) 颠簸得厉害 But they are just following the coast from North to South? I suppose that the waves coming in from the Pacific might be big though. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that there is a war going on, even if we haven't noticed much of that yet, so that the ship has to take precautions.
How could I (poor little Landratte) doubt the hunch of s’one connected in three ways to seafaring nations ☺
6.2 (middle) 巨型广告牌 What kind of billboards are those? Advertisments? It seems that they are new to Liusu. Shanghai was the big industrial and commercial center already in those days, so if they had them in Hongkong, why not in Shanghai? I think this scene is most poetic – downright ready for movie making. While Liusu had certainly seen big billboards before, the effect of them mirrored in the water (and maybe she had never been in a harbour yet) must have been striking 6.2 (middle) 犯冲的色素 I suppose that Liusu felt that they were very ugly. I am not sure – to me this conveys more the impression of aggression, the intensity of this city. A little later she feels how taking a fall here would hurt more than elsewhere... 6.2 (end) 竟不肯被归着在一堆 Is it the children that are unwilling to be tidily put in one place? Tidily in a heap with the luggage ☺ 6.2 (very end) 看野眼了 See wild eye? What does that mean?
I am puzzled, too. So she is completely exhausted from being on her legs for days –„but was just not going to see a wild eye“. Hmmm? Does she not want to disappoint and risk the wild eye of her hostess? The blessed succinctness of Chinese.
I have to make a confession: 6.3. I read this and said to myself: so they are taking a taxi to the hotel. But I did not look up the words etc. If you a more meticulous, reprimand me!
6.4 仆欧们领着他 。 I can’t find the 仆欧 in my books 6.5 。那范柳原虽然够不上称作美男子，粗枝大叶的，也有他的一种风神。 I have no back-up for the 风神
liansuo
April 13, 2008, 02:15 PMI am sorry for the terrible lay-out above. Evidently, I have gotten used to a different quality of editing facilities in the meantime. I'll do better next time!
marcelbdt
April 13, 2008, 03:08 PM6.4 (beginning) I have : 仆欧 pú'ōu boy; waiter
6.4 (end) The description of the woman on the balcony does not sound like an Indian woman. Maybe she is from south Asia? 流苏 has business in Singapore, maybe she is from there?
6.5 (middle) My book says 粗枝大叶 = sloppy. 也有他的一种风神 could perhaps be "so were also some of his manners"?
6.5 (end) 只怕说穿了 "(she was) afraid that he would tell the truth"
6.5 (end) 自己反而下不落台 - does that mean that he continued to hint at that truth?
liansuo
April 13, 2008, 05:50 PM6.4 (beginning) I have : 仆欧 pú'ōu boy; waiter Thanks!
6.4 (end) The description of the woman on the balcony does not sound like an Indian woman. Maybe she is from south Asia? 流苏 has business in Singapore, maybe she is from there? I think we will be told later, but I forgot --
6.5 (middle) My book says 粗枝大叶 = sloppy. 也有他的一种风神 could perhaps be "so were also some of his manners"? Sounds highly probable. You would take 风神 to mean manners then?
6.5 (end) 只怕说穿了 "(she was) afraid that he would tell the truth" Yes, I found „to be blunt, embarrass someone“
6.5 (end) 自己反而下不落台 - does that mean that he continued to hint at that truth?
I did not find 下不落台, but 下不了台 translated as „be unable to get out of an embarrassing situation“ . I could live with that. I would take it to be her, though -- she is afraid of not being able to,,,
liansuo
April 13, 2008, 07:59 AMA while ago, it was decided that this site would temporarily be abandoned to give our third Musketeer the chance of concentrating on the swamp alligators and then rejoin us, victorious. Since it was my idea, I can safely say that it did not work.
So let’s try a different strategy. Let’s set up camp again, tackle ZAL, and hope that our shouts of triumph and noisy head-scratching will attract the occasional sneak-peek, perhaps even an on-the-spur-of-the-moment contribution and– maybe—eventually the full famous two cents of you know who and who knows...
In other words: As of now READING will be continued.
marcelbdt
February 07, 2008, 08:24 AMIf you wind up here by mistake, it might be because this lesson is currently the last lesson. Click on "Dashboard" above. From there you can chose the chapter you really want to go to.