第12章 出生是人生的起点（4）

　　1.4　主要人物的人生（经验教训）

　　1.4　Major Characters’ Lives (Experiences and Lessons)

　　贾母：贾母出生于金陵史侯贵族家庭。她成人之后，嫁给荣国公之长子贾代善。荣国公死后，长子贾代善袭了官。他们生了两子一女，长子贾赦，次子贾政，女名贾敏。贾代善早已去世，太夫人尚在，自然就成了贾家的最高统治者。正如贾母自己所说：“我进了这门子，做重孙媳妇起，到如今，我也有个重孙子媳妇了……凭着大惊大险、千奇百怪的事，也经了些。”“我到你们家已经六十多年了，从年轻的时候到老来，福也享尽了。”“听见贾母喉间略一响动，脸变笑容，竟是去了。享年八十三岁。”

　　The Lady Dowager： The Lady Dowager was born of an aristocratic family of Marquis Shi of Jinling. Aftershe grew up， she was married to Jia Daishan， the elder son of the Duke of Rongguo. Jia Daishan succeededto the title after his father’s death. They had two sons and a daughter： the elder son Jia She， the youngerson Jia Zheng， the daughter named Jia Min. Jia Daishan has been dead for many years but his wife， LadyDowager Shi， is still alive and has naturally become the top ruler of the Jia Household. Just as the LadyDowager said：“I came to this house as the bride of a great grandson， and now I have great granddaughtersin law myself. ... I’ve had plenty of shocks and frights and seen all manner of amazing happenings.”“I’velived in your family sixty years and more， from girlhood to old age， and had more than my share of goodfortune.”“Now they heard a rattling in her throat， and a smile overspread her face as she breathed herlast—at the age of eighty three.”

　　贾母是个好当家，正如她自己所说：“当日我象凤丫头这么大年纪，比她还来得呢！他如今虽说不如我，也就算好了，比你姨娘（王夫人）强远了！”贾母非常精明能干。她恰当地处理了各种家庭矛盾，如贾琏、熙凤和平儿间的矛盾等等。她坚定地解决了园子里的人开赌局的严重问题，她巧妙地处理了很多重要的家务事，如她大儿子想要她丫头鸳鸯作妾之事等。

　　The Lady Dowager is a good manager of the Jia Mansions. Just as she said：“At Xifeng’s age I outshoneher. Still， even if she’s not up to me she’s way ahead of your aunt (Lady Wang)！”The Lady Dowager isextremely clever and capable. She properly handled all kinds of contradictions in the Jia Mansions， such asthe contradiction among Jia Lian， Xifeng and Ping’er， etc. She firmly solved the serious problem that someservants in the Garden had formed gambling clubs. She skillfully dealt with many important family affairs， forinstance， her eldest son Jia She wanted to make her maidservant Yuan Yang his concubine， etc.

　　贾母顾大局，识大体。虽说她“素来本不大喜欢贾赦，那边东府贾珍究竟隔了一层”，但她还是在锦衣军查抄宁国府后，“叫邢王二夫人同着鸳鸯等开箱倒笼，将做媳妇到如今积攒的东西都拿出来，又叫贾赦、贾政、贾珍等一一的分派。”并说：“你们别打量我是享得富贵受不得贫穷的人哪！不过这几年看着你们轰轰烈烈，我乐得都不管，说说笑笑，养身子罢了。那知道家运一败，直到这样！若说外头好看，里头空虚，是我早知道的了， 只是‘居移气，养移体’，一时下不了台就是了。如今借此正好收敛，守住这个门头儿，不然，叫人笑话。”

　　The Lady Dowager bears the overall situation in mind and puts the general interest above all.Althoughshe“had never been too fond of Jia She， while Jia Zhen being of the East Mansion was not one of herdescendants，”after the Imperial Guards raided the Ning Mansion， she“made Lady Xing， Lady Wang，Yuan Yang and others open up her cases and take out all the things she had stored away since coming hereas a bride. Then she summoned Jia She， Jia Zheng and Jia Zhen to share out her belongings.”And shesaid：“But you mustn’t imagine I’m someone who enjoys riches and rank and can’t endure poverty. Theselast few years you seemed to be doing fine， so I didn’t interfere， content to laugh and chat and nurse myhealth， never dreaming that our family was doomed to ruin like this！ I knew all along that we were putting onan empty show， but everyone in the household was so used to luxury that we couldn’t cut down expenses allof a sudden. Well， here’s a good chance to retrench， to keep the family going， if we don’t want to become alaughing-stock.”

　　贾母人生经验丰富，热爱家庭，热爱子女，特别溺爱孙儿孙女，是个众人尊敬的“老祖宗”。她总是慈祥和蔼，充满了人情味。但贾母的爱是根据其整个家庭利益而有所不同的。

　　以宝黛之恋为例。尽管贾母很爱她年轻有病的外孙女，但她认为黛玉作为宝玉的婚姻伴侣完全不合适，因为黛玉“最小性儿，又多心”，常生病，更重要的是黛玉帮助并助长宝玉背叛封建习俗，导致宝玉走上招致家庭败落之路。当熙风告诉贾母黛玉已死时，贾母眼泪交流，说道：“是我弄坏了她了！但只是这个丫头也忒傻气！”她想到园里去哭她一场，又惦记着宝玉，两头难顾。贾母无奈，只得叫王夫人去，并指示说：“你替我告诉她的阴灵：‘并不是我忍心不来送你，只为有个亲疏。你是我的外孙女儿，是亲的了；若与宝玉比起来，可是宝玉比你更亲些。倘宝玉有些不好，我怎么见他父亲呢！’”相反，贾母见了宝玉后却径直去看宝钗，并怜悯地说：“我的儿！我告诉你，你可别告诉宝玉。都是因你林妹妹，才叫你受了多少委屈！你如今作媳妇了，我才告诉你：这如今你林妹妹没了两三天了，就是娶你的那个时辰死的。如今宝玉这一番病，还是为着这个。你们先都在园子里，自然也都是明白的。”

　　The Lady Dowager has rich experience in life. She loves her family， her children， even indulging hergrandsons and granddaughters. She is beloved and respected as“Old Ancestress”. She is always kind andamiable， full of human interest. But the Lady Dowager’s love is differentiated according to the interests of heraristocratic clan. Take the love betwen Baoyu &； Daiyu for example. The Lady Dowager， despite loving hersickly young granddaughter very much， regards her as completely unsuitable as a marriage partner for Baoyu，for Daiyu， is narrow-minded， hyper-sensitive and often ill， more importantly， she aids and abets Baoyu in hisrebellion against feudal lodes， leading him down a path that spells ruin for the family. When Xifeng told theLady Dowager that Daiyu had died， the Lady Dowager sobbed and said：“I have her death on my conscience.

　　But the child was really too foolish！”She was in a dilemma， wanting to go to the Garden to mourn Daiyu，yet reluctant to leave Baoyu. So the Lady Dowager asked Lady Wang to go instead and instructed：“Tell herspirit from me. It’s not because I’m heartless that I’m not coming to see you off， but there’s someone closerhere whom I have to see to. As my daughter’s daughter you are dear to me； but Baoyu is closer to me eventhan you. If any harm comes to him， how am I to face his father？”On the contrary， having seen Baoyu， theLady Dowager directly went in to see Baochai and said compassionately：“I’ll tell you， child， but don’t letBaoyu know. It’s all because of your Cousin Lin that you’ve been so unfairly treated. Now that you’re marriedI can tell you the truth： your Cousin Lin died a couple of days ago—at the very hour of your wedding. Thisillness Baoyu has is because of her. You used to live together in the Garden， so I’m sure you know what Imean.”

　　贾母是福寿双全。为什么呢？人们会说，她的福来自出身好，嫁得好。但答得远不够完善。更重要的是，她的福寿来自她有上述好品质和她所说的下列好性格。她说：“大凡一个人，有也罢，没有也罢，总要受得富贵，耐得贫贱才好呢。你宝姐姐生来是个大方的人。头里他家这样好，他也一点儿不骄傲；后来他家坏了事，他也是舒舒坦坦的。如今在我家里，宝玉待他好，他也是那样安顿；一时待他不好，也不见他有什么烦恼。我看这孩子倒是个有福的。你林姐姐，他就最小性儿，又多心，所以到底儿不长命的。凤丫头也见过些事，很不该略见些风波就改了样子。他若这样没见识，也就小器了。”

　　The Lady Dowager enjoys both felicity and longevity. Why？ People will say that her happiness comesfrom her good birth and good marriage. But it’s far from perfect. What’s more important， her felicity amdlongevity come from her good qualities mentioned above and her good characters of what she says asfollows：“People should make the best of what they’ve got， able to enjoy rank and riches or to put up withpoverty. Your Cousin Baochai has always been broadminded. When her family was well-off she wasn’t theleast bit conceited； later， when they got into trouble， she kept cheerful. Now that she’s one of our family， whenBaoyu treats her well， she takes it calmly， and if he’s bad to her it doesn’t provoke her. I think that’s her goodfortune. Your Cousin Daiyu， on the other hand， was narrow- minded and hyper-sensitive； that’s why shedidn’t live long. Xifeng， being more experienced， shouldn’t let upsets influence her behaviour. If she’s sofoolish， that’s rather petty too.”

　　贾政：贾政是贾母之次子，自幼酷喜读书，得祖父钟爱，原要他从科甲出身，不料其父临终遗本一上，皇上怜念先臣，即叫长子贾赦袭了一等将军之职，又问还有几个儿子，立刻引见，并赐贾政额外主事职衔，叫他入部实习，不久便升了工部员外郎。贾政的夫人王氏，头胎给他生了个儿子叫贾珠，十四岁通过了州县考试，后来娶了李纨为妻，生了一子名叫贾兰，但贾珠不到二十岁就病死了。王夫人的第二个孩子是个女儿，生在大年初一，名叫元春，第三个孩子又是个公子，名叫宝玉。贾政和赵姨娘生有一个女儿，叫探春，一个儿子叫贾环。因此，贾政共有五个孩子。

　　Jia Zheng： Jia Zheng is the younger son of Lady Dowager. He was so fond of studying as a child thathe was his grandfather’s favourite and he was hoped to make a career for himself through the examinations.

　　However， when his father died， his father left a valedictory memorial， and the Emperor out of regard for hisformer minister not only conferred the title General of the First Rank on his elder son Jia She but askedwhat other sons there were， granted Jia Zheng an audience， and as an additional favour gave him the rank ofAssistant Secretary with instructions to familiarize himself with affairs in one of the ministries. He has soonrisen to the rank of Under-Secretary in the Board of Works. Jia Zheng’s wife， Lady Wang， bore him a soncalled Jia Zhu who passed the district examination at fourteen， married Li Wan before he was twenty andhad a son named Jia Lan， but then fell ill and died. Lady Wang’s second child was a daughter， born on thefirst day of the year and called Yuanchun. Their third child was another son named Baoyu. Jia Zheng andConcubine Zhao had two children， the daughter named Tanchun， the son named Jia Huan. Thus， Jia Zhengaltogether had five children.

　　贾政对孩子要求很严格。他的女儿元春教育得好，因贤孝才德，选入宫作女史去了。当宝玉被送去上学时，贾政指教道：“你去请学里太爷的安，就说我说的，……只是先把《四书》一齐讲明背熟，是最要紧的。”当贾政得知宝玉在家荒疏学业，在外流荡优伶，表赠私物，他气得面如死灰，只喝命：“堵起嘴来，着实打死！”当贾母来时，贾政立即上前躬身陪笑说道：“大暑热的天，老太太有什么吩咐，何必自己走来，只叫儿子进去吩咐便了。”

　　当贾母责骂他打她心爱的孙子时，他忙跪下含泪说道：“儿子管他，也为的是光宗耀祖。老太太也不必伤感，都是儿子一时性急，从此以后，再不打他了。”对母亲，贾政总是百依百顺，十分孝敬。

　　Jia Zheng is very strict with their children. His daughter Yuanchun was well educated and chosen to bea Lady-Clerk in the palace of the heir apparent because of her goodness， filial piety and talents. When Baoyuwas sent to school， Jia Zheng instructed：“Give my compliments to the school principal， and tell him fromme that he’d far better expound The Four Books and make his pupils learn them by heart.”When Jia Zhengwas told that Baoyu had neglected his studies at home and played about outside and exchanged gifts withactors， Jia Zheng was livid with fury and roared：“Gag him！ Beat him to death！”When his mother came，he immediately stepped forward to bow respectfully and said with a smile：“Why should you vex yourself，mother， and come over on such a hot day？ If you have any instructions， just send for your son.”When theLady Dowager scolded him for having beaten her dear grandson， at once he fell on his knees， tears in his eyesand pleaded：“If your son disciplines his son， it is for the honour of our ancestors. Don’t grieve， mother！ Iwas wrong to lose my temper. I shall never beat him again.”To his mother， Jia Zheng is always docile andobedient， full of filial piety.

　　贾政是个谦恭厚道之人，大有祖父遗风，最喜读书人，礼贤下士，拯溺救危。他对皇上总是无限忠诚。甚至锦衣军查抄了贾府之后，他还感激涕零，望北跪拜向皇上谢恩。

　　Jia Zheng is an unassuming， generous man who takes after his grandfather， well-disposed to scholarsand delighted in honouring worthy men of letters and helping those in distress. He is always utterly loyalto the Emperor. Even after the Imperial Guards having raided the Jia Mansions， with tears of gratitude hekowtowed towards the north to thank the Emperor.

　　他决心做个好官。“那年正值京察，工部将贾政保列一等，二月，吏部带领引见。皇上念贾政勤俭谨慎，即放了江西粮道。”他晓行夜宿，到了本省，见过上司，即到任拜印受事，便查盘各属州县米粮仓库。他出示严禁，并谕以一经查出，必定详参揭报。他认真查办，州县馈送，一概不受。门房、签押、长随等人，抱怨道：“你们爷们到底还没花什么本钱来的。我们才冤：花了若干银子，打了个门子，来了一个多月， 连半个钱也没见过！想来跟这个主儿是不能捞本儿的了。”次日，他们都辞去了。“那些可去的去了，”留下的家佣商议道：“我们去不了的，到底想个法儿才好。”隔一天，管厨房的上来要钱。贾政将带来银两付了。以后便觉样样不如意，比在京的时候倒不便了好些，无奈，便唤管门李十儿来，说：“现在带来银两，早使没有了。藩库俸银尚早，该打发京里取去。”李十儿禀道：“老爷说家里取银子，取多少？现在打听节度衙门这几天有生日，别的府道老爷都上千上万的送了，我们到底送多少呢？”贾政道：“为什么不早说？”李十儿说：“我们新来乍到，又不与别位老爷很来往，谁肯送信？巴不得老爷不去，好想老爷的美缺呢。”贾政道：“胡说！

　　我这官是皇上放的，不与节度做生日，便叫我不做不成！”李十儿笑着回道：“老爷说的也不错。京里离这里很远，凡百的事，都是节度奏闻。他说好便好，说不好便吃不住。到得明白，已经迟了。就是老太太，太太们，那个不愿意老爷在外头轰轰烈烈的做官呢？”贾政道：“依你怎么做才好？”李十儿道：“也没有别的，趁着老爷的精神年纪，里头的照应，老太太的硬朗，为顾着自己就是了。不然，到不了一年，老爷家里的钱也都贴补完了，还落了自上至下的人抱怨，都说老爷是做外任的，自然弄了钱藏着受用。倘遇着一两件为难的事，谁肯帮着老爷？那时办也办不清，悔也悔不及！”贾政道：“据你一说，是叫我做贪官吗？送了命还不要紧，必定将祖父的功勋抹了才是？”李十儿回禀道：“老爷极圣明的人，没看见旧年犯事的几位老爷吗？这几位都与老爷相好，老爷常说是个做清官的，如今名在那里？现有几位亲戚，老爷向来说他们不好的，如今升的升，迁的迁。只在要做的好就是了。

　　老爷要知道：民也要顾，官也要顾。若是依着老爷，不准州县得一个大钱，外头这些差使谁办？”李十儿解释说：“那些书吏衙役，都是花了钱买着粮道的衙门，那个不想发财？俱要养家活口。”“只要老爷外面还是这样清名声原好；里头的委屈，只要奴才办去，关碍不着老爷的。”贾政被李十儿一番言语，说得心无主见，道：“我是要保性命的！你们闹出来不与我相干！”说着，便踱了进去。“李十儿便自己做起威福，钩连内外一气的哄着贾政办事，反觉得事事周到，件件随心，所以贾政不但不疑，反多相信。”结果，贾政被节度使题参。题本上去，亏得皇上的恩典，没有交部，便下旨意，说是“失察属员，重征粮米，苛虐百姓，本应革职，姑念初膺外任，不谙吏治，被属员蒙蔽，着降三级，加恩仍以工部员外上行走，并令即日回京。”贾政从江西粮道被题参回京后，仍在工部行走，日夜不敢怠惰。他实为他那社会的一个有道德责任和礼仪的楷模。

　　He is determined to be a good official.“That year the records of officials in the capital were examined，and the Ministry of Works ranked Jia Zheng as first class. In the second month， the Minister of OfficialAffairs took him to an audience at court and the Emperor， in recognition of his frugality and circumspection，appointed him Grain Commissioner of Jiangxi.”Travelling by day and resting at night， he finally reachedhis provincial post and presented himself to his superior. He then went to his office， and when the officialseal had been ceremoniously made over to him， he started checking up on the granaries in the districts andcounties under his jurisdiction. He issued stern prohibitions， threatening to report in detail any instances ofcorruption that were discovered. He carried out serious investigations and refused all gifts sent by the localofficials. The Yamen secretaries， scriveners， attendants， runners and others all complained，“You gentlemenat least didn’t sink any capital into landing your posts. We’re the ones who’ve been sold out： we spent potsof silver to get these jobs， but after more than a month here we haven’t made a single cent！ If we stick to thismaster， we shall probably never recoup our capital.”The following day they all resigned.“Those able toleave have gone，”the family stewards remaining there said.“But as we can’t， we must think of some wayout.”“A day later， when the steward in charge of the kitchen came with a request for money， Jia Zheng hadto pay him out of his own pocket. But after that things went from bad to worse—compared with this， it hadbeen plain sailing in the capital. In desperation he summoned the gateman Li Shi’er and said：“The silverwe brought was spent days ago， and it’s not yet time to draw the allowance from the provincial treasury. Weshall have to send to the capital for more.”“How much money does Your Lordship want us to fetch fromhome？”replied Li，“I’ve heard that the governor will be celebrating his birthday in a few days， and all theother officials are sending him thousands of taels. How much shall we send？”“Why didn’t you tell meearlier？”said Jia Zheng.“We’re new here and haven’t had much to do with those other gentlemen； so whyshould they send us word？ They’re only hoping you won’t call to congratulate him， sir； so that when you’redismissed they can get your lucrative post.”“Nonsense！”Jia Zheng retorted.“I was appointed by HisMajesty. The governor can’t dismiss me just because I fail to congratulate him on his birthday.”“You’reright， of course， sir，”replied Li with a smile.“But the capital is far away， and it’s the governor who reportson everything here. If he commends you， you are a good official； if he finds fault， you’re likely to lose yourjob. By the time the court learns the truth， it is too late. Our old lady and the other mistresses are all longingfor you to have a magnificent success here.”“What would you do in my place？”asked Jia Zheng.“Justthis， sir. While you’re in your prime， with friends at court and the old lady in good health， look after your owninterests. Otherwise， in less than a year you’ll have spent all your family’s money and made those above andbelow resent you too. They’ll all assume that in this provincial post Your Lordship must be salting moneyaway. So if some trouble crops up， who’s going to help you？ By then it will be hard to clear yourself and toolate to regret！”“Are you advising me to become a corrupt official？”protested Jia Zheng.“Forfeiting mylife would be of less consequence， but would you have my ancestors deprived of their noble titles？”“Agentleman of your discernment， sir， must surely have noticed which officials have landed in trouble in recentyears. All old friends of Your Lordship’s they were， and you often remarked on their probity； but now what hasbecome of their good name？ On the other hand， some relatives whom you have always run down have beenpromoted. It all depends on how well one handles things. You must understand the need， sir， to care for thelocal officials as well as for the people. Why， if you had your way， sir， and wouldn’t let the local magistratesmake a cent， who would handle all the work in the provinces？”explained Li.“Those clerks and runnersall bribed their way into this Yamen； so of course they all want to feather their nests. They have families tosupport.”“All you need to do is keep up appearances， living up to your good name as an honest official，while in private we underlings get the job done and take whatever blame there may be without involving YourLordship.”Jia Zheng did not know what rejoinder to make to this.“I can’t risk my life！”he exclaimed，“Ifyou get into trouble， I won’t be responsible.”He then retired to his room. After that Li Shi’er assumed greatairs， conniving with others inside and outside the Yamen to handle affairs unbeknown to Jia Zheng， who feltso satisfied that all was going smoothly that， far from suspecting Li， he trusted him completely. ConsequentlyJia Zheng has been impeached by the governor. A report has been sent to the court， but thanks to HisMajesty’s clemency it hasn’t been referred to the ministry. It has been decreed：“Since he failed to keep hissubordinates in check and levied too heavy a grain tax， cruelly exploiting the people， he should be dismissed.

　　But in view of the fact that he was new to this provincial post and inexperienced in administration， enablinghis subordinates to deceive him， he is to be demoted three ranks and， by the gracious favour of the Emperor，can still serve as assistant minister of the Ministry of Works. He is to return forthwith to the capital.”AfterJia Zheng was impeached and returned to the capital to his old post in the Ministry of Works from his post asGrain Commissioner of Jiangxi， never， day and night， did he neglect his duties. Indeed， he is really a model ofpropriety with a strong sense of moral obligation in his society.

　　贾政不惯俗务，下朝回家，不过看书着棋而已。他不知理家，只得叫贾琏夫妇总理家务；他管束不了手下长随们，只得让其中饱私囊；他未能管教好子侄，“谁知这样钟鸣鼎食的人家儿，如今养的儿孙们，竟一代不如一代了！”作为一个皇帝指命的官员，贾政起初被赐予额外主事职衔，不久升了工部员外郎；他自皇上钦点学政任满后，即放了江西粮道，尽管降了三级，仍以工部员外上行走，荣国世职，仍是他袭了，“俟丁忧服满，仍升工部郎中”。贾政一生，尽管工作勤勤恳恳，循分供职，也只过得平安和平庸而已。

　　Jia Zheng is unaccustomed to practical business. All he does on his return from court is to read booksor play chess. He has no idea how to manage the household. That’s why he has turned over the supervision ofhis family affairs to Jia Lian and his wife. He can not control his subordinates but let them feather their nests.

　　He has failed to bring up his sons and nephews well—“Who would’ve thought that each new generation ofthis noble and scholarly clan is inferior to the last.”As an official appointed by the Emperor， Jia Zheng hasbeen given the rank of Assistant Secretary at first， soon risen to the rank of Under-Secretary in the Boardof Works； after his term of office as Examiner of Provincial Education by His Majesty’s favour， he has beenappointed Grain Commissioner of Jiangxi； though having been demoted three ranks， he can still serve asassistant minister of the Ministry of Works and will keep the title of Duke of Rongguo， and“after the periodof mourning is to be made vice-minister of the Ministry of Works”.In spite of his diligent and steady work athis post， Jia Zheng only has a life of peace and mediocrity.