毛姆与中国(上)

• 作 者: 罗宾·吉尔班克 胡宗锋
• 出 处: 美文(上半月)
• 发表日期: 2015年04期
• 关键词: 毛姆 三乘 顶方 大城市 中国传统思想 中国内陆 种族偏见 年过古稀 吉卜林 华夏大地

这天夜里很冷,吃过晚饭后,当我坐在燃着木炭的火盆边取暖时,我的仆童在给我铺床。大部分的苦力住在我隔壁的房间,隔着薄薄的木板墙,我听见他们有几个人在聊天。一小时前,另一拨旅客到了,于是小客店就满员了。突然,外面传来一阵喧闹,我起身到门前,看到从外面进来了三乘轿子。轿子停在我面前,从第一个轿子中走出一位矮胖的中国人,气宇不凡。他身着松鼠皮镶边的黑色华丽丝袍,头戴一顶方皮帽。看到我站在主客房门前,似乎吃了一惊,随即转向店主,用一种威严的语气询问起来。显然他是位官员,因为

It was cold at night, and after dinner, my servant was making beds for me while I was warming up by the brazier of burning charcoal. Most of the coolies live in the room next to me, across the thin wooden walls, and I hear a few of them chatting. One hour earlier, another set of passengers arrived, so the small shop was full. Suddenly, there was a loud noise outside, and I got up to the door and saw the three-seater chair coming in from the outside. Sedan stopped in front of me, from the first chair out of a chunky Chinese, extraordinary. He wore a black ornate silk gown squirrel skin trim, wearing a square fur cap. It seemed as though I was taken aback to see me standing in front of the main guest room, then turned to the shopkeeper and interrogated in a dignified tone. Obviously he is an official because